Chapter 43

Jiang Xue gritted her teeth in anger.

The person who was called out, Qiu Shuxia, could only bite the bullet and step forward. “I was too anxious last time and forgot.”

Gu Qinghuan had a harmless look on her face. “It’s fine. I brought a small cart today. I’ll pick it myself, no need for you to labor.”

The other educated youth didn’t say much upon hearing that. After all, they had all planted these together, and if someone wanted to take their own portion, it was only fair.

“Gu, need any help?” Lin Shengnan asked, swallowing the last bit of porridge. She wiped her mouth and spoke.

Last time, when she had used Gu Qinghuan’s axe, she realized that Gu was not actually arrogant and was quite easy to get along with. So she was more than happy to lend a hand.

Gu Qinghuan shook her head. “No need, thank you! I can do it myself.”

But someone just had to stir things up.

“Tom-boy, you’re so eager to help, why don’t you move out and live with her?”

“Qiu Shuxia, are you dead or something? Why aren’t you keeping an eye out? What if someone picks more than their share? What are we going to eat in winter?”

“Jiang Xue, clean up your mouth.”

Lin Xiaonan was unjustly caught in the crossfire. Although she was slow-witted, she could still distinguish right from wrong.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t be bothered to say much to her. She directly picked up a firewood stick that no one knew who had left on the ground. It was as thick as her arm, and with one forceful twist, the stick snapped into two.

“Want to fight?” She didn’t want to waste words with people like this. Sometimes fists were more effective.

Jiang Xue, frightened by her violent appearance, took a few steps back and hid behind Chen Jianghe.

“Who, who wants to fight with you? You, you’re ruining our team’s unity!”

When did Gu Qinghuan become so violent? It was the same as last time. It seemed best not to provoke her in the future.

Although Jiang Xue was scared inside, she still tried to hold up a tough front.

“Stop bothering me if you don’t want to get beaten! Next time, I’ll make sure you remember it!”

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t be bothered to look at her pathetic face. She just threw the firewood stick to the ground and turned to the vegetable garden behind to pick some vegetables.

After Gu Qinghuan left, Chen Jianghe impatiently shouted at Jiang Xue: “Can’t you stop provoking her in the future? You’re embarrassing us.”

In the past few days, Chen Jianghe had been treating her a bit better. However, as soon as Gu Qinghuan arrived, Jiang Xue felt as if everything had been reset. She became even more resentful toward Gu Qinghuan, swearing that she would make her pay for it.

Gu Qinghuan picked vegetables according to her own share, making sure not to take more. She wouldn’t take advantage of others, but she absolutely wouldn’t allow herself to lose out.

She picked three chili plants, taking all the red and green ones. 

Three pumpkins, two winter melons, five cabbage heads, five large radishes, around ten carrots, and about ten tomatoes.

She also took two eggplant plants, yielding six large eggplants, five loofahs, and three bunches of beans.

One bunch each of cilantro and green onions, roots and all.

That was about it.

Qiu Shuxia had been watching the whole time, ensuring that Gu Qinghuan didn’t take more than her share.

Gu Qinghuan placed the vegetables in the small cart and pushed it back home.

With these vegetables, along with some wild plants and the occasional items she smuggled out from her space, they would have enough food for a while.

Next, she needed to deal with the issue of the personal plot of land.

The land issues in the village had to be decided after discussions with the village cadres.

However, Gu Qinghuan had a “good father-in-law” who was the Branch Secretary, so this matter was best left to him to handle.

It was all about knowing how to make use of the resources available.

Xu Mingshan hadn’t seen Gu Qinghuan for several days. When he suddenly saw her smiling and walking toward him, his heart tensed. Was she here to ask for something again?

“Dad, are you going to work?”

“Yes. I heard from the team leader that you haven’t worked for several days. What’s going on?”

“As for the Huai’an family, let me make it clear from the start. The last three hundred jin of grain was a one-time distribution, your share for dividing the family. There won’t be any more in the future.”

“You’re young, with good hands and legs. If you don’t work, don’t expect the elders to support you.” Xu Mingshan sternly warned.

Gu Qinghuan thought to herself, Old fool, you’re calculating well. One hundred yuan, three hundred jin of grain, and you’ve left three people to be taken care of by a single girl.

If it weren’t for my space, relying on the original body’s labor alone, we’d all starve to death eventually.

“Dad, have you forgotten? We just moved out, and there’s nothing in the house—cleaning, picking firewood, setting up the home—everything is on me alone. Isn’t that wasting time?”

“That’s true.” Xu Mingshan replied. “But remember, whether life is good or bad from now on, it’s all on you. I’m old and can’t take care of it anymore.”

Xu Mingshan placed his hands behind his back.

“I understand.” Gu Qinghuan said, then added: “But right now, there’s still a matter that only you can handle.”

She flattered him, putting on a praise.

“What’s that matter? Only I can handle it?” Xu Mingshan became interested.

“We’ve moved out, so how should the personal plot of land be distributed?”

Xu Mingshan’s pupils shook. How could he have forgotten about the land? Oh no, now his wife at home would start making a fuss.

Actually, Xu Huai’an had always had a personal plot of land. The Xu family still cultivated it, but even though they had moved out, they had forgotten that the plot should be divided as well.

Gu Qinghuan noticed his reaction and immediately had some guesses. She deliberately said: “Veterans should be treated with special care. Moreover, Huai’an was a deputy battalion commander before he retired. If he doesn’t even get two shares of the personal land, I will definitely go to the town, to the county, and ask the leaders for clarification!”

When Xu Mingshan heard that she wanted to go to the leaders, he immediately scolded her: “What a big fuss over nothing! Is it worth going to the leaders? I’ll handle it for you this afternoon.”

“You’re currently living in Wang Laocai’s house. His family used to have a personal plot of land, just behind the house, but it’s been abandoned. You can just start planting it again, it’s exactly four acres.”

As for the two acres of land that belonged to the old Xu family, it had already been returned to the team.

Though Xu Mingshan was somewhat unwilling, he feared being accused of taking his son’s land and, more importantly, feared that his reputation as a leader would be jeopardized.

Gu Qinghuan smiled to herself. This old man, he even has things he’s afraid of.

She spoke out loud: “Then thank you, Dad. You really are good to us. Next time, if I need something, I’ll come find you.”

Xu Mingshan watched her retreating figure, his mouth twisted in irritation.

With the issue of the personal plot of land easily resolved, Gu Qinghuan was in a very good mood. She hummed a tune as she walked home.

Tonight, she was going to celebrate at home.

Right, she needed to invite Grandpa and Grandma over for a good meal. They hadn’t met Xu Huai’an yet.

Without hesitation, she set things in motion.

Upon returning home, Gu Qinghuan began preparing dinner.

Zhong Zijun helped her out.

Based on what was available in the house, she set the menu: stewed ribs with green beans, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried pork with green peppers, spicy-sour cabbage, minced meat eggplant, and loofah soup.

Due to limited ingredients, everything was quite simple and homely.

However, in this time and place, this meal was already considered a decent spread.

Zhong Zijun didn’t say anything this time. If Huahua wanted to do it and was willing to eat, so be it. As long as the son-in-law was happy, that was all that mattered.