Chapter 121

As the car traveled from Huanghe Town to Gumula Village, the air gradually cooled down. The number of trees on both sides increased, and among the green forest, there were occasional clusters of a different shade of light green - those were eucalyptus trees.

It was said that eucalyptus trees were poisonous. Once planted, they inhibited the growth of other plants nearby. However, Gumula Village was too poor, so some people still relied on selling eucalyptus leaves to earn some money.

Xiao Qi found eucalyptus trees quite beautiful at first glance. Despite being green like the surrounding trees, they stood out and had a unique shade of green.

She didn't bring back the suitcase her aunt bought for her; instead, she packed the books and clothes she needed and brought back the ones she didn't need.

The return journey was bumpy, and by the end of August, Gumula Village had become pleasantly cool. When they reached the entrance of the village office, a gust of cool wind blew, instantly refreshing Xiao Qi.

The village hall was bustling with people. When they saw Su Youfu returning with a bamboo pole, they couldn't help but tease him.

"Su Lame went to sell baskets again. How much money did you make?"

"Why do city folks need bamboo baskets? Must be because they're overfed. They're still useful for making brooms, brooms can be used to carry soil and vegetables."

Amidst the lively conversation, a girl in a skirt stepped out of the car.

Xiao Qi usually didn't like wearing skirts, but today was the last Japanese language class, and Teacher Zhou had been nagging about it for a long time. So she decided to wear a skirt to class today.

Zhou Meiling was indeed delighted. Xiao Qi wore the white chiffon skirt her aunt bought for her and had a cute hairpin given by Teacher Zhou clipped to her hair.

She looked quite like a city girl. When she looked in the mirror earlier, she found that she didn't appear rough or unattractive compared to Guan Jingzhi.

The hall momentarily quietened down when the girl in the skirt walked up to Su Youfu and helped him carry his things.

Then, the hall erupted into loud conversations.

"Is that Su Lame's daughter?"

"She's grown up so beautifully!"

"Lucky Su Lame, his daughter has returned!"

"She must be a college student. Isn't the new semester starting soon? Why hasn't she gone to school yet?"

Xiao Qi steadied her steps and composure. She didn't know if they were talking to her or just chatting among themselves, but whenever their gazes met, she smiled foolishly.

In the eyes of others, Su Lame's daughter was indeed very beautiful.

But it was said that Su Lame's wife was also good-looking. He must have had some stroke of luck.

It's a pity they didn't have a son.

That thought crossed their minds, tinged with envy. Xiao Qi breathed a sigh of relief when she returned home, greeted by the burning gazes and enthusiastic greetings. Surprisingly, the broken wall at the entrance had been repaired. Previously, she used to casually step over the broken wall to enter, but this time, she walked up the stone bridge at the entrance, which was over a small river, and there was a small open gate. Walking through it, she could see a spacious courtyard.

The house Xiao Qi lived in was built on the foundation of an old landlord's three-courtyard house. When her grandmother insisted on dividing the property, they gave the disabled eldest son his share.

Su Youfu repaired and renovated the old house, but the windows were still not properly installed.

There were gossips in the village, thinking that Xiao Qi's grandmother was heartless, but she was fierce when throwing tantrums, and since it was about her own son, nobody dared to meddle.

Xiao Qi felt quite happy. Since the separation, she was rarely beaten, and there were many open spaces around the old house. They used to have a great time playing there, roasting sweet potatoes and warming themselves by the fire. It reminded her of the feeling from Lu Xun's "From a Myriad of Plants to the House of Three Flavors."

As she walked in now, the broken wall at the entrance had been repaired and looked quite impressive, as if there was a large courtyard beyond it.

They hadn't planted grass like they do in the city, nor had they paved it with cement. They could still see one or two large paving stones, and the dark mud had been leveled with a shovel. Two old water jars were placed in the corner, and to Xiao Qi's surprise, there were fish inside.

They were not ornamental fish but carp.

Her father actually brought water from the nearby stream to raise fish directly at the entrance. The water in the jars seemed lively.

There were also some snails clinging to the edge of the jars, undisturbed, leisurely extending their antennae.

The courtyard had been tidied up and looked quite beautiful.

A row of young trees had been planted, standing tall and straight, although they had few leaves, probably dug up from the mountain.

As usual, the living room was a bit messy, filled with various bamboo, but a pathway had been left.

Bamboo mats couldn't be placed in the courtyard; they were afraid they would get soaked by rain. However, the courtyard provided more privacy, so not everyone passing by the entrance could see what was happening inside the house. In the countryside, the doors were usually open during the day, and only closed at night by leaning the main door against a pillar. So, almost every household had a small groove in the center of the living room floor, used to support the door.

Upon returning home, Xiao Qi discovered that her mother was actually making steamed buns, and she could smell the fragrance as soon as she entered.

They were filled with fatty pork, precisely what Xiao Qi loved.

There was a pot steaming on the stove, and the buns inside were about to be cooked. They were white, plump, soft, and a bit trembling.

As soon as Xiao Qi entered, she wanted to reach out and grab a bun.

But her mother chased her to wash her hands.

"What occasion is it? Making steamed buns?"

After washing her hands, she held the hot buns, weighing them in her hands. They were so hot, but the fragrance was so enticing.

The aroma of the dough wafted through the air, along with the scent of the pork.

"Two days ago, both pigs were driven away. Your mother specially saved a large piece of pork belly for you. We raised it ourselves. The pork belly has thick layers of fat. We cooked it as soon as we bought it. Today, I minced it and made buns for you."

She flipped them a few times, still hot, but couldn't resist taking a bite. The soft bun skin, soaked in the meat juices, tasted sweet with a hint of saltiness. When she bit into the bun, she could taste the small square chunks of meat, which didn't stick to her teeth at all. With each bite, the oil oozed out and was quickly absorbed by the bun skin.

The flour mixed with the meat, creating an indescribable deliciousness.

These were the buns her mother made, something she couldn't buy outside.

The buns outside were either too strongly flavored with scallions or just a lump of meat, not cut into small squares like this, with a satisfying texture.

Xiao Qi entered the house and devoured five steaming buns in one breath.

Although her mother's buns were not large, she could eat quite a lot of them.

"Later, I'll cook some vegetable soup to go along with it. You won't get tired of it." Sheng Juanhua looked at her daughter with a satisfied expression as she ate. "Not at all, it's delicious." They hadn't had homemade buns in a long time, and she was enjoying it to the fullest.

Sheng Juanhua had a lot of steamed buns because in the countryside, there were no specific occasions to make food. Whenever the neighbors saw them, they would ask for some. It wouldn't be good to hide away and eat alone.

"Take these hot buns to your grandmother and also give a bag each to your third grandmother," Sheng Juanhua quickly divided the remaining buns on the table into two bags.

Su Youfu had eaten two buns and was now helping to start the fire.

He was always satisfied with how his wife handled things. His mother, on the other hand, had a bad temper and wasn't very reasonable. But whenever there was food, Xiao Qi's mother would always send some over.

Xiao Qi ate a lot in one go, which helped with digestion, and then went to deliver the buns.

Since Third Grandmother lived closer, Xiao Qi went there first before going to her own grandmother's house.

Xiao Qi was a bit nervous around her own grandmother. As she grew older, her grandmother's face became more pronounced with prominent muscles, and she appeared fierce.

According to her mother, she was supposed to deliver the buns and come back immediately because her grandmother hadn't been in a good mood lately.

All this fuss was about money. Xiao Qi's grandmother had thought that her eldest son would slaughter their pig, and she planned to have him leave a ham for their uncle in the city. The uncle liked the meat from the countryside, the firm texture. However, to her surprise, her son sold the entire pig. Even so, they could still buy a ham, but it would cost money. Xiao Qi's grandmother didn't want to spend any money and wanted it as a gift. Hence, the conflict arose.

When Xiao Qi arrived at her grandmother's house, she indeed saw her sitting at the doorway, angrily scolding someone, surrounded by a group of old ladies and daughters-in-law.

In the countryside, being unfilial was a serious accusation. Her grandmother was skilled at scolding, and she didn't take a break while scolding. Xiao Qi couldn't understand the words, but she was familiar with this scene.

She was still quite nervous.

Childhood shadows were deeply ingrained, so she tried her best to keep a straight face and not smile, maintaining a stoic expression.

She had a special buff that made her seem unapproachable. In reality, she didn't feel anything particular, except that when she didn't smile, she appeared more serious and stern. She couldn't quite grasp that feeling, as if only a few traces of it remained on her.

At this moment, she could only maintain her stoic expression. She had tried it in front of a mirror before, and it seemed to have that effect. People seemed to respect her more.

"Grandmother, my mother made these buns. They just came out of the pot. I've brought them for you," Xiao Qi acted as if she didn't understand her grandmother's scolding, confidently approached her and handed over the steaming buns.

Just a moment ago, her grandmother was talking about how her eldest son and daughter-in-law were unfilial and miserly, disregarding their mother's well-being...

Seeing the hot and fragrant buns right in front of her, Li Fengjiao, the wife of the eldest son who couldn't bear a child, thought that her cooking skills were excellent. Every dish she made was delicious.

Xiao Qi glanced around at her grandmother and the other daughters-in-law and said with a straight face, "Grandmother, you can continue chatting. I'll go back and have my meal."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Leaving behind a group of people, they watched as Li Fengjiao held the large meat buns in her hands...

Li Fengjiao stiffly got up and, with everyone watching, took the buns into the house. She said, "Leave them for our little Qian. He works hard."

Everyone realized they missed out on the buns. Li Fengjiao was notorious for being stingy.

People started discussing other topics.

"I think Li Fengjiao misjudged the situation. Her granddaughter is extraordinary."

"Yes, indeed. Just now, a young lady from the Fu family came by. The way she looked at people, oh my, it's even scarier than when the secretary comes."

"I've seen her on TV too, and it's the same. She's not afraid at all. Sitting there, the muscular woman next to her was trembling, and even that balding man, stuttering and constantly tugging at his hair, while Xiao Qi sat there, speaking fluently, just like a host."

Grandma Xiao Qi was in the room, quickly devouring a steamed bun that was still hot and delicious. She planned to finish eating and then go out to scold her eldest son and daughter-in-law for being unfilial. However, she accidentally bit her tongue when she heard the loud voices outside...