Free Web NovelChapter 456: Chapter 239: A Young Couple’s Sentiments
She had only said it casually, but to her surprise, Zhang Huai said, "Sounds good. I’m craving some now, too. They’re really fragrant mixed with rice, and even better in egg fried rice."
Juhua looked up at him, amused. He was washing his hands as he spoke with such earnestness, it was as if he could already smell the egg fried rice.
After washing his hands, Zhang Huai crouched down beside her, his narrow eyes glinting softly as he gazed at her with a smile. Juhua thought he was waiting for her to give him the water bamboo shoot greens, so she said, "Here, they’re in the basket under the eaves. Go get them yourself. You might as well wash them here, too. That way you can fry them as soon as you get home, and it’ll save your mother the trouble."
Zhang Huai nodded eagerly. "Okay!"
He then sprang to his feet with a grin, went to the basket under the eaves, and grabbed a large handful of the pre-pinched water bamboo shoot greens. He brought them over and put them in a basin to clean. After washing them twice, all the grime was gone from the stalks, leaving them looking fresh and crisp. He then asked Juhua, "Do I need to chop them and wash them again?"
Juhua saw him looking at her, his eyes shining as if seeking instruction. She nodded. "Go to the kitchen and get the bigger cutting board, a cleaver, and a small wicker strainer. Mince the greens, put them in the strainer, and then just rub and rinse them thoroughly a few times. They’re quite dirty, so you have to wash them this way to get them clean."
Huai Zi nodded and went back to the kitchen to get the items. He placed the cutting board by the well and began to chop the water bamboo shoot greens himself.
Seeing how clumsy he was with the cleaver, Juhua took it from him. She finely diced the water bamboo shoot greens and put them in the strainer, then asked him to draw water to rinse them while she washed some red chili peppers and flat beans.
Zhang Huai smiled as he worked alongside Juhua, feeling a surge of excitement. He kept asking her questions, like how to stir-fry a certain dish or what ingredients went well with another. ’It’s strange,’ he thought. ’I’ve never asked Mom about any of this before.’
He didn’t realize it wasn’t the vegetables that were so captivating, but the person.
Zhang Dashuan had been about to go to the well to wash his hands, but He pulled him back. Seeing the two youngsters hitting it off by the well, she wouldn’t let her husband go over and disturb them. Instead, she started talking to Yang Family while helping her move corn.
Yang Family, of course, also saw Huai Zi and Juhua chopping and washing vegetables, laughing and talking all the while. Her heart filled with joy. Just like He, she was thrilled to see them getting along so well.
As he vigorously rubbed the greens, Huai Zi asked Juhua, "Do you want to go to the market and see how the shops are coming along? On second thought, better not. It’s a mess over there. You can go take a look after they’re finished."
Juhua could feel the warmth of his breath so close to her, but she no longer blushed or felt her heart pound as she once had. There was only a gentle warmth and calm in her heart. She smiled and asked him, "How many storefronts are being built in total?"
Huai Zi said, "Six small storefronts are done. There are two large ones left—each of those will be built on a two-mu plot of land and have two courtyards. The front will have a three-room storefront, and the back will have a private residence with a small courtyard and four rooms. The kitchen, well, and latrine are all being properly built, and there will also be two warehouses. The smaller storefronts are about half that size."
Actually, Juhua already knew all of this, as she and Qingmu had designed it themselves. She hadn’t known the typical layout for storefronts in the area, so Qingmu had gone to consult Manager Song. Then, the two of them had modified the plans to their own liking before finalizing the design.
They figured that whoever rented the property would probably want to redecorate the front storefront, so they didn’t put too much effort into its design. Instead, they focused on making the rear living quarters as comfortable as possible. The idea was that anyone who saw it would feel at ease and think, ’Living here would be so pleasant,’ which would make them want to lease the place.
Juhua did a quick mental calculation. "In that case, won’t it still take over half a month to finish everything?"
Zhang Huai shook his head. "It won’t take that long. They aren’t building them one at a time. While they’re constructing a building on one plot, they’re leveling the ground, digging a well, and laying the foundation on another. Everything is happening simultaneously. We have more workers now, too. A few more guys from our village went over the day before yesterday. Big Mouth and his group are going tomorrow."
Juhua nodded. ’They’ve been busy for over a month now. It’ll be good to finish early and get a break. Otherwise, the late rice harvest will be right on top of them.’ She also thought, ’Besides, the Zhang family is building a house too, so we’ll have to help with that.’
She picked up the bowl of washed vegetables and went into the kitchen to start cooking.
Zhang Huai finished cleaning up as well. He washed the cutting board and cleaver, returned them to the kitchen, and was rewarded by Juhua with a generous helping of boiled water bamboo shoots.
So when he called for his parents to head home, he was carrying the washed water bamboo shoot greens, holding a small basket full of boiled water bamboo shoots, and still chewing on one. He laughed and said, "Look at you, eating and taking things to go! Not holding back at all, are you? You really don’t act like a guest. Juhua went to all the trouble of preparing those greens, and you just wash them and take them home. You sure know how to get a good deal."
Zhang Huai flushed slightly. "Well, Mom, when you have some free time, you can prepare some more and give them to Juhua. They’re delicious when pickled, too."
Hearing this, Yang Family burst out laughing. "It’s not like they’re anything precious. You’re making it sound like you’ve struck gold."
Zhang Huai was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something. He turned to Yang Family and said, "Auntie, is there anything you want me to bring to Qingmu? If there is, I can take it now. I have to head over there first thing in the morning."
Before Yang Family could answer, Juhua came out of the kitchen. "I’ll make some food tomorrow morning for you to take to him," she said to Zhang Huai.
"I’ll come by tomorrow morning to pick it up, then," Huai Zi quickly replied. He then looked back at Yang Family to see if she had anything to add.
Yang Family said, "I wanted to send him some food too, but I just haven’t had the time. It’s perfect that you can take some for him tomorrow. Other than that, there’s nothing else."
He quickly chimed in, "In that case, just make a little for him tomorrow morning, just enough to take for now. Otherwise, you’ll be too rushed. Besides, isn’t Huai Zi coming back to deliver bricks and tiles tomorrow? You can cook a proper meal during the day and have him take it over in the afternoon. That way it won’t be so hectic."
Yang Family smiled. "Okay! That’s a good plan. Tomorrow, I’ll slaughter a chicken and cook it for you to take over. You and Qingmu need to eat well and build up your strength. After working so hard for so many days, I bet you haven’t been eating properly." The last part of her sentence was directed at Zhang Huai.
Zhang Huai gave an embarrassed smile, saying it wasn’t that tiring since he was mostly just supervising. He added that Qingmu’s maternal grandmother had also sent food over with Laixi.
After the Zhang family drove off in their cart, Zheng Changhe came in carrying a large load of Shanyu on a shoulder pole. He saw the grey bricks stacked at the base of the wall and asked Yang Family, "Who put these grey bricks here?"
