Chapter 222.2 – Educated Youth (7b)
No matter how angry Gu Yubao is, after eating sweet potatoes, he still has to go to work.
The Gu family members went to work and went to school. Yan Jing Ze took out the bamboo that Gu Yubao had chopped yesterday and made a small bamboo basket.
The first time he did it, it was a bit ugly, but after two attempts, the third time he did it, the smaller bamboo basket made according to the Gu family’s basket looked decent.
After thinking about it, Yan Jing Ze made a few more small bamboo baskets.
After he succeeded in making one, his speed in making baskets became particularly fast, he could make one in a short while, and by this time, it was already noon.
He went to the place where he lived before and brought the lard and rice he boiled to the Gu family’s house.
At this time, Gu Yuxian had already returned and was about to give Gu Yukang the specially steamed rice in the morning.
Yan Jing Ze grabbed the dinner and looked at Gu Yukang: “You can’t be picky eaters, you know? You have to eat sweet potatoes too!”
If the Gu family is in a good family situation, Gu Yukang has no problem on eating rice every day.
But the Gu family’s situation is not good, Gu Yukang can’t be too spoiled.
In the past, Gu Yukang would never eat sweet potatoes, but now he is stared at by Yan Jing Ze… He took the sweet potatoes and ate them with tears.
Yan Jing Ze touched his head, dug out a spoonful of lard, put all the two eggs that Gu’s three chickens rarely laid last night into the wok to fry them. Put that bowl of rice in again with the extra rice he cooked last night and scrambled an egg fried rice.
The lard fried rice is really fragrant!
Gu Yuxian and Gu Yukang were greedy, but Gu Yuxian didn’t dare to eat anything. As for Gu Yukang… he watched how Yan Jing Ze beat Gu Yubao, how dare he make trouble now!
Yan Jing Ze fried the rice, divided a spoonful to Gu Yukang, and gave Gu Yuxian two spoonfuls of it.
Gu Yukang ate his own in a few bites and then stared at Gu Yuxian’s: “Sister!”
Gu Yuxian was about to give his younger brother the egg fried rice immediately, but Yan Jing Ze said, “If you give him the rice, I will never give it to you again! Eat it yourself!”
Gu Yuxian was taken aback and ate silently.
Yan Jing Ze is satisfied: “You are too skinny, you should eat more… When you finish eating, I have something for you to do.”
Elementary school students like Gu Yuxian only need to study for half a day. In the afternoon, Gu Yuxian is doing housework and raising children, so she has free time.
Gu Yuxian looked at Yan Jing Ze curiously.
Yan Jing Ze took out a small basket to Gu Yuxian: “You carry this basket and go out to play. If others want it, let them take something to exchange with me… It can be small fish or shrimp, or something else.”
At this time, the children in the village have nothing to play with. Yan Jing Ze believes that such a small basket will definitely be liked by them.
As for small fishes and shrimps… There is water everywhere here. Because of the rice planting, there are also many water ditches. Those children who grew up in water are very good at catching these, and they will definitely be able to get them.
Not to mention, just tie a rope to the bamboo basket, put a few grains of rice and a brick inside the bamboo basket, sink the bamboo basket into the water, and pick it up after a while, there will be some small fishes inside.
Gu Yuxian went to work after eating. Yan Jing Ze ate half of the remaining egg fried rice and put the other half in a bamboo tube. Because it was not enough, he also ate a sweet potato.
He made a few more bamboo baskets, and after a while, some children came and wanted small bamboo baskets.
Children always have a love for smaller products of the utensils owned by adults, such as smaller stools, smaller bowls and chopsticks, and so on.
But at this time, there is a shortage of materials, and no adult will prepare things that are one size smaller for their children.
Today they saw the basket that Gu Yuxian was holding. They liked it. They came right away after learning that they could exchange things with Yan educated youth.
Yan Jing Ze took out a big bowl: “Such a bowl of small fish or shrimp can come to me and exchange a small basket.”
His price is definitely very cheap, after all, in Shangmu Village, small fish and shrimps are not worth money.
But these small baskets were the first ones he made, and the quality is average. In addition, he wants to open up the market… on the cheaper side.
Yan Jing Ze said goodbye to these children, and went to the work place to find Gu Mingxiu.
Gu Mingxiu ate at noon at the work place. He ate sweet potatoes. Eating this will make him full, but he would be hungry after two hours of farm work… Yan Jing Ze went over to let him eat the leftover egg fried rice.
If he doesn’t eat well, and still do intensive physical labor, it will make Gu Mingxiu’s body suffer.
As for Gu Yubao and Gu Yulan…their work is the easiest, and they earn less than one-third of Gu Mingxiu’s work points. Why do they need to make up for their health?
“I’ve already eaten it, and I gave some to Yukang and Yuxian. This is for you,” Yan Jing Ze said.
“I also ate at noon, shall we eat together?” Gu Mingxiu said.
“Ah Xiu, I still have to rely on you to feed me. You should eat more so that your body can get better.” Yan Jing Ze said: “My dear, eat quickly.”
Gu Mingxiu’s whole person is like a cooked shrimp.
Whether it was in the morning or in the afternoon, the people working would rest for a while. Yan Jing Ze asked Gu Mingxiu to eat during this time, and he also asked Gu Mingxiu to write a few characters.
For Gu Yubao, reading is very tiring, but not for Gu Mingxiu. Gu Mingxiu likes to read, and Yan Jing Ze teaches him to read, which for him is to give him a break, which he is quite happy to do.
Moreover, he always didn’t know what to talk about with Yan Jing Ze. If they were studying, they would have something to do together.
What’s even better is that every time he learns well, Yan Jing Ze will praise him: “My Mingxiu is awesome!”
“My dear, you are amazing.”
“You’re so smart!”
…
Gu Mingxiu had never been praised so much before, he felt like his whole body was floating.
After resting and going back to work, he was so energetic that the people working with him were confused – what kind of drugs did Gu Mingxiu take?
At this time, Yan Jing Ze had already traded two bowls of small fish. Another child couldn’t catch the fish, so he pulled his grandma over, and then traded a small basket with a small bowl of rice with Yan Jing Ze.
Some families in Shangmu Village have more strong laborers and fewer children, in fact, they are doing quite well.
Yan Jing Ze gave the bowl of rice to Gu Yuxian and told her not to just make sweet potatoes at night, but instead to make sweet potato porridge, and asked Gu Yuxian to help himself kill the small fish.
Gu Yuxian got rice and killed the fish very quickly, she soon finished helping Yan Jing Ze to kill the fish.
When she thinks about the fact that Yan Jing Ze gave herself egg fried rice at noon and gave herself rice at night, she didn’t hate Yan Jing Ze anymore.
Her sister went to secretly steal Yan educated youth’s pen, and her brother wrote such reactionary words, but Yan educated youth did not say anything!
Thinking of this, Gu Yuxian returned her little basket to Yan Jing Ze.
“This basket is for you.” Yan Jing Ze smiled. Among the Gu family’s younger siblings, his favorite is this Gu Yuxian who later avenged Gu Mingxiu.
Gu Yuxian looked at Yan Jing Ze in surprise, and suddenly felt that Yan educated youth was a good person.
For the small fish and shrimp, Yan Jing Ze put a little lard and salt, so that when Gu Yuxian made the porridge, it was steamed on the steaming rack.
The two bowls of fish are cooked well and then steamed. It is not that much, but it is also okay. It is a meat dish anyway.
When Gu Mingxiu returned with Gu Yubao and Gu Yulan, Gu Yubao was happy as soon as he smelled it: “There are fishes today!”
“There are fish, but you don’t have a share.” Yan Jing Ze said: “From today, I will divide the food at home according to your performance!”
“You are not a member of my family! Why should you!” Gu Yubao was depressed again.
“By the fact that your brother is willing,” Yan Jing Ze said, after speaking, he looked at Gu Mingxiu.
Gu Mingxiu still said: “I’m willing.” In this situation in their family, the one who is in charge is usually the eldest sister-in-law.
And Gu Yuxian has already told him that Yan Jing Ze will exchange rice and fish. Yan Jing Ze has also earned food!
“Brother!” Gu Yubao shouted.
“If it weren’t for you, would your brother let me be in charge?” Yan Jing Ze looked at Gu Yubao with a smile.
“Yan Jing Ze, why on earth are you harming me!” Gu Yubao shouted.
“Where did I harm you?” Yan Jing Ze said: “You have wronged me so much, wait for the sweet potato porridge, I will only give you sweet potatoes.”
Gu Yubao: “…”
When Yan Jing Ze gave them the porridge, he specifically said that he earned the rice, and so did the fish.
So, when he only assigned sweet potatoes to Gu Yubao, the others had no opinion at all.
This fish… He gave Gu Yukang two shrimps, gave Gu Yuxian three small two-finger-sized fish, gave Gu Yulan one. Gu Yubao did not have any and everyone was fine with it.
Most of these fish are two-finger-sized, and there are more than a dozen fish left. Yan Jing Ze divided it with Gu Mingxiu.
“Gu Mingxiu, you work a lot, eat more,” Yan Jing Ze said, eating porridge and fish.
By the way, his bowl has the most rice…
Cough, he has eaten a lot of sweet potatoes recently, and he really doesn’t want to eat it anymore…
These small fishes have a lot of fish bones, but the small fish bones are eaten directly by the locals, while the big fish bones on the belly of the fish will be spit out.
Yan Jing Ze is not accustomed to eating such fish, but he still ate it. As for Gu Mingxiu, he ate fast and drank all the fish soup.
There is lard in this fish soup!
After dinner, Gu Mingxiu continued to study, Gu Yubao continued to split the bamboo, as for Gu Yulan and Gu Yuxian, Yan Jing Ze told them to go and bring in the things from the house he lived in before.
As everyone was busy, someone from the village came to the door: “Gu Mingxiu, do you have a bamboo basket at home?”
“Yes!” Yan Jing Ze shouted: “I can make a bamboo basket, and you can exchange grain with me!”
His business is here!
His bamboo baskets are cheaper, surely every household is willing to trade grain for a few, and he can make other bamboo products.
This kind of peasant bartering is not enough to be considered profiteering, and there is no reason for others to report it!
The college entrance examination will be resumed in two years. He can survive this period of time and make Gu Mingxiu a little fat.
omg… this arc is strangely heartwarming <3
Thanks for the chapter!
Don’t know why but I kinda like Gu yubao
Yeah he’s improving