Rebirth in Famine: She Thrives by Lucky Space

Chapter 55: 55 Chinese New Year

The next day, Jiang Xinyu checked the house, put away the curtains and the kang sheet, and then took the car back.

Arriving in the village, she remembered she still had two pig heads left, and without changing her clothes, she went straight to the Kong Family.

Two pig heads, eight pig trotters, two pig tails, a whole basin full. It was Tian Shulan who brought them back.

”Auntie, I didn’t see Kong Mengjie, when I went she was on the day shift, and this morning I came back directly, but Wang Ailing said they would both return on the twenty-ninth of the twelfth month.”

”Is that when they get their vacation?”

”Yes, the textile factory is quite busy now.”

The next day, Kong Mengjie cleaned the pig heads bit by bit, split them with a hatchet, and spent a whole day slow-cooking them. The courtyard was filled with fragrance all day long.

That evening, she finally ate the pig trotters, which were so tender the bones fell off, and they were truly delicious.

The broth from the braised meat was poured into her space, and the next day she used an oil pot to stew vermicelli, adding a few slices of cabbage.

Jiang Xinyu spent the day eating and drinking, went out twice, returned the big pot to the brigade office, and made a trip to the market to buy two steamers, a skimmer, two new pot lids, and two steam racks. These all needed to be taken to the county. Now she only had five yuan left.

No one in the village came looking for her, and without any girlfriends, there wasn’t much to say with the older folks.

By the twenty-ninth of the twelfth month, Jiang Xinyu weighed herself, and gained ten pounds.

Now she was happy, finally having some flesh, and she felt she might have grown taller. Every day there was pig bone soup, sometimes with shredded radish, sometimes with shredded cabbage, always changing it up to satisfy her taste.

Today Wang Ailing and Kong Mengjie both came back, and in the evening Wang Ailing would definitely come over. She had taken out a piece of pig liver and a pig trotter to treat Wang Ailing.

Jiang Xinyu has always treated those who are kind to her sincerely.

Sitting on the kang with nothing to do, just lying there as if she couldn’t get enough of it, even merely staring at the sorghum stalk roof, she also enjoyed it.

With more time, thoughts of the past life came more often. Sometimes she herself found it amusing, like watching a movie, seeing that stubborn girl, she thought it was both frustrating and funny.

How did she get so worked up in the beginning? If no one likes you, it just means you have no fate together.

Why mind what others think? In this life, she lives according to her own wishes. If someone makes her unhappy, then everyone will be unhappy. She wouldn’t have so many concerns in this life.

Suddenly she remembered her student ID in her space, and it suddenly appeared in her hand. Looking at that girl with droopy eyelids in the picture, she suddenly thought of a saying, ”appearance follows the heart,” at that time she was self-abased, so maybe it showed on her face?

She put the student ID back into the space and silently said goodbye to her past.

The pounding of the door interrupted Jiang Xinyu’s thoughts.

Opening the door, she saw Wang Ailing standing outside, ”Sis, you’re back?”

The two went inside, Jiang Xinyu let Wang Ailing sit on the kang, ”I’ll make you some malted milk. Have dinner at my place tonight, I’ve kept a pig trotter and a piece of pig liver for you.”

”Xinyu, why are you so nice?”

”Hehe, am I? It’s because you’re nice to me.”

”How could I have the ability to be nice to you?”

”It’s not about ability, it’s the heart. Even though I know you’re naturally kind-hearted, I understand it as you being good to me, and that’s enough.”

The two of them each had a bowl of malted milk, sweet and with a strong milky fragrance.

”Xinyu, I’ve gotten paid, but I didn’t have time to go shopping, when you start working, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

”Sure.”

The pair moved from the kang to the hall, Jiang Xinyu took out a cabbage, and put the broth from the braised pig head in the pot, placed a steam rack on top, heated three cornbreads, and when the broth boiled, she put in the vermicelli, and when the vermicelli softened, she added the shredded cabbage.

The two sat on the floor to eat, Jiang Xinyu didn’t eat a single bite of the pig trotter or pig liver, leaving them all for Wang Ailing.

”Xinyu, I was wondering why you seemed to have gotten fatter, your meals are so good?”

”That’s right, I’ve also gotten taller, now we’re the same height when we stand together.”

”Xinyu, not only have you grown taller and gained weight, but you’ve also gotten fairer. If someone hasn’t seen you for a long time, they definitely wouldn’t recognize you.”

”Hehe, haven’t I become prettier?”

”Of course prettier. Xinyu, let me tell you, Kong Mengjie is dating someone, it’s the leader of her group, that guy looks okay and treats Kong Mengjie really well, always giving her special treatment. People in her group are not happy, and I hear them speaking ill of Kong Mengjie behind her back.”

”Sis, don’t get involved in this. You two aren’t from the same group, just focus on your own work and try to get a permanent position soon.”

”I know, I’m not foolish, their group knows we’re from the same village, so they always talk to me about her, I just pretend not to understand. After a while, no one talks to me anymore. I don’t want to get mixed up with them.”

”That’s my smart sister.”

”Xinyu, when we came back today, Kong Mengjie told me not to mention her dating to the villagers.”

”Sis, who do you think Kong Mengjie is? She would never say that.”

”How do you know?”

Jiang Xinyu just smiled and kept silent.

”Kong Mengjie stammered and told me a lot, I understand that she wanted me to keep it a secret for her.”

”Xinyu, why though? The day after tomorrow she’ll be eighteen, isn’t dating very normal?”

”I don’t know either. Let’s just pretend we don’t know.”

Then Wang Ailing talked a lot more about work and dorm matters.

”Xinyu, why are there such unhygienic people? And they are girls.”

”Sis, just talk to me about it, don’t say it to anyone else.”

”I know, am I a fool? Kong Mengjie asked me about the dorm situation, and I didn’t say anything. Xinyu, what time is it now?”

”It’s nine o’clock.”

”Then I’ll go home, I can’t come to see you tomorrow. Why is there so much gift-giving, why can’t women go out on the thirtieth?”

”You, just stay at home with my uncle and aunt and have a good day together.”

”Alright, I’m going home then.”

Jiang Xinyu lay on the kang, thinking that the person beside Kong Mengjie was probably Wang Ailing’s husband from her past life? Wang Ailing didn’t marry him now, they’re unmarried now, who knows what will happen?

On the thirtieth day, Jiang Xinyu stood in the yard, thinking there should be some festive atmosphere in the village, but it was just the same as usual, not a hint of cheerfulness.

It’s true, nobody could afford to eat, once the Lantern Festival is over, she should head to the county; being the only one in the whole village who gained weight from good eating is indeed a bit much, plus she also feels guilty.