Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Trouble from Helping Out, and Green Rice Balls

After her morning classes, Lin Xiaomeng hurried back to help out.

Today, Gu Qinghuan had prepared a lavish spread of dishes: braised pork knuckle, pork stewed with vermicelli, stir-fried liver and kidney, sweet and sour pork, and lamb with radish soup.

Since there weren’t enough pots to make a staple dish, she simply gave Lin Xiaomeng some money to fetch two baskets of steamed buns from the cafeteria.

They managed to get everything ready just in time for the lunch break.

Gu Qinghuan borrowed the tables and stools from Lin Xiaomeng’s room and pushed them together with her own, making a big square table—just the right size.

Dabao and Beibei came running home and were stunned to see the table piled high with delicious food.

“Mom, what’s the occasion? Isn’t Qingming Festival tomorrow?” Dabao asked in confusion.

“Do we need a special occasion to have something nice? You two have had it tough lately. Just hang in there for another couple of months—once your older brothers and sisters finish their exams, I’ll have a lot more free time, and then I’ll make it up to you properly.” Gu Qinghuan ruffled their hair.

Before long, Lin Muyang arrived, leading four students. He brought a bag of fruit candies and a packet of steamed sponge cake.

“Teacher Gu, you really went all out! This is too much, we’re embarrassed,” Lin Muyang said, looking at the table loaded with food.

It was almost all meat dishes, nothing watered down. He immediately felt what he’d brought was hardly worth mentioning.

“It’s just a home-cooked meal. I rarely have the time to do this, so please, don’t be shy. Sit down, or the food will get cold,” Gu Qinghuan urged.

With Gu Qinghuan and her two kids, Lin Xiaomeng and her child, plus the five guests, there were ten people in total, filling the room to the brim. No one minded the cramped space; all eyes were fixed eagerly on the food.

Wang Qingchuan took a deep breath—he’d never seen such a feast in his life. It all looked and smelled so good that he felt he could eat several black steamed buns just from the aroma.

The other kids were just as awestruck. In their eyes, this was nothing short of a Manchu Han Imperial Feast.

So much meat! Pork knuckle, pork, lamb, pork liver...

“Don’t just stand there—dig in!” Gu Qinghuan took steamed buns from the basket and handed one to each person.

“Eat up, everyone! Today we’re eating like the rich. There’s no shortage of meat at Teacher Gu’s house—we’re all lucky to get a taste.”

Lin Xiaomeng didn’t stand on ceremony and started eating, prompting everyone else to pick up their chopsticks.

After that, the only sounds in the room were those of people chewing.

Still, the kids were careful to eat slowly, not daring to make the loud noises they usually did.

Gu Qinghuan chatted with everyone as she ate.

“This meal is mainly to thank you all for helping me turn the soil. You worked hard! But you all have a lot of studying to do, so from now on, don’t worry about helping out—just focus on your studies.”

She gently reminded the kids not to do this again. Of course, there were things she didn’t say out loud, but Lin Xiaomeng and Lin Muyang understood.

The kids meant well—they were grateful to Gu Qinghuan and wanted to help however they could. But in the eyes of other teachers, this looked like capitalist behavior, a bad influence.

It was bad for Gu Qinghuan’s reputation.

That very morning, Lin Xiaomeng had overheard teachers gossiping about it in the office, their words dripping with jealousy.

Wang Qingchuan, always quick to read the room, probably realized that bringing people to help might not look good for Teacher Gu.

He asked cautiously, “Did someone say something, Teacher Gu? We just wanted to help you.”

Gu Qinghuan smiled brightly.

“Not at all. I just don’t want you to get distracted. Studying is what you should be focusing on.”

“Teacher Gu is right. Kids shouldn’t worry about adults’ affairs. Your job is to study hard,” Lin Muyang said seriously.

Everyone was satisfied with the meal—especially the kids.

On the way back, they kept talking about it.

“Teacher Gu is so nice. We just helped her a bit, and she treated us to such a feast. It was even better than what we have at New Year’s!”

“I’ve never had such a good meal before—so much meat and oil.”

“Do you think we’ll ever get to eat like that again?”

Wang Qingchuan thought for a moment and said seriously, “When we get back, don’t mention this to the other students. We don’t want to cause trouble for Teacher Gu.”

He understood, even at his young age, that the real problem wasn’t scarcity, but inequality.

“Okay, we’ll do as you say.”

But walls have ears, and with so many people talking, word soon got out about Gu Qinghuan’s lunch. The food was so fragrant that all the neighbors noticed, and everyone saw the students coming and going. Somehow, people also learned that students had helped Gu Qinghuan turn her soil, and it didn’t take much to put two and two together.

As the gossip spread, the story changed.

It became: Gu Qinghuan was hiring students to do her chores—capitalist behavior! A bad influence!

Especially when her arch-nemesis, Wan Rong, found out—she was delighted.

But this time, she was smarter. Instead of confronting Gu Qinghuan directly, she used the Qingming holiday to investigate her situation.

When she discovered that Gu Qinghuan’s mother had been labeled a “Stinking Old Nine,” Wan Rong felt she had the upper hand. She’d found Gu Qinghuan’s weak spot and was ready to get her kicked out of the school.

Gu Qinghuan had no idea she was about to face the first real trouble of her teaching career. She was still at home, enjoying a rare holiday.

There were three days off for Qingming Festival.

On the first morning, she hurried to plant her backyard vegetable plot. There was no need to turn the soil—just dig holes, bury the seeds, and water them with spiritual spring water. Whether they grew or not was up to fate.

She wasn’t in a rush, but she worried that if she didn’t get it done, someone else would volunteer to help again.

Whether it was Ji Linhai or Zhong Zijun, they were already busy enough. Gu Qinghuan didn’t want to trouble anyone else, so she pushed herself to get it done.

After lunch, she took her two children to pick wild vegetables—mainly fresh mugwort for making qingtuan (green rice balls). You only need to pick the tender stems and leaves; that’s the main ingredient.

Once home, she washed the mugwort thoroughly and blanched it for two minutes.

After blanching, she rinsed it in cold water, then pounded it into a juice with a stone mortar.

Glutinous rice flour, sugar, mugwort juice, and cooking oil were mixed and kneaded into a smooth dough. She kneaded it repeatedly to make the finished qingtuan chewy and springy.

She divided the dough into small, equal pieces and filled them with various fillings.

She brushed the surface with a little oil, placed them on bamboo leaves (which had been blanched ahead of time), and steamed them once the water was boiling. Since most of the fillings were already cooked, they didn’t need long—ten minutes was enough, or the skins would break.

When hot, you can’t really taste the mugwort fragrance, but once cooled, the aroma comes through.

Gu Qinghuan made several flavors of qingtuan: red bean paste, salted egg yolk with pork floss, dried tofu with meat, and black sesame.

Her own favorite was the salted egg yolk and pork floss. Beibei liked the sweet red bean paste, while Dabao preferred the savory dried tofu and meat.

She made a lot, especially the red bean and meat ones—far more than they could eat themselves.

First, she sent eight to her sister-in-law Lin Xiaomeng—two of each flavor.

Their relationship had improved a lot lately. They no longer clashed, and sometimes even helped each other out.

They were both sisters-in-law and colleagues, seeing each other every day. They chatted often, though they weren’t exactly close.

Gu Qinghuan never imagined she’d get along with Lin Xiaomeng like this. She’d thought they’d be at odds for life.

But Lin Xiaomeng had really changed. Since moving out and starting her own career, she was nothing like her previous self in the book.

No more backbreaking labor, no more psychological pressure from Liu Guifang, no more hysteria or paranoia. She no longer obsessed over relying on others, and her days were peaceful and happy.

It was different from the world in the book, where she’d been reborn and all-powerful—after all, she no longer had the spiritual spring to lord over others.

Sometimes, Gu Qinghuan herself felt a bit lost in time, but as long as she knew she was living each day for real, that was enough.

Lin Xiaomeng gave her half a jin of steamed sponge cake, which Xu Huaizhi had just brought back from the county.

Gu Qinghuan accepted it without fuss.

She hadn’t taken snacks from her space for a while, and the kids hadn’t had treats in ages—this would be a nice change for them.

Of course, giving something to Lin Xiaomeng couldn’t escape Liu Guifang’s notice, so Gu Qinghuan packed up four qingtuan and sent them over.

After all, Liu Guifang and Xu Mingshan had raised Xu Huaian, so this was just a token of appreciation—no more, no less. One each for the old couple.

Liu Guifang was always one to push her luck.

“Only four? Who’s that enough for? Meiling’s about to give birth, and Lijun’s pregnant too. Couldn’t you have brought a few more?”

“If you want them, eat them. If not, that’s fine—I’ll save them for myself.

You’re funny—don’t Meiling and Lijun have husbands? They’re not my responsibility! Let their men buy them some.

I’m giving these to you out of respect for Huaian, to help him be a good son.

So that’s all there is. Give them to whoever you want. If you’d rather give them all to your daughter, I don’t care. I’ve done my part, and Heaven knows it!”

Sometimes Gu Qinghuan was struck by how much she’d changed.

With her old temper, she wouldn’t have given Liu Guifang anything—if she didn’t curse her out, that would’ve been good enough.

But now, she often thought: “Heaven is watching. Just do good, and don’t worry about the future.”

She wanted to accumulate blessings for Xu Huaian. After all, they were his parents. No matter how bad they were, they’d given him life. Giving them a little something now and then was no big deal. As long as Xu Huaian was well, that was all that mattered.

Loving someone is like tending a flower. Xu Huaian’s love had melted away all her anger and resentment.

The past was just smoke and clouds.

Liu Guifang claimed to dote on Xu Meiling, but as soon as Gu Qinghuan left, Xu Huaiyu took all four qingtuan into his room and ate them one after another, not leaving a single one for his pregnant wife.

Liu Guifang didn’t say a word—instead, she brought him water.

“Slow down, son, don’t choke.”"

"Chapter 258: Loaches and Eels

Zhu Chunlin and Lin Shengnan’s share was eight as well.

Thinking she might run into other educated youths at the settlement, Gu Qinghuan brought a few extra.

Good thing she did—otherwise, it would have been pretty awkward.

A new batch of educated youths had arrived at the settlement this year. When she got there, she happened to catch them just as they were returning from work—a big crowd pouring in, which was honestly a bit intimidating.

Lin Shengnan, pregnant belly and all, was still working, though her tasks were lighter because of her condition.

Gu Qinghuan took out the extra qingtuan she’d brought and handed them out to the other educated youths, saving a separate box just for Lin Shengnan.

There were a lot of unfamiliar faces at the settlement now, so she simply handed the qingtuan to Jiang Xue, asking her to distribute them—Jiang Xue was the only one she was somewhat acquainted with here.

Jiang Xue hadn’t expected Gu Qinghuan to share the qingtuan with her despite their past disagreements. She accepted them, surprised and a little flattered. “Thank you,” she said, still a bit in disbelief.

“I made plenty—share them with everyone!” Gu Qinghuan replied.

The other educated youths, who had never met Gu Qinghuan before, looked her up and down with curiosity—especially two of the young men, who didn’t even bother to hide their stares.

She was just too beautiful, and dressed so well—nothing like a country girl. No one knew what her background was.

Lin Shengnan quickly pulled Gu Qinghuan into her own room, away from all those prying eyes.

Jiang Xue divided up the qingtuan—one for each person. There were two left over, so she just kept those for herself.

After a whole day of hunger, that first bite of qingtuan was not only satisfying to the stomach, but also brought a deep sense of joy.

One of the new male educated youths asked Jiang Xue, “Comrade Jiang, the woman who brought us the qingtuan—does she live in Xujia Village? I’ve never seen her before.”

Jiang Xue didn’t even look up. “Why, did you take a fancy to her?”

The young man blushed and turned away, thinking he’d hidden his feelings.

“No, nothing like that. I just thought, since she gave us qingtuan, I should thank her.”

“Don’t even think about it. She’s a married woman. You’d better not get any ideas!”

Even Chen Jianghe, who was so proud, couldn’t win her over—what chance did the rest of them have?

Jiang Xue suddenly realized she hadn’t thought about Chen Jianghe in a long time.

Turns out, no matter how passionate a love is, it eventually fades away. Now, all she wanted was to live her life well. Romance had become a luxury she couldn’t afford.

“She’s already married, huh… That’s a shame.”

The young man looked a bit crestfallen.

—

“Here, don’t say I never think of you. I brought these just for you—good thing I packed extra, or there wouldn’t have been enough to go around.” Gu Qinghuan took out a lunchbox and handed it to Lin Shengnan.

“You made these qingtuan? I’ve been craving them! Back when I was a girl, we used to make qingtuan every year in my hometown. Not so much here in the north.

You have no idea—when a pregnant woman gets a craving, she just can’t let it go until she gets what she wants.

Zhu Chunlin was just saying that since he’s off work tomorrow, he’d go up the mountain to find some mugwort and make some himself. And now you’ve brought them—right when I needed them most.

Just the smell is making my mouth water. Don’t laugh at me—I’m going to try one right now to satisfy my craving.” Lin Shengnan said, picking one up and taking a bite, sighing with satisfaction.

“So good! Sweet but not cloying. Qinghuan, you’re so talented—seems like you can do anything well.” Lin Shengnan’s qingtuan was filled with sweet red bean paste.

“It’s not about talent, just putting your heart into it.”

“You saw it just now, right? There’s a new batch of educated youths this year.

Ever since they arrived, our good days are over.

The settlement is small, and we have to take turns using the kitchen. There are little arguments every day, big ones every three days—it’s exhausting.

Several of the new ones think it’s inappropriate for Chunlin and me to have a whole room to ourselves. They went to Secretary Xu and asked him to make us move out, saying there aren’t enough rooms.

Secretary Xu already talked to us—he said we have a month to figure something out.

Either find someone in the village to take us in, or build our own house—he’ll approve a plot for us.” Lin Shengnan looked a bit down.

“Just build your own place! One or two rooms is enough,” Gu Qinghuan suggested.

“I’d like to, but the thing is, even if we build it, the house won’t belong to us—it’ll be the village’s property. If anything changes in the future, we won’t even have the right to decide what happens to it.

No matter what we choose, it feels unfair—but we don’t have a choice.

Well, we’ll build it. Chunlin and I plan to put up a single room with a small kitchen. That’s all we can afford right now.

We’d finally managed to save a little money for emergencies when the baby comes, but now we have to use it for this.

Luckily, building a house in the countryside doesn’t cost much except for labor—otherwise, we’d really be stuck.”

“Moving out might be for the best. You’re only a few months away from giving birth. It’s crowded and noisy here—not good for your rest or recovery. If the baby cries, it’ll just cause trouble.

Better to move now, while you still can. Building a house doesn’t take long, and it’s always more comfortable to have your own place.” Gu Qinghuan spoke from experience.

She remembered how, when she lived at the settlement, there was no privacy at all—everything she did was under someone’s watchful eye.

“Exactly. Now, as soon as Chunlin finishes work, he goes to make mud bricks—he’s busy every minute. We just want to get the house done and move out as soon as possible, so we don’t have to deal with all these people.

By the way, have you planted your vegetable garden yet? I can help you this afternoon.”

Lin Shengnan felt a bit embarrassed—she was always saying she’d help Gu Qinghuan, but in reality, it was always the other way around.

Gu Qinghuan was at school all day, and there wasn’t much work to do at home anyway.

“It’s all planted. Don’t worry about me—just rest whenever you can.”

Gu Qinghuan thought she really had it tough.

“Oh, and if you need money, just let me know—I can lend you some to get through this rough patch.

Things will get better.”

“Alright, thank you. If we need it, I’ll definitely ask.” Lin Shengnan said gratefully.

She finished one qingtuan and put the lid back on, saving the rest for Zhu Chunlin to eat together when he got home.

Poverty doesn’t always mean misery, as long as you can appreciate and be grateful for the little things in life.

As they were talking, Zhu Chunlin came in carrying a wooden bucket.

“Comrade Gu, you’re here? Perfect! Look what I caught today!” Zhu Chunlin grinned as he brought the bucket over for them to see.

He moved aside the water plants on top, and both women jumped in shock.

They gasped and shrank back into the corner.

Inside was a pile of long, thick, wriggling creatures, filling half the bucket.

Gu Qinghuan’s first thought was snakes, but the color didn’t seem right.

Lin Shengnan recognized them. She glared at Zhu Chunlin and gave his arm a smack.

“You scared us! Where did you get these loaches? They’re huge!”

Zhu Chunlin smiled and set the bucket down.

“I was digging in the mud by the riverbank and saw something wriggling around—so I caught a bunch.

They have a bit of a muddy taste, but hey, it’s still meat—better than nothing.

This is the best time of year to catch loaches. It’s their breeding season, so they’re out and about.

And it’s not just loaches—there are two eels in there too. Those are really good—very nourishing.

A lot of folk doctors use eels as remedies.

I’ll try to catch more loaches and eels to raise for you, to help you get more nutrients,” Zhu Chunlin said cheerfully.

“Oh, Comrade Gu, take a few home with you when you leave.”

Gu Qinghuan shook her head vigorously. She liked eating eel, but only if someone else cooked it.

There was no way she’d touch those slimy things herself—way too scary.

But suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

She’d always wanted to find a way to help them out, but never had the chance.

Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?

She’d had wild eel once in the future, and the chef told her that big wild eels could go for at least a hundred yuan per jin.

Wild loaches were fifty or sixty yuan per jin.

These things were everywhere in the countryside now, but in the future, they’d be highly sought after delicacies.

Gu Qinghuan called the couple over, closed the door, and whispered, “You probably know my family’s pretty well-off. Actually, I have some connections—I can buy and sell a lot of things.

I think your loaches and eels are great. If you want to make some money, I can help you sell them. I’ll make sure you get a fair price!

From now on, whenever you catch these, I can buy them from you. You won’t get rich, but you’ll definitely earn some extra cash.”

The couple had long known Gu Qinghuan was no ordinary person, and that she had resources. But they hadn’t expected her to trust them and bring them in on this—especially since, in times like these, most people only looked out for themselves.

It was easy to kick someone when they were down; helping them was rare.

They’d been at a loss for how to make money, and now the opportunity was right in front of them—how could they say no?

They exchanged a glance, and Lin Shengnan immediately said, “Of course we’re willing! Qinghuan, thank you for thinking of us. Don’t worry, we’ll keep this to ourselves—no one else will know.

It’s not like these things cost us anything. You set the price, and we’ll split the profits fifty-fifty. There’s no way we’d let you do all the work for nothing.”

Gu Qinghuan was very satisfied with their attitude—no one wants to help someone ungrateful.

She did a quick calculation in her head.

She’d price the loaches at sixty cents a jin, and the eels at one yuan a jin."

"Chapter 259: Discussing How to Make Money