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墨書 Inktalez
"I've poured my heart out to you, and this is how you respond? Just get lost!"
Guo Dajuan felt like she was about to explode with frustration. For the past few days, Chen Liang had shown her no kindness whatsoever. Not only did she have to work herself to the bone in the cafeteria, but she also had to come home and serve her entire family like a beast of burden. Every day, she bent over backward trying to think of ways to rescue Guo Xiaojuan.
In her heart, Guo Dajuan felt justified; she hadn't done anything wrong to Guo Xiaojuan. Guo Xiaojuan turned her head away after being hit, covering her face with her hands and looking at her sister with red eyes. She knew she had overreacted earlier; she shouldn't have said those things. What if her sister decided never to care for her again?
Immediately, she cried and tugged at Guo Dajuan's arm. "Sister, I'm sorry! I was just so scared; I hate Wen Qian!"
"I shouldn't have said those hurtful things. Sister, I realize my mistake."
"Please forgive me! I promise I won't upset you again."
She threw herself into Guo Dajuan's arms, sobbing. "Sister, I promise I'll listen to you from now on and won't cause you any trouble."
Guo Dajuan had always been somewhat concerned about Guo Xiaojuan, and seeing her sister crying in her embrace made the fire of anger inside her dissipate instantly. She patted Guo Xiaojuan's back and wiped away the tears on her own face. "Alright, stop crying. I still need to cook."
Guo Xiaojuan understood the importance of making amends quickly. She hurriedly walked ahead of Guo Dajuan. "Sister, I'll make dinner; you take a break."
Seeing her sister's eagerness brought a sense of comfort to Guo Dajuan's heart.
"Are you going to watch the movie tonight at the family compound?"
Aunt Tian rushed over after lunch to ask Wen Qian. Confused, Wen Qian looked at her. "Auntie, who told you about this? Lu Zheng didn't mention anything to me."
Aunt Tian flicked her short hair playfully. "I have my connections and know a lot! Hurry up and tell me if you're going or not. If you're going, we should head out early to grab good seats; otherwise, we won't be able to see anything."
Wen Qian raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Of course I'm going! Why wouldn't I? It's been ages since they showed a movie at the family compound. The last time I happened to catch one was pure luck; I can't believe I'm lucky enough to catch another one now!"
Aunt Tian beamed with joy, making herself laugh heartily.
Seeing Aunt Tian's cheerful demeanor made Wen Qian smile too. Aunt Tian was like a lively treasure; she was always cheerful and fun to be around. Even when there was nothing much going on, being with her lifted everyone's spirits.
Aunt Tian patted Wen Qian on the back. "Alright then! You all eat dinner early this afternoon, and after that, grab your stools and come with me to secure our spots."
My daughter-in-law is about to give birth, and she wants to watch the movie. I definitely need to secure a good spot for her. Anyway, I won’t keep you any longer; I’ll go notify a few good friends. We’ll definitely manage to grab some seats together.
Aunt Tian rushed in and then hurriedly left. Just after she left, Lu Zheng pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing Wen Qian standing at the door, he asked in confusion, "What are you doing standing there?"
"Aunt Tian just left; I was seeing her off," she replied.
"I came back to tell you that the unit is showing a movie tonight. I might not make it in time to watch it since I’m cooking dinner this afternoon. You should start without me or go to the cafeteria early to get your meal."
Wen Qian nodded, "I understand. You should hurry back to the unit!"
Lu Zheng clearly seemed to be in a rush; sweat was glistening on his forehead, and he was panting heavily. After they exchanged a glance, Wen Qian immediately felt uncomfortable and awkwardly looked away, forcing a smile as she closed the door.
Outside, Lu Zheng stared at the door that had just closed. If he hadn’t stepped back just now, it would have slammed right into his nose. He helplessly lowered his head and chuckled softly before gently pressing his fingers against his forehead.
Ever since their unexpected encounter in the kitchen last time, he felt that Wen Qian was intentionally avoiding him, as if she feared he might do something to her.
Thinking about the matters still pending at the unit, he took one last deep look at the closed door before turning around and striding away.
Wen Qian sat down in the living room and picked up the cup on the table to take a sip. After a couple of gulps, she felt the heat on her face begin to subside.
"Lu Zheng... is he..."
Wen Qian’s mind wandered aimlessly. She had never experienced romance before; at that time, she only resented Lu Zheng for not returning to fulfill his responsibilities as a husband and father. She didn’t have any feelings of affection or love for him.
But now, was she starting to develop feelings for him?
Wen Qian slapped her cheeks lightly and stood up to start tidying up. Keeping busy was the only way to prevent herself from overthinking.
She hadn’t watched a movie yet; such events had never been organized in their brigade before. Therefore, their village hadn’t screened any films, and Chen Chen had never seen one either.
Wen Qian decided to make pancakes today; they required flour but no oil. When making pancakes in the pan, there was no need for oil!
She took out some flour and thought for a moment before mixing in some cornmeal, resulting in a light yellow mixture.
She shaped the flour into a small mountain, hollowing out a hole in the center, and poured in an appropriate amount of water. Gradually adding more water, she kneaded the flour until it formed a cohesive dough. Slowly, she worked the dough until it was smooth, then set it aside and covered it with a bowl to let it rest for a while.
She planned to stir-fry a dish that would pair well with the bread and could also be used as a filling. In her mind, nothing complemented this dish better than chili sauce. After considering it, she decided it was necessary to make some.
She retrieved the chilies given to her by Aunt Tian and sautéed them in the pan for a while, releasing their fragrant and spicy aroma. Once done, she scooped them out and placed them on the cutting board.
Crushed!
Wen Qian had thoughtfully wrapped a cloth around her nose to avoid tearing up from the strong smell! As she worked, she recalled how Wen Zhi used to prepare it. The crushed chilies went into a bowl, and she added boiling hot water. After stirring it a bit, she sprinkled in some salt, and it was ready.
There was another method that involved using thinly boiled noodle water instead; this would make the sauce even thicker. She lifted the bowl and took out the dough, pressing and kneading it before dividing it into small portions.
Rolling them out thinly, she brushed a layer of oil on top and sprinkled some salt along with whatever seasonings she had on hand. Stacking them together, she continued to roll until all the small portions were flattened and set aside.
Wen Qian lit the fire under the stove and adjusted it to low heat to cook slowly. She placed one of the flatbreads in the pan without adding any oil, gently flipping it over as needed but not turning it completely until it felt just right.
It was simple!
Before long, several flatbreads were cooked. Wen Qian tasted one; it was nearly identical to what Wen Zhi used to make. The Wen family consisted of only two adults—both strong laborers—and Wen Qian was their only daughter. They were generous with their food at home.
With this method of eating bread, other families could finish all their flour in one meal. However, since there were few people in the Wen household and their appetites weren't large, they couldn't consume much bread at all.
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