Chapter 17

.She hasn't used any face or hand wipes in many years.The scent of clam oil and the sheen on her rough hands brought back memories of her days as a young girl, by her parents' side.Màn Huā couldn't he...Is she still testing him

Rong Zhaonan's eyes flashed slightly, and he abruptly changed the subject: "Didn't you ask me to fix the roof"

Ning Yuan only then remembered, it turned out that Rong Zhao Nan was fixing the roof on the beams.

She looked up at the ceiling and sure enough, she could no longer see where it was leaking.

Although it wasn't a proper repair with tiles, the leak had been covered with a thick layer of straw and wooden planks.

She looked puzzled: "You can fix a roof Then why didn't you fix it before"

He has been assigned here for several years now. This little hut by the barn leaks wind and rain, it's really torturous.

Róng Zhāonán said faintly, "Because I'm lazy."

Ning Yuan was drinking water: "cough cough cough..."

As expected of a master, the answer is concise and hits the nail on the head.

She couldn't help but wipe her mouth: "Then why did I ask you to fix the roof, and you fixed it"

Rong Zhaonan looked her up and down: "I disagree. If you don't agree, you'll climb up and repair the roof yourself. So, I'll do it."

Ning Yuan smiled: "Since you're lazy, let me fix it!"

This big shot is pretty warm-hearted, isn't he

Rong Zhaonan pressed his black-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, saying with little emotion, "With your underdeveloped limbs, you're likely to fall from the ceiling and get injured. Then I'd have to take care of you, which is a hassle."

Ning Yuan was speechless: "...".

It turns out that Elder Rong is just too lazy to take care of himself in case he gets injured.

She takes back her words about him being a nice guy!

"Don't worry, I wouldn't want you to take care of me. I don't owe you anything." Ning Yuan said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, and casually threw a shoebox in front of him.

Rong Zhaonan took a breath, and lowered his head to look at the shoebox. Inside was a pair of new yellow rubber shoes for men.

He picked it up and looked, it was his number.

A strange glint flashed in the man's long, narrow eyes: "For me"

"Yes, you're fixing the roof, aren't you That counts as work, two cents a pair." Ningyuan flicked her braids and turned to prepare lunch.

No wonder Rong Zhaonan was later treated so badly, he could offend everyone with just a few words, couldn't he

Over the years, he has learned to be low-key by keeping quiet and standing in the corner like a winter melon.

Even "winter melon" still makes people feel uncomfortable when it speaks.

As Ning Yuan's graceful figure disappeared from sight, carrying a bucket, a basket of vegetables, and other tools, Rong Zhaonan finally lowered his gaze to examine the rubber shoes in his hand.

He didn't hesitate to sit down and put his shoes on.

After putting on the glasses, Rong Zhaonan's handsome face showed an expression that was both strange and complex.

His own yellow canvas shoes, worn for these years, have been patched up many times, almost beyond recognition.

He once applied to buy shoes at the regimental supply and marketing cooperative.

You can come and check his red armband for his ideological report submission. He didn't agree, so he was ridiculed and criticized harshly for lacking a spirit of hardship and simplicity.

After that, he never submitted any reports to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative again. He would rather weave his own straw sandals for himself in the future.

Ning Yuan, this little spy, actually noticed that his shoes were almost worn out...

Rong Zhaonan silently curved his lips, if this was one of her ways to get closer to him.

So, he had to admit that there were some effects.

We still need to be wary of enemy spies' honeyed traps...

......

Ningyuan went to the stream again, but this time she fished while also chopping bamboo at the edge.

She shaved the bamboo strips and threads, and began weaving a shrimp trap.

Making shrimp traps with bamboo can be troublesome. If the bamboo is too thick, it's difficult to weave and bending it can easily cut your hands. If it's too thin, it breaks easily.

She worked for a while, except the first shrimp trap took her a bit longer to make. The rest of the simple shrimp traps were finished in just a few moves.

Ning Yuan strung the earthworms she caught with bamboo thread, dividing them and putting them into several shrimp cages as bait. Then she put the five shrimp cages into the stream.

This cage can actually catch not just small shrimp, but also quite a few fish.

The cage was big in the belly, thin in the neck, and inside there was a funnel-shaped entrance woven with bamboo strips.

The inside of the funnel is lined with some inward-sloping, umbrella-shaped bamboo spikes that taper to a point at the end.

The fish and shrimp, greedy as they are, entered the trap. When they tried to get out, the bamboo spikes at the exit of the shrimp cage would prick them.

By the time she finished work at dusk, there were two eels in her trap, plus three perch she had caught fishing. She would have a good meal tonight.

Ning Yuan, decisive and efficient, killed a good number of fish by the riverbank. She cleaned them all and put them in the fish basket, then put the shrimp traps back into the creek.

She carried the fishbasket happily, avoiding people, and went back to the cattle shed in the dark.

Rong Zhaonan had just settled all the cattle, with a head full of straw and carrying a bucket of feed, came out of the stable.

Ning Yuan glanced at the broken yellow rubber shoes on his feet, and muttered unhappily: "What The size is wrong, or do you look down on the shoes I bought"

Rong Zhaonan patted the grass on his head: "There's no need to wear shoes into the cow shed."

Ning Yuan was taken aback. It turned out he wasn't willing to wear it.

For some reason, she suddenly felt a pang of sadness. He should have been like the favored son of heaven, yet he was worn down to the point where he couldn't even afford a pair of rubber shoes.

She sighed: "Shoes are bought to be worn. Otherwise, would you wait for them to wear out even more before wearing them"

Later, society became more prosperous, but many elderly people remained frugal.

I can't bear to eat the good meat and dishes that my children and grandchildren brought, so I kept them in the refrigerator until they were about to go bad. It's a pity to throw them away, so I took them out to eat again, but as a result, I fell ill and went to the hospital, spending even more.

Rong Zhaonan looked at Ning Yuan's big eyes and coughed lightly: "Got it, I'll go change my shoes."

Saying that, he put down the hay bucket and went into the room with her.

Ning Yuan gave him a white look and said, “Now You smell like you rolled in the dirt. Go take a shower before we eat.”

As she spoke, she turned and entered the house.

Rong Zhaonan's face wasn't looking too good. He instinctively lowered his head to smell himself, then rushed off to take a shower with a dark expression.

The taste is too strong!

Ning Yuan took an old aluminum pot from the back stove and began to cook porridge.

She originally wanted to make a stir-fried eel dish, but she forgot to buy chili peppers today. She decided to simply cook a yellow eel porridge instead!

The thinly sliced eel was marinated with ginger slices and pepper, which she had specially bought today. When the porridge was ready, she added the eel strips to the pot, and a rich aroma filled the air as it boiled.

Ning Yuan continued to hold a branch, skewering three perch and placing them on the small stove to roast. The heat from the fire rolled over the fish flesh.

The fish oil has a smoky aroma. It's brushed with soy sauce and salt, seasoned with ginger, scallions, and wild perilla, allowing the spices to permeate the fish flesh.

Fish oil dripped onto the burning firewood, and the ginger, scallion, and wild perilla from the fish's belly once again wafted through the air.

Rong Zhaonan came out after washing, with wet hair, smelling the fragrance, he couldn't help but sniff lightly.

"Luckily the barn is at the foot of the mountain, far from most people's homes. Otherwise, you digging into the government walls one day and being publicly criticized for it the next, having your capitalist tail chopped off and undergoing thought reform."

Ning Yuan flipped the fish in her hand and rolled her eyes at him. "Hmph, afraid of cutting off the tail of capitalism Then you don't have to eat it."

As soon as he looked up, he saw his beautifully defined and muscular upper body.

She blushed instantly: “You're not wearing clothes, go put some on!”

Rong Zhaonan, seeing her blushing and embarrassed, let out a soft chuckle and turned back into the house: "Oh, but I'm wearing pants."

He stayed here alone for several years. The weather was too hot, and he really wasn't used to having to put on clothes after taking a shower.

The little spy blushed when she saw the man's body. How was she supposed to carry out her mission

Ning Yuan couldn't help but pat her face, quickly getting up to go to the back kitchen to check on the eel congee.

She's a "grandma" who has lived for decades, how can she still be like a young girl She blushes when she sees a young man just in his upper body.

As soon as Ning Yuan entered the kitchen, she suddenly discovered a dark shadow snatching her pot of eel congee and running towards the back path!

"Stop! Put down my pot!" Ning Yuan was startled and panicked, she immediately chased after him.

That was dinner for her and Rong Zhaonan!

As darkness fell, the shadow saw her chasing after it and suddenly stopped. It grabbed something and smashed it hard against her head.d: “You brat have an opinion Tell him to come find me!”Ning Yuan rubbed her slightly aching forehead and quickly nodded, "Okay, okay!"Over at Rong Zhaonan's place, no wonder she didn't give us a heads...