Chapter 55: She’d Better Go Feed the Pigs Sooner
After watching the drama to the end, Ning Xiyue parted ways with her melon-eating companions and didn’t go looking for anyone else from the educated youth dormitory. Carrying the tools and gear she’d used for work, she strolled leisurely back toward the dormitory bathed in the glow of the evening sunset.
They’d eaten their fill of gossip — the sky was almost dark now — and only a few households in the whole production team had smoke rising from their chimneys. It was a stark contrast to the usual hour, when smoke would be curling up from nearly every home.
When Ning Xiyue returned to the educated youth dorm, only Wu Guifang was there, and dinner was already nearly done cooking.
“Sister Guifang, you’re back so early,” Ning Xiyue said.
She admired her a little — such a big event had happened, yet Wu Guifang could resist the urge to go stick her nose in and calmly cook dinner. Clearly, she was someone destined to accomplish big things.
It was no wonder that after spending so long in the countryside, she hadn’t, like many other female educated youths, given in and gotten married. Instead, she’d become a trusted comrade of the team leader. She really did have some skills.
Wu Guifang poked her head out of the kitchen with a smile. “Xiyue, you’re back. You’re pretty early yourself. I was exhausted today, so I wanted to get dinner ready and rest sooner.”
Ning Xiyue nodded. She was tired from watching the show too. “It was a tiring day. I won’t bother you then. I’ll go hurry and make my dinner — it’s almost dark.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
Ning Xiyue tidied up and started preparing her meal.
Originally, it should have been Chen Yechu’s turn to cook tonight. But after what happened today, Chen would definitely want to scrub herself down and wash all the grime off first — by the time she finished and started cooking, it would be very late.
Better to cook tonight herself and have Chen Yechu take over tomorrow.
Ning Xiyue was also in a hurry to finish dinner so she could go into her space and feed the pigs — the sows were howling from hunger. She’d just checked on them earlier, and the troughs were empty. Clearly, they were starving.
She was responsible for more than ten lives, after all. It was urgent!
Halfway through cooking, the other educated youths started trickling back. Among them were Chen Yechu and the other main participants in the afternoon’s incident.
Ning Xiyue tended the fire while watching the scene unfold, unwilling to miss any more potential entertainment.
When Chen Yechu saw Ning already cooking, she came over to thank her before heading off with a basin of water to wash up.
Yu Zhiyu and Xia Zhipeng were covered in mud too, so they planned to bathe as well. Before they left, they asked Liu Yao and Wang Mengmeng to make dinner.
The four of them usually cooked together, but none of them were good at it. Yesterday’s meal — a group effort — was barely edible.
Now, with two people missing, Liu Yao and Wang Mengmeng found themselves at a loss, staring at each other helplessly.
Wu Guifang called from the kitchen doorway after cleaning her pot: “Come on, you two, start cooking. I’m done with the pot.”
Liu Yao, drooping, and Wang Mengmeng, scowling, trudged slowly toward the shared kitchen.
Ning Xiyue chuckled inwardly. They really were like “No-Brains” and “Unhappy.”
Liu Yao reached the kitchen and, seeing Ning Xiyue sitting on a stool tending the fire, forced a smile and greeted her. “Xiyue, why didn’t I see you at the reservoir today? Did you not go?”
Ning Xiyue smiled. “Maybe there were just too many people for you to notice. It was so crowded there was nowhere to stand, so I didn’t bother looking for you. I only got back not too long ago.”
In truth, she hadn’t wanted to find them. Wasn’t it better to squat in the corner and eat melons?
Liu Yao sighed miserably. “Good thing you didn’t come looking for us. You have no idea — Mengmeng and I were just bystanders, only helped break up the fight once. But now we’ve been told we have to work two extra hours tomorrow. I’m so pitiful.”
Ning Xiyue added more firewood to the stove and replied, “Didn’t the captain say only those who participated? Did you participate?”
“I pulled someone apart during the fight, and I even went and asked the captain about it. He said that included us too, so we both have to work two more hours. Ugh, I shouldn’t have rushed over. I regret it so much.”
Liu Yao smacked herself on the head. She hated that her feet had moved so fast, that her hands had meddled. Now she’d been slapped for nothing and had to work two extra hours a day.
“Well, do your best tomorrow. I believe in you. At least you’ll remember next time.”
Ning Xiyue nodded firmly, though she silently pitied her for a second. No one involved in a “main character event” ever escaped unscathed.
Collateral damage — clearly the captain just wanted to give the new educated youths a wake-up call.
Liu Yao, honest to a fault, could have just denied helping. It had nothing to do with her anyway, but she’d gone and asked the captain if she was included. Of course he’d say yes — she’d practically volunteered as tribute.
Clenching her teeth, Liu Yao said, “Next time I’ll remember: just watch the show, don’t help.”
“Liu Yao, hurry up and cook!” came Wang Mengmeng’s impatient voice from inside.
“Xiyue, I’ll go cook first. We’ll talk later.” Liu Yao hurried off into the kitchen.
Ning Xiyue shook her head. Being a melon-eater was still the safest — you got to watch the drama without getting dragged into trouble. It was so much more carefree… just a little heavy on the melon seeds.
Hmm. Maybe she should plant a batch of pumpkins in her space. Whatever they didn’t eat could feed the pigs, and she could save the seeds for snacking during shows.
Yes, that was the plan.
Ning Xiyue focused back on cooking. After a while, she heard Liu Yao and Wang Mengmeng arguing loudly in the kitchen.
“Do you even know how to tend the fire?!” Wang Mengmeng roared. “The rice is burnt!”
“It’s still raw rice! You just didn’t add enough water — and you’re blaming me for the fire? You’re wasting our rations!” Liu Yao shot back.
After their shouting match, the sound of clanging pots and pans rang out — it sounded like a battlefield in there.
Listening to the chaos, Ning Xiyue felt deeply grateful she could cook — and even more grateful that she’d built her own small kitchen. No need to get mixed up in that mess.
By the time dinner was ready, Chen Yechu had also finished cleaning herself up and came out with a wooden basin to hang up the laundry.
“Dinner’s ready!” Ning Xiyue called, holding a bowl.
“Coming!” Chen Yechu quickly hung the clothes and hurried inside to eat.
Before eating, she thanked Ning Xiyue again. “Thank you, Xiyue. I’ll cook tomorrow night.”
“Sure,” Ning Xiyue agreed immediately. She wasn’t about to be polite about it.
This meal, Chen Yechu was far quieter than usual — almost eerily so. Why did it feel like she was suddenly looking forward to Ning Xiyue’s kitchen?
Ning Xiyue sped up eating; the heavy atmosphere was suffocating.
“Xiyue, do you think… maybe we shouldn’t like men?”
Ning Xiyue, mid-bite, almost choked on her sweet potato when Chen Yechu suddenly blurted out something that sounded like enlightenment from a monk.
After a sip of water, she looked at Chen Yechu. “Do whatever your heart tells you. Everyone is an individual — different from one another. I can’t decide that for you.”
After a moment’s silence, Chen Yechu smiled. “Mm. I understand. Thank you, Xiyue.”
Ning Xiyue nodded calmly, though a sarcastic thought drifted through her mind: Understand what, exactly? I was just talking nonsense and you achieved enlightenment? Are you a Taoist disciple or something?
She decided she’d better go feed the pigs quickly. After all, eating meat was the only truth that mattered.
