CHAPTER 200: 200 FRIENDSHIP

When Ding Shihong saw Jiang Xinyu coming over, he said, "Sis, we’ve only got vegetable buns for lunch. Dried cabbage with chive and shrimp skin."

"That’s fine; it should be pretty good."

"You all sit, I’ll go get you some peanuts."

"Brother Ding, no need to bother; we’ll just eat the buns. If they’re good, I’ll take a few back."

"Sure, give them a try."

"Brother Jiang, can you get fresh peppers after autumn? Not the dried ones, just freshly picked red peppers, and also garlic."

"I can, I’ll take you to the village to buy some. What do you need them for?"

"To make chili sauce, so Brother Jiang can try some later."

"That sounds great, don’t worry, you can have as much as you want, even a hundred or eighty jin."

"Mr. Chen, we’re just missing canning jars."

"Alright, I’ll call my brother-in-law on Monday." Director Jiang sure has a quick temper.

"Mr. Chen, even a hundred and fifty would do."

"Hmm, I understand what you mean; we’ll have to see if their glass factory has any surplus. I just worry that it’s all pre-ordered, and there’s none extra. If there is, I’ll definitely get it to you."

"Rest assured, I’ll go pick it up myself."

"Xinyu, this meal is on me. When there’s something good, I’ll invite you again."

"Okay, but I think these vegetable buns are just fine."

After the three of them were full, Wang Ailing insisted on taking Jiang Xinyu to see her house.

It really wasn’t far, just three alleys away.

The layout of the house was similar to hers, except the quality of the construction wasn’t that great. But it was already quite nice.

"Sis, are you going to start tidying up?"

"Yes, the engagement is on the twenty-sixth, and we’ll start busying ourselves in July. We both come over to work after getting off work."

"Haha, that works. I’ll cook dinner for you guys in the evening, come over to my place to eat."

"That sounds great. We’re figuring we can save some money by doing it ourselves."

"Sis, you should consider getting the floor cemented. It’s much cleaner. You can go ask how much it will cost to finish ahead of time. If it’s acceptable, get it done. If you don’t have enough money, I’ve got two hundred bucks. I haven’t spent several months’ pay, come to me if you need money."

"Sure, I like cement floors too. We’ll discuss it. I also like your bathroom; it’s neat and tidy."

"For mine, including labor and materials, it was only a hundred."

"A hundred? The two of us would have to go without eating or drinking for two months to save that much."

"But aren’t you thinking it can last for decades?"

They took a walk around; the yard was empty, lacking a woodshed and side room, but since the two were newlyweds, they’d definitely be tight on money, so they would have to take things slow.

Jiang Xinyu and her companions parted ways, and when she got home, she didn’t rest. She sent some dried goods to the restaurant to give to Ding Shihong. Only then did she go home to continue making canned food.

After filling three jars, there was still a small bowl left, so she decided to take it over for them to try tonight.

She also took a bath, carefully wrapped the bowl with a cloth, held it in one hand, and held the bicycle handlebar with the other while cycling.

At the restaurant, "Secretary Liu, hurry and take this, don’t spill it; it’s really good stuff."

Liu Yuwei took it, and Jiang Xinyu got off the bike. "I’m not great at cycling, this whole ride had me on edge."

"What is this?"

"Sugared apricots. What’s left from making canned food, but I ran out of jars."

"Jiang Xinyu, you may not realize it, but whenever there’s delicious food mentioned, your eyes light up; you’re really persistent about food."

"Of course, I just love food. Have they arrived yet?"

"Just waiting on Lv Beiguang; he’s coming with his kids."

"I’m glad I brought the sugared apricots." The two of them went inside where the others were chatting. After all, it was Saturday during their rest time, and if they weren’t invited by Jiang Xinyu for a meal, they probably wouldn’t have come out.

Several people had not seen Jiang Xinyu since she returned to the country. Now seeing her, they felt uneasy; this little girl had suffered. Liu Yuwei’s description was far from accurate. Seeing her in person, they realized she looked even more frail.

She Xiaoyun gestured for Jiang Xinyu to sit beside her.

"What’s with everyone’s expression? I’m already much better now; gaining weight is just a matter of time."

Everyone looked at the cheerful and optimistic Jiang Xinyu and laughed. Yes, it’s just a matter of time.

"Jiang Xinyu, the shrimp should be fat now, shall we take a trip to the seaside?" Meng Fanxing asked with a smile, just liking how this little girl springs to life at the mention of food.

"Sure, I’ve also been planning on working on weekends to save up vacation time. My weeks are fully booked; shall we leave next Friday night?"

Everyone had no objections. They agreed upon a time.

"Xinyu, can you bike there? If not, you can wait at home, and I’ll bring it back for you?"

"No worries, my health is fine, I just look skinny."

"Jiang Xinyu, did you hear about Shen Xueqi’s situation?" Wang Fangtian asked curiously.

"I heard. Our Mr. Qian will visit him on Monday."

"Can you imagine, this unfortunate person, being betrayed is a memory that won’t fade in a lifetime, right?"

"Who says it isn’t? Just the thought makes me sick."

"Xinyu, you spent three months with Shen Xueqi; what kind of person is he?"

"Not really sure. We didn’t interact that much privately; I was the only female, so I mostly stayed in my room.

In terms of work, he’s very serious. Didn’t notice much else."

"I really sympathize with him. Not being home for three months, only to come back to this situation really questions his luck," Cao Xuelian sighed. For a man to deal with such a matter is a lifelong suffering.

"I heard his wife is quite beautiful?"

Everyone shook their heads; people in the city have never seen her.

Lv Beiguang came in with two kids, who were quite well-behaved, greeting everyone as they entered.

The two children’s looks resembled Lv Beiguang’s a lot, so they were very good-looking. Despite their simple attire, their natural features stood out.

They sat next to Lv Beiguang and even gave Jiang Xinyu a sweet smile.

"Try the sugared apricots Auntie made for you both. If it’s successful, I’ll give you a jar to eat in the winter."

"Jiang Xinyu, did you make this canned food?"

"Yes, apricots have a short season and aren’t easy to preserve, so making them into canned food should work. We’ll know if it’s successful in a week."

Hao Shichao went out to tell Ding Shihong that they could start serving the food.

Soy-braised rooster, with large flat noodles, a full two big bowls, looking shiny red and oily, especially appetizing. There was also scallop meat stew with tofu brought by Jiang Xinyu, and small bok choy added, making the color combination particularly enticing.

There was also a bowl of steamed egg custard, a plate of peanuts, and stir-fried pork with potato slices.

This meal was already very hearty, and everyone was not shy, just burying their heads to eat.

Lv Beiguang looked after the two kids, and Jiang Xinyu couldn’t help but sigh at what a loving father he was. He truly cared for the children.

Kids don’t know how to hide their feelings, and Jiang Xinyu could see that the two kids were very attached to Lv Beiguang too.