Chapter 8 - 008 Rationing Food
Qin Xi stood at the doorway, gave a slight nod of his head, and then turned to enter. Both Li Jianqing and Ma Sanjue swallowed hard, almost simultaneously.
Just as they had heaved a sigh of relief, the sound of shrieking like a pig being slaughtered came from the courtyard, startling everyone. Li Xianglu was about to tiptoe over for a look when Li Jianqing grabbed her and quickly pushed the cart away.
By the time they reached Erdaoliang, Li Xianglu, looking at her brother and the young lad from the Ma Family with a face full of sighs, asked, "What's going on? Is the elder brother from the Qin Family very fierce?"
Ma Sanjue gave her a look that said 'Are you daft?' while Li Jianqing explained, "Of course, he is. Last year, when our village had a dispute with Hejia Village over the water supply, the two villages came to blows. That big brother from the Qin Family held a brick and not only knocked people down but also went for the kill by aiming at their heads."
Hearing this, Li Xianglu was stunned. This man didn't seem like a desperado; why did he have such a vicious past?
The two went to the threshing ground to deliver the cart and haul grains, while Li Xianglu returned home alone.
Li Xianglu needed to cook, prepare meals for the whole family. Upon returning home, she hurriedly went into the kitchen, took out a few old cucumbers, peeled and washed them to stir-fry, while the two lads mumbled for a while before saying goodbye and leaving.
Li Xianglu shouted after Li Jianqing to come back early for the meal, and then she continued her work in the kitchen.
Before long, several members of the Li Family returned, pushing their cart, which was loaded with four large sacks of grain. Li Xianglu glimpsed this from outside the kitchen and quickly ducked in, needing to hurry with cooking, or Ge Sanmei would start scolding again.
The side dish and porridge were ready, along with a big winnowing basket of warmed mixed grain steamed cakes.