Chapter 145: A Geng? This name sounds familiar

Chapter 145: A Geng? This name sounds familiar

Seeing that A Geng's face was covered in sweat, Guo Xiucai asked him to go back to the house and rest for a while.

A Geng smiled and said, "Uncle, it's okay. I'll go fetch two more buckets of water. Once the water tank is full, I'll go take a rest." After that, he carried the bucket of water that he had just unloaded to the kitchen, and then went out with the empty bucket.

Guo Xiucai looked at the figure going away and said, "A Geng is very hardworking. He goes to the forest east of our town to chop firewood and carries it back before dawn every day. You can see that our firewood room is full. We can burn it for three to five years without any problem."

Guo Ning looked up at the firewood room, and sure enough, it was already full of firewood. Even the eaves outside were neatly stacked, and there were even several firewood piles in the yard. It was the first time Guo Ning had seen such a firewood pile. Each piece of wood was sawed to the same length, and they were placed outwards in a circle, and then the second and third layers were placed upwards in sequence, until they reached the top. From a distance, it looked like a big wooden barrel. Guo Ning also had a good impression of this A Geng. People who do things neatly and efficiently should have good character.

"Dad, there is enough firewood. Please tell A Geng not to go chop wood. Our family is not a landlord. We can't just order him around." Guo Ning said to his father, Guo Xiucai.

Scholar Guo rolled his eyes at her and said, "You think your father is so confused that he doesn't want to use such a good boy. I asked him to sit down and rest for a while, but he couldn't sit still for a while. He insisted on tidying up here and there. The door of our side hall couldn't be closed properly, so he fixed it for us as soon as he came. The window paper in my room had been torn for so many years, and he repasted it for me. He also repaired the roof, so it doesn't leak anymore."

Scholar Guo sent Guo Ru to make some hot tea, and then whispered to Guo Ning, "A Geng is also very good to your sister. Every time he goes to the mountain to chop wood, he never forgets to pick some wild fruits for her as snacks. He also kills two pheasants every now and then to nourish your sister. Look, the swing in the corner was also made by him for Ru'er, and Ru'er is very happy. This child is also polite and never does anything beyond the rules. He goes back to his room after work every day and never spends time with your sister alone in private."

Guo Ru came out with tea. Guo Ning saw that her sister's face was rosy and her complexion was much better than before. It was obvious that A Geng's arrival had brought about earth-shaking changes in her sister's life.

Guo Ru prepared lunch. She cooked scrambled eggs with green onions, a plate of pickled cabbage, boiled a pot of millet porridge, and steamed a basket of black-faced steamed buns.

The Guo family never had a big appetite and their diet was light. Usually they would make stir-fried cabbage and drink some porridge. But today they had vinegar flavor and added steamed bread, which seemed to take into account A Geng's taste and appetite. Guo Ning felt that it was reasonable. This young man was tall and strong, and he worked very hard, so how could he not eat enough?

Guo Ru put a few large pieces of eggs into A Geng's bowl, and a few chopsticks of cabbage, and placed the basket of steamed bread in front of him. A Geng blushed and started eating.

Scholar Guo seemed to be used to it, and he picked up some dishes for each of his two daughters and started eating. The Guo family did not have the rule of not talking while eating or sleeping, so the atmosphere became more harmonious as they talked and laughed.

"Dad, the fifth day of next month is our Zhong'er's first birthday. He will come to our house to celebrate, and A Geng can come with him." Guo Ning said.

A Geng nodded and said, "I'll listen to you, sister."

With A Geng around, Guo Ning felt relieved about his father and sister. He went home not long after dinner. Before leaving, his father gave her a lot of wild fruits to take back to the Shen family. There were not many wild fruits in the mountains at this season, and A Geng went to the mountains to find them.

After Guo Ning returned to Shitou Village, she carried the basket and went to Shen's house.

When Shen Zhi saw Guo Ning coming, she enthusiastically pulled her into the house. She still liked this sister-in-law in the village. It happened that she had asked her third uncle to help her build a bread kiln made of red mud, right next to the wall in the backyard. Today, she had nothing to do at home, so she tried to bake bread.

"Sister-in-law, you've come at the right time. I've just experimented with some new food. Please come and help me appreciate it." As he said that, he pulled Guo Ning into the backyard without further ado.

This was Guo Ning's first time in the Shen family's backyard. The yard was large and tidy. The vegetable plots were neatly arranged and green. The row of houses in the backyard were also neatly arranged. The firewood room was also neatly stacked and full. The firewood piles outside were also arranged...

"Hey, this pile of firewood?" Guo Ning couldn't help but wonder.

"Sister-in-law, come and try it." Shen Zhi, wearing thick gloves, took out a large piece of steaming, fragrant bread from the bakery.

Guo Ning's thoughts were interrupted, and she was instantly attracted by the sweet smell in the air. "It smells so good."

Shen Zhi tore off a piece and handed it to her, "Try it quickly. This is the first piece of bread made in the bakery. Try it and see how it tastes."

Guo Ning couldn't help but take a bite of the bread. It was soft, tasty, sweet and delicious. After one bite, she couldn't help but eat another one. She simply couldn't stop.

"How is it?" Shen Zhi looked at her expectantly.

Guo Ning kept chewing food in his mouth and couldn't open it to answer, so he just nodded, looking like a groundhog.

Shen Zhi felt so accomplished that he sat aside and tore off a piece of bread to taste it. Hmm, it was really good, just like the taste of his previous life.

"Sister-in-law, I'll make another pot later. You can take some back for Zhong'er as a snack. It'll be ready soon." Shen Zhi said as he added candied beans, raisins, and red dates to the dough, kneaded it evenly, divided it into small pieces of even size and placed them in a container, and then put it in the bread oven to bake.

While waiting, Shen Zhi made bread dough of different shapes, some with red bean paste filling, some with pork floss filling, which made Guo Ning dazzled. Soon, pots of various breads were baked.

Shen Zhi took out Guo Ning's basket of wild fruits, put some oil paper on it, and filled it with all kinds of bread, so that she could take it back for her family. Then he also filled two baskets and sent them to the people in the village who were on good terms with him. The two of them walked towards the village together, carrying their baskets.

"By the way, Sister Erya, the firewood pile in your yard is arranged in a very unique way. I have never seen it arranged in this way. Who arranged it?" Guo Ning suddenly remembered his doubts halfway and asked casually.

"That was placed by my third uncle."

Guo Ning had no impression of Shen Zhi's third great uncle. She had never seen him on her several visits to the Shen family. She only met him once when she was walking on the roadside, and the people next to her told her that he was Shen Zhi's third great uncle.

"Sister Erya, please ask your third uncle for me if there is anyone who has a firewood pile like this and whose son is missing." Then he briefly told her about A Geng's story.

A Geng? This name sounds familiar.