Chapter Eighty-Seven Ambiguous Dinner Party

  That afternoon, Yang widow returned home, the old village chief immediately came to the door, telling Yang widow this news, specifically can go ask Chu Jiaqiang.

  Yang widow and her daughter Xiao Ya had just entered the house when they heard the news, and immediately rushed to Chu Jiaqiang's house. After getting confirmation from Chu Jiaqiang, the two of them hurried back home, looking like they were preparing to knock down the board chestnuts on the tree right away, as if leaving them hanging there was very unsafe.

  "Wait, I'll go help too! The two of you are short-handed." Such mutual assistance was not uncommon in the countryside, but Yang widow still felt a bit embarrassed, having troubled Chu Jiaqiang multiple times, and politely declined his kind intention.

  "It's okay, anyway I'm just idle and have nothing to do. Hmm! You guys go help pick up the chestnuts too, and I'll give each of you five bucks later." Chu Jiaqiang said to a group of little kids.

  Five yuan is a huge sum of money for them, and they agreed without hesitation. Only rural children can understand how hard it is to come by five yuan, during the New Year's festival, parents usually give two yuan as pocket money, five yuan is rarely seen, and ten yuan is absolutely the most.

  The small grocery stores in the village also dare not stock expensive goods, selling them to children at most 50 cents, generally just 10 or 20 cents for spicy bars, melon seeds, and dried hawthorn. One yuan is absolutely unsellable, adults might be possible, but children even if they have money, would not spend one yuan at once.

  Yang Guafu looked at Chu Jiaqiang with gratitude, and for Chu Jiaqiang's private decision to ask these children to help, she not only didn't blame him, but her eyes lit up, thinking that this idea was good. As Chu Jiaqiang had expected, her chestnut income should be over 10,000 yuan, and taking out a few hundred yuan to give to these children wouldn't hurt. Moreover, she knew that although these children were still young, only five or six years old, they were very skilled at picking and plucking fruit.

  Still, it was Chu's family who did the pounding in front, while Yang's widow and daughter followed behind with a group of children to pick up. By the time it was almost dark, they finally finished. Yang's widow gave each of the children five yuan and sent them off happily.

  Yang's widow said these chestnuts might have soil problems, but they are better than those of Chu Jiaqiang's second uncle's house, and the yield is not much less. Preliminary estimates suggest that this time the minimum budget should also be around 15,000 yuan.

  The happiest one is Yang's widow, because of her mother's illness, her two brothers' families emptied the house, and she herself was in debt. Now, money is really important to them.

  As he said this, his two brothers also sighed. Their own relatives were poorer than one another, and if it weren't for their poor sister borrowing so much money, their elderly mother would really have been beyond salvation. They had the intention of taking on this debt, but because of the education expenses of their children at home, they didn't dare to speak up. They could only decide in their hearts to work hard, try to save a bit, and bear this debt together with their sister.

  "Jiaqiang, come home for dinner tonight." said Yang widow.

  "That's fine, it'll pass soon." Chu Jiaqiang also didn't refuse, helping others with work and meals was a normal thing. Since he hadn't accepted the other person's money earlier, not going to eat together would be somewhat impolite.

  Helped to carry the chestnuts back, Chu Jiaqiang returned home and took a bath before going to Yang's widow's house for dinner.

  Yang widow to entertain Chu family strong, prepared for the old duck New Year's Eve slaughtered, add some wild mushrooms, dried dates, peanuts and other boiled soup. Although only one meat, but already very rich.

  Chu Jiaqiang had just arrived, Yang widow was taking a bath, Xiaoya was busy feeding the chickens. After she came out, she saw Chu Jiaqiang and immediately greeted him warmly, telling Xiaoya to hurry up and take a bath.

  Chu Jiaqiang couldn't help but steal a few glances at Yang's widow, who, although not dressed in the alluring bathrobe like the city folks, still revealed her proud figure. Her fair skin, due to being freshly washed, appeared pale with a hint of redness, and her slender yet delicate body was thought-provoking.

  Yang Guafu also noticed Chu Jiaqiang's intentional or unintentional gaze, her face slightly red, and her heart a bit chaotic as she rushed into the kitchen, not daring to be alone with Chu Jiaqiang.

  In fact, there were also people in the village who had ulterior motives towards her. Chujia Village was indeed a simple and unsophisticated place, but not everyone in the village was so honest, and there were one or two sly people. Although they wouldn't say anything indecent to her face, they would definitely talk behind her back, and sometimes their naked glances made her frown.

  But Qiang Chu's family was an exception. This sneaky gaze didn't make her dislike him, although it felt improper.

  She had just gone in and let out a scream. Chu Jiaqiang heard the sound and walked in, just in time to see Xiaoya opening the bathroom door and poking her head out to see what was going on. Xiaoya also let out a scream and quickly retreated back inside, closing the door behind her. At this moment, she was still inside the bathroom, her heart racing wildly, her delicate face bright red.

  Chu Jiaqiang was also quite embarrassed, he couldn't leave or stay, so he just stood at the kitchen door. After a while, he asked awkwardly: "Aunt Yang, are you okay?"

  Yang widow stretched her fingers into the cold water: "Nothing, nothing! It's possible that the aluminum pot was placed in a biased position before, and the flame burned to the pot ear. When I picked up the aluminum pot just now, I got scalded."

  "It's all right." Chu Jiaqiang stepped forward to help lift the aluminum pot and then left this awkward kitchen.

  After Xiaoya finished her bath, the two bathing beauties appeared in front of Chu Jiaqiang's eyes, making him quite overwhelmed. Xiaoya was a bit better off, as he regarded her as his younger sister, just like Chu Jiayun, and wouldn't have any fantasies about her, only appreciation. But Yang Guafu's mature charm was very enticing.

  Everyone seemed to deliberately avoid this embarrassing scene, and quickly brought out the dishes. Yang widow saw Chu Jiaqiang's rice, she hastily took over the bowl and served Chu Jiaqiang rice. In rural areas, when hosting guests for a meal, it is not considered polite to let the guest serve themselves, and during the meal, they will often remind the guest to pick up dishes to eat.

  "Come on, I don't have much food at home, please indulge me! Eat more duck meat, it's been stewed for an hour, should be flavorful enough. After eating your fill, drink two bowls of soup." said Yang widow.

  "Isn't this great? When I was a kid, I always looked forward to having meat. This old duck is cooked just right, but it seems like the flavor is a bit light, Xiaoya! Go get some salt." Chu Jiaqiang instructed, not being too polite or formal, which would only make the host feel more uncomfortable.

  "Not flavorful enough?" Yang widow took a sip of the soup and nodded immediately, indeed too bland. They were rural people, with a slightly heavier taste.

  After a meal, the atmosphere was somewhat strange, or rather ambiguous, as if everyone had their own concerns.

  After eating and drinking enough, Chu Jiaqiang hurriedly bid farewell. Yang Guafu also didn't make much of an effort to retain him, as it was not good for Chu Jiaqiang to stay at their house too late, fearing gossip.

  As he walked out of Yang's widow's home, Chu Jiaqiang took a deep breath. The cool breeze blowing from the mountains was very refreshing. Now that mid-September had passed, the days were also entering autumn. But in this place near the tropics, autumn was destined to come later, or it was difficult for people to notice, only at dusk, when the autumn wind blew, could people slightly feel its existence.

  Unlike the north, when autumn arrives, the leaves start to turn yellow gradually, and the autumn wind blows away the fallen leaves, making it a very distinct season.