Chapter 32: Qian Zhao Uses the Pot

"Sister, you're back." Beibei had also returned from Aunt Li's house. At this moment, he obediently washed his hands clean, collected the trash on the stove into the bin, washed the rag, and wiped away the oily spots.

"Put it on the table and serve the rice. I'm going to check on the fish stewed with tofu at your Sister Yuanyuan's place." An Yinan wiped her hands dry and went to that room.

The fish broth and the tofu had fused together; there wasn't a hint of fishiness, but rather the fragrant scent of the fish.

An Yinan scooped the dish into a basin, and just as she was about to pour water into the pot, Qian Zhao came over.

Qian Zhao was a young man who had taken the special train for Educated Youths with them, but he lived in the Educated Youth Dormitory and had never been very close to the others. He was a very steady person; it was said that since arriving at Quanshui Village, he had never once gone to the County, never missed a day of work, and earned over ten Work Points every day.

"Educated Youth An," Qian Zhao knocked on the door.

"Educated Youth Qian, what is it?" An Yinan asked, looking at him and then at Xie Yuanyuan. Xie Yuanyuan was also a bit puzzled and shrugged her shoulders.

"Heh, I smelled how oily your place was, and I was wondering if I could stir-fry some cabbage in your pot? Don't worry, the firewood and the cabbage will definitely come from the Educated Youth Dormitory; I just want to get a bit of your oil." Qian Zhao was also a bit embarrassed, but the fragrance was too alluring, and he was just trying his luck—if it worked, it worked; if not, he wouldn't bring it up again.

An Yinan was planning to wash the pot anyway. There was some oil left in it, but not much. She didn't really mind, but since this room was Xie Yuanyuan's, she looked at Xie Yuanyuan.

"Only you and Educated Youth Li Xiue can come in, okay? I don't want to go out for a meal and come back to find my home emptied out." Xie Yuanyuan wrinkled her little nose. She had heard today that Zhao Qiu Hua was missing half a can of malted milk powder, and Li Xiue was missing some pastries. The Educated Youth Dormitory over there was very careful about their things now. Her Lao Xie had sent over so many nutritional supplements, and she didn't want to attract thieves.

"Definitely, definitely. I'll keep an eye on the door and absolutely won't let anyone who shouldn't be here inside. If anything goes missing, you can come find me." Qian Zhao patted his chest, giving his word.

Xie Yuanyuan didn't say anything more. An Yinan brought over the fish stewed with tofu, sprinkled on some scallions, and added some cilantro; the fragrance instantly became even richer.

An Yinan thought for a moment and still set aside a bowl's worth in the pot. "I've already added water to the pot, so there isn't much oil left, but this will give you a base."

Qian Zhao felt touched. Being allowed to use the pot was a favor, and she had even left a bowl's worth of base for everyone. If there were any chores in the future, he would definitely help out. As for the others, he wouldn't force them.

"Educated Youth Qian, did Educated Youth An agree?" At this moment, in the communal kitchen, everyone looked at Qian Zhao.

Qian Zhao did not disappoint, nodding his head. Everyone almost cheered.

Sun Xiaoqin immediately stood up. "I'll cook lunch today!"

One had to know how many good things An Yinan had; she had long since found her an eyesore. With this opportunity, she wouldn't hold back on using whatever she could.

"It's not in Educated Youth An's room. They are cooking in Educated Youth Xie's room today. In a moment, Educated Youth Li and I will go to Educated Youth Xie's room to cook." Qian Zhao frowned, not even looking at Sun Xiaoqin. Her greed was just too unsightly.

"Qian Zhao, what do you mean? Xiaoqin already said she'd cook, didn't you hear her?" Zhao Jiang was unhappy. Ever since the incident that day, nobody knew what the two of them had said to each other afterward. Everyone just went about their days, and they hadn't seen them being overly intimate in public. As for what happened behind closed doors, nobody knew.

Qian Zhao sneered. "What? When it was time to go plead for favors, why didn't you and Sun Xiaoqin go? You used up my reputation, and now you're shamelessly trying to tag along? Are you sick in the head?"

Sun Xiaoqin stomped her foot. "Fine, don't go then! Who wants to cook anyway!"

Zhao Qiu Hua laughed. "Oh my, that's right, nobody wants to cook. Why don't you two just not eat then? You were quite blunt when talking about people behind their backs; now you want to be just as blunt when using someone else's oil? No, no, it's not being blunt—that's just being shameless."

Zhao Jiang pulled Sun Xiaoqin behind him. "Zhao Qiu Hua, don't be so snide. Who are you talking about?"

Zhao Qiu Hua chuckled, her face full of mockery. To think there was someone protecting a thief like that. She actually enjoyed watching a good show. In this Educated Youth Courtyard, the good show had only just begun, hadn't it? "I practically named names; you still don't know who I'm talking about? Whoever is shameless, that's who I'm talking about."

Qian Zhao waved his hand, too lazy to deal with this pair of freaks. It really was like a turtle looking at a green bean—no, that's wrong! Like a dog eating dung! And that was even an insult to the dog.

"Educated Youth An specified that only Educated Youth Li and I can go. Either the two of us go cook, or everyone can just cook in the communal kitchen. It makes no difference to me."

Zhang Zhihe felt a headache coming on after hearing these people. It was just because it smelled so good over at Educated Youth An's place today that someone suggested using the oily pot she had finished stir-frying with. After all, there was still some oil left, which was better than their boiled cabbage. He hadn't expected it to cause such a mess.

"Alright, I'll trouble Educated Youth Li and Educated Youth Qian to cook." With one sentence, the matter was settled. Having managed the Educated Youth Courtyard for many years, his authority still held; even Zhao Jiang was relatively obedient.

Qian Zhao went to the communal woodshed to get firewood, and Li Xiue went to get cabbage from the large vegetable garden. After washing and chopping the cabbage, she took a porcelain basin and seasonings into Xie Yuanyuan's room.

Although Xie Yuanyuan's room wasn't partitioned, there was a curtain between the outer kitchen and the inner room, both to block the wind and to guard against petty people.

The two of them didn't pry into the inner room. When Li Xiue saw the bowl of food at the bottom of the pot, she knew it was something An Yinan had intentionally left behind. After the incident with the pickled cabbage, she had come to understand An Yinan—she was very kind, decent, and generous to others, and she had her own principles when it came to matters. She was a very good girl.

"Educated Youth Li, I see there's quite a bit of oil here. Should we just put the cabbage in to stew and add some salt?" Qian Zhao swallowed his saliva as he smelled the fragrance.

Li Xiue nodded. "Yes, do it that way. With this much oil, the cabbage will definitely be delicious."

Xie Yuanyuan, a girl without a care in the world, was currently so full she couldn't stand up. She clutched her stomach, suspecting she might grow up to be a big fatty.

"Nan Nan, if I can't find a husband in the future, you're responsible for supporting me. Who told you to make food so delicious?" Xie Yuanyuan acted shamelessly.

While An Yinan went to serve the food, Beibei called Zhang Qian over as well.

Zhang Qian was a bit embarrassed. He was carrying a basket with two rabbits inside. After arriving, he handed them directly to An Yinan. "For you. Do whatever you want with them."

An Yinan didn't stand on ceremony. They had a stable triangular relationship, and many times An Yinan didn't fuss over these things. Furthermore, neither Xie Yuanyuan nor Zhang Qian were the type to take advantage of others; they were both repaying her in their own ways.

An Yinan had been practicing throwing stones for the past few days. Now, she could hit the bullseye within a five-meter range.

However, she knew that once the target moved, there would be many more factors to consider, and the probability of her hitting it would drop significantly. She still needed to practice more.