Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 306 The Poor Man's Breakfast

Xiao Wei walked up to Zhang Guiqin, sat down on the edge of the bed, and looked around. The person sleeping next to Zhang Guiqin was clearly a little disgusted, as there was a noticeable 20-centimeter gap between their mattress and Zhang Guiqin's, while the mattresses of everyone else in his line of sight were almost touching.

Zhang Guiqin brought her own bedding; it was a bit old, but very clean, with two patches on the sheets, the stitches of which were sewn very tightly.

Xiao Wei reached out and squeezed the mattress; it was old cotton and a bit knotted.

The girls went out chattering away, glancing in this direction as they left.

Xiao Wei looked at Zhang Guiqin and nodded: "Hello."

Zhang Guiqin forced a strained smile: "Hello... what's up?"

Xiao Wei held out his hand and said, "Let me see the steamed bun."

Zhang Guiqin twisted her body defensively: "W-what are you doing? Who are you? I, I'm married."

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "You've been studying here for so many days and you still don't know who I am? Let me see you, Mantou."

Zhang Guiqin slowly and hesitantly pulled her hand out from behind her back, reluctantly placing the half-flattened steamed bun into Xiao Wei's hand: "Who...who are you?"

Xiao Wei took the steamed bun and tore it a few times. It was the cheapest kind sold in the market, very white, very light, and very crumbly. This kind of steamed bun is made from flour that has had its gluten washed off, and it's available everywhere.

Xiao Wei sighed, clutched the steamed bun in his hand, bent down and pulled open the innermost drawer under the bed. Inside was half a bag of these steamed buns, about seven or eight in total. Xiao Wei asked, "Are you trying to kill yourself?" He put the steamed bun he was holding into the bag and pulled the bag out.

The drawer contained the toothbrush and mug provided by the accommodation, a small tube of toothpaste, a small bar of transparent soap, and a piece of clothing. That was it.

Xiao Wei closed the drawer, sat up straight, and asked, "Did you come from Andong or from Beixi?"

Zhang Guiqin raised her hand to smooth her hair and said, "Beixi, my home is in Beixi."

Xiao Wei nodded and asked, "You came to Beixi alone? What does your family do? Is your girlfriend from Beixi?"

Zhang Guiqin said, "My family is from Qingduizi village. We were poor and often didn't have enough to eat. Later, I went to stay with relatives in Beixi. They lived in the town, but I didn't earn much money there. So, I went to the city to work. My boyfriend was introduced to me by someone. He worked for a large collective enterprise, and things were okay at first. But in the last few years, they haven't been paying wages, and my child is sick. So, for the last two years, I've been doing some small business on my own."

Xiao Wei stood up, carrying the steamed buns, and said, "Let's go downstairs."

Zhang Guiqin stood up and asked blankly, "Where to?"

Xiao Wei walked out and said, "Would I hurt you? Hurry up." The two of them went downstairs one after the other and came to the back yard.

As we walked into the kitchen, Xiaowei's mother was carrying a bowl of soup toward the dining room. Seeing the two of them, she said, "Come on, come and eat."

Xiao Wei turned his head and glanced at Zhang Guiqin, saying, "Come on." When they entered the dining room, Xiao Wei's father, Xiao Bing, and Lao Guan were eating. Xiao Wei's mother greeted Zhang Guiqin, "Come on, child, sit down and eat. Have a bowl of hot soup." The other teachers and staff had already finished eating and gone home.

Zhang Guiqin stood to the side looking very nervous, saying, "No, no, I've already eaten, you guys eat."

Xiao Wei put the steamed buns he was carrying on the table and said to his mother, "I'll eat this. These days, people will do anything to make money. How can this be edible?" Old Guan reached out, squeezed the buns, shook his head, and said, "They just take up space. They're useless and won't even fill you up."

Xiaowei's mother went over and pulled Zhang Guiqin to the dining table, saying, "Come here, sit down and eat." She handed Zhang Guiqin the chopsticks.

Old Guan said, "Eat up, girl. This family are all good people. Look at me, I'm just here to watch the door, what good am I? I eat here every day."

Xiaobing reached out and tugged at Zhang Guiqin's sleeve, saying, "Eat quickly, sister, it'll get cold and we'll have to reheat it."

Xiao Wei picked up his chopsticks, sat down, and said, "Let's eat, let's chat while we eat. Xiao Bing, hurry up and eat, look at the time!"

Xiaobing looked at Xiaowei and said, "Hurry up, I'm watching. Come on, sister, have some. My mom made these after the ducks finished laying. They're so delicious, the best. You should try them." He took a homemade salted duck egg and placed it in front of Zhang Guiqin.

Zhang Guiqin pursed her lips tightly, holding her chopsticks and looking at the salted duck eggs in front of her. Xiaowei's mother smiled and said, "Eating is the most important thing in the world. Eat up, there's nothing else to eat. Eat your fill so you can go to class." She pushed the dishes towards Zhang Guiqin.

Xiao Wei reached out and took the salted duck egg, cracked it on the table, peeled off the larger end, and handed it to Zhang Guiqin, saying, "Don't think too much about it. Eat your food first. Here, this really is from my ducks. There aren't many left; we don't raise any anymore."

Zhang Guiqin blushed as she took the duck egg and asked, "Why don't you raise them anymore? You could sell these for money."

Xiaowei's mother put a bite of food into Zhang Guiqin's bowl and said with a smile, "They used to be raised in the countryside, but now that they're here, how are we going to raise them? There's no place for them."

Xiao Wei said, "Eat quickly, it'll get cold. My family is also from Beixi, we just moved here before the New Year. We're from the same hometown, so don't be shy."

Zhang Guiqin was taken aback for a moment and said, "Your family is also from Beixi?"

Xiaowei's mother said, "Yes, we're from Beixi County, in a remote mountain village. We're all from the countryside, we're family."

Xiaobing stared at Zhang Guiqin and said, "Sister, try it quickly and see if it's good. I'm not kidding you, it's really delicious, so delicious, it's all oily."

Zhang Guiqin bit her lip, and under Xiaobing's gaze, scooped out a piece of duck egg and put it in her mouth. Xiaobing straightened up and looked into the egg, saying, "I didn't find any yolk." Xiaowei's mother smacked Xiaobing on the head and said, "Eat it quickly."

Xiaobing grunted an "oh" and lowered his head to eat, his eyes still lingering on the duck egg in Zhang Guiqin's hand. Zhang Guiqin was amused by Xiaobing's appearance. She took a sip of porridge, then scooped out a large piece of the duck egg. Yellow oil immediately gushed out. She put some in her mouth, nodded, and said to Xiaobing, "Delicious, so fragrant."

The soldier's face lit up with a "Yeah, it's delicious!" expression as he contentedly began to shovel his rice into his mouth.

Xiao Wei's mother handed Zhang Guiqin a sugar triangle, saying, "Have this. You're so thin, eat more sugar to help you get some nutrition." Zhang Guiqin took it and said, "Thank you, Auntie."

Xiao Wei's mother picked up her bowl of porridge and said, "Don't thank me, don't be so polite. We're both from the countryside, we're fellow villagers. This feels like home. Eat up." Zhang Guiqin nodded, took a bite of the sugar triangle, and tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly lowered her head and drank her porridge to hide them.

Xiao Wei's mother sighed softly, her eyes darting to her youngest son, who was staring at Zhang Guiqin. She raised her hand and smacked him: "How many years are you going to live like this? Will you even go to school?"

Xiaobing was used to being boiled and didn't feel any pain. Pointing at Zhang Guiqin, he said to Xiaowei's mother, "She's crying! What's she crying about? Has she never eaten duck eggs before? Is it too salty?"

(End of this chapter)