Forced to marry a disabled man in the countryside? I'll repay you tenfold!

Liu Shuqing rushed back to the command post to write a report, while Aunt Wen took Gu Zhixing back to the cowshed to tell Grandpa Gu the good news.

Su Wanqing glanced at the sky and said to Chen Xiuer, "Xiuer, I can't help with the moving; I'm not good at this kind of work. You two go and clean up first, and I'll go back and cook. Once you're all settled, we'll have a meal in your new house as a housewarming gift from me."

Chen Xiuer quickly waved her hand: "Dr. Su, you're pregnant, how can I let you cook? And you definitely don't need to eat..."

She felt bad – Dr. Su had helped her enough, how could she let her spend more money?

Su Wanqing smiled and said, "If you feel bad about it, please do me a favor. I bought a lot of vegetables and meat a while ago, and I'd like to ask Aunt Wang to help me marinate some salted meat, smoke some cured meat, and make a few jars of pickled vegetables. The salted duck eggs that Aunt Wang pickled last time were really delicious, and they were all gone in just a few days. I've been thinking about them ever since. This meal won't be free."

To her, these foods were a hundred or a thousand times more than she could ever have, but they were just a drop in the ocean. However, to Xiuer now, they represented a great debt of gratitude. And to Xiuer, the future legendary strong woman, these meals were nothing, but the gratitude she received was as heavy as Mount Tai.

Therefore, simply showing some kindness could make Xiuer even more devoted and better able to maintain this relationship. Su Wanqing felt it was worthwhile. Most importantly, she was genuinely craving Aunt Wang's cooking skills, so this exchange was a good thing for both parties.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiuer immediately patted her chest and said, "That's great! Salted duck eggs and pickled vegetables are my mom's specialties, and she'd love to make them. From now on, my daughter and I will take care of all the chores around your house!"

She can't repay Dr. Su in any other way, so she can only visit Dr. Su's home more often. Dr. Su is pregnant and it's inconvenient for her to do many things, so she does whatever work is available. She'd be happy to serve Dr. Su like a slave for the rest of her life!

"Okay, I'll cook tonight, and we'll go to your new house for a housewarming party. Hurry up, it's getting dark." Su Wanqing then turned to Old Master Shen and said, "Old Master Shen, could you please watch the children for me? In a bit, I'll invite Professor Wu, Tian Dahua, and Erzhuzi, and we'll all go to Xiuer's place for some fun."

Old Shen laughed heartily, "Alright, alright, this old codger can only look after kids. I'm just gracing this place with a free meal today!"

Chen Xiuer responded emphatically, ran to the planting site to find Aunt Wang, stuffed the little girl into Old Shen's arms, and the mother and daughter hurried off to clean the new house.

The brick house was right next to Su Wanqing's, right next to Tian Dahua's house. It had been empty and covered in dust. The two of them worked quickly; one cleaned it, and the other pasted old newspapers on the walls. It didn't take them long.

When Su Wanqing got home, she went to find Tian Dahua and asked her not to cook dinner, but to go together to warm Xiuer's house.

Tian Dahua's eyes widened: "Dr. Su, did Secretary Liu approve that room next door for Xiu'er?"

Su Wanqing thought that Tian Dahua felt Xiuer's contribution was insufficient, so she explained a few words. Tian Dahua shook her head, hesitating to speak: "It's not about that... it's just these four brick houses, oh well. Maybe Secretary Liu can only make these houses available after he resolves the matter with the educated youth. Okay, I'll bring some things over tonight to add to the joy of the new neighbors."

Su Wanqing sensed a hidden meaning in Tian Dahua's words, but since Liu Shuqing had already handled it properly, she didn't ask any further questions and quickly returned to the kitchen to figure out what she could conjure up using the ingenious spatial grid today—

Anyway, the main point is that whatever is processed with craftsmanship is edible.

She took out a piece of fine pork belly from her spatial storage, cut it into cubes the size of mahjong tiles, and placed it in the processing compartment along with white radishes. A flash of white light: Braised Pork Belly with Radishes.

She immediately returned the favor tenfold, pouring a large bowl of rich, dark braised pork into the pot and simmering it over low heat. She couldn't resist picking up a piece, blowing on it, and putting it in her mouth—

Wow! Fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry, rich in soy sauce flavor, melts in your mouth!

Su Wanqing nodded vigorously, then added glass noodles and tofu to the pot. They soaked up the meat broth perfectly. With white rice as the main dish, it was a classic braised pork rice bowl – even a god wouldn't trade it.

When she has some free time, she'll go to the county to grind some tofu, make frozen tofu, and store it in the cellar for the winter. Then, when winter is over, she'll cook mutton hot pot.

Just thinking about it makes me happy.

For soup, I'll make a light egg and seaweed soup. I originally wanted to make a tomato and egg drop soup, but the tomato seedlings that Professor Wu from the hospital gave me have just sprouted, while the ones in my space are ripe and juicy. Unfortunately, I can't openly show them off, so I'll have to wait until next spring to eat them properly.

The side dishes are also readily available: braised pig's trotters, golden and crispy fried fish pieces, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside meatballs, and braised eggplant stored in the space. They don't even need to be heated up before being served.

After Su Wanqing finished her work, Zhou Yanshen and his mother returned from work one after the other.

As soon as Zhou Yanshen entered the room, he saw the stove covered with braised pork, braised pig's trotters, and fried fish, and was somewhat surprised: "What day is it today? Are we having guests?" Usually, it is three dishes and a soup, and the portions are quite large, but today there are probably more than ten people could finish.

Su Wanqing smiled and recounted how Chen Xiuer was assigned to a brick house and how the housewarming party was tonight. She then added, "Bring all the dishes over in a bit; consider this a housewarming gift."

Zhou Yanshen nodded: "Comrade Xiuer's family has indeed had a tough time." He then pulled her aside and sat her down on a small stool next to the stove. "You rest, I'll do the rest of the work."

Su Wanqing rested her chin on her hand and watched him deftly clear away the dishes, put them in bowls, and arrange them on plates.

Zhou Yanshen's hands didn't stop moving, and his mouth didn't stop either: "Today I went to the regiment and got all the cotton carded. The winter cotton-padded clothes, trousers, and quilts are all ready. I also got news about the coal I asked someone about before—it's a coal mine directly under the Corps. They've mined a lot of coal this year, so we can sell more. No need for tickets, we can just go for the internal price, 25 yuan per ton."

He paused, then explained, "Xinjiang doesn't lack coal, and the price is reasonable. In previous years, besides firewood, the communes also allocated some coal, which was mixed together. A typical family only needs one ton for the whole winter; are we going to prepare two tons?"

Su Wanqing thought about the winter in the original plot and shook her head, saying, "It's better to prepare more. We also need coal for cooking, and just collecting firewood won't last. Let's get four tons." She paused, "Ask the others in the group if they want some too, and bring them back together."

It's a pity. Although coal isn't expensive, not many people are willing to spend 25 yuan to buy a ton to burn all winter. It's too extravagant.

Zhou Yanshen agreed. He was thick-skinned and not afraid of the cold, but his wife had delicate skin and was spending her first winter in Xinjiang. He had heard that the cold here was a dry cold, and the kang (heated brick bed) had to be kept burning constantly—four tons it was, he couldn't let her get cold.