Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 409: The Force Used to Tear Paper

Wen Shi gasped, "Young Master Duo?"

The shock changed his voice.

Yi Chichi knew he heard clearly and didn’t plan to repeat, nor did Wen Shi need her to.

With a shocked face, he said, "They actually gave a hundred, it seems like Aunt and them are really putting effort into raising Niu Niu."

After all, how much does a year’s income amount to?

And it’s not like you can save all of that income; the expenses for a whole family’s food, clothing, and daily needs all require money.

Common folks really save every penny.

They’d love to split a penny into eight parts to use.

A hundred is definitely a fortune for a farming family.

Yet Aunt Ma and them just gave it to their daughter-in-law like that.

"They really do trust you."

Indeed, Kang Youxin asked himself and felt he couldn’t reach that level. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

After all, money does move the heart, and a hundred bucks isn’t a small sum, equivalent to two or three months’ wages for a normal worker’s family.

Yi Chichi helplessly said, "I’m not so broke as to greed for this little amount of money."

If one’s basic material and moral needs are met, then they will have manners; if one’s food and clothing are sufficient, then they will know honor and disgrace.

If she were a poor wretch, she might have been greedy.

However, she wasn’t.

Naturally, she couldn’t ruin her own reputation for so little money.

Looking at the time, she instructed, "Old Wen, go pick up Xiao Jiu, I’ll go make medicinal food for you."

"Alright."

It was almost dinner time, indeed time to pick up the kids.

He looked at Kang Youxin, "Uncle, you want to come along?"

Kang Youxin, feeling bored at home, decisively got up and followed Wen Shi out the door.

Yi Chichi went to the kitchen, and Wen’s mother entered through the back door with a certain smell.

"Mom, did you fall into the latrine?"

Wen’s mother sighed, "I did squat for quite a while."

Saying this, she lifted her arm to smell it, having stayed in the toilet too long, her sense of smell was dulled and she couldn’t detect any odor.

"Do I really smell bad?"

"Not so much, just a bit smelly, airing out by the door will do."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yi Chichi asked again, "Mom, did you manage to do your business squatting for so long?"

"...No."

Wen’s mother had a bitter expression, "My stomach’s a bit bloated and uncomfortable."

No wonder her appetite had diminished since yesterday.

"Let me give you a massage."

Wen’s mother’s eyes lit up, "Will it help?"

"It will."

"Come on!"

She hurriedly approached, urging Yi Chichi to get started.

However, wearing too many clothes and with the kitchen being too cold to undress, Yi Chichi helplessly pulled her into the studio.

Because of embroidery work, the room serving as a studio always had the kang heated; the temperature wasn’t very high but stood in stark contrast to the chilly outdoors.

At least outside, Yi Chichi didn’t dare wear just a sweater for fear of freezing to death.

But she could indoors.

Once the big cotton coat and thick vest were off, it was easy to get started.

Wen’s mother lay supine on the kang, allowing her hands to massage her abdomen, feeling so comfortable she almost fell asleep.

In just a few minutes, Wen’s mother suddenly sat up with a strange expression, "Where’s Xiao Shi?"

"He went to pick up Xiao Jiu."

"When he’s back, have him cook."

Just as she finished speaking, she was already off the kang, putting on her shoes, and briskly hurried out.

Her walking posture was a bit off, legs clamped together.

Yi Chichi, "..."

That was just a few minutes, it worked so quickly?

She looked at her hands, unable to figure out the magic behind it.

In the end, she could only attribute it to her improving massage skills.

Two minutes later, after getting the stove burning, Yi Chichi washed her hands and began making cardamom tripe.

This medicinal dish primarily used cardamom powder and pork tripe.

Supplemented with water bean flour, scallion whites, ginger, amongst other ingredients.

It’s not too troublesome to make, though it requires time.

Luckily, there’s no rush to eat it; best consumed two hours after dinner.

The main effect of the cardamom tripe is to regulate Qi and relieve pain, dispel dampness, and awaken the spleen.

It has noticeable effects on poor appetites and duodenal ulcers, among other symptoms.

As long as there’s consistency, Yi Chichi has confidence that by the time Wen Shi re-enlists, his gastrointestinal health will be well-managed.

While busy, she heard voices from the front.

Shortly after, Qin Jiu walked in beaming.

"Aunt, I’m back."

Wen Shi followed immediately, "Wife, I brought Xiao Jiu back."

Before he finished speaking, he noticed something was wrong.

"Where’s Mom?"

He felt like he hadn’t seen his mother for ages.

"In the bathroom."

Focused on the pot, Yi Chichi replied without raising her head, "Mom asked you to cook."

"Alright."

Just cooking, nothing he couldn’t handle.

He rolled up his sleeves and got busy.

Qin Jiu scooted over, "Uncle, can I help you?"

Wen Shi looked at the vegetables soaking in the basin and handed him a napa cabbage, "Wash this."

Yi Chichi quickly warned, "Wash it with hot water."

Wen Shi suddenly felt jealous like he’d knocked over a vinegar jar, "I never heard you telling me to use hot water."

Yi Chichi’s response was to turn around, holding a big iron spoon, glaring at him menacingly, "Don’t make trouble for me."

He shrank back, muttering that his wife didn’t care about him.

Covering his mouth to hide his laughter, Qin Jiu was ignored as Yi Chichi nonchalantly added the ingredients into the pot, poured the clear broth over them, and put the lid on, then bent down to check the stove.

The fire wasn’t strong enough, so she grabbed some grass stalks and stuffed them in, whoosh, a large flame roared up.

The iron pot heated quickly, and with the broth already warm, once the fire picked up, the faint fragrance started wafting in the air.

Wen’s mother returned feeling all better, sniffed and commented, "Smells nice."

It definitely invoked an appetite.

Yi Chichi smiled, "Later, have a bowl, Mom."

Qin Jiu raised his hand, "Aunt, can I have some?"

"Yes!"

Getting an affirmative answer, the child hesitantly asked, "If I drink, will there be enough for Uncle and Grandma?"

He’s quite the worrywart.

Yi Chichi helplessly said, "I made plenty, everyone can have some."

Kang Youxin, sneaking into the kitchen at some point, "Ah ba," obviously, he wanted some too.

As a result, the rather large pot of cardamom pork tripe soup was completely devoured after being dished out.

After wiping his mouth, Kang Youxin went off to sleep at the village head’s house.

Wen Shi took him there, and by the time he returned, it was already past nine. Yi Chichi was sitting cross-legged on the kang, with her hands spread out like a zombie.

"Wife, let me give you a massage."

Accustomed to her looking like this, Wen Shi knew from her unusual posture that she was applying hand cream and waiting for it to absorb.

He immediately approached and offered help.

"Go ahead."

Yi Chichi handed him her right hand, "Be gentle."

Wen Shi’s outstretched hand hesitated and shrank back, "Even my gentlest touch may be too rough for you."

This was indeed an issue.

But not a serious one; with experience, just a little reminder would suffice.

"Use the force you’d need to tear paper."

"...Okay."

Given the specific instruction, Wen Shi had a better idea of the appropriate strength to use.

The entire massage process strictly adhered to standards, much to Yi Chichi’s satisfaction.

After the ointment completely absorbed into her hands, she did a set of hand exercises to maintain finger flexibility and applied another layer of cream.

With a puzzled expression, Wen Shi asked, "Why apply it again?"

"This one’s for whitening and moisturizing."

Not fully grasping it, but seeing his wife apply it, he assumed a massage was next.

However, Yi Chichi said it wasn’t needed.

And so the couple had a peaceful night’s sleep.