Chapter 16: Delivering Soup

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

After Xiao Lin left, everyone surrounded the wooden basin excitedly.

The eyes of the little fellows, who had just eaten the tasty loach mustard soup, lit up.

These were all tasty meat!

They could be exchanged for a few candy that cost less than a cent!

After Yu Yan finished her meal, she returned to the dormitory. She saw everyone standing in the middle of the courtyard chatting and laughing, but no one saw her return. She was very angry.

Yu Yan had been tall and beautiful since she was young. Because she was good at acting and was always polite in front of others, she was very well liked by her elders and was used to being the center of attention wherever she went.

However, ever since she came to the countryside, she no longer had these privileges. She felt very indignant.

When she got closer, she heard everyone discussing the loaches and eels in the wooden basin. Yu Yan’s desire to cause trouble began to stir again.

“These things are very oily. Be careful, or you guys won’t have any oil to cook with after half a month.” After saying that, Yu Yan looked like she was saying this for everyone’s good.

This sentence was like pouring a bucket of cold water on everyone’s heads.

The monthly ration of oil for the five people in the dormitory was only a catty of soybean oil. It was fine to eat lavishly once in a while like today, but with so much loaches and conchs, it was indeed unsustainable to eat them every day.

In this era, oil was precious. Yu Yan wanted to use this to sow discord between everyone and Yu Bing.

Yu Bing saw through Yu Yan’s plan and sneered to herself. However, on the surface, she said with a kind expression, “I saw that everyone was working so hard and wanted everyone to eat something good.”

When Yu Yan heard Yu Bing’s words, she thought that she had caught Yu Bing’s weakness. She gloated and said, “Everyone believed you since you were in charge! Sigh, now, these things have been exchanged for nothing.”

When everyone heard this, they didn’t blame Yu Bing. Everyone believed that she had good intentions, but when they looked at the wooden basin on the ground, they couldn’t help but reveal worried expressions.

When Yu Yan saw this, she was even happier and looked at Yu Bing provocatively.

The anxiety on Yu Bing’s face disappeared, and she smiled.

Since Yu Bing dared to accept them, how could she not have thought of a way to solve the problem regarding oil? She said softly, “I’ve thought of a good idea. We can use it to make porridge in the morning. Loach and eel nourish the body and blood. Although it’s more prickly than meat, it’s at least more nutritious than eating plain porridge. We won’t need much oil.”

“There’s not much meat in conchs. We can save up a few times and pick out the conch meat together to stir-fry. It’s okay to stir-fry oil-consuming vegetables once every half a month. That’s an entire plate of meat! Moreover, conch meat is rich in protein and is very nutritious.”

These words made everyone relax and smile.

“Yu Bing is so smart!”

“Isn’t that so? I couldn’t think of this idea!”

“You only know how to eat. It would be strange if you could think of something.”

Everyone laughed and praised Yu Bing’s good idea.

When Yu Yan saw that Yu Bing had turned the situation around, her expression instantly darkened. She glared at Yu Bing but was helpless. She rolled her eyes and entered the room.

Yu Bing revealed a smile. After all, how could someone who had died once already be plotted against by Yu Yan so easily?!

For the next few days, everyone was exhausted from working during the day. When they returned to the dormitory, they only wanted to sleep, so Yu Yan didn’t have the strength to cause trouble anymore.

On the evening of the third day, Xiao Lin took a large basin to exchange for candies. There were 20 loaches, 10 eels, and 150 conchs. He had caught them over the past two days.

Yu Bing had used a total of six fish to cook the porridge in the past few mornings. She cooked loach mustard soup once every three days. Tonight, she used the remaining 12 fish to cook soup. Everyone had two fish. The extra two loaches were left for Xiao Lin after everyone agreed.

Everyone was a little embarrassed that they had exchanged so much meat for less than a cent.

So when she brought out the candies, she even brought out a bowl of loach mustard soup.

Xiao Lin rejected her as usual.

Yu Bing smiled and said, “You’re quite principled. Isn’t it normal for neighbors to give each other food? If you feel bad, catch two more loaches for me next time.”

Xiao Lin’s nose twitched a few times. He was tempted by the aroma of the soup.

Yu Bing felt that Xiao Lin was too cute, so she smiled and instigated, “Smell this loach soup. It’s tasty and nutritious!”

When Xiao Lin heard the word nutrition, he thought of his thin sister, so he took the bowl. “Thank you. I’ll catch a few more eels for you next time!”

After saying that, Xiao Lin placed the basin upside down on his head and carefully walked home with the soup.