Chapter 152 One lived a life of hardship, the other enjoyed a life of luxury (added)

At five o'clock in the morning, there was activity in the front and side yards of the educated youth compound. People were lighting fires, cooking, and fetching water. The front doors of the small houses in the side yard were also opened one after another.

After greeting the people they met, they turned around and busied themselves preparing breakfast. They had to leave at six o'clock and start work at six-thirty, so basically everyone had to get up around five o'clock.

In May, large-scale spring planting officially began in the fields. Some crops planted in April had already started to sprout. Excess seedlings were pulled out, bad ones were discarded, and the good ones were collected and transplanted to other places.

Watering, weeding, and fertilizing will soon be a busy time. Fortunately, the weather isn't too hot now, so working in the fields isn't too uncomfortable. The most difficult time will come when it gets hot in the summer.

After Bai Nuo locked her front door with Xiao Fugui and headed to the other side, Fang Meng had already set up a small square table in her foyer.

The small rooms in the side courtyard were all about the same size. When the brigade headquarters built the youth housing, they didn't skimp on the size at all, giving each room enough space for the better-off youths to make their own way.

When educated youth went to the countryside, they organized meetings and provided subsidies to the production team. Qishui Brigade did not embezzle the money; it was mostly used to build houses for the educated youth. In addition, Qishui Brigade was known for its vast land area, so it was very generous in designating the area for the educated youth compound.

Otherwise, Bai Nuo wouldn't have been able to create so many things in that little house.

Fang Meng's situation was much simpler. He also erected a half-fire wall between the front hall and the heated brick bed, with the fire wall close to the stove. The layout was similar to Bai Nuo's house, except that since it was a young man living alone, it wasn't as complicated.

The inner room contained only a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove), a single-door wardrobe, a desk and chair set next to the kang, a kang cabinet at one end of the kang, and a cabinet against the wall for storing snacks and cups. On the cabinet were a thermos, enamel cups, and a kerosene lamp.

The kitchen in the front hall is also simple, with two stoves, one large and one small, a cupboard, a washbasin stand, and a small square table and stools for eating.

The backyard is simply a bathroom, a storage room, and a dry toilet. There is also a small vegetable garden in the backyard where several common vegetables are planted.

Bai Nuo went around inside and finally came to a conclusion!

Fang Meng was more like someone who had come to the countryside to suffer than her, while she herself was simply there to enjoy life!

"What are you wandering around for? Come and eat."

"Here you are." Bai Nuo turned and walked towards the front hall. She knew that Fang Meng never had high requirements for his living environment. For him, as long as he could sleep and eat, that was enough. He didn't care about other people.

The fact that he has a few decent pieces of furniture in the house is already a result of his hard work. We can't ask for too much. As long as she's comfortable, that's enough.

The two of them finished their milk. Fang Meng had initially refused to drink it, as he didn't like drinking things that were hard on the throat and couldn't help him grow taller. However, after the little girl glared at him, Fang Meng honestly picked up the cup and gulped it down in a few big mouthfuls.

After finishing his drink, he pursed his lips and looked helplessly at the girl sitting opposite him.

This milk is clearly not made from milk powder; it has a richer, sweeter milk flavor and is much fresher and more delicious.

Fang Meng is no stranger to good food; his family background speaks for itself. The taste is clearly that of freshly squeezed milk, but it must have undergone meticulous processing, as there is not a trace of milky smell. It tastes delicious.

"This milk is not allowed to be given to anyone else, understand?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

The little girl didn't appreciate Fang Meng's carefulness at all and even rolled her eyes at him.

"It's only because of you that I wouldn't give it to anyone else." After saying that, Bai Nuo quickly added, afraid that Fang Meng would continue to nag, "I have plenty of milk powder, so don't worry."

Fang Meng smiled helplessly. It was true. This little brat had been possessive of her food since she was a child. Sometimes even her two older brothers couldn't take the food from her. Only he and his two grandmothers could eat it.

It wasn't until she grew up a little that her food-guarding habit improved somewhat, but even then, it was only limited to family members.

If it's an outsider, you have to offer something that will satisfy her in exchange.

Fang Meng made pan-fried dumplings this morning, filled with cabbage and pork. They smelled delicious, and with one bite, they were juicy and fragrant—absolutely delicious.

After breakfast, Bai Nuo pulled Fang Meng and a few other friends together and headed towards the fields. Since they were going to work together, neither Bai Nuo nor Fang Meng rode bicycles. Fang Meng carried a small basket containing Xiao Fugui'er and slowly followed behind her little girl, watching her chatter with her friends.

The people in the educated youth compound were unaware of what happened last night. Only a few people in the female educated youth dormitory discovered that Wang Mudan was missing when they woke up this morning.

However, Wang Mudan was never popular. She used to be able to get along with Liu Zhenzhu and Chen Xiuhua, but after Liu Zhenzhu and Chen Xiuhua had a falling out, that fragile little group also fell apart.

"Last night I heard a lot of noise outside, like a lot of people were passing by. I was half asleep and I don't know if it was a dream or real. Did you hear that?" Chao Xianhua looked curiously at her three girlfriends.

Qin Xuehua nodded in agreement: "I think I heard it too. I was too sleepy at the time and didn't hear anyone knocking on the door, so I fell asleep again."

Sun Yuxi looked left and right, shook her head, and said somewhat confusedly, "I was sleeping soundly and didn't hear anything!"

The girls' hut was next to the wall of the educated youth compound, so they could hear any noises outside more clearly than the male educated youth. However, it was too late at the time, and none of them paid any attention to it.

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