Chapter 36 Villagers Bring Food

Ma Aning stood there, watching Aunt Qin's figure gradually disappear into the distance, until she was almost gone at the end of the road, before raising her voice and shouting, "Aunt Qin, thank you so much!"

Aunt Qin waved her hand and walked back.

Ma Aning neatly arranged the dishes and pancakes on the slightly old but spotless wooden table.

Then, carefully carrying a full basket of fresh vegetables, he walked into the kitchen and gently placed them down.

Just as she turned to return to the living room, there was a sudden, rapid, rhythmic knocking at the door.

Ma Aning's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself: Could it be that Aunt Qin left in such a hurry that she left something behind?

As he walked towards the door, he reached for the somewhat worn wooden doorknob and called out, "Coming!"

However, as the door slowly opened, the shout that Ma Aning was about to utter was abruptly stuck in her throat.

Because standing in front of the door was not Aunt Qin as she had guessed, but a familiar figure—Shen Yiyan. For a moment, she was stunned, her eyes revealing a hint of surprise and confusion.

"Brother Yiyan, you... what brings you here?"

Ma Aning snapped out of her daze and quickly asked, subconsciously stepping aside to move into the house, thinking that this person might have come to see Shen Zishan about something.

Shen Yiyan smiled shyly, carrying a bamboo basket full of food, and said softly, "My husband specially made extra dishes and steamed buns, so I brought some over for you to try."

"They're all fresh out of the pot and still hot. Take them inside and eat them while they're hot."

Before he finished speaking, he smiled broadly and gently handed the bamboo basket in his hand to Ma Aning. The basket was filled with steaming hot food.

Seeing this, Ma Aning hurriedly waved her hand and declined, saying, "Oh, Brother Yiyan, thank you so much! But really, you don't need it. You should take it back and eat it yourself."

“These days everyone is struggling to make ends meet. We’ve already prepared a meal here, and Aunt Qin just brought me a few flatbreads. That’s enough for my husband and me.”

As she spoke, she gestured for Shen Yiyan to take the bamboo basket back.

However, Shen Yiyan shook his head firmly, showing no intention of taking back the bamboo basket.

He looked at Ma Aning and said, "Take these, sister-in-law. These things are not much, but they are a small token of my appreciation."

"If you don't consider me a brother, then I'll take it back."

"And even if we can't finish it today, it's good to save it for tomorrow." After saying that, he handed the bamboo basket forward again, insisting that Ma Aning accept it.

Looking at the honest and kind man in front of her, Ma Aning felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

Faced with such sincere kindness and an overwhelming sense of obligation, she finally extended her hands with gratitude and carefully accepted the weighty sentiment.

"Brother Yiyan, come in and have a seat. We can have a meal together." Ma Aning extended a warm invitation, her face beaming with a sincere and radiant smile.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yiyan was slightly taken aback, then scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and said, "No, my wife is still waiting for me to come home for dinner."

Then, after waving goodbye to Ma Aning, he turned around and hurriedly ran away with light steps, leaving only a receding figure.

Ma Aning didn't even have a chance to say thank you.

He locked the door, turned around and went back to the table, carrying the things Aunt Qin had given him into the room.

Looking at the things Ma Aning was carrying, Shen Zishan asked in confusion, "Who sent these?"

"Aunt Qin and Brother Yiyan just came. One brought pancakes and vegetables, and the other brought steamed buns and vegetables. I told them I couldn't finish them and asked them to take them back, but they disagreed."

Ma Aning's tone was full of gratitude.

"The villagers are all doing well!" Shen Zishan couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

He gazed into the distance, his eyes filled with sorrow. Outsiders treated him and his wife so well, yet their own family remained indifferent.

Ma Aning nodded gently in agreement: "Yes, if we are able to do so in the future, we must help them as much as possible." She looked at Shen Zishan tenderly, her eyes full of determination.

At this moment, Shen Zishan suddenly frowned and said with a worried expression, "Wife, what do you think we should do to remind the village chief and the villagers? The terrible three years of natural disasters that the child mentioned are about to begin!"

His voice trembled slightly, his heart filled with anxiety and unease.

Upon hearing this, Ma Aning stopped eating the pancake and began to think seriously.

After a while, she slowly said, "Brother Shan, how about we say that our ancestors appeared to us in a dream?"

"We need to find a way to stock up on more food first, and we can't skimp on things like malted milk powder that the kids love to drink." As she spoke, her gaze fell on her family's small granary not far away.

Shen Zishan sighed heavily, muttering regretfully, "Wife, I really regret it now! Why did I choose such a stupid method?"

"There were so many other ways to divide our family property," he said, pounding his thigh in frustration.

Ma Aning quickly comforted him, "Don't be like that, Brother Shan. It's too late for us to regret it now."

“Besides, doing things the way we initially discussed will definitely take more time, and that’s exactly what we need right now,” she gently held Shen Zishan’s hand and comforted him softly.

"Brother Shan, don't think too much about it! I really didn't mean to blame you. Although we might have to work a little harder and be a bit more tired, this way there won't be any trouble or disputes later, right? Isn't that better?"

As Ma Aning spoke, she stepped forward and gently opened her arms to hug Shen Zishan, who was immersed in self-blame.

"By the way, Brother Shan, I'll have Aunt Qin bring you lunch tomorrow. Be careful not to give yourself away," Ma Aning quickly said.

Shen Zishan nodded in agreement.

"You should eat first, I'm starving," Ma Aning said, breaking the silence between the two.

“Okay,” Shen Zishan said, his eyes full of tenderness.

After the two finished their dinner, they began to tidy up and wash. After a busy period, they dragged their slightly tired bodies to bed and quickly fell asleep.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Ma Aning got up early.

She tiptoed into the kitchen and carefully prepared a simple breakfast. After the two had eaten, she tidied herself up a bit and set off for Majia Village.

After leaving home, I went to Aunt Qin's house first. I knocked on the door and asked, "Aunt Qin, are you home?"

"Who is it?" Aunt Qin opened the door and saw Ma Aning.

"Ah Ning, what brings you here? Have you had breakfast? Come in and sit down." Aunt Qin warmly invited.

"I'm not going in. I've already had breakfast. I'm going back to my parents' house to tell them about our situation and ask them to help me buy some pots, pans, and food."

"Aunt Qin, I'd like to trouble you a bit. Could you bring my husband some food for lunch? Here's some grain." Ma Aning handed over the small bag she was carrying.

"I can deliver the meal, but you have to take the grain back with you. It's just one meal, why would I deliver grain? How am I supposed to face people after this?" Aunt Qin refused to accept it no matter what.

"Alright, leave the food here. I'll take it home for you later. You should hurry up and set off, or you'll get heatstroke in the sun," Aunt Qin urged.

Ma Aning could only thank him and set off.

She traveled and stopped frequently along the way, and although the journey wasn't very long, it still took her a full two hours to reach her destination.

When she finally arrived at her doorstep, she found that the door was wide open.

She stepped inside and immediately saw her younger brother, Ma Alin, diligently chopping firewood in the yard.

With a crisp "crack," a thick piece of firewood snapped in two.

Just then, Ma Alin seemed to sense something. He stopped what he was doing, turned around, and immediately saw his older sister's familiar figure.

Everyone thinks my parents are a bit too lenient, and I will try to change their personalities and ways of handling things. I hope everyone will support me.

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