Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 391: Can’t Stop Snacking

Niu Niu’s embroidery design was simple, but as a beginner, it took time to do it well.

So, Yi Chichi didn’t rush her. Instead, she let her take her time, ensuring the sessions weren’t too long, with a fifteen-minute break every half hour. During the break, she wasn’t idle either.

First, they did eye exercises, then went to look at the scenery to relieve eye fatigue, and finally, they admired the lush green spring onions and greens to refresh their eyes.

With the complete routine, the timing was just right.

Liu Lan sighed at this, "Thanks to becoming an embroideress, our family hasn’t been short of leafy greens and spring onions this year."

Returning to the kang with an embroidery frame to work on peach blossoms, Niu Niu said, "We don’t have any at home."

"Next year, have your grandma dig up some soil and plant them. Otherwise, in the dead of winter, it’s just a bare white expanse, which isn’t friendly to the eyes, especially ours."

Niu Niu exclaimed, "The ground’s all frozen, how do we dig it up?"

"Dig it before the ground freezes. Set up a wooden frame or box in a room with a kang. With the right temperature, water, and light, it can thrive."

"It doesn’t grow that well."

Thinking of the spring onions and leafy greens she had seen, Niu Niu, like a little adult, grumbled, "The spring onions are somewhat lush, but the leafy greens are yellowish."

"Photosynthesis wasn’t done right."

Having finished embroidering a thread, Yi Chichi calmly responded, "But it’s winter; having some is better than none."

True.

Around two in the afternoon, after working all morning, Liu Lan finished her stitch, cheered at her own work, and happily announced, "My ’Moonlit Begonia’ is finally complete."

It’s worth celebrating; now she can focus on another piece.

Niu Niu felt a bit envious, glancing at her own pitiful and messy peach blossom, then at Liu Lan’s work, she asked Yi Chichi, "Auntie, when can I embroider like Aunt Lanlan?"

Yi Chichi, "???"

This kid is really something!

Just learned to walk, and already wants to run, and go for a marathon no less.

But for a child to have ambitions and be willing to work for them, as elders, we shouldn’t discourage but rather encourage them.

"Don’t rush, finish your peach blossom first, then do it well, and then embroider other things. Once you’re good at them all, you can attempt complex ones like your Aunt Lanlan’s."

Liu Lan nodded in agreement, "Your aunt is right, young lady. Be patient and build a strong foundation. Once you’re skilled, you won’t just manage mine, but even your aunt’s high-difficulty pieces."

This encouragement was so nice, it made Niu Niu grinning, "Then I’ll embroider carefully."

She meant what she said; since she agreed to be earnest, she demonstrated with action.

Even at home, she would stab the fabric with the needle.

Aunt Ma and the others, "..."

"I feel something’s off."

With a hint of worry on his rugged face, Liu Dalin said, "Ever since Niu Niu started learning embroidery with Xiao Yi, it’s like she’s been enchanted, she doesn’t even like to play outside anymore."

Aunt Ma’s mouth twitched, "Like you." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The family’s eyes immediately fell on Aunt Ma’s face, even Niu Niu, who was focused on piercing the needle, looked up.

Liu Chengqi looked perplexed, "Did Dalin do this as a child too?"

"Of course, whenever he encountered something new, he’d put in all his effort until the enthusiasm passed."

The implication: Niu Niu’s situation isn’t something to worry about excessively.

Besides, "It’s too cold, nobody comes to play with her."

Thinking about it, they felt it made sense, but constantly piercing a piece of fabric with needle and thread wasn’t ideal either.

"Niu Niu, why don’t you take a break?"

Niu Niu paused, remembered something, "Dad, can we dig up soil now?"

Liu Dalin exclaimed, "Dig up soil?"

He looked outside at the snow-covered ground, then at Niu Niu, scratching his itchy scalp from not washing his hair for a while, puzzled, "Dig soil for what?"

"To plant spring onions and leafy greens, and possibly garlic too."

Garlic leaves are also green and pretty once grown.

Liu Dalin thought she wanted to eat leafy greens, cordially negotiating with her, "We don’t have any greens now, how about some pickled vegetables first, then I’ll plant for you when the ground thaws in spring, alright?"

"Not alright."

"Why not?"

"When spring comes it’s not needed, there’s green everywhere, and I don’t have to focus on onion and green leaves for eye relief."

"...What’s that got to do with eye relief?"

This conversation left Liu Dalin and the others at a loss, so Niu Niu explained the whole thing, concluding finally.

"Auntie said in our line of work, eyes are crucial and must be protected. So, Dad, you need to dig some soil and plant something colorful to relieve my eye fatigue."

Liu Dalin’s expression turned serious, "Then we must plant some."

But the problem arose: in the freezing cold, how does he dig up soil?

Should he make a fire first, melting the snow and ground before digging to plant?

Seeing his pondering expression, Liu Chengqi knew he was being silly again.

He couldn’t help but stand up, "No need for you to worry, I’ll solve this problem."

Before he’d finished speaking, he had already put on a big cotton jacket, hat, scarf, gloves, and such.

Then he donned sheepskin boots and went out the door.

The people there, "???"

"Dad, where are you going to solve it?"

Niu’s mother chased after him, shouting. Liu Chengqi replied, "Going to find someone. You guys get a room ready to place them in, can’t let them freeze to death..."

His voice drifted off, carried away by the wind.

Niu’s mother, filled with question marks, went back inside, "Dad’s not going to find Chichi, is he?!"

"Most likely, or he’s heading to your uncle’s house to find Lanlan."

Aunt Ma knew very well the nature of her old man. Besides, in the village, it’s only Chichi and Lanlan doing this line of work.

In the cold of winter, apart from their families who, for the sake of eye protection, managed to find green leaves, nowhere else could one find them.

"Will they give them?"

Liu Dalin was a bit worried, fearing his father would return empty-handed.

"They definitely will." Aunt Ma was full of confidence.

It turned out she was right when hearing Liu Chengqi’s purpose of visit, Wen’s mother released her hold on Big Orange, stood up, and said, "Not a lot, just one."

Liu Chengqi first went to Liu Lan’s house, since they were relatives, it was easier to ask.

But it turned out, at his uncle’s place, despite having many family members, they had only one box of decently flourishing spring onions and a few green leaves. The rest of the boxes were eaten bare.

It was hard to bear taking from there.

So, he had to run over to the Wen family for another shot.

"One is perfectly fine."

Wen’s mother led him to a room, pointing at an orderly line of lush green boxes on the kang, "Whichever catches your eye, take it."

The sight of the greenery was so dazzling Liu Chengqi felt a bit dazed, "How come you’ve grown so many?"

Before he finished speaking, his hand, almost as if it had a mind of its own, grabbed a spring onion and stuffed it into his mouth, the spicy taste instantly filling his mouth.

"Wow, this taste is amazing!"

He really missed it.

Thus, hearing the commotion from the workroom, Yi Chichi came over and saw her uncle, squatting by the kang, devouring spring onions without any sense of decorum.

One after another, he couldn’t stop.