Educated Youth in the Countryside: She is the Village's Embroidery Queen!-Chapter 458: Even Missing a Tooth Is Cute

Yi Chichi hugged him with a smile, "Just got back today."

Qin Jiu responded with an "oh", then held her hand, wanting to say a lot, but swallowed the words back and changed it to, "Aunt, are you here to pick me up?"

"Yes."

Yi Chichi smiled, "Aren’t you happy?"

"Yes!"

At this moment, Lang Hong and the others were also very happy because the team leader had bought back everything they needed.

Except for one thing—

"Too bad there’s no meat!"

Qi Yang’s words left Yi Chichi stunned for a moment, "Are you out of meat again?"

Zhang Yunhao chuckled bitterly, "What do you mean ’again’? We’ve been short on meat all year round, and now it’s even worse, we’re short on oil too."

Speaking of oil, Zhou Qiuyu and the others’ faces fell, and they began to sigh.

Upon asking, it turned out they were not only short of oil but also essential household items, forcing them to use plant ash to wash clothes.

The culprit causing this situation was none other than Zu Ting, who arrived at the same time as Lang Hong.

This girl is really something, always sporting an unbelievably pure face while doing things that make people want to explode with anger.

Ever since Wu Yongfei and Ge Sujuan got married and moved out of the Youth Corps Courtyard, the Youth Corps resumed a roster to solve the food problem.

Others had no issues cooking, but when it was Zu Ting’s turn, she could use up the oil quota for half a month in one meal.

Buying soap required industrial coupons, and she used soap freely, using her own up and then others’.

The soap Qi Yang and the others sparingly used was gone within a few days because of her.

But you couldn’t say much because she was enthusiastic, helping to wash clothes outside of personal garments, claiming it saved water and soap.

Water was indeed saved, but not a bit of soap was saved.

Yet they didn’t have enough industrial coupons, so what to do when the soap ran out?

Use soapberries then.

But she used them even more aggressively, and soapberry trees are only so big, used not only by the Youth Corps but also shared with the villagers.

Dividing them up among families, they were gone in no time.

They couldn’t withstand Zu Ting’s usage.

Then, having neither soapberries nor soap, Qi Yang and his crew were forced to use plant ash.

Yi Chichi was speechless, wondering, "You all know what she’s like, so why let her cook and do laundry?"

Lang Hong’s smile was more like a grimace, "She wasn’t this outrageous at first, and during the autumn harvest, we were genuinely busy and tired. Plus, she swore she’d be careful, and this is how it turned out."

Yi Chichi thought there was nothing more to say, only in her heart thinking they deserved it.

However——

"Where is she?"

"She’s gone to the farm to visit her sister, said she’ll get some tickets."

The farm provides wages and issues tickets. Though the work is as hard as Qi Yang’s side, in other aspects, it’s much better.

"She went once before and brought back quite a few tickets."

Yi Chichi then understood why they trusted Zu Ting time and again. It turned out this girl, though free with her spending, could replenish it.

With this thought, she swallowed the "I have industrial coupons" and changed it to—

"Are you still having classes today?"

"No classes now!"

Glancing at Dun Dun and the others obediently sitting by the kang, and then at Qin Jiu clinging to Yi Chichi, Qi Yang smiled, "We usually only have classes until this time."

Zhuangzhuang’s eyes lit up, "Brother Qi Yang, can we go home now?"

"Go ahead, be safe on the way!"

Thus, Dun Dun and the others cheerfully got off the kang, put on their shoes, packed their books, and rushed outside while shouting about playing snowball fights.

Qin Jiu and Niu Niu didn’t follow the crowd but instead came to her side, each grabbing a hand to go home. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Yi Chichi and Zhou Qiuyu gave a quick goodbye and then led the two out the door.

Niu Niu had changed quite a bit since they last saw each other.

Firstly, she had grown taller, and secondly, she was starting to lose her baby teeth.

Her front tooth had a gap, and whenever she smiled, there was a gap.

Presumably, she had been teased about it, as she talked with a hand covering her mouth.

Initially, Yi Chichi hadn’t noticed she was losing teeth, thinking something was wrong with her mouth.

Upon asking, the little girl shyly covered her mouth, "I’m losing teeth, it’s not pretty."

Yi Chichi said, "...Losing teeth is a normal thing. All kids go through it, and once your teeth grow back, you’ll look good again. There’s no need to feel inferior or embarrassed."

"Even my mom teases me, calling me ’gap-toothed daughter.’"

"That’s her mistake. Next time she calls you that, just tell her you’re upset."

A mother speaking this way when her daughter feels inferior and not comforting her but making fun of her, Yi Chichi really couldn’t understand the psychology.

"When your brother Xiao Jiu lost his teeth, we never teased him."

Niu Niu stretched her neck to look at Qin Jiu, "Brother Xiao Jiu, really no one teased you?"

"Nope!" Qin Jiu laughed, "I let people know openly when I was losing teeth. Just like Aunt said, it’s normal, and everyone goes through it."

Continuing, he told Niu Niu, "But you, by acting self-conscious, that’s when others will laugh at you."

He taught her how to handle it, "You should just openly smile and play, and if you aren’t bothered by it, others won’t stare at your mouth."

Half-believing Yi Chichi’s words, she took Qin Jiu’s words to heart.

She lowered the hand covering her mouth, grinned at Yi Chichi, and asked, "Auntie, am I ugly?"

Yi Chichi seriously looked for a moment and shook her head, "Not ugly. Our Niu Niu is actually very pretty, and missing a tooth is very cute."

"Really?"

"Really, Auntie doesn’t lie."

Niu Niu brightened up, holding her hand, jumping and talking about how after she went the island, she hadn’t lazed, but earnestly learned embroidery.

"I know, I’ve seen those little handkerchiefs you embroidered."

Qin Jiu immediately chimed in, "Is she good at it?"

"...For her age, it’s very good."

It’s too soon to think about earning money.

But having a solid foundation will be very beneficial for her if she wants to delve deeper into this craft.

"Are you out of thread from embroidery?"

"I have thread and cloth left. Aunt Grandma got me a lot of scrap fabric, I practice with those pieces."

The Aunt Grandma Niu Niu referred to is Yu Ritang’s mother, Aunt Ma’s sister. She has broad connections, so it’s no surprise she can get scrap fabric.

"So you embroidered various little handkerchiefs and gave them away?"

She giggled, her face proud, "Teacher Wang and they are very serious in class. I embroidered too many; Grandma and they couldn’t use them all for making shoes, so they asked me to give them to the teachers."

So it was Aunt Ma’s idea.

Always wondered how such a young kid would give away handkerchiefs.

Qin Jiu said pitifully, "You didn’t give me any."

"You have some."

Niu Niu justified, "Aunt embroidered several for you, with patterns prettier than mine."

"That’s different."

Qin Jiu argued, "The ones Aunt made are from her. You said we’re good friends, yet Dun Dun and Dawa have them. Why don’t I?"

"Zhuangzhuang doesn’t have any either."

Niu Niu calmly explained, "As for giving them to Dun Dun and Dawa, that’s because those two like to use their sleeves to wipe their noses, it’s dirty!"