Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

10 a.m.

Qin Jingru arrived at the steel rolling mill. Instead of going to the third canteen, she went to the publicity department and found Mu Hongyan.

Two days ago, Lu Banxia brought her to the publicity department. Qin Jingru didn't need anyone to lead her to the broadcasting room. She had also chatted with Mu Hongyan several times and they were quite familiar with each other.

"Sister Hongyan, Banxia isn't feeling well today, and she asked me to help her take two days off."

Mu Hongyan was taken aback, then asked with some concern, "What happened to Banxia? She was fine yesterday!"

"It's nothing, I just twisted my ankle, it's a little difficult to walk, but I'll be fine after a couple of days of rest," Qin Jingru explained with a smile.

Mu Hongyan nodded: "Okay, I'll help her ask for leave later."

"Okay, thank you, Sister Hongyan. I have some things to take care of in the kitchen, so I'll head back now."

"Go."

Watching Qin Jingru's retreating figure, Mu Hongyan sighed inwardly.

Qin Jingru truly lives up to her reputation as the number one beauty of the steel mill. In terms of looks, even Lu Banxia pales in comparison. Moreover, Qin Jingru's cooking is absolutely delicious. I don't know what stroke of luck Wang Feng had to be able to marry such a perfect wife as Qin Jingru.

A few days ago, Lu Banxia told her that Qin Jingru's cooking was very delicious and reached the level of a state banquet chef. She didn't believe it, after all, she had eaten the cooking of a state banquet chef.

Yesterday, she asked Li Huaide to pack a dish made by Qin Jingru for her. After eating a Kung Pao Chicken, she was truly shocked. Qin Jingru's cooking was almost up to the level of a state banquet chef.

She truly hadn't expected that a small steel rolling mill could hire Qin Jingru, a chef comparable to a master chef of state banquets. Moreover, Qin Jingru was not even 19 years old, yet she had already reached a level almost comparable to a master chef of state banquets. This was what shocked her.

The youngest state banquet chefs she knew were all over forty, and most were over fifty. But Qin Jingru was only eighteen years old and had already reached this level. What would she be like in a few years?

......

noon.

Third canteen.

Qin Huairu walked into the third canteen chatting and laughing with a thin, somewhat lame young man.

In order to avoid being seen by Qin Jingru, Qin Huairu deliberately did not queue at Qin Jingru's food serving window.

Actually, what she did was unnecessary. She got her food from other serving windows every day, and Qin Jingru could see her from afar. After all, the cafeteria wasn't very big, and Qin Jingru had good eyesight. She just thought Qin Jingru hadn't seen her.

Qin Huairu turned her head and smiled slightly at the limping young man behind her: "Brother Lei, you treated me to dinner yesterday, so let me treat you today."

The lame young man's name is Li Lei. He is also from the first fitter workshop. A few years ago, his foot was crushed by a machine, and he still walks with a limp. His coworkers in the workshop call him Iron-Crutch Li behind his back.

He had only known Qin Huairu for a couple of days, in the workshop. Qin Huairu was beautiful and didn't look down on him for being a cripple, which pleased him greatly.

Li Lei was touched when Qin Huairu offered to treat him to dinner, but he still waved his hand magnanimously.

"Comrade Qin Huairu, how can I, a grown man, be treated to dinner by a widow like you? Don't argue with me, let me treat you."

Qin Huairu blinked her peach blossom eyes and said with a smile, "Brother Lei, since you're so enthusiastic, I won't stand on ceremony with you. I'll cook something nice at home one day and bring it over for you to try, so you can taste my cooking."

"Okay." Li Lei nodded with a smile.

Li Lei used to have a wife and a daughter, but not long after he became crippled, his wife ran off with another man.

He hadn't had sex in over two years, and Qin Huairu was a beautiful widow with a huge belly that couldn't be held in one hand. She was also so understanding. If the two of them could get together, their life would be wonderful.

The two waited in line for five minutes before it was Qin Huairu's turn to get her food.

When she saw Qin Jingru at the food serving window, she immediately asked in surprise, "Jingru, what are you doing at this food serving window today?"

Qin Jingru rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Do I need your permission to get food from that serving window? What do you want? Hurry up, there are so many people waiting to get their food."

Today, Aunt Li's daughter in the kitchen was sick, so she took a day off to take her child to see a doctor. That's why Qin Jingru took over Aunt Li's food serving window. However, Qin Jingru wouldn't explain this to Qin Huairu.

"Well."

Qin Huairu was momentarily speechless, but she quickly recovered and smiled as she spoke:

"Hehe, Jingru, I want four steamed buns, a serving of cabbage, and a serving of eggplant with minced meat."

Qin Jingru took the money from the thin young man behind Qin Huairu and served Qin Huairu the food. She didn't give Qin Huairu any extra food, nor did she stir-fry it for her.

Looking at the gaunt young man behind Qin Huairu, Qin Jingru knew without asking that Qin Huairu must have found another sucker.

After serving the food to Qin Huairu, she stood aside and waited.

Li Lei only ordered two steamed buns and a serving of shredded potatoes, then found a secluded corner to eat with Qin Huairu.

He is usually quite frugal, after all, he has a daughter and an elderly mother at home, and he has been working in the factory for six years, but he is only a level 38 fitter, with a monthly salary of only 5 yuan, which is not much, but not little either, it is definitely enough for his family.

Qin Jingru looked at Qin Huairu and the thin young man, and upon closer inspection, she realized that the thin young man was also a cripple. Qin Jingru was speechless.

She was truly speechless. Last time, Qin Huairu found a sucker with a face full of pockmarks, and now, not long after, she's found another cripple?

She didn't need to guess to know that Qin Huairu had changed her target because she couldn't squeeze any more money out of that pockmarked guy.

"Why."

Qin Jingru sighed inwardly. If her uncle and aunt knew that Qin Huairu had become like this, she wondered if they could bear it.

Glancing at Qin Huairu and the limping young man in the corner, Qin Jingru saw them chatting and laughing while eating, so she stopped paying attention to them and continued serving food to the workers.

Just as Qin Huairu and Li Lei were having a lively conversation, Wang Mazi, having gotten his food from the window next door, also came over to Qin Huairu and her companion.

Wang Mazi has been very depressed lately. Qin Huairu has borrowed a total of 100 yuan from him. Qin Huairu eats in the cafeteria, and he pays for her meals every day, which adds up to more than 10 yuan.

He's a level-three fitter, and his monthly salary is only 42.5 yuan. How can he afford to spend like that? After all, he has a younger sister and an elderly mother at home.

He hadn't paid for Qin Huairu's meals for two days, and Qin Huairu hadn't been waiting for him to eat together after get off work these past two days.