A jinx, me? But I bring good fortune to my whole family!

The second branch of the Gu family was overjoyed!

Gu Xiaoyong, wearing a brand-new blue work uniform that was clearly a size too small, stood in front of the broken mirror, admiring himself from every angle, so beautiful he was practically snotting through the river.

He raised his hand and wiped it haphazardly. "Workers are still the best!"

"Mom, go visit the educated youth settlement tomorrow and help me find a wife!"

"Choose someone good-looking, obedient, and hardworking!"

Look at what he said! Anyone who didn't know better would think he could pick and choose any of the female educated youth in the educated youth settlement!

Zhang Aidi beamed, "Son, don't worry! I'll definitely pick the best one for you!"

"You're a worker now, you have to find a female educated youth!"

"We don't need peasants! They'll hold us back!"

"Oh my! Look at my son, he's such a handsome young man! Look how smart he looks in that outfit! He looks like a worker!"

Grandma Gu beamed from ear to ear, "Yes, yes, yes! Once Xiaoyong gets his salary, we'll eat big white flour steamed buns!"

"Find a wife from the city, and Grandma can go to the city with you to enjoy a comfortable life!"

A flicker of disgust crossed Gu Xiaoyong's eyes, but he still went along with the old lady's words, "Of course!"

He deliberately puffed out his chest, thinking that now that he was a worker, he should at least take a stroll around the village a few times!

Make those who used to look down on me open their eyes wide.

"That Cuihua from the east end of the village used to ignore me? Now that I'm a factory worker, she's way out of her league!"

"And those female educated youths, from now on, I can do whatever I want with them!"

Gu Xiaoyong thought to himself happily, "I'm going out for a stroll!"

After saying that, without waiting for Zhang Aidi's reply, he walked out with his head held high and chest puffed out, looking very proud and arrogant.

The forest farm recruited a total of 6 temporary workers this time, but their village only had one, making Gu Xiaoyong the only one of his kind.

In the dead of winter, unable to work in the fields, the villagers all stayed indoors.

Those women have nothing better to do than sit outside in the sun, chatting and gossiping about everything under the sun. They can find something to talk about for ages, even if there's nothing else to say.

When the women saw Gu Xiaoyong come out in his work clothes, they were all speechless.

"Hey! Isn't this the village's big worker? Have they already distributed their uniforms?"

Gu Xiaoyong felt comfortable listening to the flattery from the village women.

He deliberately puffed out his chest, wearing blue overalls, feeling like he wasn't on the same level as the peasants in the village.

"Of course! The factory manager said I'm hardworking and quick-witted, so getting a permanent position is a sure thing. And once I'm promoted, all you aunties and grandmas will definitely get some benefits!"

An old woman came up and said with a smile, "Oh my, Xiao Yong is really promising, unlike Xiao An from the third son's family. I heard he tried out too but was rejected. He just doesn't have the luck!"

"That's right!" another chimed in. "That skinny kid can't do any work. Our Xiao Yong is much stronger!"

Hearing this, Gu Xiaoyong felt even more smug. Gu Xiaoan, a sickly person, was not worthy of competing with him.

Having heard enough of the flattery, he strolled over with his hands behind his back toward the educated youth settlement at the east end of the village.

Now that he's a worker, his status is different; he needs to open the eyes of those female educated youth.

Several female educated youths were warming themselves around the stove in the educated youth settlement when they saw Gu Xiaoyong come in and glanced at him.

Gu Xiaoyong didn't care; his target was Li Zhiqi, the prettiest girl in the educated youth settlement.

Li Zhiqi was sitting and reading a book; her fair skin was unlike that of the village girls.

Gu Xiaoyong cleared his throat and walked up to her.

Comrade Li Zhiqi.

Li Zhiqi raised his head, frowned slightly, and remained silent.

"When I get paid next month, I'll take you to the department store in the county and buy you a new hair tie, okay?"

Gu Xiaoyong considered this an immense blessing.

Several female educated youths around secretly pursed their lips, thinking that Gu Xiaoyong was already getting cocky before even starting work.

Li Zhiqi closed the book, her voice indifferent.

"We'll see."

She neither agreed nor refused.

Gu Xiaoyong felt there was potential in this matter, so his lack of refusal was tantamount to agreement.

He was burning with desire; once he became a worker, he wasn't afraid he wouldn't be able to win over this city girl.

"I'm a worker now, and my uncle is a leader at the forest farm. What kind of good food do you want to eat? Once I get the money, we'll go buy it. How about we go to the state-run restaurant for a meal first?"

Li Zhiqi looked up at him.

"Can."

He thought to himself with satisfaction, then turned and went out. He wanted the whole village to know that he, Gu Xiaoyong, was a worker who received government-subsidized grain rations.

……

Inside the small house at the foot of the mountain, a lively atmosphere was in full swing.

Su Xiulan, with her two sons, tidied up the house with a lot of clattering and clanging.

The tables and chairs salvaged from the junkyard were restored to their original state by the father and his sons.

Bang bang bang.

Xiao An swung the hammer and banged on the table leg. He had plenty of strength now, so he didn't feel tired doing this little bit of work.

Da'an gathered his electronic waste in the corner, wiped it clean with a cloth, and put it away.

Nuannuan didn't join in the fun; instead, she squatted in the corner and bonded with her friends.

She took a few kernels of corn out of her pocket and placed them at the entrance of the mouse hole.

"Little mouse, time to eat!"

A little mouse darted out, glanced at Nuannuan with its tiny eyes, and quickly snatched a corn kernel into its mouth and ate it.

"Hey human, you're here again!" The little mouse wagged its tail after finishing its meal.

"Yes!" Nuannuan whispered to it, "Little mouse, what fun things did you see today?"

The little mouse's whiskers twitched: "Yes, I saw that wicked woman at the east end of the village today, the one who stole from your house last time. Her husband was wearing new clothes and showing them off everywhere in the village. He even said he's going to work at the forest farm."

He also said that he wants to marry a beautiful city girl, not a country bumpkin!

Nuannuan pouted as she listened.

You scoundrel, you stole my second brother's job and you're still so arrogant.

She chatted with the little mouse for a while, listening to it tell her gossip about the village, such as which daughter-in-law was arguing with her mother-in-law and which child was beaten for stealing radishes.

Nuannuan giggled as she listened, finding the little mouse's words amusing.

So even little mice like to listen to this.

Su Xiulan was wiping the cabinet when she turned around and saw her daughter squatting in the corner talking to herself and laughing happily. She shook her head helplessly.

This child can chat with a little mouse for ages.

It's so nice to be a child, carefree.

Then, quack quack.

Little Black flew in through the window and landed on Nuannuan's shoulder, nuzzling her face with its head.

Nuannuan listened with her head tilted up, nodding as she listened.

Xiao An, who was standing to the side, was very curious. What secret had his sister heard? He leaned over and asked in a low voice.

"Little sister, what did Xiao Hei say to you?"

Nuannuan covered her mouth and laughed, not telling him.

Xiao An was so anxious that he scratched his head and wished he could understand bird language.

As evening fell, the house was filled with the aroma of meat.

Su Xiulan chopped the meat she had received into filling, mixed it with dough, and made large meat buns for the children.

The steamed buns were cooked in about twenty minutes after they were put in the pot.

"Dinner's ready!" Nuannuan clapped her hands and circled around the stove.

Su Xiulan brought the steamed buns to the table; they were piping hot and smelled wonderful.

"Eat quickly, be careful it's hot."

Nuannuan picked up a big steamed bun and took a big bite.

The white dough is soft and fragrant, and the meat filling inside is juicy and delicious.

Her little hands were red from the heat, but the little girl just wouldn't let go.

This is her absolute favorite, without a doubt.

"Mmm...so delicious! Mom's steamed buns are the best in the world!"

The little girl ate with her mouth full of oil and still praised her mother.

Xiao An and Da An also wolfed down their food; the meals had improved a lot since they moved out.

Gu Jianguo felt a warm glow in his heart as he looked at the children's satisfied expressions. He picked up a steamed bun and put it in Su Xiulan's bowl.

"You eat too, don't just watch us."

Su Xiulan smiled, and the family sat around eating meat buns. The small house was very warm.

Nuannuan ate three big steamed buns for this meal, and her little belly was round and full.

As she went to sleep that night, she held a steamed bun she hadn't eaten yet, her face full of smiles.

It was late at night, and Nuannuan was sleeping soundly.

She had another dream.

In her dream, a woman held her and sang her a lullaby.