She desperately wanted to go to him, to throw herself into his arms and seek comfort.
Chi Yun’er blinked back the tears in her eyes, smiled lightly, and greeted him. After rinsing out her washbasin, she asked, "Brother Hua, have you eaten yet?"
Jiang Yihua handed over a bamboo basket. "I’ve eaten. They had meat buns in the cafeteria today. I got one for you."
The treatment of educated youth on the state farm was different from those assigned to the various communes, brigades, and villages.
When the farm was first established, conditions were harsh. The requirements for educated youth were also very strict: they needed a high level of ideological awareness, a strong cultural education, and the ability to endure hardship and hard work.
However, they received a monthly living allowance and ate in the cafeteria, so they didn’t need to cook for themselves. Their standard of living was incomparable to that of other educated youth.
After the farm was established, it accepted new educated youth every year, but the requirements became increasingly stringent.
Chi Yun’er accepted it with a smile. Seeing a bun nearly the size of her own face, she was a bit stunned. She even foolishly held it up to her face to compare.
Jiang Yihua couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle. "I know you don’t have a big appetite, so I only got one bun."
Chi Yun’er looked at him with a deadpan expression. "How many do you eat, Brother Hua?"
"Of these? Four or five. They’re mostly filling, not much dough. But everyone’s limited to three at most. When you get to the farm, I can help you finish off two of them. I’ll trade you for something valuable in return."
Chi Yun’er puffed up her cheeks and glared at him. "So, I haven’t even gotten to the farm yet, and you’re already scheming how to squeeze every last bit of value out of me, Brother Hua?"
"It’s mutually beneficial," Jiang Yihua stressed.
Chi Yun’er huffed and took a fierce bite of the bun. The cafeteria bun had a thick skin, and the filling wasn’t sparse, but it was mostly vegetables with only a few specks of ground meat visible.
But the bun was made with animal fat, which made it fragrant enough on its own. It was still warm, and as her hunger surged, Chi Yun’er actually managed to devour the entire gigantic bun.
She then drank a bowl of cornmeal porridge sprinkled with raisins, her foxy eyes squinting in satisfaction.
Jiang Yihua cleared his throat, a bit uncomfortable. "Everyone on the farm misunderstands our relationship. The old man who serves the food in the cafeteria saved the bottom of the pot for you. You got half a bowl of raisins."
"If you like, I can get a stove later and cook some meals in the dorm."


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