"Awake, awake! Of course, I'm awake. What's for breakfast? It smells so good! I was woken up by the aroma."
Gu Qingcheng appeared in the dining room, holding a can of cola.
Seeing her daughter up and ready for breakfast, Hu Lanfang's stomach full of complaints vanished.
No matter how big the issue, it couldn't compare to her daughter not eating meals on time.
Now that she was up and eating, Hu Lanfang was no longer angry. She immediately put on a smile and said, "Your brother got up early and made oven-baked flatbread. He said you like it. He even made soy milk himself. How could it not smell good?"
"Wow, my brother worked so hard," Gu Qingcheng's expression was slightly exaggerated, but it perfectly conveyed her appreciation for the delicious food.
Not seeing their father at the dining table, Gu Qingcheng tactfully avoided asking, lest she reopen the district chief's wound.
Dr. Gu had been the same when she worked in the community. When the patient load was heavy, she would forget to eat and sleep, which often drew complaints from the district chief.
Fortunately, after all, she was the district chief. Ms. Hu Lanfang usually only created minor conflicts within the family but never expanded them to the public sphere. District Chief Hu also cared about her reputation and gave face to her family.
The oven-baked flatbread made by Mi Guo was indeed delicious. The flatbread was crispy and delicious, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Paired with Mi Guo's homemade soy milk and pickles, it was so fragrant that one couldn't stop eating. Gu Qingcheng ate three flatbreads.
Hu Lanfang didn't have as good an appetite as the young people, but she also ate two.
Mi Guo introduced that this oven-baked flatbread was also learned from Master Pin, and this was his first time making it today. Everyone seemed satisfied.
Gu Qingcheng had to admire Mi Guo's talent for cooking to be able to make it so authentic on his first try.
Mi Guo said that making oven-baked flatbread wasn't difficult, and he enthusiastically introduced the method.
Ten grams of yeast, five grams each of baking powder and sugar were mixed evenly. An appropriate amount of warm water was added and stirred until uniform. Then, one jin of refined flour was added, and the dough was kneaded into a soft and smooth consistency. It was covered with a white cotton cloth and allowed to rest for fifteen minutes. Then, it was rolled into a uniformly thick dough sheet, brushed with oil and lard, and rolled into a long strip. The strip was cut into evenly sized dough pieces with a knife.
Then, the pieces were rolled into round flat cakes, filled with sugar, and then re-rolled into round balls. A mold was used to press them into flat cakes. Finally, the cakes were placed on a baking tray, brushed with oil on the bottom, honey water on the surface, sprinkled with white sesame seeds, and baked in the oven for half an hour.
Mi Guo made it sound easy, but in reality, the steps were tedious, and if any step was not done well, the entire effort could be in vain.
After listening, Hu Lanfang was intimidated but quickly ate another flatbread, saying with a smile, "Mi Guo worked so hard to make this. He can't do it often. I'll eat one more. Mmm, delicious!"
Returning to Phoenix Village, life began to fall back into its old rhythm.
However, with the company of her family, Gu Qingcheng lived a more peaceful life than before.
The family gathered together, free from the torment of separation, longing, and worry. Every day, they had delicious, home-cooked meals made by their parents. Gu Qingcheng was very satisfied.
Although she could handle things independently in the village, she still craved the warmth of her family, especially having such lovely parents.
Hu Lanfang had stayed in Phoenix Village before, but not long enough to truly understand it. After living there for another month, she had a deep understanding of the village's operations and was astonished by her daughter's "governance" abilities.
One day, Gu Qingcheng returned home after a walk around the village and saw her mother looking at her with a meaningful gaze.
Gu Qingcheng's back tingled. She blinked her innocent eyes and quickly reflected on herself. Had she done anything wrong recently?
No.
Then why was her mother looking at her like that?
Oh, was it because she stayed up late last night?
She didn't go to bed at 9 PM as her mother requested and get ten hours of sleep?
She stayed up until midnight because she was so engrossed in a serialized suspense novel that she wanted to finish it in one go. So, she hid under the covers and read until midnight, finishing the over 300,000-word suspense novel.
Huh? Had her mother found out?
Her mother hadn't checked on her, but she was yawning and had dark circles under her eyes when she woke up this morning, a clear sign of staying up late.
Guilty about what she had done, Gu Qingcheng's behavior became furtive, which only made Hu Lanfang suspicious. She suddenly asked, "Qingcheng, did you do something wrong? Why do you look so strange?"
Gu Qingcheng decided to counterattack. She said, "As soon as I came in, you started scrutinizing me. Even if I hadn't done anything wrong, your gaze would make me creeped out."
Hearing this, Hu Lanfang smiled and said, "Actually, this is a gaze of admiration."
"What? A gaze of admiration?"
Gu Qingcheng thought her mother was being sarcastic and couldn't help but touch her nose.
This small gesture was exactly like Gu Zhaobei. Hu Lanfang smiled with relief and said, "Now, when I walk around the village, I hear villagers praising you everywhere.
At first, I thought they were just being polite, knowing I'm your mother, and had to praise you.
I didn't expect that after settling down and understanding the village's operations and management, I discovered you've done a really good job. You can even apply the modern community governance model to village affairs management. My daughter is truly learning and applying what she learns, truly the smartest next generation of the Gu family."
Gu Qingcheng wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. So that was it. Her mother hadn't stated things directly, which had startled her.
She quickly stepped forward and took her mother's arm, acting spoiled. "Mom, these tricks are all learned from you. The governance methods of our future country are the essence of the essence. Just borrowing one can be very effective for managing the village. It's mainly because I've been influenced by you and learned a lot. It's all thanks to you."
"Alright, I'm not your superior, nor am I an empress dowager in the palace. Our family doesn't have palace intrigue or internal struggles, so stop with the flattery and boot-licking."
Even though she said this, Hu Lanfang's proud expression was undeniable.
With her daughter being so outstanding, how could a mother not be proud?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Gu Qingcheng chuckled and said, "We're a family, why would we fight?"
"Qingcheng, do you have any plans for the future?"
District Chief Hu was far-sighted and was already planning for the future.
After all, she used to plan five-year blueprints and hundred-year undertakings, so she immediately thought of this pressing matter.
"For now, if the zombies can be suppressed, I'll focus on production and fully increase the village's grain reserves. After solving the villagers' self-sufficiency in food, I'll also increase the village's combat power.
Because as the water levels rise, our village, which is living particularly well, will definitely attract attention. If our combat power isn't increased, the entire village could be annexed. We must plan ahead for everything."
Gu Qingcheng said with full confidence.