Jinhua handed over the basket to Xiulan. "Xiulan, you saved Dan's life. There is nothing delicious at our house, so I can only bring you these sweet potatoes. You must not hate it!"
When Xiulan saved Dan yesterday, she didn't want Jinhua's reward at all. Although she didn't know much about this era, she knew the preciousness of foodstuffs when she saw what the big guys could eat.
Jinhua was giving her five kilograms of sweet potatoes all at once, so how could she accept them?
In the production team, no one's life was easy. With a little effort, Xiulan didn't want to take advantage of others.
Furthermore, although she didn't know how much foodstuffs were stored in her space, she knew that she wouldn't be able to eat all the rice and white flour she had there, so naturally, she couldn't value Jinhua's coarse grains.
So, she hurriedly shook her head and refused, "Auntie Jinhua, this is not necessary. Being helpful is a virtue we advocate. The team leader had already given me ten work points as a reward yesterday. Auntie, take these five kilograms of sweet potatoes back and eat them with your family!"
But Jinhua didn't listen to Xiulan. "The team leader's reward is the reward he gave you himself. Since you saved Dan, my only son, I must repay you. Otherwise, how can I feel comfortable?"
Original translation is from . Please read it on the translator's website.
Xiulan smiled and replied, "Auntie, I really don't need it! We are in the same production team, so I helped you and I may have something that needs your help later on. If you feel bad about it, then if I run into any trouble next time, Auntie, you can just help me if you can!
"As for these sweet potatoes, Auntie, please take them back! Dan was bitten by a snake and his body must be weak these days, so he has to be well-fed!"
"This…" Jinhua was obviously a little embarrassed with this refusal.
These days, foodstuffs were the most precious things and Jinhua was grateful to Xiulan in her heart. Xiulan refused to accept the five kilograms of sweet potatoes and she did not force Xiulan to accept them either.
As what Xiulan said, Dan couldn't be hungry these days and there was not much foodstuff left in her family.
"Then fine! Xiulan, if you need my help in the future, just let me know. This aunt can definitely help you without ambiguity!" Jinhua sincerely said that from the bottom of her heart. For Xiulan's kindness, if she couldn't help once this girl was in trouble in the future, then she wouldn't a considered a human.
After Xiulan's refusal to Jinhua, the two chatted for a while and Jinhua went back with her basket of sweet potatoes. Xiulan was going to clean up, as she would have to go to work in the production team later.
But when she turned around, she hear Yumei's loud voice. "You shrew! Is your brain not working well? You really deserve to die! When someone gives you five kilograms of sweet potatoes, don't you know how to accept them that you even have to return them back? Our family has no foodstuff to eat! I'm still pregnant with your father's child. It's not good if I can't eat enough. Your brother will also suffer in my womb. When your father gets home later, I'll let him take care of you!"
A sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of Xiulan's lips, because her stepmother knew how to use the baby in her womb whenever she talked.
Weiguo had no sons, only two daughters, Xiulan and Zhao Xiuzhu. In this age, where men were valued more than women, you will be looked down upon if you didn't have a son, so Weiguo was looking forward to having a son.
Since Yumei became pregnant, he was very happy and hoped that she could give him a son. Yumei had been asking this and that these days, while mentioning the baby in her womb, so all the delicious food at home had entered her mouth. Even if the other family members were hungry, Yumei's meal should not be any less.
At this moment, Yumei continued to talk about things with the baby in her womb.
However, Xiulan retorted, "Auntie Mei, my father just told me yesterday that I need to continue to carry on the spirit of camaraderie. I don't help people just to get something from them! If I accepted that, I don't know what the other people will say!
"I'm afraid that some people will think that I have this purpose of saving people, and making up unpleasant words will have an impact on my reputation, and it will also have an impact on my father's reputation.
"You can go and tell my father, but I'm certain that he will be on my side too!"
Yumei didn't expect Xiulan to speak like that.
Since Xiulan fell into the river, she realized that Xiulan had suddenly turned into a different person.
Xiulan's words blocked her, so she didn't know how to argue and could only stare at Xiulan angrily.
Good… this shrew is really capable now ah! We'll see, once I complain to Weiguo, I'll let him sort you out!
Xiulan didn't bother to pay attention to her stepmother anymore, so she cleaned up and went directly to the paddy field.
Many people were already waiting for the team leader to assign tasks when she arrived.
After a while, the team leader took the workbook and assigned tasks one by one.
Because Xiulan did a 'good thing' yesterday, she was praised by the team leader. In addition, her health was still not very good, so the team leader specially assigned her a relatively easy job again, which was herding cattle.
There were a few oxen in the production team and herding them should be the easiest job. You could just pull them wherever you see grass and let them eat.
Original translation is from . Please read it on the translator's website.
However, because the work was relatively easy, the work points you would earn were relatively low. Generally, it was only worth two work points a day, so it was still better to do some heavy tasks and earn more work points.
For this kind of task, some people who could endure hardships and wanted to earn more provisions were unwilling to do it, as this would just be a waste of time and could not give them much rations. Only those who liked to be lazy looked forward to doing this kind of task.
Gensheng obviously noticed this and said to her, "Xiulan, you go and herd the oxen, and I will give you five work points later."
Just like yesterday, Gensheng recorded more work points for Xiulan. Gensheng's usual two-work point task was now more than doubled, which was more than the other heavier tasks.
Xiulan was not an ignorant person either, so she held the two rope-ends of the oxen, said some words of gratitude, and then herded them.
The large-scale steel production had damaged the environment severely for a few years, and there were very few places with lush vegetation in the production team. Xiulan led the oxen and searched for a while before she found a place to stop and let them eat some grass.
She had nothing to do while the oxen were grazing. She found a lawn to sit on and began to think about how to live in the future.
She had a lot of foodstuffs in her space, but she had to find a legitimate reason to take them out. Of course, she couldn't take out too much. In addition to arousing suspicion, the most important thing was that she didn't want to be taken advantage of mother-daughter pair at her home.
While she was thinking deeply, a voice came in. "Xiulan, what are you thinking?"
She looked up and found that it was Jinhua, so Xiulan smiled and greeted her.
Jinhua was assigned the job of cutting hogweeds, and when she found some nearby, she also saw Xiulan, so she called out to her.
Because Xiulan saved Dan, the more she looked at Xiulan, the more cordial she felt.
She was not in a hurry to cut the hogweeds, so she sat down next to Xiulan and chatted with her for a little while.
It just so happened that it was not easy for Xiulan to ask others about some things. After having a friendship with Jinhua, Xiulan was ready to set things up after hearing Jinhua's opinion and prepare for her future days.
"Auntie Jinhua, I would like to ask, apart from working in the production team to earn work points and provisions, is there any other way to get foodstuffs and other things that we can eat?"
Upon hearing that question, Jinhua was stunned for a moment, and then responded, "Nowadays, how can there be any other way to get foodstuffs?
"When dividing the provisions, everyone has something to eat, which can help us go through. When the spring comes, we go to the mountains to dig some wild vegetables to live! It can always fill your stomach!
"However, since the beginning of last year, the whole country suffered from natural disasters and the foodstuff production has dropped sharply, making life even more difficult for everyone!
"The days of our production team are relatively good. The people in the production team are diligent and do a lot of work. The foodstuff harvest is more than that of other production teams. In addition, the team leader also has foresight and adequate food reserves. I heard that in some places, half of the people in the whole village have starved to death!
"Not to mention wild vegetables, even the tree barks and roots are good!
"Some of them really have nothing to eat, so they go to eat Guanyin soil.1观音土 – Guanyin soil or sweet clay, now called as kaolin – A kind of white clay, which is often used by disaster victims to satisfy their hunger in famine years, and can relieve temporary sleepiness, but if it is taken too much, it will coagulate the colon, which can lead to death. Also known as "Guanyin Powder". After eating it, they couldn't digest it, and in the end, they were suffocated to death. So, nowadays, it's so hard to get some foodstuff! How can there be other ways to get something to eat?!"
Xiulan listened to Jinhua's words. She thought about it and remembered that she was caught in the three-year Great Famine era. In the past few years, foodstuffs were scarce across the country and many people died of starvation.
If I want to go out to get foodstuff and anything to eat, where can I get it?
Jinhua said a few words before continuing to cut the hogweeds. Xiulan had a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
After Jinhua left, Xiulan looked through the information in the space.
It was indeed difficult to obtain foodstuffs at this time, but it was not impossible to go to the black market. There were many people who bought things on the black market. As long as you had money, you could buy foodstuffs, clothes, and other things.
But for ordinary country people, it was useless and the foodstuffs in the black market couldn't be bought at all.
It was not because of the limited supply, but the prices were actually very high. A few dimes of foodstuffs would be multiplied several times in the black market.
Original translation is from . Please read it on the translator's website.
Who among the ordinary country people could have so much money in their hands?
Furthermore, the country did not allow anyone to do this kind of business. Otherwise, if you get caught, you will be charged with speculation and profiteering and you would go to jail.
Unless you really had to, a few people would take the risk of going to the black market.
Xiulan looked through this information and was overjoyed.
Since there was a black market, then it would be easy to handle things now.
There were a lot of supplies in her space, so maybe she could flip a little over, and then exchange them for what she needs.
It seemed that she had to find a chance to take a trip to the county seat.
There was no black market in the countryside and she estimated that she could only find a black market in the county seat, so she had to look for it.
Xiulan guarded the oxen until noon, and there was only one wowotou given from the production team.
She disliked that the wowotou was too nauseous and unpalatable, so she simply threw it into her space.
There were other things to eat in her space, which she could take out and eat anyway.
However, when eating, she was very cautious and only dared to eat after confirming that there was no one around. The good food she ate couldn't be discovered by others.
She took out a carton of pure milk, grabbed a cake with one hand and ate it. After eating it, she also grabbed a grilled sausage, which was fragrant and greasy.
After gobbling it up, her empty stomach was full at that moment, so she felt a lot more comfortable.
These things she ate were rare in this era, especially the grilled sausages. It was definitely a very luxurious thing to be able to eat meat at this time when there was an ongoing famine.
After eating like a thief, she tidied up and continued to herd the oxen.
Because she was afraid of being discovered by others and there was no way to explain the source, Xiulan did not take anything out of the space for Xiuzhu to eat.
That girl only had one wowotou at noon, so there was no way for her to be full.
No wonder the people in this era were thin, because they didn't eat well every day. Without nutrition, they really couldn't grow well.
She could only sigh. It seemed that going to the country seat was imminent. With her being here, Xiuzhu, this girl must be raised to be white and plump.
After a day of work, when Xiulan went home, Weiguo had just returned as well.
Dinner was prepared by Lijuan again.
This was only done by Lijuan at Weiguo's command. Otherwise, it would definitely fall on Xiulan's head again.
From Xiulan's point of view, Lijuan didn't work the whole day, so she naturally had to take care of the housework.
Except for Yumei, who was pregnant in the family, Lijuan was not working at all. Even Xiuzhu, who was only six years old, had to work, but Lijuan didn't have to, which was unacceptable.
Originally, Lijuan was working just like everyone else in the family. However, ever since Yumei got pregnant, she used the excuse that she needed someone to take care of her. So, with Weiguo's consent, Lijuan didn't need to earn work points now.
Working to earn work points was not mandatory, so you could choose not to work. But without work points, there would be no foodstuff. So, if you couldn't get any provisions, you would likely starve to death.
Original translation is from . Please read it on the translator's website.
Those lazy families in the village or families who could not produce labor at home due to special reasons earned fewer work points and invested less, and the value of the rations and agricultural and sideline products they receive was not proportional. Negative numbers would appear in the final account books, which became upside-down households. Farmers who had been hung upside down over the years and had not paid their debts were called 'old upside-downs'.
In the production team, the upside-down households were ridiculed as 'third-class citizens', which was a title that made them not able to raise their heads.
If there was an upside-down household, there was also a straight-up household, which was directly opposite to an upside-down household.
'Straight-up households' could enjoy the spring breeze, had some income on their account books, and could have a lively New Year celebration. They could even buy clothes with cloth tickets and put on new clothes for their children.
Like Xiulan's family, there was not much labor in the family, but it was still a family with people working. They barely worked hard every year so that they would not fall into an upside-down household, but they would not be able to become a straight-up household.
Xiulan naturally had an opinion about Lijuan not working. Why is this mother-daughter pair at home so lazy, that even a child as old as Xiuzhu has to earn work points for their whole family?
This should be stopped, so she had to think of a way. She couldn't let this mother-daughter pair be lazy at home and do nothing, and just opened their mouths to eat.
Unexpectedly, during dinner, she was given a chance.
Today, Xiulan shied away from Jinhua's five kilograms of sweet potatoes. Yumei had whispered nonsense things in Weiguo's ears, accusing Xiulan of not being good and herself being pitiful. Of course, she used the baby in her womb as an emotional card.
Weiguo was someone who looked forward to having a son, so even if he thought that Jinhua's five kilograms of sweet potatoes shouldn't be asked for, it was scary for him to think that Yumei would really be hungry as it would wrong the baby in her womb. After listening to her, he also felt that Xiulan didn't give more consideration to Yumei and that she should not have rejected Jinhua's five kilograms of sweet potatoes.
While he was drinking porridge with a few grains of rice, he said to Xiulan solemnly, "Xiulan, I heard that Jinhua dropped by to give you five kilograms of sweet potatoes to thank you today. Why did you refuse it?
"Our family doesn't have much foodstuff anymore. If only you had accepted it, this can give your younger brother in your Auntie Mei's womb something to eat. If you have done a good thing to someone, it is also right for that person to thank you!"
Xiulan glanced at Yumei, who was sitting at the table with her head down while eating. This woman had a bad mind again.
Except for talking nonsense to Weiguo, she didn't seem to be able to do anything else.
Xiulan smiled and replied, "Dad, you told me before that I should carry on the spirit of camaraderie. Isn't that helping others without asking anything in return?
"Our family does not have enough foodstuff to eat now, but it is also difficult to live now, so we can't keep thinking about other people's things! Otherwise, our revolutionary feelings will be tarnished and become impure!"
With Xiulan using such a military banner, if Weiguo said anything to argue, it would appear to be of poor moral character. In this era of pure thoughts, he would definitely suffer criticism and accusations if it was spread out. So, even Weiguo couldn't refute Xiulan anymore.
Xiulan was afraid that Weiguo would not say anything, but she had an opinion in her heart, so she continued, "Dad, we don't have much to eat at home and this requires the efforts of our whole family. In this way, I will go to the county seat tomorrow to see if I can beg for some foodstuff to take home. I heard that there are kind-hearted people in the county seat who will give some foodstuff to the poor. If by chance I am able to get some foodstuff back, I can give Auntie Mei something to eat."
Weiguo looked at her, as he didn't expect her to take the initiative to propose this.
Thinking of what he had just said, with the intention of accusing her, he felt guilty and panicked.
When he thought about Yumei again, he felt that she was too much. She always said bad things about Xiulan and would say that his daughter was not being considerate of her in everything. Not accepting foodstuff did not mean that it was deliberately leaving her to be hungry, but to uphold good morals.
Under such a comparison, his heart naturally inclined towards Xiulan.
Xiulan didn't know what her father was thinking in his heart. In addition to avoiding him from turning towards Yumei, she also found an excuse to go to the county seat.
Original translation is from . Please read it on the translator's website.
Weiguo nodded. "Okay then, Xiulan, you can go to the county seat to give it a shot! If you can get a bite to eat, then you can always add some foodstuff to our family. Tomorrow, I'll go to the team leader to ask for a leave for you!"
"Okay, Dad!" Xiulan responded happily. She was a little excited at the thought of going to the county seat. With so many supplies in her space, only the county seat could serve the purpose of having them.
In addition, she also wanted to see what the county seat looked like. She hadn't seen the county seat in this era yet.
Because she had never been to the county seat, she asked some questions about going to the county seat. She asked clearly how to go and how long it would take to get there.
The county seat was a long way from the production team. Fortunately, the route was not complicated. You just needed to go all the way south, follow the main road, and you would arrive in two hours by walking.
It was a bit difficult to just walk for such a long distance. But in this era, the transportation was underdeveloped and there was no public transportation for the country folks to go to the county seat, so they could only walk there.
Lijuan poked her chopsticks a few times and sneered. "Everyone hasn't eaten enough on these days, so how much can you get from begging? I think you just want to be lazy, don't want to work to earn work points, and just deliberately finding excuses to run out and play! Your mouth speaks so well!"
Xiulan narrowed her eyes, stared at Lijuan and sneered as well. "Lijuan, you have no conscience when you say that! If you say that you are lazy, no one can beat you, right? Have you earned any work points these days?
"It's because we don't have enough foodstuff at home and Auntie Mei can't be hungry, so I can only think of more ways, okay? That's why I want to see if I can get something to eat when I go to the county seat to beg!
"But what about you? Look at you, what have you thought for this family for you to have the nerve to come and find faults with me?
"We are a family and we should work hard together. Lijuan, I'm just saying that Auntie Mei doesn't need to be taken care of here, so you should go out and earn more work points in exchange for foodstuffs. Auntie Mei having enough meals is more important! Don't be lazy at home. Go to work in the production team and earn work points just like us!"