The steamed buns in her spatial dimension couldn’t compare to the ones she had bought from the state-run restaurant. Today, she had spent all her soon-to-expire food coupons to buy about thirty of them.
She planned to bring a few over to Aunt Peng. Why only a few? If she brought too many, Aunt Peng wouldn’t accept them. Pushing them back and forth would only cause unnecessary trouble, so it was better to bring just enough that they wouldn’t be rejected.
As for the old clothes and quilts on the floor, she figured she would deliver them tonight after the children were asleep. She preferred to keep certain things hidden from them; if they accidentally slipped up, it could stir up trouble.
She cooked a pot of rice, and the rich, fragrant scent drifted far into the distance. The four people living next door smelled it as well.
"That’s the smell of rice. Sigh, how long has it been since we’ve had any?" Old Zhou peeked outside, then sniffed hard to draw the aroma deeper into his lungs.
"Give it a rest. If you keep sniffing, you won’t be able to stomach tonight’s wild vegetable porridge," Old Li said from his spot by the fire, using two sticks to stir the pot. Although they called it wild vegetable porridge, it was mostly greens with very little grain—the few scattered corn kernels could easily be counted.
Old Zhou sighed. "You have a point."
They had heard quite a bit about the situation next door today. They just hadn’t expected a woman to have the sheer courage to split from her family and move out all for the sake of her children.
Zhou Lan watched her old man’s undignified display and gave him an exasperated glare. "Enough already. Have you no shame? You’re far too old to be this gluttonous." Despite her words, she swallowed hard. She couldn’t help it; the smell was simply too enticing.
Before long, the aroma of rice was replaced by the mouthwatering scent of various dishes cooking, completely ruining the group’s appetite for their own meager meal.
Once dinner was ready, Bai Jiu locked her door, grabbed the items she had prepared for Aunt Peng, and headed out.
"Cooking dinner, Aiguo?" Having visited twice before, Bai Jiu was now more familiar with Peng Aiguo, and the previous awkwardness had faded.
"Hello, Aunt Bai," Peng Aiguo greeted politely when he saw her. Deep down, however, he still intensely disliked Zhengyang’s mother.
Zhengyang had mentioned earlier today that his mother had bought him and his sister plenty of delicious food. But in Aiguo’s eyes, this was only because she had just come into some money. What she would do in the future remained to be seen. Anyone who would neglect their own children just to put on a show of filial piety didn’t deserve to be a mother.
Noticing Aiguo’s distant attitude, Bai Jiu was a little confused but didn’t dwell on it. "Where are Zhengyang and Xiuxiu?"
Peng Aiguo stopped his work and set down his axe. "Inside. The wind is strong out here, and it’s cold." With that, he quickly walked into the main hall.
The Peng family’s house was considered large by village standards. It had two main rooms, a separately built kitchen, and a spacious, brightly lit central hall in the middle. Back when the Peng family’s son passed away, there were certainly people who had set their sights on the house. But because the Peng family still had a grandson, everyone could only watch in jealousy. As a result, Aunt Peng’s life in the village had become increasingly difficult.
"Mom’s here!" Inside the room, Zhengyang and Xiuxiu, who were keeping their grandmother company as she worked, tried to run outside the moment they heard their mother’s voice.
Aunt Peng wasn’t about to let them. "Don’t rush, your mother will be right in," she said, quickly holding them back. Children had weak constitutions, and the sudden shift from hot to cold would definitely make them sick. The room had a heated brick bed, but there was no such warmth outside. To run out without even putting on their coats—nobody could handle that chill.
Bai Jiu followed right behind Peng Aiguo into the house. The moment she stepped inside, she heard the two children laughing, and a smile unconsciously formed on her lips.
"Zhengyang, Xiuxiu, were you good at Grandma Peng’s house? Did you cause any trouble today?" Bai Jiu walked into Aunt Peng’s room with the bamboo basket on her back.
The two children were standing on the heated brick bed. As soon as they saw their mother, they scrambled off and threw themselves into her arms.
Bai Jiu struggled to steady them. "What’s the rush? I’m not running away. Hurry back up onto the bed, the floor is freezing." Seeing that they weren’t wearing shoes, she immediately scooped them both up.
"They were just so happy to see you that they couldn’t help but run down," Aunt Peng said, unable to resist speaking up for the children as she watched their lively reunion.
"Aunt Peng, thank you and Aiguo for everything. I’ve bought pretty much all the necessities today, so we’ll just be hibernating at home for the rest of the winter." Bai Jiu was deeply grateful to Aunt Peng, both in the past and now.
"That’s good, but you should still tighten your purse strings a bit," Aunt Peng couldn’t help but advise her again.
"I know. I just bought the essentials that couldn’t be skimped on. I won’t spend like that again." She understood the older generation’s mindset, so the best thing she could do was simply agree.
"Aunt Peng, these are for you and Aiguo. I didn’t buy much, just a little something for you to try.
"And this is some coarse cloth I picked up at the supply and marketing cooperative today. It didn’t require any ration coupons and was quite cheap, so I bought enough for you and Aiguo to have some too."
The buns, cloth, and a few rice strips—aside from the cloth, none of it was particularly valuable. She had planned to gift Aunt Peng enough material for two outfits from the very beginning. Since Aunt Peng had previously refused to accept any money for her tailoring work, Bai Jiu had to make it up to her in other ways. Gifting cloth was the perfect solution.
"You..." Aunt Peng didn’t refuse. If she kept rejecting the gifts, it would only strain their relationship. Besides, coarse cloth wasn’t overly expensive; she would just make sure to help Bai Jiu out more in the future. "Don’t bring anything else over from now on. Your own life isn’t easy either. Keep the good things for yourself to nourish your body and the children’s. Your health has been severely depleted over the years."
Despite Bai Jiu’s seemingly tough exterior, women understood women, and Aunt Peng could tell that her body was internally exhausted. If it weren’t for her youth, all sorts of ailments would have surely caught up with her by now.
"Alright, I’ll listen to you, Aunt Peng."
After leaving the items, Bai Jiu helped the children into their clothes and shoes, then led them out of the Peng family’s house and headed back. The winter sky grew dark early, so they couldn’t afford to delay any longer.
As soon as they reached their front door, Zhengyang and Xiuxiu caught a whiff of the delicious aroma. "Mom, did you make braised pork again today?" It was the unmistakable smell of meat.
"You little rascal, you’ve got a sharp nose. Come on, let’s go inside and see." Bai Jiu was growing increasingly fond of her two children.
Zhengyang let out a cheer and sprinted into the house. Xiuxiu didn’t fall behind, closely following in her brother’s footsteps.
Inside, the smell was even stronger. But when the little ones saw the dishes warming on the stove and table, they were dumbfounded. "Mom, what kind of dish is this?"
They really couldn’t be blamed. In this era, braised delicatessen meats weren’t something just anyone could afford to eat.
"These are braised meats. I bought them from the county town. Eat up." She knew the little guys were practically drooling.
After a hearty dinner, the mother and children sprawled out, completely stuffed. "Mom, will we get to eat meat every day from now on?" Zhengyang was a sensible boy. Even though he ate a lot, he still worried about the future.
Earlier today, Aiguo had warned him that if his mother didn’t start saving, their family might end up going back to the life they had at his grandmother’s house. At the thought of those days, Zhengyang felt a deep-seated revulsion. He hated that house, and he hated that kind of life.