“Good. The verification of the data must be absolutely accurate. If you’re certain there are no problems, then we’ll begin preparations today.”
President Hu spoke with his usual seriousness.
Qin Nian nodded.
They didn’t have the luxury of powerful electronic computers. Most experimental data still had to be checked and recalculated manually.
Meanwhile, Yang Yufen had plenty of ration coupons on hand.
She spent the morning buying all kinds of daily necessities and even managed to grab some meat alongside Auntie Liu.
“Good thing we came early. Pork belly this good is hard to get.”
Auntie Liu was extremely satisfied with the day’s haul and took Yang Yufen to several different places.
“Our winters here are freezing. This is the coal depot. Based on your daughter-in-law’s position, she’s entitled to twenty-five kilograms of rationed coal every month. During the warmer months, she won’t use much, so she can save it up for winter. You can even exchange it for gas, though you’ll need a special gas cylinder, and that requires coupons too.”
Yang Yufen nodded.
City life really was different from the countryside. Back home, firewood was available everywhere.
But how could such a small amount of coal possibly be enough?
She wondered whether her son even had any coal briquette coupons. She would have to ask about it later.
Next they went to a lumber yard.
Wooden planks didn’t require coupons, and there were even ready-made solid wood beds for sale.
However, Yang Yufen was careful with money.
She bought only some planks and wooden beams, along with a pile of scrap wood and four long benches. She paid extra to have everything delivered to the research institute’s residential compound.
Afterward, they visited the supply and marketing cooperative.
Yang Yufen exchanged sugar coupons for brown sugar and White Rabbit milk candies, and even bought a tin of malted milk powder.
“Yang, your luck is incredible! White Rabbit candies and malted milk powder are always in demand. I’ve come several times and never managed to get any. But the moment I brought you along, we got both! And look at this discounted fabric too. Today’s trip was absolutely worth it. Next time I’ll definitely invite you again.”
Auntie Liu was overjoyed.
She had spent quite a bit of money, but she’d managed to buy things that were normally impossible to get.
They left at seven in the morning and returned to the residential compound at ten.
Qin Nian’s small courtyard didn’t contain much furniture.
The hammer, shovel, and saw Yang Yufen needed had all been borrowed from Auntie Liu or through her connections.
The sound of banging and sawing echoed through the yard.
In less than an hour, Yang Yufen had built a bed and a wooden storage chest.
Using leftover scraps, she also made a chicken coop and a small stool.
“Yang, your craftsmanship is amazing! You know how to do so many things!”
Auntie Liu sat nearby cleaning vegetables while watching Yang Yufen work.
If it had been a man doing the work, she wouldn’t have found it remarkable.
But seeing a woman handle everything so skillfully was genuinely impressive.
“These are all simple jobs. My grandfather and father were both carpenters. I watched them often and helped out whenever I could. Eventually I learned naturally.”
Yang Yufen thought she should find some tung oil later to coat the wooden chest.
That would make it last much longer.
After remaking the bed, she hammered two long nails into the wall.
Then she stretched a rope between them and cut up the discounted fabric she had bought.
A few stitches later, she had fashioned a curtain.
Auntie Liu soon hurried home to cook lunch.
Her two grandsons would be coming back to eat.
After finishing the furniture, Yang Yufen cleaned the courtyard thoroughly.
The wood shavings and scraps could be used as fuel later.
Since Qin Nian still hadn’t returned, Yang Yufen began clearing the empty patch of ground in the yard so she could plant vegetables.
Then her stomach suddenly started bothering her.
After closing the gate, she headed toward the communal latrine.
Seeing people already waiting in line, she frowned.
This was far too inconvenient.
Back in her village, every household had its own toilet.
For ordinary people it was annoying enough.
For a pregnant woman, having to stand in line like this would be miserable.
“Qin Nian, I heard your mother-in-law arrived. She’s not here to give you trouble, is she?”
Her colleague, Yi Mengling, sidled up beside her.
“She did arrive, but I need to get back now. I don’t have time to chat.”
Qin Nian ordered two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, along with four liang of staple food and two steamed buns.
After packing everything into lunch containers, she hurried away.
Her mother-in-law had a hearty appetite.
Qin Nian herself only needed about one liang of grain; the rest was for Yang Yufen.
Watching her practically flee, Yi Mengling curled her lips in dissatisfaction.
Why were they both researchers, yet Qin Nian, who had joined the institute a year later than her, was personally mentored by the director and allowed to work on major projects?
Meanwhile, she herself remained stuck rotating between the second and third project groups.
Qin Nian knew nothing of these thoughts.
Once she got absorbed in work, she had nearly forgotten that her mother-in-law was staying at home.
She had rushed to borrow lunch containers and get food packed, pedaling her bicycle as if it were powered by wheels of fire.
It was already August or September, and the weather was still hot.
By the time she arrived home, she was drenched in sweat.
“Why were you in such a hurry? In the future, I can cook for myself.”
Yang Yufen poured her a cup of water.
Startled by the gesture, Qin Nian accepted it quickly.
Without looking, she took a sip.
Sweet.
Brown sugar.
Not overly sweet, just right.
Perhaps having her mother-in-law around wasn’t nearly as difficult as she had imagined.
The courtyard looked completely transformed.
The scent of freshly turned earth filled the air.
The hens clucked contentedly in one corner.
A section of the main room had been partitioned off with dark blue cloth.
When she’d married her husband, she hadn’t felt much at all.
She had simply reached the appropriate age.
Her mentor had introduced them.
The man had good character.
She agreed.
That was all.
But her mother-in-law’s arrival had stirred feelings she had never expected.
The two women ate lunch together.
Yang Yufen noticed that Qin Nian carefully avoided the fatty pieces of meat.
No wonder she was so skinny.
“Mom, the work at my institute is entering a critical stage. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be extremely busy. I may not be able to come home at noon, and it’ll probably last about half a month. Here—I’ll give you Xianjun’s allowance booklet. You can go to the military base and collect the money yourself. There’s a bus from the residential compound to the military district. I already gave you my monthly bus pass, so you can use it directly.”
Taking a deep breath, Qin Nian finally voiced what had been weighing on her mind.
Yang Yufen frowned.
Half a month.
No lunch breaks.
No wonder the girl was so thin.
“Um… if you don’t want to cook for yourself, you can eat at the institute cafeteria. I’ll give you meal tickets. Tonight I’ll write a certificate for you, and then you can eat there whenever you want.”
Qin Nian truly didn’t want to give up this round of experimental calculations.
“No need. I’ll cook at home. Just take care of your health. Will you be coming home at night?”
“Ah… yes. Yes, I’ll come home.”
Qin Nian had been preparing herself for an argument when she saw the frown.
She hadn’t expected Yang Yufen to agree so easily.
“Good. Go do your work then. Remember to eat.”
Yang Yufen reached for the lunch containers to wash them.
Qin Nian quickly took them away.
“Mom, I’ll wash them at the institute and return them there.”
Yang Yufen merely nodded.
After Qin Nian hurried off again, Yang Yufen went next door to visit Auntie Liu.
“Sister Liu, didn’t you say one of your little stools was wobbling? Let me fix it for you.”
“Come in, Yang! You’re already so busy. It’s just a small stool—it still works. No rush, no rush.”
Auntie Liu had some free time now.
Her daily routine consisted mostly of grocery shopping and household chores.
Her two grandsons were seven and five years old.
She only looked after them at lunchtime.
In the evenings, the children stayed with their parents.