After finishing their meal, Shang Yinyin washed the dishes clean.
Chen Cuihua was unusually quiet today, surprisingly refraining from any nagging. Without saying much, Shang Yinyin returned to her room. Back in her past life, after being admitted to university, she had written several articles for school publications and even won awards. Figuring she could write a few short stories now, she might actually be able to earn some money.
Lost in thought, Shang Yinyin decided on a plot and began writing away. After she had been writing for a while, Chen Cuihua finished her bath and noticed the light still on in Shang Yinyin’s room.
“Shang Yinyin, why aren’t you washing up and going to bed? Lamp oil costs money too; don’t you know how to save?” Chen Cuihua fretted over the cost of the oil.
Shang Yinyin immediately put down her pen, closed her notebook, and replied, “I know, I’m going right now.”
“Open the door,” Chen Cuihua knocked, telling her to unlock it.
Hiding her notebook beneath the quilt, Shang Yinyin called out, “Coming.”
When she opened the door, Chen Cuihua glanced inside and said, “Here is ten yuan. Tomorrow, go into town with the neighbor aunt and pick up your sister’s luggage on the way. Our family is out of cash, so use this ten yuan to buy a few yards of fabric to make some nice clothes for you and your sister.”
Shang Yinyin looked at Chen Cuihua in surprise.
“What are you staring at? Your man is coming back, you can’t go looking all raggedy for him,” Chen Cuihua said with an unnatural expression.
Shang Yinyin reached out, took the money, and lowered her head without a word.
“Wash up and go to sleep quickly. We have to set off early tomorrow; your sister has already finished her exams.” With that, Chen Cuihua turned around and went to her own room to sleep.
“Auntie, those two bolts of fabric from today… were those your dowry?” Shang Yinyin couldn’t help asking. To call off the forced engagement, her aunt had given away her own dowry bolts.
Chen Cuihua said nothing, closed her door, and locked it from the inside.
Shang Yinyin was truly fortunate after all; at least her aunt hadn’t abandoned them siblings all these years. Finding her pajamas, she headed to the washroom. The house had several rooms, one of which was converted into a bathing space containing a chamber pot for the night since the outhouse was too far away. As long as the washroom door was bolted, it worked fine.
Back in her room after bathing, the rural summer night remained stiflingly hot. The family was too poor to afford a fan. While some wealthier villagers had already wired their homes for electricity and electric lights, their family had two kids in school and no spare cash for such luxuries.
Figuring her aunt was fast asleep, Shang Yinyin pulled out her notebook and continued writing. She was heading into town tomorrow to pick up her sister, and she planned to take her manuscript to a local newspaper office to see if they bought submissions. If they did, she could finally make some money. Aside from the ten yuan her aunt gave her, Shang Yinyin didn’t have a single cent to her name. Knowing the agony of being broke, she was determined to earn money through her own efforts. Money really could wipe away ninety percent of life’s troubles.
Staying up late, Shang Yinyin churned out several thousand words and didn’t fall asleep until three or four in the morning.
Right after the rooster crowed, she was up again. Her aunt was already out in the vegetable plot with a bucket watering the crops; if she waited until the sun came up, she wouldn’t be able to water them again until late afternoon. The village had recently started land reform, letting families farm their own plots. After turning in the required agricultural quota, whatever remained belonged to them. This policy had just been implemented this year, quietly rolled out by local cadres, and would continue for several years.
Shang Yinyin prepared breakfast in the kitchen. With plenty of sweet potatoes and some millet left at home, she cooked a pot of millet porridge and boiled sweet potatoes. The family also raised a few chickens, ducks, and two geese—purchased by scrimping and saving, fed entirely on sweet potatoes and vegetable scraps.
After finishing her chores, Shang Yinyin slung her crossbody bag over her shoulder and headed to the village entrance to wait for Uncle Niu’s ox cart, which was heading to the bus stop.
“Yinyin, going to town to pick up your sister?” Auntie Jiang asked with a kindly smile.
Shang Yinyin nodded. “Yes, my sister’s school term is over today, so I’m going to bring her back.”
“Your family is really blessed, having two kids get into university,” Auntie Jiang said, her eyes full of envy.
Shang Yinyin replied, “Auntie Jiang, your daughter is doing much better than my siblings. Not only does she work in the city making dozens of yuan a month, but her father-in-law is a veteran and her husband is a section chief at a factory. You’re the one I should envy.”
While Auntie Jiang’s daughter had married well, her son was a good-for-nothing. Even so, she never asked her daughter to support the family out of fear that her daughter would be looked down upon. Hearing her daughter praised brought a beaming smile to Auntie Jiang’s face.
“Yinyin, don’t say things like that, or others might get jealous.” Auntie Jiang knew the value of keeping a low profile.
“Alright, I won’t say it anymore.” Sitting on the ox cart, Shang Yinyin chatted with the elders along the bumpy ride.
Half an hour later, they reached the main road to wait for the public bus. Paying two fen for the fare, Shang Yinyin rode for an hour and a half into the city. Setting off early, she watched the scenery outside the window—mountain landscapes bathed in a golden glow as the sun climbed higher.
In her past life, after leaving this place with Xie Quanzhou, she had never taken the time to appreciate the scenery. She had buried herself under pressure, closed herself off, and ignored Xie Quanzhou’s deep love for her. In this lifetime, given a second chance by the heavens, she refused to repeat that existence. She didn’t have towering ambitions; she just wanted a peaceful, stable home.
Lost in thought, she soon arrived in the city. Agreeing to meet Auntie Jiang in the afternoon after the older woman finished visiting her daughter for lunch, Shang Yinyin headed straight for the newspaper office with her manuscript.
Walking boldly into the office building, she asked the staff member at the front, “Hello, I saw a sign outside saying you accept submissions?”
“Yes, our newspaper has been back in business for a year now, and we’re currently accepting manuscripts. Are you looking to submit something?” The staff member stepped forward with a smile, looking Shang Yinyin over before asking politely.
“Yes, I have a manuscript. It’s a novel—do you accept fiction?” Shang Yinyin asked, fighting down her nervousness with a composed facade.
“We do. May I take a look?” The bespectacled young woman looked closely at Shang Yinyin and adjusted her glasses.
Shang Yinyin pulled her neatly written manuscript from her bag and handed it over.
“Have a seat.” The staff member motioned for her to sit on a nearby sofa.
While Shang Yinyin waited, the staff member skimmed the pages and exclaimed excitedly, “This story is very fresh and original! However, since this is our first time publishing your work, the manuscript fee won’t be exceptionally high.”
“About how much would it be?” Shang Yinyin asked.
“Fifteen yuan per thousand words. It looks like you have about three thousand words here, so around forty-five yuan. Does that work for you?” The staff member watched her eagerly for a response.
Shang Yinyin nodded, “The pay is fine, but since everything requires ration tickets these days, could some of it be cashed out in meat and grain tickets?”
“Certainly. I can give you five catties of meat tickets and ten catties of grain tickets,” the staff member smiled. “We won’t deduct those from your cash fee. Hopefully, we can continue working together in the future.”
“Alright, I’ll consider it next time,” Shang Yinyin smiled back. “After all, what I wrote is just the beginning; the sequel will definitely need to be written too.”
Grinning broadly, the staff member replied, “I’ll go get your money and tickets right now.”
Shortly after, the staff member returned with the payment.
“Comrade, what’s your name?” the staff member asked.