Heading straight to the lit-up street in the small town, she passed by several already unlocked shops before finally seeing a general store up close. As soon as she entered, an enthusiastic NPC greeted her warmly.
The stall at the entrance was filled with famous snacks and pastries from all over the country, along with pickled vegetables, dried vegetables, salted duck eggs, rice, flour, grains, oil, condiments, matches, kerosene, beverages, and snacks… The variety was extensive, offering everything one could need.
Su Qing was so excited that she jumped up and spun around, only to grimace the next moment as she leaned on the NPC for support and found a chair to sit down. She had forgotten she wasn’t a young person anymore—the vigorous jump had left her legs sore and numb.
She rubbed her knees, thinking, “This body still isn’t up to par!”
After wandering around the general store for a while, she found the array of goods dazzling. Not only were there items from the 1970s, but also things from the future—essentially, it felt like a fake ancient town.
After buying what she wanted, she had the NPC deliver it to her villa. Once everything was put away, she immediately lit the stove and cooked a pot of spicy instant noodles, washing it down with a bottle of draft beer. It was incredibly satisfying. However, worried that her older body might not handle it well, she drank a cup of Spirit Spring Water before going to bed.
Once the Double Rush began, all the able-bodied workers in the Wang family were busy. To ensure the grain safety of each production team, Wang Haiyang, who had already reported to the town, frequently led teams to inspect the countryside.
During this critical time, adults and children alike pitched in, and Su Qing was no exception. She was assigned to pick up corn kernels in the fields. After the previous incident where she saved someone, the elders of Hongxing Village unanimously believed her physique was exceptionally robust, as if she could work for another five hundred years.
“The liberated areas, hey ho, engage in great production, hey ho! The army and the people, chirp chirp, clatter clatter… swoosh swoosh, mobilize together, hey ho…”
The labor chant of the great production, broadcast through the production team’s loudspeakers, reached every corner of the fields. Su Qing’s back ached from the exertion, but when she looked up, she saw all the Commune Members skillfully husking corn and cutting sorghum stalks. Men, women, the elderly, and children—the fields of the 1970s were boiling with the fervor of transforming the world.
Thousands of calloused hands were molding the barren yellow soil into shapes of hope. The chants from the loudspeakers fueled everyone’s passion, and every sorghum stalk and corn kernel embodied the unique power of that era—a blend of sweat and faith.
Su Qing was also influenced by this atmosphere. Though her body and energy were severely tested, the excitement and drive in her heart could not be contained.
The Double Rush was truly exhausting, even for the strongest laborers. For elderly people like Su Qing and young children like Sanbao, it was equally grueling.
To make life more comfortable for her family during this period, Su Qing had Wang Haiyang bring back two jin of pork belly from town every day. Wang Juxiang, Wang Zhiying, and Fengzhi, the three sisters, handled the cooking at home. Since they still had to work after preparing meals, making stews was the most convenient option.
Su Qing also bought a bundle of vermicelli and twenty jin of mung beans from Qingxiang General Store.
With meat in the stew and daily servings of heat-relieving mung bean soup, this year’s Double Rush was relatively comfortable for the Wang family—except for Wang Yongqiang, of course.
Every day when he finished work, tears welled in the corners of his eyes. But whenever he caught his mother’s approving glance, the thought of “quitting” that had occupied his mind all day instantly vanished.
To ensure he ate well, Mother bought meat daily and even made him special meat pancakes at night—all for the future prospects of him and Zhao Su’e.
With such consideration given to him, how could he back out now and break his mother’s heart?
The Wang family’s meals were so lavish that many in the Hongxing Production Team salivated with envy. Zhao Su’e had secretly approached Wang Yongqiang several times, hinting at her hardship and bland diet.
Wang Yongqiang could only offer an awkward smile, helpless. His previous rations were long gone, and the next distribution date remained uncertain.
Besides Zhao Su’e, many in the production team had their eyes on the Wang family. Wang Zhiying and Fengzhi were of marriageable age but still unattached—especially Fengzhi, whose mother worked as an accountant at the town paper factory. If her daughter married, she’d surely prepare a generous dowry.
Those scheming inwardly drew closer to the Wangs during work.
Sun Guiying, heavily pregnant, was assigned to corn shucking—a task that allowed her to stand. The recorder, accommodating her condition, gave her peripheral plots to finish at her own pace.
Liu Qiaoling stealthily approached Sun Guiying and took over shucking the corn she’d just picked.
“Tired, Guiying? With that belly, why are you still working? Doesn’t your mother-in-law care about you?”
Sun Guiying raised an eyebrow. “Auntie, what are you saying? It’s the Double Rush—even Grandma is in the fields. This is nothing!”
“Still, your grandma is strong as an ox, unlike you. Heh, anyway, Guiying, I wanted to ask: is your sister-in-law Zhiying considering marriage now?”
Sun Guiying’s eyes sparkled as she leaned in. “Oh? Does Auntie have a suitable match for our Zhiying?”
“Absolutely! A fine young man from my hometown, Shanghe Village—handsome and sturdy, with a simple family. His two older sisters married well. If Zhiying agrees, they’ll offer 180 yuan in bride price and a bicycle.”
“Really? That much? Is he reliable?”
Sun Guiying trembled with excitement. 180 yuan! If this succeeded, even if the old matriarch took most, her meek mother-in-law would get dozens, and given her unborn son, she’d surely receive a decent share.
Meanwhile, several aunts also inquired with Yang Aihua about Fengzhi’s marriage plans. But Yang Aihua and Wang Zhenhua were newlyweds—she had no say over her sister-in-law’s affairs. Her mother-in-law was formidable; any misstep would bring trouble. Outwardly smiling, she inwardly scoffed, well aware of who held the reins at home.
After the Double Rush, tasks like grain drying and tax deliveries remained, but elders like Su Qing could finally relax.
That evening, she counted all the family’s fabric coupons in her room, planning to spend them all. The family wore tattered clothes—Wang Baoguo and Wang Jianjun lacked proper shoes. It was tolerable now, but in a few months, the cold would freeze their feet.
With that thought in mind, the next day she carried a bamboo basket on her back and headed to town. Fortunately, during this period, the ox cart from the village to the town made two trips a day, allowing her to take advantage of this convenience.
Upon arriving in town, Su Qing’s first stop was the meat stall. She ordered four jin of pork belly, three pork bones, and two bundles of offal. Last time, her family had thoroughly enjoyed the braised meat and had been craving it ever since. She had already stored a good amount of rice in the rice jar at home, so this time she could steam some rice to go with the meal.
Buying more than this was out of the question. In these times, excessive consumption and hoarding would lead to reprimands. Being able to purchase these items was already quite remarkable. After paying and carefully packing her purchases, she was about to leave when she caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. She moved closer for a better look and immediately widened her eyes in surprise.