Early the next morning, Shen Gang took Shen Yao out.
This time, they were not only gathering snails. He also brought a bamboo fish trap.
Since the family was entertaining a guest, they naturally wanted to prepare a more generous meal.
Besides, when there were guests, his mother would certainly be willing to use a little more oil. The fish probably would not be made into soup. If they were lucky, they might even get braised fish.
It was hardly surprising that Shen Gang craved such food.
Rural families received very little cooking oil each year.
The village grew plenty of rapeseed, but the state’s procurement quotas for rapeseed oil were high, and most of the harvest had to be handed over. By the time it reached the villagers, each person received only about one and a half jin of oil per year.
Their family of four survived on those six jin of rapeseed oil plus a small amount of rendered pork fat.
It was nowhere near enough.
When cooking major dishes, they merely brushed a little oil across the bottom of the wok. For everyday vegetables, they stir-fried them first and then added just a few drops afterward. A hint of oil sheen was considered sufficient.
As He Shi headed from his lodging toward the village, he spotted the siblings from a distance while still crossing the bridge.
They had just dragged up a netful of snails. The two of them were squatting side by side, heads almost touching as they sorted the snails into a basin. A bamboo fish trap sat in the water nearby, evidently being used to catch fish.
Hah. They’re certainly putting a lot of effort into hosting Song Jincheng.
Yesterday, when Xu Xiangdong had brought pork and wanted to share a meal with them, Shen Yao had coldly refused.
Yet when it came to Song Jincheng, she seemed so attentive.
For some reason, the thought left He Shi with a knot of frustration lodged in his chest. It would neither rise nor settle, only making him increasingly irritable.
Even after he had crossed the bridge and walked down into the village, neither of the siblings noticed him.
Well, isn’t that something.
In the past, it had been as if she had a radar installed in her head. No matter where he went, she could find him. In any crowd, she would spot him at a glance.
And now?
Women really were fickle.
Even women lacking much intelligence were no exception.
Shen Yao, meanwhile, had no idea how sour He Shi’s mood had become.
She and Shen Gang were huddled together discussing their grand plan for a better life.
More precisely, she was asking questions and Shen Gang was answering them.
Since raising more chickens was not allowed, what about raising pigs?
That, surprisingly, was possible.
Whether the pig would ultimately belong to the family, however, depended on luck.
Every production brigade had annual pork production quotas, which were distributed among households. If a family fulfilled its quota one year, it might not have to the next. But if they wanted to raise an extra pig for their own consumption or to sell privately, that depended on whether the brigade had already met its assigned targets.
Slaughtering a pig required brigade approval, and a five-yuan livestock tax had to be paid for each pig.
Since quotas were always tight, even raising an extra pig did not guarantee the family would get to keep it.
More often than not, it still ended up going toward state procurement. In return, the family received four jin of meat coupons and a small payment from the food station based on the official purchase price.
The arrangement was so unprofitable that while many households raised quota pigs, very few bothered raising extras.
Then Shen Yao asked what other ways villagers had to earn money.
The question left Shen Gang baffled.
Wasn’t it all pigs, chickens, and eggs?
After glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, he lowered his voice.
“Actually, some people in the village secretly carry grain to the black market to sell. They can exchange it for money and ration coupons. But grain is already scarce. If you sell some, you have even less left to eat. That’s why our meals contain more sweet potatoes than rice.”
Listening as Shen Gang counted on his fingers all the things people exchanged grain for besides cash, grain coupons, oil coupons, soybean-product coupons, soap coupons, match coupons, meat coupons, fish coupons, egg coupons, cloth coupons, kerosene coupons, and more, Shen Yao felt increasingly hopeless.
The more she learned about this society, the more despairing it seemed.
Seeing that his sister now not only remembered characters she had learned but also wanted to understand practical aspects of daily life, Shen Gang could not have been happier.
He eagerly continued explaining.
“Actually, the vegetables and sweet potatoes people grow on their private plots aren’t enough to live on, especially when they’re secretly selling some of their grain.”
“Our village is near the mountains. Some villagers plant sweet potato vines up there. Sweet potatoes are easy to grow. Once planted, they hardly need any care.”
“The problem is that when harvest season comes, you might not be the one who digs them up. Whoever finds them gets them.”
“Everyone just says they’re wild sweet potatoes. Nobody can admit they planted them.”
Shen Yao’s eyes immediately lit up.
People could do that?
Then could they secretly raise chickens somewhere in the mountains too?
She was becoming desperate enough for meat that the once-pampered young lady now found herself seriously contemplating raising chickens and pigs, without feeling anything strange about it.
Hearing her idea, Shen Gang shook his head.
“That’s difficult. There are weasels in the mountains, along with other wild animals. They’d probably eat the chickens before they grew up.”
“Besides, lots of people travel through the nearby hills. If someone discovered them, you’d get hauled in for criticism and education. You might even be publicly denounced. Nobody dares.”
Life really was difficult…
“Surely not everyone is this poor? Aren’t city people living much better lives?”
Shen Gang nodded, envy visible in his eyes.
“Of course city people have it better than us. Just look at Educated Youth Song. His family is from Shanghai. He can bring out candy that tastes that good…”
His understanding of city life extended no further than that.
The farthest he had ever traveled was the township.
Back in the Tianqi Dynasty, if one wanted a better life, there were always paths available, success through the imperial examinations, military service, or commerce.
Surely there had to be some route forward here as well.
Now that she no longer needed to constantly pretend to be foolish, Shen Yao decided that in a few days she would ask her father, the production team leader, about these matters.
After nearly two hours of work, the siblings had gathered enough ingredients to add two fine dishes to the evening meal.
Then they picked up their baskets and headed into the hills to cut pig fodder.
Ever since his mother had scolded him about it, Shen Gang refused to let Shen Yao carry a full basket. He only allowed her to carry one that was less than half full.
At worst, he could simply make an extra trip himself.
As the workday neared its end, Shen Yao suddenly heard the village loudspeaker crackle to life.
The voice was powerful and carried over a great distance.
Listening closely, she realized it was her father’s voice.
“Attention, members of Team Eight. After work, each household is to send one representative to gather beside the team warehouse for a meeting regarding arrangements for the upcoming double-harvest season. Attention, members of Team Eight. After work…”
The announcement was repeated three times in total.
Shen Yao found it fascinating.
How could a person’s voice carry so far and sound so loud?
The original Shen Yao’s memories were like items stored away in her mind. Unless something triggered them, they would not surface. It was only upon hearing the loudspeaker that Shen Yao realized what it was.
A place she had previously considered poor and backward actually possessed things superior to those in the Tianqi Dynasty.
Not long afterward, Wang Yunzhi returned home first to prepare dinner.
Shen Guozhong did not get back until dusk.
Shen Yao happily went out to greet him, only to discover that three people were following behind her father.
One was Song Jincheng, who had been invited for dinner.
The other two…
He Shi and Xu Xiangdong.
The smile on Shen Yao’s face instantly froze.
Why were those two at her house?
He Shi had been talking with Shen Guozhong, but ever since entering the Shen family’s courtyard, his gaze had already settled on Shen Yao.
Naturally, he noticed every change in her expression.
A trace of displeasure stirred within him.
What was that supposed to mean? No smile the moment she saw him?
This little fool really was heartless when she decided to turn against someone.
He Shi was stubborn by nature, the sort who refused to move when led but dug in his heels when pushed.
The less Shen Yao wanted to see him, the more determined he became to stay for a while.
Smelling the aroma drifting from the kitchen, he smiled.
“Auntie is cooking, isn’t she? I haven’t smelled food this good in a long time. Ever since I left home, I haven’t had a single truly satisfying meal.”
Shen Guozhong was momentarily stunned.
How was he supposed to respond to that?
After the meeting, he had invited Song Jincheng home for dinner.
Before they had gone very far, the two new educated youths from the team had approached them, saying they wanted to ask about things they should pay attention to during the upcoming double-harvest season.
He Shi had spoken politely, and somehow Shen Guozhong had found himself answering one question after another.
Before he knew it, the two men had followed him all the way home.
Xu Xiangdong was laughing himself silly inside.
He Shi was really something.
For Shen Yao’s sake, he had completely thrown away his pride.
Last night he had been saying, “Since when was Shen Yao one of my people?”
Xu Xiangdong could dine out on this for half a month.
He was already curious whether He Shi would continue denying it next time.
By the time they returned to Beijing, he fully intended to tell the story to the rest of their friends for a laugh.
Seeing that Shen Guozhong did not know what to say, Xu Xiangdong immediately stepped in to help his friend.
With exaggerated sincerity, he said,
“Exactly! I never realized how wonderful life at home was until I came to the countryside. It’s been less than half a month, and I’ve already dreamed about my mother’s cooking. Honestly, Team Leader, the smell coming from your house really feels like home. It’s making me homesick.”
After speaking, he even closed his eyes and took a dramatic, appreciative sniff.
Shen Guozhong: …
Song Jincheng: …
Shen Yao: …
These two are absolutely shameless!!!
Speechless, Shen Guozhong could only sigh inwardly.
The Eighth Production Team had exactly three educated youths.
Now all three of them were standing here.
He had only invited Song Jincheng, but after He Shi and Xu Xiangdong spoke like that, what could he possibly say?
After a brief pause, he smiled.
“If you don’t mind, you can stay and have a meal with us tonight. But aren’t you boarding with Old Sixth Uncle’s family? Haven’t they already prepared food for you over there?”
It was a tactful reminder that they could go back and eat at Shen Laoliu’s house.
Unfortunately, the two men were as sly as foxes and suddenly incapable of understanding subtle hints.
He Shi smiled brightly.
“That would be wonderful. We’re really fortunate. To be honest, I feel a bit embarrassed. Things have been difficult lately.”
“We won’t eat for free. These days no family’s life is easy. After dinner we’ll leave meal coupons behind. We’ll just consider it sharing a meal with your family tonight, Team Leader.”
He seized the opportunity with astonishing speed.
Song Jincheng turned his head and glanced at He Shi.
For a fleeting moment, the expression on his face suggested he had just seen a ghost.
They had lived next door to each other for over ten days.
Though they rarely interacted, He Shi’s usual cold arrogance, as though nothing under heaven was worthy of his attention, had left a deep impression.
What on earth was happening today?
Before he could figure it out, Xu Xiangdong continued smoothly.
“Exactly. We’re benefiting from Uncle Shen’s hospitality today.”
“Old Sixth Uncle must have just finished his meeting too. I’ll go let him know. We’ve already given him our meal coupons this morning. Since we’re not eating there tonight, I’m sure he won’t mind.”
With that, he turned and hurried out the gate.
Shen Yao had only managed to say, “There isn’t enough fo…”
Before she could finish the sentence, Xu Xiangdong had already vanished.
Seeing Shen Yao staring blankly toward the gate, her round eyes filled with confusion, He Shi could not stop the corners of his mouth from lifting.