Saturday 17 October 2020

BTTS 157




Chapter 157. Another plump rabbit


After the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, the weather became slightly colder.

Lin Qing He began to take apart and wash last year's quilts and cotton clothes. At this time, the sun was still blazing during the day and the wind was quite strong, so it was a perfect time for this.

The process wasn't short. At least, Zhou Xi coming over to help her, it was more efficient.

"This year, you have grown a lot taller." Lin Qing He said to Zhou Xi.

Zhou Xi shot up this year. She used to be malnourished. And in the past three years, the two siblings had gotten older and earned more work points, therefore they can eat until full. Although the nutrition was still insufficient, she was no longer like the previous little bean sprout.

Zhou Xi grinned and said, "Aunt, when do you plan to go to the city this year?"

"You want to buy something?" Lin Qing He asked.

"I want to buy some red dates." Zhou Xi meekly smiled.

"Then I'll buy some back for you next time. Girls fare better when they eat more red dates. You don't need to eat a lot each day. Just eat three or five." Lin Qing He responded.

Zhou Xi smiled with closed lips and replied, "I listen to Aunt."

"Do you need anything else?" Lin Qing He asked.

"My brother's clothes are too short. I want to make him a new set. Aunt, will you grab a piece of cloth for me when that time comes?" Zhou Xi mentioned.

Coupons were issued every year. When Lin Qing He gave Zhou Xi cotton last year, Zhou Dong gave Lin Qing He all the coupons then.

Coupons were also distributed this year too. The brother and sister pooled together, so they will be able to get a piece to make new pants for Zhou Dong.

"Okay." Lin Qing He agreed.

Mother Zhou also came to help in the midst of unpacking and washing the quilt. With the three of them, the pace picked up.

After being disassembled and washed, they sewed it back together. When this year's winter isolation is here, they can take it out to wear or cover.

According to the lunar calendar, it was August 15th, while the solar calendar said it was already mid-September. At the end of this month, the horn of the autumn harvest will sound.

So after the quilt cover was removed and washed, Lin Qing He began to hike up the food at home.

Loach and eel were two frequent dishes on the family table. Lin Qing He had exchanged for them with some young teens in the village.

If they caught loach or eels and can't finish them, they can bring it over to ask her if she wants it.

In the eyes of adults, Lin Qing He was unvirtuous and don't know how to live. While which kids or even the young teens didn't envy Da Wa and his brothers for having a mother like Lin Qing He?

Therefore in the eyes of the children, Lin Qing He's reputation was excellent.

They would naturally listen to what she said.

Once they caught eels, they brought it over. Then Lin Qing He gave the money for it. Even if she gave it a dime or two, it did not hinder the joy of these young teens.

They feel that Da Wa's mother really kept her words. When she said exchange for money, she did.

For half a month, Lin Qing He inventively cooked the meals every day. She boiled the soup, braised and stewed the pickles, making Zhou Qing Bai's face rosy from all the nourishment.

It wasn't just him. Even Father Zhou too. You can't deny how spirited he was.

But even so, the family still accumulated a lot of loaches and ricefield eels, which were being raised by Lin Qing He.

At the end of September, the horn of the autumn harvest was blared out.

Lin Qing He was already very experienced. Starting at this time, they'll be engaged in the autumn harvest until November. It certainly was a very large autumn harvest season.

So Lin Qing He increased her milk order.

Another bottle of milk was added to the daily count.

Mother Zhou had the heart to say a few words that it wasn't necessary to go to such length.

Lin Qing He said: "When the time comes, I will bring two more bags of grain back home. I will send them to my old aunt and the money will be gained back."

Though it wasn't explicitly explained, Mother Zhou understood.

Selling food.

In fact, Mother Zhou had mentioned to Zhou Qing Bai in private that she was afraid of getting into trouble. It was clear that she was reassured by Zhou Qing Bai as Mother Zhou didn't say anything to Lin Qing He.

Since the daily three bottles of milk increased to four bottles, things were still the same as before. Only difference was the extra bottle was turned into milk mantou by Lin Qing He.

They were all for Father Zhou and Zhou Qing Bai.

The milk mantou was paired with a large plate of fried pork and cabbage or cucumber and egg. It was very nutritious and filling.

Yummy foods were delivered in the afternoon as well. After a busy day of work, they got to have some enjoyment right?

Even though Lin Qing He's meals attracted a lot of attention, Lin Qing He really didn't care.

If one asked her to give her man some pancakes accompanied with pickled or lump vegetables like the other three sisters-in-law did, Lin Qing He really couldn't.

This work was really tiring. If she didn't cook up some good food, she was squeezing the blood of her own man to save that little money.

Lin Qing He can't control how others act, but she will never do this.

On normal days, she often encouraged Zhou Qing Bai to occasionally be lazy and don't work too hard. However, her own man wasn't one to be a lazy bum.

Although Lin Qing He would scold him for being inflexible, she admired him in her heart.

Since she can't be of help, Lin Qing He vowed to make the three quality meals for him each day.

And even if there was such an excellent meal in the eyes of other people, it was actually quite average in Lin Qing He's opinion.

Don't know if it was God's pity, but that evening when Zhou Qing Bai and Father Zhou returned home with the kids, they brought back a rabbit.

It was as fat as last year’s rabbit, around five or six jins!

Lin Qing He's eyes lit up.

"Mother, I saw it and got Father to catch it!" San Wa began to claim credit.

"Not bad at all. Mother will make something nice for you, how does that sound?" Lin Qing He asked.

"Alright." San Wa cheered.

Mother Zhou was delighted too. Such a plump rabbit.

Lin Qing He got Zhou Qing Bai to handle it, and then she made braised rabbit meat with potatoes.

She left a small plate as a meat side dish for tomorrow morning. The whole family devoured the rest that night.

The villagers were envious.

But it was useless to envy. Zhou Qing Bai's ability can't be praised enough. The rabbit dashed over and he had already took action before the rest of them could react. In one go, he had grabbed the rabbit.

Such a big plump rabbit, who know how much food it ate to grow into this size.

Many people squatted around the corner with their rice bowls, sniffing the scent of the stewed rabbit meat at Zhou Qing Bai's house, so they can have an appetite.

Villagers don't have meat. To eat meat, they had to wait for the autumn harvest to pass and the winter wheat was planted before the first meat distribution happens.

Then the meat will be divided again at the end of the year.

It was like this every year, distributed two times a year.

At other times, they can also buy it with meat coupons. However, meat coupons were very rare. One had to exchange them with people as there were no meat coupons in the countryside, only in cities.

It's just that the country folks were used to saving money, so they generally won't exchange for meat coupons.

12 comments:

  1. Is it me or are people set into a "food can only be purchased" kind of mentality? Not sure about this era and place, but at least in the states home gardens, fishing, and hunting were a normal way to supplement meals, especially pre-1980s. You still find remnents of this way of living in the country areas of the US.

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    1. Mate remember the novel take place in Chyna not in the US so know

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    2. The socio-political context of the story is that, this is still in the 60s. China was only around half a decade away from Mao's Great Leap Forward...which had taken the lives of some tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of citizens. This is the time when the purist level of communism was practised.

      What private gardens? What private farms?? All that exists right then are the communal farms (this won't ease until the late 70s as Deng Xiaoping and the other, more moderate party members took over). Anyone caught doing private farming would be branded as a counter-revolutionary, trying to sabotage the revolution, being against the march of progress, etc, etc. Getting caught doing that isn't just suicide, but is practically asking to get your entire family clapped in irons and behind bars.

      So, no, that's not a good idea. What might pass as 'just a little garden' is something pretty subversive and dangerous during that time.

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    3. Calling that a harsh life is an understatement. No wonder even rearing chickens were counted 👀 don’t LQH have a garden for tomatoes and cucumbers? Or those small patches were allowed or they’re just good at hiding it?

      Man...60s in china really is worth reading into. Wish there were more stories like this. Only have Bai Fu Mei in 70s as my 2nd fave 😣 the other 60-70s we currently have access to arent as exciting as this (plot wise)or BFM 🙊

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    4. spoiler- gonna do a 60s/70s side project. hopeful, by xmas

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    5. Whoa, another project?? Sounds great, especially if it's going to be as entertaining as this one. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

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    6. Yep. I've read BFM which the setting is in late '70ies to '80ies. The village there seemed to be more strict compared to the Zhou Village of this book (even if it set in late '60 to early '70ies at this point). They couldn't have private "little garden" to feed themselves (they could only work in gov owned land to farm and gardening to gain work point) until the moderate faction got hold of the gov's rein.

      So, it's quite a surprise for me how "lax" the Zhou villagers' treat of LQH's garden and the knowing people's treat on the "speculation" (buying the meat from Mei Jie and the exchange in BM). But, the difference might be because LQH was born from a family who's peasant for generations meanwhile the ML of BFM was born from the old landlord family. The villagers might think that because she's born in the "good and honest farmer family" she's in no way have the thought of being an "evil capitalist". 🤔

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    7. Nah, I think Bai FuMei timeline is much earlier than this.
      Remember in Bai Fumei when reform happened about the farmlands being looked after by one family instead of by village?
      That's part is the start of the timeline of this one, or at least when she transmigrated.

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  2. The 60-70s was a fascinating period in China. Looking forward to your new side project!

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  3. God what a miserable life, omg really what a pain in the ass that stupid system. I have mix feelings on this, im happy LQH and her family is doing so well but in reality is all crap, all around. Everybody else is simply miserable, working their lives off for a coupon... :(

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  4. Sigh eating pancake and pickled veggies after hardwork in the field. I would cry but i doubt i will have any tears left in me from malnutrition

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