Friday 6 November 2020

BTTS 177




Chapter 177. Becoming colder


Lin Qing He intended to keep 30 jins of wheat for her own family use.

As for this year, she didn't plan to ask Third Brother Lin to help collect grain. This year, she obtained an official job position and the people from old Lin's family were watching her.

So Lin Qing He had plans of getting Third Brother Lin to collect more. She could just get some more on her side. As for having Third Brother Lin to send some wheat, it was also to block Mother Zhou's mouth.

When the time comes, she'll just say it was her brother's gift.

This year's autumn harvest was really exhausting. After over 40 days of autumn harvest, Zhou Qing Bai became a shade tanner.

Father Zhou was also drained.

After all, he was getting older and his body was less able than the year before. He can't be the same as when he was young.

Besides, Father Zhou used to earn ten work points, but now he only reached eight work points.

No one said anything about this elderly man.

As for Mother Zhou. She hadn't gone to the field now. However, she will participate in matters like rubbing corn.

She would also bring San Wa and the rest over. They will be given work points after rubbing.

As for little Su Xun. When Lin Qing He was home in the afternoon, she would take care of him.

Like his elder brother, little Su Xun was also very easy to babysit. As long as he was full and his diaper was changed, nothing will crop up for a while. Leaving by himself, he can still play so merrily. Not long after playing, he would fall asleep.

On the last day of the autumn harvest, everyone was exhaled in relief when they finished.

The next step was to start drying grains in large quantities and then hand in the public rations.

During this period, the sun-drying area was never empty. Like the previous years, this year was also a good harvest. So the women in the village talked about finding some time to buy fabric back from the city to make two sets of clothes for their family.

Second Sister-in-law probably wanted to fix the relationship with Lin Qing He. When she ran into Lin Qing He, she asked her if she was going to buy cloth this year. If she(LFZ) was, she(Sec) can bring it back together.

Seeing that she was willing to converse with her, she replied, saying no need.

There was still a bit of cloth left at home this year. What's more, there was really no need to make any clothes at home, except for a new underclothes for Er Wa.
That's right, she needed to make another pair of panties for him and Da Wa.

No need for San Wa. He can just go commando.

That day, Lin Qing He got home from school, she also brought back a sack of grain.

This was the subsidy given to teachers for this autumn harvest, 30 jins of corn kernels per person.

Got to admit, how can one not want it when the food is free? It’s just a pity that this month’s salary and work points were halved.

After paying the public rations, the village hurriedly distributed the grains.

Every household can pick a lot of food for their own family. People nowadays were really afraid of hunger. They didn't have egalitarian meals like they did in the '50s. Who didn't want their own homes to have more food?

Her family had borrowed the cart from Zhou Dong and Zhou Xi again to transport them back.

This year, they got additional work points because of Lin Qing He. They were given more shares, but even so, Lin Qing He still bought a lot of food for herself.

Then she also complained to the production team about the children getting bigger day by day. They can really eat their family poor.

Due to her current improved reputation, she had to explain a bit.

Someone suggested to eat a little less at each meal.

Lin Qing He responded: "The children are currently developing, they can't eat less. Got to eat 90% full. If they starve now, what to do if they don't grow tall in the future?"

So they still need to eat more.

So Lin Qing He brought back a lot of grains such as wheat, corn kernels, and sweet potatoes for the family.

Then someone saw it when her transporting them to the city. Lin Qing He stated that the grains were sent to sister-in-law to eat. Who would doubt this?

Everyone knew Lin Qing He and Zhou Xiao Mei had a good relationship. Zhou Xiao Mei was married to the city, and the two children were still here for care.


Lin Qing He wasn't home when Third Brother Lin delivered the 30 jins of wheat. Zhou Qing Bai was at home to receive it.

Hearing that his wife allowed him to collect it, Zhou Qing Bai didn't refuse.

"Brother-in-law, this is one hundred yuan. I borrowed it from my sister. Take it." Third Brother Lin also took out one hundred yuan.

The scattered change added up to one hundred dollars.

Before when Third Brother Lin built a house, Lin Qing He lent it to him. The one hundred yuan wasn't actually used up. Because he built such a small brick house, it didn't require that much money. On top of that, he obtained some money when his family separated out.

Adding the savings he meticulously gained by being frugal in the past two years, the entire net worth of Third Brother Lin was here.

Since Third Brother Lin was allocated a lot of food this year, which was sufficient to feed the family, he brought the money.

"Next time you come over and tell your sister. I don't get involved in your sister's affairs." Zhou Qing Bai said.

He won't accept the money on behalf of his wife. He let his wife decide on her own whether to accept it or not.

Third Brother Lin understood his brother-in-law's character, so he didn't persist. After the winter wheat was planted, he brought the money over again with a pheasant.

Lin Qing He was at home this time.

She has already sold all of her grains. This year she has made a big profit. She had made a hundred yuan after reselling.

"How can it take one hundred yuan? I didn't give you the money for collecting grain before." Lin Qing He said and returned half of the one hundred dollars.

"Sister..." Third Brother Lin cried out.

"That's enough. Take this money back. I gave your wife two cloth coupons. This year, you also made a gain. Go make a new outfit for your eldest daughter and second daughter." Lin Qing He urged.

Lin Qing He kept the pheasant. When Third Brother Lin departs, she gave him a pack of red dates, about a jin worth.

"The pigs are getting slaughtered in these two days, so I won't give you meat. Take this pack of red dates back and let the mother and daughters snack on them." Lin Qing He said.

Third Brother Lin surrendered. Every time he came over, his sister wanted to give him something.

After he went back, Lin Qing He began to boil the water and remove the feathers.

"Huh, where did the pheasant come from?" Mother Zhou asked when she came over with Su Xun.


"My brother brought it. Last time my sister-in-law was in postnatal confinement, I took some things over. I believed he long wanted to give me a pheasant. Never thought of feeding his family with this and brought it over." Lin Qing He explained. .

Mother Zhou naturally wouldn't criticize. Third Brother-in-law from old Lin family was indeed different from the rest. They can stay in touch with him.

Half of this pheasant was fried by Lin Qing He. The remaining half was stewed in soup.

With so many people in a family, one pheasant will naturally not last long. It was demolished in one day.

Now that the winter wheat was planted, the weather was really getting colder. Just in case that the rain and snow might arrive too fast, Zhou Qing Bai had ridden out early in the morning to gather firewood.

13 comments:

  1. I'm getting addicted to this novel each passing day. Thanks for the chap! 😘

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  2. I love this novel soooo much! You do a excellent job translating it!

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  3. I bought you a cup of coffee! I hope it helps you feel good about translating. I am sure it isn't easy but I really love reading this book and I appreciate your dedication to getting the chapters out. Keep up the good work!

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    1. Thanks Sweetie! 😘 Thank you for reading and for your appreciation!

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  4. Im sad the orphan brothers haven't really appeared that nuch, i though they'd be more important, who knows though, maybe the girl marries one of her kids?

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  5. You would still get to see them from time to time in the later chapters but I think the girl is 6-7 years older than Dawa much less Erwa and Sanwa. By the time the boys are of age, she would have already married.

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  6. estoy tan feliz con esta novela de estilo de vida diaria, encontrarlas traducidas estan dificl, que siempre te conformas con un crudo xd

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  7. "Mother Zhou naturally wouldn't criticize. Third Brother-in-law from old Lin family was indeed different from the rest. They can stay in touch with him."

    Lmao, is this old lady still pretending to have a say in the household?

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  8. I don’t get why MC doesn’t maximize her grain income from her brother Lin. She has the space where things don’t rot. There’s 4 years until the cultural revolution ends and plenty of time to sell even if there are a few times where scrutiny increases. MC should maximize the amount her family, Mother/Father Zhou’s family, and brother Lin’s family can exchange. Then compensate them on the back end. Use it as a way for brother Lin to pay off the debt, and for Mother/Father Zhou feed them well. The more money she earns during this communist period, the bigger the gains when they switch to capitalism.

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  9. Hm.. Just wondering I already lost count but the third sister in law has 3 daughters and 1 son? Then xiao mei has one son and is currently pregnant. Has she given birth yet? I forgot 😂

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