Tuesday 24 November 2020

BTTS 195




Chapter 195. Family Saving

There were summer harvests every year. Still, everyone's enthusiasm remains unabated every time.

Lin Qing He gave lessons in the morning and got a half-day off in the afternoon. Even though her salary and work points were halved, she will still receive a few jins of coarse grains when the summer harvest is over.

Last year, they received corn. Not sure about this year. Most likely will be similar to corn.

She didn't worry about this. Lin Qing He was responsible for preparing the food every day.


In the past few years, Zhou Qing Bai hadn't aged much since he retired due to his diet. As for Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother, one can see the difference when standing beside Zhou Qing Bai.

Zhou Qing Bai was two years younger than Third Brother. However, Third Brother appeared to be more than five years older than Zhou Qing Bai. Obviously aged quicker.

From the beginning, doing this farm work was energy-consuming and drained them to their weary bones. On top of that, their lifestyle was frugal.

Of course, compared with others in the village, Third Brother fared much better. There were some women in the village who were an extreme miser. They were examples of exaggeration. They can cause their men to collapse from starvation in the field.

Lin Qing He couldn't figure out how they could think like this.

Let alone the countryside, even in the city, if the head of the family collapse, it was the equivalent to the matter of the sky falling down. To actually make her man starve to this point, it wasn't living frugally. Rather, she held hatred for her man in disguise.

Lin Qing He's meals were always great.

Father Zhou, Zhou Qing Bai, and the boys, who also came to participate in the summer harvest, ate spring pancakes.

Even when it was summer now, it was still okay to eat spring pancakes.

The spring pancakes were filled with cucumber, eggs, chives, beans, and pork.

These were all cut into small pieces and then fried and were wrapped within the spring pancakes when brought over. There was also a bone soup, which was placed in the space when cycling over and then moved from the space to the basket on arrival.

Compared with this delicious spring pancake, what other people ate was really so-so.

The better-off families had two flour (not wheat flour of course) in one pancake or mantou mixed with a little bit of white flour. These were eaten with pickled veg.


Slightly worst were pancakes and water.

It was always been this way. From the time when they started working again at noon until they got off work in the afternoon, their belly was about to stick to their back.

Despite how they ate, Zhou Qing Bai, Father Zhou, and the boys, who filled their stomachs to the brim, were hungry too.
Fortunately, they all knew that as soon as they get home, there will be fragrant soup, soft steamed mantou, and delicious dishes waiting for them.

Three days into the summer harvest, Zhou Qing Bai came back with a rabbit in tow.

It was a common occurrence for Zhou Qing Bai to catch rabbits during the summer and autumn harvest to add a dish. In the past few years, which year did he not catch them?

Since it was just one, Lin Qing He would naturally not share it. She got Zhou Qing Bai to tidy it and then she simply braised it.

Again, many people came over to squat around the corner with their bowls. If they can take a sniff, it felt like they can eat more.

"Teacher Lin's culinary really has no-fault."

People passing by the door couldn't help but take a deep breath and then emotionally remarked.

If some women were given meat, they can't even make anything delicious with it. Completely lacking in skill. While Lin Qing He's cooking skills were well-known in the village.

After eating the really delicious meal, San Wa opened the door with little Su Cheng in tow and went out to play.

To eat such wonderful dishes, closing the door was a must. Otherwise, it would attract hate.

San Wa and little Su Cheng came out to play. Zhou Xia was at the entrance. When he saw him coming out, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "San Wa, are there still rabbit meat?"

"Of course, there's none. It's all finished. You didn't go home to eat?" San Wa asked.

"I have eaten, but there is no meat." Zhou Xia sighed when he heard that it was all eaten.

"It can't be helped. If you were born by my parents, then you would definitely have a share." San Wa said.

Zhou Xia looked down. He also wished he was birthed by his fourth aunt and uncle. Sadly, he wasn't!

Now that he was a little older, he held no illusions. He was birthed by his father and mother and cannot be changed to his fourth aunt and fourth uncle.

"But Su Cheng wasn't birthed by Fourth Aunt and Fourth Uncle either." Zhou Xia looked at Su Cheng.

Su Cheng froze. He was unable to answer. He turned to his brother San Wa.


"Little Cheng Cheng's parents bring food and eggs every month. They also bring milk candy. It's not freeloading. Also, he's only that big. He can't finish one mantou. Your appetite is larger than mine." San Wa explained.

He still defended his cousin.

"If I don't eat a lot, I will get hungry often," Zhou Xia responded.

"Do you want to play marble?" San Wa sent out an invitation.

"Play for a while." Zhou Xia nodded.

So they brought little Su Cheng to the entrance, drew a circle, and played with marbles. Soon the other children came over and played together.

From home, Fei Ying watched them play at the entrance while chewing on the rabbit bones.

To be honest, Fei Ying's food was better than many families in the village.


Fei Ying was part of the family. Although he had a low presence, he was definitely a good hand at house watching. With him here, Lin Qing He can go out with an ease of mind.

"San Wa, Cheng Cheng, it's time to take a bath." After playing for a while, Er Wa came out and called.

San Wa collected the marble and led little Su Cheng home. The other children continued to play but soon were called to return home.

The pace of life in the countryside was relatively slow. But still, the days of summer harvest passed very fast every day.

When all the grain was collected, the public ration was handed, and grain distribution was held, Lin Qing He continued to sell in the county city. After making a hundred yuan, she bought a few bottles of peanut oil and several baskets of eggs to store in the space for later use.

Lin Qing He spent a lot of money. Every time she came over to the county city to buy so many supplies, she actually didn't touch her capital.


What she earned from selling pork was enough. And there was still a lot of leftover for savings.

Last time, she counted, the money saved at home so far had gone from over 3,000 (when Zhou Qing Bai first came back) to more than 4,000 now. Almost four thousand and five hundred.

In this era, this was definitely a huge sum of money.

It was only this much because the family's expenses were large. If not, it might exceed 6,000 or even reach 7,000.

However, Lin Qing He felt it was unnecessary to mistreat her family just for that 2000 yuan.

So what should be spent was still spent. As for her plan to go to Beijing to buy a courtyard house in the future, there will naturally be some way at that time. No need to worry about missing out, right?

Just when the restriction drops was a good opportunity to take action. Taking advantage of that time to make a fortune could not be any easier for her.

But for now, those matters were still a bit far into the future.

The summer harvest was over, Lin Qing He welcomed the summer vacation. Summer vacation meant no need to give classes. Of course, there will be no salary and work points.

During this food distribution, the school subsidized their teachers 30 jins of corn. This benefit was pretty good.

12 comments:

  1. Thanks for the chapter!

    From the beginning, doing this farm work was energy-consuming. On top of that, their lifestyle was frugal. How can they not be drained their weary bones -> doing this kind of farm work and drained to their weary

    better ones were two flour( not wheat flour of course) in one pancake and mantou mixed with a little bit of white flour. These were eaten with pickled -> one less space and maybe a bit of rewording

    Rather, she held hatred with her man in disguise. 

    to mention how they ate. Even Zhou Qingbai, Father Zhou, and the boys, who filled their stomachs to the brim, were hungry

    Father Zhou, Zhou Qing Bai Zhou, and the boys, who also came to participate in the summer harvest, ate spring pancakes -> one too many of Zhou

    and then emotion remarked -> emotionally

    He was birth by his father -> birthed

    Even if some women were given meat to her, they can't cook anything -> reword it

    Fei Wing was part of the -> reong name

    when Zhou Qingbai first came back -> again, separate Qing Bai

    reach this amount of saving, it was because the family's expenses were large. If not, it might exceed 6,000 or even reach -> this part needs rewording at the beginning

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  2. Thank you for the chapter!!!
    San Wa will be going to school soon!

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  3. Just when the restriction drop was a good opportunity to take action. 
    *drops

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    Replies
    1. Thays what in waiting for really, her making money thx to future knowledge, hope it's satisfying, if it's just having a little house where she can happily cook for her man I'm gonna be even more disappointed then now.

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  4. Tenho sentimentos confusos por Lin Qing He, ela sabe que os sobrinhos comem o minimo necessario para viver, ela esta em boas condições financeiras, acho que não custaria nada ela ao menos uma vez por dia dar um lanche para eles

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  5. Ужас. Это Чжоу Ся мало того, что попрошайка, так он ещё и на младшего кузена наезжает. Он унаследовал завистливость своей матери.

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  6. Kind of telling the author’s cultural bias in naming the man head of the household, even though the novel was probably written in the last 10-20 yes, when in reality the reason to not let the husband starve is because he is the primary breadwinner (esp for heavy labor).

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