Chapter 34: Schemes

After a bit of idle chatter, Li Aiguo was preparing to head back to his room.

Jia Zhangshi, the eldest aunt, and a group of old women from the courtyard entered from outside.

"Food supplies are getting tighter and tighter these days. If you want to buy some fine white flour, you'll probably have to go earlier tomorrow."

"What a dreamer you are! Fine white flour? I heard from my cousin, who works as a porter at the grain station, that they haven't sold any fine white flour for nearly half a year."

"Then what am I supposed to do? My third child's birthday is next month, and his biggest wish is to eat white flour steamed buns."

In this era, the supply of goods had begun to tighten; even the pigeon market didn't sell fine white flour.

In some families within the courtyard, they couldn't even afford cornmeal.

Jia Zhangshi usually ate only fine white flour; the mere thought of black cornmeal made her mouth turn sour.

Looking up at the flour sack on Li Aiguo's shoulder, she found it exceptionally eyesore.

"Some people eat premium flour every day, yet they don't know how to help the needy in the courtyard. They have no conscience at all."

Li Aiguo turned his head, said goodbye to the eldest aunt, and walked toward the back courtyard, completely ignoring Jia Zhangshi.

Jia Zhangshi felt as if she had punched a ball of cotton; having no outlet for her frustration, she felt stifled and miserable.

***

Back at home.

Looking at the empty bag in Jia Zhangshi's hand, Qin Huairu gave a subtle smile. "Mother, you didn't manage to buy the fine white flour?"

"Don't even mention it! It's infuriating!"

Jia Zhangshi sat in her chair and gulped down water from an enamel mug.

Wiping the corner of her mouth, her triangular eyes squinted. "There was no fine white flour at the grain station at all."

"I also helped you look around; you can't buy it at the pigeon market either."

Qin Huairu felt a surge of joy in her heart.

Cornmeal cost 2 cents per jin, while fine white flour cost 10 cents per jin—a fivefold difference in price.

The Jia family was currently surviving entirely on Dongxu's meager wages.

For Jia Zhangshi to insist on eating fine white flour was nothing short of self-sabotage!

Qin Huairu's thoughts did not escape Jia Zhangshi's eyes.

Anger rose from Jia Zhangshi's heart, and she looked up, intending to scold Qin Huairu.

Suddenly, her eyes darted around as she thought of something.

A warm smile appeared on her face as she beckoned to Qin Huairu. "Daughter-in-law, I know you are the most filial. You must have a way."

Qin Huairu shuddered and gave a forced smile.

"Mother, I'm just a girl from the countryside. What kind of way could I have? When Shazhu was around, he had many connections, and we could have asked him to help us buy some fine white flour. But Shazhu is still stuck in the police station. How about you wait a few more days? He'll be out in a few days."

Jia Zhangshi rolled her eyes. "If we let Shazhu buy the flour, we'd still have to pay. I've found a way that doesn't cost a cent."

Qin Huairu was bewildered. How could one get things without spending money?

She had only recently married into the Jia family and had yet to adapt to their way of doing things.

Jia Zhangshi curled her lip in disdain. "Li Aiguo carried back a sack of premium flour. That's even better than fine white flour. You used to have a good relationship with him; if you go to his door and ask to borrow ten or eight jin, that boy will surely agree."

"Li Aiguo got premium flour?" Qin Huairu's eyes widened in disbelief.

She knew the Li family's situation very well. It could be said that to treat his father's illness, that fool Li Aiguo had spent the family's entire life savings, to the point where even eating had become a problem. Otherwise, she wouldn't have married into the Jia family.

"I saw it with my own eyes; there's no mistake. I heard he passed the train driver exam and received a reward from the depot."

Thinking of this, Jia Zhangshi was filled with resentment. "How can Li Aiguo compare to our Dongxu? How can he be so lucky!"

By this time, Qin Huairu could no longer hear Jia Zhangshi's voice; her vision felt blurred.

Li Aiguo had actually passed the exam to become a train driver; his future would surely be better than Jia Dongxu's.

She felt a pang of regret over her choice.

Seeing Qin Huairu standing there dazed, Jia Zhangshi said angrily, "If you have any filial piety, go to the Li house right now and help me borrow some premium flour!"

"Mother, that's a bit embarrassing..." Qin Huairu snapped out of it, looking helpless.

Jia Zhangshi snapped back, "What's there to be embarrassed about? We're just borrowing grain to get by; it's not like we won't return it."

*You never return anything you borrow...*

Of course, Qin Huairu did not dare say that aloud.

Seeing Qin Huairu's reluctance, Jia Zhangshi grew even angrier, her triangular eyes narrowing.

"Qin Huairu, you're just a little country girl. You don't even have a grain ration book, and you've even caused Banggeng to be unable to get his. If Dongxu hadn't taken a liking to you, marrying into our Jia family would be harder than climbing to heaven. Now, I ask you to do one little thing, and you're here dawdling. Are you trying to get Dongxu to send you back to the countryside?"

Qin Huairu knew Jia Zhangshi's temperament well; if she didn't go to borrow it today, Jia Zhangshi would certainly never let her off. And Jia Dongxu was soft-hearted, always listening only to his mother.

Having no other choice, Qin Huairu could only coax Banggeng to sleep, change into clean clothes, and stand before the mirror to make herself look beautiful before heading out.

Watching Qin Huairu's retreating figure, the corners of Jia Zhangshi's mouth curled up slightly.

This country girl was usually soft-spoken and gentle, but there was a hint of stubbornness in her eyes. She seemed very respectful, but she had her own ideas.

Ever since Qin Huairu married into the Jia family, Jia Zhangshi felt that Jia Dongxu was no longer as obedient as before. It must be Qin Huairu working behind his back.

Jia Zhangshi felt it was time to set some rules for Qin Huairu.

Women, once married, if they aren't taught rules, they won't know how to respect their parents-in-law.

This was nothing compared to the past. When Jia Zhangshi had first married, the first thing she did every morning was serve tea and water to her mother-in-law. In the sweltering summer, she fanned her; in the freezing winter, she washed her clothes. If she made a mistake, she was beaten or scolded; even if she was right, she had to listen quietly to any reprimand. If she dared to glare, she would inevitably face blows and kicks.

Now that she, Jia Zhangshi, had become a mother-in-law, she naturally had to assert her authority.

***

When Li Aiguo returned home, he took a flour scoop and divided the premium flour into six portions.

One portion was for himself, one was to be given to Zhou Tiehu in the evening, and another was intended as a gift for his apprenticeship. The final two portions were for his neighbors, Zhang Gangzhu and Old Lady Liu.

These two families had helped the Li family greatly during his father's illness. Especially Zhang Gangzhu. He was a butcher at the slaughterhouse and could buy pig offal at low prices. To nourish his father, Li Aiguo had frequently bought pig intestines, hearts, and lungs through Zhang Gangzhu.

By the way, Zhang Gangzhu's wife had an interesting name: Wang Gangtie (Steel). They were a perfect match, both having straightforward and hearty personalities.

Seeing that Li Aiguo had brought a jin of fine white flour, the couple, Zhang Gangzhu and Wang Gangtie, were so excited they couldn't close their mouths.

"Oh, brother, sister-in-law really must thank you! That boy of mine has been clamoring for white flour steamed buns for ages."

Wang Gangtie took the scoop and patted Li Aiguo heavily on the shoulder. Li Aiguo noticed her Adam's apple bobbing and couldn't help but take a sharp breath.

Incidentally, Zhang Gangzhu and Wang Gangtie's son was named Zhang Gangdan (Steel Egg). People had once advised them to give the child a nicer name, like Jianshe (Construction), Jianguo (Nation Building), or Kangmei (Resist America), but the couple dismissed it, claiming such names were easier to raise. In short, the family's theme was "toughness."

Old Lady Liu's situation was different. Her two sons were both working out of town, and her own health was poor.

"Aiguo, such precious things... for an old woman like me, who is half-buried in the yellow earth, eating this would be a waste."

Looking at the bright white premium flour, Old Lady Liu's cloudy eyes grew moist.

Li Aiguo smiled. "Auntie, you're still young. In a few years, you'll still be holding grandchildren for Brother Tianquan and the others!"

Liu Tianquan and Liu Diquan were workers for the exploration team. They had been suddenly transferred away three years ago and had been out of contact ever since. The only evidence that they were still alive was the wages they sent back every month.

Li Aiguo had once gone with Old Lady Liu to find the leader of the exploration team. The leader stated they didn't know the specifics, only that the two were performing a glorious mission. Since then, Old Lady Liu had stopped worrying.

After delivering the flour to the two families, Li Aiguo returned to the back courtyard.

As soon as he entered the crescent gate, he froze.

His own door was wide open, the dilapidated wooden panel swaying in the wind.

*That's not right. When I left, I clearly latched it from the outside.*

*Did a thief break in?*

Li Aiguo's heart leaped, and he rushed forward with large strides.