Chapter 536: Difficulties

Liu Guifang said that her husband, Lao Yang, took their son to visit an old comrade-in-arms for the New Year.

"We military personnel can't go back to our parents' homes during the Lunar New Year. Otherwise, today would be the day we go back to our parents' homes."

The man still has comrades and friends, and can go and pay New Year's visits.

During the years she spent with the military, the only friends she made were these military wives.

Everyone lives in the family compound and usually keeps in touch. During the Spring Festival, some go back to their hometowns, and others go to visit friends, so they don't have time to get together.

Bai Zhi nodded, "Yes, we can't go back."

"I haven't been back to my parents' home for three years," Liu Guifang sighed, looking utterly helpless. "I don't have time to go back during the week, but I do have time when the kids are on vacation, it's just..."

She was straightforward and trusted Bai Zhi, so she didn't hide anything from her. "Xiao Bai, don't laugh at me, but I dare not answer back. I can't afford to."

Bai Zhi didn't immediately understand what she meant by "I dare not reply".

“I have an older brother, two younger sisters, and a younger brother. Everyone is married and has two or three children. Just the cost of my trip back home, not counting the round-trip train tickets, and the money I give the children for New Year's gifts, will cost my husband, Lao Yang, a month's salary. You know, when we go back to our hometown, we have to give some money to the elders, and I also need to buy myself and the children a couple of decent outfits. All in all, the expenses will cost Lao Yang several months' salary.”

As Liu Guifang was making dumplings, she told Bai Zhi about her troubles. "Among my siblings, I'm the only one who moved to the city. In their eyes, I'm doing the best now. But they don't know that things haven't been going well for us these past few years. My mother-in-law is in poor health, and we have to send money back to our hometown every month to pay for her medicine. I also got sick and had surgery, so I can't go to work. My child still needs to go to school, and it's really hard to support a family on one person's salary."

Bai Zhi looked at Liu Guifang's worried face and chuckled, "I understand."

Bai Zhi had experienced all of what Liu Guifang described in her previous life.

I have experienced her financial difficulties and embarrassment.

However, after leaving her hometown in her previous life, she severed ties with her so-called family members, so there was no question of her returning to her family home.

But I was truly poor.

Especially after Zhao Kai's car accident, he even framed her for having problems in that area. In order to earn money for Zhao Kai's treatment, she saved money by not eating and became malnourished and fainted several times.

After hearing Liu Guifang's words, Bai Zhi finally understood why many daughters who married far away could not return home even once every few years.

Is it really because you don't have time?

Actually, no.

The main problem is that I can't afford to go back.

No matter how tough things get outside, you must bring lots of bags and packages when you go back to your parents' home.

Moving even slightly increases expenses by several times compared to usual.

We often see strangers living glamorous lives, but that's because we don't know them well.

Bai Zhi comforted her, "Sister-in-law, things will be better in a couple of years."

“I plan to find a job after the New Year. Now that Xiao Kai doesn’t need taking care of me, and my health has improved, the pressure on my family will be relieved once I start earning a salary.” Liu Guifang’s eyes regained their sparkle when she talked about finding a job.

Bai Zhi strongly agreed with her idea, "Yes, finding a job is one thing, but the key is that we can also realize our own value."

"Xiaobai, what are your plans?" Liu Guifang asked her.

This young wife seemed to have no pressure to survive and no anxiety about the future.

Young people are just young; they lack a sense of crisis.

Of course, their family seems to be well-off, and they have people helping them out.

"Me? I don't know yet. We'll see after the New Year," Bai Zhi said casually.

"If you also want to find a job, let's look for one together."

The kind-hearted Liu Guifang said, "When Yumei comes back, we'll ask her if she wants to go out to work. We can look for jobs together. People need to go out and explore. Staying at home all the time will not only make men look down on you, but it will also make you feel bad. The key is that you won't have any money to spend."

After she stopped working, the family's finances took a sharp downturn.

After Wang Yumei stopped working to recuperate, she argued with Lao Zhou almost every day.

If you're busy with work, how can you have so much time to argue with your husband at home?

"Yes, we won't have any money if we stay at home, so we need to take action."

Bai Zhi said this, but she didn't reveal at all whether she wanted to look for a job or not.

Liu Guifang didn't know what Bai Zhi was planning.

But she was very certain of her own mind that she had to go out to work after the New Year.

At the same time, I was also very uneasy.

After all, I'm getting older, and it's not easy to arrange work for me.

She used to work at a supply and marketing cooperative, but now, with the rise of the individual economy, the ticketing system is gradually being abolished and will soon disappear.

She can't do anything else.

I really don't know what kind of job I can find.

She wanted her husband, Lao Yang, to use his connections to arrange a job for her, but he was an upright but inflexible man who would curse at her if she mentioned asking for favors or back channels.

"Xiaobai, do you think I can still find a job at my age?" Liu Guifang added, "On my own."

Looking at Liu Guifang's weathered face, Bai Zhi thought that she was already thirty-six or thirty-seven years old and didn't have any skills. It would probably be really difficult for her to find a job on her own.

The key issue is that this place is sparsely populated and underdeveloped, with very few job opportunities.

Working far from home is inconvenient.

"Sister-in-law, I'm not quite sure about that either..."

Bai Zhi pondered for a few seconds, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Sister-in-law, you're such a good cook, have you ever thought about starting your own small business, like selling food or something?"

"Sell food?" Liu Guifang's eyes lit up slightly upon hearing her words, and she immediately smiled and said, "I really hadn't thought of that."

"Besides these home-cooked meals, can you cook other dishes? Like, what are some of your local specialties?" Bai Zhi asked her.

If you have the skills to make specialty snacks, you can definitely set up a stall.

Unexpectedly, Liu Guifang really has a skill, and it's a skill passed down through generations. "I can make 'yao mianpi' (a type of noodle). My mother used to sell 'yao mianpi' on the street to support my siblings and me."

Her younger sister inherited her mother's skills, married into the next village, and is now selling noodles in town.

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhi's eyes lit up, and she said with a smile, "Making noodles is a good thing; I've never seen it on the streets here before."

"If it's authentic 'twisted noodles' from your hometown, then business must be good."

She looked at Liu Guifang with a gleam in her eyes, as if she had discovered a new business opportunity.

This is definitely something that can be done.

However, Liu Guifang said with difficulty, "I know how to make the dough, but the soup sauce and seasoning are my mother's secret recipe, which she only passed on to my younger sister."