Chapter 272 Can They Survive This Winter?

"Dad, there are three bowls of porridge and one steamed bun in total. You and big brother each have a full bowl, plus an extra steamed bun. The remaining bowl is not enough for mother and the four of us sisters.

"Mom is injured and needs to recuperate. She should eat half full, right? My three sisters have big appetites now, and we can't let them go hungry all the time." The little girl, about ten years old, stood by the kang and pleaded in a low voice to Cao Da, who was drinking from a bowl of porridge on the kang.

She could choose not to eat, but even if she didn't eat a single bite, it would not be enough to feed her mother who needed to take care of herself and her three younger sisters who were still growing up.

Cao Da drank a large bowl of porridge in one breath until only the bottom of the bowl was left. Without wiping his mouth, he stuffed a few big mouthfuls of steamed bun into his mouth and hummed and murmured, "I'm also injured and I'm the head of the family. The old lady specifically asked me to eat more and take good care of myself!

What's the point of your mother staying healthy? Can she even go to the city to buy food and meat? She'll just lose it all! What a jinx! She can't even do the smallest things right. Women are useless, I'd say. No matter how much they eat, they're still wasting food!

The same goes for you four worthless things!"

After being scolded, Xiao Jin thought of his three sisters who were awakened by hunger at night and his mother who was still pale in bed. He gritted his teeth and continued to beg, "We are a family. This year, there is less food and life is a bit difficult, but as long as we can survive the winter, you and mother will be fine. The old lady has money, so buying food is not a problem.

Dad, you and big brother can each give up half a bowl, that way you can eat until you are 70% to 80% full, and Mom and we can eat half full. Isn't it great to get through this difficult time together as a family?"

Cao Da pouted, "I'm still injured, why should I only eat until I'm 70% full?

Other girls would make sure their fathers are well fed even if they don’t eat themselves. But you, an unfilial daughter, are only concerned about your mother and deducting money from your father, right?

Want to eat? Go ask the old lady for it and see who she feeds! "

The old lady secretly told him that he would go and find a wife after his leg healed, but the man didn't like his concubine and asked him if he was willing to give up his position as the main wife.

Who wants that yellow-faced woman when there is a young and beautiful one?

It's just a broken arm, but her leg is not broken, and she can still work with the other arm. He asked her to bring her a glass of water but she refused, and she always had a gloomy face and didn't even smile. Why should he give up his food!

She doesn't even consider herself. She only gave birth to one son and can't have any more. How dare she give him a hard time?

Good, very good. Once he marries that cash cow, the old lady will definitely value him more, and he will be able to have a son again.

One son is still too few. He needs at least two or three, or five or six. The more the better... No matter how you count it, he will not be at a loss.

Xiao Jin thought about how the old lady had often said, intentionally or unintentionally, recently that there was not enough food, and everyone had to tighten their belts to make ends meet. It snowed last night, so the porridge distributed to their family today was much less. Even if they asked for it, the old lady would definitely not give them more.

As for how to distribute the seven people in the family, the old lady doesn't care.

She looked at her father who had already finished his porridge, then looked at her eldest brother who was waiting on the side, and said concedingly, "Dad, you eat your fill to nourish your body. As for the remaining two bowls of porridge, can you share them with the five of us, eldest brother?"

As long as the eldest brother was willing to give up some, everyone could drink half a full meal. Although the old lady had to tighten her belt, she knew that the three young masters had cakes and soups during the day. The eldest brother served the three young masters and could often get a share of food, so they would not really go hungry.

Big brother would definitely agree without hesitation.

After hearing this, Cao Youcai quickly looked at his father.

Cao Da glanced at him sideways and snorted, "Boss, you have to think carefully. They will belong to someone else's family sooner or later. You are still growing up, and you have a long time to live. If you starve yourself to death, who will do the heavy work for you?"

Cao Youcai looked hesitant and tightened his hands around the bowl.

Xiao Jin's heart skipped a beat, and she called out in a daze, "Brother? In the past, you had a big appetite, and we, your sisters, would take the initiative to give up our food to you.

We've been rewarded with meat dishes, but we've prioritized you first. This time, I was protecting you, which is why I got so badly injured. Do you really not care about me and us?"

Cao Youcai's expression changed again and again, and he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Then, then I'll give up half! That should be enough."

There are five of us in my mother's group. If we mix the two bowls together, he won't get even half a bowl. So he doesn't lose much by giving up half.

Xiao Jin's heart sank.

The eldest brother can settle accounts, and she can also settle accounts.

She looked at her eldest brother who lowered his head and didn't look at her. The smile on his face was uglier than crying: "Okay, thank you, big brother."

Can they survive this winter?

*

The first heavy snow of winter stopped in the evening of the next day.

On the third morning, the sun came out, and rain began to drip from the eaves. The white snow on the road was trampled into dirt.

Shen Qing was a little worried.

It’s not that I’m worried that the white snow will be dirty and look ugly after being stepped on, but that it will turn into snow water mixed with water and mud after being stepped on. Every time I step on it, a mud puddle will be formed, and when I carry it around, there will be a lot of mud spots.

There is no running water or washing machine here. Jackets, trousers and cotton skirts all depend on fetching buckets of water and boiling water in pots. Mud spots can only be washed off by hand.

Not to mention the laborious use of firewood soap, it can even wash cotton clothes. New, fluffy and soft cotton clothes will become stiff if you rub them left and right while washing.

But it's impossible not to go out. People from the big villages rarely go there. The people who make food in the brush workshop have to go back and forth at least once or twice a day, not to mention the people who come from the big villages to work...

When Shen Qing was feeling worried, he saw a group of people coming to the yard.

Guan Li, who was checking the frozen pears in the snow in the yard, saw the newcomers and greeted them enthusiastically, "Grandma Qin, Second Grandpa, Third Grandma, Uncle Hong, Second Uncle Zhao, why are you all here together?"

Shen Qing quickly stood up, put on the wooden clogs under the eaves and went to meet him.

"Oh, no need to come over! You all have clean clothes and shoes over there. It's not good to get them dirty in this muddy water." Granny Qin had just finished speaking when she squinted her eyes and saw what the two of them were stepping on. She said in surprise, "This thing is good. It won't bring up a lot of mud."

"Will it not dirty your shoes and socks?" Zhao Mingyue asked in surprise.

Guan Li spoke fluently, "Well, how can it be so effective? It only works on a flat, dry place. This yard has been leveled before, and the soil is compacted. It's okay to wear these clogs.

It won't work once you're out of the yard, and it'll be even more troublesome if you run into puddles or mud. But leather boots are good, they're waterproof and won't get your socks wet, and it's easy to clean the mud on them when you get back. Just wipe them off and it won't delay anything."

However, there is not much leather material at home, and my mother is the only one who has a pair of leather boots. My aunt and younger sister take turns wearing them to the workshop.

The light in the eyes of Granny Qin and Zhao Mingyue dimmed.

Then I thought of the purpose of this trip and became filled with hope.