Chapter 2, Section 2: Xiuying glared at him, but...
Cheng Xiuying glared at him, not seeing Yu Jiajia taste the food, but seeing her youngest son sneaking a bite. She said, "How could the meat not taste good?"
Even if Fourth Sister's cooking is delicious, you still can't praise her.
For breakfast, it was pork stir-fried with tofu. When it was time to eat, everyone was eager to get started.
Before the food was even served, everyone was already seated.
Cheng Xiuying used a rice scoop to serve sweet potato porridge to everyone. Yu Hongding's bowl had about ten pieces of sweet potato, while the others received six to eight pieces according to their family contributions. Yu Jiajia's bowl was the last one, with three pieces of sweet potato.
The steamed buns made from the two-component flour mixture weren't something you could just eat casually; Yu Jiajia got a piece.
Yu Jiajia was speechless. Even something as small as this had to be divided into different grades. She really disliked this era from the bottom of her heart, but even if she disliked it, it was still better than being a wandering ghost.
Yu Jiajia sat down with her porridge, and Cheng Xiuying started eating first, placing a piece of shredded meat into Yu Hongding's bowl. "Eat up."
Yu Jiajia also admired Cheng Xiuying; she had such sharp eyes and steady hands that she could pick out three thin strips of meat with just one chopstick!
Everyone else reached for the shredded pork and tofu, and Yu Jiajia quickly reached for her chopsticks as well.
Cheng Xiuying: "Siya, get me a clove of garlic."
While picking up some meat, Yu Jiajia took out two cloves of garlic from her pocket and handed them to Cheng Xiuying. Cheng Xiuying also picked up two shreds of meat with her chopsticks and immediately stuffed them into her mouth. Only the meat she ate was her own!
As Cheng Xiuying served Yu Hongding some meat, she said, "Siya, bring the vinegar bottle."
Yu Jiajia bravely grabbed the shredded pork and tofu, then spotted another shred of pork and two pieces of tofu, putting them into her porridge bowl before sitting up to get the vinegar bottle.
Oops, I didn't prepare a vinegar bottle in advance. I'll prepare one next time.
Cheng Xiuying frowned as she looked at it, "A starving ghost reincarnated."
Everyone: ...
This is an insult directed at the entire family.
Cheng Xiuying added, "If I were just sitting at home eating, I wouldn't have the nerve to eat meat. Siya wasn't like this before either."
The original owner was definitely not like that. The original owner wished he could starve to death. Not only did he not eat good food, but he also tried to eat as little cornbread and porridge as possible, and he was miserable from hunger every day.
Yu Jiajia wouldn't do that. She pretended not to hear and didn't talk back, afraid that Cheng Xiuying would elbow her. After she got the vinegar bottle, unsurprisingly, the minced meat and tofu were left on the plate.
Last night, she fried two eggs at home. Since she had no experience, Cheng Xiuying asked her to get some garlic cloves. In the blink of an eye, the eggs were gone!
Cheng Xiuying just didn't want her to eat good food.
With the minced meat and tofu gone, Cheng Xiuying stopped asking her for help.
Yu Hongding picked up a shredded piece of meat from his bowl and gave it to Cheng Xiuying, saying, "Don't just think about me, eat some too."
Cheng Xiuying blushed with joy.
Yu Jiajia:......
As everyone drank porridge, ate cornbread, and ate pickled vegetables, they began to talk.
Boss Yu Songqing: "Siya, how's your job search going?"
Yu Jiajia was soaking a cornbread in porridge. The porridge contained oil, meat, and tofu. She picked up a piece of cornbread and thought it smelled better. When she heard her older brother talking to her, she didn't even look up: "Brother Dabao, are you going to help me?"
Yu Songqing: "Big brother is big brother, why call him Brother Dabao?"
Yu Jiajia thought to herself, "If you don't call me Siya, how can I call you Dabao? It's like I don't even have a name."
"Brother, are you going to introduce me to a job?"
Yu Songqing: "I don't have that ability. It's so hard to find a job these days. Xiaoqing graduated two years ago and still hasn't found one. Songyan and Jiamin were just lucky to find good jobs."
Lu Xiaoqing is the eldest brother's girlfriend.
The second brother, Yu Songyan, ate his vegetable soup porridge and said, "What do you call good luck? It's my eldest brother who's lucky to be able to go to university." He sighed, "If I had known, I would have skipped a few more grades and caught the last train of the college entrance examination."
He has good grades; if he could take the college entrance exam, he would definitely get into university.
Yu Songqing: "...I got in through the exam! I'm truly talented."
The second brother looked at the eldest brother and laughed. The eldest brother touched his nose and said, "You found jobs because you have the ability." He continued to look at Yu Jiajia and said, "Siya is introverted, so it's too difficult for her to find a job. Xiaoqing has a cousin who is 18 years old this year, and his family is quite well-off."
This means introducing someone to you.
Cheng Xiuying immediately became interested. "What does Xiaoqing's cousin's family do? Where does he work? Did he graduate from high school? What's his name?"
Yu Songqing: "His father is a cook at the oil press factory, his mother is an accountant, and Xiaoqing's cousin Liu Duobao works as a warehouse manager at the oil press factory. He doesn't have much education, only a primary school education. He also has three older sisters, all of whom are already married. If we can get engaged, we can give this amount as a bride price, and we'll also give them the 'three turns and one ring' (referring to a set of three-wheeled trains and a radio)." He held out his hand, indicating five hundred yuan.
Cheng Xiuying slapped her thigh: "You couldn't find such conditions even with a lantern! When are you going to arrange for someone to meet with them?"
Yu Jiajia felt a chill run down her spine. Just this morning they were talking about Su Man's blind date, and now it's her turn?
The second son, Yu Songyan, said: "His education level is too low, and he's not very smart. He's not suitable for Jiajia. What common topics could they possibly have?"
The third sister, Yu Jiamin, glanced at Yu Songqing, put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and said, "Tell me what's wrong with the other person? Is he lame, blind, or mentally challenged? Or is he not going to live long?"
Yu Jiajia didn't expect her third sister to say that.
Yu Songqing frowned: "Look at what you're saying, it's clear you don't like studying. If she were really blind or mentally challenged, would I introduce her to Siya? She has a slight limp, it's not obvious when she walks, you can only tell when she runs. If it weren't for Xiaoqing's introduction, she wouldn't have even considered Siya. Siya, I'm doing this for your own good, when it comes to marriage, family background is the most important thing."
Yu Jiamin sneered, which made Yu Songqing furious.
"I'm your older brother, would I harm you?"
"Who would know?" Yu Jiajia: "Brother Dabao, your girlfriend isn't unemployed, she's clearly a matchmaker."
Yu Songqing finally caught the sarcasm in Yu Jiajia's tone: "What kind of behavior is this, being sarcastic? Your sister-in-law is worried about you, and you can't even call her 'sister-in-law'?"
Yu Jiajia: "My future sister-in-law is quite a worrywart. She's already taking charge of the household even before she's married into the family."
Yu Songqing was furious: "Xiaoqing is doing this for the good of our family. How can you not distinguish between good and bad? Mom, you and Dad are the heads of our family, and you'll be the heads of the family for the rest of your lives."
Cheng Xiuying's anger was calmed by her eldest son, and she made a decision: "Let Xiaoqing arrange for him to come to our house. It's no problem if he has a slight limp."
Yu Jiajia felt a chill run down her spine: "Whoever wants to go can go, I'm not going."
Cheng Xiuying slapped her on the head: "I'm letting you meet them, not making you get married right away. I'll look into the Liu family this afternoon. I'm your mother, would I harm you?"
The force was too great; Yu Jiajia's head was ringing from the slap. She really wanted to flip the table; she was in pain and angry, and couldn't even eat.
For a family like this, going to the countryside might be a good option.
Yu Jiamin put down her chopsticks: "I'm going to work."
Everyone quickly dispersed, some to work, some to school, leaving Yu Jiajia alone.
Yu Jiajia sat silently for a long time. These miserable days were too exhausting. She endured it again and again, but finally picked up Cheng Xiuying's toothbrush and Yu Songqing's toothbrush and scrubbed the wall hard. After rinsing the toothbrush clean, she put it back.
Once she'd vented her anger, she simply rinsed the dishes and chopsticks on the table with water, and they were clean.
The family's clothes also needed washing, so she went to the sink to wash them. She filled a basin with water, sprinkled on some laundry detergent, gave them a perfunctory scrubbing, and considered them clean.
Before I could finish washing the clothes, I ran into Su Man again.
She changed into a white floral top, and her hair was styled into two long braids that hung down in front of her chest.
She walked up to Yu Jiajia and said, "I'm going on a blind date. It's the youngest son of my mom's colleague; he works at a steel rolling mill." She asked Yu Jiajia, "What do you think about me asking for a job instead of a dowry?"
Yu Jiajia was quite surprised.
Su Man continued, "My mom would love to sell me to my second brother for a dowry. I have to live for myself. Asking for a dowry would only benefit my second brother. I need to work! Once I have a job, I'll have more confidence. Please don't tell my mom."
If her mother finds out, she'll tear her apart.
Yu Jiajia made a suffocating gesture, "I didn't hear anything." After washing the clothes, she prepared to pick up the basin and head home, but she couldn't lift it! It was so heavy that it almost bent her back; it was heavier than a bucket of water.
Su Man: "Aren't you going to wring out the water?"
Yu Jiajia: "...I've already twisted it." She wasn't very strong; even carrying a basin of clothes, it wobbled precariously.
Su Man helped wring out the clothes, then lifted the basin with Yu Jiajia and helped hang the clothes on the rope by the door, chattering on and on the way.
“If I don’t finish my work every day, my mom will say I’m just eating and not doing anything. I don’t want to be stuck at home doing endless chores after I get married. I need to have a job, I absolutely have to go to work.”
"You look especially pretty with bangs! I wish I were as pretty as you, I'd definitely be able to win over my boyfriend. Come see me this afternoon, and I'll cut your bangs a little shorter."
"Don't cut your bangs yet, they're fine as they are." Yu Jiajia rubbed her wrist and slumped into a chair by the door, basking in the sun. "Xiaoman, I wish you success."
The original owner treated Su Man as a good sister, but Su Man's feelings for the original owner were not necessarily the same.
The original owner's thick bangs were cut by Su Man, covering the original owner's full forehead and beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows. Now the bangs are a bit long, even covering half of the lively almond eyes, making the whole person look dull and stupid.
A ninety-point appearance was abruptly reduced to a sixty-point.
She plans to tie her bangs up when they grow a little longer.
Su Man herself also has bangs, but her bangs cover her forehead. Looking at her today, she has shaped her eyebrows and applied light lipstick, so her sense of style is not bad.
Su Man looked at Yu Jiajia with exasperation: "You need to be more mindful and think more about yourself! I'm going on a blind date."
After Su Man left, Yu Jiajia basked in the sun for a while, finally dispelling the gloom in her heart. Now, the most important thing is to find a job. With a job, it will be less likely for Cheng Xiuying to control her, just like her third sister.
How exactly do I find a job? If I just wander around aimlessly like the original owner, how could I possibly stumble upon a job opening?
If she were this lucky, she wouldn't have died in a car accident in her previous life and would have ended up in the 1970s.
I'm so worried I'm losing my hair.
Wow, you're a master of time travel! Is your cheat system still on its way? Anything from a system, a spatial dimension, a farm, or spiritual water—I'm not picky!
She locked the door and put her hands in her pockets.
This pocket feels cleaner than my face! The original owner was a 17-year-old girl who had no savings.
Not a single penny!
Just how honest and simple-minded was the original owner?
After leaving the steel mill's residential compound, Yu Jiajia first toured several large factories nearby. On the way, she encountered several unemployed people like herself, eagerly looking for job openings. Some even tried to ingratiate themselves with the gatekeeper, offering him cigarettes and candy.
She looked at the candy and wanted to eat it!
She also wanted to be a doorman.
She wandered around for a while but didn't encounter any opportunities. The oil and fat from her breakfast had all been used up, and her flat stomach was clamoring for the next meal. She looked at the beautiful reservoir and wanted to eat fish!
In an instant, countless ways to eat fish flashed through my mind: braised fish, boiled fish, grilled fish...
Forget about fishing nets; they're beyond her means. But she can figure out a way to get fishhooks. She can use a sewing needle, make some fish food, and catching fish shouldn't be a problem.
Yu Jiajia had no fish to eat, but she climbed a tree and caught a nest of bird eggs—six in total! They were about the size of quail eggs! She chose a good spot, lit a fire, and prepared to eat lunch.
The lunch Cheng Xiuying prepared for her consisted of only a small amount of pickled vegetable shreds and a cornbread, just enough to keep her from starving.
Place the aluminum lunchbox on the wood-fired stove, first sauté the thin slices of pork that I had prepared that morning until they were dry. After a few drops of lard were rendered out, the aroma immediately filled the air. Add two wild scallions picked from the roadside to enhance the freshness, and a small pinch of pickled vegetables for flavor. Then pour in the cooled boiled water from the fruit can. Once the water boils, crack in six small bird eggs. Finally, break the cornbread into small pieces and add them in. A delicious lunch is ready.
The aluminum box was decorated with bright green scallion segments and tender poached quail eggs. Yu Jiajia felt even hungrier. She picked up a thin slice of stir-fried pork with her chopsticks, blew on it slightly, and put it in her mouth.
But it smells so good!
Pork tastes so good these days.
I also added a small bird-shaped fried egg, it smells so good!
The cornbread wasn't so dry after being soaked in the soup. By the end, Yu Jiajia had drunk all the soup, but she was only about half full and her stomach still felt empty.
This body is so lacking in nutrients.
Yu Jiajia: "Holy crap, a carp!" It was about half a foot long, leaped out of the water, and fell back into the water in an instant.
I crave fish even more now.
These awful days...
In the afternoon, Yu Jiajia went to the oil press factory for a while and even sneaked into the factory's residential compound. She saw several six- or seven-year-old children playing jump rope. She went over and taught the children new ways to play jump rope. They quickly mastered the game and took the opportunity to inquire about Liu Duobao's family.
If Yu Jiajia were to inquire with the adults, they certainly wouldn't tell the truth. The Liu family had already spoken with everyone in the residential compound; Liu Duobao was ready for marriage. Anyone who ruined the Liu family's plans would suffer the consequences. If anyone came to inquire and could put in a good word for them, the Liu family would be extremely grateful.
But the children won't keep it a secret.
Liu Duobao's family was indeed well-off, and he did have a slight limp, which was almost imperceptible when he walked. However, Liu Duobao was not very bright; he attended primary school for ten years without graduating, and everyone called him Silly Brother Bao.
Yu Jiajia roughly understood the situation, changed the subject, and continued to lead the children in playing jump rope with a smile. When she left, the children were reluctant to part with her and asked her to come and play with them again next time.
Yu Jiajia left the oil mill compound, her face turning cold. She didn't treat Yu Songqing as her older brother, but the original owner was still his own sister. This idiot introduced his own sister to a lame idiot.
Now she only has three paths before her: find a job, go to the countryside, or get married.
Both are difficult!
[Ding! The 'Five Good Youth Check-in System' has been activated. Loading... 5%, 35%... 100%]
My belated but powerful cheat code!!!
Ahhhhhh...
[Loading complete, bind now?]
Yu Jiajia's heart was pounding. She looked at the 100-inch semi-transparent screen in front of her, which displayed two buttons: a red button on the left with the word "Yes" written on it, and a green button on the right with the same word "Yes".
[Countdown: 10, 9, ...]
There's no need for such a forceful sale; Yu Jiajia will definitely choose yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.
Overjoyed, she pressed the green button.
A note from the author:
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