Half of her day off was spent on the mountain. With a light drizzle in her step, Yu Yin slipped and slid all the way home.
"I've made some brown sugar ginger water, you should drink some."
The logistics were handled quite well. Yu Yin took the brown sugar ginger water and drank a large enamel mug of it while it was still hot. She worked up a sweat and felt great.
After taking a shower and having some food, I must say, Comrade Lu's cooking skills have improved.
"I found a large patch of termite mushrooms today, all with caps that are about to open but not quite, perfect for making fried termite mushrooms. I'll make a lot this time, since I still have quite a bit of rapeseed oil left from the trade with Ah Xiang. It'll come in handy. Once it's done, I'll send some to my older brother, my second sister, and my grandma."
Yu Yin and Lu Shurui spread the mushrooms on a bamboo tray. It was drizzling outside, so they had to keep them indoors for now. They would clean the termite mushrooms later and make them into fried termite mushrooms.
The two chatted while working, occasionally replying to the little one with a word or two. Overall, the family of four was quite warm and loving.
Meanwhile, in the family compound of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Yu's mother was also resting today, reading letters from her eldest son and daughter.
Yu Kai, the eldest brother, graduated from university and was assigned to a shipyard in Yang City, where he became an excellent engineer. His wife, Wei Mingyue, is from Yang City, and her family all work at the shipyard. Wei Mingyue graduated from a vocational school and works as a manager at the shipyard. The couple has a son and a daughter; the older boy is over five years old, and the younger one is under three.
Yu Qing, the eldest sister, caught the last train to university and was assigned to the Yangshi Railway Bureau after graduation. Her husband, Du Chaoyang, came from a family within the railway system, and his father held a high position; their family was quite well-off. The couple had a son who was not yet three years old and was now pregnant again.
As Yu's mother read the letter, a smile graced her face.
No matter what, the eldest son in the family always puts in the most effort, especially since he is the first child in the family. As new parents, they are filled with hope and excitement.
The eldest daughter was smart, strong-willed, and knew how to be charming from a young age, which her mother genuinely loved. But with the arrival of the third, fourth, and even the youngest son, less attention was given. With more children and a heavier burden, she was busy feeding them all and often neglected the quietest child.
In the letter, the grandson said he wanted to eat sweet dried fruit, and the eldest daughter was pregnant and experiencing severe morning sickness, and wanted to eat the dried fruit and pickled bamboo shoots that had been sent before. Over the years, Yu's mother felt quite guilty for not helping to take care of her grandson or for not being there for her eldest daughter during her postpartum period.
She just wanted some food, that was easy. But all the food and supplies she had used before were prepared by Yu Yin, so she didn't really know what kind of food they had. She would have to ask Yu Yin.
Meanwhile, Yu Yin and Lu Shurui were busy sorting out the termite mushrooms. Mushrooms are delicious, but once they're stored away, they're not so easy to harvest.
I picked some pumpkin leaves from the yard. Pumpkin leaves have barbs, which are perfect for cleaning mushrooms.
The two of them, each holding a pumpkin leaf, carefully scraped off the grass and dirt from the termite mushrooms. Surprisingly, it worked quite well. Working together, a man and a woman, made the work easier; they even kept an eye on the child while working, and they were quite fast.
When Yu's mother arrived, Yu Yin had just finished cleaning the termite mushrooms and was putting them in a bamboo basket to drain. The water on the surface of the termite mushrooms had to be dried before proceeding to the next step.
"Mom, are you off today?"
"Okay, rest. Be safe and sound. Grandma's here. Do you still recognize Grandma?"
Mother Yu first looked at the two babies. They were well taken care of, chubby and fair-skinned, completely different from when they were first born.
"Yu Kang is doing well at his grandma's house. When is he coming back?"
"It will take a few more days, probably until the 20th or later, before your Uncle Xu can bring him back after he finishes his vacation."
Yu's father was the eldest son in the family, with two younger brothers. His grandparents treated all their grandchildren in the same way, but they treated the eldest brother Yu Kai and the youngest brother Yu Kang differently.
The eldest brother was the eldest son and grandson, whose status was determined at birth, not to mention his outstanding abilities. The youngest brother, Yu Kang, had the advantage of being the youngest among all his brothers and sisters.
Grandma missed her grandson, and a friend who was going the same way helped take him there. Otherwise, there was no other way; no one had time to take him there.
"Yu Yin, your eldest sister is pregnant again. She just found out."
"Then congratulations to her."
Yu Yin and her eldest sister were not close. When she was little, she was disliked for being slow to react and was ridiculed by other children for having a mentally challenged younger sister. Her eldest sister, Yu Qing, was ashamed to mention her.
"She's experiencing severe morning sickness and wants to eat some of the dried fruit I sent her before. Do you still have any?"
Yu Yin wasn't too bothered by her mother's words. Just as fingers are of different lengths, the love a mother has for her children won't be the same. Those who have been abandoned are immune to such things, and besides, Yu Yin's mother wasn't that biased.
"No, I didn't get much sun this year."
“There’s not a single piece left. Anze also said he wanted to eat dried fruit, but I’ve never made it before and I don’t know how to do it.”
Yu Yin didn't reply. No matter who wanted to eat it, she didn't have any and sent them all out.
I dried some of them a while ago and sent them all to Sister Lu, asking her to help me buy some lightweight mosquito nets. Yu Yin even specially exchanged a lot of tea leaves, knowing that it was Sister Lu's husband who would ultimately handle the matter, so she catered to his preferences and made him happy to help with the task.
When Yu Yin's mother saw that Yu Yin did not respond, although she was not happy, she did not say anything. She only said that she would go to the family compound to see if there was any stock left and exchange some for herself.
After seeing Yu's mother off, Lu Shurui looked at Yu Yin, whose mood remained unchanged, and was a little confused. There was clearly still some food at home, so why did she say there was none left?
"What, is it strange? Why didn't you get some dried fruit for my mom?"
"I'm a little curious, do you not get along with your sister and brother?"
Lu Shurui knew that Yu Yin was not a stingy person. From the things she sent to her grandparents and second sister, it was clear that she was quite generous in her dealings with others.
"The relationship is just so-so, neither particularly good nor particularly bad. I moved here with my dad when I was twelve, while they stayed in Yang City to study, then got jobs, got married, and didn't spend much time together."
Since they came to Yunnan Province, their older brother and sister have only visited twice, and when they do, they always complain about it.
There are many things that Yu Yin doesn't want to talk about. First, they were the original owner's personal experiences, and she only had the memories but didn't have such deep feelings. Second, since she came, her so-called older brother and sister haven't contacted her at all. Even when she gave birth, it was through her mother that each of them gave her a red envelope.
Yu Yin just wants to live a carefree life, not to force herself. If it works out, great; if not, then let it go. The earth will keep turning no matter who's gone.
Seeing that Yu Yin didn't want to say more, Lu Shurui didn't continue the topic. Every family has its conflicts; even their family had a ton of problems. His mother was so concerned with saving face, his older sister was so self-centered, and his younger brother was...
I'm not going to think about it too much anymore. The termite mushrooms are almost completely drained. Yu Yin needs to go check on them. If they're completely dry, she'll need to prepare the seasonings. Making fried termite mushrooms is the real deal. These are such good termite mushrooms, it's quite rare. I should send more to my brother-in-law. I can eat some myself, and I can also share some with my comrades. You can't be too polite when someone gives you something, so I can take care of my brother-in-law a little.
Yu Yin could almost smell the aroma of the termite mushrooms being stir-fried in oil.
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