Seeing Ruan Xi say this, the original second aunt Sun Xiaohui smiled and said, "If you don't want them, give them to Xiaojie."
Ruan Xi looked at her second aunt, and before she could say anything, she heard the grandmother Liu Xinghua next to her say unceremoniously: "Only you can say that. The clothes are sent to Xiaoxi, but are they all for Xiaojie? How many pieces does she wear a day?"
Sun Xiaohui was choked and stopped smiling. She lowered her head to eat her corn bun and said nothing more.
Since Liu Xinghua stopped Sun Xiaohui from speaking, Ruan Xi naturally stopped talking. Based on her original body's memory, she knew that her second aunt was a person who would take advantage of anyone and her relationship with her grandmother was not very good, and it had been particularly tense recently.
But Liu Xinghua's status in the family was so high that even if she scolded Sun Xiaohui, Sun Xiaohui would not dare to challenge her.
Ruan Xi ate quietly, adapting to the new environment and not talking much. Suddenly, she heard her cousin Ruan Yuehua say, "Grandma, why do we eat pickles all the time at home recently? We eat pickles three times a day. I'm almost choking."
Liu Xinghua said while eating pickled vegetables: "How can we eat meat every day? The copper mine on the mountain is not yours."
As for the real reason for eating pickles three times a day, Ruan Xi also knew it. Because her original fifth uncle Ruan Changsheng was about to get married, Liu Xinghua had started to save money by living frugally not long ago, in preparation for using it as a dowry for Ruan Changsheng's marriage.
The younger cousin Ruan Yuehua is not clear about it, but the others should understand it more or less.
Sun Xiaohui understood this matter and had her own opinions, which had been on her mind for some time.
She snorted in her heart, but showed nothing on her face.
After dinner, when she went into the house and prepared to go to bed, she couldn't help but complain to her husband Ruan Changgui: "Xiaoxi said she didn't care about it, so what's wrong with me giving it to Xiaojie? She doesn't care about it, but our Xiaojie does."
"Just pretend you didn't hear it."
Ruan Changgui was very tired after a day of digging copper in the mountains. He said something perfunctorily and fell asleep.
Sun Xiaohui hadn't even started talking yet, but seeing Ruan Changgui like this, she instantly felt even more depressed.
She originally wanted to talk about the fact that the food at home had been getting worse and worse recently, and the matter of dividing the family, but she could only swallow it down.
In Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie's room.
Under the oil lamp, Ruan Jie fiddled with the clothes that Ye Qiuwen had sent her, including flowered jackets, dresses, and a women's military uniform. Military uniforms are the most fashionable and coolest clothes these days, and they can make you stand out the most when you wear them.
Ruan Xi was not interested in any of these clothes. As a fashion designer, she had seen all kinds of beautiful clothes. In that era, the whole country was poor due to material scarcity, and food and clothing were still a problem. As for clothes, naturally there were not many varieties.
She looked at the scratches on her body in the light of the oil lamp, and she hissed every time her finger touched them. There wasn't even a barefoot doctor in the village, let alone modern disinfectants and anti-inflammatory medicines. People could only let their wounds heal on their own.
Ruan Jie put on a polka dot dress, lifted the skirt to show it to Ruan Xi, and asked her: "Sister, does it look good?"
Ruan Xi put down his scraped arm, looked at Ruan Jie, and said perfunctorily: "It looks good."
Ruan Jie couldn't hide the joy in her eyes and mouth, "You really won't be picky this time? Then give me this skirt?"
Before, when Ye Qiuwen sent clothes to her, she would choose them first. She would pick out the good-looking ones and give the rest to Ruan Jie. And those beautiful clothes will be given to Ruan Jie when she gets tired of wearing them.
Ruan Xi didn't care, "If you like it, just take it."
Ruan Jie smiled with joy, and even the ends of her hair were flying. She couldn't help but hold up her skirt and spin around like a colorful butterfly.
Suddenly, a sound of clearing a throat came from outside the floral curtain of the door, and she quickly stopped and stood still.
The one who cleared his throat was Ruan Changsheng. He greeted them and opened the floral curtain from outside the door. He did not come in, but just reached out and threw something on the bed.
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie turned around together and saw only a few pieces of candy.
Seeing such precious candy, Ruan Jie's eyes lit up, and she looked at Ruan Changsheng and asked, "Fifth Uncle, where did you get it?"
Ruan Changsheng looked like a second-rate person. "Just eat it if I give it to you. Why are you asking so many questions?"
Before leaving, he reminded everyone: "Two pieces per person, share equally, and don't fight."
Ruan Jie's attention was drawn to the candy. Seeing Ruan Changsheng lower the curtain and leave, she quickly turned around and sat down beside the bed. She reached out and picked up four candies, handed two to Ruan Xi, and whispered, "You definitely didn't give them to Big Brother and Little Brother."
There are two other people of the same generation as Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie in the family, Ruan Yuejin and Ruan Yuehua, who are Ruan Jie's biological elder brother and younger brother.
Ruan Changsheng likes Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie, but not Ruan Yuejin and Ruan Yuehua, so if he brings back something delicious from outside, he always gives it secretly to Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie, and not to the two brothers.
Ruan Xi took the two pieces of candy handed over by Ruan Jie, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart - before he traveled through time, these were snacks that he looked down upon, but now they have become precious food that he only sees a few times a year.
After blowing out the light and lying on the bed, Ruan Xi didn't feel sleepy at all.
Ruan Jie was sleeping soundly beside her, breathing evenly and turning over occasionally.
Ruan Xi looked at the white mosquito net above his head, listened to the tiny buzzing of mosquitoes outside the net, and thought about his next plan.
It is probably impossible to return to modern society, so she has to survive with her current identity. Although life is hard and difficult now due to poverty, fortunately she knows that life will get better and better after the times change.
She didn't want to write a letter to the military area and asked her parents to take her there to live with them now. She has been strong-willed throughout her life and never likes to ask others for help.
Of course, if her parents offered to take her there, she would not refuse. After all, this is what "she" deserves. Compared with the military region and the impoverished mountainous areas, the supporting facilities are complete, life is naturally more comfortable, and it can also bring her more convenience and resources.
But according to the original plot, it is not convenient for them to pick her up now. In addition, in the 1970s, the country had extremely strict control over population movement, and there were armed patrols everywhere, so in the past few years, she could not leave the mountains.
If you can't get out of the mountains, studying becomes a problem.
The original body is only fourteen years old now, which is the right age for schooling, but because there are no teachers on Fengming Mountain, she stopped going to school two years ago. To go to school, you have to go to a town outside, and it takes two days to walk along the mountain road, so it’s impossible to go.
Besides, in this era, the theory that studying is useless is widely believed, and not many people across the country study seriously. Before the revolution, Fengyan Village had a teacher who taught the children to read and write. But after the revolution, the teacher was gone and no one read anymore.
Ruan Xi turned over and thought - there was nothing to do anyway, so why not find a way to get a sewing machine and do her old business.
She knew from her original body's memories that tailors in this era were still highly respected and lived a relatively comfortable life. Whenever a family wanted to make clothes, they would invite the tailor to their home and treat him with good food and drink.
But this is not something you can do just by thinking it through. In that era, sewing machines, like radios, bicycles and watches, were luxury goods. They were expensive and required a ticket, especially in this poor mountainous area. There might not be many of them in the entire Fengming Mountain.
Ruan Xi turned over again.
Even if she had a sewing machine, she didn't have the skills in this area. If she suddenly took measurements and made clothes for people, it wouldn't be appropriate and would most likely arouse other people's suspicion and make them think there was something wrong with her.
If everything can go smoothly, then you must... become a disciple first?
Ruan Xi turned over and lay on his back - yes, I want to be your disciple!
Even in summer, the mornings in the mountains are still chilly.
After washing up, Ruan Xi stood in the room to braid her hair. She braided the hair and tied a hairband on the ends.
Because she was slightly injured and it was nothing serious, she slept a little longer in the morning and no one woke her up.
After she finished braiding her hair, she took the mirror and looked at herself for a while. The girl in the mirror was very delicate and beautiful. Both her face shape and facial features had a natural aura, especially her lively eyes, like a deer in the deep forest.
She smoothed her two braids in front of her and went out to the main hall to eat.
Everyone in the family was out, leaving only grandma Liu Xinghua at home.
While eating, Ruan Xi asked Liu Xinghua: "Grandma, are there any eggs left at home?"
Liu Xinghua was sitting by the door sewing shoe soles. "Yes, I'm saving them. Do you want some eggs?"
Ruan Xi took a bite of corn steamed bun and then a bite of pickled vegetables. "I fell into a valley yesterday and fainted. Someone rescued me. He carried me for a long way. I thought I should thank him, so I wanted to cook two eggs for him."
Liu Xinghua glanced at Ruan Xi and said, "You should thank me. I'll cook two for you."
Ruan Xi finished the remaining rice in the bowl, stood up with the bowl in hand and said, "I can cook it myself."
She took the bowl to the kitchen, washed the dishes and pots, looked for eggs, and then put two raw eggs in an iron pot filled with water.
Although all the original owner's life experiences and skills were in her mind, Ruan Xi still choked left and right while sitting behind the stove and lighting the fire. After much difficulty in lighting the earthen stove, his face was stained black.
She was coughing while lighting the fire. Liu Xinghua stuck her head out and asked her, "Xiaoxi, is this okay?"
Ruan Xi calmed down and said, "Okay, no problem."
Liu Xinghua rubbed her scalp with the tip of a needle, "If you can't do it, call me."
Ruan Xi used his own ability to cook two eggs on a clay stove, one of which had its shell exploded.
She dried the eggs, put them in her yellow schoolbag, and went out with the bag on her back.
Following the mountain road, Ruan Xi found the stilt house where the Ling family lived. He went to the door and knocked, but found that there was no one inside. So she turned around and left, and looked around nearby, and finally saw the little boy Ling Yao on a hillside.
Ling Yao was herding the production team's pigs. The pigs were busy eating grass, and he was sitting on the hillside reading a book.
Ruan Xi walked straight up to him, smiled and said, "How comfortable."
Ling Yao raised his head to look at her, and after recognizing her, he smiled very politely and said, "Hello."
Ruan Xi sat down next to him, took out two candies and two eggs from her schoolbag, and put them in front of him. "Thank you for helping me yesterday. This is a small thank you gift. I hope you don't mind."
Ling Yao didn't dare to say that he disliked toffee and eggs.
Ever since he followed his parents to Fengming Mountain, he hasn't tasted sugar again. I have eaten eggs, but only a few times a year. Sometimes when he was very sick, his mother would make him a pill to drink.
He shook his head at Ruan Xi, "It didn't help much, it's not necessary."
Ruan Xi remembered that he carried her on his back for a long distance along the mountain road. Looking at his thin and frail body, it was definitely not an easy task. She stuffed the candy and eggs directly into his hands and said, "You must accept them."
Ling Yao looked at the candy and eggs in his hand, then looked at Ruan Xi. When he met her bright eyes, he knew he couldn't win against her, so he took a candy and an egg and gave them back to Ruan Xi, "Let's eat together."
Ruan Xi smiled, took the candy, and stuffed the egg back into his pocket. "I don't like eggs. They make me choke."
Ling Yao did not refuse anymore and accepted a candy and two boiled eggs.
Perhaps because Ling Yao was the first person she saw when she opened her eyes, or perhaps because Ling Yao looked young and had an introverted, well-behaved and lovable personality, Ruan Xi had a natural sense of intimacy with him.
She recalled the conversation he had with his mother last night, looked at him and asked again: "Don't you know me?"
Ling Yao pursed his lips slightly, lowered his eyebrows and nodded, "Yeah."
"Then do you know the brigade secretary, Ruan Zhigao?"
Ling Yao nodded again, "I know him."
"I am his granddaughter. My name is Ruan Xi."
"Oh, my name is Ling Yao."
Ruan Xi smiled, "I know you. The day you first arrived, I went to the stilt house to watch the fun. I heard that you were from a big city, and the villagers found it novel and crowded outside the stilt house to watch."
Ling Yao also remembered the day he came to Fengyan Village. He walked up the mountain road from the town, which took him two whole days. Both he and his mother's feet were rubbed with blisters stuck to the soles of their shoes. His mother tried to endure it for a long time with red eyes, but she couldn't hold back her tears in the middle of the night.
His father really couldn't bear it, so he asked his mother to take him back to the city, and even better, to divorce and sever all ties with him. However, his mother wouldn't agree no matter what, and insisted on staying with his father no matter how difficult it was. So the family of three lived there together.
Ling Yao was a quiet person to begin with, and he talked even less after arriving in Fengyan Village. Apart from herding pigs and cattle for the production team every day, he spent the rest of his time reading and studying, and did not interact with anyone.
He didn't mention these, but smiled and said, "They all have one nose and two eyes, nothing new."
Ruan Xi had no intention of having a deep conversation with him, she just wanted to express her gratitude by delivering the gifts. She stood up from beside Ling Yao, sorted out her schoolbag and said, "Okay, I won't disturb you from reading."
Ling Yao watched her figure disappear into the dense forest, then lowered his head to look at the eggs and candy in his hands.
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