Chapter 36 When you come to my house for business, please don't let me leave...
"You even brought a newspaper?"
Aunt Gu looked at Yao Xiaoyu with some surprise. Yao Xiaoyu just smiled shyly, behaving like a well-behaved newcomer.
"I'm clumsy with my hands; I can prick my hands with seven or eight needle marks just by mending clothes."
This meant she wouldn't compete with Aunt Gu for the hospital's handicraft work. Aunt Gu understood and beamed with joy, her unease about Yao Xiaoyu's literacy disappearing.
Things have changed now, and it's quite normal for girls to go to school.
"If you see anything interesting, remember to tell me."
Aunt Gu had a sharp eye. Her son also bought newspapers. She not only recognized the newspapers like Shen Bao, Daily News, and Ta Kung Pao, but she had also heard of many of them. However, she would fall asleep while listening to them... The newspaper on the Yao family's little girl's table was similar to the tabloids she had seen.
This tabloid does not refer to those illegal newspapers that specialize in sensationalism and increase sales through romantic affairs, but rather to newspapers that specialize in publishing strange tales and vernacular stories unrelated to the news. They earn more money than daily newspapers, but their social status is not high. Some people sarcastically call them "peddler's newspapers," while others call them "papers that do not discuss national affairs." [1][2]
Aunt Gu secretly thought these tabloids were more interesting than newspapers like Shen Bao, but she was illiterate and her son didn't like buying them, so she could only listen to them during her breaks. Not only was what she could hear limited, but she also couldn't choose what interested her. This little girl from the Yao family was an unexpected delight.
"OK."
Yao Xiaoyu readily agreed. She only brought one newspaper with her today. On the one hand, Zhou Chunhua was with her, so she didn't dare to buy anything freely. On the other hand, she also wanted to test the waters. It would be best if she could get along peacefully with Aunt Gu. If not, she would have to make plans as soon as possible.
Fortunately, it didn't come to the worst.
Once the two started talking, the atmosphere immediately eased. Aunt Gu continued doing her handicrafts, while Yao Xiaoyu would read the newspaper for a while and then rest for a bit. Maria Hospital had plenty of money, and the heating was very good. Yao Xiaoyu was thinking that if she was still this relaxed in the next few days, she would buy a cotton pillow.
Lunch was stir-fried vegetables and braised chicken with potatoes. Each person got one spoonful of potatoes and half a spoonful of chicken. Which part you got depended entirely on luck. Yao Xiaoyu was given a piece of chicken thigh meat and two sections of chicken carcass, while Aunt Gu got half a wing and a chicken tail. Yao Xiaoyu thought Aunt Gu was unlucky, but Aunt Gu herself was quite satisfied and even shared some new gossip with Yao Xiaoyu:
"The chef has changed again."
The previous one was a fat man, now it's a thin woman. The taste hasn't improved much, but the portions are much larger. I just don't know how long this will last.
"Then you should eat more while you're still feeling well."
After hearing about the frequency of chef changes here, Yao Xiaoyu cherished the relatively normal meals she was currently eating even more.
The afternoon at the Western medicine pharmacy was just as leisurely as the morning. Yao Xiaoyu had finished reading the newspaper in the morning, and spent the rest of the day bored and could only sleep. When she got home that night, she did everything she could to dissuade Zhou Chunhua from continuing to pick her up and drop her off, and only let Tao Erniu accompany her to and from get off work.
"Are you sure you don't need me to take you?"
Even as Yao Xiaoyu left, Zhou Chunhua was still muttering to herself.
"Oh, really, there's no need. Erniu is with me, nothing will happen."
Yao Xiaoyu coaxed and persuaded Zhou Chunhua to let go of her hand, then ran out the door and walked quite a distance with Tao Erni. After making sure that her grandmother hadn't followed, she went to the nearby pancake shop, bought a pancake for one copper coin, and then sat down and ordered a bowl of meat noodles.
Pancake shops were also a feature of this era, similar to modern breakfast or snack shops, except that most of them were open for as long as twenty hours, opening at four in the morning and closing at midnight. Some particularly diligent ones even worked day and night without rest.
The items sold inside are all the same: ordinary steamed buns, mantou, fried dough sticks, and soy milk. They also sell staple foods such as wontons, noodles, and glutinous rice balls, but they don't sell stir-fried dishes.
"Here, take this."
Yao Xiaoyu handed the flatbread to Tao Erni. Tao Erni swallowed hard, reached out her hand, then pulled it back, not daring to take it.
"Eat up. My family is asking me what I bought. Do you know what to say?"
Yao Xiaoyu handed the pancake forward, and this time Tao Erni understood.
"You didn't buy anything."
Tao Erni took the flatbread and took a big bite. She didn't know why Yao Xiaoyu had to keep her purchases a secret from her family, but she figured every family had its own problems.
Isn't her family also considered perfect by outsiders?
"No, I did buy things, just one or a few newspapers, one or a few snacks. Usually I spend five or six copper coins a day, and occasionally more than ten or even one or two silver coins."
Yao Xiaoyu was satisfied with Tao Erni's blatant lies, but aside from the fact that the stingy persona was not very credible, it also did not benefit her in terms of spending money. She needed to show more specific details about her spending habits.
She needs to be gluttonous, playful, and love spending money, but she also needs to understand her own financial situation so that her open money won't be taken away because of her "childish nature," nor will it be confiscated because she's too sensible.
"I see."
Tao Erni didn't understand the intricacies of the situation, but she was obedient. She repeated exactly what Yao Xiaoyu said when Zhou Chunhua asked, and that was enough for Yao Xiaoyu.
The noodles were served in a large bowl, with a generous portion. The meat inside wasn't just a token amount of shredded meat, but rather thick slices. Four copper coins was indeed a bit pricey, but it truly was a case of getting what you pay for. However, Yao Xiaoyu had already lost her appetite.
“From now on, I’ll buy you a big pancake every day, or you can have a copper coin if you want. I won’t tell my family.”
Having received the promise, Yao Xiaoyu wouldn't let anyone take the risk for nothing. One copper coin wasn't much, but Tao Erni only earned three copper coins a day. With Yao Xiaoyu's increase in compensation, her income rose by 30%. More importantly, the extra thirty-odd copper coins each month belonged to Tao Erni.
Tao Erni understood Yao Xiaoyu's meaning, and her eyes lit up, but after hesitating for a moment, she refused this almost free income:
"I don't want money, I just want you to accompany me on this journey."
That sounds interesting!
Yao Xiaoyu immediately became interested, staring intently at Tao Erni. Tao Erni, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, turned her head away, urging Yao Xiaoyu to eat her noodles first.
"Tell me on the way."
They still had half an hour to go, enough time for Tao Erni to finish explaining the whole story.
The matter is actually quite simple: Tao Erni doesn't want to be a workhorse anymore, but the Tao family doesn't want to be; the two sides are currently engaged in a power struggle.
“My family has stopped providing me with food, so I found a job outside that provides meals. But it’s not right for me to keep going out every day without a proper explanation.”
Tao Erni knew the character of her family members. They wouldn't dare to really push her to her death, but they were always coming up with disgusting tricks. For example, the whole family would treat Tao Erni like she was invisible, giving her the silent treatment. They would also go to the Yao family to force Tao Erni to resign, hoping to starve her until she gave in. Tao Erni wondered how she had tolerated these people for so many years. Now that she thought about it, she must have been blinded.
"I don't want you to pay more, I just want you not to make me leave when my family comes looking for me."
Yao Xiaoyu needs Tao Erni's company to ensure her safety and avoid spending money with the Yao family; Tao Erni needs to use Yao Xiaoyu's work to maintain her reputation and avoid saving money with her family. The two are actually quite complementary.
"OK."
Tao Erni's ideas did not conform to the popular values of the time, but they suited Yao Xiaoyu's taste perfectly.
***
"Why did you buy so many newspapers?"
Aunt Gu looked at Yao Xiaoyu's stack of newspapers, which took up a large portion of the table, with some surprise. It was so thick; had she bought every newspaper available on the market?
"You have to read them all to know which newspapers are worth buying."
The cheapest source of knowledge in this era is newspapers. Yao Xiaoyu doesn't think that the amount of reading in the 21st century can sustain a lifetime. No matter how rich the material library is, it can't support consumption that only goes out and never comes in.
"You're really something. Just looking at these black words gives me a headache."
Aunt Gu gave a thumbs up and even softened her needlework. Like many people in this era, she perfectly combined the idea that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent with the concept that all other professions are inferior except for studying. Although she felt that Yao Xiaoyu's studying was awkward, it did not prevent her from supporting and even respecting her.
The stack of newspapers was quite high, and Yao Xiaoyu read it carefully, word by word. By the time it was time to eat, she had only finished reading a portion of it. It was a pity that she hadn't brought a fountain pen, so when she came across something worth writing, she could only press her fingernail under the sentence to make marks.
The next day, a fountain pen appeared on Yao Xiaoyu's desk.
On the third day, there was an extra bottle of ink.
On the fourth day, the notebook containing the materials, along with the blank paper, appeared on the table.
On the fifth day... nothing happened. The hospital operates on a six-day work week with one day off. Today was their day off, and Yao Xiaoyu took Zhou Chunhua to collect their royalties.
Yao Xiaoyu skillfully rejected Pi Kangxiu's application for a new book, then carefully put away the three silver dollars. She then took out three of the remaining five and gave them to Zhou Chunhua. The two then went to the Pro Restaurant as usual.
"A bowl of porridge, a plate of peanuts, and a serving of smoked meat."
Pro Restaurant offers three types of food: porridge, noodles, and rice. This time, the two went to the porridge shop. Yao Xiaoyu seemed more generous when ordering than before, but the cost was not much higher because the porridge was very cheap. A large bowl with meat, vegetables, and seafood cost only four copper coins, and a plate full of fried peanuts cost only five copper coins.
Smoked meat is a bit more expensive, but it only costs a dime.
Because the staple food was inexpensive, Zhou Chunhua rarely ordered side dishes:
"I'd like a plate of spiced tofu."
This dish is even cheaper than peanuts, costing only four copper coins.
...
The two left the house, full and satisfied. Having just spent money, Yao Xiaoyu saw the empty meat stall. Zhou Chunhua closed her eyes in distress, knowing her granddaughter's silver coins were doomed.
"A piece of pork belly worth one silver dollar, sliced thinly."
Now that the weather is cold, fresh meat and vegetables can be preserved for several days. Yao Xiaoyu, adhering to the idea of a steady and long-term approach, gave up the once-a-week feast of meat and instead opted for a more varied and consistent approach to meat dishes.
Of course, a few simple steps are needed to extend the shelf life of the meat—
"First, render the fat in a pot, then take it out and seal it. When you're cooking, just scoop it out from inside."
Sealing means that after taking the meat out, hot lard is poured in to cover it. Once the lard cools and solidifies, it becomes a natural preservative for the pork belly. With the added cooling effect of well water, it can be preserved for up to a week without any problems.
I just always feel like I can't get enough to eat.
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The author says: [1] "Yinchemaijiang" refers to ordinary people. Here it is a reference to Lu Xun's satire of Lin Qinnan. Lin Qinnan opposed vernacular Chinese and once wrote to Cai Yuanpei: "If all ancient books are abolished and the local dialect is used as the written language, then the language spoken by ordinary people in the capital will all have grammar... According to this, all the peddlers in Beijing and Tianjin can be used as professors." The "Yinchemaijiang newspaper" here is a satirical term used by "intellectuals" for newspapers at that time.
[2] Do not discuss state affairs: This comes from Lao She’s “Teahouse” and is also a satire of this type of newspaper, but it is lighter than “peddling carts and selling swill”.
(Both of these terms are fictional and the author has not yet provided detailed information about them. Please do not take them seriously.)
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