Liu Yun was too lazy to make breakfast, so she simply went into her spatial dimension and picked an apple, a peach, and a pear. She was full after eating them.
She took the apples she bought at the grocery store and the unroasted melon seeds she had grown in her space and headed towards the Yu family home. It wasn't that she didn't want to roast them, but she didn't have any sand or gravel. She didn't know how to roast them without sand or gravel, so she could only take a little extra and ask Yu's mother to roast some for her later.
She didn't want to work or socialize, especially with two people she didn't like, and of course, they didn't like her either. So Liu Yun rode slowly and leisurely, and by the time she arrived at the Yu family's house, everyone was busy and had almost finished.
Today, Yu's mother and her second daughter-in-law were at home preparing food early in the morning. This time, she bought a large rack of pork ribs, cut off a third of it, and started chopping the ribs with a clanging sound.
After chopping the ribs, she started cutting the meat, slicing the pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat. She added firewood, put the fatty slices into the pot, and waited for the oil to sizzle before adding the pork belly. Yu Mu immediately started stir-frying. The alternating layers of fat and lean pork belly rendered a lot of oil in just a short time, and the pot filled with a fragrant aroma of meat. Sprinkling on a handful of soaked dried white chilies made it an absolute must-have with rice.
Marinate the rest with spice powder, and tomorrow we'll steam it with sweet potatoes or potatoes for a delicious flavor.
She turned around and saw her youngest daughter-in-law coming. She said, "You're here. After you've cleaned the fish, we'll make a steamed fish for lunch today."
"Okay." Liu Yun swallowed.
Seeing that everyone else was working except Liu Yun, Chen Xi was annoyed. "Oh, fourth sister-in-law is really lucky. She slept until now, and only came after everyone else had finished."
Before Liu Yun could say anything, Yu's mother, not wanting to indulge her, said, "She brought things over yesterday and took care of them: two chickens, two ducks, and two rabbits. They're still in the cupboard!"
"The pork belly in the bowl and the fish in the pot were all bought by the youngest brother. I only bought some ribs. What did you guys buy? They provided the food, and you just stir-fried it. You think you're getting a good deal? What's wrong with that? You're not satisfied with eating and drinking for free!"
Having lived through so many years, Mother Yu already knew what her daughters-in-law were like, and didn't want to say more, as she didn't want to spoil the New Year.
Upon hearing what Yu's mother said, Chen Xi left with a sheepish expression. She was willing to eat and do chores, but not to pay money. The children in the family were all grown up, and there were many places where money was needed.
Liu Yun put the apples and melon seeds on the table and then went to help shake the snowflake balls.
"Mom, I brought some sunflower seeds, but I don't know how to roast them. Could you roast them for me?"
Yu's mother glanced at the large bag on the table. "Why did you buy so much?"
"If we split it in half, there won't be much left."
"Okay, I'll stir-fry it after dinner. I didn't buy much this year anyway."
This year's New Year's Eve dinner was extremely lavish; in previous years, there wasn't nearly as much food. The meal was a truly delightful one for everyone.
Xinshi and Xinxian are close by, and their customs and procedures are the same: ancestral worship, meals, and giving red envelopes. Families without children are considered to be at a disadvantage. Liu Yun received a large red envelope because she's a new bride this year; it contained five ten-yuan bills.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Liu Yun was taken by her mother to visit various relatives. Although she didn't get to know all the relatives, she received so many red envelopes that her hands were sore.
"Are you two going to sleep in the tenement tonight or staying here?" Mother Yu asked after dinner.
"Go back over there."
"Take this box of cookies and this bottle of wine with you, and bring them to your father-in-law tomorrow."
"OK."
As soon as the two arrived home, Liu Yun was tackled. She had been having a great time flirting with him the day before yesterday. What goes around comes around.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the two of them rushed to the Liu family home with large bags. When they arrived, Liu Jing and her husband were already there.
"Qianhe is here, come in quickly," Liu's mother hurriedly greeted.
After the two sons-in-law accompanied their father-in-law, Liu Yun and Liu Jing went to help Liu's mother cook. The rich and fatty foods during the two days of the Lunar New Year had caused Xu Hongxing to suffer from severe morning sickness, and she was still resting at home.
The mother and her two daughters chatted in the kitchen, a scene they had never experienced before getting married.
Liu Yun suddenly realized that it was already 1967. At the end of December 1968, a call was issued for "educated youth to go to the countryside to receive re-education from poor and lower-middle peasants." As a result, a nationwide upsurge of educated youth going to the countryside was launched.
"Mom, what are your plans for loving the Party now? Schools are closed and I can't find a job."
Speaking of her youngest son, Liu's mother also had a headache. "I don't know either. He stays at home every day now and doesn't go anywhere."
"Mom, you should step down this year and let Ai Dang take over, otherwise he might have to go to the countryside."
"What's the meaning?"
"Now that classes are closed, students are scattered everywhere. Isn't it harder to find a job than before? It's like one person is already in a position. The newspapers are always reporting on sending unemployed high school graduates to the countryside. Now, Ai Dang is the only one left in the family who is neither employed nor married. And if it really comes to that, and you ask Ai Dang to take your place, putting everything else aside, your sister-in-law won't say a good word to you. To put it bluntly, she's been eyeing your job for a long time."
If she weren't worried that Liu Aidang would really go to the countryside and cause trouble for her family again, she wouldn't want to deal with them. If it weren't for the fact that it wouldn't look good to have no family backing her up, she wouldn't even want to come back. Another thing is that Liu Aidang is much better than Liu Aiguo; it would be good to keep Liu Aidang in the city to cause trouble for Liu Aiguo and his family.
"I'll think about it. Let me discuss it with your dad first."
At this moment, Liu Jing also thought of something, "Mom, if you want to give the job to your younger brother, you should hide the household registration book well, or transfer his household registration out."
"What's the meaning?"
“You saw how my sister-in-law tried to steal my and my younger sister’s jobs back then. She even considered signing my younger sister up for the rural work program. She’s been eyeing your job for a while now. If you manage to evade the policy, she’ll be happy to sign you up.”
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