It's simple and pure to eat well. We've already worked so hard, can't we even satisfy this little bit of our appetite?
It must be said that wisdom resides among the people, and this is absolutely true.
Even though the term "iron pot stew" didn't exist back then, the practice of stewing vegetables in a large pot and placing flatbread on top had existed for a long time. The working people had perfected it to the extreme, without wasting a single bit of food.
Next, stew a pot of cabbage, potatoes, radish strips, or sauerkraut, and top it with a ring of flatbread. You don't need to add much oil or seasoning; it's enough to feed the whole family.
Of course, it was still better in a slightly better year. Those flatbreads were dry food, even if they were mixed with something else, they were still pure dry food. In those days, anything that could fill your stomach was considered good food.
In previous years, there were rumors that some people ate tree bark and clay. Jian Dan hadn't seen it with her own eyes, but lately, she had heard from the village discussions and Grandma Liu's nagging. In addition, she had heard that people in other villages had indeed starved to death when the grain was handed over in the fall. She knew that this was not just hearsay.
Her family's past life was marked by their involvement in organized crime, and for her, things like charity and kindness were like the unattainable poor peasants of today.
Yes, it's an honor, but it won't fill her stomach.
No, it doesn't affect anything; on the contrary, it's a stumbling block on her path to a better life.
However, this is only now; in a few years, it's really hard to say.
"Why!"
There are signs of chaos outside, and the thought of the lawlessness, recklessness, and wantonness that will ensue in a few years, especially since a large portion of them are children around her age, is giving her a headache. How can she manage to get through this peacefully? The original owner's family background really can't withstand any more scrutiny.
The only good thing is that this place is remote, so the chaos shouldn't be too severe. But we still can't be careless. After all, there are always people who are jealous, and she has to be careful not to attract any troublemakers. Sigh!
After enjoying a delicious meal of pork ribs, Jian Dan relaxed and let go of her worries. She figured she could deal with whatever came her way; there was no point in thinking about it now. What was meant to happen would happen eventually, so she might as well focus on living well in the present.
She never expected that her worries would soon take a turn for the better, and that her identity would gain more weight.
Simple lay down on the warm kang (heated brick bed) and fell asleep peacefully. In the educated youth compound, a few people drank hot porridge and were quite content.
Li Yan let out a comfortable sigh.
"Actually, this kind of life isn't bad."
Lin Zhaodi wholeheartedly agreed. Here, she could decide for herself what food she needed, and there was no longer any reason for her to feed others while she herself drank thin gruel.
It was only after arriving here that she seemed to see things more clearly and belatedly realized that what her mother had said about her being her favorite child and being kind to her younger brother was all for her sake. She had been so naive before, believing it completely.
Not only did she happily hand over her salary, but she also did all the housework. Meanwhile, her brother, who wouldn't even pick up a fallen oil bottle, took half the good stuff in the house and enjoyed her service without a care in the world. He even criticized her for this and that. Despite all this, her parents treated him like the apple of their eye.
She never thought deeply about it. Her mother liked her but wouldn't let her eat or leave her any money. Two days before she went to the countryside, she received her salary, and her mother generously told her to keep it for herself. She was so happy at the time; her mother finally felt sorry for her.
Then I was told,
"Since you just got paid, why don't you buy your own things for the trip to the countryside?"
She then realized that they had taken the job from her brother to prevent him from going to the countryside, and that she was going in his place, yet they hadn't prepared anything for her at all.
She was stunned. Her monthly salary of twenty-odd yuan seemed like a lot, but going to the countryside was equivalent to buying another home. What could she possibly do with that little money?
She was very sad at that moment.
Now I finally understand and have convinced myself that they just don't care about me, it's not a big deal. Look, I'm supporting myself now.
After spending two days together, Tan Yajun finally believed that the educated youth in Liujiatun were indeed different from those in Liujiatun. They would help her when she was in trouble, and they would worry when their companions were in danger. The normal human warmth and coldness made her feel like she had returned to the time when she first came to the countryside, and she slept much more soundly.
The next day was another sunny day with not a cloud in the sky, but the temperature had dropped significantly. I quickly took the thermometer from the base and tested it; it was already zero degrees Celsius. It was time for it to get cold, wasn't it? Winter had arrived, and in a normal year, the snow wouldn't be far off. I guess I wouldn't be able to go to the mountains much more often.
As they went up the mountain, several of the educated youth were also muttering to themselves.
"It seems much colder today than yesterday."
The others also made hissing sounds from time to time. Chen Jianguo imitated the villagers, tucking his hands into his sleeves, covering his arms completely, as if this would keep him warm.
"No wonder everyone likes it this way, it keeps their hands and wrists from getting cold!"
Several female educated youths were embarrassed by that posture, but they also had their hands in their pockets, shivering from the cold, and kept pacing.
"Let's walk, it'll warm us up once we start walking."
"After this warm weather, there probably won't be any more. Judging from the looks of it, the snow will be coming soon."
How much firewood do we still need?
Chen Jianguo, standing behind with his sleeves tucked in, found it quite intriguing. Upon hearing this,
“If we burn it sparingly, it will be about the same, but what if it’s not enough? Then the whole mountain will be covered in snow, and we won’t be able to get out. I think we should prepare more in advance, that will definitely work.”
Tan Yajun, the only one among them with experience, continued,
"Yes, in a normal year, the snow here is particularly heavy in winter."
I remember the year I first arrived, the first snowfall sealed the door shut. Several of us were inside and couldn't open it. Later, the villagers didn't see the educated youth going out to shovel snow, and when they went to check, they found out that we were all trapped inside.
From then on, every winter we keep a shovel or something similar in the house, just in case this happens again, so we can dig a hole and prevent the snow from suffocating us.
"Is it that big?"
Lin Zhaodi and Li Yan had never seen such heavy snow before, and they were both curious and puzzled.
"That's true,"
Although Jian Dan wasn't a pure northerner in her previous life, she had seen TV commercials for snow scenes, snow sculptures, skiing, and various tourist attractions throughout the winter, and even live broadcasts of snowfall, so she had no doubt about that.
"Sometimes, when doors, mountains, and roads are blocked, the damage can be so great that it can collapse the roof."
Xuexiu in later generations was so famous!
"Sweeping snow will be quite a task."
Lin Zhaodi and her companion were still excited and didn't care at all.
"But when it snows, we can build snowmen and have snowball fights, right?"
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