After a few months here, things haven't gone quite as planned, which was to keep a low profile. But I've earned two certificates of merit, and with all these spoils in front of me, I'm not too disappointed.
She didn't have high demands; she just wanted to survive, to live a decent life.
When you're in a good mood, everything looks pleasing to the eye.
Of course, there are now even more reasons to be lazy.
This is a great thing, celebrating is perfectly normal, right? It's not excessive, is it?
A large hot pot was brought out from the base, with the broth bubbling and the aroma spreading throughout the small house.
Simple and straightforward, a ring of beef slices, lamb slices, seafood, meatballs, various seasonal vegetables, mushrooms, and sweet potato slices were laid out around her, along with her favorite dipping sauce. She took a bite and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
She started humming to herself.
"Ah, this life is simply wonderful, it's so beautiful! Mmm, so delicious!"
In Beijing, Zhu Yan and Chen Hongjun received another simple package.
Zhu Yan brought it home, and her mother-in-law was already somewhat used to it.
"Did that girl you know send this to you again?"
They knew about the job of exchanging tickets back then, and they were also aware of the mailings they did later. They even helped Zhu Yan with the scraps of cloth she mailed. Because they knew everything from beginning to end, they felt even more at ease now.
"Hmm, it's quite heavy, I almost couldn't hold it."
This one was mailed first, and it was delayed for a few days in transit, but it arrived at the same time as the ones mailed after it.
"The last two times you mailed us mountain produce, those were all good stuff, they helped our family a lot, what are you sending this time with so much stuff?"
Five minutes later, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law stared blankly at the things on the table.
"Yan'er, I recognize this. It's a steamed bun with bean curd. And that piece, is it meat?"
Uncle didn't say that although the New Year was approaching, the supply in the city hadn't improved much. After all, the farmers had suffered all year and hadn't harvested anything good, making it difficult for them to even fill their own stomachs.
Farmers were required to hand over a certain amount of grain as stipulated by the state, which was used to supplement and subsidize urban residents. This was the historical grain tax system.
To put it bluntly, the city's supplies came partly from allocations by higher authorities and partly from a disguised form of subsidy from the rural grain rations. With rural areas severely affected by disasters, the grain rations were naturally significantly impacted, leading to frequent disruptions in the city's supply.
Looking at this large, solidly frozen piece of meat, Grandma Zhu Yan couldn't believe it.
Actually, Zhu Yan was also surprised.
"Right?"
Those steamed buns are made from real grains. Not to mention this year, even in the years when the harvest was good, we didn't have many chances to eat them. Who would have thought that we could eat them again this year?
Zhu Yan quickly glanced at the letter tucked inside the meat, and immediately understood what was going on.
"My goodness, my sister is really something, she even dares to hunt wild boar! This is the wild boar meat that was allocated to her."
She made these steamed buns too..."
"Didn't you say she couldn't do anything?"
Zhu Yan was also stunned.
"Yes, before she left, she was so thin and frail, she would stagger when she walked, and a strong wind could blow her over. She was only a few months old!"
Grandma Zhu Yan guessed,
"Which village did you find for her again?"
Zhu Yan frowned as soon as this was mentioned.
"I had someone assign me to Liujiatun. It's considered a good place there. There's plenty of land, the harvest is good, and at least I can afford to eat."
Who knew that as soon as she arrived, she was switched and sent to the poorest village, Liujiatun.
Sigh, I was wondering if my good intentions had backfired, but now it seems this village is treating her well.
I remember my sister; she didn't seem like the type to suffer in silence.
"Whether you can bear it or not, a young girl running so far away on her own, her life can't be much better. She's unfamiliar with the place and people, and not only does she have to work in the fields, she has to take care of everything herself."
"Yes, Mom, look at you, you're having a hard time yourself, but you're still thinking about us."
The old lady wasn't a heartless person; she had always been very kind to her daughter-in-law, Zhu Yan.
"Putting everything else aside, that piece of meat alone must weigh five or six pounds, so this gift is quite substantial."
At this time, it's not easy for us to find good stuff. However, it's probably not very convenient to buy things in the village. See if the supply and marketing cooperative has anything that's available there but hard to buy, and buy more for us.
Our whole family has only helped one person; we can't keep taking advantage of that young girl. It wouldn't sound good if people talked about it.
"Okay, I'll go take a look this afternoon. It'll be just in time to mail it before the New Year."
"Yes, I'll get you some money and tickets later. Don't be stingy; this piece of meat is enough for us to have a good New Year. I'll cut it in half later, and you can send one half back to your parents."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had a good relationship, and Zhu Yan readily agreed.
"Okay. Didn't you and Dad say you wanted to eat dumplings the other day? We happen to have two cabbages at home, how about we cut some meat and make some tonight?"
The old lady waved her hand.
"It was just a casual remark that day. Let's save some for the New Year and make more together, so we don't have to bother."
"You have no idea, your dad has been craving these steamed buns for two years. If he saw them, he'd be happier than if he were eating dumplings."
"Okay, then I'll go buy some sugar. Don't they say that steamed buns with sugar taste better?"
"Yes, buy some, buy some. Kids love sweets. I'll go get you the money."
At almost the same time, Chen Hongjun from the steel plant also received a message from the gatehouse.
"Director Chen, there's a package for you."
Chen Hongjun was stunned for a moment. He had just received some mountain products from Jian Dan not long ago. Could it be this kid again?
Men are really strong; he lifted it all the way home with one hand, and even joked about it with the workers.
"Factory manager, another package?"
The workers all knew that the factory manager had received several packages in the past few months; it was no secret.
"What's wrong? Another package? It's from JianShang Mail, isn't it?"
The family of Director Chen knew a little about Jian Dan's family. They weren't familiar with her before, but after going to the countryside, they became much more familiar with her name. First of all, they had eaten a lot of good food from her.
"Yes, you know, this child, sigh!"
He had just wired the rent for the past few months yesterday, and then he received the items again.
"Tell me, am I taking care of her, or is she taking care of me?"
"You helped me, and they remember it. This child's manners are just too good."
"Oh dear, Old Chen, this is way too much!"
He was equally stunned, but Chen Hongjun was more annoyed.
After a hot pot meal, I felt completely comfortable.
The small room was still filled with a rich fragrance. Jian Dan rubbed her belly, like a lazy kitten, leaning against the wall, not wanting to move at all.
Then she realized she was sleepy again.
I glanced at the time. Oh, it's afternoon. Perfect time for a nap. No wonder I'm feeling sleepy again.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
