In his opinion, prices in the village weren't expensive. They could easily buy whatever they needed at the market, and even if they ate meat every day, it should be enough. Besides, he gave them an extra hundred-yuan bonus every quarter. That amount was considerable, not only in the village but also in the town.
Jiang Yu remained calm:
"Life at home is so boring, there's nothing to do all day. I need to find something to do, learn something, at least to pass the time."
What could she say? She couldn't very well say that the money had been taken by the original owner's soul and spent on that bastard and her sister, leaving the two children hungry every day, could she? If she said that, the man would strangle her the next day.
Shen Ying didn't say anything more. Even as his wife, he couldn't interfere with her thoughts. Besides, there was no longer any affection between him and the woman. If it weren't for their two children, they probably would have divorced long ago.
Jiang Yu continued working on the dishes, ignoring the man completely.
After thoroughly cleaning the cabbage, she found a cleaver and chopped off the muddy roots one by one. Only after taking it out of the basin did she realize it was too small to fit.
Looking around, she couldn't find a container big enough to hold thirty pounds of cabbage. Then, Jiang Yu remembered a dark brown porcelain jar behind the front door and a brilliant idea struck her.
After warming up inside for a while, going outside was inevitably a bit unbearable. She secretly observed the man and found him sitting upright on a small stool, looking out the door.
Jiang Yu's mind raced, but the solutions she came up with were all flawed. She simply spoke up:
"This basin is too small; it can't hold all the cabbages I dug up. Could you help me bring the jars in from outside? They're too heavy for me to carry."
Seeing that he wasn't sleeping and seemed to be spying on her, Jiang Yu simply told him to do some physical labor. That way, he wouldn't be an eyesore here.
Shen Ying was stunned for a moment, thinking he was hallucinating. This woman had always focused her attention on that man, and they used to communicate by saying "hey" and pointing. Today, her behavior was like that of an ordinary couple.
However, he grew up in a single-parent family and had little experience with the dynamics of a married couple. The way he acted just now was something he had seen in his neighbor's house when he was a child, or later when he went to the military compound and observed how his colleagues and superiors interacted with their wives.
He felt a little uncomfortable, but seeing Jiang Yu's sincere gaze, he actually didn't want to disappoint her!
He stood up and went straight out of the room to look for the jar in the yard. He remembered that jar; it was part of his mother's dowry. The woman had looked down on it after marrying into the family and left it in the yard for years. Now that it was suddenly needed, even though Shen Ying couldn't understand it, he didn't ask any questions.
The little black dog in the yard seemed to have woken up, half-closing its eyes as it lay in its kennel watching the strange man in front of it.
"Woof woof".
It barked twice symbolically, then lazily lay down again.
Shen Ying didn't have this dog when she last came home. Now she didn't see the dog, but she heard its voice and was startled.
After seeing it clearly, he frowned and ignored it. The dark brown jar was frozen to the ground by the thick layer of ice covered by the heavy snow. He put his hands to his mouth and exhaled, trying his best to move it, but he couldn't.
Looking closely, he went back inside, grabbed a ladle from the water vat, scooped out water, and poured it around the area, waiting for the ground to melt. Meanwhile, Jiang Yu had already chopped the chili peppers and broken off the cabbage leaves one by one, sprinkling them with salt.
After standing outside for a while, Shen Ying felt his legs getting cold, so he went back inside and continued to sit on the stool to wait. Now that he had some free time, he boldly began to observe her.
Jiang Yu was still sprinkling salt, her rolled-up sleeves revealing her slender, white arms. She squatted in front of the basin, exuding an air of elegance.
Her hair was a bit long, and it would occasionally slip down in front of her as she moved. She would brush it aside with her arm, making it look neat and tidy.
Shen Ying felt that she should get a hair tie.
After Jiang Yu had added most of the salt, she looked up at the man to see where he had put the jar. Their eyes met, and Shen Ying quickly glanced away. He abruptly got up and went outside, his movements almost unreal. Jiang Yu looked puzzled.
Fortunately, the jar had loosened a bit by now, and Chen Ying pulled it out with a little force. There was a river behind the yard, so he washed it clean before carrying it back.
Jiang Yu didn't stand on ceremony with him, stuffing the cabbage from the bowl into the pot and gently pressing it down. She then rinsed her hands.
She glanced at the clock on the wall; the hands were at one o'clock. She stretched and yawned. It was late; time to go to bed.
Seeing that she was sleepy, Shen Ying took a candle and went inside. Fortunately, both children slept very well, their eyelids not even twitching.
The next day at dawn, Jiang Yu got up, dressed, and went to the outer room to lift the lid of the basin. Seeing that the pickled vegetables were pickled very well, she breathed a sigh of relief, took her toiletries, and went outside.
Shen Ying ran every morning at the military base, and that didn't change even after he got home; he'd already left before Jiang Yu woke up. Jiang Yu didn't think anything of it; in fact, it saved them both from awkwardness.
Children need to sleep a lot, and the two children were still asleep. She went to the outer room and took out the refined flour she had bought yesterday, mixed it with cornmeal, and started kneading it.
Before leaving, she made some hand-pulled noodles for the child's breakfast, just in case the child went hungry while she was wondering what time she would return. Although her husband had gone home, she was still a little worried.
After rolling out the dough, heat oil in a wok, add chopped green onions, add water and bring to a boil, then add the noodles. Soon, a fragrant aroma fills the air.
After scooping a bowlful for herself, Jiang Yu ate it with the pickled vegetables and felt a warm feeling in her stomach. Then she started filling the jar with the pickled vegetables.
Fortunately, I bought some jars for storing pickled vegetables at the supply and marketing cooperative yesterday. Now I put them in a box, put them in a cloth bag, and drove the cart into town.
The bus was almost empty in the morning, and Jiang Yu waited a while before it arrived. The ticket seller took the money and looked her up and down. She recognized the woman; she was pretty and exceptionally polite, always thanking her for everything.
However, it's winter now, and everyone is staying indoors to keep warm; few people go out. She went to town yesterday and bought a lot of things, and went again today. Not only that, she also brought a very large cloth bag.
The ticket seller couldn't help but start chatting with her.
"Comrade, why are you heading to the city in the dead of winter? Do you have relatives there?"
The bus wasn't very warm, and the ticket seller's breath warmed him as he spoke. Combined with his floral cotton-padded jacket, he looked like he was in a TV drama.
"No, we don't have any land at home, so I made some pickled vegetables to sell and supplement our income."
Jiang Yu spoke frankly, and with her kind face, no one doubted her. The ticket seller and driver couldn't help but sigh. This woman, so inspiring in the village, willing to do small business to improve her life, is truly a role model for us all.
They chatted for a bit along the way, and Jiang Yu made them feel very comfortable. As it was time to get off, the ticket seller seemed a little reluctant to leave.
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