Dinner that evening was surprisingly satisfactory for Luo Cheng.

Although the steamed buns weren’t reheated due to the family lacking a steamer, they weren’t too hard and went down well with the sweet potato soup. Luo Cheng’s bowl had several large pieces of sweet potato, which his mother had deliberately ladled in for him.

This preferential treatment for Luo Cheng didn’t bother anyone in the family. After all, even without the steamed buns Luo Cheng brought, it was natural for the eldest son to have more to eat. Moreover, Luo Cheng had brought enough buns for everyone, and he was going to buy grain the next day.

In Yi’an, the region typically produced two crops of rice a year: early rice planted around late March and harvested in mid-July, and late rice planted immediately afterward and harvested by late October.

The family had already received their share of the early rice harvest back in July, but due to a drought, the yield was poor, and the household had run out of proper grain by last month. The upcoming distribution of late rice was still being calculated by the local team. Luo Wen, with years of farming experience, had a rough idea of how much they might receive.

In past years, even with poor harvests, the family managed to scrape through the winter. Spring didn’t immediately solve the food shortage, as they needed seeds to plant for the July harvest. However, spring did offer the chance to forage for edible plants in the fields and hills.

The real challenge came in winter, when food ran out entirely. Young children could survive on minimal food, but the elderly were particularly vulnerable. Without enough to eat, they often succumbed to illness. Many older individuals, knowing they wouldn’t survive, voluntarily stopped eating to save food for others.

During dinner, Luo Cheng gained a deeper understanding of his grandmother’s frailty. Though she was younger than the grandmothers he knew in his previous life, her health was far worse due to prolonged malnutrition and hunger.

Improving her health would require good food and care, but Luo Cheng’s current resources were limited. His family’s supplies were barely enough to feed everyone, and even the small amount he had brought would likely need to be shared among his mother’s relatives.

His grandmother, despite her frailty, ate an entire large steamed bun and a big bowl of sweet potato soup without hesitation. In this era, it was common for rural families to serve food in large bowls.

While Luo Cheng felt full after just one steamed bun and some soup, the rest of the family had no such luxury. They were accustomed to perpetual hunger, and even if they ate, it was never enough to feel satiated.

After dinner, darkness fell quickly. Luo Cheng wasn’t expected to clean up; neither was Luo Bing. Gender roles were rigid in rural areas, with household chores falling entirely on women.

With no nightlife to speak of and coal oil being expensive, the family only lit their lamps briefly before bed. Washing up was done with heated water saved from cooking. There wasn’t enough water for everyone to use their own basin, so even washing feet was often done communally.

Fetching water was labor-intensive since the family relied on a local well. Some wells in the area were running dry, and the water they yielded was often murky. It needed to sit for a while before being poured into the storage tank for use.

Luo Cheng, who had hoped for a proper bath after sweating all day, realized it wasn’t feasible. He settled for wiping himself down with a damp cloth.

Luo Cheng returned to his room, where his two younger sisters also retired early. Their room, illuminated by an oil lamp, revealed just how scarce clothing was. The sisters’ wardrobe had been given to Luo Cheng, while their few garments hung on a single hemp rope.

They each had a worn cotton jacket for winter, but most of their clothes were thin and heavily patched.

Luo Cheng’s own wardrobe was limited to three outfits: the one he was wearing, a spare set of spring/autumn clothes from his luggage, and his military uniform. He didn’t have any warm clothing for the approaching winter.

The military had issued fabric vouchers upon his discharge, but it was only enough for a single outfit. To make warm winter clothes, he’d also need to buy cotton.

Lying on the hard bed, Luo Cheng chatted idly with his sisters while planning his next steps. If this was truly his new reality, he needed a solid plan.

The mysterious sign-in system he’d activated on the train offered some hope, but it was unreliable. It didn’t explain itself, and Luo Cheng had no idea how often he could use it or what rewards it might provide. Hoping for daily rewards, he resolved to experiment and figure it out.

In the meantime, he had a recommendation letter from a military officer, which could help him secure a job through the local office. While the letter didn’t guarantee employment, it was a significant advantage in securing opportunities.

Yi’an was just a small city, and Luo Cheng’s long-term goal was to find stable work. He had to think about how to support his family and potentially improve their living conditions.