Chapter 65

Lu Siyuan smugly said, “My score isn’t bad, right? Isn’t it reasonable for me not to come to school?”

He might not come to school because he could easily do the work and was too lazy to attend classes. But with his arrogant attitude, Su Ye wasn’t going to go along with him. She casually said, “If I were to take this test, I could score 100.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a test paper from Zhou Yi’s drawer and handed it to Lu Siyuan. The crisp, white paper was marked with a bold red 100, and the name section read “Su Ye.”

Your teacher, after all, your teacher.

At that time, in order to deal with Gao Anna, Zhou Yi had made a photocopy of Su Ye’s test paper for record-keeping. This was the copy.

Lu Siyuan took the test paper from Su Ye, flipped through it, and wore an expression of disbelief. He read it over several times, then without saying a word, he tossed the paper aside and left the office.

—

Su Ye, carrying the 100 pounds of Fuqiang flour, happily left work and headed home.

She stopped by the grocery store to spend fifty cents and bought two pounds of salted bean curd skin, which she then took to Yang Xue’s house.

At six in the evening, father Yang returned home from work, while mother Yang was washing sweet potatoes to cook. Qian Xiaohe was in the small yard, holding a book and quietly reciting it to herself.

Mother Yang finished preparing the meal, and Qian Xiaohe immediately washed her hands and served the food. The bowl contained two sweet potatoes and a piece of millet flour steamed bun. In the center of the table were dishes of yellow soybeans and sauerkraut. Although simple, the whole family ate with great enjoyment.

Su Ye shook the salted bean curd skin in her hand and said, “Mom Yang, add a little extra food, I want to thank you for telling me about Qin Lan today.”

Mother Yang wiped her hands on her clothes and, a little embarrassed, stretched out her hand to take the bean curd skin.

“Ah! It’s just some small talk, it’s nothing. Su Ye, don’t be so polite!”

Although bean curd skin wasn’t the best item, it still required food stamps, and Mother Yang had only mentioned it casually. It wasn’t worth someone going out of their way to buy it to thank her.

Su Ye insisted on placing the bean curd skin in her hands, smiling as she said, “I didn’t explain it clearly earlier. Actually, Qin Lan is also one of my students. I’d like to ask Mom Yang to keep an eye out for me and help me watch over her. If anything happens on her end, let Yang Xue come to the school to find me.”

Mother Yang still refused the bean curd skin, saying, “It’s no big deal, Su Ye, don’t be so polite!”

Su Ye simply found a clean bowl and dumped the bean curd skin into it, releasing the fragrant aroma of the salted bean curd skin.

The bean curd skin was still warm, and the children couldn’t resist the temptation of food. They eagerly grabbed a piece and shoved it into their mouths, exclaiming how delicious it was! Their dark, grape-like eyes shone with a dazzling sparkle.

Qian Xiaohe and Yang Xue noticed that their teacher had arrived and happily stood up.

Su Ye gently patted their heads, saying, “Eat well, I’m leaving now.”

She pinched Qian Xiaohe’s cheek. Although she was still thin, she looked much healthier and rosier than before.

After dinner, Qian Xiaohe obediently took her homework and went to sit by the streetlamp to write. There were no electric lights at home, and her parents would never allow her to use the kerosene lamp. She always did her homework by the streetlamp before heading back home.

The faint yellow light from the lamp bathed her, casting a soft silhouette. Qian Xiaohe was so focused on her work that she didn’t notice Su Ye had come back and was watching her do her homework.

Su Ye felt a pang in her heart as she saw this, thinking that maybe Lu Siyuan, that unlikable student, wasn’t beyond redemption. It wouldn’t hurt to be a bit patient with him, and the food she earned from him could be shared with little Xiaohe, this poor child!

Su Ye patted Qian Xiaohe on the shoulder, giving her a wink, and said, “Go ahead and write with the oil lamp, it’s bad for your eyes to strain them like this.”

Qian Xiaohe jumped in surprise, “Teacher, you’re still here?” She smiled and said, “It’s fine, this is good enough. Kerosene is too expensive, and I don’t have any oil coupons.”

Su Ye cleared her throat, lowered her voice, raised an eyebrow, and hinted, “Xiaohe, do you still remember those black market traders who sold you food?”

“They have oil coupons, and not just oil coupons—they have many other kinds of coupons, and everything is much cheaper. You can buy food and even pork from them.”

Qian Xiaohe remembered the slab of pork fat from last time and nodded, “Yes, yes, they gave me a piece of pork fat. Thank you, teacher, your black market contacts are really helpful!”

Su Ye couldn’t help but laugh but then solemnly corrected her, “Remember, I didn’t introduce you to those traders. You happened to meet them on the black market.”

Qian Xiaohe quickly understood her teacher’s caution and nodded seriously.

In the evening, Su Ye placed 30 kilograms of rice at the usual spot, waiting for Guo Aiguo to come and take it.

A thick bundle was pressed under the blue bricks, quietly disappearing when no one was looking. Su Ye counted the warm bills. Guo Aiguo should have given her 60 yuan, but this time he directly gave her 100 yuan and 50 kilograms of food coupons.

Su Ye frowned. While it felt good to receive more money each time, she didn’t like taking advantage of others.

She reluctantly added a piece of pork to the rice.

Guo Aiguo and his wife picked up the rice early in the morning. When they got home and opened the bag to portion it out, they were shocked to find a piece of pork wrapped in oil paper inside the rice!

At the sight of the pork, both of their breaths quickened, and their hearts started racing.

“This… is pork?”

Guo Aiguo and his wife had decent salaries, over 200 yuan combined each month. Even with such a high salary, pork was still a luxury for them.

Due to the current food shortages, the food supply for humans was insufficient, let alone food for pigs. Rural areas didn’t raise pigs anymore due to a lack of feed. The collective livestock stations had significantly reduced their pig-raising programs, only maintaining the minimum national requirements. Occasionally, some people went hunting in the mountains, and if they were lucky, they might catch some wild game, but pork could only be found on the black market.

Guo Aiguo and his wife had been trying hard to find pork, relying on connections just to ensure they had eggs every month, with the occasional chicken or duck meat. They hadn’t tasted pork in a long time.

Now, what was this in his hands? Guo Aiguo stared at the pork, his heart melting.

Mrs. Fang excitedly hugged her husband, “Grandma was right. She said we should treat them well—they’re truly our saviors!”

Even though it was already three in the morning and they should have been tired from waking up in the middle of the night, Mrs. Fang, full of energy, took the pork and rendered the fatty part into lard.

The flour, made from the rich quality flour, was kneaded into dough, then pressed into thin pancakes, and placed in the pan to fry. When the hot pan met the lard, it sizzled, and the pancake absorbed the lard, gradually cooking through. She sprinkled a thin layer of minced meat on top, cracked an egg, and the fragrance of the food filled the air.

Mrs. Fang split the fried egg meat pancake in half, handing one piece to her husband while she ate the other half. She took a bite, savoring it carefully. The pancake, fried in lard, was fragrant and had a delightful chewiness.

The minced meat was so delicious that Mrs. Fang finished her pancake without even realizing it.

She started scheming about the “Nicai Village Production Brigade” again. Tugging on her husband’s sleeve, she said, “Do you think if we asked to buy pork from them, they’d agree?”

Guo Aiguo pondered for a moment and replied uncertainly, “Should we write them a letter?”

This was exactly what Mrs. Fang had been waiting for. “Write! Even if it’s 10 yuan a pound, I’ll buy it!”

—

Compared to others’ struggles, Su Ye was thriving.

Lu Siyuan started coming to school on time and attending classes. When he returned, he brought along a group of followers who also came to school with him. Every day, Su Ye received several kilograms of pork belly from them, and in just a few days, she had effortlessly stockpiled 100 kilograms.

Although a few kilograms of pork belly each day didn’t seem like much, saving it bit by bit amounted to a significant fortune over time.

The next day, Lu Siyuan’s parents invited Su Ye to dinner to thank her.

After work, Su Ye headed directly to the Jufu Restaurant.

In the past, she never splurged on dining out. For one, it was too expensive—she didn’t care for ordinary state-run restaurants, while the ones she liked were far too costly. For example, Jufu Restaurant was a prestigious establishment in C City, where spending a month’s salary on one meal wasn’t unusual.

Secondly, adhering to the principle of keeping a low profile, she avoided flaunting her wealth whenever possible.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Su Ye was led to a private room on the second floor. Roasted duck, steamed fish, and stir-fried greens were served one after another.

One look, and Su Ye knew Lu Siyuan’s parents had gone all out. While these two meat dishes seemed simple, they were anything but cheap. Given the scarcity of meat during such a challenging time, having two dishes with meat on the table was no easy feat. This meal likely cost no less than 100 yuan.

The roasted duck had been cooked to perfection, its skin crisp and reddish-brown. The server skillfully carved the duck, layer by layer. Half of the duck was packed and placed beside Su Ye’s seat, while the remaining half was served to the guests.

“If I’d known you were going to spend so much, I wouldn’t have come,” Su Ye said, handing the packed duck back to Mrs. Lu.

The Lu family adhered to the tradition of not speaking while eating or sleeping. Mrs. Lu smiled warmly and said, “Let’s not talk about that now, Teacher Su. Eat while it’s hot. The roast duck here is excellent.”

As Su Ye took a bite, it tasted like the flavor of money. She couldn’t shake the feeling that every bite was worth a crisp ten-yuan bill.

She took a bite of the roast duck, and the exquisite flavor exploded on her tongue. The crispy duck skin, tender and savory duck meat, and a thin layer of sweet and sour sauce made Su Ye’s eyes widen with delight.

A bowl of steaming fish soup followed, its fresh and savory taste melding perfectly with the heat of the broth. As the warmth spread through her, Su Ye felt like she had truly come alive again. It had been so long since she’d enjoyed such a satisfying meal.

The meal left everyone content and cheerful. In the end, Su Ye found it hard to refuse the half duck that the Lu family insisted on giving her.

Her thoughts wandered to Grandma Zhou’s house, where there was a fireplace. The ducks from the warehouse were even plumper and more tender. Using them to make roast duck, combined with the skills of the Jufu Restaurant chef, would result in a flavor that was hard to imagine.

Mrs. Lu said, “Thank you, Teacher Su. Our Siyuan must have been a handful for you.”

Su Ye brought up the purpose of her visit. “Which school is Siyuan planning to apply to?”

Factory Director Lu hadn’t expected this question. He glanced helplessly at his son, then at his wife.

Mrs. Lu chuckled, “Him? He’s hopeless when it comes to that.”

Su Ye looked puzzled.

After a pause, Mrs. Lu explained, “Siyuan has been terrible at language arts since he was young. Getting him to memorize even one classical poem was a battle. His English and Russian are a mess too. If he can’t manage language, how could he handle political studies? Unless a university makes an exception and admits him, there’s no way he’ll pass the exams.”

This development surprised Su Ye. She cleared her throat lightly. “I see…”

Catching Lu Siyuan’s unfriendly glare, she quickly changed the topic, thanked the Lu family, and left the restaurant.

Carrying a pound of roast duck meat, Su Ye returned to the residential compound. She divided the duck into four portions, one for herself, one for Grandma Zhou, one for the Ning family, and the last for Gu Xiangqian.

Gu Xiangqian had been training in the suburbs recently, camping out for several nights in a row.

While delivering the portion to the Ning family, Su Ye handed Gu Xiangqian’s share to Ning Xingdou. “Your Brother Xiangqian probably hasn’t eaten yet. Help me bring him this meal.”

The fragrant duck meat, freshly plated, was already mouthwatering. Its rosy, glistening hue made it even more tempting.

Ning Xingdou tried two pieces of roast duck and was so impressed that his eyes lit up. He couldn’t stop praising it.

“Brother Xiangqian is so lucky! Out training in the wilderness and still gets meals delivered to him. Sister-in-law is the best.”

In the evening, Ning Xingdou led a group of soldiers on a patrol shift, carrying Gu Xiangqian’s dinner. Before leaving, he made sure to heat the roast duck, so it was still steaming hot and fragrant when Gu Xiangqian received it.

When he opened the lunchbox, a rich aroma wafted through the air. Inside were beautifully arranged slices of roast duck, a layer of braised pork, and another layer of egg soup—all hearty, meaty dishes that made the surrounding officers envious.

Although their dinner rations were decent, they couldn’t compare to the feast Gu Xiangqian had. Over the past few days in the field, they had managed to catch a few rabbits and wild chickens, but the meat was tough and far inferior to the tender braised pork, let alone the fragrant roast duck.

Basking in the envious, begrudging stares of his comrades, Gu Xiangqian calmly returned to his tent and began enjoying his meal.

Yao Chunyu, who typically couldn’t join such exercises due to her hospital duties, had been suspended for a month and unexpectedly found herself free to participate in the drill. This exercise was only open to promising young talents, and even the girls from the cultural troupe had no chance of being included. Yet tonight, all those young talents were enviously eyeing the meal sent by Gu Xiangqian’s wife.

In her own tent that night, Yao Chunyu scoffed to herself. “What’s the big deal about a few pieces of meat?”

If she wanted to eat meat, she could just go to the black market. With access to fine grain, she was in a better position than most to trade for it. Farmers selling wild game in the city were more inclined to exchange their meat for grain.

When did Gu Xiangqian become so easily satisfied? Acting like one good meal was such a rarity.

Once the drill was over, Yao Chunyu planned to hit the black market and trade for ten or so pounds of meat to indulge herself.

But what she didn’t realize was that Su Ye’s meat wasn’t just any wild game. Take that fragrant braised pork, for instance—no wild boar meat could ever be so tender and flavorful.

After the military drill concluded, Gu Xiangqian returned to the military compound.

Meanwhile, Su Ye was racking her brain, trying to figure out how to perfect her cooking. She had spent a whole big black ten yuan bill to ask the chef at Jufu Restaurant for tips on making delicious roast duck.

Of course, secret recipes weren’t meant to be shared. However, with the restaurant now nationalized and its chefs securely employed, the old days of privately owned eateries and landlords were long gone. The chefs, with their stable jobs, were no longer fiercely guarding trade secrets as their personal assets.

Chef Chu eventually gave in to Su Ye’s persistence and shared a few pointers. While he didn’t reveal the recipe, following those tips alone was enough to make a delicious roast duck.

Over the weekend, Su Ye generously took out two plump, white-feathered water ducks. These ducks were larger and fatter than ordinary domesticated ones, their size imposing.

The ducks flapped their wings and quacked loudly as they waddled quickly toward Su Ye from a distance.

It wasn’t a big deal at first—just that when the ducks escaped, they caught the attention of a few families in the courtyard. A group of women’s eyes lit up, and they started chasing after the ducks.

After running several laps around the grove, they couldn’t even touch a single feather. Exhausted and panting heavily, they could only watch as the two plump ducks clumsily waddled straight to Su Ye’s feet and flopped onto the ground as if playing dead.

Su Ye, without hesitation, grabbed the ducks and turned to leave.

“Wait—those are our ducks!”

Su Ye released the ducks and, with a sweet smile, said, “Oh, really? Then go ahead and catch them. If you catch them, they’re yours.”

As soon as the wild ducks hit the ground, they flapped their wings and took off again, running wildly. By the time the women were utterly drained, with no strength left to give chase, the ducks once again stopped obediently at Su Ye’s feet.

Without any fuss, Su Ye picked up the two plump ducks and went home.

The group was dumbfounded, muttering curses under their breath. The same ducks that had been so cunning and slippery in their hands were utterly compliant when it came to Su Ye.

One person, still in shock, murmured, “Su Ye’s luck is unbelievable. I didn’t believe in fate before, but now I have no choice.”