Chapter 16: There Will Be Days with Endless Meat to Eat

Back at the banyan tree, Su Taotao’s family quietly waited for everyone else to get off the tractor before they disembarked.

Uncle Niu helped unload the goods, and Su Taotao gave him a handful of candied fruit as a token of thanks. Uncle Niu was utterly surprised—wasn’t she the one who would grab candy from the kids? And she gave him a handful, not just one piece!

Within minutes, word spread through the village that Su Taotao had given Uncle Niu a handful of candy.

By the time they got home, everyone was beat, especially Chenchen, who hadn’t taken a nap that day and was yawning continuously by the time he took his bath.

Su Taotao took out the items she bought from the supply and marketing cooperative one by one, causing Zhou Linglan’s eyelids to twitch.

“Taotao, do you plan to move the entire supply and marketing cooperative here?”

“As long as it’s food that can be eaten, it’s not a waste to buy as much as possible,” Su Taotao replied, handing her the noodles and the front leg pork that Chen Sihai had given them last. “We’re too tired today, so let’s just make a simple pork noodle soup for dinner. Boil the pork with ginger, scallions, and salt, render the fat for cooking oil, and slice the lean meat for the noodles. When you boil the noodles, blanch some greens at the same time, so there’s no need to stir-fry another dish. Set aside a bowl for Teacher Cao.”

Su Taotao’s dietary philosophy emphasized balanced nutrition with a mix of meat and vegetables. This dinner was a simple meal for her, but it wasn’t simple for people of this era.

The family had to adjust to her way of doing things. There were no refrigerators back then. The weather wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t cool either, and it wasn’t good weather for making bacon, so the fresh meat had to be eaten soon. She would braise the pig tail and pig ears after dinner, which could last an extra two days but not much longer.

Zhou Linglan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. To her, this was far from simple—this was how people ate during festivals.

But she didn’t comment, just sighed and followed Su Taotao’s instructions.

When the two kids came out after their baths, Su Taotao had them help with the items. She believed in fairness and democracy and wasn’t just talking—everyone in the family was part of the team, and she didn’t intend to hide anything from them.

She explained everything—what they bought, how much it cost, how many pounds of White Rabbit candies, how many cakes and biscuits, and a can of malted milk, which was Chenchen’s ration. She even mentioned what was for Teacher Cao and that it had to be delivered later, rattling off each item she took out.

The two kids listened intently, astonished. Even Fu Yuanhang, who was older, had never seen such a spread before.

Su Taotao gave each family member a White Rabbit candy to sweeten their mouths. She peeled one for herself and gave one to Chenchen, peeling it and putting it in his little mouth. She also placed one in his small hand and asked, “Chenchen, in our family, there’s Grandma, Mom, Uncle, and you. Now I’m giving each person a candy. How many candies have been given out?”

Chenchen tilted his small head and started counting on his fingers. When he finished, he tried to raise four fingers but couldn’t control his thumb, so he used the hand holding the candy to press down his thumb, blinking his big eyes as he eagerly showed Su Taotao.

The milk candy puffed up his baby cheeks, making him look especially cute. Su Taotao kissed him and said, “Good job, Chenchen. That’s four candies, right? We’ve each eaten one, but Grandma hasn’t. Can you take this candy to Grandma and watch her eat it?”

Chenchen nodded vigorously, climbed down from his small stool, and ran to the kitchen with his short legs.

Actually, Fu Yuanhang hadn’t wanted to eat his candy either, intending to hide it in his pocket. Su Taotao, shifting her gaze from Chenchen, handed Fu Yuanhang the entire bag of White Rabbit candies and said, “Milk candies have protein and calcium, which will help you grow stronger. You and Chenchen can have one or two a day, but no more than two. There’s no need to save them—when they’re gone, I’ll buy more. Try to eat fewer fruit candies or have just one occasionally, and you can share them with your close classmates.”

Fu Yuanhang stared at the bag of White Rabbit candies in a daze, then looked at Su Taotao. Was his sister-in-law really giving him such a precious bag of candies just like that?

Fu Yuanhang tried to return the candies, shaking his head. “Sister-in-law, I, I don’t want…”

Su Taotao patted Fu Yuanhang’s head and gently persuaded him, “Silly child, it’s just a few candies. What’s your ambition? If you don’t have one, you should start thinking about it now. If you want to be a teacher, you’ll manage at least a few dozen people. If you join the army and become an officer, you’ll manage hundreds or even thousands of soldiers. Even if you work in a factory, as a small leader, you’ll manage many people.

Managing a few candies is the first task I’m giving you to lighten my workload. Don’t be afraid to take charge and do your best. I’ll give you more tasks in the future. If you can’t complete such a small task, I might be a little disappointed.”

Fu Yuanhang was confused—he was just a primary school student. Had he really dreamed of becoming a teacher or an officer? Or even a leader? He had never imagined such things.

But when he heard that it was a task that could help his sister-in-law, the bag of milk candies didn’t feel so heavy in his hands anymore. He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and accepted the task. “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I’ll definitely complete the task.”

Su Taotao nodded. That was more like it. Inwardly, she sighed. People often said girls should be “raised with abundance,” but she believed boys needed it even more. This “abundance” didn’t just refer to money and material things. Building a generous character often started with having enough resources. When basic needs were taken care of, you could focus on other things, like personal growth. When survival was a struggle, how could one talk about generosity? It was considered thrifty for girls to be a little stingy, but for boys, it was a different story.

In her eyes, Fu Yuanhang was like her older son, and she wanted to nurture him well. But the conditions were what they were. She had no experience raising children in both her lifetimes, so she could only do her best. It was a long and challenging road ahead.

In the kitchen, Zhou Linglan was surprised when her grandson handed her a piece of milk candy. She didn’t know whether to spit it out or eat it, so she lightly tapped Chenchen’s nose and hugged him. “In the future, you eat it yourself. Grandma doesn’t like sweets.”

Chenchen shook his head in disagreement. “Mom said everyone should eat…”

Zhou Linglan patted the child’s head and said, “Our Chenchen has such a great mom; he’s going to be so lucky.”

……

The second task Su Taotao assigned to Fu Yuanhang was to deliver food to Guohua Cao.

Among the daily necessities Su Taotao bought that day, some were for Guohua Cao, including soap, matches, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, white sugar, and more. She brought him just about everything from the supply and marketing cooperative that they might need.

Su Taotao said, “Make sure Teacher Cao takes these.”

Fu Yuanhang completed the task well. He dropped off the items and said, “If you need anything, talk to my sister-in-law,” then left without another word. Guohua Cao was left confused and didn’t even get a chance to respond.

Zhou Linglan wasn’t a bad cook, but even the best chef needs good ingredients to work with.

For example, the noodles for dinner had a creamy white broth with fresh green veggies floating on top, topped with slices of lean meat and a sprinkle of scallions, making it incredibly flavorful.

Su Taotao loved the simplicity and freshness of the ingredients, and with every bite, she praised, “Mom, these noodles are amazing!”

Zhou Linglan smiled and said, “When you use good meat, how can it not taste great?”

Fu Yuanhang ate with his face almost in the bowl, nodding continuously.

There was enough meat in Chenchen’s bowl. When Zhou Linglan divided the meat, she didn’t dare to give herself less, or Su Taotao would be unhappy. She wanted to secretly give some of her meat to Fu Yuanhang, but he moved his bowl away and said, “Mom, eat it yourself. I have enough meat; I’ll just add some noodles and vegetables later.”

For Fu Yuanhang, a meal like this was a rare treat. Just having noodles was enough to make him happy.

Su Taotao, buried in her noodles, said nothing. As a mother, she understood the constant worry of whether her child had enough to eat. After having Chenchen, she understood this concern all too well. One day, she’d make sure her family never went without meat.

After dinner, Zhou Linglan helped Su Taotao prepare the pig tail and pig ears. She couldn’t help but say, “Taotao, should we preserve these two as well?”

Su Taotao was preparing the braising liquid, wrapping the cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaves she bought into a small packet to boil in water. She shook her head and said, “No need. We still have some bacon, and this amount should last two or three days.”

In reality, they could finish this amount in one day if they ate freely, but it was too luxurious to do so in this era. Stretching it over two or three days was still reasonable.

Zhou Linglan said, “My heart’s always unsettled; this way of eating feels too luxurious.”

Su Taotao said, “Mom, people regard food as their heaven. We live for just three meals and a night’s sleep. Don’t overthink it. Eat what you should, sleep when you should, and live for the present moment. Who knows what the future will bring?”

People had to live in the moment. When she woke up, her money was in a 21st-century bank account, but she was stuck in a 1970s production team. Who could she even talk to about that?

Zhou Linglan thought about it and realized the worst outcome would just be a return to their previous living standard, which wasn’t a big deal.

“You really have an open mind; I’m not as carefree as you.”

Su Taotao said, “Mom, I’ve told you, after falling into the water, I lived a new life and won’t be as immature as before.”

Zhou Linglan nodded and said, “Okay, from now on, I’ll listen to you regarding family matters.”

……

Once the braising liquid was ready, they put in the pig tail and pig ears. After bringing it to a boil again, they removed the firewood and left the charcoal to simmer. When they woke up in the morning and lifted the lid, it revealed an exceptional delicacy.

Guohua Cao showed up just as they were lifting the lid off the braised dish, carrying an empty bowl and a pile of items. He knocked on the door, placed the things on the ground, and said, “Don’t send things over again,” before turning away.

Zhou Linglan sighed as she watched his back. In the end, she said nothing.