Chapter 12: Can This Family Still Make a Living?

During their time on the train, Jiang Yuman had mentioned her family’s conditions while pregnant, which caused both her mother-in-law and sister-in-law to look down on her.

So what if she was pregnant? As if no one else had ever gone through pregnancy. Was it necessary for her to do nothing at all?

“Just you wait,” Zhou Yun confidently asserted, “This family is definitely suffering by having such a daughter-in-law. With one less worker to earn points, they won’t be able to make ends meet.”

Even if the men in that family were strong, what good would it do without a capable woman? Everything would be in vain!

Old Lady Cai nodded repeatedly in agreement. Although her own family had also dropped in status after coming to the countryside, at least they all had the strength to work in the fields and earn their points.

That family’s daughter-in-law was unwilling to even clean, so how could they expect her to go out and earn points?

Points were linked to food rations; if she didn’t work, they would have one less person earning points, which meant not enough food for the family to survive.

Compared to them, their own family was doing quite well.

Just thinking about this made Zhou Yun feel much better.

—

On the other side, Jiang Yuman was completely unaware that Zhou Yun’s family was waiting to see her joke unfold.

She sat outside while her family cleaned up the house. It was only after they finished that Fu Mu called her inside.

When she entered, Zhou Yun’s side hadn’t been cleaned up yet; the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were still busily working like spinning tops.

Since the youth station only had a communal kitchen, Fu Mu was worried that they wouldn’t have time to cook once people returned, so she hurried to steam the buns she had made at home.

As she heated the buns, the youth started coming back from work, groups of two or three heading this way.

The harvest season had just begun, and the youths had spent the entire day bent over, cutting wheat, leaving them with no strength to lift their backs.

After a whole day of labor, their backs felt like they might break, and they still had to wash up and cook upon returning.

In this situation, even when they noticed that there were new families in the house next door, everyone was too exhausted to care.

Zhou Yun was eager to connect with the youths, so as soon as she saw them starting to cook, she quickly took her things to the kitchen.

The Fu family didn’t join in the commotion. They had just finished their meal when Yao Zhenjiang came over with a few bags of food.

He entered and placed several bags in the room, saying, “Our brigade isn’t doing too well right now. These are subsidies from our brigade: a total of thirty pounds of cornmeal, thirty pounds of sorghum flour, and fifteen pounds of white flour.”

“After the autumn harvest, there will be additional food distribution. You’ll be joining work tomorrow, and the food will be distributed according to points and headcount.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuman calculated in her mind: There are only a few short days for the harvest, and even if they worked hard, they hadn’t participated in the previous planting, so their points would be minimal.

Moreover, like the youths, they were outsiders, and the quota for food would definitely be less than the villagers’.

Even with the most optimistic calculations, for the family to last until the summer harvest, they would have to tighten their belts.

Fortunately, she had her space. If they didn’t get enough food from food distribution, how would the family survive?

Others in the Fu family had similar thoughts. Fu Wangshan accepted the food and said, “Okay, Comrade, thank you for your trouble.”

“Not a problem.” Yao Zhenjiang waved his hand dismissively, as he still needed to hurry and deliver food to Zhou Yun’s family. After speaking, he left.

As soon as he walked out, Fu Wangshan took out the fifteen-pound bag of white flour and said to Fu Jingchen, “Jingchen, take this to the brigade leader’s house and tell him that our daughter-in-law isn’t going to work.”

Before coming to the countryside, the family had decided not to let Jiang Yuman work. Now, during the exhausting autumn harvest, they couldn’t risk it.

Their daughter-in-law was pregnant, and what if she over-exerted herself?

Upon hearing this, Fu Mu quickly took out the preserved meat she had brought along and placed it on the table. “Take this too, and tell them we’re all going to work, so Yuman won’t have to.”

Fu Haitang couldn’t help but interject, “Mom and Dad, if she isn’t working, and we all are, do we still have to come back and cook for her?”

She hadn’t worked in the fields either, but after seeing so many people sweating it out on the donkey cart on the way, she felt a bit anxious.

Naturally, she felt some imbalance in her emotions, and her tone was a little sharp.

“Haitang, you…”

Fu Mu frowned, and before she could finish, Jiang Yuman said, “Mom, don’t be angry. I originally wanted to help; I can cook at home.”

“I can’t allow that.” Fu Mu instinctively refused. “You’ve never cooked before, so I’ll handle it.”

Jiang Yuman glanced at Fu Jingchen, clearly seeing the concern in his eyes.

She comforted, “Mom, I really can’t do farm work, but I can cook.”

“I didn’t cook before because someone else did at home. Now that we’re all together, we need to work as a team to get through tough times. I’m just cooking; it won’t wear me out.”

She had her space and those supplies, so of course she wanted to take charge of cooking to have the chance to take things out.

Over the past two years, Jiang Yuman certainly didn’t want to shortchange herself or her family.

“Girl, your sister doesn’t understand; don’t listen to what she says.” Fu Wangshan spoke in a serious tone, and he shot Fu Haitang a look.

“Mom and Dad, I really can cook. How about this? I’ll try it at home first, and if I don’t want to continue, I’ll let you know.” Jiang Yuman felt a bit helpless.

After some back-and-forth, they finally relented.

Yet even after yielding, Fu Wangshan and his wife still furrowed their brows, as if they had encountered a major dilemma.

—

Once it got dark, all the youths returned to their rooms, and Fu Jingchen went to the brigade leader’s house with the items.

After listening to Fu Jingchen’s intentions, Yao Anguo frowned and said, “If your wife isn’t working, she won’t get any food, nor will she get headcount rations.”

Many women in the brigade worked even while pregnant, and he felt it wasn’t necessary.

Fu Jingchen replied, “It’s okay; she’s not well, and our whole family is worried about her.”

Seeing that he had made up his mind, Yao Anguo nodded and said, “Well, let it be.”

The Fu family was undergoing rural reform and had labor index requirements.

Although their family had some connections, it wouldn’t make things difficult for him; they just wanted one person to not work.

At this time, no family had it easy; white flour and meat had been absent from their diets for a long time, and thinking about that made Yao Anguo more agreeable.

After a few more polite exchanges, Fu Jingchen walked out of the house.

Just as he reached the door, a girl with two braids hurriedly ran over.

He stepped aside, not looking back as he walked into the house.

That girl seemed to be frozen in place, staring intently in that direction, lost in thought.

Yao Anguo, who had come out, noticed her and said, “Simeng, why don’t you come in? Why are you standing there staring?”

Yao Simeng turned her head and, with a curious expression, asked, “Dad, who was that person just now? Is he a new youth coming to work?”

“Not a youth; he’s come from the city for rural reform.”

“Oh.” Yao Simeng blinked her eyes thoughtfully.