“Everyone’s watching TV?”

He Jiaxing and a few other kids at home talked about the twins’ new refrigerator and TV, so He Jiaxing’s mom, Yang Wenjie’s mom, and Cheng Yingyong’s mom agreed to come and see.

The three moms entered Lin’s house and saw several kids in the dining room watching TV and eating Bayberries.

Originally, the dining room only had a table and a cupboard, looking a bit empty, but it looked different now with the TV and refrigerator.

“Mom, why are you here?” He Jiaxing noticed his mom and quickly said, “Mom, look at the twins’ refrigerator and TV. Can we buy them too?”

“How much are these refrigerator and TV?” He Jiaxing’s mom asked.

He Jiaxing looked at Yi Bao.

Yi Bao said, “The refrigerator is 1300 yuan, and the TV is 420 yuan. Dad and Mom have spent all their money.” He sounded quite upset.

He wanted to earn money for Mom, but selling ice pop seemed like a shady business.

What should he do?

He Jiaxing’s mom, Yang Wenjie’s mom, and Cheng Yingyong’s mom gasped at the prices.

It added up to nearly 2000 yuan, and only Ning Shu dared to buy them.

They couldn’t bear to spend that much.

He Jiaxing’s mom said, “420 yuan for the TV is alright, but 1300 yuan for the refrigerator is too expensive.”

The TV was just a bit more expensive than a watch, and as a woman with a watch, she could accept the TV’s price and was willing to buy it.

But she couldn’t bear to buy the refrigerator. With 1300 yuan, they could buy a house.

In fact, they only had He Jiaxing as a child.

Although only her husband earned money, their household finances were comfortable.

She had also saved quite a bit of money, so she could consider it if the kids liked it.

Actually, people tend to compare.

Although there were no conflicts between the He and Lin families, their kids were good friends.

He Jiaxing’s mom loved her child dearly and thought, since other kids had these things, she also wanted her child to have them.

Yang Wenjie’s mom and Cheng Yingyong’s mom didn’t think the same way.

They had multiple kids each and no jobs, relying solely on their husbands’ earnings.

Even though they could afford the 420 yuan TV, they hesitated because they had to consider their children’s future.

In fact, the husbands’ salaries were not much different from Lin Guodong’s, but they didn’t have as much savings as Ning Shu, mainly due to their in-laws.

Ning Shu received everything when she married Lin Guodong, but the other two families didn’t split off.

Although their mothers-in-law weren’t here, a third of their husbands’ salaries had to be sent back every month, which meant they had several hundred yuan less each year.

“It is indeed expensive, but having a refrigerator has many benefits. Foods like fish, meat, and eggs that spoil easily can be stored in it,” Cheng Yingyong’s mom said.

As for cooking enough food to have leftovers, it never crossed her mind. In this era, they only made enough to eat, never having extra.

Their meals were always just enough to satisfy, leaving no leftovers.

The three ladies had nothing to do and didn’t feel like going out in the hot weather, so sitting here, enjoying the fan breeze and watching TV, was a good way to pass the time.

“Yi Bao, where’s your mom?” Yang Wenjie’s mom asked when she didn’t see Ning Shu.

Yi Bao obediently replied, “My mom went to take a nap. She got up very early today to buy the TV, and it was tough.”

Yang Wenjie’s mom chuckled, “Yes, yes, your mom works the hardest.”

She smiled at the child’s words; at such a young age, he already knew how to take care of his mom. Among all the kids in the neighborhood, Ning Shu’s three children were the most well-behaved.

However, despite Ning Shu buying a TV and a refrigerator, the three moms still had a good impression of her.

Firstly, Ning Shu took good care of their three children.

Secondly, in their view, Ning Shu was hardworking.

She was either collecting firewood in the mountains or digging wild vegetables.

If they had to name the most active family member in the mountain, Ning Shu would definitely be at the top.

Of course, they didn’t know that Ning Shu’s trips to the mountains were for “business” purposes.

Ning Shu was supposed to be taking a nap, but she heard movement in the dining room and got up.

Seeing He Jiaxing’s mom and the others, she brought out a basin of yangmei she had exchanged with villagers: “These Baybrries were exchanged yesterday. They’re not very fresh now, but they’re sweet. Give them a try.”

She bought these Bayberries through an app, called Black Charcoal Bayberries.

They were small, not much bigger than wild Bayberries from the mountains, but darker and sweeter.

To others, these yangmei were almost the same as wild ones.

He Jiaxing’s mom said, “I exchanged Bayberries with villagers last year too, but most of them were sour.”

Some villagers picked the darkest yangmei from wild trees to exchange with others because they didn’t want to eat them.

Therefore, Ning Shu’s Bayberries weren’t particularly rare at this time of year; it was the season for eating Bayberries.

“This Bayberries is really sweet,” Yang Wenjie’s mom exclaimed, her eyes lighting up after taking a bite.

She had never tasted such sweet Bayberries before, especially ones that had been chilled—it was really refreshing.

“Sister, where did you get these Bayberries? They’re so sweet, you could exchange for more and dry them into yangmei snacks,” she suggested.

Ning Shu replied, “Yesterday, on my way to the city to look at refrigerators, I saw someone carrying bayberries. I exchanged five pounds with meat coupons, but I didn’t ask where they were from.”

Yang Wenjie’s mom felt a bit disappointed, “I was thinking of going to exchange some too. Drying Bayberries into snacks for the children to eat during the hot weather would be great.” She understood Ning Shu’s way; they generally didn’t inquire about the origin when exchanging items—it was the custom.

Ning Shu added, “Even if dried Bayberries aren’t very sweet, you can cook them with white sugar in a pot until the sugar syrup thickens, then dry them out. They’ll be delicious.”

She remembered buying such Bayberries snacks for a few cents a pack from the village shop when she was younger.

Her grandmother used to make these snacks for them after they got a refrigerator. Things they hadn’t paid attention to before now held deep memories.

Thinking this way, Ning Shu decided that the next batch of Bayberries she got, she would dry them herself and store them.

Although frozen Bayberries made a good snack, their refrigerator was small, so freezing Bayberry meant they couldn’t freeze other things.

“Wouldn’t using white sugar waste a lot of it?” Yang Wenjie’s mom hesitated.

Ning Shu reassured her, “No, about half a pound of white sugar or brown sugar syrup will do.”

“Okay, I’ll give it a try,” Yang Wenjie’s mom agreed.

With a pound or half a pound of sugar, the families in the neighborhood could afford it. “I wonder if Moon Bay Production Team has yangmei.”

He Jiaxing’s mom was intrigued, “Should we go and ask?”

Ning Shu suggested, “Not just Bayberries, if there are wild peaches, they’re great for making canned fruit, too.”

He Jiaxing chimed in, “I love canned fruit.”

“You love everything,” teased He Jiaxing’s mom.

He Jiaxing replied sheepishly, “Just a bit…”

Cheng Yingyong’s mom then said, “I’ll make some, too.”

The women discussed their plans for making and enjoying these treats.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the neighborhood, a few women were chatting.

“Did you hear? Someone in our neighborhood bought a refrigerator.” Upon hearing this news, one woman thought it was quite extravagant.

Though she didn’t know the price, refrigerators were big items, bigger than bicycles, sewing machines, or even televisions.

Even without asking, she was certain they were expensive.

“I know, I know, it’s the twins’ family who bought the refrigerator. They bought it yesterday and got a TV today. Oh my, refrigerators are rare items these days,” another woman chimed in.

TVs were more common in some households in the neighborhood, but refrigerators were indeed a rarity.

The woman continued, “My child is also in Nursery Class 3 with the twins. This morning, a few kids from Nursery Class 3 went to their place to exchange for popsicles. My child went too. I picked half a pound of vegetables to exchange, and what we got was green bean popsicles. I’ve tasted them—rich green bean flavor, very sweet.”

Hearing this, someone remarked sourly, “You have to exchange things for green bean popsicles? That’s quite stingy.”

The woman who exchanged vegetables for popsicles glanced at her, “Green beans cost nothing, but they’re sweet because they’re sugared. Isn’t sugar free? Running a refrigerator also costs electricity, and we have to pay for that ourselves here in the neighborhood. A half-pound of vegetables for a green bean popsicle to satisfy my child’s cravings seems worth it to me. Even if I do this occasionally, I’m fine with it. I’m not someone who takes advantage of others.”

“Ha, buying refrigerators and TVs, isn’t this enjoying the good life? They must be from a wealthy family,” another person commented.

“You shouldn’t say things like that,” a woman who had been quiet suddenly spoke up.

Everyone turned to look—it was Comrade Ning Qin, who had arrived a year ago.

“Just because the twins’ family has a TV doesn’t mean they’re the only ones. If having a TV is enjoying the good life from a wealthy family, then are the other families with TVs also from wealthy backgrounds?”

Ning Qin said. “If this gets to higher ears, it won’t be good.”

Ning Qin wasn’t defending Ning Shu—she actually wished her ill fortune more than anyone else.

But that didn’t mean others could tarnish Ning Shu’s reputation.

Unfortunately, they were all from the same neighborhood.

If Ning Shu was considered wealthy, did that mean she came from a wealthy family?

So Ning Qin had to clear this up for Ning Shu.

“Ah, I was just saying,” the woman hurriedly responded.

Indeed, households with TVs in the neighborhood were better off. Saying otherwise could affect her husband’s standing if heard by families with connections.