Chapter 113

At the time of speaking, another person came to buy rice wine.

Shuiqing stepped aside and watched Ah Niang skillfully scoop rice wine into the pottery jar.

Hu Wenhua watched Ah Niang’s actions and whispered, “Sister, I feel Ah Niang can handle it alone. I can go out and find some work.”

Shuiqing looked at her brother in surprise.

Who enjoys comfort and still actively thinks of going out to work?

Hu Wenhua thought his sister didn’t believe him, so he explained, “Look, our home is in town, in a decent location. Most are regular customers. We just take the pottery and porcelain jars and sell door-to-door;

At the beginning, Ah Niang was not skilled, I could help with washing and steaming rice, but later when Ah Niang became proficient, I could only fight to do some work.”

“Isn’t that good? Neither of you will be tired.” Subconsciously, Shuiqing thought Hu Wenhua, who was fifteen, was still half a child and didn’t need to do adult work.

There is still a long time to work in the future, so it’s better to take it easy now, and it’s difficult to think about comfortable days later.

Hu Wenhua lowered his eyes and whispered, “This year is a good harvest year, and it’s unexpectedly cold today, so rice wine sells well. But what if there’s a real disaster next year?

By then, the rice wine business will definitely suffer. In a disaster year, Dad’s pork business won’t be able to operate either. Without income, I’m afraid Mom and Dad will worry about empty hands.

But sister, rest assured, rice wine is selling well these two months. I will definitely focus on rice wine.

I’m thinking that by February, when there are fewer people buying rice wine, Ah Niang can manage on her own, and I’ll go out to find some work.”

Having earned money, he understood the benefits of having money.

His parents no longer had to worry about the small size of their home or about buying land to build a big house after he got married;

Mother no longer had to think about saving a little more for his marriage and lowering the food standards. Now the family’s food is much better than before!

Not to mention eating rice and flour every day, at least three or five days we can have a meal.

Dad’s unsold pork, they will not worry about not sleeping at night, but happily pickle it into bacon or make smoked meat to eat.

After listening, Shuiqing understood that this child was aware of the crisis and was planning for the future.

There’s an umbrella on a sunny day, and being prepared is worry-free.

She didn’t object, just asked, “Have you figured out what you want to do?”

If he still wanted to be a laborer, he would only be able to do this in the future.

Hu Wenhua said seriously, “I want to go to the store in the capital city to find an apprenticeship, learn while working, even if the salary is low or unpaid, but I can learn skills.

“

People with skills can eat and drink without worry in years of disaster.

If you do the labor that everyone can do, when the world is good, you can support your family, but it is just to support your life. You can’t go further.

In a famine year or when the world is not good, everyone is competing, and many people are willing to work for a bite to eat. At that time, it is difficult to make a living, let alone support a family.

He wants to be a capable person, so that the whole family can eat and drink without worry during the disaster.

Shuiqing nodded in agreement.

What she thought about was longer-term and more practical.

Next year, she would know whether the plot would deviate.

If it didn’t deviate, the end of the war would be followed by the move of the capital.

They have to make money quickly and make more money. When the war is over, the properties, fields, and estates will be sold at bargain prices!

In the capital city, buying several houses, selling them off immediately would mean financial freedom!

But no matter how cheap the price, they must have money in hand first; without it, they can only sigh in longing.

After finishing the wine, Hu’s mother saw the siblings chatting and didn’t disturb them. She turned to check on the fish in the tub.

Two large wooden tubs were filled with fish of various sizes, all different.

Despite the cold weather today, though they were dead, they were still very fresh. However, they wouldn’t last long.

She reached in and rearranged them, already planning how to deal with them.

She would stew the heads of the fathead fish with cabbage and spinach, and they would finish them off in the next couple of days.

The bodies would be preserved as salted fish, delicious and good with plain meals when there’s a shortage of greens.

The grass carp would be smoked.

Other small fish and shrimp would be dried into fish jerky, which could be stored for a long time.

As she looked on, she stood up, turned, and entered the kitchen. She picked up a wooden stick from the wall and carefully took down all the strips of bacon hanging above.

She packed them into a bamboo basket.

It was a full basket.

Struggling to carry it out, Hu Wenhua, with sharp eyes, noticed.

He hurried over in big strides and preemptively said, “Ah Niang, let me carry that!”

No need to ask; it was definitely for his sister and brother-in-law to take home.

Looking at the basket full of bacon, Shuiqing was shocked. This was undoubtedly a major asset for a family!

“Mom, what are you doing?”

Hu’s mother smiled gently and instructed, “Take them home to eat. The bacon was made well this year, dried thoroughly and smoked for days.

Hang them in your kitchen when you get back. When you want to eat, just take one down and slice it. It goes well with fried garlic or chili.”

“This is too much! Just bring one or two pieces back.” Shuiqing’s immediate reaction was to take a token amount.

There was no way they could take it all back.

Making bacon was a laborious process. Moreover, she had a store now and over a million yuan in balance. Pork, old hens, rabbits, cows, and sheep, they could eat whatever meat they wanted, completely achieving meat freedom.

Their lives were much better than their father’s, brother’s, and sister’s. It was better to leave the bacon for them to eat.

Hu Wenhua was more anxious than Shuiqing and urged, “Not much! Sister, you have many people at home. Don’t look at this basket of bacon; it’ll be gone before you know it! Maybe you didn’t even notice it was gone.”

“Our family is making money now. Your dad slaughters pigs, and Mom can make more anytime. Take these and eat them.” Hu’s mother firmly held her daughter’s hand, not letting her take any out.

Shuiqing only felt her mother’s rough and powerful grip on her hand.

She must have used all her strength to ensure that not a single piece could be taken out, and they would all be taken home.

Hu Wenhua had an idea. He dashed to the well and poured the contents of the wooden basin, which had been soaking, into a nearby bamboo basket to drain.

Turning back excitedly, he said, “I’ve scrubbed the pig intestines with wood ash inside and out many times to ensure they’re clean!

Sister, take them home and boil them a bit longer, add more chili—won’t that count as a meat dish?”

Shuiqing had always wanted to eat braised pig intestines, but the thought of cleaning them gave her a headache. Now, looking at the cleaned pig intestines, she quietly swallowed her saliva.

Braised well, the large intestines were cut into thick slices and tasted good with or without vinegar.

They could also be stir-fried with garlic or green and red peppers, or stewed with sauerkraut and onions… She loved them all!

“Take them. Your younger brother has nothing to do now. If you like them, let him clean them and bring them over in a few days.” Hu’s mother watched her daughter drool, her smile tinged with affection.

In the end, she took two strips of bacon and left the rest. Shuiqing took home the cleaned pig intestines, a basket of bacon, and pots of pickled vegetables.