Chapter 006

Taking advantage of the fact that the cowpeas were still tender, Xu Xiangjuan decided to pick more in the afternoon to make pickled cowpeas. Pickled cowpeas were no worse than dried radish; both could be eaten with rice or congee.

At noon, she first cut some to stir-fry, and would deal with the rest after steaming the buns.

The stir-fried cowpeas for lunch were relatively light. Xu Xiangjuan didn’t allow Guagua to only eat chicken and drink chicken soup. Occasionally, she would pick up some cowpeas and place them in Guagua’s bowl for her to eat.

Later, when their lives improved, they emphasized the importance of balancing meat and vegetables in meals.

Guagua would eat what her mother gave her, but she wouldn’t take the initiative to eat on her own; she still preferred the ooh-ooh sound.

After lunch, Xu Xiangjuan cut the dough that had risen into small pieces. After feeding Niuniu, she led Guagua to start making buns.

Feeling inspired, Xu Xiangjuan even shaped some of the small dough pieces, using scissors to cut out ears and tails. She carefully pinched the ears and tails, then embedded green beans in them for eyes. After adding other details, a little bunny was formed.

After finishing the little bunny, she showed it to her daughter, “Guagua, this is a rabbit. Mom will steam it for you to eat later.”

Hearing that it was food, Guagua restrained herself from the urge to grab the bunny. “Okay, Mom, is it delicious?”

“You’ll know if it’s delicious after you eat it.”

Half of the dough pieces were made into rabbits, and the other half were shaped into regular buns, stacked in three layers in the steamer.

Now, when she made food, she would always send a portion to her parents, as they genuinely cared for their daughter.

Guagua, still a child, couldn’t wait. Every half minute, she would ask her mom when they could eat the bunny, “Okay, Mom, when can we eat the bunny?”

First, Xu Xiangjuan arranged the firewood in the stove. She took out a matchbox, struck a match, and used the dry yellow leaves she had gathered to start the fire. “Later, after it’s steamed, Guagua will go with Mom to pick more cowpeas. Help Mom carry them back, and for every trip you make, you can eat one more rabbit.”

If the cowpeas weren’t picked soon, they would grow old. Plus, she didn’t want her daughter to turn into a chubby child by eating too much. If she ate too much now, she’d complain when she grew up that her mother had fed her too much. As a child, she needed to stay active.

Guagua’s dad had to walk one or two hours every day to earn a living, so this little girl certainly couldn’t waste the family’s food.

Guagua, eager for the food, took on the task of carrying the cowpeas.

Xu Xiangjuan tied a bundle of cowpeas with rice straw. The family had rice straw; she had often used it to bundle vegetables and take them to the market to sell. After giving birth this year, she no longer sold vegetables. Next year, after the child was weaned, she didn’t plan on selling them either. It didn’t earn much, and it was enough for the family to grow and eat their own.

Once the bundle was tied, she asked Guagua to place it on the kitchen floor. Guagua, holding the bundle of cowpeas with both hands, walked with it, looking rather amusing with her small figure.

When Guagua moved the bundle for the second time, Xu Xiangjuan followed her back to the kitchen, adjusting the fire. Once the remaining firewood was burned, it would be about done.

…

The Town Middle School had been under construction for six years, but this year the canteen still wasn’t fully completed. Construction on the canteen started at the beginning of the year, but there was a pause in between. Both students and teachers had to bring their own lunch boxes. The wealthier students and teachers would occasionally go to the Small Restaurant next to the school a few times a month for a treat.

Although the canteen wasn’t finished, there was a rice steamer for the teachers to steam their lunch boxes. It was only open once a day, at a fixed time. If you missed the time, it wouldn’t open again. The rice couldn’t be cooked, only reheated.

When the last class finished, Zhou Chengning and a few colleagues went together to steam their lunch boxes.

The colleagues had just gone to the Small Restaurant next to the school the day before. They weren’t wealthy, so they still had to come to the canteen to steam their lunch boxes.

Although they weren’t rich, they weren’t as pitiful as Teacher Zhou, who had all the money controlled by his wife at home.

Before, the school had asked the teachers for a small annual tea fee, which wasn’t expensive—only two cents. They informed everyone on the same day, and Teacher Zhou didn’t have the money on him. He had to borrow two cents from a colleague, promising to return it another day.

It was hard to believe that this man didn’t even have two cents on him.

One teacher, who had worked with Teacher Zhou for many years and had been his colleague since before he got married, took the opportunity when Teacher Zhou was in class to talk to the others. “Before Teacher Zhou got married, he was just like us, able to go out for a treat. But after he married, his wife controlled everything, and life became difficult. All of us teachers have bicycles, but Teacher Zhou still walks to and from work every day.”

As for shoes, he only had a pair of liberation shoes and cloth shoes, alternating them throughout the year.

The colleagues were divided in their opinions. Some sympathized with Teacher Zhou and a few times insisted on dragging him to the Small Restaurant for a treat. They would buy him a nice meal, so he wouldn’t always have to eat that mixed rice with yellow and black grains, paired with dried radish and vegetables.

The dried radish was eaten straight from the bowl, crunchy and raw. When steamed in the cabinet, the flavor was much less intense, and the dried radish was very sour. Eating it would probably leave a bitter taste in the mouth.

Most of the time, Teacher Zhou’s lunch box didn’t even have dried radish. The worst times were when it only had chopped green onions, with a layer of onions spread on top. That day, his colleagues directly picked some vegetables from their own lunch boxes and placed them into Teacher Zhou’s.

They all wanted to speak to Teacher Zhou’s wife, telling her not to treat him so harshly. It was no longer the old times when men could be mistreated.

They asked Teacher Zhou where his monthly salary went. Teacher Zhou always said it was given to his wife and used for family expenses.

Zhou Chengning also felt somewhat embarrassed when his colleagues treated him to meals. He didn’t have the money to treat them, and he felt even more awkward asking his wife for money to invite colleagues to eat. After all, it wouldn’t feel right to ask for money just to buy a meal for a few people… so he decided not to invite them at all.

He had been dragged along two or three times, but later Zhou Chengning resolutely refused to go.

His colleagues sympathized with him and felt it was unfair, but he thought his life was fine. He had eaten meat before, although his wife didn’t bring him lunch to school and usually focused on their children, he didn’t think his life was as miserable as they said.

Today, the four colleagues sat together after their lunch boxes had been steamed. They found spots to sit down.

Zhou Chengning felt a little proud today. For the first time since getting married, he sat up straight in the canteen, opening his lunch box with a sense of ceremony.

He pushed his lunch box to the center and said, “Would you like to try my wife’s cooking?”

The other three colleagues looked at the white rice, mushrooms arranged in clusters, and pieces of chicken in red sauce. The meal smelled incredibly good.

The three hesitated, and Zhou Chengning continued, “You can each take some meat. I already ate last night. My wife piled plenty of meat for me, so there’s enough for me.”

The meat looked delicious, but Teacher Zhou wasn’t sure when he’d get to eat it again, and it might even need to be spread out over several meals. Hearing this, his colleagues picked up some mushrooms. Teacher Wang said, “I like mushrooms.”

Teacher Sun: “Me too.”

Teacher Liu: “The mushrooms are fragrant.”

The mushrooms, once eaten, were indeed delicious!

Zhou Chengning decided to pick the larger pieces of meat for himself and gave one to each of the three teachers. Only after doing that did he pull the lunch box back toward himself.

Even without the meat, Zhou Chengning could enjoy the rich broth in the lunch box. It was so delicious that he savored every bit of it.

The chicken was particularly good with rice, much better than the cooking at the Small Restaurant next to the school.

The three teachers finished their meal quickly. Teacher Liu hesitated before speaking, “Teacher Zhou, how could your wife… um?”

It had been several years, but this was the first time they’d seen Teacher Zhou bring such a lavish meal. How could his wife allow him to take so much meat? Moreover, it tasted like there was plenty of seasoning.

“Yesterday, my daughter wanted to eat chicken, so we slaughtered a chicken to stew. My wife specifically served me a small portion, and I thought I’d share some of the meat with you guys, so you’re not always at a disadvantage.”

He knew that his colleagues thought his wife treated him unfairly and always spoke up for him. They were too biased against her. So, this time, with chicken meat, he invited his colleagues to eat, and in doing so, he also wanted to “clear her name.”

Teacher Wang said, “Teacher Zhou, don’t take it the wrong way, but did your wife do something wrong to you? Like, spent all the money?”

He didn’t dare ask if there was someone else. That kind of question would harm any man’s dignity.

“No, my wife even told me last night that she’d buy me a bicycle.”

Teacher Sun replied, “She’s even planning to buy a bicycle. Are you sure there’s nothing to feel guilty about?”

It had to be said that Teacher Zhou’s wife, who was notorious for “mistreating men,” suddenly showing so much care for him, made it hard for everyone not to be suspicious.

Maybe she had done something wrong before and was now trying to make up for it?