“Xiao Ze, after work, go to the state-run restaurant and buy two meat dishes. The money and ration tickets are inside. Tonight, your Uncle Zhang and Uncle Lu are coming over for dinner.”

Qiao Jiuru handed a cloth bag containing two lunchboxes to her eldest son, Su Ze, who was about to head out to work with Zhou Wanwan.

The state-run restaurant again?!

Still, when Su Ze heard that two familiar uncles would be coming over for dinner, he didn’t think too much of it.

In times like these, it would be impolite to host guests without serving meat.

Both sons had been sick recently, and the family hadn’t had time to line up for meat, so spending a bit more to buy from the state-run restaurant was the only option.

“Old Su, after your class this afternoon, go buy a roast duck so everyone can have something nourishing.”

Su Huaiyuan also had a class that afternoon, so Qiao Jiuru gave him a task as well.

Su Huaiyuan had no objections. He took the money and ration tickets from his wife, grabbed a bag and lunchbox, and went off to work.

Suddenly, only Qiao Jiuru and her two not-yet-awake grandsons were left at home.

The two children hadn’t gotten enough sleep, so they wouldn’t be waking anytime soon.

She took out five catties of flour and started preparing dough.

Next, she brought out the small clay stove, lit a fire, and washed the millet she had bought on the black market, placing it into a small clay pot to slowly cook.

Once the millet porridge started boiling, she washed four eggs and threw them in.

“Nai.”
“Grandma.”

Just as she finished these tasks and was wondering what to do next, she heard soft little voices calling from the room.

Dabao and Xiaobao had woken up!

Before they went to sleep, they’d been told: “Grandma is home with you these days. When you wake up, just call her.”

Sure enough, right after they called for Grandma, she came in smiling.

The two little ones didn’t cry or fuss.

As soon as they saw Grandma, they obediently wriggled out of bed and reached out for cuddles.

Qiao Jiuru’s heart melted.

She quickly dressed them in their little cotton jackets, then led them to the bathroom for a pee and to drink some water.

Since the porridge and eggs weren’t ready yet, she gave each child a biscuit and had them sit on their little stools to nibble slowly.

When they finished, she handed them two picture books to keep them occupied, then went into the room to tidy up.

She packed away summer clothes and shoes, some unused pillowcases and bedding, and other items not needed for now, sneaking them into her secret space while the kids weren’t looking.

If it weren’t still winter and they didn’t need to use the quilts, she would’ve stuffed those in too.

She had also stashed away the grains, supplies, and medicine she bought that day while no one was home.

The food currently in the house was leftover from previous purchases.

…

“Old Lu, Dabao and Xiaobao were discharged from the hospital today. I told Xiaoru and Huaiyuan that we’d have dinner at their place tonight.”

Before getting off work, Zhang Hong made a call to the mechanical factory director’s office.

“Great. I’m heading out on a business trip in a few days anyway, so I’ll go see the kids.”

When Lu Baoguo got the invitation from his old friend, he agreed immediately.

He had been so busy, he hadn’t visited Qiao-meizi’s house in a long time.

“Then it’s settled. You better show up—we’ll have a few drinks together.”

Since it wasn’t convenient to talk too much on the phone, Zhang Hong just emphasized not to cancel.

“Don’t worry. I’ll let my wife know in a bit.”

Lu Baoguo didn’t think much of it.

After hanging up, he tidied his desk, ready to stroll around the factory before heading home.

…

Seeing it was almost time for everyone to return home, Qiao Jiuru started peeling potatoes, washing cabbage, and cooking rice—just waiting to stir-fry the dishes once the others arrived.

Once that was set, she kneaded the risen dough thoroughly, shaped it into a long roll, then cut it into small pieces.

After preparing thirty pieces to steam, she secretly stored the rest in the kitchen of her space.

In no time, the five catties of flour were used up, and she had over a hundred small steamed buns stored in the space, just waiting to be cooked.

…

As soon as he got off work, Su Ze rode his bicycle to the state-run restaurant to pick up the meat dishes. Zhou Wanwan returned home to help.

Su Huaiyuan also went straight to buy a roast duck after work.

Unfortunately, only one duck could be openly bought, and he had to use the excuse of having guests to justify it.

Otherwise, he and his wife would’ve bought ten if they could.

But now that they had the space, they could store things there, and no one would know.

Especially since the issue of being sent down (to the countryside) couldn’t be changed, both he and Jiuru didn’t feel at ease unless they stockpiled food and supplies.

Sure enough, once Su Huaiyuan and Su Ze came back carrying roast duck and meat dishes, the nosy neighbors in the family compound who always paid attention to others’ movements quickly noticed.

They all knew the Su family had guests that night.

A factory director from the mechanical plant and the director of a nearby hospital—both were old friends of the Su family, and everyone in the school and compound knew that.

Not long after the Su father and son returned, Zhang Hong and Lu Baoguo arrived one after another.

Zhang Hong rode a bicycle with a cloth bag on the back seat holding 20-30 catties of grain, an old hen in the front basket, and two 3-catty sea fish hanging from the handlebars.

Lu Baoguo also came by bike, bringing 2 catties of White Rabbit milk candy, 2 tins of malted milk powder, 30 eggs, and a 2-catty slab of cured meat.