Chapter 22

Han Guobin went out at noon and only returned at dusk, carrying a wild pheasant and a rabbit.

Chen Rou wasn’t particularly surprised, because she knew he was genuinely talented at hunting. The fact that he had managed to save up 200 yuan before they got married wasn’t something just anyone could do.

“Should we send this rabbit to our parents?” Han Guobin asked.

Chen Rou immediately understood that when he said “our parents,” he meant her parents. If he were referring to his own, he would’ve said “Father and Mother.”

She smiled, “I already brought something over to them today. Let’s keep these for ourselves.”

“Wife, you can’t eat rabbit meat,” Han Guobin replied.

He’d caught quite a few rabbits before, but only brought pheasants home—never rabbits—because his wife couldn’t eat them.

“I won’t eat it, but you can. I’ve never made braised rabbit meat for you before,” Chen Rou said.

Han Guobin couldn’t help but swallow his saliva at the thought.

“You take care of processing both the rabbit and the pheasant. We’ll keep them for ourselves,” Chen Rou added.

That evening, she cooked herself a bowl of red bean porridge, while Han Guobin had steamed buns with braised rabbit.

The rabbit meat was so deliciously cooked by Chen Rou that it smelled amazing. Even the three sisters-in-law from the neighbor’s house—Old Ma’s family—couldn’t help but come out. Chen Rou gave Zhou Zhen half a bowl of the meat, which made her feel rather embarrassed.

There wasn’t much left; she had saved the rest for her husband.

Seeing him enjoy his food so much gave Chen Rou a sense of satisfaction too.

“Wife, you didn’t cook any chicken for yourself?” Han Guobin asked from the kang bed as he ate the rabbit with his multigrain bun. He was a bit surprised to see her walk in with just a bowl of red bean porridge.

“Red bean porridge is tasty too. Don’t worry about me. Eat up,” said Chen Rou. Seeing Han Guobin’s disapproving look, she chuckled, “How about I just have a few pieces of rabbit? I actually want some.”

Coming from the post-apocalyptic world, she didn’t quite understand whether pregnant women could eat rabbit meat or not, but she had seen pregnant women eat it before and still give birth to healthy babies—none of them had harelip.

So clearly, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Han Guobin shook his head. “You can’t eat it. If you’re craving something, I’ll get you something else delicious.”

Chen Rou replied, “If you’re not giving me rabbit, then just eat your own.”

With that, she sipped her red bean porridge. It had been soaked for three hours before cooking, so it was soft and delicious.

After finishing her porridge, Chen Rou continued weaving her bamboo basket. Han Guobin felt a little guilty and said, “Wife, once you’ve given birth, I’ll catch rabbits for you to eat all you want.”

Chen Rou agreed and then said, “I wonder how Third Aunt’s family is doing. We didn’t get to visit them last time we went to town.”

The “Third Aunt” she mentioned was Han Guobin’s younger sister, Han Guoli.

Han Guoli was the same age as Chen Rou. She was younger than Han Guobin but older than Han Guolin. She had done well in school, studying all the way through high school, then stayed in the county and got married there.

She was considered to have married “up” into the city, the only girl in the whole village to do so.

Like Han Guolin, she was a favorite of their parents. But Han Guoli was also socially adept and thoughtful. She especially appreciated her second brother, Han Guobin, because he had largely funded her high school education.

Even though she was their only daughter, their parents couldn’t afford to support both children. So, they chose to support the younger son, but he only finished middle school and didn’t make it into high school.

Han Guoli, who did make it, almost had to drop out. It was her second brother, Han Guobin, who stepped up and helped.

He had started hunting in the mountains early on, largely because of this.

When Han Guolin got married recently, Han Guoli didn’t come home. Her child was still small and she had work, so she truly couldn’t make the time.

However, she did send a cash gift. The good food and even the bicycle Han’s parents got were all thanks to her help.

She hadn’t forgotten the brother who paid for her schooling. When her second brother and his wife split off to live on their own, the cooking pot they got came from Han Guoli.

Though the pot had a few leaks, getting such a thing was already impressive—and she hadn’t taken a cent from her brother for it.

With not much to do at the moment, Chen Rou brought this up.

“She’s got her own job, so I’m not worried,” said Han Guobin.

His sister did have a job. Even though it was a logistics role, it was still stable. She had also given birth to a son, which helped her stand firmly in her husband’s household. He didn’t need to worry about her.

“That pheasant isn’t very big. How about you bring it into town for Third Aunt tomorrow?” Chen Rou suggested.

“Keep it for yourself,” Han Guobin shook his head.

“If I want to eat, you can always catch more for me. As long as you’re around, why would I worry about meat?” Chen Rou smiled, giving him a little flattery.

“Keep this one. I’ll go catch another one tomorrow,” Han Guobin laughed.

Chen Rou nodded and didn’t say more.

The next day, Han Guobin went to find his elder brother and asked him to go fishing, while he himself went up the mountain since it hadn’t snowed yet.

His sister-in-law had nothing to do, so she came over to see Chen Rou. Seeing her weaving a bamboo basket didn’t surprise her. Everyone in the village said she had learned from Old Master Lu. With a thick-skinned smile, she said, “Sister-in-law, your basket looks really good. Once it’s done, give it to me. Our house needs one.”

“Sure, it’s twenty cents. Take it if you want,” Chen Rou said.

The sister-in-law choked. “You really dare to charge—twenty cents for one bamboo basket?”

“Everyone in the village knows you and big brother are rich. Our house is dirt poor—we have to find ways to make ends meet,” Chen Rou replied.

Her sister-in-law looked at the wool sweater Chen Rou was wearing and said, “That’s because you’ve got skills. I can’t believe you actually bought a sweater like that!”

She often criticized this sister-in-law for not knowing how to manage a household. And in her view, she wasn’t wrong—how could anyone spend money so freely?

After all, the sweaters worn by Chen Rou and Han Guobin were the real deal, and no one doubted her when she said they’d spent all their money.

Still, some people speculated that Han Guobin must’ve earned something recently.

But with a wasteful wife like that, how could he ever earn enough?

“Have a seat,” Chen Rou handed her a stool.

The sister-in-law sat down and asked, “Has anyone from your old household come to find you?”

“No,” Chen Rou knew she meant her third sister-in-law, and shook her head.

“She hasn’t come to me either. Looks like she doesn’t think much of us anymore,” the sister-in-law snorted.

Chen Rou didn’t respond and changed the subject. “It’s so cold. Do you think they’ll manage to catch any fish?”

“Who knows? Hopefully, they’ll catch a few. It’ll look good if we can bring something nice to Third Aunt in the city,” the sister-in-law said.

Even she had a good impression of Han Guoli. Back when she had her first son and was still in confinement, Han Guoli—who wasn’t yet married—had brought her a jar of malted milk.

That stuff was a rare treat. Later, after getting married, Han Guoli even sent her half a jin of brown sugar when she gave birth to her second child. A daughter-in-law like that who hadn’t forgotten her maiden family was worth honoring.

So when Han Guobin asked her husband to go fishing today, she had no objection.

Han Guobin returned around noon, but only brought back one pheasant.

His older brother, however, had better luck. By about two in the afternoon, he had caught a small basin of fish—seven or eight of them, each the size of a hand.

Chen Rou wanted crucian carp stew with tofu. Han Guobin set aside two for that and packed the rest, along with the pheasant, into a bag. He borrowed the brigade leader’s bicycle and had him write a note to allow him to bring the food into town.

Once there, he headed straight to Han Guoli’s home—but happened to run into her just getting off work around the corner.

“Second Brother?” Han Guoli was surprised, then delighted. “What are you doing here? It’s freezing! Come inside, I’ll pour you a hot drink.”

“My wife knitted me a sweater, and these padded clothes are all newly made—I’m not cold,” Han Guobin replied. He was even wearing gloves, though they were a bit ugly.

Chen Rou had refashioned them from gloves in her space. They were terribly ugly but warm enough.

Han Guoli was a little surprised. She hadn’t been home in six months. Had her second sister-in-law really changed that much?

“You’re even wearing clam oil?” She smelled a faint fragrance and looked at her brother’s face.

“Your second sister-in-law insisted on putting it on before I left,” Han Guobin said, a bit embarrassed, but his eyes were full of warmth and joy.

Seeing his expression, how could Han Guoli not understand? She was genuinely happy and said, “Second Sister-in-law really cares about you. Don’t ever get annoyed if she nags a little.”

Of course, Han Guobin didn’t mind her nagging. He handed over the bag and said, “I hunted the pheasant. The fish are from Big Brother. Take them.”

“There’s no shortage of this in the city. You take it back,” Han Guoli said.

“Don’t push this back at me. I know what city life is really like,” Han Guobin replied.

He didn’t envy city life at all. Even if you had ration coupons, that didn’t guarantee you could buy things. Coupons were scarce.

Pheasants and fish were just as rare in the city.

After stuffing them into her hands, he said, “I won’t go inside. Just take them back.”

And with that, he rode off on the bike. Han Guoli only had time to shout, “Be careful on the road!” before watching him disappear.

Then, straightening her back, she carried everything home.

As for Han Guobin, he didn’t go straight home. He stopped by the supply and marketing cooperative, weighed out a jin of red dates, and bought more brown sugar—his wife used it when she made him ginger tea, and she’d need it when giving birth too. He also picked up some apples and sunflower seeds.

By the time he got home, it was late, and freezing cold. He returned the bike to the brigade leader’s house before heading back.

“Why’d you buy so much stuff?” Chen Rou asked as she took the bags.

She had asked for the red dates and given him money for them, but not the rest.

“I don’t go into town often. Might as well stock up. Things will be scarce around the end of the year,” Han Guobin said.

Next year, once the baby came and he had to go back to work, there wouldn’t be time to shop. Better to buy things now and store them.

Chen Rou felt a bit bad about the money, but since it was already spent, she said nothing.

In the latter part of the eleventh lunar month, the skies were dark and overcast. The weather was bitterly cold, and snow fell daily.

Because commuting became difficult, Song Xiaoyu went back to live with her family. Han’s parents sent over plenty of food to avoid being accused of freeloading by their in-laws.

But none of that had much to do with Chen Rou and Han Guobin. They were cuddled up together on their kang bed.

“By this time next year, our little one should be here,” Han Guobin grinned.

Chen Rou was munching on an apple, occasionally offering him a bite. “It’s so cold now. By this time next year, the baby will be three or four months old. It’ll be easier by then.”

She was due around the summer harvest, so by winter the baby would be a few months old—not as fragile as a newborn.

“You should eat more. I heard babies need good food while they’re still in the womb. They’ll be healthier when born,” Han Guobin said.

“Where’d you hear that?” Chen Rou asked.

“Auntie Chen told me,” Han Guobin replied.

He meant Chen Aidi, the brigade leader’s wife. She’d given him a lot of advice.

Chen Rou smiled, “I’ve definitely been eating well during this pregnancy.”

And it was true. While he was out hunting, she’d kept a small stove going for herself and eaten a lot of beef—nearly three jin during that time alone.

And since she hadn’t experienced morning sickness or other discomforts, her appetite had been great throughout.

Still, since it was early days, her belly didn’t show at all yet.

Now that the weather was so cold, Han Guobin sensibly stayed indoors with his wife, helping her weave bamboo items.

They kept at it through the twelfth lunar month and managed to make a bamboo mat.

It would be great for sleeping on next summer.

Not wanting to stay cooped up indoors all the time while pregnant, Chen Rou headed out after finishing the mat. She grabbed some sunflower seeds and went to chat with Zhou Zhen and the others.

She mainly wanted to ask the more experienced women about things to watch out for during pregnancy.

Chen Aidi, the brigade leader’s wife, was there and said, “I already told Guobin a few things, but I didn’t go into too much detail. I was planning to talk to you myself.”

“He told me everything you said,” Chen Rou replied with a smile.

Chen Aidi went on to share quite a few tips. The other women chimed in too.

“Back when I had my first, I didn’t even realize I was pregnant at first. Worked too hard and nearly lost the baby.”

“Same here,” another woman said.

Many of the younger wives had no experience, and the first three months of pregnancy were particularly delicate. Working too hard in the fields without knowing often led to miscarriages.

“Even when I was eight months pregnant with my second, I was still working to earn labor points. I didn’t get to rest at all.”

“Remember Li Laosan’s wife? She gave birth to Shidan right in the sweet potato field!”

“……”

The women were all animatedly sharing their childbirth stories.

Even though Chen Rou knew women of this era were tough, she was still shocked by some of their experiences.

Sure, life was hard during the apocalypse, but things weren’t much easier now.

Giving birth in a sweet potato field—that was really something.

“But you’re really lucky—you married a good man like Guobin. Once your belly gets bigger, he definitely won’t let you do any work. Just relax,” Auntie Chen comforted her.

“That’s right. We can all see how much your man dotes on you,” another village wife chimed in with a smile.

“You two act like your own husbands don’t spoil you too. Stop teasing the new bride,” Zhou Zhen came to Chen Rou’s defense.

Chen Rou only smiled in response. She wasn’t embarrassed, nor did she take it to heart.

She knew perfectly well how good her husband, Guobin, was to her. As long as he was home, she didn’t have to wash a single dish or do the laundry.

Their yard was surrounded by a fence, and villagers passing by could see everything clearly. Word had already spread throughout the village.

Because of this, her mother-in-law, Madam Han, held a strong opinion against her. She believed Chen Rou was acting high and mighty, riding on her husband’s back.

But when it came to Han Guobin, every woman present had to praise him.

Not only did he always earn full work points, he was tall and strong, treated his wife well, and wasn’t the philandering type. What could be better than that?

Men in the village around the same age as Han Guobin often grumbled behind his back, saying he was making men lose face. Madam Han wasn’t wrong—they believed he had let his wife climb all over him.

What kind of man does housework for his wife?

But they only dared to complain in private. None of them would dare say a word in front of Han Guobin even if you gave them a few extra guts.

Han Guobin had never told Chen Rou, and she herself didn’t know, that before the age of fifteen, he was unbeatable in village fights.

After fifteen, he matured and stopped fighting.

Of course, even back then he only fought when provoked. And once he built a reputation, there was no need to fight anymore.

Chen Rou knew nothing about this past.

After listening to the aunties and village wives share their experiences, Chen Rou had a general idea of what to expect.

Just avoid raw and cold food, and eat whatever there is. Other than that, there weren’t many tips.

Because honestly, the conditions were what they were—there wasn’t much room for fuss.

The time was getting late, and the group finally dispersed to return home and cook dinner.

At home, they were having pork rib and radish soup, served with boiled sweet potatoes. There was also tofu stewed with cabbage, and a few pieces of fried, golden-brown pork belly left over from a while ago.

Most families didn’t go to such trouble with meals, but Chen Rou didn’t mind. It wasn’t like it was anything extravagant anyway.

Once the food was ready, the couple sat together at the heated kang table to eat.

“All we do these days is eat and sleep. If this keeps up through winter, I’m afraid I’ll fatten you up like a pig,” Han Guobin joked, eating a sweet potato with a chopstick full of cabbage.

“Let me fatten up then. There’s plenty of work to do next year. Since I’m pregnant, I probably won’t be much help,” Chen Rou replied.

As long as there was food and money at home, Chen Rou put everything else second to the child. She planned to only collect pig grass next year instead of working the fields. After the baby was born, she’d get back to it.

She really was afraid of overexerting and causing complications, and she didn’t want to give birth out in the field either.

“You don’t need to work next year. I’ll earn the work points,” Han Guobin said.

Being pregnant wasn’t easy. She needed to be well cared for. Sure, he’d seen plenty of village women working in the fields with big bellies.

But that was someone else’s wife. It wasn’t his place to intervene. If he let his own wife suffer like that, what kind of useless man would he be?

Chen Rou knew he wouldn’t object, but his firm attitude still warmed her heart.

“Not working at all isn’t an option. I’ll just collect pig grass—it’s not heavy work,” she said.

If she didn’t earn any work points, they wouldn’t be allocated her share of the food. With a baby on the way, she definitely had to earn at least some points.

Seeing her so determined, Han Guobin said, “Just don’t overwork yourself.”

“I know,” Chen Rou smiled.

After dinner, the couple washed the dishes, then boiled water to wash their feet.

Han Guobin washed his feet every day. He was very clean—unlike most of the men in the village.

“Wife,” he said once they’d washed their feet and blown out the lamp, pulling her into his arms. His soft, fragrant wife made his little home feel incredibly warm.

Last winter, he had spent the season alone at his employer’s house. Winters were hard. His quilt was old and stiff, and sleeping alone meant he often woke up freezing in the cold dip of the bed.

But this year, he had a wife. She had replaced all his winter clothes with new ones, and this quilt—it was the warmest he’d ever slept in his life.

Chen Rou, too, was perfectly content in his arms. Now that she was pregnant, she was certain she wouldn’t time-travel again.

So this man would be her partner from now on.

And at present, she was very satisfied with him.

In the blink of an eye, the twelfth lunar month had arrived. The bitter winter was in full force, and it was no exaggeration to say the world was wrapped in silver.

Opening the door, the first thing one saw was a sheet of white snow.

Chen Rou no longer went outside—it was simply too cold.

Every time Han Guobin needed to go out, she had to check him over thoroughly. She had plenty of socks in her space—cheap ones, ten yuan for five pairs, which she had bought during her supply gathering days at a street stall. She had spent twenty yuan on them without thinking much.

She’d long since taken them out for herself to wear, but there weren’t any in men’s sizes.

Han Guobin had to wear socks she sewed from scrap fabric—simple and crude. So under normal circumstances, Chen Rou didn’t allow him to go out.

With the snow so thick and no rubber boots, it was easy to get wet.

Today, Han Guobin planned to check the traps he had set up in the mountains. Since it wasn’t snowing at the moment and she made sure he’d be warm enough, Chen Rou reluctantly let him go.

Around noon, Han Guobin came back carrying two frozen pheasants, while Brother Chen San came over with two fish.

He and his brothers had gone to break the ice at the river in the morning, since the snow had stopped. Everyone in the household was sick of eating only cabbage and radish, so they went to catch some fish.

The catch wasn’t big, but it would help improve their meals a little.

Han Guobin happened to come back right then and ran into them. Chen Rou said, “Third Brother, you take these two wild chickens back with you.”

“How could I? If I dare bring back two wild chickens, our parents will break my legs,” Third Brother Chen said.

Last time, it was Second Brother Chen who brought fish. Now it was his turn.

He looked at the wild chickens, his eyes lighting up a bit. The chickens weren’t big, but it was still meat.

The turnips and cabbages at home had been eaten to the point that their mouths felt bland beyond belief.

Chen Rou said, “You’ll get scolded for two? Then just take one. Tell Dad and Mom I still have one here, then they won’t scold you.”

“That’s a bit embarrassing,” Third Brother Chen hesitated. He clearly wanted it, but after glancing at his sister’s belly, he still shook his head and said, “You keep it for yourself.”

“Take it. I like fish. Next time you catch some, bring me two.” Chen Rou didn’t waste words and simply handed the chicken to him.

Third Brother Chen was delighted and readily agreed, “Next time I get some, I’ll definitely bring them over for you and Brother-in-law.”

Though he only took one chicken, he still got scolded by their mother when he got home.

“I told you to bring her two fish, and you came back with a wild chicken? Don’t you know your sister is pregnant and needs the nourishment?” their mother scolded.

“Mom, my wife’s pregnant too,” Third Brother Chen replied.

“She is?” Mother Chen was stunned and looked over at Third Sister-in-law. “When did this happen?”

“I just noticed. My period hasn’t come these past few days, so I think I’m pregnant,” Third Sister-in-law quickly said.

“Being a few days late isn’t anything unusual. Wait until it’s confirmed,” Mother Chen said.

Then she shot a glare at her son but didn’t say much more. Instead, she asked about her younger daughter’s condition.

“I think Little Sister is doing great. She looks rosy and healthy, even better than before she got married,” Third Brother Chen said. Then he couldn’t help adding, “Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and I have been up the mountain hunting wild chickens and rabbits—haven’t seen even a feather. But Guobin brought back two chickens. Judging by how Little Sister didn’t even seem to care, I’d bet she eats wild chicken often.”

“Oh, please. She just wanted to honor her parents. That’s all,” Mother Chen snorted.

Third Brother Chen grinned, “Little Sister’s really matured since getting married.” He used to find her temper unbearable, but today she spoke kindly, poured him warm water, and even added sugar.

She even gave him something in return.

That’s definitely growing up.

At this moment, the very “grown-up” Chen Rou was stewing fish for lunch. They were having boiled sweet potatoes.

This season’s sweet potatoes were especially fragrant and soft, and paired with fish stew, they didn’t cause acid reflux.

Though it was cold in the afternoon, there was no snow yet. Han Guobin didn’t even take a nap and headed back up the mountain.

Since he hadn’t gone hunting for a while, he’d been sleeping enough. He wasn’t tired now and wanted to bring back something good to eat before it started snowing.

Han Guobin had always been quite lucky, but he came back empty-handed that afternoon. He had, however, set a number of traps and planned to check them next time to see if he could catch any wild chickens or rabbits.

Thanks to his skills, their household never really lacked rich food, but the same couldn’t be said for others.

During the bitter winter, there was no need to work in the fields, so no labor points were earned. For families with lots of children, this was when belts had to be tightened.

Because once spring came, there would still be a long way to go before the summer harvest, when food would be distributed again.

Life in a farming family was never easy.

Since the start of the twelfth lunar month, if there was no snow, many villagers would break the ice to fish.

Endless meals of cabbage and turnips really wore on people. Getting a bit of meat to change the taste was a huge treat.

And finally, the day for the last meat distribution of the year arrived.

On the morning of the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, the entire village buzzed with excitement.

Outside, it was a world of ice and snow. Chen Rou wasn’t interested in watching pigs being slaughtered. She originally wanted Han Guobin to just go with a basin to collect their share. But remembering she might run into her mother-in-law at the meat distribution, she decided she better go along.

Bundled up tightly, Chen Rou joined Han Guobin to go collect their meat share.

“Finally, some meat. After so many meals of cabbage and turnips, my mouth has gone dry and blistered,” Zhou Zhen said when she saw the couple arrive.

Chen Rou laughed, “Your man’s been ice fishing plenty. I’d believe it from anyone else, but not from you.”

“He’s gone fishing, yes, but he’s the only one in the whole family doing it. Brings back two or three fish at a time—barely two bites for everyone,” Zhou Zhen muttered.

That was why she longed for a household split. Her man was hardworking and so was she. With only one child, she was sure they’d do just fine on their own.

Like in winter—he went out fishing, while everyone else stayed home waiting to eat. As Zhou Zhen saw it, let them drink the northwest wind instead!

“Wait for the right moment and split,” Chen Rou told her. They were close and could talk freely. She couldn’t have said this before, but now she dared.

And she had seen it clearly: Ma Dafa was solid, but his two brothers were very average. Not terrible, but when birds grow big, they fly from the nest, and when trees grow tall, they branch out. Perfectly natural.

Zhou Zhen sighed, “I’ve brought it up with Dafa quietly at night. He says we shouldn’t talk about splitting while our parents are still around.”

“What’s so improper about it? Look at my family—does it seem improper? You still care for the elders when they’re old. It’s not like you stop supporting them just because you split. Talk to him properly,” Chen Rou said.

“I’ve tried several times…”

Before she could finish, they heard someone shouting that the meat was being distributed. A crowd gathered.

Chen Rou said, “Let’s go line up. I plan to get some pig’s blood to stew with cabbage.”

Zhou Zhen said, “So jealous of you.”

Chen Rou ignored her, carrying her basin over to queue up.

Sure enough, ahead of them in line were her mother-in-law and Han Guolin. As for Song Xiaoyu, she was still staying at her maternal home.

With such heavy snow and needing to go to work, it was inconvenient, so staying with her parents was the better option.

Chen Rou called out, “Mother, Third Uncle,” and got a glare from Mother Han. Han Guolin just gave a sheepish smile.

Chen Rou didn’t respond, standing in line with Guobin. She asked what he wanted to eat.

“You decide. Everything tastes good,” Han Guobin said.

“Do you eat pig intestines? I saw Aunt Ma stir-fry them with pickled greens last time. Smelled pretty good,” Chen Rou asked.

“Sure,” Han Guobin nodded.

So when it was their turn, Chen Rou asked for a piece of fatty meat for rendering lard, and then chose the cheaper parts—pig intestines and a block of pig blood. These weren’t expensive and she didn’t ask for much, so there was still room in their share. She also got two ribs and a chunk of loin.

“You got meat—shouldn’t you show some filial respect?” Mother Han said as they were about to leave.

Han Guolin froze. When his second sister-in-law looked over, so did others. Not thick-skinned enough to handle that, he quickly said, “Mom, let’s go. Second Brother didn’t get much.”

“Not much? So that means you don’t have to show any respect? Your dad and I are getting old. Can’t we at least get a bite of meat from our sons and daughters-in-law?” Mother Han said.

Chen Rou thought it was pure luck they hadn’t run into her last time. They’d left right after collecting their share, giving her no chance to ask.

This time, no way to dodge it.

If Han Guobin had come alone, he might have given something. But Chen Rou wasn’t planning on it.

“Mom, if you really didn’t have any meat, I’d cut some off my own body to give you. But you and Dad actually got quite a bit today. Honestly, Third Uncle has the best job as the record keeper. Holding that pen and jotting down scores—he gets top labor points easy.”

“So shameful,” Han Guolin said again and again.

“What’s there to be ashamed of? You’ve got the ability. Try putting someone else in your place—they’d mess everything up,” Mother Han said.

“My Guobin is just as smart. You only held him back, Mother. If you’d supported his studies, he wouldn’t be any worse than Third Uncle,” Chen Rou said.

“What kind of condition was our household in? How could we afford so many kids to study? Are we even going to survive?” Mother Han snapped.

“So we just sacrificed my Guobin,” Chen Rou looked at her husband. The one who cries gets fed, but clearly, hers wasn’t one to cry.

“Forget it. I won’t argue over the past. Now I’m taking care of Guobin. He worked too hard before and hurt his health, so I need to nourish him. I’m taking all this meat home. Just look at how big Third Uncle’s basin is—plenty to eat. I won’t be giving you any today, Mother,” Chen Rou said.

Then she said to Han Guobin, “Let’s go home.”

“Okay,” Han Guobin carried the meat and followed his stunning wife home.

It might sound a bit unfilial, but seeing his wife fiercely defend every bit of their meat—that made him love her even more.

The villagers once again saw how sharp Chen Rou’s tongue was. Many silently gave her a thumbs-up in their hearts.

Mother Han was furious. Supported by Han Guolin, she went home still fuming. “See? Now that the family’s split, they don’t care about us parents anymore.”

“Mom, we got a lot of meat today,” Han Guolin said hesitantly.

The idea to split the family came before his wife had married in. They let their parents live with their third household, while the first and second branches moved out.

Han Guolin knew he’d been selfish. But marrying a town girl hadn’t been easy, and she only had this one request—so he brought it up. That’s how the split happened.

“But they should still show respect. Now none of them even have us in their eyes!” Mother Han snorted.

“Mom, give me a piece of meat? I’ll take it to Xiaoyu. She works hard—she needs the nourishment,” Han Guolin said.

“Silly. Go bring your wife back home. I’ll cook pork with glass noodles. If you take meat to her family, how many pieces will she even get to eat?” Mother Han said.

Han Guolin felt a bit embarrassed, “Wouldn’t it seem rude to eat by ourselves?”

“What’s rude? We’ve brought them plenty of grain before—it wasn’t like we ate and stayed at Old Song’s house for free,” Mother Han said. “Listen to your mother. Go get your wife, I’ll make something delicious. You two better give me a fat grandson next year.”

Han Guolin smiled, got on his bicycle, and went out.

Back at their own home, Chen Rou quickly put her mother-in-law out of her mind.

Pig intestines were really dirty. Chen Rou didn’t know how to clean them, and neither did Han Guobin. So he brought the basin next door to ask Aunt Ma for help.

Aunt Ma was in a great mood—she’d gotten a good amount of fatty meat today—and happily taught him.

While Han Guobin was handling the intestines, Chen Rou had already cut up the fat. Since she was going to render lard anyway, she took out another piece from her storage to cook as well.

This batch of rendered lard would last the entire year.

At least that’s how it was for most families in the village. Chen Rou still had a whole jar from the last time she rendered meat—it was sealed and stored in her cabinet.

She planned to seal up another porcelain pot of lard. Since they weren’t lacking rich food, and Guobin often hunted, it was wise to store more for when they got busy working in the fields next spring.

Every household was filled with the aroma of pork fat. The village children were overjoyed.

They even went door to door sniffing around, seeing which house’s lard smelled the best.

Tiedan and his little brother Lüdang from Eldest Sister-in-law’s house came over. They’d be six and four after the new year—not little anymore.

“Your mom brought back quite a bit of meat. You two are going to be eating with your mouths full of grease this year,” Chen Rou said.

“My mom said we have to save it and eat it slowly. I’m starving! She only gave me one piece of fried fat,” said Tiedan.

“It was yummy,” his younger brother nodded.

Their cheeks were red from the cold, skinny and dry. Chen Rou knew Eldest Sister-in-law was frugal, but she didn’t expect her to be this frugal.

Fortunately, kids had strong vitality, or they’d never endure this little clothing.

“Do you two want to eat some of your Second Uncle’s cracklings?” Chen Rou softened, seeing such little ones while she was pregnant.

“Yes!” The brothers’ eyes lit up.

“They’re not ready yet. Wait a bit,” Chen Rou smiled.

The boys didn’t want to leave. It was warm here by the fire.

From outside, Han Guobin called, “Wife, I’ve cleaned them!”

Chen Rou was almost done. While ladling lard into the porcelain pot, she said, “Then go wash a piece of pickled mustard.”

Once the oil was out, she drained the cracklings, then scooped them into a dish.

Looking at the plate of cracklings, the boys’ eyes gleamed.

“Two pieces each. After you eat, go home,” Chen Rou said.

“Okay,” Tiedan nodded.

His brother echoed, “Okay.”

They ate and left without dawdling.

When they got home with their mouths still shiny with oil, Eldest Sister-in-law was cutting cabbage to stew with the pig’s blood she’d gotten. It was a famous local dish.

“What did you two eat?” she asked.

“Second Aunt gave us cracklings,” Tiedan said.

The second brother’s wife, who was notoriously stingy, actually gave some pork cracklings, and asked, “How much did she give?”

“She gave me and Donkey Egg two pieces. They were insanely delicious!” Tiedan said.

“Well of course they were,” Sister-in-law Han commented briefly before returning to her own tasks.

Pork cracklings were a rare treat—so fragrant that the aroma alone made your mouth water. When you ate them, you had to savor each bite slowly, only swallowing after enjoying the taste fully.

These days, every household was busy making good food.

People were still trying to save what they could, but since today was meat distribution day, and it was a rare occasion to be happy, everyone allowed themselves a little indulgence. After today, they would definitely go back to tightening their belts.

Once the New Year came, then they could enjoy another good meal.

Chen Rou had already started cooking. She stir-fried pig intestines with pickled vegetables, then dished it out and set it aside. Next, she started stewing pig’s blood with cabbage.

After that, she began kneading corn dough and patting out corn cakes.

As for the piece of pork loin and the two ribs, she hadn’t cooked them yet. They were just sitting there—this weather was nature’s best refrigerator, so she wasn’t worried about spoilage.

The pig’s blood and cabbage stew was eaten on the first day, and it was absolutely delicious.

They started on the stir-fried pig intestines with pickled vegetables on the second day—just a quick reheat did the trick.

Once the pig intestines were finished, the feeling of the New Year really settled in.

Sweeping the house, grinding soybeans, slaughtering the rooster, proofing dough, and steaming buns—

These were the things that needed to be done next. This year was the first that Chen Rou and Han Guobin were married and running their own household.

For this first New Year as a married couple, they both took it very seriously.

They followed every tradition to the letter. On the 28th day of the lunar month, they proofed the dough. On the 29th, they steamed the buns.

And just like that, the New Year had arrived.