Chapter 29: Hitchhiking

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the morning, when Bai Xue woke up, Bai Rushan had already gotten up and was putting in more firewood to heat the brick platform bed.

“Shan, why are you up so early?” Bai Xue asked her brother as she pulled down the blanket and put on her shoes.

“I had a good meal last night, so I’m full of energy. I woke up early and wanted to work!” Bai Rushan said with a smile.

“Good boy! Help me light the stove later! I’ll cook porridge!” Bai Xue said and walked out.

In the morning, she cooked sorghum porridge again. She took out twisted dough sticks from the interspatial supermarket and heated them up.

The sorghum porridge was served with twisted dough sticks and pickles.

Zhang Yuan came over at eight o’clock with all his food.

Ten catties of sorghum rice, eight catties of corn flour, and five catties of corn.

“That’s all I have for now. I’ll think of a way to get more fine grain and meat for the new year!”

“Yuan, come over and join us for breakfast. What fine grain and meat? Is there anyone who could get their hands on those? Doesn’t everyone eat coarse-grain porridge?” Wang Cuihua waved her hand.

As Zhang Yuan had saved Bai Xue’s life, the couple treated him especially well.

Zhang Yuan chuckled as he sat in front of the bed. He looked at the twisted dough sticks on the table and something flashed across his eyes. He quietly picked up the bowl and ate.

He knew that she must have bought these twisted dough sticks. This little girl’s ability could not be underestimated.

“Xue, you can ride my bicycle when you go to town in the future, or I can send you there!” Zhang Yuan looked at Bai Xue as he ate.

“Really? That’s great!” Bai Xue said happily, “I have to go tomorrow!”

“I have something on tomorrow as well. I’ll give you a lift! What time are you leaving? I’ll pick you up!” Zhang Yuan actually had nothing much to do. He just wanted to interact more with this little girl.

“There’s no hurry. We’ll leave at nine o’clock. I’ll go to the Educated Youth Section to look for you! You don’t have to come over for me!” Bai Xue said.

“Big Sis, isn’t Brother Zhang coming over for breakfast tomorrow morning? You guys can just leave together!” Bai Ruchuan reminded.

“Yeah! I forgot about that!”

“Uh huh. We can leave right after breakfast! It’s settled then!”

After breakfast, Bai Xue brought two catties of sorghum rice, two catties of corn flour, 10 feet of cotton cloth, 10 feet of burlap, and needles and thread to Bai Dajiang’s place.

Bai Dajiang had gone out early in the morning to gather firewood and was not at home. The eldest daughter of the second branch, Bai Rumei, was feeding the chickens in the courtyard.

Each family could raise three chickens, but Bai Xue’s family did not have any because Bai Dahe’s two sons had killed them.

“Cousin, are you here? Come in!” Bai Rumei saw Bai Xue walking into the courtyard and welcomed her with a smile.

“Mei, are you feeding the chickens? Is Second Aunt home? Where are Yang and Yue?” Bai Dajiang had two daughters. The eldest daughter, Bai Rumei, was 14 years old. The second son, Bai Ruyang, was 12 years old. The youngest daughter, Bai Ruyue, was 10 years old.

“Yeah! Maybe it’s too cold for the three old hens in our house to lay eggs, so I added some hay for them. My mom is in the house making soles for shoes, and Yue is also helping! Yang and Dad went out to pick firewood!” Bai Rumei said as she followed Bai Xue into the house.

Second Uncle’s three children were all very capable. Even the youngest, Bai Ruyue, was learning how to make shoes with her mother.

“Second Aunt…” Bai Xue called out as soon as she entered the house.

“Hey! Xue, did you come over? Sit on the brick platform bed!” Bai Dajiang’s wife, Wu Zhaodi, quickly greeted Bai Xue, who had pushed the door open.

Bai Xue did not stand on ceremony. She put down the things she had brought over, took off her shoes, and climbed onto the brick platform bed to sit down.

“Xue, how are your mother and the two children? How’s your father’s injury? I wanted to visit your mother, but I haven’t gotten enough eggs from the chicken…” Wu Zhaodi said in an embarrassed tone.

“All is good. My father is also recovering well. We can remove the stitches soon! My mom also has enough breast milk now.” As Bai Xue spoke, she looked at Bai Ruyue, who was helping to make shoes. “Yue, you’re pretty good with your hands!”

“Big Sis, look at how good I am! I just learned it!” The little girl was extremely happy to be praised.

“She likes to sew and mend, unlike Mei, who doesn’t like to use needles and thread,” Wu Zhaodi said happily. “It’s good that your mother has breast milk now. Otherwise, the two children will suffer!”

“That’s right. When my mother gave birth, my grandmother took away all the food, so she was unable to have any breast milk. My younger siblings drank rice soup all the time and cried every day!” As Bai Xue spoke, she picked up the scissors on the bed and fiddled with them. However, these scissors were too blunt.

“Oh right, Second Aunt, this is the $10 that Second Uncle gave me the other day. I came over to return it!” Bai Xue put down the scissors and took out $10 from her pocket and handed it to Wu Zhaodi.

“Your father used work credits to exchange for it, right? Your second uncle has already exchanged work credits for the money, so you could’ve taken your time to return it.” Wu Zhaodi did not accept the money and said.

“No, Grandpa traded work credits for the money! He was helping to compensate for Third Uncle’s actions! Please take it, Second Aunt!”

Only then did Wu Zhaodi take the money. “Your third uncle was simply ruthless to even hit his own elder brother. How heartless!” As she spoke, she put the money into the brick platform bed cabinet.

“Second Aunt, I have something to ask of you.” Bai Xue did not answer her.

“Oh? What is it?” Wu Zhaodi closed the door of the brick platform bed cabinet and turned around to ask.

“You see, my mother is still in confinement. Yesterday, I went to town to buy 10 feet of defective cloth that doesn’t need stamps. I wanted to make clothes for my younger siblings and wanted to ask you to make them for us! If you’re busy, then…”

“I see. Sure thing. I’m almost done making the soles anyway and we don’t have any material for the rest of the shoes yet. I can make clothes for you first!” Wu Zhaodi agreed without letting Bai Xue finish speaking.

“Big Sis, I can do it for you too!” Bai Ruyue said.

“Go play somewhere else. Do you know how to make clothes?” Bai Rumei retorted.

“Tsk. I might not know how to make clothes, but I can always learn, right?” Bai Ruyue looked up at her cutely.

“You can’t practice using your cousins’ clothes. What if they get ruined? You can watch from the side!” Wu Zhaodi said gently.

“Second Aunt, the cloth and the needle and thread are here. My parents asked me to send a few catties of food over. It’s already the year end, so they were afraid you don’t have enough food.” Bai Xue took out the cloth. “Also, a person I know in town asked me to bring this burlap cloth back to make cloth bags. She can pay $0.01 for one catty cloth bags and $0.02 for five catty bags. If you have the time, you are welcome to take the job. I happen to be busy! Also, my two sisters don’t like sewing!”

“No, I can’t take the food. Xue, take the food back. Everyone is short of food, and you have a large family. We can still make ends meet! I don’t mind helping to sew cloth bags. It’s a good opportunity to supplement the family’s expenses! I know your mother is looking out for us!” Wu Zhaodi knew that her sister-in-law must have come up with the suggestion. There was no reason for them to need her help since Ruyun and Ruxia could also sew.

“Second Aunt, just take it! Why don’t you just use it to make a dry meal for everyone? Our family has enough food! Third Uncle also has to hand over two months’ worth of work credits to my father! On the other hand, Second Uncle used his work credits to exchange for money, so you won’t be able to collect any rations when they are ready!” Bai Xue forcefully made Wu Zhaodi take the food, who accepted it because their family was about to run out of food.

Her mother-in-law had just “borrowed” five catties of cornmeal yesterday! She said that she was borrowing it, but she had never returned anything before.