??Chapter 73: 73 The neighbor’s admiration made them cry
Chapter 73: 73 The neighbor’s admiration made them cry
The family worked for work points, yet they couldn’t even get enough to eat, so why fuss over so much?
Besides, her parents and brother, along with his wife, had scrimped and saved to send her to school, eating bran and vegetable leaves; that was sothing she always rembered.
“Mom, I know.”
“But you and Dad are my real parents, how could I eat at while letting you eat bran and vegetable leaves?”
“I have a sense of proportion. When our family’s days get better, I won’t care anymore.”
Lin Tang said a few words of persuasion.
It was because the family had protected her and pampered her since childhood.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so unguarded.
Li Xiuli looked into her daughter’s stubborn eyes and sighed inwardly.
Such a soft-hearted girl.
Oh well!
Worst cos to worst, she would hamr it into her family mbers in the future.
“…As long as you know.”
Ning Xinrou and Zhou i felt sothing indescribable listening to the mother-in-law and sister-in-law’s conversation.
They felt that their years of hard work were worth it.
Because of their younger sister-in-law’s schooling, there were those in the brigade who gossiped behind their backs, calling them foolish.
But now, foolish or not, ti had given the answer.
After Lin Lu arrived ho, Li Xiuli had just lifted the noodles out of the pot.
Each person got a bowl.
Potato and wood ear mushroom topping, with greens floating on top.
It slled amazing.
Once the noodles were ready, Ning Xinrou and Zhou i carried dinner to the courtyard together.
A plate of Stir-fry Lamb with Onions, a dish of spicy and sour cabbage, a basin of Buns, and a spinach and egg soup.
Looking at this al, the Lin Family’s eyes widened in shock.
Wow, this al was even more lavish than a New Year’s feast.
What a treat!
Today, the house had so great news.
Li Xiuli, being unusually generous, brought out so vintage homade liquor she had saved for a while.
“Today’s a happy day, let’s have a drink.”
Seeing the small jar in her hand, Lin Lu’s eyes sparkled.
“Indeed, we should have a drink!”
It had been so long since he had tasted it, he missed it terribly.
Lin Qingshan and his two brothers were also looking forward to it imnsely.
With liquor and at, along with white noodles, life couldn’t get any better.
“Mom, can I have a taste?” Lin Tang asked with hopeful, beautiful eyes, gazing at her mother.
The family’s homade liquor should taste pretty good.
Li Xiuli’s hand, holding the liquor jar, stiffened, as she was inclined to refuse.
But looking into Tangtang’s eyes that shone like the sun, she couldn’t bring herself to utter that word of refusal.
“…Alright, this liquor is quite strong, just take a sip.”
With that, she actually poured her an amount just enough to taste.
She picked up the little wooden bowl, which barely showed a ripple of the liquid inside.
Lin Qingmu saw it, and upon glancing at his sister’s perplexed face, he almost burst out laughing.
However, considering Tangtang’s feelings, he turned his face away with his shoulders shaking in suppressed laughter.
“Mom, pour a bit more, can’t you? You can’t even tell it’s there,” Lin Tang said with a resigned smile.
“That’s not a small amount. Just try the flavor, don’t drink yourself into a stupor. Once you turn twenty, Mom will pour you more, be good alright!”
Lin Tang: “…”
Truth be told, I can hold my liquor well.
Not just a sip, even a whole jar wouldn’t make
slur my words.
But still.
Seeing her mother’s eyes, leaving no room for bargaining, Lin Tang gave up the struggle then and there.
Forget it, it’s good enough to be able to taste it.
The family happily had a al of state-run restaurant’s at dishes and buns, as satisfied as if they had eaten an extraordinary banquet.
What excitent!
Next door, the Qi Family.
Qi Dafa sniffed at the air, lured by the scent that was making his mouth water so much it almost dripped to the floor.
The three grandsons, too, were the sa.
With their small noses sniffing the fragrance, drools of saliva trailed transparently from the corners of their mouths.
The youths did not frolic either, their faces showing a content expression as they inhaled the scent.
“Bro, that slls incredible!” Qi Yaohua smacked his lips, swallowing saliva as he spoke.
“Yeah, when can our family have a at al too?”
Qi Jiahua’s expression was sowhat enraptured, imagining the taste of at, his drool even more exuberant.
The two speakers were Qi Dafa’s eldest and second grandsons.
Qi Dafa had two sons and a daughter.
The eldest son was nad Qi Xiangdong, the second son Qi Xiangxi, and the daughter Qi Xianghong.
Qi Xiangdong had two sons nad Qi Jiahua and Qi Yaohua, and Qi Xiangxi had one son nad Qi Weijie.
Qi Xianghong had long been married off to a neighboring commune.
Upon hearing his older brothers’ words, Qi Weijie’s face broke into a naive smile.
“Once the piglets grow up, we’ll have at!”
“For the New Year, eh!” sighed Qi Yaohua, “That’s still a long wait.”
Watching the longing in his three grandsons’ eyes, Qi Dafa felt a sourness in his heart.
It was their fault, the adults, for not being capable enough.
To have their grandsons envy the neighbors’ good food and drink.
“…Tomorrow I’ll get your grandma to buy you half a pound of at to satisfy your craving,” Qi Dafa said through gritted teeth, as he ruffled his youngest grandson’s hair.
The three lads were overjoyed, their dark and thin faces lighting up.
“Grandpa, for real?”
“We’re going to have at tomorrow?”
“Grandpa, do we still have money? If we don’t, we won’t eat it,” they said.
Qi Dafa, with a taste in his heart he couldn’t describe, nodded affirmatively.
“We have money, we’ll cut at tomorrow!”
A few coins for at wouldn’t break the family.
Delighted at the thought, Qi Jiahua and the other lads felt the worms of hunger in their bellies cry out even more fiercely.
Pinching their noses, they took their grandpa’s hand and headed to the kitchen to find their grandma.
The Qi family, enticed by their craving, planned to cut at the next day.
At the Lin family’s other neighbor, the Wang family, people were almost driven mad by the fragrance of at.
Wang Jinbao slamd the table with a loud smack and cried out, “I want to eat at!!!”
Wang Zhaodi swallowed saliva and looked expectantly at Wu Chunhua.
She wanted to eat at too.
Even though every ti her mom bought at, she hardly got a few pieces, the re flavor of it was enough.
That detestable Lin Tang could actually eat at, not choking on it.
Wu Chunhua felt frustrated inside.
Eat at?
Who didn’t want to eat it?
With only three people in the family earning work points and not enough food to eat, how could they possibly afford at?
Wanting to lash out in anger, but with her precious son crying before her, Wu Chunhua could only suppress her fury and coax.
“Jinbao, try to hold on for a bit. Mom will get you so at to eat in a few days, okay?”
“No, I want to eat it today,” Wang Jinbao continued to wail.
Wu Chunhua felt a headache coming on and comforted him, “How about Mom steams you an egg?”
With only those few eggs at ho, she had been planning to trade them for sothing else in a couple of days.
Wang Jinbao’s crying stopped abruptly.
Raising two fingers, he declared, “I want two eggs.”
Then he looked at her expectantly, as if ready to continue his wailing if she refused.
Wu Chunhua, just wanting her son to quiet down, agreed despite the pain it caused her, “Alright.”
Listening on the side, Wang Zhaodi licked her lips and swallowed hard.
It had been nearly a year since she had tasted an egg.
And thinking of Lin Tang next door indulging in at, she felt an unfair resentnt.
Why didn’t it choke the Lin family mbers?
Engrossed in her vicious cursing, Wang Zhaodi naturally didn’t hear Wu Chunhua’s instruction.
Wu Chunhua’s face turned stern and a smack landed on her back.
“You impudent girl, you’re getting bolder by the day,” she snapped.
“Now you don’t listen even when I talk to you. What are you planning, a rebellion?”
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