Chapter 683: Chapter 681 at (3)
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Tian Lin ultimately couldn’t find a cool spot to rest; too many workers and too few shades made her settle for a less crowded spot where she could stretch her legs and seize every minute for a break.
No one had a watch, so they all judged ti by the sun. Jiang Feng was just sitting on the ground listening to Tian Lin and Xiujuan chat about everyday things when a sharp and clear whistle blew along with indistinct shouts, prompting everyone to stand up.
Work resud.
Initially, when Jiang Feng heard Tian Lin talk about carrying loads, he thought their task was simply transporting sandbags, but only after witnessing it did he realize “carrying loads” was just a taphor—they weren’t transporting sandbags at all. That was far easier than what they were actually doing.
Xiujuan carried loads of sand and soil, Tian Lin pulled a cart; the sand and soil were so heavy that Xiujuan couldn’t even straighten her back. She had to keep bent over, taking steps, trip after trip, non-stop.
...
The cart Tian Lin pulled was loaded with rocks of various sizes. The road was uneven, full of steep inclines and declines, making her journey with the cart wobbly and angled, always careful not to let the cart fall into a hole. When tired, she would stop to catch her breath, and if exhausted, she would drink a bowl of water after one trip.
Tian Lin and Xiujuan blended in with the crowd, unremarkable. Everywhere there were people, each one working hard, dust filling the air, sweat coating every face, and everyone’s clothes dirty and of one color. Different from extras in movies or TV shows who only pretend to work, here everyone was truly toiling—the scorching sun, sweat, staggering steps, and tracks left by carts and footsteps were all real.
For the first ti, Jiang Feng felt the atmosphere of the working people.
It was indeed an atmosphere of labor, an atmosphere in which sitting by the side taking a rest would be out of place and fill one with guilt.
Far from being lifeless, this place was full of vitality. Jiang Feng saw many people like Xiujuan who never stopped or complained about being tired, racing against ti, stumbling forward towards a barely discernible hope.
The crowd worked until the sun was about to set; the dam construction site was too vast, devoid of sufficient lighting, and the ground was littered with uneven sand and stones. It would be counterproductive to work overti into the night due to the risk of injury.
Upon finishing work, Tian Lin quickly packed her things and headed to the Jiang Family’s house—actually, there wasn’t much to pack, just a palm-leaf fan, a handkerchief, and an empty bowl for drinking water in her cloth bag.
The Jiang Family’s ho was so distance away from where Tian Lin worked. Jiang Feng thought Tian Lin was walking fast, but it still took more than an hour to reach the household, not arriving until it was nearly dark. Jiang Feng had never seen the old Jiang family house; by the ti he was born, his family had already moved to another house.
As soon as Tian Lin pushed the door open, Jiang Feng was hit with an unprecedented visual shock.
Five boys of varying sizes, from big to small, sat neatly at the dining table waiting for dinner.
Jiang Feng could clearly recognize his father; at that ti, his father was probably just in elentary school. Not tall and not particularly chubby, but in an era where everyone on the streets was skinny, he must have been considered quite chubby; his roundness even gave him a touch of cuteness.
Facing the door, Jiang Jiankang saw Tian Lin return and imdiately yelled out, “Mom, our cousin-in-law is back, why haven’t we started dinner yet!”
“What’s all the yelling for? Your father hasn’t finished cooking the at, so what dinner can we have? You’re the noisiest. Look at everyone else; they’re not making a peep. Just wait; once the at is ready, we can eat,” Mrs. Jiang, who had grown plump in her middle age and beca what she had wished to be when she was younger, ca out from a room with a rag in her hand, apparently cleaning, “Tian Lin, there are two pots of boiling water in the restroom, mix so cold water and take a bath; we’ll start dinner shortly.”
“Alright, Auntie,” Tian Lin said, looking at her dusty self and not daring to linger in the living room. She dashed straight into the restroom.
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Jiang Feng looked around, the house was small with only two rooms, it had a balcony but it was very small. One of the rooms had two beds, and judging by how cluttered that room was, it must belong to Jiang Jiankang and his four brothers. Although the kids were chubby, they were still young; squeezing a bit, the two beds could fit them all.
The living room was divided into areas, with a dining table next to the kitchen, and another area with a simple small bed where Tian Lin had probably been sleeping these days. Mrs. Jiang was cleaning the room, while Jiang Jiankang, Jiang Jiandang, and Jiang Jianguo, the three older boys, were salivating over the sll of at. Jiang Jianshe and Jiang Jianye, the younger two, were eating their fingers while being enticed by the aroma of the at.
Jiang Feng went into the kitchen for a look; the kitchen wasn’t big, but it was well-equipped. In the corner were several plates of dishes, all at, without a speck of green. There was braised pig’s trotters, Guo Bao at, i Cai with pork, and crucian carp tofu soup. The pot also contained a portion of braised at that was in the final stages of cooking—it was a veritable feast of at.
Mrs. Jiang finished wiping the cabinet and ca out of the room. Seeing her sons hanging around the dining table like they were starving ghosts, she said irritably, “You’re all like reincarnated starving ghosts. It’s not like you’ve had too little to eat on ordinary days. Didn’t you have braised at a few days ago? Jianguo, wipe off Jianshe’s drool. You only care about yourself and don’t even look after your younger brother.”
Jiang Jianguo quickly used Jiang Jianshe’s sleeve to wipe Jianshe’s drool. Since it was his drool, of course, he used his own clothes to wipe it.
Mrs. Jiang didn’t see this scene as she went into the kitchen. The small kitchen felt a bit crowded with two people inside, and Sir also felt sowhat uncomfortable. He said, “What are you doing in here? I think I just heard Tian Lin co back.”
“She’s back, taking a bath right now. Her work on the dam is too exhausting; I reckon by the ti the dam is finished, she won’t be able to wear her current clothes anymore,” Mrs. Jiang said.
Sir never cared about such trivial matters and didn’t pick up on Mrs. Jiang’s comnt. “I heard today that the dam is expected to be completed next month.”
“That soon?” Mrs. Jiang was surprised and glanced outside, speaking softly, “Can you do sothing about what I ntioned last ti? Zhuangshi doesn’t have good health, and Tian Lin’s family would have a much better life if she could stay in the city. You’ve seen how she’s been during this ti. Although Tian Lin can be a bit lazy, she still works hard and is a good person. I let her stay at our place, and she even gave the monthly ration of rice and extra subsidies to cover room and board. The leaders often specifically ask for you to cook, right? Just ask them, see if it’s possible.”
Sir glanced at the pot. “I’ve inquired about it. This ti, the authorities want to set an example; they’ve repeatedly emphasized no using connections or predetermining positions, so stop thinking about it.”
Mrs. Jiang could only sigh, glancing at the pot again.
“By the way, did you add sugar to the braised at today?”
Sir: ??
Jiang Feng could tell from Sir’s face that the topic had changed too quickly.
“Why add sugar?”
“Sugar makes it taste better!” Mrs. Jiang’s voice suddenly rose, “Today is Jiankang’s birthday; he likes sweet things. You definitely have to add sugar to the braised at! From the ti Jiankang was little, before he had many teeth and could only eat mushy stuff, he always clung to that what’s-it-called ‘force’ thing you brought back from FJ and wanted to eat, add sugar, hurry up, the at is about to be finished cooking.”
Although Sir felt that Mrs. Jiang’s statent was nonsensical, he obediently added sugar to the nearly done braised at and let it simr a while longer, which delayed the serving ti.
Mrs. Jiang happily brought out the dishes, five in total, all at.
Tian Lin had already finished her bath and changed into clean clothes. Seeing Mrs. Jiang co out, she quickly stepped forward to lend a hand. While carrying the plates, Tian Lin couldn’t help but swallow her saliva as she looked at the at in the plates.
She had been staying at the Jiang Family’s house these days, but she had not shared many als with the Jiang Family mbers. Since she had to rush to work every day, she always left early and returned late, never catching al tis. Usually, Sir would make a few stead buns or pancakes for her the night before or early in the morning, which she would eat on the go, saving the leftovers for lunch. In the evening, Mrs. Jiang would leave so food for her: the rice was white rice, and there was so vegetables, but it was impossible to leave any at—being able to save so at soup was already pretty good.
The Jiangs had many children, with five big, hefty boys, three of whom were at the age where they could really eat. On a regular day, there was just one plate of Braised at to go around, and it would disappear in the blink of an eye once it was set on the table, not even leaving behind broth. As long as Sir wasn’t pounding on soone, the brothers could lick the plate cleaner than their own faces. Sir’s policy for raising children had always been that a good appetite was a blessing, and if one could eat, they should eat more. He never scrimped on food or fixed al portions, which led to the situation where, despite his and Mrs. Jiang’s substantial inco and his frequent side jobs to earn extra money, the Jiang family never really saved any money.
All was consud.
This kind of advanced lifestyle was quite peculiar in an era where everyone else was pinching pennies and rationing food.
Sir didn’t care if it was peculiar; he lived very comfortably.
Tian Lin was stunned.
At first, she thought that when Mrs. Jiang specifically asked her to co back early to eat that evening, saying they were making Braised at for Jiang Jiankang’s birthday, it ant one dish of at.
In Tian Lin’s mind, making just one dish of at for a child’s birthday when it wasn’t a holiday or special occasion was already quite extravagant. She rembered that before she got married, her family would only eat at during the New Year and on the elders’ birthdays, and even then, she couldn’t eat much at a ti. On New Year’s Eve, they made one dish of at, and with many family mbers, Tian Lin would only get a piece or two, always the lean cuts, never managing to get the fatty parts that were rich in oil. The rest would be chopped into minced at, mixed with cabbage to make dumplings, and if there were still leftovers, they’d make cured at, which they’d only put a couple of slices into a dish to satiate their craving for at.
Tian Lin suspected that she had worked so hard today she was hallucinating. What did she see? She saw five large dishes of at!
Five large dishes, all at!
Tian Lin was almost afraid to pick up her chopsticks.
She was hesitant, but Jiang Jiankang and the other four boys had no such qualms, heading straight for the braised pig’s trotters. Jiang Jianshe, the youngest, couldn’t speak very clearly and had trouble holding his chopsticks steady, but he knew how to point at the braised pig’s trotters and mumble sothing indecipherable, wanting Mrs. Jiang to help him get a pig’s trotter.
“Tian Lin, eat, if you don’t start soon, these five boys of mine will take all the good at,” Mrs. Jiang called out, thinking Tian Lin was too shy to reach out with her chopsticks.
“Thank you, Auntie,” Tian Lin said, keeping her head down and picking up a small piece of lean at from the pig’s trotter.
“Oh, you like lean at too? My boys also like it. Every ti the factory or your uncle’s workplace distributes at, we both choose the lean cuts and the ribs; others always say we’re setting a good example,” Mrs. Jiang said with a laugh.
Tian Lin nodded; she too felt that Mrs. Jiang was setting a good example. Whenever there was a pig slaughter, everyone would fight over the large fatty cuts, which could be used to render oil and were also delicious, while the ribs, being less sought after, were often left until there was no choice but to take them. Wasn’t that setting a good example?
“Ribs are actually pretty good. I used to…” Sir began to say sothing else but then thought better of it and said no more.
Tian Lin stuffed the at into her mouth and was so shocked she couldn’t speak.
Jiang Feng was all too familiar with this expression. It was the sa one Jiang Shoucheng had after being forced by his second aunt to eat vegetarian and diet for two months; the mont Jiang Shoucheng ate at, he had this expression. The first reaction was that this is actually at, the at has this flavor, followed by admiration for the chef’s skills.
If soone were starved for a long ti, going one or two years without at and having to do physical work every day, even the Zhao Family’s ancestral Braised at would taste delicious; they might even relish it excessively because the at was fatty and rich in oil.
Tian Lin chewed twice, and the at went down.
She felt like she hadn’t even tasted the flavor of at; it was her stomach craving at that urged her to swallow, and so she did.
“By the way, Tian Lin, did you get to eat Braised at when you married into the family?” Mrs. Jiang asked.
“No,” Tian Lin shook her head, “Mom said she’d make Braised at for during New Year’s, a big pot of it, enough for everyone.”
“The Braised at Mom makes is so delicious. The cuts are big and rich, and she always cooks a large pot. We Zhao Family might not have much money, but we don’t skimp on Braised at during New Year’s! On the day I got married, Mom even made a special pot of Braised at, and your uncle said it was tasty,” Mrs. Jiang reminisced, her face alight with excitent.
Sir: …
Sir’s expression was sowhat indescribable.
“It’s a pity, Braised at is only made on New Year’s Eve, and we daughters who are married off can’t eat it. I haven’t had it for many years. Tian Lin, this is a heritage skill of our Zhao Family. You must learn it well from Mom during the New Year’s and make sure not to lose this skill,” Mrs. Jiang urged.
Jiang Feng: …
Grandma, do you even realize what you are saying?!!!
“Mhm!” Tian Lin nodded solemnly.
“Eat at!” Mrs. Jiang declared heartily.
Tian Lin picked up a big chunk of fatty braised at and bit down.
It was a bit sweet.
Tian Lin thought gleefully, is this what big at tastes like?
Delicious!
Jiang Feng began to be shrouded in a mist, drifting away from mory.
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