Chapter 247: Seventies Appraisal System (21)

Qin Zheng returned from his driving trip, and the rich aroma of meat drifted out from the balcony of 208 once again.

In the Family Building, the sounds of children clamoring for meat and the subsequent crying after getting a beating could be heard from time to time.

Listening to the commotion in the hallway, Bai Xiuyuan went to the water room with an unhappy expression.

Seeing Qin Zheng standing in front of the first faucet washing clothes, with the rinsed rice and washed vegetables beside him, she felt even more depressed.

She had to rinse rice, wash vegetables, and scrub clothes while heavily pregnant, yet Xie Yang had such a good life, idling at home and even ordering her husband, who had just returned from a long-distance trip, to do the chores.

Thinking this, she couldn't help but ask Qin Zheng: "You haven't accompanied Xie Yang back to her maiden home since you got back this time, have you? Xie Yang did go back once a few days ago and brought quite a lot of things with her; she even secured a Formal Worker position as a Women's Federation Commune Cadre for her sister-in-law. What do you think Xie Yang is actually thinking? Someone thanked her and gave her a Formal Worker position, yet instead of keeping it for herself, she actually gave it to her sister-in-law..."

Bai Xiuyuan assumed Qin Zheng definitely didn't know about this; if he did, wouldn't he have to pick a fight with Xie Yang?

Bringing some things to her maiden home was one thing, but to actually give away a job to her sister-in-law!

Although the salary of a Commune Women's Federation Cadre couldn't compare to a Formal Worker in the city, it was still twenty-four yuan and fifty cents!

Not counting the holiday benefits, the salary alone was nearly three hundred a year.

To just give that away to her sister-in-law, could a husband not be angry?

Accompanied by the sound of gurgling water, a clear, cold voice rang out in the water room, unhurried: "Sister-in-law, you are worrying a bit too much. That is a job my wife earned herself; she can give it to whoever she wants."

Bai Xiuyuan: "..."

What "worrying too much"? That was clearly a veiled insult, calling her a busybody!

And... she and Xie Yang were the same age, why should she call her "sister-in-law"? Did she look that old?

Although since getting pregnant, many brown spots had appeared on her face, and when washing her face and looking in the mirror, she could see swollen eye bags and a sallow complexion, she really couldn't compare to Xie Yang's fair and delicate face.

But that was because she was pregnant! Weren't all pregnant women like this!

Yet at this moment, Qin Zheng's "sister-in-law" completely broke her defenses.

"A dog biting Lu Dongbin—unable to recognize a good heart!"

She left this remark in a fit of shame and anger, too bothered to rinse the rice or wash the vegetables, and went straight back to her room in a rage.

"..."

Xie Yang was deep-frying meatballs and pan-searing small yellow croakers on the balcony.

These small yellow croakers, like the hairtail from last time, were seafood shipped from Zhoushan.

Although they didn't look very good, the fish gills were still relatively red, and they didn't require coupons, so Xie Yang bought five catties in one go.

It wasn't that she didn't want to buy more; it was rare to find seafood that didn't require coupons, and since she was well-off now, she wouldn't even blink at buying ten or twenty catties.

It was just that the Supply and Marketing Cooperative saw so many people buying them that they limited it—each person could only buy five catties at most.

After cleaning them and rubbing them with a little Salt to marinate for two hours, frying them until golden and crispy on both sides made for a great snack with wine or a side dish for rice.

Halfway through frying, Qin Zheng returned. While hanging up the laundry, he said to her: "Don't have anything to do with Old He's wife in the future."

Many colleagues in the factory praised Old He's wife for being virtuous and generous, but in his eyes, where was she generous? Just from those few words she said earlier, she was as calculating as a sieve.

His own wife was better; whatever she thought was written on her face, and whatever she had in her hands, she never hid or kept secret.

Xie—who hid many good things in her Appraisal Space—Yang picked up a piece of freshly fried battered fish, blew on it, and handed it to the man's mouth: "What's wrong with her? I don't usually have any dealings with her."

"That's good. Old He's wife is too calculating; I'm afraid you'll get the short end of the stick."

Xie Yang gave the man a thumbs up: "It seems you are a clear-headed person. The neighbors all think she is good in every way, and that I am inferior to her in every way."

"That's because they are blind."

Xie Yang laughed and rewarded the man with another crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside fried meatball.

At noon, she used their own homemade cured meat to make a stew for him, which was so fresh he ate three bowls of Rice.

After waking from her nap, Xie Yang began simmering a rich broth and steaming meat buns.

So much so that the aroma kept drifting out from her balcony, lingering throughout the entire Family Building.

Everyone thought the fragrance would surely dissipate by the next day, right?

Unexpectedly, the next day Xie Yang went to the early market and snatched up a fresh, live bighead carp from Lijiang, preparing a three-course fish meal.

Fish head stewed with tofu, steamed fish tail, and fish balls made from the middle section.

In the evening, they ate the remaining meat buns from yesterday with the fish ball soup made from the rich broth.

For the next two days, Xie Yang followed Qin Zheng to visit her maiden home and his parents' home, but they always returned the same day. It was just that dinner was quite late; under the bright moonlight, they would cook broth noodles, broth vermicelli, and broth dumplings on the balcony... the rich aroma truly lingered for three days without fading!

And that wasn't all! As long as Qin Zheng wasn't out driving, whether morning or night, the balcony of 208 never stopped emitting the rich aroma of meat.

Who the hell could stand this!

He Ximing ate his bland, watery meal and asked his wife with a bitter face: "Does our house really not have even a single ounce of Meat Coupon left?"

Bai Xiuyuan's hand gripping the chopsticks tightened, and she lowered her eyelids: "Didn't we eat meat twice in the first ten days of the month?"

"That little bit of meat slices wasn't even enough to get stuck in my teeth."

"..."

How could she dare to say that the remaining two ounces of Meat Coupon were given to her mother last time she went to her maiden home.

Xie Yang brought back so many things; which family wouldn't be envious? Her mother had nagged her until her ears grew calluses.

There was no other way, so she had to offer the last two ounces of Meat Coupon of the month to her maiden home.

She cursed Xie Yang to death in her heart—couldn't she just go back to her maiden home less often like when she first married, and even if she did go back, not bring so many things?

Honestly... she caused her to miss out on two ounces of meat.

She used to think it was great that the two families lived close by; every time the commune members praised her, they would add how lazy and greedy Xie Yang next door was.

But now, living close had become an inescapable pit for her.

Listening to the young couple laughing and talking through the wall, and smelling the rich aroma of meat drifting in from the balcony and windows, He Ximing chewed his bland meal without tasting it, unable to even muster the energy to chat with his wife.

He even secretly suspected if his wife had scraped together all the money and coupons in the house to give to her maiden home?

After all, he didn't earn little in a month; although he had less of a long-distance allowance than Qin Zheng, he should still be able to afford to eat fish, meat, and eggs every few days and cook a few meals of fine grains. Why was what he was eating now not even as good as what he ate at the Canteen when he was single?

Once the seed of suspicion was planted, a crack inevitably appeared in the couple's relationship.

Fortunately, a week later, Qin Zheng finally had another long-distance Task again; this time it was to go to the Northeast Steel Factory to haul a batch of raw materials, which Qin Zheng had fought for himself.

He wanted to trade for some furs from the Northeast to make fur-lined vests for his wife and the elders of both families, which would be both warm and inconspicuous when worn inside their cotton-padded clothes.

As usual, Xie Yang prepared a large bag of food for him: a jar of meat floss, a jar of small yellow Fish, six Salted Duck Eggs, a bottle of mushroom and diced meat sauce, and she also braised a pot of tea eggs and made twenty white flour flatbreads.

In case he missed meal times and couldn't find a place to eat, he could use the Alcohol Stove to boil a pot of water and heat up the flatbreads, which would be enough to get by for a few meals.