Chapter 11

She also has to eat painkillers every month.

Banggeng, Xiaodang, and Huaihua are still young.

A family of five relies entirely on herself, and life is extremely difficult.

If it weren't for Shazhu's help and her searching everywhere in the rolling mill, this family would have collapsed long ago.

Banggeng sits up from the kang, holding his stomach and shouting: "Mom, my stomach hurts from hunger."

Qin Huairu works alone, and the family's grain ration is just that little bit.

Living a life of barely making ends meet.

At night, Banggeng drank two bowls of cornmeal porridge alone.

Jia Zhangshi's half bowl of porridge was also given to Banggeng, but even so, it couldn't fill Banggeng's stomach.

"Truly a half-grown boy, eating his father to death."

Jia Zhangshi hugs Banggeng with heartache: "Hey, my poor grandson."

"Endure it, your mom will go to exchange grain tomorrow, and then you can eat a few more steamed buns."

Qin Huairu says with a bitter face: "Mom, our family has no grain stamps."

Jia Zhangshi glares: "If there is no grain, go borrow it or buy it. No matter what, you can't let my grandson go hungry."

Qin Huairu says helplessly: "At the end of this month, who would have surplus grain, and who would be willing to lend it to our family."

This is an era of eating and drinking based on stamps; grain in the city is supplied in fixed quantities.

In a period of extreme material scarcity, most families' grain bags (grain books, grain stamps) are empty by the end of the month.

Jia Zhangshi says as a matter of course: "You go find Shazhu, Eldest Uncle."

"And that Cao Weiguo, they have fewer people and eat less."

"They definitely have surplus grain in their hands. Let them help our family."

"We are all neighbors in the same courtyard; how can they have the heart to see us die without helping?"

"If no one helps you, you just crash into their door frame and die."

"I will hold a grand funeral for you then."

"Let everyone see the faces of those beasts."

Cao Family

The wind is high and the moon is dark; the night is deep and quiet.

Cao Weiguo, sleeping soundly, vaguely hears someone calling.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

"Weiguo!"

"Weiguo, it's me, Qin Huairu!"

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Outside the door, Qin Huairu not only calls this time, but the force of her knocking is getting louder and louder.

Cao Weiguo, awakened from his dream, suppresses his anger, his mood inexplicably irritable.

"Not sleeping in the middle of the night!"

"What can't be said tomorrow!"

Qin Huairu looks around outside the door, fearing being discovered:

"Weiguo, open the door, I have something very important."

Cao Weiguo says impatiently: "If you have something to say, say it; if you have a fart, let it out."

Qin Huairu coming to the door has never meant anything good.

Either borrowing grain or borrowing money!

"Weiguo, just a few words, open the door, can I eat you?"

Qin Huairu, who was shut out, is neither anxious nor impatient.

It can be said that she has enough patience.

This relates to the stomachs of the whole family; she absolutely cannot return empty-handed.

"Weiguo! Weiguo! Open the door!"

Listening to Qin Huairu's shouting, Cao Weiguo is helpless.

Qin Huairu doesn't want face, but he does.

Face is sometimes useless, and sometimes useful.

Having it is better than not having it.

If rumors spread, his reputation won't look good either.

He doesn't want to die alone!

"Stop shouting!"

Cao Weiguo, wrapped in a quilt, walks over to open the door with an irritable face.

If he lets Qin Huairu keep shouting, his reputation will stink throughout the streets.

"You were asleep."

As soon as the door opens, Qin Huairu drills into the room like a loach.

"Why did you come in!"

Seeing Qin Huairu enter the room, Cao Weiguo feels a panic in his heart.

A man and a woman alone in a room!

If this were discovered by the neighborhood office, they would definitely be hung with signs and paraded through the streets naked.

"If you have something to say, say it quickly, and leave quickly after you're done."

Qin Huairu says miserably: "Weiguo, there isn't a grain of rice left at home, save your sister."

Cao Weiguo frowns: "Wages were just paid today, go buy some with money!"

Qin Huairu: "Grain stamps are used up."

Cao Weiguo says irritably: "If there are no grain stamps, go to the pigeon market."

The pigeon market is a private trading market that cannot be seen in the light.

You can buy things without stamps, but the price is much higher.

Qin Huairu's salary is barely enough to live on.

How could she be willing to buy grain at the pigeon market.

Tears well up in her eyes: "You know sister's situation."

"How could my family have money to go to the pigeon market."

"Weiguo! Help sister, sister will remember your kindness."

Cao Weiguo sneers: "Forget it, you'd better remember others' kindness; I can't afford to climb high."

Thinking about how much stuff he helped Qin Huairu with before.

Except for that 10 yuan, everything else was like a meat bun hitting a dog—never to return.

Things were lost, but he didn't get half a benefit.

Cao Weiguo doesn't want to continue being a sucker.

Qin Huairu grabs Cao Weiguo's arm:

"Weiguo, sister won't let you help in vain; sister will wash your clothes and tidy up the room for you in the future."

Cao Weiguo shakes his head hurriedly: "Please don't, I can tidy up myself."

Qin Huairu washing his clothes and tidying up the room—if this spreads, he will become a brother-in-law with Jia Dongxu.

Even if there's nothing, it will be spread as if there is!

Shazhu is an obvious example!

Qin Huairu is also anxious: "Then tell me, what will it take for you to help sister?"

She has already knocked on Shazhu's door, but Shazhu has no surplus grain either.

The Eldest Uncle has the Eldest Aunt at home, so she is embarrassed to knock on the door late at night.

Thinking back and forth, the only person in the courtyard who can help her is Cao Weiguo.

And, she has more and further thoughts.

Cao Weiguo's work is regularized, and his life will definitely get better and better in the future.

First time is strange, second time is familiar! ===== CHAPTER 13 =====