Chapter 3: Bleak Family Circumstances

Chen Hong went to the neighboring house to look, then asked, "So you did it on purpose? You deliberately let the house become like that?"

Yang Qing nodded.

You look at our family's situation, you'll know; but for anything useful, do you still have any?

Chen Hong looked at the bare house, then at Yang Qing, and understood the family's situation.

He comforted Yang Qing, saying.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here; no one will dare bully you anymore."

It's not that she's bold; it's that her family of five has a Martyr's Family certificate. Anyone who dares to bully her won't be let off by the authorities.

This is the confidence brought by her status.

Gurgle………

A sound came over.

Chen Hong said embarrassedly.

"I haven't had breakfast or lunch."

Yang Qing expressed understanding; for people like them who fled here, being able to eat two meals a day is already a good life, and having just one meal is normal.

Like their Siheyuan, most work at the steel rolling mill; their living standards are top-notch nationwide.

Thus they started eating thin gruel; there was no way, the rations standard kept dropping, workers could still eat dry rations, but others could only drink thin gruel.

As for gathering food to eat big pot meals, that didn't happen; urban households were on rations, each person got that amount, big pot meals were meaningless.

Only the Jia Family, Jia Zhangshi herself, greedy for rural land, so they didn't register for urban household registration.

Result: In 58 they formed a commune; the land was gone and people still had to go to the fields to work for work points, and she instantly became a rural person without a food source.

To get rations, one had to work the fields for points; Jia Zhangshi, already worn into a mother-in-law, could hardly endure this.

All the pressure was transferred to Jia Dongxu.

Qin Huairu, however, married Jia Dongxu after the household registration reform (i. e., after 1955), so she herself is a rural household registration.

Children follow their mother, so the whole family had only Jia Dongxu with an urban household registration.

Living like that was really hard.

But there's something even harder: Yang Qing, because the Jia family often steals his rations.

In name, the Jia Family provides money, he provides the grain, and they split the food half-half.

In reality, they're just consuming him, this last heir.

Thus, as a man, his monthly grain ration is only ten jin, the amount for one child.

Yang Qing shook his head, pulled out a black ball from his inner pocket (as mentioned before, this is emergency rations made of persimmon cake and black beans), looked at it, then stuffed it back.

Seeing Chen Hong's doubtful gaze, Yang Qing explained.

"This is too hard; I'll get you something softer."

Afterwards, he carefully lifted a broken brick from the ground behind the bed, then took out a piece of torn clothing, laid it on the ground, and began to dig soil with half a broken bowl.

Chen Hong said doubtfully.

"What are you doing?"

Yang Qing didn't even lift his head, speaking softly.

"I'm getting you something to eat."

Chen Hong, annoyed, continued to ask.

"Just get it; why are you acting like a thief?"

Yang Qing froze upon hearing that.

Then he realized he was married, his wife had a Martyr's Family certificate, and he didn't need to be so careful.

Having figured that out, he in a few moves lifted several bricks, then dug open the soil and pulled out an oil-wrapped packet.

Then he casually tossed the brick and soil back in.

After finishing, he proudly opened the packet.

Inside were small square pieces.

"This is a compressed cake I made with glutinous rice, radish flour, and honey; although it's a bit hard, it staves off hunger."

Chen Hong smelled the fresh fragrance seeping from the packet, and also thought of the black beans he had taken out.

This man of mine is not simple.

Emergency rations?

How did he think of this? Even in their countryside, not even the elderly would think of making emergency rations.

Let alone the city.

Yang Qing saw she wasn't moving, so he held the packet out to her.

"Eat, eat, it's delicious, sweet."

Only then did Chen Hong collect her thoughts, and the contempt in her eyes also faded.

She picked up a piece, brought it to her mouth, took a light bite, but couldn't bite through.

Then she bit down hard, but still couldn't bite through.

Yang Qing, seeing this, was anxious beside her.

"Take a small bite, flick, and it'll break off."

Chen Hong, obedient, changed her method, but still couldn't bite through.

Crack, a small piece went into her mouth.

The fragrant sweet taste intoxicated her, and the food in her mouth was absorbing her saliva, then softening.

Crunch, a piece of cake was quickly stuffed into her stomach; when she wanted to take a second piece, Yang Qing took it back.

Cook it into porridge for a while, never eat dry rice, can't eat too much hard food; it really hurts the stomach.

Chen Hong discovered Hua Dian again—does this person also know a little medicine?

She was certain that this person was definitely not as simple as he seemed.

She became interested.

She stared at Yang Qing, and Yang Qing trembled under her gaze.

A stress reaction—nothing can be done; normally being stared at like this is a sign of an impending beating.

He even felt the urge to run away.

"Th-That, um, what—what's wrong?"

Chen Hong deliberately said with a stone‑cold face.

"What else is there to eat? Bring it out."

Yang Qing felt a pang of insecurity.

"Ah, this…!"

He tried to pull out the black beans to handle the situation.

Chen Hong, however, spoke first.

"Not that."

Then she said irritably.

"I've already married you; what am I afraid of?"

"Come clean quickly; I need to make a plan, otherwise the two of us will starve to death."

Yang Qing waved his hand.

"We won't starve; we have food."

"We have it; bring it out quickly, I'll keep it, don't be afraid, no one dares to bully us."

"Let me tell you, my family is from Chen Jia Gou, you know Chen Jia Gou, the birthplace of Supreme Ultimate Fist."

"Everyone there practices martial arts; once I recover, two or three people can't get close to me."

"Ah!"

Yang Qing was shocked.

"You really come from Chen Jia Gou."

Chen Jia Gou—he knows it too well; before reincarnation, he even traveled there; that place is fierce, five or six people, in a few moves, they knocked people down.

It is said that they hadn't yet unleashed their ultimate technique, meaning they hadn't used a high‑destructive‑power move; otherwise the effect would be stronger.

Chen Hong, hearing that, opened a stance, struck a few times, then stopped.

She couldn't help it; she's truly too insubstantial.

"See? I'm out of strength now; once I recover, whoever bullies you, I'll beat them."

Hahaha……

Yang Qing was on the verge of tears; others who transmigrated all have a golden finger, he never did, so his life is unbearably miserable.

Who would have thought, this golden finger suddenly arrived.

His wife, not only a member of the Martyr's Family but also from a martial lineage, what golden finger does he need? His wife herself is the best golden finger.

"Yes, yes…"

Yang Qing was ecstatic.

He grabbed Chen Hong's hand and headed to the stove.

The stove was set apart by a wall segment.

Yang Qing kicked a brick off the low wall, bent down, picked it up, and handed it to Chen Hong.

"Sweet‑potato brick, also emergency food."

Chen Hong looked at Yang Qing puzzledly; this was clearly a mud brick, a black‑ish mud brick.

Yang Qing, seeing her disbelief, snapped the brick in half with a 'crack' sound; the inside of the mud brick showed a white sweet‑potato flesh.