Chapter 258 Huang Xin's Gold

Nowadays, fresh meat and eggs are no longer available in the market. Even for children from well-off families, the dishes they bring are just scraps of canned meat and chopped eggs.

The school cafeteria used to have tofu, but now even that's gone. Every day it's the same few dishes, all boiled in water, without oil, but with salt, and even a bit too strong in flavor. After eating like that for two days, she started to feel a bit feverish.

She knew that the cafeteria used a lot of salt because it would be harder to swallow if it were bland, but she really couldn't stand the overly salty food.

So Xiao Jiu decisively chose to only buy staple food, took it back to the dormitory to eat pickled vegetables, and then, when they didn't know, went into her space to fry eggs, ham, stir-fry meat, and stew ribs to replenish her nutrition.

My roommates ate it for a few days and felt that although the dish was supposed to be made with fresh vegetables, it wasn't as good as the pickled vegetables and sauces they brought from home. In particular, the pickled vegetables at Xiaojiu's place were not only varied but also had a richer, oilier flavor.

Xiao Jiu wanted to treat them to pickled vegetables for every meal, but pickled vegetables can't be eaten every day, as eating too much can cause cancer. So she could only give the children some pickled vegetables or salted vegetables every few days.

The pickled vegetables that Xiaojiu currently offers mainly include spicy dried radish, five-nut sauce, spicy preserved mustard greens, pickled cowpeas, pickled mustard greens, papaya strips, spicy taro stems, spicy kelp strips, spicy mustard green strips, as well as olive vegetables and chili sauce, which are very appetizing.

Otherwise, everyone would love to eat the pickled vegetables she brought. Although they are called pickled vegetables, there are some vegetables that they have never seen before, such as Grandma's Vegetables, Gongcai (a type of preserved vegetable), papaya shreds, and taro stems. They don't know what these look like. They can only vaguely recall them by Xiaojiu's verbal description.

These are the canned pickles that have appeared on Xiaojiu's shared table since the start of the school year. Some of them she has only seen once. Although she is not stingy, she has a variety of flavors. Once she has tasted them, she can't forget them. However, she is too embarrassed to ask for some. It's really making them anxious.

They all envied Jiu'er for having so many older brothers and sisters from all over the country. Her brothers and sisters were all studying at universities in other places, and even the pickled vegetables they sent were so characteristic of the vastness and abundance of my country. When they go to university in the future, they will definitely choose to go to the south.

It hasn't rained since National Day, and the air is dry. Even though I drink water every day, my throat still feels dry.

At least she could replenish some fruit in the space, but the students' lips were so dry they were peeling. The main problem was that none of them had the habit of bringing water bottles. Some students didn't even have water bottles. When it was hot, they would drink directly from the well or water pipes. When it was cold, they would use their lunchboxes. In those days, you had to use industrial coupons to buy a tea mug. No wonder they were all so frugal.

The soup provided by the cafeteria each day is simply not enough to meet the water needs of these children. If you encounter a child who doesn't like to drink water, there's really nothing you can do.

So every few days, Xiao Jiu would bring fruit to these older women. They wouldn't dare use too much, so she would always bring pears or apples, taking one at a time, cutting it into pieces, and letting them all have some.

During those difficult times, she didn't expect them to repay her in any way, but these women were all kind-hearted and silently remembered her kindness. Zhu Hongqi, in particular, initially brought Xiaojiu water to wash her feet, but Xiaojiu couldn't stand it and stopped her. She helped her, but she never made her lose her dignity.

It's true that difficult times are tough. Not only do students have it tough, but teachers have it even tougher. Over a meager salary, both the husband's and wife's families came to the school to complain about their hardships. The female teacher was so angry that she fainted and was rushed to the hospital by the school teachers. But these two families were still not satisfied and ignored the teacher's suffering. They caused a scene in the finance office, and neither the principal nor the director could control them. In the end, the principal was so angry that he called the police.

This teacher teaches geography. She always looks exhausted and not in good condition. She teaches in a weak and listless manner. Now I know where the root of the problem lies. It's really unlucky to have a wife and family like that.

The bride's family home should be a safe haven for her married daughter, but now, because her own family is struggling to make ends meet, she is being asked to give her family ten yuan a month to support them. If she were an only child, it would be one thing, but she has brothers, sisters, and brothers. Why should someone who earns thirty-six yuan a month have to pay ten yuan? Does she not support her own family?

The husband's family didn't have an only child; they had several sons and daughters. Originally, each family was supposed to contribute five yuan for food expenses. However, when the husband's family saw that the wife's family was asking for an exorbitant amount, the mother-in-law asked for fifteen yuan, which drove the daughter-in-law so angry that she fainted.

Back in the dormitory, the girls, who were already in high school, started discussing this issue.

That's why the family of origin is so important. In such difficult times, families that can still afford to send their daughters to school generally don't have the so-called preference for sons over daughters. If there is even a hint of that, the girl won't be able to finish high school. She might drop out of school in elementary or middle school to work and earn work points at home.

Therefore, they are very grateful to their families. Even if their older brothers, sisters-in-law, grandparents and other relatives disagree, their parents still support them despite all objections. It is only right that they should give their families a portion of their salary to their parents after they start working.

Pang Weiwei didn't say anything more. Her brother had gone to join the army, and she was the only daughter in the family, which truly touched their hearts.

Zhou Shengnan and Gao Mingxia are both the eldest daughters in their families (the eldest among girls). They have older brothers, younger brothers, and younger sisters. Over the years, because of their studies, they have done less work, which has caused many disputes in their families. If it weren't for the promise to send money home every month after they start working, they would never have been able to continue their studies.

Peng Juan's situation wasn't much better. Although she was the youngest daughter in the family, she wasn't as pampered as Xiao Jiu. Although her parents were open-minded and allowed her to study, it was also so that she could bring honor to the family in the future and support them. So, while it was good that she got into university, her salary had already been arranged by her family.

Zhu Hongqi's family was the poorest among them. Unlike other families that had older or younger brothers, her family only had four sisters. Her older sister had come to see her off before. She was the second oldest in the family, with two younger sisters. The villagers always said that the family line had ended. Because of this, her parents paid great attention to their education and worked themselves to the bone to support them.

The main reason was that they had tasted the benefits. Because her eldest sister had completed junior high school, she was able to work as a female worker in a textile factory when the city was recruiting. Although she was not yet a permanent employee and was only a temporary worker, the couple could tell that educated people had an advantage wherever they went. When it came to their second child, they paid even more attention. And Hongqi did not disappoint them, as she was admitted to the city's No. 1 High School.

The tuition for getting into the top high school in the city was already covered by a one-time bonus from the county's top high school, so they didn't need to pay anything else. The only subsidy was grain, but their families were too poor, and Hongqi lied to them about the school's bonus, so they sacrificed their health.

Hongqi felt sorry for her parents. There were four sisters, three of whom were still in school. The work points her parents earned and her sister's salary were not enough to support the whole family. She hadn't dared to touch the money the school had awarded her because she needed it to pay for next year's tuition and textbooks. She had heard that the textbook fees for the second year of high school were very high, so she didn't touch the money even when she was hungry.

If it weren't for Xiao Jiu, she might have dropped out of school due to the famine.

At least her two younger sisters often went to school hungry, but this was the common situation for most families in the village. Even with the help of a little wine, she didn't dare to eat her fill. Now she only eats lunch, just enough to keep her from starving. For breakfast and dinner, she drinks free soup and eats whatever she can find.

After the teacher's incident, the girls discussed it in their dormitory and all said they should give the money to their parents' families.

Xiao Jiu didn't express her opinion, but she understood that the reason they had such feelings was because their families had already instilled this kind of thinking in them.

Later, the discussion turned to whether or not to pay for the husband's family's meals, and how much would be appropriate.

"If you live together and eat from the same pot, then you can calculate how many people eat each month and average it out to the specific population. If you don't eat from the same pot, you should give some support money after marriage as a token, and you should also compare it with your siblings. But you can't just take advantage of one family and keep squeezing them dry, that would be bullying them, wouldn't it?"

The reason the female teacher's affair has caused such a stir is because this old lady is taking advantage of the fact that the couple are both employed and have a lot of money. She even complained that her older brother and sister started working early to support her schooling, so now they have to help support the family.

Xiao Jiu thinks Zhou Shengnan's words are the fairest, especially when there are many siblings. They should all be treated equally, and there should be no favoritism. Otherwise, over time, the most honest and unlucky child will definitely retaliate the most fiercely.

This is a common phenomenon.

When asked about Xiao Jiu, she chuckled.

"If I become successful and have enough money in the future, I'll do whatever I want. We siblings are a family; if you treat me well, I'll treat you well too. If you ignore me, don't even think about taking advantage of me when I become successful. It's the same with our parents. If you're completely open and honest with me, then I'll treat you with my whole heart and soul."

"Oh my, what Xiao Jiu said is really scary," Xiao Jiu laughed as she saw Pang Weiwei patting her chest.

"I definitely don't need to worry about my older siblings who got into university, but I'll help the rest if I can."

When things improve in the future, we'll find them all some business opportunities. Anyway, things will only get better in the future. As long as we can get through seven or eight years, everything will be moving in a positive direction.

However, if you think about it, my eldest and second eldest sisters are not young anymore. One will be 24 after the New Year, and the other will be 23. Even my third sister is 21.

Am I really going to remain an old maid for the sake of this family? Even if I'm going to find a husband, I should at least find one for myself.

It's not that you have to get married just because you're a woman, but that's just how things are these days. If you don't get married, your age is a factor, and people will talk behind your back every day. If you get married, you can stop people from gossiping about you.

It's true that sisters are often on the same wavelength. Tang Cuihua thought the same way. If she didn't get married, her younger sisters wouldn't be able to find partners. So, for the sake of their family, she boldly took advantage of the famine to find herself a son-in-law.

Tang Cuihua found herself a son-in-law from the poorest family in the village.

At the beginning of the famine, this family had a father with tuberculosis, a mother with asthma, two sons and a daughter.

The eldest son's military allowance, even if sent home, wasn't enough to cover the family's medical expenses. Moreover, without a strong laborer, the work points they earned weren't even enough to feed them. They went hungry one day and ate another the next; it was incredibly difficult for them.

In the spring of the second year of the famine, the old man passed away first, and now, just after summer, his wife has also left.

Just when everyone thought the remaining three siblings could finally live a good life, the eldest brother got injured and left the army with a limp.

The family's surname is Huang. The man who returned from military service is named Huang Xin. He is 25 years old this year. He joined the army after only a few years of schooling. If it weren't for his lack of education, he might have been promoted to battalion commander long ago. Unfortunately, he was stuck at the crucial moment of being promoted to company commander and was discharged from the army.

Given his situation, he would only receive a small subsidy, and they wouldn't even be able to arrange a job for him.

Huang Xin's younger brother, Huang Jin, is 22 years old this year. Because he is poor, he can't turn his life around and hasn't found a partner.

My youngest sister is eighteen this year. In the past, because of our parents, we didn't even have a matchmaker.

Now that her brother is lame, no one is thinking of arranging a marriage for her. The Huang family's relatives have long since separated. Although her parents are gone, in this year of famine, no family is well-off. It's better to have one less person in the family.

Tang Cuihua and Cuiju lived in the same village and knew each other's situations. The two brothers were honest and hardworking, and their sister Huanghua was also a quiet and hardworking person who didn't play tricks. This kind of family was just right for their situation.

So Tang Cuihua, being the eldest daughter in the family, went to Huang Xin herself and said, "How about I take you as my son-in-law?"

Huang Xin was so angry that his face turned black. He thought to himself, "No wonder this woman has a bad reputation. How can she be so shameless? She doesn't even have a matchmaker. Not only does she come to my door to promote herself, but she also dares to talk to me, a grown man, about finding a husband?" He was so angry that he almost threw a clod of dirt at her.

Although Tang Cuihua was rebuffed and even became known to the neighbors, and outside the Huang family, villagers pointed at her and laughed at her everywhere, she didn't care. But Cuiju felt sorry for her!

"Sister, is it really necessary to find a husband for you? There's really no need for that. What difference would it make if you got married?"

"That won't do. I've already made it clear that I want to find a son-in-law. We can't go back on our word. Besides, how can I protect our family if I don't find a son-in-law?"

Huang Xin still can't grasp the situation, whether it's good or bad. Never mind him; he has no idea how difficult things are right now. The only reason I'm willing to take him is because he used to be a soldier; in terms of experience, he's definitely better than the average farmer. Otherwise, who would want a disabled person?

A few days later, Huang Hua, the youngest sister of the Huang family, took the initiative to come to their door.

"Sister Cuihua, my brother asked me to pass on a message to you. He said, he said..."

Huang Hua blushed, as if she was having trouble speaking. Looking into Cui Hua's patient eyes, she felt even more unable to say it.

Especially since she kept glancing in Tang Cuiju's direction, Cuihua seemed to understand something in an instant.