Siheyuan Back to the 1950s

Jia Zhang returned home first. She had walked a long way today and was very hungry now.

She hurried to her small kitchen to find something to eat, otherwise she would starve to death before noon.

Today, knowing that her mother-in-law was going to be released from prison, Qin Huairu didn't buy any meat, but she indulged herself in a rare luxury and steamed eight steamed buns, ate a cucumber, and fried a plate of shredded potatoes.

There were eight steamed buns, each weighing three or four taels, and they had already been distributed to her mother-in-law, husband, and son, one each. She and her daughter shared one, which was just enough for dinner.

As soon as Jia Zhang entered the kitchen, she saw the steamed bread and vegetables on the stove.

She was already so hungry that her eyes were dizzy. She didn't care about her dirty hands and just grabbed the steamed bread and stuffed it into her mouth.

One, two,...

"Cough cough cough..."

Because she ate too quickly, the veins on Jia Zhang's face popped out due to choking. Fortunately, there was a ladle and water nearby. She quickly scooped up a ladle of water and gulped it down.

While Jia Zhang was eating heartily in the kitchen, Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu returned home with their children.

"Dongxu, there were so many people outside just now, I didn't have the courage to ask, why did you hit the child?"

"Why beat him? This little bastard has grown up and is even making up stories about his own grandmother."

Next, Jia Dongxu recounted the good things his son had done.

"Do you think this little bastard should be beaten?"

Seeing her husband still angry, Qin Huairu could only speak weakly.

"I didn't say you hit him wrongly. Couldn't you have hit him a little more gently? Look at the five marks on the child's face. Don't hurt him."

Seeing his wife's weak and helpless look, and then looking at the slap mark on his son's face, Jia Dongxu had no choice but to compromise.

"Okay, I get it. Mom just came back today. If I didn't give him a blow, I'm afraid she would be angry. I won't do that next time."

When the word "my mother" was mentioned, Jia Dongxu remembered that the two of them were just chatting, so where was his mother?

"Where's my mom? Didn't she come back before us? Why isn't she here?"

Jia Dongxu asked so many questions in one breath, it was impossible for Qin Huairu to know?

But the house is so small, and if it’s not in the house now, it must have gone to the kitchen.

So the two of them went to the kitchen again, and as soon as they entered, Qin Huairu was stunned.

What did she see?

I saw my mother-in-law licking the soup in the plate, and the few steamed buns on the stove had long disappeared.

Seeing this situation, Qin Huairu understood everything. Her mother-in-law actually ate up all the food rations for their family of five in one meal.

Thinking that both adults and children would go hungry, she couldn't help but shed tears.

When Jia Zhang licked the last drop of soup on the plate, she realized that her son and daughter-in-law had arrived.

"Dongxu! Mom is so hungry. I'll eat some steamed bread first. When will you start cooking the meat? I can't wait."

Jia Dongxu, who didn't know the situation, could only laugh and wink at Qin Huairu, trying to get away with the matter.

But Qin Huairu was disheartened and just kept crying, ignoring her husband's gaze.

"Mom, wait a minute, let me ask Huairu what's going on?"

After Jia Dongxu finished speaking, he was ready to pull his wife outside to discuss how to get around this matter.

But Qin Huairu still didn't move, and Jia Dongxu thought his wife was acting.

Just when he was about to pull it again, Qin Huairu suddenly exploded!

"Eat, eat, eat! All you do all day is eat. You've eaten up all the last bit of food in the house. How do you expect the other people in the family to survive?"

Qin Huairu's sudden shout startled everyone in the room.

Jia Dongxu didn't understand why his wife, who had always been weak in character, was so angry.

Didn't my mother just eat two steamed breads? Is that a big deal?

Jia Zhang, who had reacted, was now full and worried about where to digest her food. When she saw that her daughter-in-law dared to challenge her, she decided to set some rules for her.

"You slut, you jinx, do you know how to respect the elderly? I'm eating a few steamed buns at home, what's wrong with that?"

Seeing that Qin Huairu didn't say anything, Jia Zhang became excited and continued.

"You are a woman from the countryside. Our family is in this state now because of you. What qualifications do you have to point fingers here? If you don't want to live, go back to the countryside..."

Faced with her mother-in-law's groundless accusations, Qin Huairu said nothing, silently wiped away her tears, turned around and walked into the room.

Jia Dongxu watched the whole process without saying a word. Between his mother and his wife, he preferred his mother.

Seeing her daughter-in-law left in anger, Jia Zhang walked out of the kitchen like a victorious general.

At this time, a lot of people had gathered at the door of the Jia family, all of them were neighbors who heard the noise and rushed over to watch the fun.

Jia Zhang, who was too full, had not yet cursed enough, and now seeing these people, she started to curse again.

"You guys have so much free time. What does it have to do with you if I teach my daughter-in-law a lesson? What are you two doing here looking at me?"

Well, the neighbors not only failed to enjoy the fun, but also got into trouble, so they all fled in all directions.

Seeing that all the neighbors had dispersed, Jia Zhang said to her son like a victorious general:

"Dongxu! Mom has been in poor health these past few years. Go to the kang and rest for a while. Don't forget my flesh?"

After Jia Zhang finished speaking, she walked into the house without caring about her son's feelings.

After everyone had left, the two children ran out again, and the entrance to the Jia family's house became completely quiet.

Jia Dongxu sat alone at the door, smoking silently, thinking about what happened today, and was full of confusion about his future life.

At noon, every household was eating, but the Jia family's stove was still empty.

Qin Huairu was still lying on the bed, not saying a word. Jia Zhang, who was lying on the kang opposite her, was snoring loudly and sleeping soundly.

Only when the two children came back and asked for food did Jia Dongxu reluctantly go to the kitchen to prepare lunch for the children.

But he searched the entire kitchen and couldn't find even a pound of corn flour. Now the only thing he could eat was a few pounds of sweet potatoes.

If he remembered correctly, the corn flour at home should be enough for two days. How could there be nothing left?

At this time, he realized the seriousness of the problem. Could it be that his mother had eaten it all?

No wonder my wife got so angry. Several people had to save their food, and two days' rations were eaten up by his mother in one meal. Anyone would be angry if this happened.

Jia Dongxu had no choice but to steam a few sweet potatoes for the child and reluctantly send him away. Then he dragged his tired body out to try his luck and see if he could buy some food to help him out.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Jia Dongxu came back from outside happily, carrying a small bag.

I was lucky today. I spent five times the price of the grain store and bought more than ten pounds of corn flour.

Although the quality of cornmeal today is very poor, it is almost entirely corn, with only a little corn, but being able to buy it is a blessing in disguise, because their family has run out of food.

I just got home, and before I could even get comfortable, the troublemakers came again.