Chapter 4: Change a Brother-in-law
Little sister Su widened her large, lively eyes and shrank back, afraid that she would say something wrong and make her big sister unhappy. “Brother-in-law refused it, so I just gave him the money and ran away.”
It was not strange that Zhou Hengyang refused to take the money.
“It’s okay, as long as you’ve given it to him.” As for the male protagonist, she still wanted to win him over. In any case, she couldn’t let the manipulative female protagonist take advantage of him. She knew that this was a huge gold mine, and would be a fool not to grab tightly on to it.
Su Wen’s heart softened as she looked at the dark, thin, and ragged little sister Su. When she thought about how little sister Su was sold by Zhao Jiangang for 100 yuan in the book, she couldn’t help but dote on her like her own sister.
The six younger sisters of the Su family were really pitiful. They lost their mother when they were young, and then their father passed away.
Their grandparents and aunts and uncles were not good people. Big sister was not useful and had invited a miscreant into the family. One by one, they ended up in such circumstances. The names of the fifth, sixth, and seventh sisters were not even mentioned before they died.
As Su Wen was the first child, she must have received the most attention. The second child, Su Qing, was similarly alright. The names of the third child, Su Xiu, and the fourth child, Su Xue, were randomly chosen. Later on, because they were all girls, their grandmother, who valued boys over girls, didn’t even allow them names. She proclaimed that she would only name them when a boy was born.
They let them be known as fifth sister, sixth sister, and little sister.
Little sister Su sat on the stool and wriggled uneasily. She thought that her big sister was acting weird that day. She had never looked at her that way before, let alone pulled her over to speak to her.
But she was really happy that day! Finally, she could run errands for her big sister. She was no longer a burden to the family.
Recently, little sister Su had been very scared. She didn’t even dare to shut her eyes when she slept at night, afraid that her big sister would sell her for money, despising her for only taking and not giving anything.
“Big sister, you gave the money to my brother-in-law. What is going to happen to you?”
“You’re afraid that we don’t have money to eat?”
“No,” little sister Su stammered. “That’s the betrothal money you were planning to use to get Zhao Jiangang to be the live-in son-in-law. You won’t have any more money if you give it to him.”
Although little sister Su was only six years old, she was a clever and mischievous little girl.
Su Wen was beside herself. She wanted to curse when she thought about how the original character had already negotiated the dowry with matchmaker Zhao from the neighboring village. Such a despicable act… She must be blind to have done this.
Zhao Jiangang was matchmaker Zhao’s nephew. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that there was something amiss. Yet the original character agreed to it under the instigation of the manipulative female protagonist and her second aunt.
She must have been possessed and didn’t even know that she was being sabotaged. In the end, the Su family was harmed by Zhao Jiangang to such a great extent, and no one in the village helped them. It was related to this matter. It was because the original character’s reputation was so bad that no one was willing to help.
From this, it could be seen how important a good reputation and popularity were in the countryside of this era.
“Big sister, what’s wrong with you?”
“Let me ask you.” Su Wen took a deep breath. “What do you think about my plan to change your brother-in-law to someone else?”
“If Big sister wants to change, so of course I’ll support you.” Little sister Su clenched her fists and agreed with her. “I’ll listen to everything you say, Big sister.”
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Su Wen finally found the reason why the male protagonist was so cold to everyone in the Su family.
Su Wen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she ruffled little sister Su’s hair. Little sister Su was so happy that she looked as though she was a cat that got the cream.
She was really happy that day!
As the two of them were talking, Su Xiu returned. She was wearing a straw hat and patchwork clothes. She was tanned and scrawny, and did not look like a young girl at all. An adult man could earn ten work points a day, but Su Xiu could only earn four.
The original character’s money was probably the money their father left behind before he died.
Chapter 5: Braised Eggplant
“Big sister, you really drove Zhou Hengyang away? Actually, although Zhou Hengyang was indifferent toward you and didn’t like to speak much, he was a good person. But Big sister, if you don’t like him, then forget it!”
“You guys… don’t object?” Su Wen tried to ask.
Su Xiu was puzzled and asked, “What’s there to object to? It’s fine as long as you’ve made the decision.” She was so exhausted that she couldn’t even walk, collapsing on the ground. Her pants were rolled-up, and there was a leech attached to her calf. It was already full of blood.
Su Wen was terrified of leeches, so she jumped up in fright, scaring her sisters.
“What is there to be scared of? You can’t pull these leeches off while they’re sucking blood. You can only slap it hard and it will fall off.” Su Xiu smacked the leech off her leg, poked it with a branch, and threw it out. It would die in a short while under the sun.
“We’re transplanting rice seedlings now, so it’s normal to have leeches. I checked before I came home; there’s no more. Big sister, please sit down!”
Su Wen’s scalp went numb. She was no longer in the mood to continue sitting. She had planted seedlings when she was young, but at that time, she would wear sleeves. Some of them were specially worn on the legs, so she was not afraid of leeches. There was no such thing now!
Thinking of this, she had an idea and found a way to make money.
Make sleeve guards!
“Zhou Hengyang will be your brother-in-law in the future. I don’t intend to give you a new brother-in-law. Alright, you guys take a rest, I’ll cook.”
The two sisters looked as though they were about to burst into tears, but they were still mentally prepared. No matter how bad Big sister’s food was, they would still eat it.
“Big sister, I’ll help you. I know how to start a fire.” Little sister Su jumped and chased after her like a lackey. She wanted to do all the work and was determined not to be an idle person who did nothing.
*****
The Su family was indeed dirt-poor. Besides cornmeal, there wasn’t much other seasoning in the kitchen. There was still a lot of oil left in the enamel jar. The remaining 55 yuan had been given to Zhou Hengyang. so even if they wanted to buy something, they couldn’t.
Su Wen had been doing housework with her grandmother since she was young. Later on, she worked hard alone away from home. In order to save money, she had to cook herself. Her cooking skills were quite good. While she was pondering how to make cornmeal appetizing, she went to the private plot behind the house for a walk.
The three sisters took good care of the private land. May was the season when vegetables thrived. There were green peppers, green vegetables, and purple eggplants.
Su Wen picked a basket of eggplants, washed them, and cut them into thick slices. She planned to roast the eggplants and stick cornmeal pancakes on the side of the pot.
This was convenient and quick. If the eggplant was cooked well, with a liberal use of oil, it would have the flavor of meat.
Little sister Su squatted by the stove to help with the fire. Su Wen moved nimbly and she added copious amounts of oil. The eggplants were all fried in the pan and was very fragrant. These days, vegetables and grains were all grown naturally and tasted much better than in the future.
Half the basket of eggplants were cut up and the rest was reserved for dinner. After half a pot was cooked, she placed the cornmeal paste on the side of the pot, then covered it with the lid and let it boil.
This method was most suitable for rural areas. The iron pot was large, and the fire burned evenly when using firewood. The food cooked would be exceedingly aromatic.
Little sister Su was already drooling. She squatted on the ground and fanned the fire while peeking at Su Wen with admiration. This was the first time that she had realized that her Big sister was actually so amazing. She hadn’t had a full meal in a long time, so she was going to have a big meal that day.
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Su Xiu was busy outside, washing clothes with the washboard. She couldn’t wait when she caught a whiff of the fragrance and came in, eyes filled with hunger.
“Big sister, what are you doing? Why does it smell so good?”
“Braised eggplant. Go wash your hands and we can start eating.”
Su Xiu and little sister Su cheered. Su Wen had already washed her hands and put the vegetables and pancakes on the table. Half the cornmeal was soaked in the broth, and it was flavorful and delicious.
“Big sister, you’re so good at cooking.” Su Xiu didn’t mind that it was steaming hot. She couldn’t wait to take a bite of the pancake. It was fragrant and chewy, and very tasty. She took a bite of the eggplant. It was so greasy and delicious that she almost swallowed her tongue.
Chapter 6: It’s too Delicious
“Big sister, it’s so delicious. I’ve never had such a yummy pancake before. The eggplant is even better.”
“Sob, sob…” Little sister Su’s reaction was even more exaggerated. She wept as she ate. “It’s too delicious! Sob, sob…”
Su Wen was dumbfounded. “Is it as exaggerated as you guys say? It’s just that I added more oil.” Nowadays, no one could bear to use oil for cooking. Of course, the dishes that were cooked would not taste good without salt and oil. And fried eggplant used up the most oil. It would definitely not taste good without oil.
“No way! It was just that Big sister’s cooking is delicious. I’ll be satisfied if I can eat it for the rest of my life.”
Su Wen’s heart ached when she heard this, and her eyes turned red. She swore to herself that, since she had transmigrated, she would work hard to let everyone live a good life. It was now 1980, and they were all in the same production team. The following year, the production would be distributed to households.
All seven of sisters could get a piece of land. In the long run, it would be a huge benefit.
Besides, the country had already started its reform and was opening up, so it was time to encourage individual laborers. She had transmigrated from the future and knew better than anyone that gold was everywhere in the 1980s.
We’ll be rich!
Su Wen’s heart was dancing with excitement.
“By the way, your second sister is an apprentice at the production team
tailor’s house. She’ll be back tonight?”
“Yes! Her master only takes care of one lunch.”
“Then when you go to work in the afternoon, tell her to see if the tailor has any leftover cloth. And if there is, to bring some back.” In this day and age, even the leftover cloth from making clothes was of good quality, and one couldn’t get it without connections.
Since Su Qing could be an apprentice, she should have a good relationship with her master.
Su Xiu nodded in agreement.
*****
After lunch, Su Xiu rushed to scrub the pots and bowls before going to work. Su Wen stayed home to boil water and wash little sister Su from head to toe. This girl had lice all over her body. It was no wonder she liked to scratch everywhere.
Little sister Su’s face looked great after a good cleaning. If not for her being malnourished and under the sun all day, she would have been even more adorable.
Su Wen held up the mirror and scrutinized herself for a long time. She found that the appearance of her original character was not only not ugly, but was instead very attractive. Her skin was white and tender, seemingly ageless. She had almond-shaped eyes, rosy cheeks, and arched eyebrows. Her eyes glistened when she smiled.
She had a small and dainty nose, a delicate nose bridge, and a small, cherry-like mouth.
With such an appearance… it was no wonder the manipulative female protagonist was scheming against her!
D***… It’s too dangerous! What if she really seduced the male protagonist!
However, Su Wen’s looks were above average, so she didn’t take it seriously.
Su Wen had cut little sister Su’s hair into a short crew cut for the convenience of catching lice. Her entire body had been washed clean and she was refreshed. It no longer itched, and she was so comfortable that she was humming.
Su Wen could tell that this girl was a little timid and seemed to be afraid of her. Hence, they chatted for a long time and she took the opportunity to get a lot of information out of her.
For example, that Zhou Hengyang was the live-in son-in-law that their father had decided on before he passed on.
For example, that fourth and fifth sisters were studying and living on campus, and could only return during the holidays. Sixth sister had gone to help their aunt with child-minding and would only be back after the busy season.
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For example, how her grandparents favored their second uncle’s Niuniu and third uncle’s Zhuangzhuang. Little sister Su often went to help with cattle-herding, and was not even given a mouthful of water to drink. However, they secretly gave malted milk and canned syrup to Niuniu and Zhuangzhuang. At the start, if little sister Su saw this, they would hide them.
Eventually, they would simply scold her, using extremely unpleasant words.
Su Wen was infuriated upon hearing this. After sending little sister Su out to play, she racked her brains to think about what to have for dinner. Six of the seven sisters were malnourished and emaciated. Su Wen seriously suspected that her original character would also secretly eat behind her sisters’ backs.
She went back to search her room, and it was indeed the case!
There was a bag of peach crisps hidden in the box that was bought during her wedding. She was so angry that she gritted her teeth and brought out the peach crisps without hesitation, ready to reward her six younger sisters with a taste.
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