Chapter 10: Mom, I Want to…
5 days ago
"Fish! Fish!" Xiao Nanhua looked up and saw the fish in Su He’s hand. There were quite a few of them, and they were not small.
In total, there were five fish: four silver carp, each weighing about three to four catty, and one beautiful, bright red carp.
Xiao Nanhua immediately reached out to grab a fish, but there was already a crab in her hand. The crab pinched her hand, causing her to cry out in pain.
Su He noticed the crab in Xiao Nanhua's hand and couldn't help but laugh.
He quickly took the crab away and realized that Xiao Nanhua had caught several more crabs.
The crabs were small, about the size of two fingers, and had very little meat on them.
Su He had eaten such crabs in his previous life. They were delicious when fried to a crisp.
But now, in 1979, with Ye Chuanxiu carefully rationing their oil, frying wasn't an option.
However, for rural children, it didn’t matter if they couldn't fry them. They could simply roast them over a fire.
The taste wasn’t great, but for children who lacked snacks and often went hungry, it was still pretty good.
At least, it was something to chew on!
Seeing Xiao Nanhua still crying, Su He took out a White Rabbit candy from the storeroom and said to her, "Look, what is this?"
Xiao Nanhua looked over. "It's milk candy?"
Such candies were usually only available during the New Year, and even then, there were only a few pieces.
"I want it! Give it to me!" As soon as Xiao Nanhua saw the candy, she forgot about the pain in his hand.
The pain had already lessened once the crab was removed. Xiao Nanhua was just a child; crying was expected in front of adults.
Su He handed the candy to Xiao Nanhua, who immediately unwrapped it. Instead of biting it, she started licking it.
This was a common practice among children there because if you bit the candy, it would be gone quickly, and the sweetness would disappear just as fast.
But by licking it slowly, they could enjoy it for a long time.
Su He shook his head, amused and slightly saddened by the sight of Xiao Nanhua abandoning the fish for a piece of candy.
Children of this era found it so hard to get even a single candy.
Thinking of the children of later generations who often wasted so many good things, he felt a pang of sorrow.
He picked up the bucket and called out to Heixing and Heizi, "Let's go home!"
The water buffalo and the dog immediately came over, shaking off water droplets that splashed onto Su He and Xiao Nanhua.
Xiao Nanhua giggled, and Su He sighed with relief.
It was always good when a treat could make someone feel better.
The snacks in the storeroom could easily cheer up Xiao Nanhua!
Carrying the bucket, with Xiao Nanhua trailing behind, and Heixing and Heizi following, their tails swishing to swat away cattle flies.
These flies, also known as warble flies, were about 15mm long, similar to a small bee. Their bites were painful for the cattle and could be equally troublesome for humans. The larvae of these flies are known to cause myiasis in cattle, which is when the larvae grow inside the host animal’s tissue.
When they reached the village entrance, Su He saw his mother, Ye Chuanxiu, watering water spinach in their private plot.
In 1979, everyone still worked collectively in production teams. The household responsibility system hadn’t been implemented yet, and wouldn't start until the next year or even later.
Water spinach was a high-yield vegetable with long vines and many shoots. Ye Chuanxiu could cut a few sections each day to make a large bowl of it.
The stems could be cut and stir-fried with chili peppers, making a delicious dish. The leaves were also tasty when stir-fried.
However, without oil, even the best-tasting dishes lost their appeal.
The Su family planted so much water spinach because Ye Chuanxiu would use it to make pickled vegetables every year.
In winter, when vegetables were scarce, a bowl of pickled water spinach was fragrant and perfect with rice.
"Mom!" Su He called out.
Ye Chuanxiu looked up and saw Su He with Xiao Nanhua, Heixing, and Heizi.
She quickly noticed the bucket in Su He's hand. "What did you catch today?"
Her son was very clever; he had been paying for his own school fees for years.
Ye Chuanxiu felt a pang of guilt about that.
"I caught a few fishes. We'll stew them for dinner. I also found some wild lotus roots and snails. I'll see if I can sell them for some money. Dad’s leg wound should be checked at the hospital. If it gets infected, it will be a big problem!"
"But your dad doesn’t want to go!" Ye Chuanxiu immediately replied.
It was poverty that caused this. Su Zhaohua was also afraid of spending money!
But Su Zhaohua didn’t realize that if the wound got infected, the costs would multiply.
After a moment of silence, Su He said, "Mom, I want to retake the year. Next year, I want to attend No. 4 High School!"
No. 4 High School was one of the top high schools in Bianshui City, along with No. 1 High School.
But No. 4 High School was more famous for its various department, while No. 1 was known for its academics.
Since the restoration of the college entrance examination in 1977, Su He didn’t want to remain uneducated. Although he knew more than the college students of this era, his previous life’s experience told him that having a diploma was important.
At the very least, it made a good first impression.
Ye Chuanxiu opened and closed her mouth several times, but finally said, "But we don’t have enough money."
Su Rong’s illness and hospitalization, Su Zhaohua’s injury, the upcoming marriage arrangements for the eldest daughter, and several children still needing to go to school—all this while the family struggled to put food on the table.
She couldn’t do anything about it. If Su Zhaohua’s illness affected his nine-yuan salary, the situation would worsen.
If she had the means, she wouldn’t be in this predicament.
Su He paused, then said, "Mom, don’t worry. I’m here. I’ll earn the money!" With that, he picked up the bucket and headed home.
Ye Chuanxiu was stunned for a moment, before quickly following, with her watering tool, a simple bamboo pole with a bamboo tube attached, made by Su He.
Walking beside Su He, Ye Chuanxiu saw the fish in the bucket, along with what seemed like thirty catty of river snails.
Looking at her son, barely fourteen, already so strong, she felt both pride and sorrow.
Life had forced this upon him.
What could she do? She could only do her best to keep the family well.
She sniffed, hiding her emotions.
"These four silver carps are not suitable for your dad. We'll cook the red carp tonight. Your second sister needs to recover from surgery. Your younger brother is too thin and needs nourishment to grow tall. Your eldest sister is about to get engaged; she needs to be well-fed for a good impression..."
Chapter 10: Mom, I Want to…
5 days ago
"Fish! Fish!" Xiao Nanhua looked up and saw the fish in Su He’s hand. There were quite a few of them, and they were not small.
In total, there were five fish: four silver carp, each weighing about three to four catty, and one beautiful, bright red carp.
Xiao Nanhua immediately reached out to grab a fish, but there was already a crab in her hand. The crab pinched her hand, causing her to cry out in pain.
Su He noticed the crab in Xiao Nanhua's hand and couldn't help but laugh.
He quickly took the crab away and realized that Xiao Nanhua had caught several more crabs.
The crabs were small, about the size of two fingers, and had very little meat on them.
Su He had eaten such crabs in his previous life. They were delicious when fried to a crisp.
But now, in 1979, with Ye Chuanxiu carefully rationing their oil, frying wasn't an option.
However, for rural children, it didn’t matter if they couldn't fry them. They could simply roast them over a fire.
The taste wasn’t great, but for children who lacked snacks and often went hungry, it was still pretty good.
At least, it was something to chew on!
Seeing Xiao Nanhua still crying, Su He took out a White Rabbit candy from the storeroom and said to her, "Look, what is this?"
Xiao Nanhua looked over. "It's milk candy?"
Such candies were usually only available during the New Year, and even then, there were only a few pieces.
"I want it! Give it to me!" As soon as Xiao Nanhua saw the candy, she forgot about the pain in his hand.
The pain had already lessened once the crab was removed. Xiao Nanhua was just a child; crying was expected in front of adults.
Su He handed the candy to Xiao Nanhua, who immediately unwrapped it. Instead of biting it, she started licking it.
This was a common practice among children there because if you bit the candy, it would be gone quickly, and the sweetness would disappear just as fast.
But by licking it slowly, they could enjoy it for a long time.
Su He shook his head, amused and slightly saddened by the sight of Xiao Nanhua abandoning the fish for a piece of candy.
Children of this era found it so hard to get even a single candy.
Thinking of the children of later generations who often wasted so many good things, he felt a pang of sorrow.
He picked up the bucket and called out to Heixing and Heizi, "Let's go home!"
The water buffalo and the dog immediately came over, shaking off water droplets that splashed onto Su He and Xiao Nanhua.
Xiao Nanhua giggled, and Su He sighed with relief.
It was always good when a treat could make someone feel better.
The snacks in the storeroom could easily cheer up Xiao Nanhua!
Carrying the bucket, with Xiao Nanhua trailing behind, and Heixing and Heizi following, their tails swishing to swat away cattle flies.
These flies, also known as warble flies, were about 15mm long, similar to a small bee. Their bites were painful for the cattle and could be equally troublesome for humans. The larvae of these flies are known to cause myiasis in cattle, which is when the larvae grow inside the host animal’s tissue.
When they reached the village entrance, Su He saw his mother, Ye Chuanxiu, watering water spinach in their private plot.
In 1979, everyone still worked collectively in production teams. The household responsibility system hadn’t been implemented yet, and wouldn't start until the next year or even later.
Water spinach was a high-yield vegetable with long vines and many shoots. Ye Chuanxiu could cut a few sections each day to make a large bowl of it.
The stems could be cut and stir-fried with chili peppers, making a delicious dish. The leaves were also tasty when stir-fried.
However, without oil, even the best-tasting dishes lost their appeal.
The Su family planted so much water spinach because Ye Chuanxiu would use it to make pickled vegetables every year.
In winter, when vegetables were scarce, a bowl of pickled water spinach was fragrant and perfect with rice.
"Mom!" Su He called out.
Ye Chuanxiu looked up and saw Su He with Xiao Nanhua, Heixing, and Heizi.
She quickly noticed the bucket in Su He's hand. "What did you catch today?"
Her son was very clever; he had been paying for his own school fees for years.
Ye Chuanxiu felt a pang of guilt about that.
"I caught a few fishes. We'll stew them for dinner. I also found some wild lotus roots and snails. I'll see if I can sell them for some money. Dad’s leg wound should be checked at the hospital. If it gets infected, it will be a big problem!"
"But your dad doesn’t want to go!" Ye Chuanxiu immediately replied.
It was poverty that caused this. Su Zhaohua was also afraid of spending money!
But Su Zhaohua didn’t realize that if the wound got infected, the costs would multiply.
After a moment of silence, Su He said, "Mom, I want to retake the year. Next year, I want to attend No. 4 High School!"
No. 4 High School was one of the top high schools in Bianshui City, along with No. 1 High School.
But No. 4 High School was more famous for its various department, while No. 1 was known for its academics.
Since the restoration of the college entrance examination in 1977, Su He didn’t want to remain uneducated. Although he knew more than the college students of this era, his previous life’s experience told him that having a diploma was important.
At the very least, it made a good first impression.
Ye Chuanxiu opened and closed her mouth several times, but finally said, "But we don’t have enough money."
Su Rong’s illness and hospitalization, Su Zhaohua’s injury, the upcoming marriage arrangements for the eldest daughter, and several children still needing to go to school—all this while the family struggled to put food on the table.
She couldn’t do anything about it. If Su Zhaohua’s illness affected his nine-yuan salary, the situation would worsen.
If she had the means, she wouldn’t be in this predicament.
Su He paused, then said, "Mom, don’t worry. I’m here. I’ll earn the money!" With that, he picked up the bucket and headed home.
Ye Chuanxiu was stunned for a moment, before quickly following, with her watering tool, a simple bamboo pole with a bamboo tube attached, made by Su He.
Walking beside Su He, Ye Chuanxiu saw the fish in the bucket, along with what seemed like thirty catty of river snails.
Looking at her son, barely fourteen, already so strong, she felt both pride and sorrow.
Life had forced this upon him.
What could she do? She could only do her best to keep the family well.
She sniffed, hiding her emotions.
"These four silver carps are not suitable for your dad. We'll cook the red carp tonight. Your second sister needs to recover from surgery. Your younger brother is too thin and needs nourishment to grow tall. Your eldest sister is about to get engaged; she needs to be well-fed for a good impression..."
