Chapter 31 Warm Winter Daily Life The heavy snow was falling like goose feathers, and the sky and the earth were covered with ice and snow. Li San got up early in the morning, stretched, and reluctantly sat up from the quilt. He stared blankly at the snow scene outside the window and couldn't help but recall last winter. At that time, he was wearing thin clothes and stayed at home with his parents, grandmother and two brothers every day. He didn't dare to go out easily and just lived on the meager firewood and two bags of coarse grains. The weather was unusually cold. Born in the Central Plains, it was the first time for him to see hailstones as big as eggs. The hailstones, as dense and continuous as raindrops, smashed big holes in the eaves of his hut. In the biting cold wind, the dilapidated hut was simply not a place for people to live. For this reason, my father had to sell the only five acres of land in the family to the local rich man Li at a very low price. He used the money from the sale of the land to repair and reinforce the house, and bought a small amount of firewood and food at a high price. The family barely survived the winter and did not freeze to death. However, the price they paid was that they completely lost the land on which they depended for survival. The following year, they approached the wealthy Mr. Li, hoping to become his tenants and work for him, but they found that most of the villagers were in the same situation.
Seeing so many people without land to farm and living in extreme poverty. Not only did Mr. Li show no sympathy, he took advantage of the situation and directly set a harsh condition of 2:8. If they agreed, they would only get 20% of the food after working hard for a year, and even if they combined it with wild vegetables, it would still not be enough to make a living. Moreover, each household's grain bags were empty, and the clans in the village did not have any extra grain in stock, and the rich man Li was unwilling to lend grain to the villagers. With no way to survive, they had no choice but to become refugees, wandering around and suffering a lot. The second brother was unfortunately killed and eaten by wild beasts while he was out looking for food. During that period, he hovered on the brink of death every day, eating river clams, wild grasses and tree bark. When he was extremely hungry, he even stuffed dirt into his mouth to relieve the burning pain. In the case of extreme hunger, many people's bottom line no longer exists. If he hadn't worked hard all year round and had a good physical foundation, he would have been captured by others and eaten as human food. At that time, he felt that the world was like purgatory. Until they arrived in Liao County. That was the first time in his memory that he had a full meal in several years. Although the fragrant millet porridge was mixed with some unpalatable bitter vegetable residues, it tasted like a delicious meal in his mouth at the time, and he still has endless aftertastes when he thinks about it. Later, under the arrangement of the government, they boarded the ship and came here. He didn't know where this was, he only knew it was Liaodong, a very far place. But he liked it here very much, because here he had his own fields and houses, and there were some fellow villagers for company, which made him feel very cordial, as if his original village had returned and was even better. The winter here seems to be much colder than that in the Central Plains, but he is no longer afraid because he can eat well and wear warm clothes every day. The house they lived in was extremely solid. The government once took them to test it. Dozens of strong men hit it with hammers but could not damage it. There were warm kangs and stoves, and a large number of low-priced coal briquettes and firewood provided by the government stored in the corners. There are warm and thick cotton-padded clothes and quilts, even hats and gloves. In the crack in the wall that blocked the corner of the bed, there were hundreds of Liaodong coins and dozens of copper coins hidden.
This winter, my mother and grandmother have been at home making cotton clothes for the government. Not only do they earn a lot of Liaodong currency every day, but each person in the family also has three sets of cotton clothes. In the cellar of the yard, there were not only dozens of bags of grain, but also a large amount of meat and vegetables. For the first time, Li San discovered that life in winter could be so warm and happy, so beautiful as a dream. In the past few months, the men in the family, in addition to working in the fields, spent the rest of their time working in the ironworks. Because of their good performance, each of them received several thousand Liaodong coins in wages alone. My mother also raised a lot of chickens, ducks, and even two pigs. After making money, they immediately repaid the money they borrowed from the bank and deposited most of the remaining money in the bank. Not only was there interest, but it was also very safe and could only be withdrawn by them with their ID cards. With a lot of spare money in hand, seeing that the surrounding farmers were responding to the government's call to buy meat, my father gritted his teeth and purchased a pig and a sheep from the government after buying enough food. Our lives were given by County Magistrate Tian. He said that as long as he was around, we would continue to live this good life. He told us to eat better and keep ourselves strong. We just needed to do what he said. If we were strong, we could earn more money, and if we performed well, we could be selected by the army to serve. I have to say that the Liaodong currency is really easy to use. Not only is it convenient to carry, but it also saves him ten cents when buying these things compared to using copper coins, which is almost enough for his food money for a day. Some food preparation methods taught by government officials are not only delicious, but are also said to be nourishing and able to dispel cold. They have now become popular in every household. "Here it comes! A big pot of dumplings stuffed with mutton, eat as much as you want! Ah!" My mother's powerful voice suddenly appeared in my ears. Upon hearing this, Li San hurriedly climbed down from the kang and ran to the table in a hurry. A large bowl of steaming dumplings was already placed on the square table. The rich aroma made Li San drool, and he reached out to take two to taste. But the old lady who was putting the dishes on the table slapped him back: "You can eat after you have washed up. You haven't even washed your hands, and you still want to get on the table?" His father, who was pouring vinegar on the side, glared at him fiercely: "You forgot what Village Chief Li told you! You must pay attention to hygiene. If you don't wash yourself clean, you won't be able to eat today." Li San touched his head awkwardly: "Got it, I'll go right away." After saying that, he hurried to wash up, only to find that his eldest brother had already taken the seat. After some laughter and play, the two brothers washed up and sat around the dining table, staring at the dumplings in front of them and swallowing their saliva. It was not until my father helped grandma sit in the main seat that grandma picked up a dumpling with chopsticks and put it into her mouth. After his father nodded, Li San couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks and start eating. The dumplings have thin skin and tender fillings, and your mouth is filled with freshness and fragrance as soon as you take a bite. Li San's chopsticks and mouth never stopped moving, like a bottomless pit, swallowing dumplings one after another into his stomach. "Eat slowly, there's still more food in the pot, enough! It's hard to digest if you eat too fast, and you still have to work later." Seeing the two of them wolfing down their food and almost choking, the mother quickly poured them a bowl of dumpling soup. "Yeah." Li San responded vaguely with his mouth full of dumplings. "Mom, why did you make so many dumplings today?" asked the elder brother Li Da curiously. Making dumplings is a very time-consuming task. We only eat them once at home, at the beginning of winter. Normally, we stir-fry them for convenience. "From now on, we can eat dumplings every day, as much as we want!" said the mother with a smile.
"what is wrong?" Father Li Mao said, "Your mother is a good cook. Yesterday the village chief was recruiting people to make dumplings in the village canteen, and your mother was selected. From now on, she will make dumplings for the government at home. It is easier than making clothes, and you can earn a lot of money." "Hurry up and eat. We still have to go to the village canteen to get the ingredients. We will make the dumplings and deliver them to them in the evening." "Really?" Li San asked in surprise. He likes eating dumplings the most. "Of course. Our family will have enough dumplings from now on. The village chief said that if we eat them ourselves, we only need to pay the cost price." Mother said with a smile. "I knew that my mother's cooking skills were the best!" Li San started to flatter her. "And your grandmother can also help with things like kneading dough and washing vegetables. In total, she can earn the wages of two people, which is much better than making clothes." Li Mao said. “Why do the villages make so many dumplings?” "I heard that there will be more refugees coming. In this cold winter, I'm afraid many of these people will catch a cold." said the mother. Hearing this, several people couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in their hearts. Wasn't their situation the same last year? My second brother even... "Okay, stop thinking too much and eat quickly. After dinner, we'll work. We have to go to the cafeteria early today." (End of this chapter)
