Chapter 6 - 6 0006 The 1960s 2_1

Chapter 6: Chapter 0006: The 1960s 2_1 Chapter 6: Chapter 0006: The 1960s 2_1 With a head disproportionately large for her small body, and with gaunt limbs with skin clinging to bones, her sparse, straggly, wheat-coloured hair stirred visages of a malnourished toddler. She wore a tattered, oversized, black cotton jacket passed down by adults. Her barelegs and feet tucked protectively beneath that jacket, she slept, uncomfortably, beside her own feet. Her fade eyebrows was furrowed in discomfort. Feng Qingxue herself was enwrapped in a ragged, stiff cotton jacket – her body bare underneath – and a worn-out cloth smock. Being the elder sibling and thus with responsibilities to work daily, she did possess a pair of moth-eaten cotton trousers which she wore along with a paupered pair of cloth pants. Their clothes were in such disrepair that it seemed unimaginable the patched rags they wore had once been whole, there were even a few places where rips hadn’t been patched due to lack of scraps. She wore worn-out cotton shoes that revealed her toes, without any socks, her toes reddened and chapped with cold. An autumn breeze swept through them, chill seeping through the threadbare cotton. Inside their shanty, the sisters had nothing: No bed, no bedding, only their threadbare clothes and the three or four sweet potatoes Feng Qingxue had saved from a previous meal. Nearby lay a broken basket, a crumbling clay pot, two broken china bowls, and a pair of worn bamboo chopsticks on their makeshift stone stove. Feng Qingxue sighed deeply, she hadn’t waited for the apocalypse, but had instead slipped back to the 1960s. She had not personally experienced the tumultuous periods of the 1960s and 70s and hardly understood it. But she had heard stories from her grandparents and had a vague knowledge of those times. Social unrest, extreme hardship, but the people were pure, innocent, determined, forming the backbone of the next generation. Most importantly, this era was safer than living in the apocalypse. Of course, what truly gave Feng Qingxue the courage to face it all was the availability of supplies in her private space. These supplies were enough for her to live several lifetimes. “Qingyun, wake up.” Knowing the discomfort of sleeping on an empty stomach, Feng Qingxue washed the broken china bowls with water from her space, scooped out a small bowl of brown rice porridge for her sister, and then woke Feng Qingyun. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to serve her sister white rice porridge, but white rice was precious in those times and would stand out. Feng Qingyun rubbed her eyes, “Sister.” “Good girl, get up, have some porridge, then go back to sleep.” Feng Qingxue coaxed as she brought the small bowl of porridge to her sister’s mouth. The smell of fragrant brown rice porridge stirred Feng Qingyun’s senses, awakening her completely. “Sister, it’s rice porridge! Where did you get this?” Feng Qingyun was young but shrewd and spoke in a whisper. Feng Qingxue chuckled, “While you were sleeping, I went begging in the dark and ran into a wealthy and kind family. They heard about our situation and filled two bowls of porridge for us.” Under Feng Qingyun’s gaze of astonishment, Feng Qingxue added, “They gave us a few eggs too. We’ll boil them for breakfast tomorrow morning. Make sure not to tell anyone about this. If others find out, we won’t be able to eat.” To prepare for the unexpected bounty in the morning, Feng Qingxue decided to lay some groundwork. Feng Qingyun nodded vigorously, “I know, sister. I won’t mention it. It’s so wonderful, I have never eaten eggs before. When sister-in-law boiled eggs for Dabao and Erbao, it smelled divine.” Upon hearing this, Feng Qingxue felt a pang in her heart. Dabao and Erbao were sons of her eldest brother while second brother only had a daughter named Dani. Children with both parents always led happier lives than those without.