Chapter 12 - 012 Covert Subsidies

Tian Sisi had made up her mind: given the chance, she would secretly supplement her family's grain and oil supply to ensure everyone could be well-fed. As for meat, they would have to find another solution since the family only received two yuan of meat supply each month for Mr. Tian and Granny Zhao. Additionally, there were the pig offal and other items that Liu Bogen, their son-in-law and head chef of the commune's canteen, occasionally brought home as he knew where to buy them. Granny Zhao often mixed the two yuan of meat with vegetables or chives to make dumpling fillings, which she would then share with Tian Bajin's family. Although Tian Bajin was the village Party secretary, his household was registered as rural, without any grain or meat allowance. They only got to eat meat when they slaughtered the pig at the end of the year. Mr. Tian only had this one brother, so Granny Zhao didn't wait for him to ask; every time she made dumplings, she would have Tian Sisi take a bowl over to Bajin's house. Life might seem comfortable to outsiders, but to Tian Sisi, it seemed a bit harsh. They could only eat meat three or four times a month, and usually the vegetables they had were either steamed or boiled (to save oil). No, it wouldn't do; she needed to find a way to legitimately take out supplies from the store without raising her family's suspicion. She had to come up with a good excuse, thought Tian Sisi, frowning. "Ah Nan, a little girl like you shouldn't be frowning! Who made you unhappy?" Granny Zhao came out to pour the swill, which was collected from rice soup, dishwater and the like, and could be mixed into pig feed after boiling. Tian Sisi quickly relaxed her brow, shaking her head, "No, I was just thinking about something!" Granny Zhao chuckled, "What does a little girl like you have to think about, you're so funny!" Having emptied the swill, she went to the vegetable patch to pick a few greens, planning to stir-fry them for lunch. Women in the countryside are constantly busy, from dawn till dusk. Granny Zhao took care of the household chores and kept everything in order. Zhu Aiqing, as the leader of the village women, had other things to take care of besides laboring, so she usually didn't involve herself in household affairs. Of course, when she was home, she would certainly help Granny Zhao with chores. Zhu Aiqing was quite handy - versatile in fieldwork and housework, except for cooking. Perhaps because she never had much good food to eat as a child, the color, aroma, and flavor of her dishes were a mess and couldn't compare to Granny Zhao's cooking. Lunch was simple: white rice, leftovers from yesterday's pig head meat, stir-fried leafy greens, shredded pork with bamboo shoots, a small dish of peanuts, and a bowl of steamed sweet potatoes. Tian Sisi only had a small bowl of rice and barely touched the bamboo shoots and greens but she did eat several pieces of sweet potato. The Tian family's sweet potatoes, with their yellow flesh, were very soft and sweet. Tian Sisi ate three pieces straight. Granny Zhao looked at her in surprise, "Ah Nan, don't you usually dislike sweet potatoes the most? Why are you eating so much today?" Tian Sisi felt a little downcast, "I don't know, I just suddenly felt like eating them. They taste pretty good. I want more for dinner." "Sometimes people's tastes change after getting sick; perhaps it's the same with Ah Nan. Eat if you want, we'll steam more for you at night. But make sure not to eat too much, as it can cause heartburn," explained the Old Man, speaking up for Tian Sisi. Tian Sisi nodded her head. She passed the remaining rice in her bowl to her two younger brothers, saying, "I'm full!" She then put her bowl away. Zhu Aiqing watched her barely touched bowl and said with a stern face, "Ah Nan, how can you eat so little? Dong Hua and Qinghua both eat more than you. How can you grow if you don't eat more?" "Mama, I just ate a lot of sweet potatoes; look, my belly is all swollen, you can feel it if you don't believe me," said Tian Sisi, puffing out her little stomach for Zhu Aiqing to feel. Her adorable actions made Zhu Aiqing's lips curve into a smile, but her face soon turned stern again. "All right, Ah Nan always had a small appetite. If she doesn't want to eat, then she doesn't have to. If she gets hungry later, I'll make her some snacks," Granny Zhao quickly smoothed things over, thinking it was normal for her granddaughter not to be hungry. After all, with such a small stomach, it wasn't good to force her to eat too much. "Mom!" called Zhu Aiqing helplessly. In her view, a girl should not be spoiled. With Tian Sisi being picky and lazy, not liking to work, what would she do when she grew up? But every time she tried to set her daughter straight, someone in the family would always hinder her. "Aiya, it's already 12 o'clock, we need to head to the town now, Ah Nan, go put on your hat and gloves, let's go." Tian Manjin looked at the clock in Mr. Tian's room as he stood up and exclaimed exaggeratedly. Tian Sisi responded happily with an "Ai!" and placed the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen, then ran into her room to put on her hat and gloves, as well as her pair of red fur-trimmed shoes. Tian Manjin also went to his room to change into his going-out clothes and pocketed a packet of Xin'anjiang, a then upscale cigarette costing 0.28 yuan per packet. He himself was reluctant to smoke it, opting instead for the nine-cent per pack Lion brand. The good cigarettes were all for offering to guests. Zhu Ai Qing watched on with a silent frustration. Tian Sisi ran over to her, trying to please her by saying, "Mama, I will buy you some face cream later, so you can smell all fragrant." "You're really a little imp! Mama doesn't need you to buy anything, where would a child like you get the money from?" Zhu Ai Qing's resolve softened by her daughter's sweet smile, she tapped Tian Sisi's forehead affectionately. Tian Sisi made a funny face at the Old Man and Granny Zhao to signal the all-clear. By this time, Tian Manjin had wheeled out his beloved ride—a Shanghai Forever bicycle—from the next room. The bike, purchased five years prior with Tian Aiguo's bicycle coupon for 180 yuan, caused a sensation upon its arrival; Yuequan Village had people coming daily to see the new bike for over half a month, creating a buzz more impressive than buying a Rolls-Royce would today. Tian Manjin valued this bike greatly, not riding it in rain or snow, preferring to walk it rather than risk damaging it on bad roads, and always carefully wiped it down and oiled it after each ride. Hence, although five years old, the bike still looked as good as new, gleaming brightly. Dong Hua and Qinghua watched Tian Manjin and Tian Sisi with wistful eyes, filled with longing. However, out of fear of Tian Manjin's sternness, they dared not voice their wish. Tian Sisi, feeling sympathetic, suggested to Tian Manjin, "Dad, why don't we take our brothers along with us?" The eyes of the two brothers lit up, looking pleadingly at Tian Manjin. Manjin was initially reluctant; what was the point of taking boys to town when they could stay home and do some work? Despite being just eight and six, Dong Hua and Qinghua were responsible for gathering much of the family's firewood, serving as nearly half the household's labor force. Zhu Ai Qing, distressed for her sons, spoke up: "Taking one is the same as taking three. It's a rare trip to town; just take all three of them along." Once the lady of the house had spoken, Tian Manjin had no choice but to agree. The two youngsters leapt up in joy, ran back to their room to don their hats and gloves, and came out fully dressed. The Old Man smiled kindly and beckoned Tian Sisi over with a wave of his hand, and she hurried to him. He then fished two yuan out of his pocket and handed it to his granddaughter. Tian Sisi tried to return the money to the Old Man, whispering, "Grandpa, I still have money. I haven't spent all the New Year's money you gave me!" The Old Man's salary was always managed by Granny Zhao, so this must have been his personal savings. She couldn't accept it, but when the Old Man sternly insisted, Tian Sisi had no choice but to take it, resolved in her heart not to wastefully spend this money. The original owner of the body she occupied had also handled a fair amount of money before. Besides the regular pocket money the Old Man would slip to his granddaughter for snacks, the New Year's money amounted to more than ten yuan—a significant sum given that the monthly salary of a university undergraduate wasn't even more than forty yuan. But the original owner was quite the simpleton, not saving a single cent. Apart from wasteful spending, quite a bit was conned away by Zhong Yuying, and the original owner lacked conscience, never buying anything for the family. She was actually somewhat nicer to outsiders, which left Tian Sisi speechless about her predecessor. "Grandpa, when I can earn money, I will surely let you drink and eat meat to your heart's content!" Tian Sisi assured the Old Man very seriously. The Old Man was stunned for a moment but then burst into laughter, grinning from ear to ear. "Alright, Grandpa will wait for the day when Ah Nan earns big money." In the Old Man's heart, he took his granddaughter's words as just childish talk. He was already 65 this year, though still hale and hearty, aware that his days were declining. By the time Ah Nan grew up, he didn't know whether he'd still be around. Nevertheless, with his granddaughter's promise, he felt immensely satisfied—it was worth the affection! PS: The year 2015 is about to pass. I wish all my dear readers a Happy New Year, wishing you a double harvest in career and love. Also, please give a big recommendation and add to your favorites! Haha!