Starting a new chapter in life

Jing Yan laughed at what she said. Her laughter was hearty. She turned to look at He Zhijun and asked, "Then you two go buy the materials?"

He Zhijun nodded and was about to leave when Jing Yan tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Do you have any money on you?"

He patted Jingyan's hand and whispered, "Don't worry, I have enough money to buy the materials. I'll reimburse you after I've bought them."

Jingyan glared at him reproachfully: "You know that's not what I meant. Anyway, as long as you have enough money, this is five jin of grain coupons. Take them with you. If you're not back by noon, take Master Liu out to eat something. Don't go hungry. I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some meat and eggs. We'll have a nice meal tonight."

He Zhijun smiled and squeezed her hand: "Okay, thank you for your hard work."

Watching the two leave, Jingyan said to Yuan Xiaoling, "Sister Yuan, shall we set off now?"

Yuan Xiaoling naturally had no objections. The two locked the door and went out. Jingyan was led by Yuan Xiaoling through several alleys before finally arriving at the supply and marketing cooperative. Once inside, they found that there were a lot of people, but the selection was indeed much more complete than in Jiang City. Jingyan bought three catties of pork belly, two catties of pork ribs, and three catties of eggs. She originally wanted to buy some other things, but there were just too many people. Afraid of crushing the eggs, Jingyan left first.

As the two walked back, Jingyan tugged at her wrinkled clothes and exclaimed, "Thank goodness you brought me here, otherwise I really might not have found this place. There are just too many small paths around here."

"Isn't it like this in the North?" Yuan Xiaoling was actually quite curious.

Jing Yan was even more puzzled: "Isn't Master Liu from Northeast China? Haven't you been there with her?"

Yuan Xiaoling gave a bitter smile: "I've been married to him for six years, but he went to be an educated youth back then because of a family tragedy. His parents used all their savings to send him to the countryside where we were sent down. After that, we never heard from his family again. A couple of years ago, the regulations weren't so strict anymore, and Liu Qiang applied to go back home, but he couldn't find his parents. The neighbors told him that his parents were criticized and struggled against back then and couldn't make it through. So when the college entrance examination was reinstated, he went straight to my hometown to take the exam."

"Does he have no other relatives?"

Yuan Xiaoling shook her head: "Even if there were, we haven't been in contact for so many years, and he didn't have many relatives in the past, so it's no different from not having any now."

"Doesn't he have any siblings?" Jingyan thought that they must have had more than one child in their generation.

Yuan Xiaoling continued to shake her head: "She said that when his mother gave birth to him, she injured her body and almost lost her life. His father was so scared that he refused to have any more children. So, he is an only child."

Jing Yan smiled and said, "At least he grew up surrounded by love. How many children do you have?"

“I have two older brothers, and I am the youngest. My family has a good class background. Back then, I went to the countryside as an educated youth in response to the national call. At that time, both of my brothers had jobs, so I went to the countryside. My dad originally said that I should stay there for two years first, and he would help me get back to the city later if there was an opportunity. That's how I met Liu Qiang there and got married. He did a lot of the work in the fields, so I didn't ask my dad to help me. It would be better if I had the money from helping him get by.”

I'm already prepared to settle down in the countryside. My original plan was to send my daughter back here for her education when she's eight. We're doing quite well over there; he's even learned how to raise pigs and is thinking of raising a couple to earn more work points.

Unexpectedly, we were lucky enough to pass the exam and return home on our own. Now we live with my parents, but Qiangzi feels a bit uncomfortable, so he keeps trying to find work. Otherwise, he always feels like he's living under someone else's roof, even though my parents don't seem to mind. He just can't get over it.

"Now it's all good, he has work to do. You wouldn't believe it, last night when he got home he stayed up half the night meticulously preparing all the ingredients and measurements. It's been two months since he came back, and this is the first time I've seen him genuinely smile."

“We have a large land area and a small population in the north, so there aren’t as many narrow alleys as here. The roads are all straight and square, so as long as you know the direction, you can get through. Unlike here, there are dead ends all the time, and people who don’t know the area feel like they’re in a maze,” Jing Yan complained about the congestion here.

“Haishi isn’t a big place, but it’s crowded. Back then, many people from other places came here to make a living, and many of them settled down. The houses here are all quite old. A house as big as yours only has two people living in it, which is something many people can only envy. Many families have to accommodate six or seven people in a 50 or 60 square meter house. It’s so crowded.” Yuan Xiaoling shuddered. “I still feel lingering fear when I think about that kind of crowding.”

"Is your housing situation also tight? What are your plans for the future? Will you continue to live at your parents' house?" Jingyan asked.

"My family is alright. After my two older brothers got married, they moved into apartments allocated by their work units. Although it's a tenement building, it's not too crowded for three or four people. Now, it's just the three of us living with my parents. My parents' house has a similar layout to yours, just not as big."

We'll stay home until school starts. Our schools are a bit far from here, so we'll live on campus for now and come back to see the kids on weekends. Once they graduate and get jobs, we should be able to apply for housing. Then we'll have our own little home, and Qiangzi will be more comfortable. Anyway, it's close to my parents' house, so we can come back for holidays or even during vacations.

"I'll leave the child with my parents. First, they can help take care of him; second, it'll be more lively having a child at home; and third, it'll make things much easier for my husband and me. Anyway, my parents won't mistreat my child, so I'm happy to have some peace of mind." Yuan Xiaoling's thinking was very comprehensive.

Jingyan also thought it was a good idea. "Now that many people are returning to the city, most of them need to renovate their houses. You two can ask around in the surrounding area. If someone needs your services, they might hire you. You can earn more money and feel less anxious."

Yuan Xiaoling's eyes lit up: "Sister Zhang, you've hit the nail on the head. With money in our pockets and food at home, we feel much more at ease. Now that you mention it, I think even if school starts, if there's work available, we can come out and do it on weekends. It's not easy to find a job as big as yours, but we should be able to get jobs like painting a house or smoothing out the ground. Every penny counts."

The two chatted and laughed as they arrived home. After opening the door, Jingyan prepared to make lunch: "Sister Yuan, let's just grab something to eat for lunch today. I'm going to make some braised noodles, you can try my cooking."

Yuan Xiaoling didn't want to eat there; food was precious to everyone these days. Just as she was about to refuse, Jingyan said, "I only have a junior high school education and no job. I came here with Zhijun, but I can't just sit around eating away at his savings, and it's even worse to keep asking his family for money."

Back in the Great Northern Wilderness, I occasionally made and sold braised meat and other similar items at the market, which brought in some income. But here, I'm completely unfamiliar with the area. Yesterday, the food we ate at the state-run restaurant was really not to my liking. If I really want to make and sell some food in the future, I wonder if the locals will be able to stomach the flavors.

Today I'll make some noodles with minced meat sauce, the kind we have in my area. Try it and see. If you like it, maybe I can actually earn some money for my family with this skill someday.

Hearing this, Yuan Xiaoling stopped thinking about leaving and helped Jingyan. Since it was still early, Jingyan abandoned the noodles and soaked the wood ear mushrooms and mushrooms in water. She made hand-pulled noodles with flour, spread them out on the board to dry, and then cut a small piece of pork belly into small cubes. She cooked the pork with wood ear mushrooms, mushrooms, dried chili peppers, soy sauce, and other ingredients to make a meat sauce, which was then poured over the hand-pulled noodles.

The two of them each held a large bowl of noodles with gravy, mixed it up, and took a big slurp. Jingyan nodded in satisfaction and couldn't help but boast, "Delicious!"

Jingyan ate with relish, and Yuan Xiaoling also enjoyed it. Although it was quite different from the bland flavors she usually ate, it was indeed very appetizing. She gave her evaluation of the taste: "You are generous with the oil and the ingredients are also of high quality. Apart from being a little salty, I think it tastes great, especially the noodles. They have a chewy texture, and I really like them."

Yuan Xiaoling helped Jingyan wash the pots and pans clean and put them aside to drain: "Sister Zhang, are you planning to build the kang (heated brick bed) first or set up the kitchen first?"

Jingyan thought for a moment: "Let's build a kang first. The kitchen can wait a bit. We can manage as we are now. I'm really not used to the place where I sleep. It's too cold at night. Just thinking about it makes me wish I could sleep on a warm kang tomorrow and not have to curl up to sleep every day."

Yuan Xiaoling nodded: "Then let's see if we can leave a place to mix sand and soil. We need to move the cooking utensils a bit further away, otherwise the dust will fly everywhere and it will be too dirty."

After searching for a while, the two finally moved the cooking area to the side of the gate, against the courtyard wall: "Although this place is far from the house, we can always eat here. It's better for them to be closer to the house, as it will save them effort and time."

While the two were still making plans, He Zhijun and Liu Qiang returned, opened the gate, and two large trucks drove up to the entrance. After a series of maneuvers, including turning and reversing, the truck beds faced the gate. Four big men jumped out of the trucks. One of them opened the rear panel of the truck bed, and He Zhijun and Liu Qiang directed them to place the items. The other four men worked together seamlessly, with two passing items and two carrying them.

Stacks of red bricks were piled up directly in the living room, and bags of cement were piled up under the awning. In addition to sand, cement, and hay, there were also quite a few large bluestone slabs and three thick, hollow iron pipes. Jing Yan was completely confused, and Yuan Xiaoling couldn't understand it at all. The two of them obediently hid to the side, trying not to make a mess.

Seeing that it would take some time to move the goods, the two boiled water and made tea. Although it was made from broken tea leaves, it was flavorful and hot. He Zhijun and Liu Qiang served the tea to the people moving the goods, and they worked even harder.

Jingyan and Yuan Xiaoling started preparing dinner in the makeshift kitchen. Jingyan thought she would blanch the ribs and stew them, steam the rice, stir-fry some shredded potatoes, and make a vegetable soup. The quiet courtyard was bustling with activity, but there was no noise, which added a lot of life to the place.

After unloading the materials from both trucks, the four men greeted He Zhijun and Liu Qiang. He Zhijun paid the moving fee, and the two trucks drove away. He Zhijun closed the gate and smiled at Jing Yan: "I'm so glad our house is on the main street, where the road is wide enough. If it were a narrow alley, it would have been much more troublesome for us to move all this stuff."

Jingyan fetched hot water for them to wash their hands and faces. "The ribs are stewing. Once they're almost done, we'll add the potato chunks. It'll be a while, so you can rest for a bit."

Liu Qiang shook his head: "No need to rest, I'm not tired. It's still early, I'll dig out the hole in the wall for building the kang (heated brick bed), and I can bring people over to start building it tomorrow." After saying that, he went to find a hammer and went into the house. He Zhijun quickly followed. Jing Yan watched their backs without saying anything more. She was actually hoping it would be sooner.

When the food was ready, Jingyan and Yuan Xiaoling carried it into the main room and noticed that there were two or three brick-sized holes in the corners of the walls of the two bedrooms, the kitchen, and the bathroom. They looked quite even.

When He Zhijun saw them come in, he dusted off his hands and said to Liu Qiang, "Qiangzi, wash your hands and eat first."

After checking the holes again, Liu Qiang finally responded, came out to wash his hands, and enjoyed the meal. He ate with great relish, saying, "Your cooking is really good. I can only make simple dishes, and it's been a long time since I've eaten something so delicious."

Yuan Xiaoling smiled and replied, "Sister Zhang, can I come over when they come to work tomorrow? You provide meals here, and I can help you prepare lunch. I can also learn how to cook Northeastern cuisine so that I can cook for Brother Qiang at home later. He can't eat this much food that I used to make."

Jing Yan nodded and said jokingly, "Okay, I welcome labor, but there's no pay."

Yuan Xiaoling replied with a smile, "I come here for meals every day, so how could I ask for payment? But I also plan to watch their construction and see how much material they consume. If I can get enough data, I can estimate the materials based on the area and style required by the client when I get a job. If they don't have time to buy the materials or are too lazy to do it, we can do the labor and materials on a contract basis and still make some profit on the materials. At least we won't lose money."

As Yuan Xiaoling finished speaking, the other three all looked at her. Jing Yan's heart was filled with shock: "So, intelligent people have already seen the future trend so early on?"

Yuan Xiaoling is very forward-thinking and quick-witted; she can spot business opportunities. Compared to these people, Jing Yan realized she seemed really stupid. She had heard of contractors in her previous life; many people had made their fortunes this way in the early days. She never expected that others would already be aware of it, and that she, as a reborn person, could barely keep up with their thinking. So this is the difference between people?