Eighties Sweetheart Wife-Chapter 46 - Poverty and Hunger_1

Chapter 46: Chapter 46 Poverty and Hunger_1

Chapter 46 -46 Poverty and Hunger_1

Song Liang cupped his hands together, “Thank you, my fellow elders and villagers.

Alright, let’s get started now.”

However, Lian Xiang suddenly stood up, “I remember there are a few acres of land next to the southern bank of the river.

Give them to my family, please.

We have fewer people to work the fields, and I’d like it to be next to my mother’s home.

Is that possible?”

Before Erdao River Village was developed, it was a swamp that had slumbered for a thousand years.

The land Lian Xiang mentioned wasn’t good either because it also had a slope, so even with a tractor, one could only plow half and leave the other half untouched.

Could people disagree?

Just now, some were worried that they would be assigned that plot.

Old Mrs.

Song didn’t say much; if her daughter-in-law wanted to be close to them, then let her be.

It’s definitely better than being far away.

Then the villagers of Erdao River Village felt quite guilty.

But they didn’t want to volunteer to take those two pieces of land, fearing they would be hammered to death by their own families.

So, they could only place the burden on Song Liang’s family.

The land distribution went smoothly, but Old Man Song felt unhappy in his heart.

Although there were plenty of shepherd’s purse plants there, one couldn’t live on shepherd’s purse for a lifetime.

To others, this plant was either wanted or just a weed.

Yet, there was a piece of great joy at home that mixed with his displeasure; of course, joy prevailed.

After the land distribution was finished, he did not even look at his son and walked out with his wife, face dark with anger.

He didn’t speak to anyone along the way.

On the contrary, everyone felt very guilty towards Old Man Song, while Old Mrs.

Song was both angry and worried.

Her heart was in turmoil all morning.

With too many people around, it wasn’t a good time to ask.

Only when the crowd thinned did she urgently ask, “How did Tingting do, did she have the interview?”

Old Man Song, seeing his wife’s anxious demeanor, suddenly felt like teasing her and said with a somber expression, “Ah, don’t mention it, she wasn’t accepted.”

Old Mrs.

Song’s heart chilled and then seemed to fall to the ground and shatter.

It felt so bad.

Why wasn’t it successful?

Little Nuan said there was a strong possibility, right?

Could there be someone even more capable than Tingting, or had the positions been pre-arranged?

Old Mrs.

Song felt like crying, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

Old Man Song hurriedly said, “Let’s get going, don’t be like this on the road.

When we get home, don’t mention it, or Tingting will cry again.”

Old Mrs.

Song thought that her daughter shouldn’t have had to go through this; it seemed that not being accepted was the norm.

But…

but it still hurt so much inside.

So, Old Mrs.

Song, biting her teeth and not even waiting for Xia Guilan and her eldest son, hurried home alongside Old Song.

And then she saw Song Ting standing in the yard, her eyes rimmed red.

The weather today was nice, and Song Ting had brought out the quilts from the house to air them.

Actually, it was mainly to air her own quilt because she was about to pack her belongings and leave.

Seeing her parents come in, Song Ting smiled at them.

Old Mrs.

Song pursed her lips, wanting to say something but held it back.

Because to her, that smile from her daughter seemed all too forced.

Old Mrs.

Song stood in the courtyard without uttering a word.

Just then Song Yunuan came out of the house.

Seeing her grandparents had returned, she said in surprise, “Grandma, why are you standing there in a daze?

Hurry and open the wardrobe where you keep the new quilts.

We need to air them.”

This little old lady, foolish with joy, had locked away the new quilts prepared for her niece’s wedding, and she was the only one with the key.

“Why do we need to air the quilts?” Old Mrs.

Song asked in a murmur.

“My auntie was accepted by the county’s cultural troupe,” said Song Yunuan.

“She is to report there in three days, and then she’ll be staying in the dormitory, so didn’t we need to air the quilts?”

Old Mrs.

Song’s eyes widened suddenly, and immense euphoria surged toward her like the sea.

The next moment, she kicked toward the old fellow standing there with a sly grin.

“You old thing, so old and still without any proper manners, daring to deceive me!”

Old Mrs.

Song’s eyebrows danced with joy, her eyes smiling, “Oh my, today really is a great day.”

My eldest daughter will eat government-subsidized grain, she’s a city person now, or even part of the county cultural troupe, oh my heavens, I really want to tell the whole village.

Old Mrs.

Song immediately cautioned the family, “Nobody is allowed to go out and talk about this.

It’s enough that our family knows, and besides, she hasn’t reported in yet.

What if something happens?

And there’s still a three-month probation period.”

Asheng: “But my little aunt is always away from home, what should I answer if people ask me?”

Old Mrs.

Song: “…just say your little uncle found her a job.”

“What job?”

“A temporary one?”

“At which factory is she a temporary worker?”

Old Mrs.

Song, stumped by the question, glared: “You little brat, who’s going to ask you?”

Little Asheng was about to retort—he had lots of friends after all.

Plus, some of those old ladies in the village sometimes really enjoyed prying into other people’s business.

At that moment, Xia Guilan and Song Liang pushed open the yard gate and came in, still saying, “Mom and Dad, you left too quickly.”

They were then pulled into the house and learned of the magnificent news.

Song Liang and Xia Guilan were naturally delighted, but like Old Mrs.

Song, they thought it best not to publicize the news.

So, they kept their excitement to themselves, remaining calm on the surface.

Old Mrs.

Song, however, couldn’t help but be over the moon, fiddling with the quilt, while Song Ting was off to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

Not long after, Lian Xiang and Song He’s family came by too, also anxious to know about Tingting’s situation.

Song Yunuan quietly pulled Song Liang aside and earnestly said, “Dad, my little aunt still has one review to get through.”

Song Liang immediately understood.

As a worker and farmer, he was extremely serious: “I swear by my faith, I, Song Liang, am a man of integrity and honesty!”

Song Yunuan chuckled.

Everyone ate together at noon.

Song Ting prepared the dough, Xia Guilan cooked the fried pancakes—crispy and fragrant, especially with the pickled vegetable soup, sprinkled with a bit of dried chili fried in a big iron pot.

It was simply irresistible.

Song Yunuan found her appetite exceptionally good now, previously untouched deep-fried pancakes due to too much grease or simply not liking them, seeing them used to make her queasy.

Now, after finishing one, she wanted a second.

Indeed, the best cure for picky eating is poverty and hunger.

Song Liang still had to distribute agricultural implements, and after doing so, he needed to visit the commune.

He went to the brigade headquarters first, Song He accompanied him.

They had to deliver shepherd’s purse tomorrow, so Old Man Song, with everyone in tow, carrying baskets and baskets went to the southern low-lying territory.

The spring rains were scarce, so the low-lying land looked relatively good.

Usually, people would take a break during this time, but today the roads and fields were bustling with action.

The feeling was different when land was collectively owned versus personally owned.

In the past, when faced with weeds in the fields, you could pull them out if you wished, or let them grow if you didn’t care, since any good or bad harvest was evenly shared.

But today was different.

Aunt Liu from the western end of the village, in a fit of anger, called out to Zhao Mantun, who was passing through her field: “Stop right there!

Your big clodhoppers have trampled my field.

Get out!”

Zhao Mantun, a sturdy lad in his twenties, jumped at Aunt Liu’s shouting.

Not daring to provoke the hot-tempered Aunt Liu, he immediately turned to walk back but hadn’t taken a few steps before she stopped him again: “Stop right there, you really want to trample it a second time?”

Zhao Mantun had no choice but to keep walking forward.

“Zhao Mantun, are you planning to trample my field into oblivion?

Oh my, the ground I’ve managed to till has been compacted by you.

Why don’t you come and till it?”

Zhao Mantun stood rooted to the spot, caught between a rock and a hard place.

The onlookers burst into laughter.

“Zhao Mantun, better carry those feet out of here, or Aunt Liu won’t let you off the hook!”

Song Yunuan joined in the laughter.

These people, they sure are amusing.