Decision: Let’s Work Together in Production.
The production team of Qingshui Bridge Village faced challenges when their previous team leader wasn’t effective in planning production, which significantly impacted the team’s harvest at the end of the year.
During that time, the team’s workdays were low-paying. Even if one earned ten work points a day, it would only amount to three or four cents a day. By the end of the year, the dividends were minimal.
After Liu Zhaoqiang was elected as the new team leader, he visited a neighbouring province with local officials to visit a commendable village. In that village, production was thriving with various side-lines such as mills, fish ponds, and livestock farms. The team members there were earning up to one yuan and five jiao a day. Some households with more labour force even received hundreds of yuan in dividends by the year’s end. Seeing this, many girls from surrounding villages wanted to marry into their production team.
Witnessing workdays exceeding one yuan a day, Liu Zhaoqiang was inspired. He wanted to quickly boost production, establish side-lines, and improve the team’s income. However, this required manpower and funds, so he applied for more youth to come over.
“Your uncle is doing a good thing!” Liu Shufeng patted her daughter’s shoulder. “Work hard, and I’ll arrange for you to have an easier task.”
Liu Shufeng knew her daughter was averse to hardship. She didn’t expect her to become a skilled labourer. Even if she did some light work and earned a few work points, it would still be a contribution to the production team.
Since her daughter earned little, had less strength, and ate less, she wasn’t like those starving fellows. As long as Su Xiaoman didn’t go to deliver grain to the youth, her food needs could be met with the support from home.
“I’ll start working regularly from now on. I’ll visit Uncle’s house tomorrow.”
After chatting with Liu Shufeng, Su Xiaoman made a decision. Living in a rural area in the 1970s meant needing introductions to go out, various tickets to buy things, and money being difficult to use.
She couldn’t just passively live here. She had to live well within the production team.
Firstly, she needed to improve her reputation in the village!
She would help her uncle improve production to increase the team’s income. Although Su Xiaoman wouldn’t work in the fields, she could definitely contribute to sideline activities. She wanted to be an active participant in production, and perhaps even become a women’s cadre in the future.
This was a win-win approach. Only when the team’s income increased could her and her parents’ living standards improve, and the overall quality of life in the village would also improve.
If she made contributions to expanding income, the members would receive more dividends at the end of the year. This would help change her reputation and increase her status in the village.
Having a higher reputation would make things easier.
Currently, she was technically married to Xie Mingtu, but as her third brother said, they hadn’t registered their marriage yet, so legally, it wasn’t necessarily binding.
She would temporarily maintain a surface marriage with Xie Mingtu. They would maintain appearances for mutual respect, and she wouldn’t be pressured into marriage. Working and doing things with a married status would be more convenient.
Xie Mingtu had a good temperament, and they should be able to cooperate well.
In the future, when Xie Mingtu was recognized back into the Jiang family or after the resumption of the college entrance examination in 1977, they could go their separate ways. By then, when there was a mass return of youth to the city and a new wave of divorces, their divorce wouldn’t attract much attention. They would still be in their early twenties, so remarrying wouldn’t be an issue.
…But I wonder if Xie Mingtu will agree.
If they were to divorce now, with opposition from both families, it would be impossible to separate. It would also invite ridicule from the villagers. Since Xie Mingtu obviously doesn’t want her as his wife, they can only maintain this sham marriage for a while longer.
When Su Xiaoman left the Su family home, Liu Shufeng packed some sun-dried sweet potatoes, small bags of flour, and two taels of oil for her to take back.
She also took the clothes that Sister-in-law Yang Yingzi made for her back to Xie’s house. Su Xiaoman promised to help Sister-in-law make clothes in a few days.
The sun-dried sweet potatoes made by Liu Shufeng were delicious. She took a piece and bit into it directly, feeling a bit sticky but exceptionally sweet. It was like snacking on sunflower seeds; after eating one piece, she wanted more.
As she arrived at Xie’s house with her belongings, she noticed second sister-in-law with Xie Yaozu in the yard. Xie Yaozu had been looking around, but when he saw Su Xiaoman, he grabbed his mother’s hand.
Presumably, Sun Mei had asked her to guard the yard and see what Su Xiaoman brought back. If there was anything to take advantage of, they would certainly seize it. Especially when bringing Xie Yaozu along, if the child wanted something to eat, the adults couldn’t blame him, could they?
“Old Five’s wife, hey, you’re back. What good stuff do you have in the basket?”
“Let second sister-in-law take a look.”
Cooperating with his mother’s words, Xie Yaozu rushed up and circled around Su Xiaoman, trying to reach into the bamboo basket with one hand.
Su Xiaoman simply slapped his hand away.
Xie Yaozu withdrew his hand in pain, yelling at her loudly, “Flirtatious woman, mongrel, shameless…”
Xie Yaozu didn’t even know what he was saying; he just mimicked the adults.
“People with shame would not steal from others.”
“Second sister-in-law, educate your child well. Don’t let him reach out recklessly.”
“If he reaches out recklessly when he’s young, he’ll be even more reckless when he grows up, grabbing things from the public. By then, he’ll be shot. Don’t talk about Yaozu; even the ancestors of the Xie family would be ashamed.”
After being ridiculed for a few words, 2nd sister Xie became anxious. “Su Xiaoman, what nonsense are you talking about?!”
Su Xiaoman ignored her and walked straight ahead.
At this moment, Sun Mei came out of the house. “What’s going on? What’s all the fuss about?”
Second Sister-in-law Xie complained, “Mom, Su Xiaoman said that Yaozu will be shot when he grows up.”
“What?!” Sun Mei, feeling protective of her beloved grandson, was also angry. “Su Xiaoman, I’ll tear your mouth apart! How dare you speak like that!”
The commotion in the Xie family yard also caught the attention of a couple of villagers. An old lady with a basket came over to see what was happening. Those who came to watch the commotion didn’t mind the seriousness of the situation. She deliberately asked, “What’s wrong with the Xie family? Who did they say would be shot?”
Sun Mei’s breathing hitched. She was someone who cared about her reputation, and she especially didn’t like others using terms like “shot” on her beloved grandson. Upon hearing the old lady’s words, she regained some rationality.
She turned back to scold Second Sister-in-law Xie, “Second daughter-in-law, don’t talk nonsense.”
“Be careful with your words.”
“There’s no talk of anyone being shot. It’s just these idiots talking nonsense.”
Sun Mei sent the old lady who had come to watch away and was about to go find trouble with Su Xiaoman. However, Su Xiaoman had already closed the door tightly. Sun Mei had originally thought about kicking the door open to scold her and let off some steam, but then she remembered Su Xiaoman’s maternal family.
If they dared to hit Su Xiaoman, Su Xiaoman’s family would dare to hit back.
Sun Mei spat on the ground in frustration and cursed a few times outside the house.
….
“I’m so angry, I can’t even eat.”
Back in her own room, Sun Mei kept pounding her chest.
Old Man Xie, who was smoking, raised an eyebrow.
“How did I end up with such a daughter-in-law?”
Having Xie Gouzi marry Su Xiaoman to take advantage of her family was like hitting the jackpot. Even though they hadn’t spent a single penny, getting Su Xiaoman back was like acquiring a treasure.
Previously, her eldest daughter-in-law and third daughter-in-law had been so obedient, making her feel comfortable and thinking that daughters-in-law were supposed to listen to her. That’s why she hadn’t paid attention and had only thought about marrying off her fifth son without spending any money.
“Now we’ve gotten Su Xiaoman, this troublemaker!!!”
Old Man Xie let out a sigh and extinguished his cigarette. “Weren’t you feeling smug before? You even bragged in front of Sun Laozi about how you didn’t spend a penny to get such a beautiful daughter-in-law?”
“I wish I could make Old Five kick her out.”
Old Man Xie thought to himself, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy to send Su Xiaoman back to her maternal family. How could the Su family let the Xie family bully their precious daughter?
“If you know she’s trouble, then don’t let Yaozu go near her.”
Sun Mei felt guilty and decided to stop taking advantage of Su Xiaoman in the future. She said resentfully, “Second daughter-in-law, keep an eye on her.”
“I’ll teach her a lesson someday.”
….
At night, Su Xiaoman borrowed the kitchen and made some triangular chive dumplings. She chopped some chives, beat two eggs, and used the oil and flour she brought from home to make the dough.
She heated a little oil in the pan, cooked the dough over low heat until both sides were golden brown and crispy. The dumplings were firm to the touch and emitted a fragrant aroma of chives and eggs, enticing the appetite of those nearby.
Sun Mei, who had initially decided not to eat dinner, couldn’t resist the tempting smell and ended up sitting at the dining table.
“It smells so good! What did you make today?!”
“Did Old Five’s wife make this?”
“I brought some flour back from my family’s house today.”
The rest of the Xie family sat at the dining table, eagerly awaiting the meal, their noses filled with the tantalizing aroma of chive dumplings. Despite hearing about Su Xiaoman’s recent argument with Second Sister-in-law and Sun Mei, the enticing smell of the food made them forget about the earlier altercation.
“When are we going to eat?”
Su Xiaoman brought out the chive dumplings she had made. She had prepared two sizes: one larger and the other half the size of the large ones.
“There’s not much flour, so I made them according to the number of people. Each person gets one. It’s the time when children are growing, so the kids can have the larger ones, and the adults can have the smaller ones.”
Su Xiaoman didn’t want to escalate tensions with everyone in the Xie family. While Sun Mei and Second Sister-in-law had picked a fight with her, Su Xiaoman believed she could still win over Old Man Xie, Eldest Sister-in-law, and Third Sister-in-law.
In her view, Eldest Sister-in-law and Third Sister-in-law harboured deep grievances against Sun Mei’s favouritism. They would likely be the main force in any future division of assets in the family.
She divided the chive dumplings accordingly, giving each person one dumpling. The children received the largest ones. Eldest Sister-in-law had three children, so she got three large dumplings. Third Sister-in-law had two daughters, Chunjuan and Xiajuan, so she received two. It was the first time the children had tasted such fragrant and oily food, and they couldn’t resist the temptation of the delicious aroma filling the room.
Leave a Reply