The baby was teething, and gnawing on teething sticks alone wasn’t enough. Yang Yufen decided to make some homemade snacks for the little one. Sweet potato strips were the simplest option, but making them tasty still required effort.
First, she fed the two children their rice porridge and gave them toys to play with on their own. Then, Yang Yufen began washing the sweet potatoes.
After steaming the cleaned sweet potatoes, she busied herself washing and drying the bamboo trays she would use later.
When one of the children started crying, she went inside to check and found that the older child, Dabao, had thrown a ball too far to retrieve. Yang Yufen picked it up and handed it back.
Since the snack was for the baby, she peeled the sweet potatoes, cut them into thin strips, and laid them out on the bamboo trays to dry in the sun.
She mixed the sweet potato peels with bran, rice husks, and vegetable scraps to feed the chickens.
Once everything was done, Yang Yufen took out a photo of Qin Nian, who was away from home, and taught the children to call out to him.
At six months old, the little ones were babbling eagerly, especially Dabao, who drooled all over while making incoherent sounds—though he still hadn’t managed to say "Mama."
Yang Yufen wasn’t frustrated. Seeing that it was almost time, she started preparing the next meal for the children.
After feeding, bathing, and putting them to sleep, she spent some time weaving bamboo strips before finally tidying up and resting for the night.
Little Zhang had spent the night in fear, and as dawn approached, he reached out to shake Wang Dazhi awake.
"Old Wang, hurry, it’s time to go."
"Huh? Morning already? Let’s go, let’s go."
The two had bonded over selling roasted sweet potatoes, which had earned them some money. With a bit of savings, they wanted more, so they ventured into selling electronics—watches and radios.
But luck wasn’t on their side. Not only did they lose their investment, but they were also targeted, robbed of their goods, and nearly lost their lives.
Finally back home safely, Little Zhang lay in bed and took a deep breath. Selling roasted sweet potatoes was safer—the other business was just too risky, a setup from the start.
He hoped the authorities would crack down on those criminals, though he still mourned his lost money.
His father had lost his job due to an injury, and finding work now was nearly impossible. Factories had no vacancies, with educated youth returning from the countryside and fresh graduates flooding the job market. For ordinary folks like them, life was tough.
Some suggested going south for opportunities, but his family couldn’t afford to let him leave.
Yang Yufen knew nothing of this, as Fan Juan came knocking on her door.
"Aunt Yang, I came to see you!"
"Didn’t they say it’s unsafe outside with the crackdown? Come, let’s go inside the courtyard."
Fan Juan set down the fruit she had brought and noticed the sweet potato strips drying in the yard.
"Try some—they’re just little snacks I made for the baby to chew on while teething."
"Aunt Yang, you’re amazing! You can do anything! These sweet potato strips are delicious—did you add sugar? They’re so sweet!"
"If you like them, I’ll pack some for you to take home later."
Yang Yufen was delighted to see Fan Juan. Young women should be this lively and full of energy.
"Thank you, Aunt Yang! Actually, I came to share some good news."
"What good news?"
"You gave me a birdcage before, right? Well, someone wants to place an order—they need two hundred by the New Year. Do you think you can make them? If so, I’ll help you secure the deal."
"Two hundred? Fan Juan, are you sure? I can make them, but what if the buyer backs out? You’d be stuck then."
Lately, Yang Yufen had indeed been feeling a bit idle.
"My teacher’s friend placed the order. If they weren’t unsure whether you could do it, they would’ve insisted on giving me the deposit upfront. Your craftsmanship is truly exceptional, Auntie."
If she kept birds, the bamboo birdcage would be a delight just to admire.
"If it’s someone trustworthy, then that’s good. There are still about four months left until the end of the year."
With the dual calendar system, the Lunar New Year and New Year's Day weren’t on the same day.
"Are you sure you can finish in time?"
"It’ll go faster if I prepare all the materials in advance."
"Then it’s settled, Auntie. I’ll bring the deposit over later. I have a class this afternoon, so I need to hurry back."
Fan Juan was thrilled. It had been a while since she’d earned anything, and this order would cover her book expenses.
"Don’t rush off—let me pack some sweet potato strips for you to take home."
"Thank you, Auntie. Your sweet potato strips are truly delicious. If you ever have time to make more, I’d be happy to help you sell them."
Yang Yufen hadn’t considered selling the sweet potato strips—they were too labor-intensive and time-consuming to dry just right. But since Fan Juan liked them, she figured her daughter-in-law might enjoy them too. She decided to make extra while she had the time, saving some for when Qin Nian returned.
Yang Yufen left her child with Sister Wang to look after, then rode her tricycle to the bamboo grove. She noticed many bamboo stalks had been cut down, with only the good ones hauled away and the branches left scattered on the ground.
Seeing how sturdy the branches were, Yang Yufen gathered them all up. Not having to cut fresh bamboo saved her a lot of time.
Back in the residential compound, someone spotted her hauling a cart full of bamboo branches and called out curiously, "Sister Yang, what are you doing with all those branches?"
"I went to gather firewood and found these in good condition. I’ll use them to fix the fence and set up bean poles next year," Yang Yufen replied casually.
"I’ve got a child waiting at home, so I’d better get going."
With that, she hurried off. No one thought much of it.
Once home, Yang Yufen unloaded the bamboo branches, started cooking, then went to fetch her child.
In the residential compound, she had just settled the child into a stroller to play. At first, the little one was happy, but soon burst into loud wails.
The adults quickly picked the child up to soothe them, only to realize something was wrong. When they pulled their hand away, they saw bright red blood. Turning the child around, they found a cut on the back of the thigh.
Yang Yufen remained unaware of the commotion in the apartment building. Her two grandchildren, now on solid foods, slept longer at night but were increasingly active during the day.
Later, someone came to her door.
"Auntie Yang, could you make a small stroller for me? I’ve brought the money."
"I’m sorry, but as you can see, my two little grandsons are keeping me busier than ever during the day. I just don’t have time for other projects. Winter’s coming soon, and I still need to make their winter clothes. Besides, I’m out of materials."
Yang Yufen politely declined. The visitor sighed in disappointment, regretting having gone to the Lin family earlier to save a single dollar.
Now, the stroller still wasn’t ready, and worse—the neighbor’s grandchild had been cut by poorly treated bamboo slats on the stroller. The Lin family compensated them but refused to finish the job.
Dabao threw the ball and hit Erbao, who cried out in pain. Yang Yufen hurried over to comfort the child.
"Then I won’t disturb you any further, Aunt Yang."
The visitor eyed the cart by the door, itching to just grab one and take it away.
