The school had an hour-long lunch break, but these days, food was precious, and the porridge was thinner than water.
Even if students went home to eat, by the time they walked back and forth, it was already time to digest, so few bothered to go back.
Except for a few families who were better off and packed dry food for their kids, most students just went to the water room to drink their fill.
Nan Sheng thought about how hot the weather was now, and bringing cooked meals and dishes really wasn’t practical. She could only steam a few extra steamed buns in the morning for the kids to take to school. Without any dishes, she could pickle some salty vegetables—they were easier to preserve.
After taking a bath, Sizhe went back to his room to do his homework. The village had no electricity, so all his assignments had to be finished before dark.
Seeing the big stack of notebooks and pencils on the cabinet, he finally let go of the pencil that was only a small stub left, about the length of a fingertip. Siqi knew not to disturb her brother, so she ran off to the other room to cling to their stepmother.
Nan Sheng noticed the little girl’s neck was all dirty, so she took her to the kitchen and gave her a bath in the washbasin. After scrubbing three times, she finally got her clean, but ended up drenched in sweat herself.
By the time Sizhe finished his homework, his little sister was already asleep. He carried Siqi back to his own room.
Nan Sheng lay on the kang (heated brick bed) for a long time, unable to fall asleep. The heat was unbearable.
The system wasn’t making things easier for her either—it kept reminding Nan Sheng that her task progress was slow. To motivate her, the system said that for every ten points of increased favorability, it would gift her a random big prize.
Nan Sheng: Can you send me an air conditioner or a fan?
System: I can send you a fan, but do you have electricity?
The system’s words hit hard. Nan Sheng felt discouraged and gloomy. She didn’t know how long it took, but eventually, she finally fell asleep.
The next morning, it started to drizzle outside. Nan Sheng searched the house but couldn’t find an umbrella. When she asked the eldest child, she learned that the family’s only umbrella had been given away—she wasn’t sure to whom.
How awkward. Could it have really been given to that certain someone?
If so, she’d have to find a chance to get it back!
“I’m guessing the rain will get heavier soon. Let’s eat quickly. I’ll ride the bike to take you.”
Sizhe definitely weighed less than a hundred pounds, so carrying a child on a bike wasn’t too hard. He was picking up some food when he glanced at his stepmother and said, “Maybe not.”
He was worried that if no one was around when she got back, he’d just be stuck riding the bike around the yard. If he got unlucky and fell, he might damage the new bicycle.
Nan Sheng ignored him, finished eating, then grabbed a small bag and packed two big steamed buns inside. They were made with a mix of two kinds of flour, but with more cornmeal, giving them a golden-yellow hue.
“Finished eating? Once you’re done, we’ll go!”
She grabbed one of her jackets, pushed the bike outside, and Sizhe saw the rain was falling harder and harder. He had no choice but to agree.
Standing under the eaves, Nan Sheng handed the bag and jacket to her son. “Big kid, put the jacket over your head so the buns don’t get wet. I’ll ride slowly at first, and you can jump on behind me.”
Sizhe paused for a moment when he received the clothes and steamed buns. At that moment, Nan Sheng had already pushed the bike and rushed out to open the main gate. She kicked the pedal up to its highest position, swung her leg over the crossbar, and slowly rode forward.
Snapping back to his senses, Sizhe quickly ran outside, picked up the pace a bit, and leapt onto the back seat. The bicycle wobbled a few times before stabilizing.
Seeing that his stepmother was drenched from the rain, Sizhe leaned forward and pulled the jacket covering his own head over Nan Sheng’s back as well.
The twenty-minute journey could be covered in six or seven minutes by bike.
After jumping off the bike, Sizhe wanted to return the clothes to Nan Sheng, but she refused. “Wear the jacket into the classroom. Don’t catch a cold again. If it’s still raining after school, find a sheltered spot by the door and wait for me to come pick you up.”
Some classmates saw Sizhe being dropped off by his parent and looked on with envy. “You have a bike at home? That’s so nice! I got soaked walking all the way here.”
Sizhe pursed his lips but said nothing. Silently, he wrapped himself in the jacket and ran into the classroom. At that moment, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a booming clap of thunder.
But this time, unlike before, Sizhe seemed to have forgotten to pray to the heavens to strike down his stepmother along with the thunder.
Nan Sheng wasn’t as helpless as Sizhe thought. Not far from home, she spotted a large rock and stepped onto it, then pushed the bike all the way back.
By the time she got home, Siqi had woken up. She still looked a little scared but obediently sat on a small stool in the living room waiting.
“Mom, you’re back?”
Nan Sheng asked her daughter to keep some distance since she was soaked through. Siqi quickly ran to the kitchen to scoop hot water into a basin.
She spilled half of it, but luckily didn’t burn herself. By the time Nan Sheng changed into dry clothes and came out, the hot water was ready for her to freshen up.
There wasn’t much to do on a rainy day, so Nan Sheng went to the west room, grabbed a notebook and a pen, and started making a list of things to do.
First, she needed to replenish the household essentials. Even things like umbrellas and raincoats, which weren’t strictly necessary, had to be bought.
Her family had given her two pieces of fabric as part of her dowry—perfect thickness for making autumn clothes. She would need to find someone to help sew them and also buy some fabric for Sizhe’s clothes.
Once the subsidy and ration coupons arrived in the mail, she planned to visit her natal home. Since marrying into this family a few months ago, she hadn’t contacted her family, nor had they come here. There had to be some problem in between.
When she went back, who knows—maybe that so-called “boyfriend” would pop up on his own. As for the male lead, well, she was curious to see what kind of impressive appearance he could muster!
Lastly, she had to think about work.
Factories or the town’s “iron rice bowl” jobs weren’t an option—they wouldn’t allow her to take care of the child. As for running a business, that was even less realistic given the current environment.
After much thought, she decided to stay in the village. When the time was right, she would ask her father-in-law if he could get her a job as a scorekeeper.
The scorekeeper job only earned five work points a day but was not physically demanding. Since she could read and write, she was confident she could handle it!
After making her plans, Nan Sheng cuddled her daughter and went back to sleep for a while. Compared to the fast pace of modern life, she preferred this leisurely way of living.
School
Lunchtime was the hardest part of the day for the students. After a whole morning of classes, they were already exhausted—and yet there was nothing to eat.
The school didn’t have a cafeteria, and the teachers had to bring their own meals. Fan Shuting only ate twice a day; at noon, she, like the students, just drank water to get by.
Sizhe found the teachers’ office and took a steamed bun from his bag, handing it to his grandmother. He didn’t want to eat alone.
Fan Shuting couldn’t bear to take the child’s food. “Did your mom pack this? Keep it for yourself—Grandma’s not hungry!”
“I have another one. Grandma, you can have this one.”
Sizhe placed the bun on the table and then ran off. When he returned to his classroom to eat his own bun, he discovered there was also a piece of candy in the bag.
Had they treated him like a little sister to coax him?
His classmates cast envious glances at him, but no one dared to come closer. That afternoon, during class, he finally didn’t have to endure an empty stomach…
