Chapter 83: The Couple’s Views on Spending

There were subsidies for educated youth sent to the countryside. Though not much, for Tang Xin, it was better than nothing. Now that her household registration had been moved to the Li family, naturally, these benefits were also delivered there.

Tang Xin didn’t collect them monthly but preferred to receive them once every quarter, making it look like a more generous haul. This time, the supplies were personally delivered to the Li family by the brigade leader. Li Sheng, who worked with the transport team, also had subsidies, so the bounty this time was truly substantial.

Fifty eggs, fifty catties of white flour, a hundred catties of rice, and a full thirty catties of soybeans—those who gathered to watch couldn’t help but look on with green-eyed envy.

Father and Mother Li understood the importance of not flaunting their wealth. They quickly gathered everything and put it away at home. Besides rice, there was also millet. Fang Shi grabbed a handful and examined it, exclaiming in praise, “This is truly excellent, even better than the grain we hand over to the state.”

The brigade leader had specially selected these for their family, cherishing his educated youth daughter-in-law, and Fang Shi knew it well. In the past, the transport team would also distribute subsidies during the New Year, but never in such quantity or quality.

After everything was sorted, Fang Shi smiled at her daughter-in-law. “Today, I’ll steam yellow rice cakes for you all.”

Li Xiyue pouted in the corner, but she no longer bothered to complain. Complaints were useless, after all. Her parents’ favoritism had reached egregious levels. Every time she saw the large wardrobe in her sister-in-law’s room, she couldn’t suppress her resentment.

But what good did it do? It was actually Li Kai, who had always been at odds with her, that gave her a wake-up call: “Instead of thinking about bringing more dowry to avoid being bullied by your future in-laws, wouldn’t it be better to make yourself more capable?”

Tang Xin said nothing. In truth, her once feisty temperament had mellowed greatly; she felt content. One cannot become fat with a single mouthful. Over the years, Li Xiyue’s character had been set, and changing it now would not be easy.

Li Jiang and Li Hai didn’t think much of it. They simply clapped their hands and laughed, “Oh, there’s good food again. Sister-in-law is the best.”

Children are far simpler. They remembered what their parents had told them: all these things belonged to sister-in-law. So, if they got to enjoy good food, they naturally owed her their thanks.

Yellow rice cakes did not require milling the rice into powder; instead, the rice was mixed with fatty pork and brown sugar, steamed, and then pounded into a paste in a large basin. Red dates, walnuts, sesame seeds, and peanuts were added, shaped, and then steamed once more. Once cooled, it became a firm, solid block.

Whenever one wished to eat it, they could slice it and either steam, pan-fry, or boil it, dipping it in sugar for a deliciously fragrant and sweet treat.

After tasting it, Tang Xin thought it was somewhat similar to the glutinous rice cakes she’d eaten before, but her mother-in-law’s version was even more fragrant and flavorful.

This was a skill passed down from a chef who once worked for Fang Shi’s family. Every New Year, they would steam yellow or white rice cakes. The cakes were also considered auspicious, with poetic names like “Golden Longevity Cake” or “Silver Longevity Cake.”

Hearing her mother-in-law share the recipe, Tang Xin’s eyes sparkled. Goodness, her mother-in-law had such wonderful culinary secrets. When her farm business upgraded in the future and she could harvest even better ingredients, perhaps her mother-in-law could create even more delicacies for her.

Just the thought made Tang Xin’s mouth water. No, she had to find a way to earn more money so she could buy more ingredients and enjoy her mother-in-law’s creations!

Once the twelfth lunar month arrived, the New Year was near. Some people felt excited, but most were filled with worry and helplessness. The deeper the winter and the colder the days, the harder life became. Nearly every family tightened their belts, saving every grain for fear of starving or freezing before the next year—a fate that was all too common in the past. Only in the past couple of years had things improved for the brigade.

Most families tried to save even the tiniest bit for the New Year. As the saying goes, “Whether rich or poor, celebrate the New Year well; a good New Year brings good fortune for the year ahead.”

In the depths of winter, Fang Shi rarely had to go out to work. By the twelfth month, the fields and gardens lay idle. Father Li, along with Li Sheng and Li Kai, took on short-term jobs for the brigade, earning what they could to supplement the household. Li Xiyue, like Tang Xin, stayed home to keep Fang Shi company.

The idea of making new padded jackets hadn’t been a whim. Tang Xin had noticed that Li Sheng’s winter coat was thin, and everyone else in the family wore garments patched and repatched. Both cotton and cloth were hard to come by. Likely, they were passing down old clothes from the older children to the younger, and it had been years since anyone had a new winter outfit.

As a reward for everyone’s hard work in their studies, Tang Xin generously decided to make new clothes and shoes for everyone.

Whenever Li Sheng returned from his driving jobs, he handed over his extra earnings to his wife. Previously, his entire salary went to his parents, but now Fang Shi only took half, giving the other half to her daughter-in-law.

The children were now old enough to earn work points. The eldest son was married and should start considering his own little family. Money was tight. In the hands of an ordinary daughter-in-law, it would be carefully rationed for years. But Tang Xin was not like other rural wives. Normal living expenses were a necessity. Besides, money wasn’t saved by scrimping—it had to be earned.

She had needed time to get accustomed to her new environment, but after the New Year, Tang Xin planned to visit the commune and the county more often to seek opportunities.

Therefore, even if she spent all the money she had, she felt no regret, as long as it was spent wisely.

In fact, the couple’s views on spending were quite similar. In the past, Li Sheng had shouldered heavy responsibilities and had no special reason to buy anything. His parents were thrifty, and his younger siblings wore hand-me-downs or homemade clothes, so until this year, Li Sheng finally found a reason to spend.

Other than the pair of leather shoes he’d bought last time, as the New Year approached, he had also specially bought his wife a woolen coat—no small expense. He’d spent almost all his private savings, and it was said his father even chipped in a little.

Fang Shi shared this with Tang Xin, finding it amusing. It was also her way of telling her daughter-in-law that her son, though not eloquent, showed his affection through actions.

For the younger siblings, Fang Shi provided fabric, promising to sew for them herself. Indeed, the ready-made clothes on the market were few and unattractive; nothing matched her mother-in-law’s skillful handiwork.

The same garments, with Fang Shi’s clever adjustments to the details, looked far better than anything available outside.

Li Sheng hadn’t just bought his wife a coat—he’d paired it with a belt and a scarf. So, Tang Xin wanted to prepare a New Year’s gift for him in return.

She rushed over, eager, to ask, “Brother Li Sheng, what would you like?”

At first, Li Sheng insisted he wanted nothing. But after her persistent questioning, he finally admitted he’d like a sweater—one knitted by his wife’s own hands.