Chapter 36: First Update

Lin Yongfu squatted at the doorway, smoking a cigarette in a foul mood. Lin Yuxia ignored him. After a quick, meager lunch with Zhang Yuqin, the mother and daughter packed their baskets and water and set off on foot for the town.

It was about ten kilometers from their village to the town, a walk that took one or two hours. Lin Yuxia attended school in the county seat, which was nearly thirty kilometers away—a journey that took many people an entire day on foot.

Vehicles to the county seat were scarce. Sometimes, to save money, Lin Yuxia would join students from nearby villages to walk home, or she would head to the town first, stay the night at her junior high teacher’s house, and continue to the county seat early the next morning.

At the start of the school term, many students made the trek to the county school this way, carrying tens or even over a hundred pounds of rice on their shoulders. They had to sell the rice to pay their tuition, keeping the remainder as their food supply for the school term.

It was truly difficult for farmers to earn money. A few years back, when chili peppers fetched a high price, the family followed suit and planted them, but by the time their harvest was ready, the market price had plummeted.

"Mom, we're almost there. Don't be nervous," Lin Yuxia said. She had attended junior high in town and high school in the county; for her, going to town was simple and routine, and she felt no anxiety at all.

Zhang Yuqin was different. She rarely even visited the town, let alone the county seat. She spent almost all her time in the village, so a ten-kilometer trip felt like traveling to a distant land.

She was intimidated by the "bustling crowds" of the town, the endless stream of bicycles, and the rows upon rows of houses. The prospect of the county seat was even more terrifying; she feared getting lost in those strange streets and buildings.

The town had only one main street, while the county seat had many, all with so many houses that she couldn't tell one from another. Furthermore, there were so many novel things out there; she was terrified of breaking something and being forced to pay for it—that would be the end of her world.

Going to town two days in a row was, to her, an unbelievable feat.

They arrived in town just after three o'clock. Lin Yuxia checked the time; it was perfect. Before ending her call with her older sister, Lin Xuexia, the latter had given her a contact number: the landline of her landlady, Chen Miaorong.

Lin Xuexia had said that if they wanted to reach her, it was best to call around three in the afternoon, when she might be home, or after dark.

Lin Yuxia dialed the number and quickly got through. Lin Xuexia had already spoken to her landlady the day before, asking her to help take the call if her family reached out, and had even gifted her a box of spiced beef, so Chen Miaorong had agreed.

"Sister, we’ve separated from the family! I also managed to get four hundred yuan. It should have been more, but..." Once the connection was made, Lin Yuxia spilled everything in a rush, like beans pouring from a bag.

Lin Xuexia laughed. "Good, that’s wonderful. My sister is so capable! Do you have that four hundred yuan with you now?"

"Yes." Lin Yuxia clutched the money to her chest. She felt anxious, constantly glancing around, terrified of thieves. Although she was brave by nature, this four hundred yuan was a colossal sum she had never dared to dream of before.

She had barely slept the night before while guarding the money. When she woke up, she had been agonizing over how to handle it. The money certainly couldn't be given to her father or mother, and if she took it to school, there was nowhere to hide it in the dorms—it would be easily stolen.

She couldn't open a savings account herself yet. Lin Yuxia planned to keep thirty yuan to buy some household necessities, keep ten for herself, and send the remaining three hundred and sixty yuan to her sister, Lin Xuexia, in Zhang Yuqin’s name.

Upon learning that they had separated from the family and only had to pay three yuan a month to the grandmother for support—meaning the family could no longer legally or morally demand money from them—Lin Xuexia was in high spirits. She teased, "Yuxia, it's your first time holding so much money, are you scared?"

Lin Yuxia blushed slightly. "Scared, scared to death. Mom is even more scared than I am. She’s asked me at least a dozen times on the way here to check if the money is still there."

Beside her, Zhang Yuqin was sweating profusely. She wiped her forehead; she had only agreed to come to town today to get rid of this "hot potato." She truly dared not keep the money; to Zhang Yuqin, money was nothing but trouble.

Zhang Yuqin was not good with words and couldn't bargain. She feared being sent to town by her mother-in-law or sister-in-law to buy things. Even with the money in hand, she wasn't the one making the decisions. If she bought something at a higher price than others, or sold eggs for less, she would be subjected to a torrent of scolding. She didn't even dare to buy pesticides or feed.

For her, such tasks were hot potatoes she avoided whenever possible. She didn't like the bustling markets, and when the family sold agricultural products on market days, her sister-in-law was the one who went. She never saw a cent of the proceeds, even though she was the one who tended to the chickens, ducks, and pigs.

"Yuxia, use today to help Mom build up her courage," Lin Xuexia said, her lips curling into a smile as she gave them their mission. "I’ve already said that I’ll manage the family's money from now on. Today, I want you two to spend it all."

Lin Yuxia was stunned. "What?"

Lin Xuexia rolled her eyes. "Money left sitting around just attracts thieves. Spend it all! It’ll drive our uncle’s family crazy. Since we’re on our own now, we need to add a few major items to the house."

"Yuxia, first take Mom to buy a bicycle. It doesn't have to be new; a second-hand one that works is fine. Then, buy a basic radio and a sewing machine."

The three items Lin Xuexia mentioned were expensive in the seventies, but by the late eighties, they were quite affordable, especially radios, which could be bought for a few dozen yuan. Bicycles and sewing machines were also widely available second-hand in the towns. Over three hundred yuan would be more than enough to cover these.

"With the remaining money, keep twenty for yourself, give Mom ten, and use the rest to buy chicks and ducklings. Oh, and you must bring home a local dog to guard the house—two would be even better—and raise a few large white geese."

"For pots, pans, and fabric to make clothes, you two decide. Just make sure the money is spent."

Lin Yuxia’s mouth hung open. Her face was flushed, and she felt lightheaded. Asking a girl who had previously been so frugal she couldn't bear to spend a few cents to suddenly spend three or four hundred yuan was, to her, as difficult as taking the college entrance exam.

Lin Yuxia, who had dared to use rat poison and set a fire just yesterday, lost her nerve. "Sister, I don't dare. I'd rather send the money to you; you spend it when you come back."

In their family, only her older sister, Lin Xuexia, was a person of the world who had earned a salary of one or two hundred yuan. To her, spending such a large amount was like cutting flesh—wasn't it better to save it? But her sister was right; she was afraid of thieves.

"Be a good girl, Yuxia. Listen to your sister. Just go and spend the money. Go buy the bicycle first; this is your training." Lin Xuexia continued, "I want to talk to Mom."

Lin Yuxia handed the receiver to Zhang Yuqin, who wiped her hands before taking it. Her voice trembled. "Xue... Xuexia?"

"Mom, I want you to raise dogs and geese. Take good care of them, especially the dogs. Bring two home today; three is fine."

Zhang Yuqin stammered, "But raising dogs wastes so much grain. People aren't even eating well; just raising some chickens and ducks is enough."

"Geese are fierce, they chase people."

"Isn't it a waste to feed grain to Uncle's family? Better to feed it to the dogs. No matter how good you are to them, they only scold you. If you feed the grain to the dogs, at least they are loyal to you and can guard the house, right?"

Lin Xuexia was blunt. "You’d better treat those dogs like ancestors. Feed them well. Whenever you go out, take a dog with you. If anyone comes over to say something unpleasant, let the dog bark at them. Fence in the vegetable patch and let the geese roam the yard. If someone gets chased, that's not your problem. If necessary, kill a goose and eat it yourself."

Zhang Yuqin stood there, stunned. She opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. She felt her eldest daughter’s advice was quite devious, but it sounded wonderful. Honestly, they had enough grain to feed the dogs; with her and Lin Yongfu living with their daughter, how much could they possibly eat? Leftovers were perfect for the dogs.

In the past, their grain and agricultural products were taken by the mother-in-law and sister-in-law to be sold. Now, if she didn't sell them, and since she and her husband weren't trying to hoard money—only save for their daughter's tuition—they had more than enough to eat.

"Mom, in the future, you raise chickens and ducks and tend the vegetable patch. Once we have a bicycle, you can go to town on market days to sell eggs and vegetables."

Zhang Yuqin panicked. "I don't know how to sell. I'm bad at it, I'll sell at a loss."

Lin Xuexia said coolly, "So what if you sell at a loss? As long as you're happy, who cares who scolds you?"

"After you sell, treat yourself to a bowl of noodles in town, buy some meat and bones to take home, and fatten up the guard dogs."

"Don't worry about your second daughter's tuition and living expenses. Once you have money, buy meat and fabric, and take good care of the dogs."

"Let Yuxia teach you how to buy meat."

Lin Xuexia knew Zhang Yuqin lacked resolve and was timid, so she simply tried to brainwash her with the idea of "buying meat and raising dogs."

"Since we’ve separated from the family, Mom, you’ve chosen for me to support you in your old age. You must listen to me." Lin Xuexia warned her, "Don't let me come home and find out you didn't take good care of the dogs."

...

After hanging up, both mother and daughter were filled with trepidation, but they had no choice; this was the mission her sister had given them.

"Mom... let's go buy the bicycle first, just like sister said."

Lin Yuxia swallowed hard and braced herself as she took Zhang Yuqin to buy a bicycle. They spent over a hundred yuan on a black Phoenix-brand bike.

While they were terrified as they spent the money, once they were actually riding it, both mother and daughter were thrilled. With the bicycle, they didn't have to suffer through the ten-kilometer walk back to the village; it would only take thirty or forty minutes. Lin Yuxia was tall enough to ride effortlessly, and Zhang Yuqin sat on the back.

They also bought a new radio and a second-hand sewing machine, arranging for a small tricycle to deliver it to their home later. Just these three items cost over three hundred yuan, and with the remaining few dozen yuan in her pocket, Lin Yuxia felt much more at ease.

Next, they bought puppies and meat... finally, the mother and daughter returned home laden with goods. The bicycle’s front basket was filled with meat and household items, a bag was strapped to the crossbar, Zhang Yuqin sat on the back holding a puppy in her basket, and she clutched the radio to her chest.

Zhang Yuqin stroked the radio, unable to believe it was real. In a corner where her daughter couldn't see, tears streamed down her face.

Although the "four major wedding gifts" had long since evolved into refrigerators, washing machines, and televisions, what they had bought today were items she hadn't even dared to imagine when she got married. With the old watch Lin Yongfu had from his brother, their home finally had the "four major items" complete.