Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 753 Chapter 752 Brother and Sister Reconciliation
The couple returned home and told Zhang Guifang that they would need cloth coupons to buy clothes in the future.

Zhang Guifang's reaction was not what Tang Zhitong expected. Instead, she seemed indifferent: "My family has always cut the cloth ourselves and hired others to process it. We have never bought ready-made clothes before. If I charge for the cloth coupons, I will just accept them."

"Mom, you see, in the past, grain, vegetables, meat, and eggs were all sold freely, and anyone with money could buy them. Now, not only are there fixed quantities, but the fixed quantities are getting smaller and smaller.

Last year there was a drought, and this year there was no rain either. Would the production of cotton cloth be affected? It is impossible to supply all the cotton cloth produced to the market. It also has to supply the garment factories.

Besides, what if the quota of cloth coupons is also reduced next year? Then I am afraid I won’t be able to buy clothes even if I want to.”

Seeing that his mother was not understanding, Tang Zhitong began to sell anxiety to her.

"Then...how about I buy some for you?" Zhang Guifang was used to being poor and had no requirements on clothing, so she didn't care about anything at all.

For her, she couldn't bear to wear a new coat, but she could wear an old one anyway, and it was nothing more than mending it. Taking a step back, even if the cloth coupons were reduced, wasn't there still a clothing store?
As for underwear, Zhang Guifang didn't even think about it. Underwear has only been popular for a few years? Who wore underwear before liberation? Didn't people just wrap themselves in cotton jackets and trousers to get through the winter?
But since her son tried so hard to say it, Zhang Guifang thought that her son wanted to buy it, so she made a concession verbally.

After hearing this, Tang Zhitong smacked his lips, sighed, and gave up.

It is true that he wanted to persuade his mother to prepare some clothes, but not for himself and Xiao Wang, but for all his family members.

Classmate Xiao Wang watched quietly, thinking of her husband's bold words on the way home, and then looking at his deflated look at this moment, she covered her mouth and laughed.

"Laugh if you want to. It's so uncomfortable to hold it in." Tang Zhitong waved his hands. Forget it. The consumption concepts of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were too different and they couldn't reach an agreement.

"I can't take it anymore. I have to go out and take a rest." Student Wang was concerned about his image and tried hard to hold back his laughter. He covered his abdomen with his hands and staggered out of the main room. After a while, he heard a suppressed laughter coming from outside.

"What's wrong with Wenwen?" Zhang Guifang asked in confusion.

"It's okay. We came back from buying cloth and heard the news that cloth coupons were required for buying clothes. I told her that as long as you knew the news, you would definitely line up to buy it. I didn't expect that your requirements for clothing are so low." Tang Zhitong roughly explained the reason why Xiao Wang laughed.

"This...should I buy it?" Zhang Guifang was a little confused by the young couple.

"It doesn't matter whether you buy it or not. If you buy it, it will just be more comfortable. If you don't buy it, you can just pick up old ones to wear." Tang Zhitong smiled, not knowing how to explain to his mother.

Student Xiao Wang wants to buy close-fitting underwear because it is comfortable to wear underwear with a coat, and he is pursuing quality of life.

Zhang Guifang thinks there is no need to buy it in order to save money, make plans for the future, and seek life security.

Both of them have correct ideas. It can only be said that different living environments have led to different consumption concepts.

"Who are you looking for?" Student Xiao Wang was leaning against the wall and smiling when he saw a man carrying a sack coming in from the gate.

"You are from Anzi's family, right? I am Xiaoping's father." The person who came was Zhang Yongxiang. When he saw Xiao Wang, he remembered his son's description of his brother's wife. She was indeed very good-looking. There was no other girl like her in the surrounding area.

When Xiao Wang heard Zhang Yongxiang introduce himself, she stopped laughing at her husband and put on a warm smile: "Uncle, come in and sit down."

As he spoke, he went over to Zhang Yongxiang with a smile on his face. Not only did he help Zhang Yongxiang take down the sack, he also raised his voice to announce the news to the house: "Anzi, uncle is here!"

When Zhang Guifang heard the news from her daughter-in-law, she was surprised at first, and then she frowned.

Tang Zhitong didn't bother to comfort his mother. He lifted the door curtain and didn't let go, waiting for Zhang Yongxiang to come in: "Uncle, come in and sit down."

After that, he directly ordered Feng Zhen: "Feng Zhen, pour some water for uncle."

"Hey, hey, they are all good kids. Is your mother okay?" Zhang Yongxiang's wrinkled face showed a look of genuine joy, and he started by asking about his sister's situation.

"I'm fine. Uncle, I see you're in better shape than last time." Tang Zhitong responded with a smile. The last time they met, Zhang Yongxiang was not only edematous, but also had no strength in his body and had difficulty getting out of bed. This time, he didn't sweat much even though he was carrying a sack.

"Thanks to the peanut cakes you sent me last time, my serious illness has been cured." Zhang Yongxiang said happily as he walked in. When he saw his sister, he was a little at a loss. He smiled and said tentatively: "You... are fine."

"You're not going to die yet." Zhang Guifang said to her eldest brother in a stern tone and stared at him blankly. He was thinner than the last time they met, but he was in good spirits and looked strong, without any sign of edema.

The two of them stood there, looking at each other, for about ten seconds.

Zhang Yongxiang was blocking the door, Tang Zhitong was lifting the curtain, and classmate Xiao Wang was carrying a sack, just waiting.

"Mom..." It would not be a good idea to continue the stalemate like this, so Tang Zhitong took the initiative to remind Zhang Guifang.

"You are such a grown-up, why are you blocking the door? Take two steps inside." Zhang Guifang still spoke stiffly, but turned around and told Fengzhi: "Fengzhi, get a stool for your uncle."

Zhang Yongxiang was not angry after hearing this. Instead, he smiled and walked a few steps inside, making way for the door. After he stood still, he said, "I've always wanted to come, but the land has been collectively owned and there is no production."

"You come here empty-handed, how can I chase you away?" After listening to her elder brother's explanation of why he hadn't come to her house for a while, Zhang Guifang once again responded harshly.

Tang Zhitong smiled at Xiao Wang and said that being able to speak was a good sign, which meant that he had something to talk about and that he had kept it in his heart. Attitude was not that important.

"Fengzhen, Fengzhi, you are so grown up, can't you call people? Call uncle!" Zhang Guifang was upset at the moment and didn't like anyone. After she finished talking about Zhang Yongxiang, she subconsciously criticized her two daughters who had been silent the whole time.

"Uncle."

"Uncle."

Fengzhen and Fengzhi did not dare to offend Zhang Guifang, so they obeyed the instructions and called for help one after another.

"Hey! Hey! They are all good kids, all good kids!" Zhang Yongxiang's face was full of joy. The fact that his sister could get her daughter to call her by name was already an improvement compared to before.

"Uncle, sit down and talk." After Tang Zhitong entered the room, he placed the stool that Fengzhi brought behind Zhang Yongxiang, and then he pulled the stool over and sat down with him. Then he spoke to help Zhang Guifang: "Uncle, my mother has been in a bad mood recently. She doesn't like everyone. She just caught me and talked to me for a long time." "It's okay, it's okay." Zhang Yongxiang waved his hand, took the teacup handed over by Fengzhen, and said with a smile: "Your mother has been like this for so many years."

When Xiao Wang heard this, he pursed his lips, wanting to laugh but not daring to. His mother-in-law was fine except for a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival last year when she had a bad temper. But his uncle said that she was just like that. How many beatings must he have endured from her over the years?
Zhang Guifang saw her daughter-in-law's expression and felt a little embarrassed. She forced herself to act like a mother-in-law and told her son, also speaking to her eldest brother: "Anzi, chat with your uncle. I'll go cook."

"Mom, I'm with you." Student Xiao Wang was afraid that his mother-in-law would be upset again, so he planned to take the opportunity to say a few words. Since she was worried about Zhang Chengping's work, she couldn't let the situation break down at this critical moment.

"Anzi's family, the old elm tree at the entrance of the village is full of elm seeds. I picked some early in the morning. You can pick some and make some pancakes." Zhang Yongxiang saw his sister turned around and did not dare to give any instructions. Instead, he instructed his nephew's wife.

"Okay!" Xiao Wang agreed clearly and happily.

Student Xiao Wang likes the name "Eanzi's". She does not think it is a name that means a woman is subordinate to a man. Instead, she feels it is more like a recognition of a woman's identity, especially when the name comes from relatives or elders.

When Zhang Guifang heard her elder brother mention the old elm tree at the entrance of the village, her body stiffened.

Many years ago, at this time of year, my eldest brother would climb up the old elm tree while I waited eagerly below. The first elm seed that my eldest brother picked would always be thrown to me, and before he threw it, he would remind me: "Stay away, or you'll scratch your face."

Occasionally, he would find a nest of bird eggs, and my eldest brother would secretly bury them in wood ash to cook them, then watch him eat them himself.

Although most of the time it is not very cooked and has no saltiness, it tastes really good.

Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, the children have grown up and my eldest brother has white hair.

Before she knew it, Zhang Guifang had shed two lines of tears.

Perhaps her face was burned by her tears, Zhang Guifang noticed it and took two quick steps into the inner room.

Xiao Wang found a basin, untied the sack, and took out branches of elm seeds from it. He put them all into the basin and praised, "Uncle, these elm seeds are so tender."

"Haha, the elm seeds are not old during the Qingming Festival in March, but they are old during the Qingming Festival in February. The elm seeds bloom late this year, so it is just right to eat them now." Without Zhang Guifang's presence, Zhang Yongxiang felt much more at ease.

"Uncle, you brought too much. Next time you come, just bring less and leave more for home." Tang Zhitong knew that life in the countryside was more difficult than in the city, otherwise Zhang Yongxiang wouldn't have suffered from edema a while ago. Elm seeds are a nutritious and delicious food substitute, and they must be very popular in the countryside. For this sack of elm seeds, it is unknown how early Zhang Yongxiang will have to get up and how high a tree he will climb.

“The land belongs to the collective, and there is nothing else to bring here except this.

There is no shortage of this in rural areas. Now that the weather is warmer, there are things to eat growing on trees and in the fields.

I heard from Xiaoping that there are a few chickens here, and the food that people can’t finish is fed to the chickens, and the chickens lay eggs diligently after eating this.”

When it comes to food, Zhang Yongxiang is very optimistic.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you by taking care of those chickens. But the chickens can't eat elm seeds anymore. My mother thinks it's a waste of food to raise them, so she sold them a while ago." Tang Zhitong smiled, but didn't say that the higher-ups didn't allow cadres to raise chickens. It would have sounded a bit disloyal to say that.

"Alas, we are a burden to your family." Upon hearing this, Zhang Yongxiang felt very guilty. In the past month, his son took food back from here twice, and the second time he even brought back half a jar of lard.

"Hey, uncle, what are you talking about? Not raising chickens has nothing to do with you. It was my mother's job to get help from the street." Tang Zhitong saw that Zhang Yongxiang was trying to put the blame on himself, so he could only continue to make up stories.

"The commune allows us to raise chickens, so why does the street office care about this?" Zhang Yongxiang looked incredulous. In the past, many families in the village relied on exchanging eggs for salt. Although some people still do so this year, the number has decreased a lot. After all, there are no vegetables in winter and chickens also consume food.

"Who cares? There's no land in the city. Chickens can only be raised in pens in the city, and they have to be fed with grain. The ration is limited. If the chickens eat more, people have to eat less. It's better not to raise them.

How is Brother Xiaoping? Has he started treating the members after he returned home? "Tang Zhitong was very open-minded about this.

"I've seen it, I've seen it, oh, it's different with government education. Everyone praises him for his good treatment. I think he didn't learn well. He flipped through books while treating patients, feeling guilty. When will he stop flipping through books while treating patients?" Zhang Yongxiang smiled and pointed out his son's shortcomings.

"Look at what you said, Brother Xiaoping is really serious and meticulous. Besides, it will take a month to memorize such a thick book. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to finish reading it, let alone use it." Tang Zhitong participated in the compilation and knew the knowledge points in the "Manual". From head to toe, hundreds of diseases have corresponding symptoms and treatments. If you want to master it, you need time to let it settle.

"How is that possible? This book was written by you." Zhang Yongxiang didn't believe what Tang Zhitong said. In his opinion, how could a book editor not understand the book?
"Oh, uncle, there are so many people editing books, I am nothing among them." Tang Zhitong waved his hands repeatedly after hearing this. He knew very well his own weight.

"Your name wasn't at the end? Xiaoping, go back and get the book out to show me." Zhang Yongxiang was very stubborn. He believed that his nephew played a major role in compiling the book, otherwise how could he have arranged such a good job for his son?

"The names are arranged in alphabetical order based on the pinyin of the surnames, which cannot reflect the size of the contribution. I was not ranked last purely because my surname is Tang." The ranking order of the "Manual" was proposed by Tang Zhitong. After all, this is also a detail in promoting pinyin. According to other people's opinions, it should be arranged according to the number of strokes and the order of strokes.

"Is that the case?" Zhang Yongxiang was skeptical.

"Uncle, this is what happened. The eucalyptus didn't play a big role in it. Don't tell others that your nephew is editing a book. It will be embarrassing if people who know the business hear it." Student Xiao Wang, who had just finished rubbing half a basin of elm seeds, interjected.

"Well, I won't say it, I won't say it." Zhang Yongxiang's old face turned red. It was too late for his nephew's wife to tell him this, because he had already said it in front of the other members.

"Wenwen, go see what our mom is busy with, help her cook some dishes, and let uncle have a couple of drinks here at noon." Zhang Guifang went in and never came out. Tang Zhitong winked at Xiao Wang, and the hint was obvious.

"Brother, our mother is wiping tears in there." The houses in the main house are all connected, and there are doors on the partitions between each room. Fengzhi was sitting at the table doing homework. She could see the situation in the inner room as soon as she raised her eyes. When she heard her brother want to know what their mother was busy with, she couldn't hold back her words.

"..." Tang Zhitong looked at his dear little sister with sympathy and thought to himself: Sister, you have to hold on when our mom beats you later!

"No need to worry, no need to worry. I just came to take a look and I'll feel at ease. Don't leave any food for me." When Zhang Yongxiang heard that his nephew wanted to leave some food for him, he immediately stood up and waved his hand, as if he was about to leave. He had already taken a lot of food back from his sister. The people in the city had limited rations, so he had to be aware of himself.

"You are the only one who talks too much!" Zhang Guifang came out from the inner room with red eyes. It was unclear whether she was talking about Fengzhi or criticizing Zhang Yongxiang.

Zhang Yongxiang stood there, still smiling.

From Tang Zhitong's perspective, his uncle did not look embarrassed, nor did he smile awkwardly. Instead, he looked like a brother doting on his sister, and as long as his sister was happy, that was all that mattered.

(End of this chapter)