Struggle Life in the 1970s

Some people rushed home after picking the fish heads and bones, while others walked back quietly after picking them, wanting to wait and see what would happen next.

Chu Ye stared at those who had not left, so he acted as if he was not speaking. "Two yuan for a pound of fish balls, it sounds expensive, but think about it carefully, everyone knows how our fish balls are made, there is nothing fake about it, the quality is absolutely good, healthy and delicious."

She glanced at the workers' expressions and turned up the heat, "We have children at home. They may not spit out fish bones, and they get stuck every time they eat fish. The family members are worried and scared. Buy these fish balls for them to eat. They are nutritious and don't have to worry about them getting stuck in their throats."

"There are also elderly people at home who have weak teeth and cannot eat hard food. You can cook our fish balls for a little longer to soften them. Then they will have no problem eating them."

There is no need to explain how delicious these fish balls are. Even if you just boil them in water in the afternoon, they are so delicious that you want to lick the bowl. Not to mention how delicious they will be when you take them home and add salt and chives to them.

It's just the price that really makes people hesitate.

"Our price of two dollars a bag is only for today. I have to go out to sell fish balls tomorrow. By then, the price will be a solid two dollars and fifty cents a bag. It won't be cheaper at all." Chu Ye said, and the rest depends on their choice.

After the workers whispered to each other, one of them pushed through the crowd and generously slapped two dollars on the table, "Okay! Give me a bag!"

"Okay!" Chu Ye responded, grabbed the money in his hand and ran happily to the back of the house. Mu Jiajun came over with two very considerate hands full of bags, and Chu Ye took the opportunity to grab a few more plastic bags.

"Here, big brother, these are our fish balls. I'll give you another bag. You can put fish heads and other things in it. Go back and make soup for your family. It's good for your health!" Chu Ye handed the things over with both hands, and his words were very generous.

"Okay! Thank you, boss. I won't be polite then." The big brother didn't hesitate. He strode out with the fish balls in one hand and the plastic bag in the other.

"Hey, boss, give me one bag too." Someone else spoke up and handed over two dollars from his salary.

Chu Ye’s smile grew wider and he handed the thing over.

"Hey! Didn't you say this afternoon that the taste wasn't very good? Why are you paying for it now?" The man turned around with the bag to put the fish head in, and someone laughed and teased him from behind.

"What do you know? You see this food is delicious but you are not willing to pay for it. I'll kill you!" The man did not take such unpleasant words to heart and fought back immediately.

"Who are you calling stingy? Being stingy is better than saying one thing in public and doing another. Who else are you looking down on?" The man was very angry. After he finished talking, he turned his head and looked at Chu Ye. His eyes fell on the fish balls on the table. He swallowed his saliva, gritted his teeth and took out money from his salary, "Boss, give me a bag too!"

"Okay!" Chu Ye quickly took the money from the man, then handed over the fish balls with a smile.

"Boss, I want one too."

"Boss, give me one bag too. I'll take it home and let the kids try it."

"It's a bit expensive, but it tastes really good. Who cares? It's Chinese New Year, so let's have a good meal!"

Those who were originally hesitant also took out their money to buy. Chu Ye was almost unable to collect all the money. Mu Jiajun stood aside very considerately and took the responsibility of handing things to people.

Although people felt very painful when paying, they were actually very happy when they got the fish balls. Especially when everyone was carrying a plastic bag full of fish heads and bones, and they were rushing home in groups. Their expressions showed that they wanted to go home and make delicious food as soon as possible.

After the people left, the two of them cleaned up the fish pond briefly and covered the table with plastic sheeting. The fish heads, fish bones and other things had to be put aside for the time being, and wait until the weather was better before drying them and grinding them into powder to feed the fish.

After finishing all this, Mu Jiajun was responsible for moving the packaged fish balls into the cold storage, while Chu Ye cleaned all the basins, filled half of them with water and placed them outside the house to freeze.

After finally finishing all the work, they were both so tired that they collapsed on the bed and didn't want to move. It was already dark outside, and the wind was hitting the door, like a distant guest coming uninvited.

Chu Ye casually pulled the corner of the quilt to cover herself. She originally wanted to talk to Mu Jiajun, but her eyelids were not able to hold up. It felt as if a huge stone weighing a thousand pounds was placed on them, and it was getting heavier and heavier. Her brain was about to drift away when a rumbling sound echoed in the room. Chu Ye woke up with a start and subconsciously covered her stomach. She smelled the fragrance of porridge from her nose, and she looked up and looked around the room.

Mu Jiajun had been standing by the pot without knowing when. Perhaps he felt that the coat was cumbersome when cooking, so he was only wearing a shirt and a tight apron around his waist. The light fell on him, outlining his lean and strong back. White mist slowly floated out of the pot, and the whole room was filled with the tempting aroma of rice. Chu Ye's stomach was growling with greed.

Mu Jiajun turned his head quietly, met Chu Ye's eyes, and said in a tone full of indulgence, "Wait a little longer, the porridge will be ready soon."

"Yeah." Chu Ye nodded, and the sleepiness she had just felt disappeared. Looking at the man cooking seriously, a strange and ambiguous feeling surged in her heart, and she inexplicably wanted to hug him.

Thinking of this, she pushed away the quilt and got up from the bed, one step, two steps, three steps, stood still and looked up. Mu Jiajun must have always had the habit of fitness. Although he looks tall and thin, only by real contact can you know that he has hard muscles under his clothes.

Then she stretched out her arms and hugged Mu Jiajun's waist like a little bear hugging a tree, and then slowly tightened them until her entire face was pressed against his back.

Mu Jiajun's whole body stiffened the moment she put her arms around his waist. The girl's slightly high body temperature ran along their tightly pressed skin and burned onto his body through his clothes. They were clearly two soft and thin arms, but at this moment they seemed like poisonous snakes that could take his life. Mu Jiajun swallowed and tried to act more natural in the shadow where Chu Ye could not see.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Mu Jiajun steadied his voice and asked gently. "No, I just miss you so much." Chu Ye's voice was muffled, and no emotion could be heard.

Mu Jiajun held the spoon and stirred gently along the edge of the pot. When the porridge was almost cooked, he turned off the heat and covered the pot.

He slowly turned around in Chu Ye's restraint. The warmth that was originally branded on his back now fell on his chest. He returned the hug and held her tighter.

"I'm not always here." After saying that, he kissed Chu Ye on the forehead and coaxed her softly, "Let's eat first. Don't go to bed hungry. It's not good for your stomach."

He didn't wait for a reply, but the furry head expressed its opinion in his chest. She nodded continuously, and Mu Jiajun's heart beat along with her.

Today's dinner is salty fish porridge with a few meatballs in it. The white rice is cooked until soft and mixed with green chopped green onions, which is very appetizing.

Chu Ye drank two bowls in a row and was about to scoop the third bowl when Mu Jiajun reached out to stop him, "Don't eat too much at night, otherwise your stomach will feel uncomfortable. If you like it, I'll make it for you tomorrow."

His tone was gentle, but his hands were moving in a way that brooked no rejection, and he held the spoon tightly and refused to let go.

Chu Ye glared at him, but Mu Jiajun remained unmoved. In the end, she was the one who gave in. Mu Jiajun smiled again and reached out to touch her head as if to comfort her.

The wind outside had unknowingly grown stronger, and there was a faint sound of rain falling to the ground.

The cold wave has not ended yet, but for Chu Ye, this is no longer bad news.

After Mu Jiajun finished his housework, they lay down on the bed with their clothes on. Chu Ye remembered what he wanted to say when he was tired before, "Jiajun, I feel like I shouldn't have asked you to do those chores today."

Although he was not asked to do this job, Mu Jiajun always took care of him in every aspect, and it was he who took the initiative to take on the heavier and more tiring work today.

In the afternoon, she saw Mu Jiajun and the group of strong men coming back. He was the thinnest among the group. His face was red as he sat there eating fish balls, and there were red marks on the palms of his hands. She felt distressed and guilty at the time, but because she was in front of others, she didn't say too much.

At this moment, she slowly groped for Mu Jiajun's palm, and her fingertips unconsciously wandered around his palm, trying to find traces of the day.

However, what she didn't notice was that as her fingertips slid across, Mu Jiajun suddenly tightened his breathing, and a flame quietly ignited. His knuckles trembled slightly, and he didn't tolerate the alluring flame running around. He clasped Chu Ye's five fingers with his backhand, and intertwined their fingers, hiding under the quilt.

"I'm willing to do anything for you, let alone at a time like this? I blame myself for not exercising hard enough and not catching enough fish today." Mu Jiajun murmured softly, with the power to calm people's hearts.

Chu Ye's eyes became hot and the sourness in her heart choked her throat again. Almost subconsciously, she leaned her whole body into Mu Jiajun's arms and buried her face in his chest. Only when she smelled the soapberry scent on his body did she feel truly at ease.

Mu Jiajun noticed her mood change, stroked her hair with his other hand, and comforted her softly.

"I just think you're so good to me." A murmur came from the chest, mixed with the beating of the heart.

"That's because you deserve it. You don't even know how shining you are." Mu Jiajun replied softly in her ear. A lover's sincere words are better than all the confessions in the world.

Chu Ye's face turned red to the tips of her ears. Mu Jiajun felt an intense heat in his chest, which quickly spread to his whole body. Mu Jiajun was so hot that his palms were sweating.

But even so, the two people who were holding hands did not let go. Under the corner of the quilt, the two hands were wet, hot, and entangled, but no one let go.

After a while, Chu Ye finally felt the heat on her face fade away. She calmed herself down and asked, "How long can you stay this time?"

Mu Jiajun kissed her on the forehead and said, "There's nothing to do at school. Just go back sometime and submit some documents. There's no rush for those things."

"Really? Don't lie to me." Chu Ye raised her head slightly from his arms, with stars in her eyes.

It's like a cute rabbit, with a furry head popping out from his arms, and then its two rabbit ears standing up, and a pair of round eyes staring straight at him, with an honest look as if to say, "I'm not well-educated, so don't lie to me."

Mu Jiajun couldn't hold back any longer, and lowered his head to kiss her eyelids. The scent of soapberry filled the air, and Mu Jiajun whispered, "I'm not lying to you. I've always remembered what you said. I must finish my studies well and not let myself down."

It was as if fireworks were exploding in his heart. Chu Ye lowered his head silently, then pulled the quilt over them and said, "Go to sleep!"

"Okay, good night." Mu Jiajun hugged the person in his arms with one hand, reached out and pressed the switch. With a gentle "click", the only light in the room went out, followed by two long breaths, intertwining with each other. No matter how windy and rainy it was outside, the years inside the house were quiet and peaceful.

(End of this chapter)