Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

The two little ones were clueless and didn't suspect anything until they entered their new house.

Xu Jian's eyes lit up with an alarming intensity. "Dad! Is this our home?"

Xu Dahai laughed heartily, “That’s right! This is our new home. Your mother is still running her stall. We plan to open the front shop after the New Year to sell clothes and stock up on more goods. The back is where we’ll live. We’ll go back to the village to visit some relatives during the Spring Festival and then come back. Remember, don’t tell anyone that we’re building a new house, or the villagers will keep asking us about it and then come back to ask us for money, which would be troublesome.”

The two children nodded vigorously and ran upstairs to see their rooms with cheers.

Then they went to the place where Lin Ying had set up her stall to find her mother.

From afar, you can see Xu Xinyi sitting obediently in the middle of the stall, holding a steamed bun in her hand.

Their hearts melted, and they rushed over, calling for their mother and sister.

Lin Ying's eyes lit up, "Wow! You've grown taller this year! Looks like you've been eating well at your aunt's!"

Xu Jian grinned and picked up his sister, spinning her around.

Xu Kang threw himself into Lin Ying's arms.

Lin Ying patted his head and continued to greet the guests.

Seeing that Lin Ying was very busy, the two brothers simply took their sister back with them.

A short while later, Lin Ying also packed up her stall and went home.

This is their first year living in their new home, so it's only right that they spend New Year's Eve here, and they should celebrate it in a very grand way.

When Lin Ying arrived home, she found Xu Dahai and his eldest son preparing New Year's Eve dinner in the kitchen, while his younger son played with his daughter in the backyard.

The backyard wall is over three meters high, the gate is tightly closed, and the ground is paved with bricks, so the two children can run and jump without fear of bumping or hurting themselves.

Lin Ying glanced at it, a smile unconsciously spreading across her face. She rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen to help.

The villagers of Xujia Village are also busy preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner.

Zhang Guizhi's face fell when she saw the dishes Wang Fengying had brought. "Sister-in-law, you said you'd celebrate the New Year together this year to make Mom and Dad happy, but there's not even a single meat dish. Who eats this kind of stuff during the New Year? You're not expecting me to prepare this, are you?"

"Da Chuan and I aren't as well-off as you guys. It's not appropriate for us to come here and try to freeload during the New Year!"

Wang Fengying didn't expect Zhang Guizhi to be so sharp-tongued, showing no mercy whatsoever. She felt embarrassed and aggrieved, her face flushing red. "Sister-in-law, I don't raise chickens or ducks on my side, I just grow some vegetables myself. I didn't mean to assume you had chickens and ducks readily available here. If you don't want to kill them, you can tell me in advance so I can prepare early. It's almost dark now, and there's nowhere to buy them."

Although Xu Dashan felt a little embarrassed, he still took the initiative to help his wife cover up the embellishments, saying, "We are saving money to buy a house in the city so that A-Jie can study there. We are really short of money."

Zhang Guizhi sneered twice, "Even if we're not well-off, we can't skimp on our parents' food! Brother, you've done a really bad job."

"Yes, yes, it was indeed our fault this time. We will definitely correct it next time." Xu Dashan's attitude of admitting his mistake was so good that Zhang Guizhi found it difficult to continue.

Wang Ximei looked at the vegetables, her face devoid of any smile, and sat there sulking.

Xu Dashan was embarrassed for a moment, then immediately changed the subject, "Mom, how about I go to the village and buy a chicken from someone?"

“It’s the Lunar New Year, everyone sells all the chickens and ducks they can, keeping only what they can eat themselves. Where are you going to buy them at this time?” Wang Ximei’s tone was full of grievance and heartbreak.

Xu Dashan was startled and gritted his teeth, saying, "I remember the second brother's family seems to raise quite a few. I'll go find him and buy some."

With that, Xu Dashan walked straight out of the yard. Wang Fengying tried to signal him with her eyes, but to no avail; she was almost driven mad with anger. They had only suggested eating here to save on the New Year's Eve dinner, but now they had to pay for the chicken themselves. If they had known this would happen, they would have preferred to eat at home!
Xu Dashan quickly arrived at Xu Dahai's house, only to find the house completely dark inside and the door tightly shut. He called out several times, but no one came to open the door.

They had no choice but to ask the neighbors, "Do you know where Dahai and his family went?"

The neighbors all shook their heads.

A woman who liked to join in the fun came out with her rice bowl and said in a carefree manner, "The other day, Dahai and his wife came back and killed a bunch of chickens and ducks. They said they wanted Dahai's sister-in-law to take them back to the city. I guess the whole family went to the city for the New Year."

Xu Dashan's face turned somewhat grim. "You mean Dahai killed all the chickens and ducks in the house and gave them all to his sister-in-law?"

The woman nodded. "That's right."

Xu Dashan returned to the old house with a dark face, carrying a large rooster weighing four or five pounds in his hand.

When Wang Ximei saw the chicken, her expression finally softened considerably. "How much did it cost?"

Everyone looked at Xu Dashan.

Xu Dashan didn't hide anything and said, "Three yuan."

"Hiss!" Wang Fengying gasped, gritting her teeth and cursing, "Is Second Brother desperate for money? He's selling you a chicken for three yuan! Are you out of your mind?!"

Wang Ximei was also furious. "I'm going to reason with the second son! I want to see just how heartless that ingrate really is!"

Xu Dashan grabbed Wang Ximei and said, "Mom, you don't need to go. The second son isn't home. His whole family went to the city for the New Year. I bought this chicken from Uncle Ma Zi. He wasn't willing to sell it to me. I had to raise the price to three yuan before he reluctantly let me catch it."

A New Year's Eve dinner can't be without any meat at all, so let's leave it at that!

Wang Ximei paused for a moment, then pressed on, "Wait a minute, if the second son's family goes to the city, what about all the chickens and ducks they keep at home? Can't you just go in and catch one yourself?"

Seeing his mother looking at him like he was an idiot, Xu Dashan became even more speechless. "They killed all the chickens and ducks a long time ago and had his sister-in-law take them to the city. They left nothing at home, it's quiet, and the front door is locked. How am I supposed to get in? What am I supposed to grab?"

Wang Ximei slapped her thigh hard in anger and cursed, "Ungrateful wretch! That bastard should just die! Ouch! My head is spinning!"

Xu Dashan didn't say anything, threw the chicken on the ground, and asked, "Who's going to clean this up?"

Wang Fengying was seething with anger and sat there motionless. Zhang Guizhi didn't want to do it either, but since the eldest son's family had already paid for the chickens, it was impossible for her to sit back and reap the benefits. She could only smile awkwardly and get busy.

The New Year's Eve dinner at the old house left everyone feeling uneasy.

In their brand-new, spacious, and bright house, Xu Dahai's family had a New Year's Eve dinner complete with seafood, chicken, duck, and pork.

Everyone was having a great time, and they were so happy and joyful.

They didn't return to their house in the village until after lunch on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

As soon as I opened the door, the woman next door came over and told me about Xu Dashan's visit last night.

The couple exchanged a glance, thanked the woman, and didn't inquire further out of curiosity.

Seeing that the couple didn't seem interested, the woman pouted and looked rather disheartened.

Xu Dahai visited several friends in the village and inquired about Xu Dashan's family situation. (End of Chapter)