Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 485 Brothers and Sisters

In the rural areas of Northeast China back then, not many people ate meat in the summer. They would only eat it occasionally to satisfy their cravings because it didn't keep well and there were no refrigerators back then.

Xiaowei's family has to walk more than ten miles to buy meat, so they usually can't bear to spend the money. They usually buy meat in winter, hang it outside to freeze, and it can be stored for a long time. They also try to buy fatty meat to render into lard, and usually use the lard to cook dishes as if it were meat.

Xiao Wei said, "We're not strangers, sister-in-law, don't be so polite."

The sister-in-law looked at Zhang Wang and said, "Then I'll stew some more kidney beans, make some corn rice, and steam some buns, okay?"

In rural Northeast China, May and June are the lean months between harvests. The land has just been planted, and there are hardly any vegetables at home. During this time, every family just makes do.

The most common vegetable in Northeast China is kidney beans—early beans, late beans, purple beans, wheat beans, and stringless beans—available from the end of May until the beginning of October. Then comes chives, which grow back after each harvest, available from early spring until early autumn. Next is scallion. Most other vegetables are only available after July or August.

Only potatoes and soybean paste are available year-round.

Xiao Wei glanced at Xiao Hong and said to Zhang Wang, "I was so busy talking when I got out of the car that I didn't notice you coming in. The things I bought are still in the car." He turned and left the hospital, taking out the meat, fish, and vegetables he had taken from the hotel from the trunk of his car.

Upon entering the courtyard, he handed the items to his sister-in-law, saying, "I got these from the hotel near Guanmenshan Reservoir from the boss; I didn't take much." Zhang Wang said, "So what if you're back? Why bring anything? Here, take this and do this." He said this to his wife, and only then did his sister-in-law take the items.

Everyone went inside, and while the sister-in-law prepared the meal in the outer room, everyone sat down on the kang (heated brick bed) inside to chat.

Xiaowei and Xiaohong weren't familiar with Zhang Wang's wife. They were both in the county town when Zhang Wang got married. Moreover, there are many customs in rural Northeast China; men and women are generally quite reserved when it comes to contact. They're usually only familiar with each other if they're from the same village or grew up together. His wife is from an outer village.

"How's it going over there now? Everyone's saying you've made a big deal out of it," Zhang Wang asked, taking the cigarette from Xiao Wei.

Xiao Wei lit Zhang Wang's cigarette and said, "It's nothing big business, just a restaurant and food factory that the three of us run together. We've only been doing it for a few days."

Zhang Wang said, "It's no small feat to bring Uncle and Aunt to the city. Among us brothers, only your family's Dajun and you are successful now. They'll definitely make it in the future. The rest of us just farm the land. We can't afford to do anything else. We rarely see Uncle's two kids, they just work in factories. We can't count on them."

Xiao Wei asked, "How is Xiao Fu doing now?"

Zhang Wang said, "I've found someone, but I don't know if we can get married this year. He doesn't want to farm, and he's always running off to the small market. I don't know what he's up to. My fourth uncle's daughter is alright; I heard she's doing very well in school. We'll see what the future holds."

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "I'll go see your dad in a bit, and then I'll go sit with Fourth Uncle for a while. If Xiao Xiu can get into university, I'll take care of her."

Zhang Wang laughed and said, "That's good. It's really a struggle for Fourth Uncle's family to support them. We want to help, but there's not much we can do. We can do some work, but we don't have any money. What can you do with a few hundred yuan a year from the fields these days?"

Xiao Wei thought for a moment and said, "Brother, if you want to go out and do something, just go. Don't worry about money. I'll lend you some. You're only in your early twenties, you have plenty of time. Going out is better than staying at home to farm. Don't be afraid of the challenges."

Zhang Wang thought for a moment and said, "What can I do outside? I don't know anything except farming. I didn't go to school for long, and I don't know much. Going out would probably be a waste of time. I might even lose money and not be able to pay it back. Forget it. If you're willing to help me take care of my children when I have them in the future, that would be fine."

Xiaowei said, "I only studied for seven years, and I skipped more classes than I attended in fifth grade and those two years of junior high. Doing things has little to do with going to school. Besides, can't you learn on your own? I find time to read books whenever I have free time. You're more stable than me, so you can do it. You and your sister-in-law should discuss it. If you think it's feasible, go out and see what you want to do. If you don't know how, you can find a place to learn."

Zhang Wang said, "What can I do? How would I know what I can do? My mind goes completely blank when I think about it."

Xiao Wei said, "There are many things you can do. You can sell clothes, shoes, or stationery. As for crafts, you can make bread and cakes, or work as a chef. The city isn't as complicated as you think. Doing anything is better than farming."

Zhang Wang thought for a moment and said, "We don't know how to sell things. How can we sell them? We can't even find a place to get supplies. We'd probably get ripped off if we went out. Learning a trade is fine, but it costs money, right? And is there any guarantee that you'll be good at it once you learn it? It won't lead to disaster. Farming at home is better than nothing. We won't have to rely on others, we won't go hungry, and at least we'll have enough to eat. In the countryside, you don't need much money."

Xiao Wei thought for a moment and said, "How about this, after you harvest the land this fall, you and your sister-in-law go to Fengtian first. Go out and see what it's like. If you want to do business, I'll help you. If you want to learn a trade, you can learn it with me. Is that okay? There's a place to stay. Anyway, you'll be idle at home this winter. If it really doesn't work out in the end, you two can come back next spring."

Zhang Wang said, "Going out will cost money. Right now, your sister-in-law and I have a total of about a thousand yuan, and it will be gone once we spend it."

Xiao Wei rolled his eyes at Zhang Wang and said, "Why would you need to spend money at my place? That's bullshit. It's settled then."

Zhang Wang took a puff of his cigarette and said with his head down, "What about Xiao Fu? My second uncle is already quite unhappy that I'm living in this house. If you keep helping me like this, he'll cause trouble later."

Xiao Wei said, "If he can calm down, I'll help him. Is he even cut out for this? Why would I want to cause trouble? Just mind your own business. Why think so much? How old is he? If it's alright for you and your sister-in-law to stay over there, I'll let him live in this house. If he can settle down and farm for two years, I'll take care of him. But if he can't even farm, then forget it. I can't afford to take care of him."

Xiao Hong, who was talking to Chen Xiao and Geng Hui, turned her head and interjected, saying, "I'm annoyed with him too. At worst, Brother Wang can come to our factory and get a salary, which is better than farming. As for Zhang Fu, well, let's just forget about him. If he goes, he'll ruin our factory."

Xiao Wei said, "If things really come to that, as his brother, I definitely can't just stand by and watch. But not now. With his current personality, if I really send him to Fengtian, it would be harming him. Brother, let me tell you, even if you and your wife go there and establish yourselves, you can't get involved with Zhang Fu, understand? That's not helping him. He needs to be dealt with."

Chen Hui asked Xiao Wei, "Is that your older brother or younger brother? Is it as strange as you're making it sound?"

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "My aunt, who is Wang Ge's mother, died early, and my uncle remarried, she is Zhang Fu's mother. This kid, he's always been a show-off since he was a child, he can't study properly, he never does any work, and all he does is dream about getting something for nothing."

You know what? He learned to gamble, stole money from home, and when he couldn't steal anymore, he secretly sold the grain from our land without my uncle's knowledge. Pretty impressive, huh? My uncle had to borrow grain everywhere just to get through the winter. Couldn't someone like that make it to Fengtian (Shenyang)?

(End of this chapter)