Wang Lingling didn’t understand.
She had only taken a nap, yet when she woke up, everything at home had turned upside down.
When she opened her eyes and saw the pile of broken bricks and smashed tiles in the corner of the room, Wang Lingling was still dazed.
Wasn’t this Sanya’s room? How did she end up sleeping here?
Before she could figure it out, Li Chunjua pushed the door open and came in.
The door creaked loudly, and Li Chunjua had two bruises on her face, her whole appearance aged by four or five years.
“Erya, you’re awake? Still dizzy?”
“Not dizzy… Mom, how did I end up here?”
Li Chunjua’s face was full of sorrow, her eyes filled with hatred.
“It’s all because of Sanya! You don’t know, yesterday…”
Wang Lingling was shaken to the core. Her mother thought she had passed out because of Sanya, and now Sanya had smashed everything in the house. Then the brigade leader came and even sided with Sanya, giving her all their family’s belongings. Sanya was now holding the money and the grain…
Wang Lingling felt so stunned she almost collapsed back onto the bed.
Li Chunjua wiped away her tears and cursed venomously, “That damned girl, that bastard born with no asshole…”
Wang Lingling’s head was spinning. She suddenly grabbed Li Chunjua’s arm tightly and asked in a panic, “Did Sanya call the brigade leader on purpose yesterday?”
Li Chunjua sniffled and replied in a muffled voice, “That’s not it… I don’t know why the brigade leader came, but it probably wasn’t Sanya who called him.”
When the brigade leader arrived, Sanya had just carried Wang Lingling back and hadn’t gone anywhere.
“It must have been those gossipy old hags like Wu Guihua!”
Wang Lingling let out a breath of relief, while Li Chunjua resumed her cursing—filthy words spilling out in streams, to the point where Wang Lingling didn’t even want to listen.
“…Mom! I told you long ago to watch your mouth! Look at the mess you’ve made!”
She was still planning to arrange a marriage for Wang Ying! If things went sour with Wang Ying now, what good could come of it?
Li Chunjua looked wronged. “I was just… thinking for you two siblings.”
If she didn’t completely suppress Sanya, would that girl have obediently served their family like this?
What a pity… why didn’t that wretched girl just die?
Now she was holding the money and the house. Does a girl with no family line deserve to have money? A worthless girl like her, does she deserve to eat well?
Wang Lingling didn’t feel guilty in the slightest. At this moment, all she could think about was how to marry Zhao Jun. Her heart was already flying over to the Zhao family’s doorstep. Hearing her mother talk like this, her only worry was whether she could still keep Wang Ying on her side.
“Enough, stop talking!”
Wang Lingling flopped onto the bed. “Get me something to eat.”
She needed to think things through—what to do next.
“Make me a poached egg.”
Wang Lingling tried to calm herself down, but her head was still foggy. Ever since her rebirth, she had been burning the candle at both ends. Yesterday she hadn’t eaten anything and was so dizzy that a single piece of candy knocked her out.
Li Chunjua said miserably, “Where would we still have eggs? They all went to Sanya.”
Of the three chickens at home, one was a rooster and two were hens. One rooster and one hen had been given to Sanya. The dozen or so eggs they had saved were also priced out and given to Wang Ying. Their remaining hen hadn’t laid any eggs today.
Li Chunjua brought over a bowl of cornmeal porridge, so thin you could see your reflection in it.
“All that’s left at home is some cornmeal and sorghum flour, plus a few potatoes and corn cobs.”
Times were hard for everyone, but thankfully, their brigade was located in a good area near the mountains where they had some fruit trees. So although people weren’t full, at least no one starved to death.
But by the end of the year, there wasn’t much money saved. The crops just about fed them. A little land was set aside for growing vegetables—enough to fill their stomachs throughout the year.
The frustrating part was that Wang Ying had taken all the slightly valuable things, leaving them with only coarse grains and some vegetables from their plot.
Li Chunjua did the math in her head: if the whole family tightened their belts, they could last until the end of the year. At year’s end, the brigade distributed staple food. By then, they could sell the family pig and make a bit of money.
Wang Lingling looked at the unappetizing cornmeal porridge with disdain, her mind drifting once more to Zhao Jun.
Zhao Jun was in the military and didn’t spend much money throughout the year; most of it was sent back home.
If she could marry into that household, it wouldn’t be any worse than marrying Xu Shuang!
Wang Lingling finished the cornmeal porridge, and since Li Chunjua had to rush to work, she told her to feed the pig in the courtyard.
Wang Lingling casually agreed but immediately tossed the task aside.
Feed the pigs? So dirty and smelly—she’d just coax Sanya into doing it later.
It had to be said, Wang Lingling’s impression from her previous life was far too deep—so deep that she couldn’t adjust her mindset at all.
In her past life, she was used to seeing Wang Ying quietly working, always with the demeanor of a bullied little wife—meek and easy to push around.
At this moment, what was that “meek and easy to push around” Wang Ying doing?
She was standing in front of the state-owned restaurant, holding the 18 yuan, 6 jiao, and 5 fen and ten jin of grain coupons she had received in the division of family property.
The autumn wind was bleak, and Wang Ying only felt two leaves spinning behind her as they floated past.
…It wasn’t that she was being extravagant with money.
It was just that relying solely on her own skills was too hard.
Wang Ying gave herself a thorough mental pep talk before stepping into the shop.
The waitress leaning against the counter didn’t even lift her eyelids. That was just how things were these days—when you entered a shop, it was you who had to approach the staff. Expecting them to greet you with a “Welcome!” and come over was just not going to happen.
Wang Ying stared at the shop’s menu for a long time.
Yesterday’s meat buns were just too delicious—so good they haunted her dreams.
But eating the same thing all the time got cloying. Not cloying after just two meals, but after several in a row.
Wang Ying figured the shop wasn’t going anywhere, so she could come back for the meat buns later.
Today, she had a purpose.
Wang Ying did the math. The menu items were pretty basic: the meat dishes included braised pork, ribs, pig trotters, and roast chicken. The vegetarian ones were just a few common dishes, which could be served with noodles or rice. The top of the menu, in the largest print, featured meat buns, plain steamed buns, and dumplings.
All in all, not a large selection. Strangely, there were more meat dishes than veggie ones.
But that was normal—anyone coming to a state-run restaurant wasn’t here for the vegetables.
Wang Ying ordered braised pork with steamed buns. It cost two yuan and five ration coupons.
She held back her heartache and asked the server, “Can I get more of the braised sauce, and less meat? That’s fine.”
The server gave Wang Ying a surprised look. Who came to a state-run restaurant and didn’t focus on the amount of meat?
Some picky customers would even weigh their plates and accuse the shop of shorting them. That’s why there was a scale behind the counter—to deal with troublemakers.
But this girl was asking for less meat and more sauce?
Curious, the server went into the kitchen.
In the back, Xu Shuang was kneading dough. A white ball of dough was being rolled and shaped smoothly in her hands. Dark-colored filling sat off to the side of the prep table. Xu Shuang’s hands moved quickly, and in no time at all, a row of neatly folded dumplings appeared.
When the server poked her head in, Xu Shuang paused.
Even though the server was already married, she still couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her heart when she saw Xu Shuang’s looks.
“…One order of braised pork. More sauce, less meat. Two steamed buns.”
Xu Shuang nodded and turned to plate the dish.
The server, used to Xu Shuang’s quiet demeanor, chattered to herself: “Now this is rare. I’ve seen people ask for more meat, or a bigger bun, but this is the first time someone asked for just the sauce…”
Xu Shuang’s hand paused for a second as she ladled the sauce, then she scooped up a generous spoonful from the braising pot.
Normally the braised pork would be served on a plate. This time, Xu Shuang used a bowl instead.
The rich, dark-red broth shimmered, with floating bits of Sichuan peppercorns, chilies, star anise, and other spices.
When the server took the bowl, it made her hand sink a little. “Whoa, that’s a hefty portion.”
Xu Shuang said, “I gave one less slice of meat.”
The server said, “One slice of meat for half a bowl of sauce? That’s a bad trade.”
One big slice of meat in exchange for half a bowl of soup—anyone would call that a foolish deal.
The “fool” Wang Ying was sitting inside the shop, eagerly awaiting her food. When she saw the server bringing the dish over, she jumped up to receive it.
The big bowl of braised pork released a wave of fragrance that went straight to her head.
Wang Ying swallowed involuntarily. In the bowl, a few large pieces of braised pork floated like icebergs on the sea.
Glassy, gelatinous pork skin, about a finger thick, interlaced with strips of reddish-brown lean meat—each piece neatly arranged. Just looking at it made your mouth water.
Wang Ying unceremoniously tore open a steamed bun, stuffed two juicy pieces of pork inside, closed it, and took a big bite.
The rich aroma of the meat overwhelmed her senses!
This pure, unadulterated meat flavor wasn’t diluted by any vegetables!
Wang Ying felt like she was about to cry—it had to be this way!
Fluffy steamed buns paired with big hunks of meat—there was nothing she’d trade for this right now!
The server stood dumbfounded, watching Wang Ying stuff her face with big bites of meat. Watching her eat made her hungry too.
She thought, I see this braised pork every day. I’m used to the smell, and it doesn’t even tempt me anymore. So why do I suddenly feel so hungry?
Was it because she hadn’t eaten meat in too long?
Maybe I should buy one yuan’s worth to take home after work…
While she was still mulling that over, Wang Ying had already finished her meal and cleaned the table.
Wang Ying wasn’t much of a talker while eating—she was completely absorbed in the food. She ate at a steady pace and didn’t leave a single scrap behind. Just looking at her made other people feel hungry.
She let out a satisfied burp—now this meal hit the spot.
Yesterday’s meat buns with Wang Lingling had been disrupted halfway through, so she hadn’t enjoyed them properly.
And the preserved meat noodles for dinner were shared with a big group. She’d only gotten five or six pieces, and the auntie helping cook had a steady hand—just enough for a taste of oil and meat.
But today—today was satisfying!
Big chunks of braised pork, soft white steamed buns, and no annoying people nearby. The comfort extended all the way down to her stomach.
Wang Ying leaned back in satisfaction. Behind the counter, the server waited for her to leave so she could clear the table.
This was the middle of the workday. Most townspeople were at work. Just a few came by to buy braised pork or pig trotters to take home for a special meal. Wang Ying was the only one sitting in the shop.
As she got up, the server naturally prepared to come over and clean the table.
But Wang Ying didn’t leave, as the server had expected.
Instead…
The server froze in place.
She watched with wide eyes as Wang Ying pulled an aluminum lunchbox from her coat and began pouring the leftover braised soup from the table into it—gulp, gulp, gulp.
