In the morning, when Bai Xue woke up, Bai Rushan was already up and tending the fire.
"Xiao Shan, why are you up so early?" Bai Xue quickly got out of bed and put on her shoes, asking her younger brother.
"I ate well and was full last night, so I woke up feeling energetic and ready to work!" Bai Rushan said with a smile.
"Good boy! Help your sister light up the stove later, I want to make porridge!" Bai Xue said as she left the room.
In the morning, she cooked sorghum porridge again. She took out a big twisted dough stick from the supermarket space, one for each person, to warm up.
Sorghum porridge with sweet twisted dough sticks and some small pickles made for a satisfying breakfast.
Zhang Yuan came by at eight o'clock, carrying all his rations.
Ten pounds of sorghum, eight pounds of cornmeal, plus five pounds of coarse grain.
"This is all I have for now. I'll find a way to get some fine grains and meat for the New Year!"
"Xiao Yuan, hurry up and eat, who cares about fine grains and meat, none of us can get that, it's all coarse grain porridge!" Wang Cuihua waved him over.
Because Zhang Yuan had saved Bai Xue's life before, the couple treated him particularly well.
Zhang Yuan smiled as he sat at the table, looking at the big twisted dough stick. His eyes flashed with recognition, but he calmly picked up a bowl to eat.
He knew this was definitely bought by that girl. The little girl's skills were not to be underestimated.
"Xiao Xue, you can ride my bike to the town from now on, or I can take you," Zhang Yuan said as he ate and looked at Bai Xue.
"Really? That would be great!" Bai Xue responded happily, "I need to go tomorrow!"
"I have something to do tomorrow too, so I can take you then! What time are you leaving? I'll come pick you up!" Zhang Yuan actually had no plans, he just wanted to spend more time with the little girl.
"No rush, nine o'clock is fine. I'll come to the youth center to find you! You don't have to come and get me!" Bai Xue said.
"Big sister, isn't Brother Zhang coming over for breakfast tomorrow? You can leave together!" Bai Ruchuan reminded her.
"Oh right! I forgot about that!"
"Yes, we can leave after breakfast, perfect! That's settled then!"
Bai Xue finished breakfast and took two pounds of sorghum, two pounds of cornmeal, ten yards of cotton fabric, and ten yards of coarse linen, along with needle and thread to Bai Dajiang's house.
Bai Dajiang had gone out early to collect firewood and wasn't home. The eldest daughter of the second family, fourteen-year-old cousin Bai Rumei, was in the yard feeding chickens.
Each family could raise three chickens; Bai Xue's family didn't have any because Bai Dahe's two sons had accidentally killed them.
"Big cousin, you're here! Come inside!" Bai Rumei quickly spotted Bai Xue entering the yard and greeted her with a smile.
"Xiao Mei, you're feeding the chickens? Is Auntie home? What about Xiao Yang and Xiao Yue?" Bai Dajiang had two daughters and one son: eldest daughter Bai Rumei, fourteen, second son Bai Ruyang, twelve, and youngest daughter Bai Ruyue, ten.
"Yes! Our three hens might be too cold to lay eggs, so I'm adding some dry straw to their nest. My mom is inside sewing soles, and Xiao Yue is helping! Xiao Yang went out with dad to collect firewood!" Bai Rumei said following Bai Xue, and they entered the house together.
The three children at Uncle's place were all very capable, even the youngest Bai Ruyue was learning to sew soles.
"Auntie..." Bai Xue called as she entered the room and walked inside.
"Oh! Xiao Xue, you're here? Come sit on the bed!" Bai Dajiang's wife, Wu Zhaodi, heard the voice and saw Bai Xue pushing the door open, and quickly invited her in.
Bai Xue didn't hesitate, putting the things she brought down, she took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed to sit?
"Xiao Xue, is your mom and the two kids doing well? How's your dad's injury? Auntie has always wanted to see your mom, but the eggs aren't ready yet…" Wu Zhaodi said somewhat embarrassedly.
"Everyone's doing well, my dad's injury is recovering nicely, he'll soon be able to have the stitches removed! My mom also has enough milk," Bai Xue said, looking at Bai Ruyue sewing soles "Xiao Yue is so skillful!"
"Big sister, am I sewing well? I just learned it!" The little girl was thrilled with the compliment.
"She quite enjoys sewing, unlike Xiao Mei, who doesn't like needlework," Wu Zhaodi said happily. "It's good your mom has milk now, otherwise the two babies would suffer!"
"Exactly, when my mom just gave birth, the grain took away her milk, with no milk, the two siblings were drinking rice water and crying every day!" Bai Xue said, picking up the scissors from the bed, though these scissors were quite blunt.
"By the way Auntie, here's the ten yuan Uncle gave me the other day, I'm here to return it!" Bai Xue put down the scissors and took ten yuan out of her coat pocket to hand to Wu Zhaodi.
"Did your dad exchange it for work points? Your uncle already exchanged it for work points, why rush to give back the money?" Wu Zhaodi refused the money, saying.
"No, it was Grandpa who exchanged it for us! To compensate for Third Uncle! Please take it, Auntie!"
Wu Zhaodi then accepted the money, "Your third uncle is so ruthless, beating his own big brother, it's a loss of humanity!" she said, putting the money in the cabinet.
"Auntie, I have another favor to ask," Bai Xue didn't respond directly.
"Oh? What's up?" Wu Zhaodi closed the cabinet door and turned to ask.
"My mom is in her confinement period, yesterday I bought ten yards of flawed fabric from the town that doesn't require coupons, to make clothes for my siblings. I'd like to ask Auntie to make them for us! But you seem busy…"
"Is that so? Alright, Auntie should finish sewing these soles soon anyway, and since I don't have a top for them yet, I'll make your clothes first!" Wu Zhaodi agreed without letting Bai Xue finish.
"Big sister, I can help you make them too!" Bai Ruyue offered.
"Go on and play, can you make clothes?" Bai Rumei scoffed at her sister's words.
"Hmph, if I don't know, I can learn!" Bai Ruyue tilts her little face, adorably.
"You can't use your cousin's clothing to practice, what if you ruin it! Just watch from the side!" Wu Zhaodi said gently.
"Auntie, here's the fabric and sewing materials, these few pounds of food are sent by Mom and Dad. It's year-end, they're worried you might not have enough food," Bai Xue took out the fabric, "This coarse linen is entrusted to me by someone I know in town to make bags, they said a pound-sized bag costs one cent each, a five-pound bag two cents each, if Auntie has time you can take up this work. I happen to be busy! My two sisters don't like doing needlework!"
"Oh, Xiao Xue, you should take the food back, everyone runs short on food, your family has more people, we can manage to get by! I'll take up the bag sewing work, it's perfect for some household supplement! It's thoughtful of big sister!" Wu Zhaodi knew this must be big sister thinking of her, otherwise, Xiao Yun and Xiao Xia also knew how to sew, why would it fall to her?
"Auntie, please take it! Even just for a meal of dry food for Xiao Yue's group is good, we have enough food! Two months' work points were deducted from Third Uncle for Dad! It's really your family that's struggling since Uncle exchanged work points for money, making it hard to have enough during food distribution!" Bai Xue forced the food into Wu Zhaodi's hands, she finally accepted them because her family was about to run out of food.
The mother-in-law just came yesterday to "borrow" five pounds of cornmeal! She said it was borrowed, but it never gets returned.