Volume 1, Chapter 45: Such Fragrant Rice

The other children likewise cast looks of deep admiration. Although supplies were scarce and required careful budgeting, their household already had plenty to eat and drink, along with a generous stockpile of coal.

Despite their father's daily nitpicking, at least he ensured they would not go hungry.

Yan Bugui ladled out a bowl of thick rice gruel with great satisfaction and declared, "Life has to be lived this way—you must budget meticulously and seize the right opportunities! Look around our courtyard; which family is as well-prepared and as calm as we are? Who else has the calculation skills of your father?"

"Eldest son, make sure to use the coal sparingly too. This is all money! What we save might even be sold to others at a high price later!"

Hearing this, Yan Jiedeng, who had just been basking in self-praise, immediately let his expression sink.

"Dad, isn't this going too far? It's getting colder by the day, and we honestly won't survive without burning more coal!"

"I don't care. Times like these call for thrift, otherwise where are good days supposed to come from?"

"Sigh!"

Families braved the biting wind as they headed toward the steel rolling mill or their respective workplaces, and Su Jianshe was no exception.

However, bundled up warmly, he was largely unbothered by the chill. With his mastery of Bajiquan, his physique was exceptionally strong, and combined with his newly purchased winter garments, after walking just a few steps, he actually felt a bit warm.

Third Uncle Yan Bugui didn't ride his bicycle today, but no one mocked him. The moment anyone opened their mouth, the piercing wind rushed in, making the cold deeply unpleasant.

When they finally reached the entrance of the steel rolling mill, everyone froze in astonishment.

Several burly men stood against the freezing wind in front of a massive blackboard covered in writing.

Someone nearby began to read aloud the notice: "Notice: Due to the severe cold weather causing inconvenience to workers' lives, and challenges posed to the factory's machinery which are unfavorable for operations, a holiday is hereby declared and work is temporarily suspended..."

Before the words fully faded, the surrounding employees erupted into a chaotic uproar.

"What is going on? Why are we suspended? I was counting on this pay to buy coal! My entire family depends on this money!"

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Go home and get money to buy food! Since even the factory is shut down, this cold wave might be severe, and prices are bound to soar!"

"This is truly disastrous. With factories shutting down, won't vegetable prices skyrocket? How are we supposed to live?"

"What are you standing around for? Old Li, hurry home and stock up on food, or what will we eat!"

People shouted anxiously, rushing back toward their homes completely disregarding the bitter cold.

Perhaps the workers at the steel rolling mill were somewhat simple-minded, but they were certainly not fools.

If even the steel rolling mill was suspending operations, it showed just how severe this cold wave truly was.

They might be confined to their homes for the next several days.

Yi Zhonghai arrived hurriedly, staring with a gloomy expression at the notice on the blackboard before rushing back home.

Though he had grain at home, he dared not buy more; this situation genuinely alarmed him.

Liu Haichou had already rushed back home and even dispatched his sons to gather firewood in the woods.

As for himself, he grabbed a sack and bolted toward the supply and marketing cooperative.

This was a matter of life and death.

Only Su Jianshe rubbed his hands together, looking at the notice on the blackboard with a hint of excitement.

"Looks like I can sleep in for the next few days and won't have to wake up early!"

Before Su Jianshe even returned home, a system prompt rang in his ear.

"Ding! Would you like to check in?"

"Yes!"

Su Jianshe had no desire to linger. The wind was fierce, and even with his robust physique, he had no wish to freeze.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining one hundred bags of premium rice, ten kilograms per bag!"

One ton of rice! And premium rice produced by the system at that!

Su Jianshe felt a surge of excitement, speeding up his pace toward home while shifting part of his attention to the system space.

Inside the system space, bags of rice were piled high, packaged individually in white plastic bags labeled with the word "Premium."

"I wonder how this rice tastes. I'll go home and cook a bowl to try. Since I have nothing else to do for the next few days, it's a good time to practice my cooking skills!"

Carrying the joy of owning one ton of rice, Su Jianshe hummed a little tune on his way home.

Compared to Su Jianshe, life was far from easy for the others.

The courtyard was in a state of panic as residents hurried toward the supply and marketing cooperative, terrified of missing their chance to shop. Rumors even circulated that temperatures were about to drop further, after which heavy snow would seal the doors, making shopping an impossible dream.

"Second Aunt, please lend us some money!" Qin淮如 pleaded tearfully, almost kneeling at the doorway of the Second Uncle's house.

However, Second Aunt's expression remained cold, insisting that there was no money in the house. While using tattered cloth strips to block the drafty cracks, she sneered at Qin Huairu: "Qin Huairu, you know very well what our family's situation is. The meals at your house these past two days have been much better than ours, with meat and vegetables at every meal."

Over the years, Second Aunt's family had taken care of the Jia family, yet they had never received the slightest bit of reciprocity in return. Now that the bitter cold was approaching, their household was large, and even basic subsistence had become a problem—how could they possibly lend money to Qin Huairu?

Qin Huairu was not the first person to seek a loan from Second Aunt. She had originally planned to try her luck at Yi Zhonghai's house, but Yi Zhonghai, worried he wouldn't be able to carry back whatever he managed to purchase, had gone with First Aunt directly to the supply and marketing cooperative, leaving Qin Huairu with an empty trip.

As for Third Uncle Yan Bugui's family, Qin Huairu had never even considered them. Who in the courtyard didn't know that the Third Uncle was a master of calculation? She worried that the moment she asked to borrow money, he would demand repayment of past debts.

"Qin Huairu, it's not that I don't want to lend you money; the household is truly scraping the bottom of the barrel. With the bitter cold about to hit, prices are bound to skyrocket, and we don't even know what we'll be eating ourselves!" Second Aunt said as she slammed the door shut, locking Qin Huairu out.

As for the others...

Qin Huairu seemed lost in thought, biting her lower lip hard as she walked straight back home.

"The moment that old fogey Yi Zhonghai gets back, I'll make him instigate the whole courtyard into taking up a collection for us!"

"If worst comes to worst... I'll let him take a small advantage of me!"

Thinking of Banggen, Xiaodang, the burdensome invalid bedridden, and the freeloading Jia Zhangshi, a wave of confusion washed over Qin Huairu's heart.

Walking back through the middle courtyard, she didn't notice someone quietly watching her from the room behind.

"Sister Qin!" Silianzhu witnessed Qin Huairu going from door to door asking for loans, clenching his fists in a desire to help her through the crisis.

Yet, his own pockets were empty, and he probably couldn't even afford ten catties of flour.

"I need money!"

"Only money can save Qin Huairu!"

With that thought, Silianzhu shifted his gaze toward the back courtyard.

Elsewhere, Su Jianshe asked Chu Yan, "Xiaoning, is there a market nearby? With the weather turning colder, I'd like to stock up on some food."

Although he possessed the system and lacked nothing for food and clothing, he had no intention of revealing this to anyone, including Chu Yan. This was a major matter; casual disclosure could breed unpredictable complications.

"A market? Yes, there is. Mom mentioned that there is a pigeon market to the east—that's a free market!"

"The vegetables and meat sold there are produced locally by nearby farmers themselves. Though prices are slightly higher, the quality is top-notch."

Su Jianshe nodded in acknowledgment, though he had no intention of going immediately. At this moment, there probably weren't any goods left to buy, and even if there were, they would likely have been snapped up already. He planned to visit later; whether he managed to buy anything or not, once he retrieved items from the system space, who would ever know?

He leaned back comfortably on the sofa, warmth filling the room. The rice pot was simmering, releasing a rich, mouthwatering fragrance.

The only regret was:

"If I only had a television to keep me company, life would feel even more like my past world."

Outside the courtyard, someone shouted, "First Uncle is back!"

Yan Bugui carried a fishing rod over his shoulder, wrapped so tightly he looked like a mummy, hoping to try ice-fishing to satisfy his cravings.

Just as he stepped over the threshold, he bumped into Yi Zhonghai returning with a displeased expression. Yan Bugui felt a surge of secret triumph and smugness.

"Ha! You still have to look to me!"

Yi Zhonghai gave a brief, perfunctory nod in acknowledgment. First Aunt, trailing behind him with an equally sour look, followed him directly inside.

The empty sacks in their hands revealed that Yi Zhonghai's expedition had yielded nothing.

Shortly after, Liu Haicheng also returned home looking as gloomy as the bottom of a wok.

"It's all over. The supply and marketing cooperative is out of stock, the pigeon market is the same, and prices are outrageously high!"

Mentioning those exorbitant prices left Liu Haicheng burning with indignation.

He had intended to spend fifty yuan on supplies, only to find that meager sum couldn't even trade for a dozen bags of rice, let alone leave money to buy coal to keep the family alive through the bitter winter.

Soon, other residents of the courtyard returned one after another, everyone wearing gloomy expressions.

Only Yan Bugui smiled, relaxed and content, carrying his fishing rod toward the pond near the courtyard.

"How's the luck today? With grain in reserve, the heart is at peace. The art of ice fishing lies in simple bait and a fierce cast..."

Hearing this, the already wretched expressions of the crowd twisted further.

Grain shortages were a matter of life and death.

Likely, the entire courtyard was about to plunge into desperate straits!

Right at that moment, a rich aroma of cooked rice drifted through the air, piercing everyone's nostrils like an invisible hand, causing mouths to water and eyes to snap unanimously toward Su Jianshe's house.

"Such fragrant rice! What is Su Jianshe's family eating?!"

"Should I chip in some money and buy a little from Su Jianshe? We live in the same courtyard; he won't be completely heartless!"

"Forget it, you know what a miser Su Jianshe is!"

"Forget it, let's hurry home and cook. We can check the supply and marketing cooperative again later; maybe when fewer people are around, prices will drop a bit."

"Then I'll go to the black market in the afternoon. If you guys see anything cheap at the cooperative, buy some for me, and I'll pay you back when I get back."

"Fine, if you find anything cheap to eat on the black market, bring me some too."

The courtyard was shrouded in an atmosphere of gloom.

At dinnertime, people ate while sighing continuously.

The aroma of Su Jianshe's rice drifted far and wide, making everyone's hearts itch with envy.

The stove fire in the Third Uncle's house flickered weakly, the coal running so low it looked as though it might extinguish at any second.

In the afternoon, within the courtyard, the cold wind grew fiercer and temperatures plummeted further.

The residents returning from the supply and marketing cooperative and the black market wore no signs of shopping satisfaction; instead, every single one of them was furrow-browed, some even turning green with anger.

"Those prices are simply outrageous!"

"Yeah, we spent a fortune just to buy this tiny bit of stuff. So infuriating!"

"It's so cold, we'll still have to figure out a way to get a new quilt."

Even though everyone carried bags home, it was evidently insufficient to withstand the oncoming severe cold.

"What are we going to do? When the cold wave hits, next year's crops will definitely suffer. Vegetables will fail, and prices will rival meat!"

Families with children were even more anxious, as tuition fees would soon become another crushing burden.

How they wished school would just suspend classes, otherwise sending children out to study in this freezing weather was pure torture.

After a brief exchange, the crowd dispersed to their respective homes.

Several young people, after discussing amongst themselves and realizing that prices at surrounding cooperatives and all commercial outlets were shockingly high, abandoned the idea of looking elsewhere.

Many secretly resolved to tighten their belts and live frugally from then on.

Cooking smoke rose lazily as the sounds of meal preparation drifted through the courtyard once again.

Yet today, the aromatic output from the stoves was noticeably weak.

A closer look would reveal that everyone's meal portions in the courtyard had drastically shrunk.

Over at Second Uncle Liu's house:

"Our family's situation is just like this. You two need to contribute more money so the household has surplus cash for food! Coal, seasonings—doesn't everything cost money? Look at you two, all you know is eating, nothing like your older brother!"

Liu Guangtian and his brother ignored him entirely, picking up their bowls and digging in with large mouthfuls.

With prices skyrocketing, the money in their own pockets was barely enough to keep themselves alive; how could they possibly hand it over?

Seeing his sons remain silent, Liu Haichou slammed his chopsticks down in a fury and stormed off with his hands clasped behind his back.

"What use are you two?! Look at how you've angered your father—stop eating!"

Second Aunt rushed out, wanting to chase them away.

Yet the brothers had already finished eating, and looking for an excuse to slip away, they capitalized on the moment to retreat to their respective rooms.

"How are we supposed to live like this!"

Gazing at the leftover food on the table, Second Aunt sighed; the household grain was running critically low.

And prices kept climbing.

Over at the Yan family:

Yan Bugui was still holding forth at the dining table, imparting his philosophy of calculation to his children.

This time, the children showed no disdain, listening instead with intense focus.

They had heard while out gathering firewood that many households in the courtyard were already unable to put food on the table.

"Dad, when I grow up, I want to learn from you how to calculate everything!"

The third son wore an expression of sincere admiration.

"That's right. Let me tell you, life must be lived this way. If you don't calculate, you're bound to suffer poverty."

"Right, eldest son, times are tough now. Don't rush off to sleep later; take your younger siblings outside and gather some firewood to bring back."

At this point, the second son, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke up: "Dad, what about you?"

Yan Bugui replied with complete confidence, "I naturally need to rest up and keep my spirits high so I can continue fishing tomorrow. Don't you guys want to taste delicious fish soup and fish meat?"

"Fine." The children drew their hands into their sleeves, bowing their heads to finish the half-bowl of coarse grain flour before them.

Over at the Jia family, Jia Zhangshi flew into a rage, snapping at Qin Huairu: "Qin Huairu, didn't you say Silianzhu was going to send money to our house? Where is the money? It was all your stupid idea, which is why our family still hasn't managed to buy any food. The cold wave is about to strike—are you trying to freeze me and Dongxu to death so you can remarry?"

She glared at the coarse flour and salted vegetables on the table, her face turning leaden. In the past, their household enjoyed meat and vegetables at every meal. Now reduced to salted vegetables, how could she possibly accept it?

Qin Huairu said helplessly, "Mom, just bear with it for now. Every household in the courtyard is struggling right now; even if I went to borrow money from Silianzhu, he might not necessarily give it. Besides, the cold wave is coming, and their family doesn't have much food either."

Qin Huairu knew very well why Silianzhu's family didn't have food stores. She had found out a few days ago when Banggen smuggled grain home. Knowing was one thing, but stopping it was another. To this day, she still hadn't stopped Banggen.