A century of poverty

Chapter 71 Warm Care

That day, the third sister came back from work at the threshing ground and said, "The Liu family's condition has worsened, and neither of them went to work today."

Mom: "Really? I have to go see him after I finish eating. He's a sensible person with a kind heart. When we first arrived, we faced many difficulties, and he helped us a lot."

She hadn't returned all afternoon when it was time to make dinner. My third sister busied herself preparing dinner for the whole family. Just as it was time for bed, my mother came home. As soon as she entered the house, my grandmother said, "How strangely ill is Liu Zhen's family? You went there for half a day and still managed to sneak away."

Mother: "She's really sick, and it looks like she won't get better. She's been sick for so long, and there's a mountain of work to do at home. There are a bunch of boys in the family, and the two youngest are only ten years old. Ai-ling, who is married, is young and scared, and doesn't go out much. There's no one to take care of the patient and the children, and I can't bear to abandon them."

Zhang Ailing, Liu Zhenyi's eldest daughter-in-law, was the daughter of Dao Nan, Yin Huan's maternal family. Jin Hai, introduced by Yin Huan, became Liu Zhenyi's eldest daughter-in-law.

The patient was clearly on the verge of death, but would recover and live for a few more days. This cycle repeated several times, dragging on for more than a month. The mother cared for the patient from the Liu family until her own death.

With the winter vacation approaching, every family is busy twisting straw ropes and making straw bags.

Outside, piles of soaked straw lay on the floor. Inside, on the kang (a heated brick bed), picking straw and twisting rope took up at least half the space. The straw bags unloaded from the cart were only semi-finished products. They still needed to be laid out on the ground and the edges twisted. After twisting, they were folded in half to form a pocket shape, with one side extending half a foot. Then, a thick straw rope was coiled along the edge, and a needle was used to thread a thin string through the sew. Finally, the bag was trimmed smooth with scissors, and only then was a straw bag considered complete.

In this area, farmers rarely keep their houses clean throughout the year, except during busy farming seasons. This is because rope making is a labor-intensive task that requires consistent effort over time. During busy periods, they don't need to use bags; they can make ropes whenever they want. Making straw rope is a task that can be picked up and put down easily. The resulting rope is twisted into a large ball and set aside for later use.

Two blades of grass twisted together make a thin rope, six to eight blades of grass twisted together make a thick rope. A straw bag requires about four meters of thick rope, while a thin rope requires about seventy or eighty meters.

There is a wooden board with wire hooks on both sides, placed under the axle of a cart about the height of a person. Thin ropes are hung from it as warp threads, usually thirty-four ropes. Then, a half-heddle with corresponding holes is installed. The warp ropes are placed into the corresponding holes, and then the other half-heddle is installed, with a screw rod inserted and a cap tightened. This is called a movable heddle. There is also a fixed heddle, which cannot be separated. When hanging ropes on the cart, each rope must be threaded through the holes, the rope cut, and then a knot tied. This type of heddle is both time-consuming and wastes rope, and was later phased out.

When making the bag, hold the heddle in one hand and the straw in the other, while stepping on it with both feet. Press the heddle up and down to separate the warp ropes, and step on the ground to move the shuttle, bringing the straw back under the heddle. When the heddle falls, knock it down hard to make the straw bag tight and of good quality. If the knocking down is not strong enough, the straw bag will have holes, which is unacceptable.

This is a job that requires both hands and feet, quick reflexes, and a certain level of physical strength.

Once you get on the cart and get the rhythm right, people who know you can tell who's playing just by listening. You shouldn't stop unless there's a reason, because this job is strenuous and requires continuous work.

After finishing one bag, the warp cord is cut, the end of the cord is braided, it is rolled up and thrown aside, then the cord is hung up again, the heddle is put on and the work begins, one after another, the vehicle never stops except for meals and toilet breaks.

Having lived in Jinhai for over a year, we've all learned this skill. It not only increases our family income, but straw bags are also essential flood control supplies during the flood season. Both the team and the brigade support us, and the supply and marketing cooperative buys straw bags year-round, categorizing them into three grades: first grade 41 cents, second grade 30 cents and 80 cents, and third grade 30 cents and 50 cents, all settled in cash. Selling straw bags can cover our pocket money for the whole year.

My family also valued this side job, but my third sister didn't like it. She complained that the house, inside and out, on and under the kang (a heated brick bed), was covered in straw, making it look like a mushy mess. In her spare time, she would find some needlework to do, or if she couldn't find anything else, she would make some rope, so she wouldn't have to work on the cart.

Since the ropes had been collected in advance, and it was holiday time, someone was supposed to go on the bus to carry the bags. The right person was Fourth Sister, since everyone who went on the bus to carry bags was around the same age as Second Brother. She knew this in her heart, so she hesitated, scratching her right wrist with her left hand and rubbing her neck with her right hand, saying: "My wrist is itchy and my neck is itchy. I don't want to go."

Her mother criticized her: "Whenever you're asked to do something, either your head hurts or your bottom hurts; you're always trying to avoid work!"

The older brother continued, "All you do all day is talk nonsense."

Second brother: "I ate chicken neck, keep talking back and forth."

Mom: "Stop riding around like that, go do what you're supposed to do."

Fourth Sister, having gotten her way, started wiping her tears. Second Brother, squatting on the ground, twisted the edge of the bag while secretly laughing.

My father glanced at me; that was an order, and I had no choice but to comply.

Generally, the second brother would twist the edges and make thick rope, the eldest brother or father would sew the bags when they had time, and the youngest brother would make the rope.

I am very interested in new things. When we lived in the horse stable, my mother taught us how to do it, and we were willing to try it. We learned this trick long ago.

The bag cart: When we lived in Mahao, a fellow villager who now lives in Xiaoliujiatun and was from the same village as my family—the old woman of Wang Neiyun who originally lived in Wangzhuangtuo—was introduced to us by Liu Huaxin, and my father took me to buy it.

I'm usually the one who does the fighting, and I have to step in when it really matters. I'm so tired that I'm covered in sweat, and by the end of the day my back aches and my legs are weak. The bike is like mine; nobody ever offers to take over for me.

That year, after the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, my father announced that in the ten days or so before the New Year, whoever made bags could sell them and buy whatever they wanted.

This fueled my enthusiasm even more, and I worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, twisting ropes and making bags. My thumbs were rubbed raw by the grass, but I kept going. My fourth sister also worked hard, twisting ropes and eagerly getting on the truck to make bags. They helped with twisting the edges, sewing the bags, and so on, without taking a penny.

My third sister also put aside other work, but still diligently worked on the four tasks, twisting rope and making bags, without any enthusiasm. I was worried for her; at this rate, would she be able to buy clothes for the New Year? Probably only enough to buy a pair of socks!

By the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, my father and second brother had used a cart to push the straw bags to the supply and marketing cooperative to sell them.

I sold it for 25.8 yuan, my fourth sister sold it for 17 yuan, and my third sister only got 5 yuan. They gave us all the money when they got home.

I was so happy; I had never had so much money to myself before. I put the money into the small plastic bag that my second brother had bought for the clippers. The money was rolled up together, making the bag bulge. I clutched the little money bag, very excited. This money was enough to buy a new outfit, and more than enough to buy some snacks like peanuts and melon seeds.

Fourth Sister was also very happy; she had a good harvest, and seventeen yuan should be enough to buy a new outfit. Third Sister acted as usual, not in a hurry; the five yuan was the fruit of her labor.

The twenty-five yuan had been warm in my hands all day, but before nightfall, my father began to patiently work on my mindset.

He chuckled, "My dear daughter, you're the most capable! You've made so much money; you're the richest person this year. You can't even spend all that money on clothes, can you?"

Hearing this rare compliment, I felt a surge of joy. In my sleeping spot, I once again took the money out of my small bag and counted it: five five-yuan bills and a few steel plates.

"If only I had two ten-yuan tickets, why have five? They've stretched the little bag out." Saying this, he stuffed five more tickets into the little bag and then played with the four corners of the blanket.

Dad got to the point: "My youngest daughter is not only capable, but also has a high moral character. She spends all this money on herself and even gives five yuan to her third sister."

I realized that Dad was soliciting donations from me. I was unhappy, but I couldn't say anything. My third sister was right there, and I kept picturing her leisurely and carefree demeanor, while I was working hard.

My dad was still chuckling in my ear, coaxing and cajoling, "Look, look! It's here, it's here!"

With my third sister watching, I really had no choice but to reluctantly take the money out of my bag, pull out a five-yuan note, and give it to my third sister.

She took the money, turned around, and walked away. The fleeting smile on her face as she took the money struck me as ironic.

My excitement has vanished.

On the third day, my fourth sister and I went to Jinhai City to buy new clothes. We walked more than ten miles on the county road to the new factory, and then took a bus to the city.

I used to really like workwear fabrics, like a thick cotton-padded coat with creases, and maybe a pair of trousers, with the rest for a few other things. I wandered around the market for ages but couldn't find the style I wanted. I stopped in front of a stall selling large cotton-padded coats. The stall owner was a middle-aged woman with small eyes and thin lips. She said, "Where can I find that style? You won't find it anywhere! This blue cotton-padded coat of mine is an overcoat, one coat does the work of two. Try it on, if it fits, I'll sell it to you cheaper." As she spoke, she put the coat on me.

I said, "I don't like it. It's too big and the color isn't nice."

"What's wrong with it being a little bigger? You can wear it when you grow up. I sell it for over twenty yuan a month, but I'll sell it to you for the money."

I turned around to look for my fourth sister, wanting to hear what she had to say. But I couldn't see her anywhere; apparently, we'd gotten separated sometime during the day. I took out four five-yuan bills and handed them to the vendor. She took the money and said, "Just wear these!"

I said, "No, thank you." I took off my cotton-padded coat and put it on the stall, sorted out the remaining money, kept four cents for the bus fare, clutched the other four cents, picked up the coat and walked towards the station. I bought four cents worth of sunflower seeds next to the station. I went into the station, bought a ticket to Dagoubang, and went home with my new cotton-padded coat in my arms.

When I got home, my younger brother came over to look at the new cotton-padded coat I bought, and then looked at me and said, "This cotton-padded coat doesn't look good on you."

I didn't believe it. When I put it on, the baggy, big stand-up collar didn't look very good, so I took it off and put it in the box.

A little while later, my fourth sister came back. As soon as she entered the house, she showed us her new outfit: a green plaid shirt with a turn-down collar and old blue pants.

I said, "The clothes are alright, but the pants are a bit old-fashioned in color."

Fourth Sister: "I know, the coat cost ten yuan, the nice-colored pants cost eight yuan, and this one cost seven yuan, so this was all I could afford."

"Then how did you get back? Oh right, where did you go? I couldn't find you, so you came back by yourself. You didn't even keep an eye on what I bought!" I said.

Fourth Sister: "We were walking around the market when I saw Xia and Fei on the street. I talked to them and followed them. I remembered that I couldn't see you when you came. Fei bought my return ticket for me. I've run out of money."

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, we all wore new clothes and went to West Street to play. Fourth Sister went to find Xia and Xiaofei. Xiaofei and Fourth Sister are the best of friends. They have been sitting together ever since they came from the inside of the city.

I walked around in my newly bought padded coat, but no one said it looked good on me. This really made me lose confidence, and I spent the next few days feeling dejected. Then I thought, "The person who would look best in this coat is my second brother. Why don't I sell it to him, even at a discount?" But my second brother didn't have any money. A couple of days later, I gave it to him for free. Sure enough, it looked good on him; it suited him perfectly.

Letters from Zhang Yuexian, the boyfriend of the third sister, were mailed to the Da Liujia Brigade. Each time, someone from the sixth team would go to the brigade to bring them back and give them to the third sister.

The frustrating thing is that every letter had been opened and read, but no one was able to get any answers.

After a few exchanges, Zhang Yue first asked some inexplicable questions such as, "Who is that tall, burly, dark-skinned guy? How can you be two-timing me?"

Upon receiving such a letter, Third Sister was completely bewildered. Where did this 1.8-meter-tall young man come from? How could he be two-timing her?

The letter also mentioned that the recipient's name on the envelope had the character "跃" (yue) written as "月" (yue). Fortunately, everyone in the village recognized it, and the letter arrived, which made him very embarrassed.

That's even more impossible, because my third sister thought her handwriting was ugly, so she had my fourth sister or me write the envelope for her. How could we, junior high school students, write "跃" as "月"?

How could the correspondence between my third sister, who had only interrupted her schooling for three years, be commensurate with that of a high school graduate?

What's even worse is that every letter from my third sister was opened before I received it.

Their relationship is in trouble.

Father took the betrothal gifts they had received and returned them to the other party back in the pass.

My third sister is in a bad mood.

Every morning when I got up, my fourth sister and I went to school while she went to work. We both used the only comb we had to comb our hair. If she didn't like it, she would pinch my face.

I often get bruises on my face when I pinch the ground. I don't know why, but while other people's bruises go away in two or three days, mine take a week to go away.

When Qu came back to find us for school, the first thing he asked me as soon as we stepped onto the road at the main gate was, "Did you swear?"

I replied, "No!"

Qu Hui: "How come your cheek is bruised from being pinched?"

All I can say is, "If I didn't curse, I didn't curse. If you don't believe me, ask my fourth sister."

I couldn't explain, so I kept my grievances to myself.

She pinched me several times, and I spent the spring chill shivering with blue cheeks.