BXBX NOVEL Chapter 209 - 209: Something Bothering Him
Upon hearing this, Xiao Li said, “That works out perfectly. Your wife probably isn’t in the mood to cook at noon. Why not bring your family over to my place for a meal? 1 just traded some wild vegetables for meat tickets and cut some pork for lunch. I was actually planning to invite you.”
Jiang Chuan glanced at the time, realizing it was almost noon. Earlier, he had been so engrossed in thoughts about Jiang Gu’s abilities that he forgot to check the time.
Although he initially wanted to decline the offer, he sensed that Xiao Li had something on his mind. Given that it seemed to require a more detailed conversation, he readily agreed.
“Alright, just wait a moment. Your sister-in-law’s elder brother brought over some pork yesterday, and we had leftovers from last night. I’ll bring them over; once warmed up, they’ll still make a good dish.”
“Okay then, I’ll head back and wait for you,” Xiao Li said, then left.
Jiang Xia watched Xiao Li’s slightly stooped figure walking away and said to her father, “Dad, Uncle Li definitely has something bothering him.”
“If you’ve noticed, do you think I haven’t? I’ll ask him about it during lunch,” Jiang Chuan responded.
Zhou Lan knew of Xiao Li’s family’s circumstances. During these times, most families were short on food, certainly not as well-off as theirs. So, she decided to bring more meat and wild vegetable pancakes, as well as the meat sauce she had prepared earlier.
By the time they arrived, Xiao Li had already set the table.
The room was modest, with mismatched dishes, and not a complete set to be seen. Before Jiang Chuan’s family began earning some money in the county town, both households had similar living conditions. But after obtaining some funds, they purchased furniture, dishes, and cups, making their home feel more welcoming.
Xiao Li was slightly uneasy. This was the first time the third brother’s family had visited for a meal. He had been concerned about not offering enough, and seeing them arrive with so much food added to his embarrassment.
“Look at this,” he exclaimed. “I invited you over, and yet you’ve brought so much with you.”
Zhou Lan replied with a hearty laugh, “All of this was leftover from last night. We were actually worried you’d find it lacking!”
“How could 1? These items are precious. I cherish them; there’s no way I’d complain,” Xiao Li assured.
As they sat down for a meal, Xiao Li seemed restless, as if he wanted to say something. He glanced at Jiang Chuan multiple times but always hesitated. Growing impatient, Jiang Chuan said directly, “Xiao Li, if there’s something on your mind, just speak up. Our families are close; you don’t need to hold back.” Encouraged by this, Xiao Li began, “Here’s the thing. Just yesterday, I noticed the seeds you gave us have sprouted and are thriving. By winter, we’ll surely have fresh vegetables. Inspired by you, I considered selling the wild vegetables we collected earlier in the county town.”
“Now that there’s a bus service to the county town, it’s become convenient. But the bus fare is two cents, and a round trip is four cents, which 1 was reluctant to spend. Luckily, Xiao Wu needed to visit the town and had borrowed a donkey cart from the production team. So, we both headed to the town’s supply and marketing cooperative to trade for grain.”
“On our journey, Xiao Wu and 1 discussed the impending winter. As the days go by after the autumn harvest, it gets colder. Every family is stockpiling grain and trading it for cloth to endure the winter. Currently, donkey carts remain an option, but as it gets colder, even those might not be feasible. What will we do then?”
Jiang Chuan’s brow furrowed upon hearing this. Unlike the modern cities of later times, with their vehicles and towering buildings that shield from the wind, winters in these rural areas can be harsh.
Here, amidst the vast wilderness, a mere gust can send shivers down one’s spine. Though they hadn’t yet faced winter, the intensifying winds and dropping temperatures hinted at the challenges ahead.
In these famine-stricken times, hunger and inadequate clothing were rampant. Most families had just a few pieces of cloth and cotton, hardly enough to make a few padded jackets.
Jiang Chuan remembered that the original host used to wear hand-me-downs from the Jiang family elders. Even piecing several garments together, the result was still too thin to fend off the cold.
With such scant protection, traveling to town on a donkey cart in winter would be akin to turning into an icicle..