Chapter 31: Mother Sheng’s Concerns
“Mom, what’s wrong?”
Mother Sheng sat on the edge of his bed, looking at him with deep reluctance and worry in her eyes.
“Xiaoze, Mom just wants you to be safe and sound. Don’t push yourself too hard out there.”
Sheng Wanze paused, lowering the wooden board in his hand. One of the household stools had a broken leg, and he was determined to repair every broken piece of furniture in the apartment before returning to his unit. He wanted to do as much as he possibly could. Having been away for so many years, he had been unable to fulfill his daily responsibilities as a son, and a heavy sense of guilt toward his family always lingered in his heart.
Hearing his mother’s worried tone, Sheng Wanze felt a pang of sadness. He lowered his head and continued fixing the stool.
“I know, Mom. I’ll be careful.”
Seeing his expression, Mother Sheng knew her son was just saying what she wanted to hear to soothe her.
She let out a soft sigh. Forget it, she thought. The boy is fully grown and has his own mind. As a mother, the best thing I can do is not hold him back.
“Go to bed early,” Mother Sheng advised, standing up. “Stop working on that. You’re wasting the lamp oil staying up this late.”
“Lamp oil is expensive, you know,” she muttered as she walked out, grumbling that those who didn’t manage the household finances had no idea how costly daily necessities were.
“Alright,” Sheng Wanze agreed. He set the wooden board aside, took a quick wash to rinse off his sweat, and finally went to rest.
The next morning, Sheng Wanyan left early for work. Just as she pedaled up to the factory gates, she heard Wu Jiaxiu calling out to her.
“Wanyan!”
Sheng Wanyan squeezed the brakes and stopped her bicycle. Wu Jiaxiu hurried over, a bright smile on her face.
“Wanyan, today is payday! Remember to go to the Finance Department later to pick up your wages.”
Today was the 1st of the month. Sheng Wanyan realized with a start that she had already been working here for half a month. Simply put, it had been a half-month of happily slacking off, and she was thoroughly enjoying this beautifully laid-back lifestyle.
“Got it. Hop on, Sister Jiaxiu, I’ll give you a ride inside.”
“Can you carry me? I’m a bit heavy,” Wu Jiaxiu hesitated. She had a slightly plump, sturdy figure—the exact body type that was considered highly attractive and prosperous by mothers-in-law in this era.
“Don’t worry, I’m strong.”
Putting her reservations aside, Wu Jiaxiu carefully settled onto the rear rack. It was her first time being chauffeured on a bicycle like this. It truly felt different; sitting perched on the back, she felt like the most glamorous, eye-catching person on the road.
Sheng Wanyan pedaled them to the designated parking area. The moment she dismounted, she pulled out her heavy iron chain and securely locked the front wheel to the railing.
“Wanyan, do we really need to lock our bikes up so tightly inside the factory gates?” Wu Jiaxiu asked curiously. Sheng Wanyan locked it the second she stepped off.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t miss a beat. In an era without security cameras, how could she not be cautious? Furthermore, this bicycle represented half a year’s worth of wages for an average worker. She refused to let her family’s hard-earned money and good intentions go to waste through carelessness.
“Better safe than sorry,” Sheng Wanyan replied simply.
Wu Jiaxiu thought about it and nodded, agreeing with the logic. She waited for Wanyan to finish, and the two walked to the Propaganda Department together.
“Wanyan, I actually wanted to ask you for a favor today,” Wu Jiaxiu said, her tone unusually hesitant.
Sheng Wanyan nodded, having already guessed as much. Wu Jiaxiu was usually very straightforward. “What is it?”
“My sister-in-law just gave birth, and she wanted to buy some cloth to sew a few outfits for the baby. Could you possibly ask your friend again to see if they have any more of that defective fabric? Please don’t worry if it’s too difficult—if you can’t get any, it’s completely fine.”
Sheng Wanyan leaned in and lowered her voice. “I’ll find some time to ask if there’s any left. If she has some, I’ll have her set it aside for you.”
“Thank you so much, Wanyan!” Wu Jiaxiu beamed in relief.
Sheng Wanyan smiled back. Wu Jiaxiu was an honest, reliable person, making her an ideal partner for quiet, long-term transactions.
That afternoon, Sheng Wanyan headed to the Finance Department with her colleagues to collect her pay. She had only worked for half a month, and she had even taken two hours of personal leave. However, because her recent promotional campaign had earned high praise from the factory leadership, Director Li had taken special care of her timesheet, ensuring her pay wasn’t docked for those two hours.
For her half-month of work, she was handed exactly 10 yuan. Along with her cash, she received the standard monthly allocation of food and meat coupons. However, she wasn’t issued any cotton coupons; she would have to wait until her first full month of work to receive those.
Sheng Wanyan was incredibly satisfied. Since she had just gotten paid, it was only natural that she treat her family to some meat tonight. Furthermore, before Sheng Wanze returned to his base, she wanted to make a large batch of dried meat jerky for him to take along. It would be a great snack to satisfy his cravings when the military rations grew bland.
Holding her very first official salary in this era gave her a genuine, glowing sense of accomplishment.
After clocking out, Sheng Wanyan headed straight home. Before entering the tube-shaped building, she found a secluded spot and pulled a pound of fresh pork from her space, placing it visibly in her basket.
“Oh, the Sheng family’s girl is back from work!”
“Is that fresh meat?!”
The aunties gathered in the courtyard possessed incredibly sharp eyes and noses. They didn’t even need to examine the meat closely; the fresh scent alone gave it away.
This was precisely the effect Sheng Wanyan wanted. She needed everyone to know she had officially received her salary to justify the purchase.
“Yes, we got paid today! I decided to buy a little something for the family,” Sheng Wanyan announced with a calm smile.
Hearing the word ‘paid’, a collective realization washed over the gossiping women.
“Ah! Today is the 1st! No wonder!”
“Oh my, I need to get home and demand my husband’s wages before he spends it!”
“Yes, yes, we need to buy some meat tomorrow too!”
The aunties scattered in a frenzy, rushing back to their apartments. Within minutes, chaos erupted in the building. Several husbands who had been secretly trying to skim a little private pocket money from their pay envelopes were caught red-handed.
“Wife!!! I swear I wasn’t hiding any private money! I was just counting it to make sure the finance office didn’t short me!” a man’s desperate voice echoed down the hall.
“You lying old goat! Do you think I’m stupid?!” his wife roared back.
Hearing the commotion, Sheng Wanyan hurried toward her own apartment, feeling a mix of amusement and slight guilt. She had only wanted an excuse to eat meat, but she had accidentally thrown half the husbands in the building under the bus.
Once inside, Sheng Wanyan handed the meat to her mother and proudly offered her the 10 yuan.
Mother Sheng smiled warmly but pushed the cash back into her daughter’s hands. “Keep this 10 yuan for your own pocket money this month. You can start contributing to the household fund next month.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t argue. Instead, she handed over all her newly issued food coupons. Since she ate every meal at home, the grain coupons were of little use to her personally.
Mother Sheng opened her small iron lockbox, pulled out two coupons that were nearing their expiration dates, and handed them to Wanyan. “Go buy yourself some pastries or snacks before these expire.”
Sheng Wanyan pocketed them. In this era, having cash meant nothing if you didn’t have the corresponding tickets to buy the goods. The feeling of having money but being entirely unable to spend it freely was incredibly frustrating.
Back in her tiny bedroom, Sheng Wanyan tallied her total assets. She now had exactly 142.60 yuan. She also had three national food coupons, two sugar coupons, and six local food coupons. Since the sugar coupons and local food coupons were set to expire soon, she resolved to spend them the next day.
In the kitchen, Sheng Wanyan prepared to make the meat jerky for Sheng Wanze. True to her word, Mother Sheng had specifically set aside a prime cut of meat for the project.
Sheng Wanze leaned against the kitchen doorframe, looking thoroughly smug. “Little sister, you’re really too good to me.”
Sheng Wanyan glanced at his gloating expression, her mood instantly souring. “If you want it, you chop the meat.”
Sheng Wanze rubbed his nose, sighing dramatically. Why were the women in this household all so formidable?
Stepping up to the chopping block, he reached for the pork.
Smack!
Sheng Wanyan slapped his hand away. “Did you wash your hands?”
“It’s just going to be eaten by me anyway. I don’t mind a little of my own dirt,” Sheng Wanze shrugged dismissively. He had eaten far worse while surviving out in the wilderness on covert missions. What was a little dust?
“You literally just rubbed your nose!” Sheng Wanyan scolded. “Do Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, and Dad not get to eat any? Have you never heard of bacteria? If you cross-contaminate the food and give the grandparents a fever or a stomach bug, do you think their elderly bodies can handle it?”
She unleashed a rapid-fire lecture on basic hygiene. Sheng Wanze was completely stunned into submission.
“Okay, okay! I’ll wash them right now! I’m washing them!”
