Northeast: My Absurd Woman

Chapter 19 Yang 5 Ni, who is energetic at night

Yang Wuni, who was listening nearby, was moved by what Zhang Changyao said.

She only knew that few people were needed to make tofu, but she never imagined that making tofu was as common as running a rice noodle shop.

You need to spend money to buy things to start this business.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. We still need to buy seeds and fertilizer after the New Year."

As long as you have extra money, you two can do whatever you want.

"If we don't have money, we'll just honestly farm and talk about other things after we have a harvest."

Zhang Kaiju wanted to postpone the matter until next autumn harvest, hoping that the two of them would forget about it.

"Dad, Wu Ni is right, there are few people who use it to make tofu."

This year, our family planted two acres of soybeans, made tofu, and sold it.

Soybeans are not as simple as just costing one yuan per pound.

A pound of soybeans with water is worth at least two yuan and fifty cents.

If a plate of tofu contains ten pounds of soybeans, then the net profit is fifteen yuan.

"Oh my! Isn't this just like picking up money from the ground?"

Zhang Changyao started counting on his fingers, and his eyes lit up even before he finished.

"Dad, making tofu is feasible, I must plant soybeans this year."

Zhang Changyao stuffed the last piece of bread into his mouth and told Zhang Kaiju with certainty.

"Hmm! You can plant anything, as long as you know how to farm, I'll respect you."

Zhang Kaiju didn't want to dampen Zhang Changyao's enthusiasm; he had an idea.

It's still much better than before when I just drifted through life.

When the land was first allocated last year, Zhang Changyao was sleeping in the furrow.

Now that he's married, all he knows is how to make money and live a good life. What father wouldn't be happy?

Zhang Changyao set off for Nantun before dawn, carrying his schoolbag.

At first, I couldn't open my mouth and just walked with my head down.

Thinking of what Wang Ga said, and then thinking of Yang Wuni's belly.

With gritted teeth and a determined heart, he opened his mouth and started shouting, "Writing a letter costs 15 cents, writing a couplet costs 25 cents!"

Before he could even shout a few times, he heard someone behind him call out, "Hey, you writing a letter, wait a minute."

"Wow! Business has come so quickly." Zhang Changyao was delighted and stopped, turning back around.

"Hey! You're writing a letter, do you need it mailed?" an old man with completely white hair asked from behind.

"Uncle, to send mail, you have to pay extra. You have to buy the stamps and envelopes." Zhang Changyao walked towards the white-haired old man.

"Young man, come inside. My wife needs to write a letter to her family." The old man led Zhang Changyao into the house.

The house consisted of two mud-brick rooms, which were kept very clean. The floor had just been wetted and there wasn't a speck of dust.

A blind old woman sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), warming her hands over a clay brazier.

The potatoes in the brazier had been roasted until they turned golden brown, with yellow crusts.

The aroma of potatoes made Zhang Changyao swallow hard.

"Auntie, a letter costs 15 cents, and a couplet costs 25 cents."

The letter and envelope cost two cents, the stamp eight cents, and the delivery fee five cents.

Zhang Changyao explained in detail how much it cost to write a letter and send a mail, and also explained the costs to the two elderly people.

The first customer was served with exceptional care.

"Three cents isn't expensive, write it down!" The old man patted his wife's hand, urging her to write quickly.

The old woman recounted what she wanted to write.

Zhang Changyao went through it in his mind and then reorganized the order.

It took two pages of writing to finally finish.

After the mailer and sender noted down the details and received the money, Zhang Changyao was about to leave.

"Young man, how about two cents to write a couplet?"

As the old man saw Zhang Changyao out, he whispered a question behind him.

"Uncle, okay, take out the red paper." Zhang Changyao immediately turned around and came back.

"Old man, give this potato to this child to eat."

It's so cold outside, you can't go hungry."

The old woman warming herself by the fire touched the potatoes in the brazier.

He wasn't afraid of getting burned, so he held it in his hand and handed it to his wife.

On his hands, which were dry and shriveled with only a layer of skin, there were several blisters from the heat.

The half-dry crust is almost scabbed over, and the yellow crust looks similar to potato skin.

The old man placed the potatoes on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), waiting for Zhang Changyao to finish writing the couplets before giving them to him.

After Zhang Changyao finished writing a couplet, he didn't take the two cents the old man offered.

Instead, he picked up the still-warm potato and turned to leave.

He was as happy as a child at that moment, and the helplessness he felt when he was scolded for being useless for studying had completely disappeared.

"How can the books you've read be useless? That's the purpose of reading."

Zhang Changyao touched the letter he had just written and the steaming potato in his hand, talking to himself.

He earned two yuan in one day, although they were only one mao and five fen, but that's still money.

"My dear son, you used to write for others for free, but now it seems our family has suffered a loss."

If I had known that reading and writing letters could make money, I should have sent you to study.

Who knows, if I study hard, I might get a job and be able to support my family.

Zhang Kaiju looked at the handful of money on the kang (a heated brick bed) and happily counted the bills one by one, stacking them up.

"Dad, this is a seasonal job. After the New Year, who has the time or money to write letters and couplets?"

Studying hard sounds nice, but my family doesn't have the money to support me.

I heard from my aunt that my second brother went to university. If I had known this would happen, you would have given me away too.

Zhang Changyao sighed, a hint of resentment escaping his lips, a helplessness he dared not express openly.

"If your mother hadn't intervened and protected you, do you think I wouldn't have given you away?"

"Your third uncle's family was much better off; at least you and Changzong never went hungry back then."

Zhang Kaiju had no regrets about giving his child away, only the joy of his child being able to eat his fill.

"My aunt said that my second brother is still upset that you gave him away."

I reckon he'll never forgive you in his lifetime.

Zhang Changyao tidied up the letters he had written that day, put them on the lid of the box, and covered his head to prepare for sleep.

"Hmph! I'm his father, it's his fate if I give him away."

What difference does it make whether he forgives or not? I don't care. He'll understand when he becomes a father himself.

Zhang Kaiju had his back to Zhang Changyao, his face pressed against the wall on the kang (a heated brick bed), sulking.

"Dad, I want to wash millet and steam bean buns tomorrow. Could you find the millet and beans in the granary for me?"

Seeing that the father and son had gone off on a tangent, Yang Wuni wanted to ease the tension between them.

"Let's talk about tomorrow's problems tomorrow. I called the dog before I even took a dump."

So what if someone is 800 years old? No one can understand the heart of an old person.

Everyone says that raising a child without teaching him is like raising a donkey; in my opinion, he's even worse than a donkey.

Zhang Kaiju was so angry that he didn't know who he was talking to, which frightened Yang Wuni into not daring to say anything more.

He burrowed into the covers, stuck out his tongue, and pulled back Zhang Changyao's blanket to make a face at him.

Zhang Changyao turned around and glanced at Zhang Kaiju warily.

Seeing that his back was to her, he turned around and kissed Yang Wuni.

Two generations slept on a large kang (heated brick bed), and the young couple had to wait until late at night to do anything.

Zhang Changyao was exhausted after a long day and slept like a log, having no interest in matters of love or sex.

Yang Wuni, on the other hand, was extremely fond of Zhang Changyao.

She never imagined she would find a man as learned and handsome as Zhang Changyao.

Every night in the early hours of the morning, she would become especially energetic, as if she were on steroids.

The same thing happened tonight; she secretly slipped her hand into Zhang Changyao's bed.