nashuaworldcup Chapter 295 The 6s' "Brother-Supporting Demon" (Part 12)
Chapter 295 The 6s' "Brother-Supporting Demon" (Part 12)
Chapter 295 The Brother-Supporting Demon of the 1960s 12
Wait? We can't wait even a moment longer.
Qingmo said, "Grandma, I'm so old, how long can I wait for you?"
There is no limit to how bitter life can get.
Life is better now, and people have enough to eat, so they can think about all sorts of things. If she didn't have enough to eat, how could she even think about revenge? Not at all.
After that, Qingmo stopped contributing any food to the family. Hungry? Hungry for what? If you're hungry, go out and eat dirt.
After receiving their wages, the two sons had some money left after handing it over to Qingmo. But money was useless; these days, many people couldn't buy food even if they had it.
"Mother, we don't have a single grain of food left in the house. What are we going to do?"
Da Nian wore a bitter expression. He felt that life had returned to the way it was before. He had money in his hands, but he had no way to get grain.
"What should we do? What should your mother do? I am your mother, not a clerk. Every family is rich but poor. What can I do? Figure it out yourself."
Holding his pipe, Qingmo took puffs one after another, looking completely at ease.
Hehe, the tobacco inside is all top-quality stuff, not the junk from this era. It's really great to smoke.
This was more in line with her status. She was an old woman, so what if she smoked some opium? In ancient times, which matriarch didn't lie on the kang (a heated brick bed) smoking opium? She was pleased with herself; this was what she deserved.
Scratching his head, Danian was still too embarrassed to speak, "Mother, I know, I really have no other choice. I was thinking of going to the black market to exchange for some grain, but my second brother and I don't have much money. Could you give me some to tide me over?"
Upon hearing this, Qingmo jumped up and hit him on the head with her pipe.
“You unfilial wretch, you even had the audacity to kill your mother! Where would I get the money? I used to give all my money to your uncle’s family, and this little bit you’re giving me now is all for my retirement.”
Covering his head, Da Nian nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, Mother, I know, but last time when we were dividing up the rooms, didn't you get two hundred yuan from Auntie? You could have used some of it to get through this difficult time. It's not like I won't pay you back."
“Big brother is right, Mom. Think about this family. Big brother and I will take good care of you from now on,” Xiao Nian echoed.
"Fine, you two shameless bastards, you're even eyeing my funeral money! I'll beat you to death!"
Another chaotic scene ensued, with the two sons fighting and howling.
They finally realized that even though their mother has become better recently, she is still the same old mother, still mean and unreasonable.
With no other option, the two brothers had to pool their money and buy as much as they could on the black market.
Food on the black market is not only expensive, but also subject to purchase limits; if you want to buy more, you have to pay an even higher price.
The two bought some grain, but it wouldn't last long.
One day, the youngest daughter, who had been married for a long time, returned. However, she did not return alone; she brought with her two children, a son and a daughter.
"Mother, your daughter has come back to see you."
They said it was just a formality to come and check, but in reality, they were just checking to see if there was any grain.
"Okay, I'm fine now. Go back after you've seen it. Nobody's rich these days, so we won't keep you at home for dinner. Your brother and sister-in-law won't be happy."
The younger daughter panicked upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Mother, I rushed back all the way here and the children are starving. Please, for the sake of the children, let us stay for a meal."
Qingmo rolled her eyes. "It's no use begging me. Go ask your brother and sister-in-law. Otherwise, I'll end up pleasing neither side."
The youngest daughter wiped away her tears and turned to look at Jinhua behind her. "Sister-in-law, I'm not having an easy time at my husband's house either. Please have pity on us and give the child something to eat. I don't need to eat."
Jin Hua looked troubled. The men had all gone to work, and her mother-in-law hadn't said anything. If she kicked her sister-in-law out, who knew how much her mother-in-law would resent her?
She could only bite the bullet and say, "Mother, my sisters are back. Let them have a meal before they leave."
Qingmo shrugged indifferently: "Whatever. Anyway, there's only so much grain at home. If you want to keep them, what objection can I have?"
As soon as the food was ready, the mother and her two children wolfed it down.
It was just a bowl of thin porridge, mostly water with little porridge, served with some pickles, but they still ate it with great relish.
Jin Hua frowned as she watched, thinking to herself, "Has this sister-in-law's family not eaten for days? Why are they eating so filthy?"
After they had licked the last bit of rice water from their bowls, they put down their chopsticks and smiled sheepishly.
This little bit of porridge wasn't enough to fill me up, but it's the twelfth lunar month, so I was too embarrassed to say anything.
Oh, by the way, the youngest daughter is named Layue (腊月).
After finishing the meal in December, she started wiping away tears again: "Mother, I really can't live in my husband's family anymore. They beat and scold me every day, and they don't even feed me and the children properly. Please take us in."
As she spoke, she rolled up the sleeves of her own and her two children's clothes, revealing scars, some new and some old.
It's clear that she's not doing well; she probably wouldn't have gone back to her parents' home if she hadn't been completely desperate.
After all, they hadn't been in contact since she got married, and she knew what kind of person the original owner was. She wouldn't have been able to bring herself to come back unless she was pushed to a certain extent.
Qingmo doesn't really care. Whether there's one more person or one less, as long as she doesn't have to support them, she's fine with it.
Her attitude was, "Don't ask me, ask your brother."
When they returned for the Lunar New Year and the Lunar New Year, they couldn't bear to see their younger sister like this, so they decided to keep them.
With three more mouths to feed, the already struggling family is now in dire straits.
Sleeping? You can set up a place to sleep in the main room. If you want to sleep in Qingmo's room, there are no windows, let alone doors.
"Oh dear, what are we going to do? We're about to run out of food."
The family sat together to discuss the matter, but everyone's eyes were intentionally or unintentionally drawn to Qingmo.
Qingmo: ...
Is this wave coming for me? That can't be.
"What are you looking at? Or do you want me to cut off a piece of your own flesh and give it to you to eat?"
"Mother, what are you saying? Everyone is trying to find a solution." Xiao Nian laughed it off.
Qingmo's gaze swept over the people present; they were all adults, and the children were sleeping in the room.
"We have no money and no food. If we don't want to starve to death, we can only go out and dig for wild vegetables and tree bark, or eat some clay."
The group looked at each other, wondering if they could possibly fill their stomachs with wild vegetables, tree bark, and clay. Da Nian frowned and said, "Mother, how can we eat this? Besides, most of the wild vegetables and tree bark outside have already been dug up."
Qingmo sneered: "Then there's nothing I can do. If you're capable, go and get some grain; if you're not, then go hungry."
After a pause, Qingmo continued, "I heard there's a family who want to find a child bride for their son and are willing to offer twenty catties of grain..."
At this moment, Jin Hua, who had been silent all along, suddenly interrupted, "Mother, absolutely not, we can't sell Lingling."
Qingmo shrugged: "I didn't say I had to sell her. I just wanted to use her to exchange for food. She's your own daughter. If you don't want to, no one is forcing you. I'm just saying that."
In the end, everyone parted on bad terms, each with a worried expression and their own hidden agenda.
She simply tossed a seed into the calm lake; what did the consequences have to do with her?