CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 61: FILIAL GRAIN 1

It seemed like it wasn’t just the three of them, there was a commotion of moving things outside, and it took a while before anyone came into the house.

"Xiao Xue, why are you still awake?" Daliang asked in surprise, seeing Bai Ruxue sitting on the kang.

"Waiting for you guys to come back!" Bai Ruxue said, "Is the relief food all distributed? How was it divided?"

"It’s all divided, thirty pounds of grain per person! Our family got lucky!" Daliang laughed heartily, looking extremely pleased.

"What luck?" Bai Ruxue was puzzled; she didn’t see any luck in it.

"Xiao Feng and Xiao Cai each got thirty pounds too!" Bai Ruchuan answered for his dad.

"How is that any luck? Xiao Feng and Xiao Cai should have been allocated that amount too. Even though they’re young, they’re still part of our brigade!" Bai Ruxue gave up her thoughts, "Hurry up and go to sleep! It’s already midnight!"

Having a watch really is convenient, checking the time is so easy.

The three of them moved the 270 pounds of grain to the outer room and placed it there, and Bai Ruxue got up the next day to take a look.

She knew it wouldn’t be any fine grain, but she didn’t expect it to be corn kernels.

With the grain here, even cooking is a bit of a hassle. Since Bai Ruxue was six years old, their family had lived in such a small house after being separated, with only a small shack for storage in the yard, which couldn’t store grains in the summer, as it leaked more than the house.

Bai Ruxue was almost at her limit, waiting for the weather to warm up was making her anxious and irritable.

"Elder Sister, we’ll move the grain out in a while! For now, just make do with cooking." Bai Rushan, seeing his eldest sister looking disdainful at the grain, said while hugging firewood.

"Okay, you start the fire, we’ll just have rice porridge with sesame seed cake for breakfast, and I’ll fry a couple of vegetable dishes!" Bai Ruxue simply resolved breakfast.

Having bought a small iron pot yesterday for the stove made frying dishes so convenient.

Zhang Yuan always showed up just when breakfast was ready, and today was no exception, though he was carrying thirty pounds of relief corn kernels as well.

"Put it in the shed on the west side!" Bai Ruxue went out to greet him and said, "We just moved our over two hundred pounds there."

"Alright!" Zhang Yuan obediently put the thirty pounds of corn kernels in the shed.

"Did you also end up handing out grain until after midnight last night?" Bai Ruxue asked as she walked into the house.

"No, Jian She went to get it for me, I went to bed early," Zhang Yuan replied and went to wash his hands.

Just after breakfast, Bai Dahe’s eldest daughter, the twelve-year-old Bai Ruyu, ran over clattering.

"Uncle, Grandpa and Grandma want you to come over!" Bai Ruyu darted into the house, looking around, then wrinkled her nose, she could clearly smell something good, so where was the food?

"Bai Ruyu, what do Grandpa and Grandma want my dad over for?" Bai Ruxia, who was the same age as her, only born two months later, should have called her sister but looked down on her for being lazy and greedy, always sniffing out food, just like a dog’s nose.

"How would I know, Uncle will find out when he goes!" Bai Ruyu said, then turned and walked out.

When Bai Ruxue came out, she was looking slyly at the cupboard.

"Anything else?" Bai Ruxue asked from behind, startling her into a quick turn.

"Big Sis... what did you have for breakfast? It smells so good, can I have some? We didn’t get full with our cornmeal porridge this morning," Bai Ruyu grinned flatteringly.

"Is your dog’s nose broken? We also had cornmeal porridge for breakfast, there’s nothing left! Off you go, off you go!" Bai Ruxia came out before Bai Ruxue could speak.

The two of them had a feud, and would start fighting whenever they met. Bai Ruyu was annoying and always managed to make Bai Ruxia jump with rage.

"Tsk, this isn’t the smell of cornmeal porridge! Who are you trying to fool?" Bai Ruyu was unconvinced.

"I haven’t settled the score with you for ruining our little cabbages, be careful or I’ll scratch your face!" Bai Ruxia said viciously, stepping forward to grab Bai Ruyu.

"Tsk, I’ll leave, just wait and see, I’ll go tell Grandma you stole good food..." Bai Ruyu bolted out like an arrow, not forgetting to shout a threat as she ran.

"Go ahead, tell her, but be careful when you step out!" Bai Ruxia shouted after her.

"Alright, she’s long gone!" Bai Ruxue pulled her sister back into the house.

"Greedy little sneak, really want to kick her out!" Bai Ruxia said angrily, "If it weren’t for those three brats, would we have no pickled vegetables or chicken to eat?"

It’s remembered that they had no pickled vegetables because Bai Ruyu brought her two little brothers over and pulled out all the cabbages they had planted in their private plot before they even had time to replant.

The large jar for frozen meat outside was used for pickling vegetables, and this year their family couldn’t pickle any, resulting in a winter without much to eat.

Bai Ruxue also knew that the three brats of Bai Dahe’s family had not only ruined their chickens but also their vegetables. The original owner got so angry that she went to argue and got into a fight with Third Aunt Li Guihua, who then got thrown out by Grandma Bai.

Wang Cuihua had always been soft-natured, so she swallowed her grievances.

"I should go see what your grandparents want with me!" Daliang said quickly, seeing his hot-tempered daughter’s anger boiling over, and hurriedly left.

"Oh... what else could they want but grain!" Bai Ruxue casually remarked from behind.

Just last night after the relief grain was distributed, they were already in a hurry to call Daliang over. What else could it be for?

"Dad, if all the new clothes you’re wearing inside and outside get taken, don’t come back home!" Bai Ruxue gave him a preventive shot.

"Don’t worry! I won’t let them rob me!" Daliang said firmly and left.

"Xiao Xue, you should follow him over! I’m worried your dad might get bullied again..." Wang Cuihua said anxiously.

"Alright, we’ll head over in a bit!" Bai Ruxue also felt uneasy, worried that Daliang might not be able to refuse his mother’s demands and would end up giving them something from home.

"I’ll go with you!" Zhang Yuan said, having not yet left, seeing Bai Ruxue going to the old house, and feeling uneasy.

"No need, I’ll take Xiao Xia and Little Chuan with me!" Bai Ruxue knew those two siblings were feisty and unafraid of trouble, while the other two, well, one was too timid and afraid, and the other, haha, overly cautious and thoughtful, which would only mess things up."

Over at Daliang’s side, as soon as he entered the old house, Grandma Bai snorted unhappily.

"Humph, now that you’ve put on new clothes you don’t recognize us old folks anymore? Why did it take so long for you to come over?"

"Mom, I’m here now, aren’t I? Tell me, what did you call me over for?" Daliang said, with nowhere even to sit, while his brother’s eyes shone as he stared at his new clothes.

"Big brother, you look great in that outfit, lend it to your little brother for a few days? Just in time for the New Year, so I can show off at the Yue Family!" Bai Dahe said with a grin, reaching to take off Daliang’s coat.

"No way, this was made for me by Xiao Xue for our engagement, it has sentimental value. She said it must not be lent to others." Daliang dodged Bai Dahe’s hand.

"Alright Dahe, we’ll talk about your issue later!" Grandma Bai, eager to ask her eldest son for grain, stopped her precious son.

Bai Dahe, being most obedient to his mother, immediately gave up his thoughts, waiting for her to finish talking before asking his brother for the clothes.

"Daliang! Being the eldest son, with the New Year approaching, when are you giving us the filial piety grain?" Grandma Bai started, her tone now less disdainful and gentler.