DLRC – Chapter 7 Going Out

Yuan Guifang hadn’t expected Yu Wei, who was still insisting earlier that morning she’d break things off with Director Luo once and for all, to now suddenly be willing to compromise.

She was stunned on the spot. The scolding that had just reached the tip of her tongue got stuck in her throat—it couldn’t go in, couldn’t come out—so in the end, she just flipped her face like an actor in Sichuan opera.

Letting out a breath of relief, she said, “I knew it, I just knew you wouldn’t have the heart to give up such good prospects. I’ve told you before, that Director Luo really is a top-notch match…”

While Yuan Guifang continued to sing Luo Dongshen’s praises, Yu Wei could only marvel inwardly at her speed of changing attitude—truly something to learn from.

With at least a brief moment of peace now, not only Yuan Guifang but even Jiang Min seemed to breathe easier after Yu Wei had spoken. When her eldest brother and father got home from work later, they kept going on about how their second daughter had finally come to her senses and hoped she wouldn’t act so foolish again in the future!

Yu Wei was speechless. In her mind, she was still wondering what exactly she should say to Director Luo when she went to the factory tomorrow. Should she just tell him bluntly that she wasn’t going to do it and he could find someone else? Or should she take a gentler approach?

Forget it. Tomorrow’s problems can wait for tomorrow.

With that thought, the Yu household welcomed Yu Wei’s second meal—dinner.

Because Yu Wei had suddenly compromised with Yuan Guifang, the latter gave up on the idea of making her cook. So tonight, it was once again Jiang Min’s turn.

But the moment Yu Wei saw the food, which was far worse than lunch by more than just a little bit, her appetite completely vanished.

At lunch, she had thought: while the meals here couldn’t compare to the delicious ones she used to make, at least there were meat and vegetables, enough to fill the stomach. In a household as average as this one, taste wasn’t the priority.

Still, she hadn’t expected dinner to be this shabby.

Seriously? Other than some porridge and steamed buns, the only sides were pickled vegetables and brined radishes? With three working adults in the factory, their monthly wages should more than cover decent meals. Why were they being so stingy?

Well, it was almost as if Jiang Min heard her internal complaints, because she promptly brought over a plate of boiled cabbage and said it should be dipped in soy sauce…

“Why aren’t you eating?”

Holding her rice bowl, Yu Wei watched the others eat heartily and curled her lips. “I’m not really hungry.”

Yeah, right.

“Not hungry? How can you not be? You barely touched your lunch!”

Yuan Guifang’s tone softened slightly. “Dinner’s always like this, you know that. Hurry and eat more so you can put some meat back on those bones. You’re all skin and bone—if Director Luo sees you, he’ll think we’re starving you!”

Yu Wei: “…”

In the end, she still couldn’t force herself to eat much of it.

Yuan Guifang decided she was just being difficult again. Fine—if she didn’t want to eat, then let her starve! Once everyone else had finished eating, Yuan Guifang angrily snatched up the two remaining buns, stashed them in her room, and didn’t care whether Yu Wei had eaten enough.

She wanted to see how long this rebellious girl could hold out against her.

But none of them noticed that Yu Hui, who had been quietly sitting on a small stool nearby, stopped eating his bun the moment he saw his grandmother put all the food away.

After the meal, he ran back to the room by himself and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently for Yu Wei to come in. When she finally finished the chores and sat down beside him, rotating her sore neck, a misshapen steamed bun suddenly appeared in front of her.

Yu Wei froze. Little Yu Hui held up the half-eaten bun high in the air. His large eyes looked up at her silently, long lashes trembling ever so slightly—but she understood what he meant.

He had secretly saved the bun for her.

Her heart surged with emotion in that instant, and her eyes stung. She was touched, truly touched by this little guy’s gesture. After blinking a couple times, she bent down and gently embraced him, her voice soft: “Mama’s not hungry. You eat.”

In the end, that bun, squished out of shape by Yu Hui, went into his own little belly. Yu Wei didn’t like to eat it anyway, and there was no way she would let him go hungry for her sake. A child’s body couldn’t handle hunger the same way an adult’s could.

Fortunately, Yu Hui didn’t insist. Seeing that Yu Wei really wouldn’t eat, he obediently finished the bun himself.

After finishing the chores, Yu Wei carried her son to bed and finally began to rest. She had finally sorted out the original owner’s relationships and family situation.

There were seven people in the household: herself and Yu Hui; her parents; her older brother Yu Yi and sister-in-law Jiang Min; and the one person who still hadn’t shown up—her younger brother, apparently seventeen years old, but always out messing around and rarely seen at home.

After dinner, it wasn’t fully dark yet. At six in the summer, the sun had only just begun to set. Kids ran around everywhere with nothing better to do—running here, then running over there. There wasn’t much to play with, so they just gathered in groups and goofed off.

There weren’t many forms of entertainment back in this era. The most popular way to pass time—watching TV—was still a rare luxury.

No household in their alley had a television set yet.

But rumor had it that someone in the neighboring alley, whose daughter had married the director of a meat processing plant, received a TV set as a gift half a year after the wedding. The whole neighborhood was envious. Now everyone was just waiting for Yu Wei’s family to marry into Director Luo’s household. He was clearly an even better match than some plant director! By then, it wouldn’t just be a TV—they’d probably get a sewing machine and a fridge too!

And everyone could go over to mooch off the TV. Wouldn’t that be nice?

By now, most of the men working the day shift at the factory had already returned home. They gathered together to play cards and chat, while the women huddled up gossiping and knitting, fingers flying without pause.

Even though it was only August and still very hot, it was time to start knitting sweaters.

Amid the flying fingers of the gossiping women, Yu Wei led Yu Hui out of the courtyard.

“Hey! Yu Wei, you little brat, where are you going with Dabao?” Yuan Guifang shouted after her.

“Just going out for a walk.”

Yu Wei walked straight out of the main courtyard like she had just escaped from a cage. The outside air smelled sweet. These wide streets, these quiet alleyways—this was what she truly loved.

It had only been a day, and she was already on the verge of losing her mind. But when she reached into her pocket and felt the ration tickets, her heart finally calmed down.

“Huihui, what do you want to eat?”

The little guy didn’t talk much. With the lowest status in the household, he was naturally treated the worst. Yu Wei felt a sudden surge of sympathy and compassion.

Ever since he was born, in the four years of his life, Yu Hui had only left the Yuan household’s gate a handful of times. This was his first time seeing such wide, bright streets, such unfamiliar faces, and strange bicycles.

To ordinary people, this might be nothing special. But to little Yu Hui, everything around him was dazzling and new.

He didn’t answer, just as she had expected. She held his hand and wandered about aimlessly.

She was much like him—this was her first time walking these streets too. The trip to the hospital earlier didn’t count.

The streets weren’t paved with cement or asphalt like in later years, but they were flat and clean. There were many pedestrians, most walking leisurely. Unlike the future, where everyone was in a rush, living life at a breakneck pace.

Shops lined both sides of the road, and although the era of opening up had only begun five or six years ago, it was enough to meet daily needs.

In the 1980s, the street shops weren’t as numerous or varied as in later times. Most were small businesses selling daily necessities like rice, oil, and salt.

Before she knew it, Yu Wei had brought the little guy to a small convenience stall. The selection was pitifully limited, but there were quite a few snacks—clearly catering to the kids in the neighborhood.

The shopfront was small. There was no need to step inside to shop, because the shelves were set up right at the entrance. Customers could pick and buy directly from outside.

It was a three-tiered wooden shelf, with the most eye-catching snacks on top. At the end were a few large glass jars containing twists, candies, and other treats. Red paper price tags were stuck on the outside.

“Which one do you want?” Yu Wei asked Yu Hui again.