Chen Lishu kept a close eye on her movements, looking for any opportunity to get dirt on her.
With a swift move, she darted to the corner of the nearby wall where a bundle of hemp ropes lay. Chen Lishu picked up the rope without a word and walked towards the door.
"Everyone, come out and see! My grandma is trying to force our family to our deaths. Rather than letting her earn a bad name for driving her descendants to their demise, I'd rather end my own life first. I'll hang myself at my uncle's doorstep."
Zhang Chunhua, who had been watching the spectacle, immediately grew anxious upon hearing she intended to hang herself at their doorstep.
"This won't do at all," she said, turning to look anxiously at Old Mrs. Chen. "Mom, please give the money to Lishu. Li Min is about to get married, and if she really dies here, none of us will be able to celebrate the New Year."
Old Mrs. Chen felt both anger and hatred in her heart, but facing such a shameless granddaughter, it seemed all her tactics were useless against her.
With a pained heart, she threw fifty yuan out, feeling as though her very heart was bleeding.
"Grandma, don't be angry. Take good care of yourself. I'll bring my sisters over to wish you a Happy New Year during the holidays," Chen Lishu said, happily pocketing the money and not forgetting to give Old Mrs. Chen a smile.
Old Mrs. Chen immediately clutched her chest and took two deep breaths, pointing at her and yelling, "Get out!"
Chen Lishu walked home with fifty yuan in her pocket. Although she had gotten the money back, her mood did not lighten.
Her father, Chen Mantun, had always been excessively filial, and Wu Chunmei was so soft-hearted that she only knew how to cry. The other children were too young to be relied upon.
The social environment at the time was also restrictive. The Third Plenum of the Eleventh Central Committee had not yet been convened, and many eyes were watching every move. One wrong step could lead to being arrested by the Red Guards and sent to a re-education class.
Upon returning home, she found two items on the table as soon as she entered.
"Big Sister, Aunt Gu just came. She brought Mom two jin of millet and one jin of beans."
Her second sister, Chen Liyuan, followed her gaze and immediately reported the situation.
Chen Lishu nodded. She knew that the Aunt Gu she referred to was her future mother-in-law, Gu Xingdong's mother.
To still think of bringing gifts during such difficult times, Chen Lishu felt a better impression of this mother-in-law.
"Where did you go in this cold weather?" Chen Mantun asked, frowning with a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.
Wu Chunmei, who was on the kang, had stopped crying, but her eyes were still red.
Chen Lishu glanced at them and briefly explained what had happened at Chen Mancang's house.
"You went to ask your grandma for money?" Chen Mantun suddenly stood up, glaring at Chen Lishu as if he were about to slap her at any moment.
Wu Chunmei also gaped in surprise, looking at her with red eyes.
"Child, hurry and give me the money so I can return it to your grandma."
Chen Mantun turned to grab his hat by the kang, his voice filled with anxious anger. "You're seventeen and understand nothing. No, you'll have to come with me and kowtow to your grandma to apologize."
Kowtow and apologize?
Was she out of her mind?
"Dad, do you think this fifty yuan is life-saving for Grandma?"
Chen Mantun's hand paused as he reached for his hat. Chen Lishu continued, "You don't think so either, do you? But this money is vital for our family."
Chen Lishu took a deep breath. "Mom is weak after childbirth and needs nutrition. Little sister was born prematurely and needs to be fed well. And there are the other sisters. Do you think the remaining thirty jin of grain will last a lifetime, or that they are made of iron and don't need to eat or get sick?"
"These things can be solved. After spring comes, things will naturally be..."
Seeing that he was still trying to quibble, Chen Lishu's temper flared, and her voice involuntarily rose. "You also mentioned spring. When is spring? February or March? Will the snow have melted yet? Will the whole family eat snow or drink the north wind?"
"Lishu, how are you talking to your father?" Wu Chunhua, on the kang, suddenly rebuked her softly.
Habits formed over decades could not be changed overnight. She had learned her lesson only after suffering losses.
Thinking of this, Chen Lishu's voice softened slightly. "I'm not saying it's wrong for Dad to be filial to Grandma, but we need to prioritize. Let's use this money to get through the current difficulties. Once we earn money later, let alone this mere fifty yuan, even if Dad wants to build Grandma a big brick house, it won't be impossible."
Hearing her words, Chen Mantun's expression softened considerably. A smile spread across his weather-beaten face. "How could I have the ability to build a big brick house?"
In the village, there were only two big brick houses, one belonging to the village head and the other to the party secretary. He wouldn't even dare to dream of it.
"Only by daring to think can we dare to act. So, let's set a small goal for our family now: to build a big brick house next year!"
"Big Sister, can our family really live in a big brick house? I want to live in a big brick house. The current house is too cold," the sixth sister, Chen Lijuan, said, looking at her with a face reddened by the cold and unconsciously sniffing the two clear streams of snot from her nose.
Chen Lishu squatted down and wiped her snot for her. "Only obedient good children can live in big brick houses. Disobedient children can only stay here and freeze."
Chen Lijuan truly believed her words and immediately patted her chest earnestly, saying, "Lijuan is the most, most obedient little baby."
Everyone was amused by her.
Seeing that the atmosphere had eased considerably, Chen Lishu stood up and explained her plan.
"Now is a good time since Mom is recuperating. We can buy some grain from the village or go to other villages. The New Year is approaching, and prices in town will rise. We can then take the grain to town and sell it. We'll make a difference in price, no matter how small."
This was the method she had thought of after seeing Aunt Gu deliver the millet.
At this time, it was a planned economy, and everything required coupons. However, the countryside did not value such things; life went on with or without coupons. As long as they offered a slightly higher price than the purchasing station, people would be willing to sell.
"What if someone catches us? Your dad was tricked out of twenty jin of grain because of this." Thinking of those twenty jin of grain, Wu Chunmei's nose twitched, and she was about to cry again.
"The bold live, the timid starve. Besides, given our current family situation, if we don't take a gamble, are we supposed to continue living like this, barely making ends meet?"
The couple looked at each other, speechless for a long time.
"Big Sister, I support you. I want to live in a big house, and I want to go to school. I'm not afraid of being caught," Chen Liyuan, who was thirteen this year, understood many things. She no longer wanted to live like this. She wanted to go to school but couldn't afford the tuition fees, so she had to stay home and take care of her younger siblings.
Seeing her second sister express her support, the younger ones all nodded in agreement. "I want to live in a big house."
"I want to eat meat..."
"Husband, why don't we give it another try," Wu Chunmei suggested. Their eldest daughter was right; things probably couldn't get any worse than they were now.