My 1978 Hotel

Chapter 3 Welcome to the Hungry Clan

Li Feng could even hear the sound of the two children swallowing their saliva. Although these were just wheat bran and cornmeal steamed buns that even dogs wouldn't eat, Li Feng was still a little touched.

"Eat, I'm not hungry."

"Dad, eat."

Daya still insisted. Even though Erya was growling with hunger, she still followed Daya's lead. "Daddy, eat."

"Okay, I'm not really hungry. Go get me a bowl of wild vegetable soup. I'm still a little thirsty."

Li Feng really couldn't eat this steamed bun. It didn't feel much better than eating shit. A modern person would rather starve to death than eat it. These two little kids treated it as a good thing. Although Li Feng was a little touched, he really didn't want to eat it.

Seeing that Li Feng really didn't seem to want to eat, Daya's light in her eyes dimmed a little and she took the steamed bun with inability. This girl was actually very simple-minded. If this adopted father didn't want to eat her steamed bun, he probably didn't want to be their father either.

"Don't look at it, just eat it."

"Ah."

Compared to Daya's sentimentality, Erya was younger and didn't have any extra thoughts. She just felt hungry and wanted to eat steamed buns. She took the buns and started to chew them in big mouthfuls.

"Slow down, don't choke."

Li Feng was worried that Erya would break her front teeth if she ate too fast. The steamed bread was as hard as mud. It would take more than a walnut to crack it. What if she choked after eating so fast? It was no small matter. "Slow down, slow down, have some soup."

Daya brought over some wild vegetable soup, and Li Feng took it and passed it to Erya. The little girl paused and glanced at her sister. "Drink it." Li Feng also saw this and said with a smile. "You eat it too."

Daya hummed and started to chew on the hard and black steamed bread. Li Feng endured the bitter taste of the wild vegetables and finally ate a bowl of wild vegetable soup, which filled his stomach a little and made him feel better.

"We need to find out what's going on first."

Li Feng put down the large, slightly damaged coarse ceramic bowl and wondered where he was and what was going on. Was he taken to a remote mountainous area in the west, or had something happened that science could not explain?

We must first figure out the situation before making any plans for the next step. We should first establish a good relationship with the two little girls. I think it is easy to get some information from children.

After the two kids finished eating the steamed buns, Li Feng, with his somewhat weak body, moved to the bedside and sat down so that he could get a better look at the situation in the room.

There were a few New Year pictures pasted on the adobe wall near the bed, but the colors of the dolls in the pictures were already mottled, and it seemed that they were quite old.

There is an old wooden table next to the bed, which looks a bit like the desk I used to use in the countryside when I was a child. There are some odds and ends on the table, including a kerosene lamp the size of a baby bottle.

There was nothing else worth noting. There were some odds and ends in the room, but they were so dark that Li Feng couldn't tell what they were for a moment.

This simple bedroom is not messy, but there are some potholes on the walls and floor. After all, it is made of adobe, and over time, there are always some potholes and some paint falling off.

The bedroom is connected to the main room, which is said to be a place for receiving guests, but in fact it only has a tattered table and two crooked bamboo chairs.

The empty hall connected to a half-built kitchen. Li Feng stood up, leaning on the bedside table. Unexpectedly, he was still very weak and swayed a little. Daya quickly supported Li Feng, and Erya followed her sister's example and tried to support Li Feng. "It's okay, don't be nervous."

Li Feng finally got used to the soreness in his body and was able to walk a few steps. He left the bedroom, walked through the main hall and came to the kitchen. There was a water tank in the kitchen with half a tank of water in it. There was also a wooden stool next to the water tank. I'm afraid Daya had just stood on the wooden stool to scoop water.

Not far from the water tank is an earthen stove. There is only a stove hole with a one-and-a-half-foot iron pot on it. The iron pot has several holes, but fortunately they are only on the corners, the middle can be used. There are several yellow and black coarse porcelain bowls on the stove, most of which have broken edges.

There was a chopstick holder made of wooden sticks hanging next to the stove with several pairs of chopsticks inserted in it. Li Feng glanced at the chopstick holder. He had seen it when he was a child. There were bamboo scoops and a wooden spoon hanging next to the chopstick holder.

Apart from these items, the entire kitchen only had an empty jar and a few pottery jars. The jar was probably used to store food, but unfortunately it was empty now.

There were few firewood in the pile, only some thin branches, some straw, and some wheat straw. Li Feng looked around but couldn't find anything to eat. "What's this jar?"

"Salt shaker."

The earthenware jar was clean, probably because Daya had rinsed it several times while making wild vegetable soup. As for the oil, forget it. "Is there any food left at home?"

"food?"

Daya hesitated for a long time and then nodded. Li Feng was a little surprised that there was food. He had just heard from the people who came that Daya's family had run out of food a long time ago, and the steamed buns these days were given by the third aunt.

Daya brought Li Feng to the firewood pile and carefully moved the firewood away, one layer at a time.

A half-large ceramic jar was pulled out and the stones pressing on it were removed. It turned out to be filled with more than ten pounds of dried sweet potatoes.

Li Feng had seen this thing before and even eaten it when he was a child. He hated it the most. It was dry and hard without any sweetness.

After that, the good times got better, so I never ate it again. It was truly unpalatable, completely different from the sweet potatoes of later generations. It was dry, hard, choking, and tasted terrible, and it was a bit harsh on the throat. "Is that all?"

"Ah."

Daya covered it carefully, as this was the winter food for her sisters, and they hoped to survive the winter with it. Hanjiaba was not rich, and there was little arable land in the mountains. Moreover, the land was very barren, and it was considered a good harvest to dig out three to two hundred kilograms of grain per acre of land in a year.

Seeing the little girl cherish these sweet potato chips so much, Li Feng felt a little uncomfortable. "Let's put it aside for now." Returning to the main room, Li Feng was a little surprised to see the portraits of great men on the wall. "Could it be that there really was an accident that cannot be explained by science?"

After waking up from the electric shock, it seemed that he had come to an unusual place. This made Li Feng even more flustered, so much so that he didn't even notice Han Fuguo's arrival.

"Awake, feeling better."

"much better."

Li Feng thought, "Is this the commune they're sending me to?" No, he thought. He had probably understood the situation. If that was the case, it would be a difficult place to go. As someone without an identity, he would most likely be sent to the mines or forced to undergo labor reform.

Han Fuguo breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Li Feng did not sound stupid when he spoke. He couldn't help but ask about Li Feng's background, but Li Feng just said that he couldn't remember it clearly.

"Oh, what a sin."

The educated youth were so crazy and stupid because of the issue of returning to the city that Han Fuguo thought that Li Feng was unwilling to say more. After all, he would not jump into the river unless there was hope of returning to the city.

"Let's stay in our dam first. At least we can have something to eat."

Han Fuguo took two puffs of his pipe and looked at Daya and Erya. "Let's stay at their house for now." He called Han Anmin again. "Go and tell your mother to pack ten pounds of corn flour and send it over."

"Dad, do you really want to keep this idiot?" Han Anmin hurriedly persuaded. "Where in our dam is there enough surplus food to feed him?"

"Okay, do as I say."

Han Fuguo glared at Han Anmin, who nodded reluctantly and glared at Li Feng. This idiot was so unsteady when he walked that he was probably not cut out for work. Looking at his clothes, he was definitely an educated youth from the city.

You should know that Hanjiabao has been harmed a lot by the educated youth. These city people can't do any work and eat a lot. That's not enough, they also harm the livestock in the dam, and what's even more cruel is that they also harm the girls in the dam.

People like Daya and Erya's father ran back to the city after causing trouble and have not been heard from since. They are worse than animals. Li Feng can tell at a glance that they are educated youth from the city. It would be strange if Han Anmin was not angry. These bastards should not be accepted.

Li Feng pretended not to see Han Anmin's angry and murderous look and chatted with Han Fuguo for a while to get a general understanding of the situation.

"78 years ago, 45 years ago, how could this be possible...?"

Han Fuguo felt a little regretful. Looking at Mumu Li Feng, he thought to himself that this guy must be a fool.

What's going on? Li Feng's mind buzzed. Although he had some guesses, he still couldn't accept the information after confirming it. "Is there a recent newspaper?" Li Feng was still reluctant to believe it.

"I did bring some newspapers with me when I went to the commune a few days ago."

Han Fuguo asked Daya to go to his house, and after a while Daya came back with a newspaper.

"Why only one?"

Han Fuguo took the newspaper and muttered that it might have become a paste on the wall.

Li Feng took the newspaper and opened it. It was from April, just over two months ago. Sure enough, it was 78. He had really traveled back to 78, 45 years ago. How could this be possible? "It really is 78, 1978..."

Li Feng muttered to himself, and Han Fuguo muttered that this kid must have lost his mind. Don't be stupid. "Hey, look after your father. Tell me if you have anything to say."

"Ah."

Daya looked at Li Feng, who was mumbling to himself, with worry in her eyes. This was the father she had found by praying to God. "God, my father is not a fool."

Even that evening, Li Feng still couldn't accept that he had suddenly returned to 45 years ago. "No, I have to go back." But no matter how Li Feng called out, there was no response from Heaven, God, Buddha, or the aliens.

Li Feng finally gave up when he was completely exhausted. "Is there no way back?" At that moment, Li Feng felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he seemed to have lost his soul.

"Abba."

Daya called out softly, trying to wake Li Feng up.

"Get lost, who is your father..."

Li Feng's eyes widened as he roared at the skinny, yellow-haired girl in front of him. The eldest girl was stunned and held back her tears, while the timid second girl was frightened and started to cry. The sobbing made Li Feng even more irritated. Li Feng waved his hands helplessly. "Stay away from me."

Daya hummed while holding back her tears, and pulled Erya, who was sobbing in a low voice, out of the door. The sobbing became farther and farther away. Li Feng sighed. He knew that he shouldn't get angry at these two poor children, but this was a maddening reality.

Alas, why? Li Feng hammered the table a few times. Damn it, why did they choose me, 45 years ago? The thought of not being able to see his family again, his wife, children, parents, siblings, and friends, drove Li Feng crazy.

"Fuck God, you're playing me."

Anger ultimately couldn't solve the problem. For the next two days, Li Feng remained silent and somewhat depressed, his hunger only growing stronger. He still refused to swallow the damn cornmeal steamed bread.

Daya watched as her father only drank a few sips of the wild vegetable soup and didn't touch his steamed bread. The little man sighed. "Erya, you stay home and look after Dad." Daya went to the kitchen, found the small clay pot, and left under the cover of darkness.

"Third milk."

Daya knocked on Han Fuguo's door. Shi Chunhua saw Daya open the door and pulled the girl in. "Girl, what's the matter?"

…………

"Abba."

Daya was holding the small pottery jar, a happy look on her face. "Where have you been so late at night?"

"Dad gives it to me."

"what's that?"

Li Feng took the pot and took a look at it, a little surprised and a little bit unbelieving. "White flour?"

"Ah."

Daya nodded vigorously. She had just borrowed these three taels of flour from her third grandmother's house. Meanwhile, Han Fuguo, Han Anmin's brothers, and their wives were discussing this very matter.

"Mom, why did you lend flour to Daya? What's the situation in her family? It's all for nothing..." Han Anmin's wife whispered. She definitely had some complaints, but she didn't dare to say it.

"Yes, mother, that girl is picky about food and only eats white flour. She really can't learn well."

"No."

"okay."

Han Fuguo knocked on his pipe, frowning. This white flour must have been picked up by the educated youth in the city to eat. Daya has always been very sensible. "Oh, this is really a lucky guy."

"Anmin, go to Daya's house tomorrow."

Han Fuguo said, "Go ask him if he's feeling better now. It's time for him to go back to work. It's not good to just eat and drink for free."

"okay."

Han Anmin said, "Dad, I've been wanting to say this for a long time. You can't pamper city people. Otherwise, they'll all be lazy and greedy, and might even cause trouble for you. I'd rather just send them to the commune."

"Okay, let's talk about this later."

(End of this chapter)