The mother of the era is reborn to support her cannon fodder children!

Chapter 251 "No One Is Superfluous"

The Gu family's circumstances were far better than Zhao Daya's marriage.

Zhao Liuniang was generous to her own sister, and this usually stingy person brought out a lot of good things.

Half an ounce of brown sugar, half a piece of cured pork, a handful of red dates, and two steamed buns.

Most of the gifts were from Lin Zhao as a thank you for helping her third brother and sister-in-law.

She couldn't bear to eat it, wanting to save it for the New Year. She didn't mind sharing some with her sister, who had raised her. Old Zhao wanted to send her to the mountains to be fed to the wolves, but her older sister saved her food and secretly fed her, which is how she survived.

Not to mention, when the eldest sister heard that Lai Mei had injured her head, she brought ten eggs with her. Who knows how long she had been saving those ten eggs?

Zhao Daya's expression changed slightly when she saw what her younger sister handed her.

He repeatedly refused.

"Where did you get so many good things?"

"Why would I give it to you? I don't want it! We have food at home."

"Lai Mei was injured so badly, he needs to be nourished. Soak these red dates in water for him, I heard they can replenish blood. Brown sugar is also good, as is cured meat. We'll make it for him when he's better."

"Why are there steamed buns? Did you make them at home?"

Zhao Liuniang said, "There's still some at home, enough to satisfy their appetites. These are specially for you. Xiaxia isn't having her period and her stomach is hurting, so I'm giving her some red dates and brown sugar. I've wanted to give them to her for a long time, but I haven't had the chance. Eldest sister, please give them to her for me and tell her it's from her aunt. Don't take credit for it."

"You can all eat the cured pork and steamed buns together, try the meat. Sister, you know my in-laws are doing alright. My third brother's wife always helps out the kids. Even the malted milk powder that Yu Yu drinks is given to her by her third aunt. Don't worry about me, I'm doing fine."

Hearing her younger sister say this, Zhao Daya was conflicted, her mind in turmoil.

Zhao Liuniang stuffed the things into her hands.

“You’re my own sister. I’m giving you this, so why are you so shy about accepting it? Just be generous and don’t stand on ceremony.”

Aside from being somewhat timid in front of Old Man Zhao, Zhao Liuniang is open-minded and straightforward.

Zhao Daya had no choice but to accept.

“That’s right,” Zhao Liuniang said.

She had heard long ago that Xiaxia was in excruciating pain during her period. Brown sugar couldn't cure the illness, but it could provide some relief.

Zhao Daya said, "Your sisters-in-law are all good people. Get along well with them, don't compete for favors, be diligent, and it's okay to suffer a little loss occasionally. Don't be too calculative as a family."

Sixth Sister's younger siblings were living well, and she was afraid that her younger sister would develop inappropriate thoughts.

One should focus on one's own life and not compare oneself to others; how can one live comfortably if one is always comparing?

Zhao Liuniang listened and said, "I know."

Zhao Daya smiled awkwardly, "You've always been resourceful. I tend to talk too much, so please don't bother me."

“It’s not annoying.” Zhao Liuniang affectionately took her elder sister’s arm. “It’s never annoying, I love listening to you teach me.”

She was raised by her eldest sister, who was like a mother to her, no, even more important than her own mother.

Zhao Daya felt a warm glow in her heart.

The two sisters had just stepped out when they saw Gu Qingzhou pushing her bicycle over with a basket hanging from the handlebars.

“My mother asked me to see Sister Daya off,” he said.

Zhao Liuniang's face lit up with joy, "Mother, you're so kind."

After saying that, he looked at Zhao Daya and said, "Big sister, you don't need to walk back. Let Qingzhou take you. It's faster by bike."

Zhao Daya had never ridden a bicycle before, and waved her hand helplessly, "No need, no need, it's too much trouble. I can walk back, I'm used to it..."

"Big sister!" Zhao Liuniang interrupted her refusal, "The bicycle belongs to my third sister-in-law. She's willing to lend it out. Don't feel embarrassed. It's okay. My sister-in-law and I have ridden in it. It's fine."

"Walking back is too much trouble, why not take a car when there's one available?"

Gu Qingzhou remained silent as she watched her second sister-in-law try to persuade others.

Zhao Daya tugged at her clothes uncomfortably, but didn't refuse again; she was still quite flustered.

Zhao Liuniang helped her into the carriage.

After sitting down, Zhao Daya was in a daze, never expecting that she would one day be riding a bicycle.

"Qingzhou, ride slowly on the road," Zhao Liuniang instructed, planning to boil an egg for her brother-in-law the next morning.

Gu Qingzhou nodded. Seeing that her second sister-in-law and her eldest sister didn't say anything more, she pushed off with her foot, and the bicycle slid away from where it was.

……

In Zhao Daya's production brigade, the members had never seen a bicycle come before.

Upon seeing a bicycle, they rushed forward as if they had spotted something rare.

Seeing Zhao Daya, he was stunned for a moment, "Daya?!"

Zhao Daya jumped off the car and waved to the villagers.

"It's me," she said with a shy smile.

The villagers surrounded Gu Qingzhou and her women's bicycle, with some older women reaching out to pinch her arm.

"Young man, you're quite handsome. Do you have a girlfriend? If not, I'll introduce you to someone."

As he spoke, his eyes fell on the bicycle, as if he wished he could push it back home.

Gu Qingzhou was almost stunned. When had he ever seen such a wild old lady?

It seems... he's a piece of pork with more fat than lean.

very scary.

The boy tried his best to dodge.

Zhao Daya couldn't stand it anymore, and the embarrassment of being stared at completely disappeared. She stepped forward and pushed through the crowd of onlookers.

“This is my younger sister’s brother-in-law. He’s still in school, in high school. Don’t crowd around him, you’ll scare him, and my sixth aunt will give me a hard time.”

When the villagers heard that Gu Qingzhou was a high school student, their eyes lit up even more.

"Oh my, a top student, impressive!" The old woman, beaming, said, offering to introduce Gu Qingzhou to a potential partner. "Even top students need to get married and have children. The girl I'm introducing you to is very pretty and hardworking. Although she may not know many words, what's the use of being literate in daily life? She..."

Before the old woman could finish speaking, another person interrupted her, "Hahaha, Aunt Qian, you're talking about your youngest daughter, aren't you? Stop messing with that young man. Everyone in the village knows your youngest daughter is lazy and infertile, she can't do anything. Do you want to marry her and make her your ancestor? Don't ruin someone's life!"

The old woman, who was trying to sell her daughter, was sulking.

She couldn't help but resent her daughter, wondering why she didn't care about her reputation at all, making it impossible for her to find a cultured and good son-in-law...

Gu Qingzhou: "..."

He remained silent.

Are the women in this brigade really that... fierce?

They'll grab someone and start introducing them to potential partners.

Don't we need to consider character?

I'm not afraid that he's a bad guy.

Zhao Daya seemed to sense Gu Qingzhou's mood and said shyly, "...The villagers are very hospitable. Would you like to come to my house for a while?" She extended an invitation, wanting to offer Liu Niang's brother-in-law a drink of water.

Gu Qingzhou shook her head.

"No, I have something to do at home, I'll head back now."

After saying goodbye to Zhao Daya, he rode away on his bicycle.

"Oh, why are you leaving so fast? Let's chat a little longer," the older women said regretfully, not having had enough to talk about.

Gu Qingzhou didn't turn around; instead, she pedaled even faster.

Like his third brother, he was a man of few words, with a calm and reserved nature, and he was most afraid of dealing with the elderly people in the village.

It must have been so hard for Xiao Gu to endure this for so long!

The tall, straight-backed boy, like a young poplar tree, whizzed away.

The villagers looked away with regret.

then.

Zhao Daya was surrounded.

"Da Ya, your little sister married well. I heard that Fengshou Brigade is growing mushrooms. Those mushrooms can make a lot of money. Have you asked if our brigade can grow them?" someone asked first.

This is a big deal that can make money, and the whole village cares about it.

Before, we didn't know who to ask, but now they've finally got their chance!
Zhao Daya shook her head. "I don't know."

"How could I not know? Didn't you ask?" The moment the question was asked, the person shook their head again. "Impossible. Even if you didn't ask, would your little sister not tell you?"

Another person said urgently, "Da Ya, if you know, don't deliberately hide it from us. We don't mean any harm, it's just... if our brigade can also grow it, we'll go to the brigade leader and beg him to go to the commune secretary so that our brigade can also become... a pilot project?!"

“I heard that the Dongfeng Brigade is building mushroom houses. When will it be our brigade’s turn? I heard that growing mushrooms can make a lot of money.”

……

The villagers surrounded Zhao Daya, chatting away.

"I really don't know, I didn't ask any more questions." Zhao Daya raised her voice slightly, "But, Sixth Sister said, 'Whatever kind of stove we're cooking for, hmm, it means it'll be our turn sooner or later.'"

She was too embarrassed to admit that she hadn't understood.

The educated elderly man, after some guessing, said, "It means 'please calm down,' right?" Zhao Daya nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, that's it."

The old man glanced at her and said, "Literacy classes must be set up; people still need to be educated."

"Otherwise, you won't even be able to understand what they're saying."

This wasn't directed at anyone in particular; it was just a personal feeling.

Zhao Daya's cheeks were burning hot. She stammered and whispered, "...I'll learn. I'll learn every day the literacy class is open."

After seeing Liu Niang, she realized that the gap between herself and her younger sister was widening, not in terms of whether their lives were good or bad, but in other aspects.

—For example, sometimes she doesn't understand what Liu Niang is saying.

"It's good that you have this determination," the learned old man said with admiration in his eyes.

He said seriously, "It won't do if you can't read in the future."

Zhao Daya saw this and kept it in mind, and made up her mind to learn to read.

Some people let it go in one ear and out the other, only wanting more income and to fill their stomachs, and asked eagerly, "What exactly does 'shao zao' mean?"

"Is it even possible for our brigade to grow mushrooms?!"

The old man sighed slowly and replied, "Don't worry, wait for our notification."

The villagers were at their wits' end.

His shoulders were slumped, and he looked listless and lacking energy.

Zhao Daya pursed her lips and, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, secretly slipped home.

In her hands were some money that Zhao Liuniang had given her, and a small basket.

The basket was given to her by her sixth aunt's younger brother-in-law; she doesn't know what's inside yet.

back home.

A girl named Xiaxia came to greet them.

"...Mom, you're back! Why are you back so early?" The harvest brigade is quite far away; it would take almost two hours to walk there.

Zhao Daya laughed and said, "Your aunt's brother-in-law gave me a ride on his bicycle, so he came back early."

"A bicycle?" The little girl's eyes lit up.

"Correct."

Xiaxia looked on with envy, "My aunt bought a bicycle?!"

“That bicycle belongs to your sister-in-law,” Zhao Daya explained to her daughter.

"Oh." Xiaxia wasn't surprised.

She had met her aunt's two sisters-in-law.

I know which one Mother is referring to.

That person who seemed more like a city dweller than the city dwellers... She didn't quite know what to call him.

Zhao Daya opened the basket first; inside were two yams and a pound of high-gluten flour.

She stood there in a daze.

"This……"

Xiaxia was also speechless.

She could almost smell the aroma of wheat flour.

The little girl swallowed hard and asked, "Mommy, this is... high-gluten flour? Where did it come from?"

"...It was a gift from the Gu family." Zhao Daya was deeply moved.

Bringing gifts for Lai Mei is what she, as her aunt, should do. She didn't expect the Gu family to reciprocate with such nice gifts!
Food that can fill your stomach, how can it not be considered a good thing?

"Ah...?" Xiaxia was surprised. "The Gu family is so kind."

Zhao Daya said, "Yes, everything is fine."

She sent over the valuables from home, and the man wasn't very happy... Let's see what he says now!

At this moment, Zhao Daya straightened her back.

She then took out red dates and brown sugar and gave them to her daughter, saying, "These are from your aunt. You can drink the brown sugar with water when you have your period, and eat a red date whenever you feel like it; it's good for your health."

Xiaxia's eyes crinkled with delight at suddenly receiving so many wonderful things.

"My aunt gave it to me? My aunt is so kind."

Yes, my little sister is very good. Zhao Daya thought to herself.

Back then, everyone in the village said she was foolish; she couldn't even support herself, yet she still wanted to raise an extra one.

It would be much better to "send" Sixth Sister away; that would reduce one burden.

What's superfluous?

No one is superfluous.

That was a life.

She gritted her teeth, sacrificing her own food to support her younger sister, and fed her bit by bit until she grew up.

Zhao Daya hadn't expected anything in return, but her younger sister's response still brought tears to her eyes.

so good.

They survived.

even.

It also has the ability to give back to the other party.

……

Lin Zhao had also heard about the Zhao family's affairs.

The Zhao sisters' situation is a microcosm of that of country girls; she has seen many like them and is already used to it.

but.

Hearing about Old Man Zhao's "retribution," she was still happy for the six Zhao sisters.

When Zhao Liuniang spoke of her father's limited mobility and inability to travel far anymore, her face beamed with joy.

She was becoming increasingly unguarded in front of Lin Zhao.

"..." Lin Zhao was speechless for a while, then said, "It's good. We can exchange thirty catties of grain for a peaceful life. Second sister-in-law, don't feel bad. Bangbang and Laimei can pick up a few catties of grain every year. This is nothing to our family."

"...I don't feel bad about it," Zhao Liuniang said stubbornly.

In fact, the more I think about it, the more my heart aches. The thought that those thirty pounds of grain were for that person is just too painful!

Lin Zhao saw right through her and reminded her, "You also have income from growing mushrooms; you made over ten yuan from the first batch."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Liuniang immediately beamed with joy.

He slapped his thigh and laughed like a goose.

Lin Zhao's lips twitched.

After laughing for a while, Zhao Liuniang rubbed her cheeks, her smile fading, and her voice turned serious, "The report cards will be out soon. I wonder how Bangbang and Laimei did on their exams..."

Lin Zhao's expression remained unchanged.

"Aren't you worried?" Zhao Liuniang had been thinking for the past few days about how to give the two brothers an unforgettable winter vacation if they failed their exams again.

She has high hopes for her son to succeed.

There's nothing we can do; it's just that the more educated people in our families are the ones who are doing the best.

Anyone who says education is useless is talking bullshit.

If education is useless, then why do factories always hire junior high or high school graduates? Illiterate people don't even have a chance to apply.

That's how her life is going to be. Bangbang and Laimei have to get out.

To put it in a far-fetched way, what if his third uncle became more powerful and could arrange things for them? They wouldn't be able to do it if they weren't capable.

"Don't worry, Yu Bao and Heng Bao should have done well on the exam," Lin Zhao said.

"How did you know?"

Lin Zhao's eyes crinkled into a smile. "They both have a good foundation, after all, I taught them, and their uncle taught them too. If they don't do well on the test..."

That's okay.

After all, they're only in first grade.

The twins are young, so if they fall behind, they can simply repeat a grade.

However, she felt it was unlikely.

Both kids are smart, and the elementary school curriculum wasn't difficult for them.

(End of this chapter)