Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Although Zhao Fengying said that, after Xu Dashan said "Do whatever you want, I don't care" and left the house, she reached out and pinched Xu Bei's ear hard.

"You little rascal, you really wouldn't stay away from work because of something like this?"

"Mom, it hurts, it hurts..."

Xu Bei deliberately exaggerated his pain, successfully saving his ear.

Then, they used a delaying tactic.

"I definitely have to go back, but not immediately, and not like my dad said. Otherwise, I won't be able to work, and everyone will be able to bully and trample on me. So I want to take a break for a few days first."

Zhao Fengying thought about it and agreed, "Then let's come down and rest for a few days."

Xu Bei smiled and hugged his mother. "My mom is the best to me."

When Xu Dashan returned from the outhouse, he found the mother and son chatting and laughing, completely disregarding him as the head of the household, which made him even angrier.

When Xu Bei brought his mother's homemade steamed buns and bean buns made of a mixture of cornmeal and wheat flour, as well as stewed potatoes with sauerkraut and pickled cucumbers, to the kang table in the east room, he didn't give her a pleasant look.

Xu Bei didn't care how black his father's face was, and ate with great relish, bite after bite.

After all, it had been many years since I had eaten my mother's cooking.

Even the simplest home-cooked dishes, without any meat or oil, just bland broth, still taste like mom's cooking, the taste of home.

Seeing her son's enthusiasm, Zhao Fengying became less picky about food and felt quite pleased with herself.

She would occasionally put a piece of food on his plate and watch him eat with a loving expression.

Seeing this scene of motherly love and filial piety, Xu Dashan felt so angry he was about to burst.

He usually has a big appetite, but he couldn't eat more than two or three.

The person who usually listens to the radio at home and takes a nap before going to work left early today, fuming.

After finishing his meal, Xu Bei returned to the west room, lay down on the kang (heated brick bed) to warm his back, and let out a comfortable sigh.

He felt that no matter how expensive or good the mattress was, it couldn't compare to this heated kang bed.

Ever since we moved upstairs, I've often missed the heated kang bed in the old bungalow.

Just as Xu Bei was enjoying himself while planting wood in the game space with his mind, someone else came to his house.

He sprang up from the kang (a heated brick bed) with a swift movement and looked out the window.

The woman who entered was wearing a cotton-padded jacket and trousers and carrying a small basket.

Because the other person was wearing a hat and a scarf covering their face, Xu Bei didn't recognize them at first.

"Is Sister-in-law Xu at home?"

"At home, at home."

Zhao Fengying, who was in the kitchen, immediately responded and went out.

"Oh, isn't this Xiuqin? What brings you here?"

"It's the southeast wind."

"It's been a while since you've come to visit. Come on in and warm up on the kang (heated brick bed)," Zhao Fengying greeted him warmly.

Xiuqin asked with a smile, "Has your brother Xu left for work yet?"

"Let's go. I deliberately left a little earlier today." Zhao Fengying pulled the other person's arm. "Let's go inside quickly."

Although Xu Bei didn't remember who Xiuqin was, he quickly put on his shoes, got out of bed, and greeted her, "Hello, Auntie."

Xiuqin looked him up and down. "Good, good. This child is quite handsome. Is he not at work yet?"

Xu Bei naturally couldn't tell the truth, so he just grunted in response and went to find tea leaves to make tea and pour water.

Zhao Fengying led the people into the east room.

The two sat down and got straight to the point without any further pleasantries.

"Xiuqin, what brings you here?"

"Isn't this my mother-in-law? She loves your golden, crispy pancakes. I was thinking of quickly getting 5 jin of cornmeal for you to help with, but I don't know if you have time."

"Of course I have it. Here's what you'll do: come pick it up tomorrow."

"Okay. I'll pay you the handling fee when I pick it up."

"Oh, no rush, I know you're pretty good."

When Xu Bei came in with the teapot and cups, the two had already made a verbal agreement, so even if he didn't want his mother to take on this tiring job, he couldn't do it anymore.

Xiuqin sat for a while longer before taking her leave.

After the mother and son finished seeing the person off, Xu Bei hurriedly said, "Mom, don't do this kind of work anymore. You don't earn much money, and it's exhausting."

He had already figured out a reasonable way for his mother to earn money.

Selling wooden stools is undoubtedly one solution.

Moreover, this way, he can keep some of his earnings at home, and once he has earned enough, he can legitimately stop going back to work.

Before we could even set things up, Xiuqin showed up.

As Zhao Fengying walked into the yard, she said in a low voice, "What's a little bit of hard work? We get eight cents for each pound of meat, so five pounds is forty cents, which can buy three or four ounces of pork."

Moreover, my hand speed is faster than most people's; I can finish it in less than half a day.

Xu Bei's mind flashed to the image of his mother sitting on a small stool, with a red-hot iron griddle in front of her, holding a bamboo rake in her right hand and scooping out dough with her left, her movements fluid and graceful.

I have to admit, my mother is indeed a master at making pancakes.

"Then I'll help you."

Zhao Fengying immediately shook her head, "No need, just 5 jin of cornmeal, that's easy. Aren't you sleepy at work? Go get some sleep."

Xu Bei felt enveloped in warm maternal love once again. "I'm not sleepy anymore."

Zhao Fengying was very firm, "I don't need you even if I'm not sleepy. You'll just make things worse and cause trouble. I might as well do it myself. Why don't you go out for a walk or something?"

Xu Bei had no choice but to do some preparations and then leave home.

He planned to visit the North Building of the Forestry Bureau, which sells general merchandise and daily necessities, to find out the price of wooden stools in this day and age...

There are two main roads in Beishan Forestry Bureau, which locals usually call the South Road and the North Road.

In the 1980s, Beidao was the most bustling and prosperous area because the South Building, North Building, cinemas, and other buildings were all located here.

Both the North and South Buildings are two-story structures.

The former sells needles, thread, cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, tea, matches, toothpaste, soap, laundry detergent, and the like, while the latter specializes in selling hardware, daily necessities, tables, benches, pots, pans, and so on.

Unlike the South Building, which only had its exterior painted, the North Building had a typical pebble-dash finish, with exposed gray-white pebbles that felt rough to the touch.

This type of wall is essentially solidified stone, making it very durable and resistant to wind and rain.

Before Xu Bei was reborn, the south building of the cinema had long been demolished and turned into residential buildings, only the north building remained, which had become a building materials store.

Therefore, when he stood at the bottom of the steps, he felt as if time had reversed, as if he were in another world.

However, Xu Bei did not linger for long before climbing the steps and pushing open the door to enter.

Upon entering, the most conspicuous spot on the peeling paint shelf is a row of red tin thermos bottles, with red enamel washbasins adorned with peony patterns piled underneath.

These are essential items for people getting married these days, and they are also given as wedding gifts.

Xu Bei deliberately moved closer and saw that the prices were 3.8 yuan and 1.5 yuan respectively.

Enameled basins are indeed good, but if they are bumped or knocked, the enamel layer can easily fall off, exposing the black iron blank inside, which will rust when it comes into contact with water.

This is probably a shared memory for many families.