Starting from 1950

Noticing that the rat under his feet had stopped struggling, Su Yang's heart stirred.

He seems to have found a good way to gain experience.

"Su Yang, have you chased the rats out yet?" Wu Xinxue's voice was muffled, her head still buried in the blanket, not daring to show herself.

"I've stomped it to death to avenge you. Do you want to take a look?" Su Yang said with a smile.

"Ugh! I don't want to see it! Throw that filthy thing out right now!"

......

The next day.

The two slept until the sun was high in the sky before getting up.

Su Yang went to the well in the family compound and drew a basin of cold water. The two of them washed their faces together and went downstairs.

It was a sunny day, windless, and the sun was shining brightly. Although the snow hadn't melted yet, the women who weren't working couldn't wait to gather in the open space in front of the building, basking in the sun and chatting.

As soon as Su Yang and his companion came down, everyone's eyes turned to them.

The main attraction was Wu Xinxue; it was the first time the women had ever seen such a beautiful young girl.

Grandma Ma looked down at her neighbors and said arrogantly, "Look at that! Was I bragging? Doesn't this girl look like an angel?"

The neighbors nodded and whispered among themselves.

Su Yang heard them mostly talking about how pretty the girl was and whether she had a boyfriend. If not, they wondered if he could tell his son or a relative about it.

Before they could come up and bother him, Su Yang showed them the rat he had tied with straw rope and said, "Aunt Ma, where's our garbage dump? I'll throw this dead rat away."

"A dead rat?" Aunt Ma was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "So that's why your house was making such a commotion last night. You were killing rats."

She then changed the subject and reminded him, "Don't throw this mouse away; it's a valuable item."

Wu Xinxue thought for a moment, then looked incredulous, thinking to herself, "Do people in Northeast China eat rats?"

This is absolutely disgusting!

But then Sister Ma continued, "Our flour factory has the most rats within a ten-mile radius. Our residential compound and the factory area are separated by only one wall, and the rats are always running back and forth. The factory has put in a lot of effort to get rid of the rats, but unfortunately, they're afraid that rat poison will die in the grain. As for rat traps, these things are very clever. Once a rat has been in a rat's blood, no rat will fall for it again."

Su Yang was a little confused, wondering what all this meant.

Sister Ma finally got to the point, "So, our flour factory rewards people who kill rats—800 yuan per rat!"

"800 yuan!"

Su Yang was taken aback, and then his heart began to race with excitement.

"Where should we take this rat to exchange for money?" Su Yang quickly asked.

"If you catch a rat in the family compound, you can exchange it for a ticket at Old Xie's gate, and then go to the consumer cooperative to collect your money. Since the consumer cooperative is full of food, you can't bring rats there directly. But if you catch a rat at the factory, you can go directly to the factory security department to exchange it for money."

"Thank you, Aunt Ma!" Su Yang thanked Aunt Ma and left together with Wu Xinxue.

"Look! How polite this child is."

Aunt Ma praised it to her neighbors.

Wu Xinxue had initially disliked Su Yang for carrying that fat, gray-black dead rat, and had kept her distance from him ever since they left the house.

But when they heard about the 800 yuan reward, their eyes lit up instantly.

"Can it really be exchanged for money?" Wu Xinxue was still a little incredulous and asked in a low voice to confirm.

"What Aunt Ma said, why don't we go and see for ourselves?"

Su Yang's mind was already racing. Killing rats could earn him both money and experience—a win-win situation!

The two walked quickly toward the gatehouse at the entrance of the family compound.

Old Xie, the gatekeeper, was wrapped in a thick cotton coat, holding an enamel mug and warming himself by the fire. A small pot of water was simmering on the stove, making a slight hissing sound.

"Grandpa, I heard that our factory gives a reward for killing rats?" Su Yang handed over the dead rat that was being dragged along with a straw rope.

Old Xie raised his eyelids, his cloudy eyes sweeping over the fat rat, then looking at the incredibly handsome young man and woman in front of him, and slowly nodded: "Yes, that's true. It's a rule from the factory; rats caught in the family compound have to register with me and get paid."

He put down the enamel mug and pulled out a small notebook and a stack of receipts from a drawer in a dilapidated wooden cabinet next to him.

"One mouse, 800 yuan." Old Xie wrote down the date and "one mouse" in his notebook in a crooked hand, then tore off a receipt and handed it to Su Yang.

The ticket was slightly larger than a postage stamp, and it was printed with "Limin Flour Factory Pest Control Reward Coupon 800 Yuan" and stamped with a blurry red seal.

"Take this and you can exchange it for money at the consumer service center in Building 1." Old Xie pointed in the direction and added, "Young man, you're quite skilled; this rat is not small."

"Thank you, sir!" Su Yang accepted the reward coupon, feeling relieved.

Wu Xinxue also came over to take a look, her little face full of curiosity and excitement.

After leaving the reception room, the two headed straight for the consumer service center.

The saleswoman was clearly familiar with the reward coupons. Without a word, she counted out eight crisp 100-yuan bills and handed them to Su Yang, adding with a smile, "Wow, young man, you're quite capable! You've only just moved in and you've already made some money. What a great start!"

Seeing that she had actually exchanged the money, Wu Xinxue's eyes sparkled, and the gloom from being frightened by the rats last night was swept away.

"Sister Xinxue, let's go on a big shopping spree today!"

Su Yang waved his hand with great enthusiasm, feeling his back straighten up considerably.

The two of them had already discussed what to buy last night.

First, you need to buy an iron pot with a lid, which is essential for cooking.

Su Yang chose a medium size, which cost 3 yuan, and it felt very heavy.

The cheapest kitchen knife costs 8000 yuan.

Two large, thick bowls, two pairs of chopsticks, and two spoons cost 5000 yuan. Although both of them had lunchboxes, bowls are still necessary for daily life. If it weren't for the tight budget, they would have bought a few more.

A bag of coarse salt, a small bottle of soy sauce, and a small jar of soybean oil—these items were subject to purchase restrictions. Fortunately, Wu Xinxue was a new employee and received a ration. She spent about 1 yuan.

A small bag of corn grits and a small bag of sorghum were used as staple foods, costing 1 yuan.

A dozen potatoes, a cabbage, and a small bundle of vermicelli cost 5000 yuan.

A small bundle of kindling, two bags of matches, and half a ton of coal ordered—this was the foundation for getting through the winter, costing 36,000 yuan.

A broom, a dustpan, and a thin wooden bucket cost 5000 yuan.

The most expensive item was the bamboo-shell thermos, which cost a whopping 48000 yuan!

All things considered, the 26 yuan that had just been warmed up, plus the 4 yuan given by Ruan Sumei, instantly shrank by half.

After settling the accounts, Wu Xinxue was initially a little distressed.

But looking at the belongings they carried in their hands and on their shoulders, the two felt incredibly content.

Back in room 209, the two of them, without even taking a break, immediately began to decorate their little home.

Su Yang was in charge of starting the fire, something he often did at the reformatory. Before long, leaping flames rose from the tin stove.

The warmth from the fireplace quickly dispelled the chill in the room and illuminated the smiling faces of the two people.

Wu Xinxue was busy tidying up the items.

Pots and pans were put into an empty corner, grain sacks were carefully piled under the bed to prevent moisture, and oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar were neatly arranged on the windowsill. The newly bought broom and dustpan were placed behind the door, and two bars of soap and a new towel were placed together in a corner of the desk.

When Su Yang used his newly bought iron pot to cook a pot of steaming corn porridge over the stove, the small room was filled with a warm, homey atmosphere.

"Dinner's ready!" Su Yang ladled out two bowls of porridge and handed one to Wu Xinxue.

The two of them sat on the edge of the bed, holding the hot, rough porcelain bowls, blowing on them and sipping their drinks.

The porridge tasted rough, but the two of them ate it with great relish.