When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 75: Chapter 46: The Spurned Wife of the 50s (46)

The more the children cried, the more the mischievous kids relished their ice pops.

”Hey, Zhang San, you should tell your dad to work harder and win some cold-drink coupons! They don’t cost anything—they’re rewards from the factory. I heard there are dessert coupons too. It’d be a waste not to eat them!”

Another boy waved his ice cream bar in front of a child’s face. ”Li Si, it’s not that I don’t want to give you a taste. My mom says we have to be hygienic, and you can’t share food that’s already been in your mouth.”

All at once, children ran home to their mothers demanding ice pops, and the air filled with the sounds of scolding and spanking.

What was even more infuriating was that the mischievous kids who had redeemed their cold drinks came in an endless stream, as if they had planned it. They didn’t even go home to eat. Instead, they stood in the most conspicuous spot in the courtyard, licking their treats one tiny bit at a time, each with an expression so exaggerated it could have been in a movie. This made the other children bawl with envy, one crying fit after another. The commotion truly lasted the entire day.

When the men returned home, those who had made the list were met with warm welcomes and praise from their families. Those who hadn’t, however, were greeted by their wives and children with cold stoves, cold meals, and dirty looks.

Well then, the commotion caused by the ice pops was too great. For the sake of family harmony, the men had to earn those cold-drink coupons for their children. As a result, the factory’s efficiency skyrocketed, making the leaders so pleased they practically strutted when they walked.

After a few days of training, all the apprentices practiced their knife skills and prepared cold dishes while also enduring the merciless critiques of the staff. They wiped away tears after each blow to their confidence, corrected their mistakes, and improved. Naturally, the results were remarkable.

Within half a month, Chu Shenyu and Zhu Yun had set up shelves in the side rooms and cellar of their small courtyard house, filling them with jars and small water vats of various sizes.

Every day, Chu Shenyu would bring back dozens of pounds of grain: wheat flour, mixed-grain flour, cornmeal, white rice, millet, various beans, peanuts, and even dried red dates, walnuts, almonds, and dried shiitake mushrooms.

They also bought a lot of fruits and vegetables, which they washed, cut into strips, and air-dried before either storing or pickling them.

Looking at the fully stocked cellar and side rooms, Zhu Yun felt a great sense of accomplishment. The anxiety that had been gnawing at her about the impending famine finally began to ease.

Of course, she didn’t forget her own studies, nor did she neglect to urge her apprentices to read their books and work through practice problems. During this time, she also witnessed several battles between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law living across the way.

Thanks to Lin Jin’s superb Bai Lian tactics, and with the advantage of her bulging belly, Old Mrs. Wang—a woman whose shrewishness was unrivaled in the surrounding villages—had finally met her match in her own daughter-in-law, even in her old age.

Every day, Old Mrs. Wang’s cheeks would be puffed with anger, yet she still had to wait on the young couple. Whenever she saw Zhu Yun, her face was filled with regret and remorse. Zhu Yun guessed she was thinking, ’If I hadn’t meddled back then and had just let the marriage go through, perhaps everything would be different now.’

Zhu Yun had just collected her salary of over two hundred yuan when her husband voluntarily handed over his, which was also over two hundred. The stack of ten-yuan notes felt exceptionally thick. She set aside a little over one hundred yuan and various ration coupons, depositing the rest into their passbook.

In late August, a strong wind blew out from the Capital City. Every household had to turn in their iron woks, iron ladles, knives, and spoons to support the national construction effort. Workers and their families could now eat at the canteens without needing money or ration coupons.

Director Wang walked over, his face beaming, and excitedly gathered everyone in the canteen. ”Comrades, you’ve heard the broadcast! Our country’s development is getting better and better, and the people’s lives are steadily improving...”

”As Canteen Number One, we must make this first meal a great one and ensure there’s plenty of it! We will make sure the workers and leaders eat their fill so they have more energy to devote to their work...”

”Director Yun, you’re the expert in this area. You should make the arrangements,” Director Wang said, turning to Zhu Yun with a smile. ”Oh, and by the way, the children all love the cold drinks and desserts you make. You should prepare some extra this time.”

Zhu Yun was still in a bit of a daze. She vaguely recalled a colleague from the Space-Time Administration Bureau muttering about the era of the ”Big Pot Rice”...

She pressed her lips together slightly. After the meeting, she sought out Director Wang. ”Director, will our canteen have an allocation? Or will the four canteens continue to manage their own supplies as before?”

Director Wang smiled and poured her a cup of tea. ”Director Yun, please speak your mind. As long as an idea is good for our factory and the workers, I will do my best to make it happen.”

Zhu Yun said with a smile, ”Once the canteen is open to everyone, the workload will definitely increase. I’ll probably have to step up and cook myself. Everyone says my cooking is good. Don’t you think a lot of people will start lining up just for me again?”

”If that happens, Canteen Number One will be completely swamped, and that would be rather embarrassing for the other canteens, wouldn’t it?”

Director Wang recalled the times when Zhu Yun was cooking. The line had stretched from the second floor and nearly snaked all the way down to the main entrance on the first. If it weren’t for work hours, nobody would have been willing to settle for the other service windows.