Help others? It's better to help yourself - Chapter 34

In winter, the days get dark early. Shen He didn’t stay long; the two of them spoke for a few moments in the yard, took some freshly steamed buns and bean buns, and left.

As soon as Xu Jing’an stepped outside, she saw Shen He’s nearly new black “two-eight” bicycle leaning against the wall.

It was said that the durability of this bike was such that “even if the person is destroyed, the bike remains intact!”

The frame was large, and the front beam was quite high, making it difficult for shorter people to straddle it while riding.

During her learning phase, she must have fallen countless times; shorter individuals not only couldn’t touch the ground with their toes but some couldn’t even reach the pedals.

As Xu Jing’an walked Shen He out of the alley, the cold wind made her pull her neck in even more.

Before she knew it, it was the 15th—the day of their wedding. It happened to coincide with a thought-report meeting at the factory. All the workers sat up straight, and no one dared to whisper. So, the couple had originally planned to get married during the lunch break.

However, after the meeting, the factory distributed two pounds of Guoguang apples, three pounds of local apples, and five pounds of Snow Pears produced in W County to each worker. After receiving these benefits, all the factory employees were in high spirits.

Therefore, when Shen He came to pick up Xu Jing’an, the two rode back on the bicycle, dressed in green military uniforms, with large red flowers pinned to their chests and five pounds of apples and pears tied to either side of the handlebars.

The cold wind kept seeping into their necks and sleeves, making their cheeks turn a bright shade of red, and if their hands accidentally touched the bicycle, it felt like their hearts were freezing with pain.

It truly made them acutely aware of what it felt like to be thoroughly chilled!

This journey attracted the envious gazes of passersby.

Upon arriving at Shen’s house, as soon as they entered, before anyone could tease the young couple, they noticed the items on the bicycle’s handlebars. Suddenly, friends and family were all asking where the fruit had been bought, completely forgetting about the bride and groom.

Once they found out it was a winter benefit from the steel factory, everyone was filled with envy.

Hearing the praises from those around her, Shen’s mother smiled even brighter.

Although she wasn’t happy at the time about how much the bride’s family had demanded for the dowry, the gifts for the bride had also been substantial!

The room was filled to the brim with items: from large furniture, a sewing machine, and six thick cotton quilts, to smaller things like flashlights, fabric, and even a courtyard in the bride’s name.

Although the courtyard was small, finding a decent house these days is incredibly difficult! It would cost at least several hundred dollars, not to mention that it’s hard to come across someone willing to sell their house.

The daughter-in-law has a good job, her family is far away, and Shen’s mother thinks that since the in-laws have two sons and two daughters, their daughter is sure to be able to have children. Moreover, the introduction came from her cousin, and her son liked her too. The couple had also met the mother-in-law, who was understanding and doted on her daughter. There was no other daughter-in-law who fit Shen’s mother’s ideal so perfectly.

The couple stood in front of the eight immortals table, holding their marriage certificate, and held their wedding ceremony in front of the portrait of the Chairman.

On the long table beside them were an array of gifts from relatives, neighbors, and colleagues: precious books, badges, red notebooks, basins, towels, fabric, and more.

They first sang a revolutionary song, then recited two sections of instructions, and finally bowed three times—first to the leader, then to the revolutionary masses, and finally to each other as a couple.

After the ceremony, they distributed sweets to the neighbors, relatives, and children. Amidst the laughter of the children and the polite blessings from those around them, the gathering ended, and everyone returned to their own homes, each busy with their own affairs. After all, they still had to go to work in the afternoon!

The next day, Shen’s son got up early to wash the sheets, but the smile on his face was impossible to hide.

Shen’s mother smiled knowingly.

During the New Year, the leeks planted by Xu Jing’an hadn’t grown yet, but the garlic shoots and vegetables were ready to eat. Although there weren’t many, they managed to gather a few plates of dishes. On the fifteenth day of the New Year, Xu Jing’an was in charge of cooking.

“What are we eating today?” Shen He asked as he leaned closer to Xu Jing’an.

“Noodles, is that okay?” Xu Jing’an asked with a smile.

“Sure, why not?”

At lunchtime, each person had a large bowl of mixed noodles, and most importantly, there was a big bowl of tomato and egg sauce in the middle of the table.

The sweet and sour aroma wafted up.

“Tomatoes?” “Oh my! Where did they come from?” The family looked at Xu Jing’an with excitement.

“Where they came from is not important right now; hurry up and eat before it cools down,” Xu Jing’an urged quickly.

Soon, the sound of slurping filled the air as the family ate to their hearts’ content.

“Jing’an, where did you get the tomatoes? How come I didn’t notice?” Shen He asked.

“Now you can tell us, right? Come on, share with us,” Shen’s mother pressed.

“You wouldn’t know this, but I was planting tomatoes when we hadn’t even met yet.”

Xu Jing’an turned to Shen’s mother and said, “Mom, you were just too busy to notice, but now you understand. I stored them in a glucose bottle.”

“Oh~” Shen’s mother finally understood.

To be able to eat tomatoes in winter, one needs to use glucose bottles for intravenous drips. Summer is the cheapest season for tomatoes, with large ones selling for ten cents for five pounds and smaller ones for ten cents for eight pounds.

First, the glucose bottles need to be thoroughly washed and boiled in water for about an hour for disinfection. Then, they should be turned upside down to dry.

Next, ripe tomatoes are scalded with boiling water to remove the skin, then cut into pieces and stuffed into the bottles. The bottles shouldn’t be too full, and after filling them with tomato sauce, they need to be tightly sealed with rubber caps. After that, a sterilized needle is inserted into the cap, and the bottles are steamed in a pot for about half an hour. Once done, the needle is removed, and the hole is sealed with wax. The bottles should be left to cool completely and then stored in a cool, dry place.

In a winter season where there are only cabbage, radishes, and maybe a potato, tomatoes become a rare delicacy.

The entire winter diet consists of pickled cabbage with boiled pork, cabbage stewed with tofu, stir-fried cabbage with meat, cabbage and pork vermicelli, sweet and sour cabbage, sugar vinegar cabbage, cabbage and pork dumplings, and the only variation being substituting cabbage with radishes.

It’s easy to imagine how precious tomatoes are during winter!

“Tomatoes are easy to prepare, but the key is that glucose bottles are hard to come by. I’ve saved up for so long and only have less than twenty,” Xu Jing’an said helplessly, admitting that she usually doesn’t want to eat them because there are so few.

The family decided that this year, they must find more bottles; otherwise, how would they get through such a long winter?