Lin Mother Wants Her to Go to the Countryside

This program was produced by Tomato Listening.

Episode 2: Lin Mother Wants Her to Go to the Countryside. At noon, only Lin Mother and Second Sister returned to eat at the Lin Family home. When they came back, she only needed to stir-fry a dish and heat up the food. But in the morning, the whole family needed breakfast. Everyone left for work early, so she had to get up early too. Otherwise, everything would fall on Lin Mother alone.

Clearly, Lin Mother had no intention of spoiling her youngest daughter.

Lin Yuzhu lived every day being urged awake. This beginning was painfully refreshing. In her previous life, she at least got up after daylight had fully broken. Now, there was no point even mentioning it.

Lin Yuzhu had barely lit the stove when Lin Mother started shouting beside her, "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and put the pot on. Boil a kettle of water! Everyone will be getting up soon. If you wait until then to boil water, will you still have time to make breakfast?"

Lin Yuzhu yawned, got up, used the poker to set the stove ring in place, then placed the already-filled iron kettle on top. Then Lin Mother told her to wash the vegetables, and Lin Yuzhu went to do so expressionlessly.

The water in the vat was icy in the morning. Lin Yuzhu had suffered from menstrual cramps in her previous life, so she normally avoided cold water whenever possible. But in the Lin Family, Lin Mother never waited for the hot water to boil before becoming impatient.

Lin Yuzhu had none of the original owner's memories, so she had no idea whether this body had the same problem. If it did, she would probably suffer unbearably.

Still, she kept feeling as though she had forgotten something.

It was not until Lin Mother started cooking and Lin Yuzhu was shaping cornmeal buns that the eldest sister of the Lin Family, Lin Yumei, finally came out. Looking at the two busy women, she said sheepishly and coyly, "Mom, there were too many people at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative yesterday. It was so busy that I was exhausted. I didn't even hear you knocking this morning."

Lin Mother had always treated Lin Yumei with sunshine-like warmth. Smiling, she replied, "Your job is tiring. Mom knows that. You don't need to make breakfast."

Lin Yuzhu looked numb. If someone asked whether Lin Mother's favoritism made her feel unbalanced—

Of course not. For one thing, Lin Mother was not her real mother, so there was nothing for her to be jealous about.

Besides, she had figured it out. In the Lin Family, everyone's status was proportional to how much money they brought into the household. In Lin Mother's eyes, only those who could earn money deserved a pleasant expression.

Cursing the heavens for the umpteenth time, Lin Yuzhu wondered why she had been sent to this damned era while she kneaded the cornmeal buns and considered her future.

Recently, she had heard that if she still could not find a job, the Street Office might arrange for her to go to the countryside.

That day, Lin Mother had given her a meaningful glance. That had been rather telling.

Why had Lin Mother looked at her like that?

Once she had finished shaping the cornmeal buns, inspiration suddenly struck her. Lin Mother wanted her to go to the countryside. She could actually accept it. She really did not want to keep living like a quail in the Lin Family.

Back when she had first gained a foothold in the Lin Family, she had argued back a few times. Lin Mother had grabbed a broom board and hit her on the backside. She had been furious, but this body was only sixteen years old. She lacked the strength to resist and did not have the nerve to fight Lin Mother.

Once the label of unfilial daughter was attached to her, her political future and social standing would be criticized for the rest of her life.

When she saw the neighbor's younger girl, who was one year younger than her, getting whipped with willow branches for talking back, she instead calmed down.

She felt that in life, sometimes it was necessary to keep a low profile and develop quietly.

So from that day onward, she obediently played the original owner's role and acted like a quail.

What else could she do?

In this era, if you had no money, no ration coupons, and no letter of introduction, it was best to bring a rope with you before running away from home. If you could not survive anymore, at least you would have something to hang yourself with.

Once the food was ready and placed on the table, the family had more or less all gathered.

After washing up, while everyone was present, Lin Yuzhu said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's, "Mom, it's not really a solution for me to keep living like this at home. How about I go to the countryside?"

She had thought it through. If she brought it up herself, perhaps Lin Mother would remember the bond between mother and daughter and give her a little more money.

Hit the road.

Going to the countryside meant being sent down as an Educated Youth.

The family was waiting for Lin Mother to serve the porridge, so no one paid much attention to what she had said.

But Lin Mother had sharp ears. Her hand paused slightly as she served the porridge, and she glanced at her youngest daughter, feeling relieved.

Hmph, the girl had finally become smart for once!

"Fine. The higher-ups are saying that every family has to send one child to the countryside. If you're willing to go, Mom won't stop you. I'll pull some strings later and see if I can get you sent to the Northeast."

When Lin Second Sister heard that, she said disdainfully, "I heard winters in the Northeast are freezing cold. Isn't sending Third Sister there just making her suffer?"

This was the first time since arriving that Lin Yuzhu had heard Second Sister speak up for her. She was somewhat flattered.

Lin Mother glared at Lin Second Sister. "What do you know? They don't lack food in the Northeast. When winter comes and it's cold, you won't have to work outdoors. Isn't that better than the south, where you still have to work outdoors in winter? Not only would your hands and head be covered in frostbite, it's damp and cold too. Your sister would be even less able to stand that."

Lin Yuzhu quietly accepted the porridge from Lin Mother and drank it slowly, still skeptical of what Lin Mother had said.

Do not think going to the countryside meant avoiding hardship. None of the older generation of Educated Youth had ever said it was easy.

From Lin Mother's words, Lin Yuzhu understood that Lin Mother had probably arranged for her to go to the countryside long ago. If she had not brought it up today, she might have simply received notice to leave one day.

"I heard the Northeast has more food than other places. If that's true after you get there, send some home too. It's hard to queue for grain at the grain station now."

After saying that, Lin Mother deliberately watched Lin Yuzhu's reaction.

"Then you'll have to give me money to buy it."

Lin Mother glared at her. "Would I let you starve?"

"Money, money, money! It's all money!"

"You Lin Family people, from old to young, never stop talking about money." Then she began rattling off criticisms of every member of the household.

Lin Yuzhu continued pretending to be a quail.

Lin Yuzhu's hometown in her previous life had been somewhat north. It could be called the Northeast, yet it was not actually within the Northeast. In a sense, she counted as half a Northeasterner.

The winters there were truly cold. Lin Mother was not worried about her daughter freezing at all. She only cared whether the family could benefit from having such a mother.

Judging from what Lin Mother had said, her trip to the Northeast was basically set in stone.

Lin Mother seemed dissatisfied with Lin Yuzhu's quail-like manner and could not help complaining, "The older you get, the less willing you are to talk. You're like a stuffy gourd all day long. If you marry into another family, won't your in-laws torment you to death?"

Lin Yuzhu slurped her porridge without offering an opinion.

Did she think Lin Yuzhu did not like talking?

She simply did not dare say too much. The country was vast and densely populated, and even a single province could have several dialects. The Lin Family's dialect was not especially obscure, so Lin Yuzhu could understand most of it. But speaking it was another matter. She could easily give herself away. Otherwise, would she willingly speak softly like a mosquito every day?

Thinking about it that way, going to the countryside might not be so bad.

After breakfast, those who worked went to work, and those who attended school flew off with their book bags. Naturally, the dishes on the table were Lin Yuzhu's responsibility.

She rolled up her sleeves and got to work.

How had a senior executive like her fallen to this point?

This damned era.

After cleaning the house, she had to clean the courtyard. As long as there was work in sight, she had to do it. Otherwise, Lin Mother would scold her as soon as she noticed.

Once she had finished tidying up, she checked the old wall clock at home. There was no time to rest. She had to make lunch for Lin Mother and Second Sister.

Lin Mother's work was usually quite leisurely. Unless something special happened, she mostly dealt with the neighborhood's domestic disputes. Her workplace was not far from home, so if there was nothing going on, she and her two daughters could leave early, return home, and even take an afternoon nap.

Lunch for the three women was easy enough. She only needed to heat up the cornmeal buns made that morning, cook some corn porridge, and stir-fry a green vegetable. That would do. The only trouble was that starting the stove took some time.

Once Lin Yuzhu had finished making lunch, Lin Mother and Lin Second Sister returned.

When the three women sat down to eat, Lin Mother said, "I've arranged your trip to the countryside. I heard it's Heilongjiang. You'll leave the day after tomorrow, so spend these two days packing up."

Lin Yuzhu was somewhat amazed by Lin Mother's speed. As expected, she had guessed right. Lin Mother must have arranged for her to go to the countryside long ago.

Fortunately, Lin Mother did not keep pressuring her. She could still enjoy the beautiful time of taking an afternoon nap with her little daughter.

After lying down on the bed with Lin Second Sister, Lin Yuzhu found herself unable to sleep. She was being sent to the countryside just like that. She had to prepare something, right? Did the original owner have any private savings?

Definitely not. Lin Mother wished she could separate every cent. She knew perfectly well how much money everyone in the household had.

This was an era where even having money without coupons meant you could not buy anything, much less having neither money nor coupons.

While considering what to bring from home to the countryside, Lin Yuzhu remembered that everyone in the Lin Family used old newspapers Lin Mother brought back from work when they went to the toilet. Only when they had their periods could they get toilet paper from Lin Mother.

Her expression turned strange. She hurriedly got up and rummaged through the boxes and cabinets, finally finding something that seemed to be the legendary menstrual cloth.

Lin Yuzhu's expression was complicated. Frankly speaking, even after a month, whenever she wore the original owner's clothes, she still felt a tiny, indescribable sense of complexity.

And now she was looking at a menstrual cloth?

Lin Second Sister could not sleep because Lin Yuzhu was making so much noise. She sat up in bed and said irritably, "What are you doing?"

"Can't people sleep at noon?"

Lin Yuzhu heard that Lin Second Sister was unhappy and knew she had disturbed her sleep. Since she was clearly in the wrong for being rude, she put down what she was holding and lay back down on the bed. "Second Sister, do you think Mom would agree if I asked her to buy me another menstrual cloth?"

Lin Second Sister turned over and replied with a yawn.

"Ah, you might as well beg Eldest Sister."

Lin Yuzhu thought that made sense, but then a terrifying thought suddenly struck her. She had been here for nearly a month and had not gotten her period. Could the girl have done something foolish?

Lin Yuzhu broke out in a cold sweat, her heart nearly leaping into her throat. Premarital pregnancy had serious consequences in this era. She did not want to start out by inheriting a child.

For some reason, Lin Second Sister had lost her sleepiness. She suddenly turned around and said, "Why are you buying another menstrual cloth? You've only used that one twice, haven't you? Your periods are like Mom's—once every few months, and not very heavy. That menstrual cloth still looks almost new. Mom definitely won't buy you another one."

After saying that, she sounded rather envious and muttered, "Sigh, if only I took after Mom too. This thing comes every month. It's so annoying."

After hearing Lin Second Sister's words, and based on the month Lin Yuzhu had spent figuring things out and accurately reflecting the original owner's personality, the original owner did not seem like someone bold enough to do anything outrageous. Only then did Lin Yuzhu finally relax.