I'm a Modern Man, and I Refuse to Go Hungry

The meal was actually already prepared.

That was why He Ting had sent her youngest daughter to call Liang Xin over to eat.

Now that she had eggs, He Ting decided to add another dish.

She took three eggs, added plenty of water, and steamed a small basin of egg custard.

The egg custard cooked fairly quickly, so they soon sat down to eat.

Even with the extra dish, there were only two dishes in total.

Well, not counting the pickles.

Yes, even though she had invited someone to eat, she had originally made only one dish.

A basin of stewed cabbage.

Stewed plain, with nothing else in it.

The kind with just a few flecks of oil floating on top.

The staple was sorghum rice, along with a few pieces of corn, cut into sections and steamed.

All right, asking Liang Xin to eat was just an afterthought. It didn't count as inviting him to a meal.

Otherwise, for a proper meal, they would have prepared at least two dishes.

"Liang Xin, time to eat. We'll just have something simple tonight."

Looking at the food, it really was simple.

Liang Xin sighed to himself. This definitely wasn't the modern era. What era was it, anyway?

After racking his brains, he triggered some memories.

It was 1968!

So what were things like in 1968?

Oh no! Liang Xin didn't have the slightest idea!

Forget it. Whatever the era, he'd better calm his stomach before it rose in revolt.

Liang Xin rolled up his sleeves and dug in.

He held a bowl of sorghum rice, spooned cabbage broth over it, added a little egg custard, and picked up a few pieces of pickled radish.

Then he shovelled it into his mouth.

It was true: when you were hungry, everything tasted good!

Normally, he wouldn't have thought much of this food, but once he tasted it, he felt... it was all right.

Only after three bowls of rice did Liang Xin realize he had gone a bit overboard with the way he was eating.

Seeing everyone else's astonished expressions, he felt a little embarrassed.

He really was hungry, and he had eaten too fast.

"Look how hungry the boy is. Xiao Liang, eat slowly. I'll go cook you some more."

Only then did Liang Xin realize what was going on.

Oh, they weren't surprised because he ate fast, but because he ate so much.

He had eaten some of everyone else's portions.

There wasn't enough left for them!

"Auntie, I'm full. I really am. I'm just used to eating too fast."

Liang Xin, who was seventy percent full, hurriedly put down his bowl and chopsticks and moved away from the table.

When eating at someone else's home, how could he leave them short of food and have them cook again?

Apparently, in this era, everyone tightened their belts at mealtimes and didn't dare eat their fill.

They didn't even dare eat until they were seventy percent full. Half full was enough.

After all, their grain was all rationed out.

If they ate more today, they would have to eat less tomorrow.

He had eaten a little extra at this meal, so the others were already going to have to go a little hungry.

Cook more? That would be too much!

He couldn't very well make them go hungry again tomorrow.

"Aunt He, I'm full, so I'll head home. See you tomorrow!"

Liang Xin ran off.

When He Ting saw him leave, she didn't go cook any more food.

Although Liang Xin had eaten a little extra, divided among five people, it wasn't much.

They would just have to go a little hungry today.

Besides, they had an extra dish today, so they hadn't lost out.

Meanwhile, Liang Xin ran home and rubbed his stomach. He felt a little uncomfortable.

After all, he hadn't gone hungry in many years.

Although he was seventy percent full, that missing thirty percent left him feeling uncomfortable no matter what.

"Looks like I only just started working. I usually eat at the cafeteria, so I haven't bought much for the house."

"Still, luckily, there's a stove and a pot, and there's a little coal left."

The housing the neighborhood committee had assigned Liang Xin had naturally been occupied before.

Food wasn't the only thing in short supply at this time; housing was scarce too.

No house fit to live in could stay empty for long.

The previous occupant had left behind a little battered furniture, and the brick-and-mud stove couldn't be moved.

The pot was one of the few supplies Liang Xin had been allocated and brought with him.

Although it was battered, old, and small, at least it didn't leak and could still be used.

The coal, too, was what the previous occupant had left over.

There wasn't much, but it was enough to cook a few meals.

"No, I can't stand being hungry! I have to get something to eat!"

Liang Xin sent his consciousness into the mall and was pleased to see all kinds of supplies with no purchase limits.

The problem was, he had no money!

His system balance was 0.

He could only check in and claim tomorrow's yuan after midnight.

But it was just starting to get dark, probably only seven or eight. The thought of holding out until midnight was a little hard for him to accept.

"Big Brother System—no, Grandpa System, are you there? Can I discuss something with you? Can I check in for tomorrow ahead of time?"

[Detected 26 yuan on host's person. Recharge it to the mall balance?]

Liang Xin hurriedly searched his pockets. There was only one yuan and an egg coupon for two jin.

Where had the twenty-six yuan come from?

He thought hard and triggered some memories.

Then he undid his belt and took off his pants.

He saw a pocket on his dingy underpants.

And it was on the inside!

"No wonder I felt a little uncomfortable. There was something here!"

"Was this little pocket sewn on by the original owner's mother?"

He pulled out a small stack of money: two black ten-yuan notes, five red one-yuan notes, and a few coins.

More than twenty-five yuan!

That was seven yuan more than his monthly wage of eighteen yuan.