After returning from the cemetery, Yang's mother and others immediately started preparing lunch. Because of the power outage and natural gas, they had to use coal stoves to cook.
In order to save money, many families simply build stoves in the kitchen. The south is mountainous, and the most indispensable thing is all kinds of firewood.
There are even many people who make a living exclusively by chopping firewood.
The main dish for lunch is baguette.
There are five other dishes, one is braised snake meat, one is stewed with dried shrimps and dried cabbage, one is stir-fried with bean sprouts and mushrooms, one is steamed salted fish, and finally there is a pot of kelp soup.
The production of kelp has increased significantly in the past two years, and it can be eaten in most cities across the country. It is comparable to the national delicacy of the new era.
Second only to the future baguette.
After lunch, Yang Jianbang was going to take everyone to the "underground world" for a stroll. Yang's mother did not go with him, but chose to stay and look after the house.
"Mom, it's so hot in the house and you are so old. What if you get heat stroke?"
Yang Lina said worriedly.
"Mom has a fan and a big teapot, so she won't catch the heat."
Yang's mother is very confident. The reason why she is reluctant to go out is mainly because she is worried about the hundreds of kilograms of food stored at home. This is the capital of their family and she wants to see it herself.
If it weren't for her daughter's family coming over this time, she wouldn't even want to go to the cemetery. Even if she had to go out occasionally, she would ask her daughter-in-law to come back on leave.
Lele took the initiative to take Mother Yang’s arm:
"Grandma, just go with us!"
Mother Yang patted Lele's head: "Grandma is getting old and she has been riding in the car all morning. She is really exhausted. You can go and play by yourselves and have fun."
Yang Lina tried to persuade her a few times, but finally gave up.
After going out, she looked at her brother: "Does Mom not go out often?"
"Sister, there are more than 500 kilograms of food in the house. Mom is worried about it. Sometimes she has to get up in the middle of the night to take a look."
Yang Jianbang explained with a wry smile.
"Can't you think of a way?" Yang Lina frowned.
Chai Han interjected: "Why didn't you think about it? There is a special food bank in the city. We want to deposit food in it, but my mother refuses to agree."
So-called food banks are almost invisible in coastal areas, but are common in inland areas.
Because various emergencies may occur during the transportation of grain, and the farther the distance, the greater the risk of accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a batch of "eternal warehouses" locally.
It is very helpful in maintaining stability.
"Food bank? Is there any interest?"
Yang Lina asked curiously.
"There is no interest." Chai Han shook his head, "But you can get food at any time, and you don't have to bear the loss of food."
"What if we can't get the food out?"
"No, this matter is not just a play. It is backed by the credibility of the country. No matter what, the higher-ups will not joke about this kind of thing.
That’s why my mother is worried, and would rather believe the rumors than the country. If you ask me, I’d rather save it in a bank insurance, and I’d be more worried if I leave it at home.”
Xu Dong helped persuade based on his previous life experience:
"My brothers and sisters are right. Food banks are set up by the state, and they will not make fun of the country's credibility unless the entire country collapses.
Once we get to that point, it will be useless no matter how much food we hoard.
Wife, please go back and persuade your mother-in-law to deposit the food in the bank as soon as possible. The old man is tensing his nerves every day, which is not good for his health."
"I know, I will go and persuade you tonight."
Yang Lina has never doubted her husband's judgment. Things are right in front of her. If it weren't for her husband, their family would not have such a good life now.
"Thank you, eldest sister!"
Chai Han quickly expressed his thanks. This matter has been bothering their family for several months. The sooner it is resolved, the sooner they can feel at ease.
"You're welcome, we're not all doing this for Mom's benefit!"
…
Mother Yang, on the other hand, sent the group of people out, turned on the radio, shook the cattail leaf fan, and drank the black tea brought by her daughter, not to mention how comfortable she felt.
It is said that raising children can prevent old age. In her opinion, a daughter can also prevent old age and is more considerate.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Dong dong dong..."
"Who is it?" Mother Yang got up and opened the door.
"Lao Xu, it's me, Lao Chen."
It was the neighbor upstairs again. Mother Yang opened the door.
Aunt Chen has a very good nose, and she immediately smelled the aroma of meat after entering the house.
"Lao Xu, where is your daughter and son-in-law? Why aren't you at home?"
"They couldn't stay at home and went out to play."
"Did you eat meat for lunch? Your daughter is so filial. Every time she comes over, she always packs a lot of food."
Aunt Chen said with envy.
Mother Yang modestly said: "What's the use of being filial? Their family is far away in Yanjing and they can't come back even once a year."
"The distance is really far."
Mother Yang brought a small bench to her old neighbor. It was too hot in the living room, and only the bedroom to the north was slightly cooler.
"The tea you just brewed, would you like a cup?"
"What tea? Why does it smell so good?"
"I don't understand that it's black tea, so I'll just drink it!" Mother Yang helped him pour a cup of tea.
Aunt Chen knows the goods: "It's a good thing, you are lucky."
"Try it quickly."
"It smells so good!" Aunt Chen drank it all in one gulp.
Mother Yang helped the other party refill a cup of tea and asked smoothly: "Old Chen, what's the matter with you coming to see me?"
"I'm bored at home, so I came to chat with you."
Aunt Chen still used the same rhetoric.
Mother Yang actually understood in her heart that every time this old guy came over, he really had no other purpose. He just wanted to use their radio and drinking water.
Especially for drinking water, she had to drink a big pot every time she came over. She was very suspicious that the other party usually didn't drink water at home and would come to their house if he wanted to drink water.
Although this water is inconspicuous, if you save it and sell it on the black market, you can earn at least 20 to 30 yuan a day, which is much easier than working as a temporary worker at the post office.
The reason why Mother Yang didn't expose the other party.
First of all, their family's economic conditions are pretty good. With their daughter's support, their living standard is definitely one of the best in the entire community.
Eating meat every day is impractical, but eating it every two or three days is still bearable.
Secondly, some time ago, this old man had just given birth to a black-haired man from a white-haired man, and his only son died of illness, leaving behind an orphan and a widowed mother.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law could not find any jobs at all.
She probably had no choice but to come up with this "sexy operation" of making money by taking advantage of the situation. She was just too lazy to care about it.
Finally, since the death of her wife, Yang's mother has been very uncomfortable. It would be nice to have someone to chat with, so the water should be regarded as chat expenses.
"Old Chen, has your Xiao He found a job?"
Aunt Chen shook her head: "How can it be so easy to find a job now?"
"Chai Han and his post office are looking for temporary workers, why don't you let Xiao He give it a try?"
Yang's mother also thought of helping the other person because she felt sorry for him. Moreover, the two of them had been chatting for several months, and they did develop some favors.
"Really? That's great." Aunt Chen was simply overjoyed.
"Don't be too eager to be happy. The work at the post office is a bit heavy. It's best for Xiao He to be mentally prepared."