Chapter 5: Preparations Must Be Made Early

Liu Guilan entered the room at a leisurely pace. Her eyes casually scanned the scene and landed on Lin Yu and his mother eating clams. A fleeting, barely perceptible sneer flashed across her gaze before she quickly masked it with a warm smile that seemed sincere.

“Oh, sister-in-law, what are you eating there?” Second Aunt asked knowingly, her voice dripping with feigned warmth.

Before receiving an answer, she shook the two small fish in her hand and continued, “Look what I brought for you. Uncle put in a lot of effort to catch these fish. There are only these two left, and I didn’t even want to eat them myself, but I brought them right over to you.”

With that, Second Aunt plopped down firmly on the edge of the kang bed and placed the two fish in front of Wang Yufen. The fish were barely the size of a palm—according to fishermen’s rules, fish this small should be thrown back into the sea even if caught.

It was a classic case of short-sighted greed, a taboo among fishermen.

“Second Aunt, you’d better take those fish back. We can’t afford to eat your family’s fish,” Lin Yu said with a roll of his eyes, his tone sharp.

When his mother had just returned from her divorce, there was barely any food in the house. To keep her two children from starving, Wang Yufen had even gone to their house to borrow two pounds of cornmeal. She had knelt down begging, but not only was the cornmeal refused, she was also scolded pointedly.

Now, bringing two fish over as a show of goodwill was obviously not without ulterior motives.

“That child, what nonsense are you talking about? Can clams fill a stomach? We’re almost begging for food, and you still complain!” Liu Guilan snapped irritably.

“Don’t worry, you won’t even get a crumb at your doorstep,” Lin Yu retorted coldly.

Fearing a fight might break out, Wang Yufen quickly interjected, “Xiao Yu, you shouldn’t talk to your Second Aunt like that. She’s an elder. Second Aunt, since you’ve come so late, you must have a reason. Please just say it.”

Liu Guilan glanced at Wang Yufen with displeasure, then said sharply, “Isn’t it because we’re worried you won’t have enough to eat? After all, those two kids are part of the Lin family’s bloodline. Could we really just stand by and watch?”

“Stop weaving fishing nets at home—you won’t earn much that way. Go help Uncle on his boat, and our family will provide your whole family of three with a meal.”

Wang Yufen was immediately tempted by Liu Guilan’s words. Their family was struggling for food now, and if her two children could eat their fill even once, she was willing to endure any hardship.

Just as Wang Yufen was about to agree, Lin Yu snorted coldly and said, “No way. My mom isn’t free labor. Even apprentices get paid every month. You really know how to calculate things—no wonder you brought those two fish with such so-called goodwill.”

Liu Guilan immediately snapped back, “You little brat, don’t be ungrateful. You can still eat clams and crabs now to stave off hunger, but when winter comes and the sea freezes over, you’ll starve to death.”

Lin Yu sneered, “Don’t worry, even if we beg, we won’t come to your doorstep. Besides, with me here, my mom and Yao Yao won’t go hungry. Any other business? If not, please leave quickly. We don’t welcome you here.”

“Also, in two days, I’m going to harvest our family’s fields. Whatever you’ve planted in there, clear it out by then. If I find anything left when I come, don’t blame me for being rude—I’m not as easygoing as my mom.”

Liu Guilan was momentarily taken aback, then trembled with anger and shouted at the top of her lungs, “You’re impossible, you little brat! I won’t return the fields. Let’s see what you can do! You’re still a child, and you’ve gone mad.”

She stood up abruptly, gave a fierce glare, and slammed the worn-out door with a loud bang that seemed as if it might fall apart.

Seeing this, Wang Yufen grew anxious and wanted to follow her, but Lin Yu said firmly, “Mom, don’t go. If you work on their boat, they’ll just treat you like a slave. There are plenty of able-bodied young people in the village. If they could find work, would they be running to our house like puppies? Everyone knows their family is heartless.”

Wang Yufen sighed, “Silly child, if it means you can eat a full meal, I don’t mind the hard work. What Second Aunt said isn’t wrong—the weather is still fine now, but when winter comes, how will we get by?”

Seeing his mother’s growing worry, Lin Yu also began to think deeply.

When the harsh winter months arrive, the coastline freezes. Many marine creatures hide deep in the ocean or in warm underwater caves to escape the cold. Shellfish, crabs, fish, and shrimp in shallow waters become scarce. The clams they could once easily find now burrow deep beneath the mud, making them nearly impossible to find. Filling one’s stomach then would be far more difficult.

But that wasn’t even the worst part. Since the divorce, their stepfather’s family forbade them from taking even a single stitch of clothing. They had no spare clothes, let alone anything to keep warm. When the bitter cold of midwinter struck, the clothes they had on would not protect them—they could freeze to death.

Both food and clothing needed to be prepared well in advance. But acquiring them wouldn’t be easy. Even though the nation was beginning to transition economically and many goods were freely sold, essentials like grain, oil, cloth, and other scarce items still required ration coupons.

Grain was manageable; many mountain villages nearby would sell it if one had the money. But cloth and oil were much harder to obtain. To get ration coupons, one had to take risks.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Yu had made up his mind. He comforted his mother, “Mom, don’t worry. As long as I’m here, I won’t let you or my sister go hungry or freeze.”

Wang Yufen was about to say more when Lin Yao, her younger daughter, woke up. The first thing she did was call for her mother, demanding food. This brought tears of joy to Wang Yufen’s eyes; knowing there was food to eat meant half the battle was won.

Lin Yu quickly picked the largest, fattest crab, expertly cracked it open, and handed it over.

But Lin Yao glanced at it, clung to her mother’s neck, and threw a tantrum, “Crab again? I don’t want crab.”

“If you don’t want crab, then we won’t eat crab. How about clams? Mom will peel the clams for you,” Wang Yufen soothed as she worked on the clams, but Yao Yao continued to fuss.

It was no surprise—since their mother’s divorce and return with two children, they had eaten nothing but clams and crabs. No matter how delicious, eating the same thing every day would make anyone sick of it.

The little one was sick and irritable, crying loudly and refusing to be comforted, which only worsened Wang Yufen’s mood. She could not scold her sick child and had to patiently endure the tantrums.

“Yao Yao, be good. Today we’ll eat crab and clams. Tomorrow, your brother will bring some white flour, and I’ll make you steamed buns.”

“Steamed buns?” Lin Yao immediately stopped crying, turned to Lin Yu, wiped her tears, and said, “Really? Brother, you can’t lie.”

Seeing the little one so eager and teary-eyed, Lin Yu patted her head gently. “Don’t worry, I’m not lying. If I lie, the big bad wolf will come and take me away tonight.”

Lin Yao clapped her hands excitedly, “Great! Tomorrow I get to eat steamed buns!”