Hughes Lawrence’s wife sighed, “Are you all moving to the city to live?”
Whitaker Scarlett modestly nodded, “Life in the countryside is tough; it’s easier to make a living in the commercial capital.”
It was only because they had some savings that they dared to stir things up. William and Whitaker Scarlett each had some money in hand; otherwise, who would dare to leave their land behind and move their whole family into the city? Life in the city wasn’t like the countryside where you could produce and sell your own goods; everything from firewood, rice, and salt had to be bought with money. Living off savings wouldn’t last long; it forced people moving to the city to work hard to earn money.
The term “migrant worker” wasn’t popular yet; the few who went out to work mostly headed south. The individual businesses in the commercial capital were still predominantly run by city folks. William and Whitaker Scarlett could be considered among the first farmers from the 1980s to venture into the city to make a living.
Hughes Lawrence’s wife envied the courage of Whitaker Scarlett’s family; not many farmers were willing to leave their fields behind to seek a living in the city during these times.
Individual businesses could earn quite a bit, but she hadn’t seen any workers quitting their jobs to set up stalls.
Running an individual business was quite shameful; besides, there were risks of losses from wind and rain. Those with salaries had guaranteed income, living a stable and comfortable life. Some units might not pay high wages, but the benefits were good! Everything from food to schooling for children was provided, from housing to education, with schools for the kids from kindergarten to high school… These workers lived comfortably, but they became dependent, and later, during the large-scale layoffs, the once iron rice bowls had to start from scratch.
Starting over as a small vendor in middle age was more heartbreaking than someone like William who actively ventured out.
Of course, Hughes Lawrence’s wife couldn’t see that far yet. She praised them a couple of times, but if you asked her to give up a stable job to become an individual business owner?
That would be absurd!
In the end, the house William looked at was neither too far nor too close to Grandma Johnson’s house; it was a suite in an apartment building, belonging to the railway bureau of the commercial capital.
Everyone was short on housing, and those who could rent out a place were definitely people with connections. Whitaker Scarlett went to see the house; the bathroom was shared on the same floor, while the kitchen was independent. The room plus a small living room couldn’t really be called a one-bedroom apartment; it was a standard “one and a half rooms”… The layout of houses in the 1980s was completely different from later commercial properties. In the 1980s, the living room was small while the bedroom was large; the living room was just a place to eat, unlike commercial housing where every room was small, and a big living room was considered impressive.
The rent for the house was only 15 dollars a month, and the landlord was too lazy to come every month to collect it, hoping to receive a year’s rent in one go.
Whitaker Scarlett wanted to keep looking; having only one room wasn’t convenient for her uncle’s family of three.
But Amanda was very satisfied, “Just put a small bed in the living room!”
Hughes Lawrence’s wife was puzzled, “Aren’t you all living together? Just hang a curtain in the big room and sleep; your family still has a boy.”
Who doesn’t squeeze together to live? Only in the commercial capital is housing a bit more spacious. In places like Capital and Zoriville, there are families that squeeze into one room, with men, women, and children all sleeping in a big dormitory.
Besides, it’s hard to find a house right now. Only in units like the railway bureau can young people get assigned dormitories, which is how there are vacant houses for rent… If they hadn’t acted quickly, 15 dollars a month isn’t cheap, but there are always families in need of housing.
The matter of borrowing for Micheal’s schooling was also rushed to be settled. Thanks to the “Colorful Butterfly” cigarettes left by Kay, this gift was awe-inspiring. Hughes Lawrence made the connections, and William sent a few packs of cigarettes, treating them to a meal at a state-run hotel, and completed the borrowing procedures at the nearby elementary school.
What’s wrong with a rural household? Are rural people not allowed to have money?
Amanda was still raising two pigs, inviting the village butcher to slaughter them. The people of Wellwater village found it quite rare:
“Isn’t it too early for the miller family to slaughter pigs before the New Year?”
“They’ve been feeding those two pigs with oil residues; they’re quite fat even if they’re slaughtered early, all over 180 kg, right?”
“What a pity! If they fed them for another two months, they could reach 200 kg!”
Pigs weighing 200 kg are not common; pigs that don’t eat feed grow slowly. Only pigs weighing 200 kg can have three fingers of thick fat; that kind of meat, which household’s cook could buy, would be something to boast about for a long time.
A few villagers helped tie the pig’s four legs, lifting it onto a long bench and holding it down tightly. The experienced butcher stabbed it in the neck with one swift motion, the white knife entering the red. A basin was placed with clean water and salt, and the warm pig’s blood sprayed into the basin, slowly coagulating into pig’s blood stew.
Fresh pig’s blood is a good thing;, it’s customary to make blood sausage and stew it with pickled vegetables. A famous way to eat it is with fatty intestines and blood stew, while in Greenfiels, it’s stir-fried with scallions.
After the pig’s blood was drained, they used hot water to scald the skin and scrape off the hair.
The butcher, along with his helpers, quickly processed one pig. Millers’s pig wasn’t 200 kg, but it wasn’t far off.
