Chapter 14: Let Li Lijuan Earn Work Points

Because she is afraid of being discovered by others and there is no way to explain the source, Zhao Xiulan did not take anything out of the space for Zhao Xiuzhu to eat.

That girl only had one wowotou at noon, so how could she be full?

It’s no wonder that people in this era are thin, because they don’t eat well every day. Without nutrition, they really can’t grow well!

Aye… It seems that going to the country seat is imminent. With her being here, Zhao Xiuzhu, this girl must be raised to be white and plump.

After a day of work, when Zhao Xiulan went home, Zhao Weiguo had just returned.

Dinner was prepared by Li Lijuan.

This was only done by Li Lijuan at Zhao Weiguo’s request. Otherwise, it would definitely fall on Zhao Xiulan’s head again.

From Zhao Xiulan’s point of view, Li Lijuan didn’t work for the day, so she naturally had to take more care of the housework.

Except for Ma Yumei, who is pregnant in the family, Li Lijuan is not working at all! Even Zhao Xiuzhu, who is only 6 to 7 years old, has to work, but Li Lijuan doesn’t have to.

Originally, Li Lijuan was working just like everyone else. However, ever since Ma Yumei got pregnant, she used the excuse that she needed someone to take care of her. So, with Zhao Weiguo’s consent, Li Lijuan didn’t need to earn work points.

In this era, working to earn work points is not mandatory, so you can choose not to work. But without work points, there is no foodstuff. So, if you don’t receive any provisions, you are likely to starve to death.

***Original translation is from enchantesstranslations.com. Please read it on the translator’s website.

Those lazy families in the village or families who cannot produce labor at home due to special reasons, earn fewer work points and invest less, and the value of the rations and agricultural and sideline products they receive is not proportional. Negative numbers would appear in the final account books, which become upside-down households. Farmers who have been hung upside down over the years and have not paid their debts are called ‘old upside-downs’.

In the production team, the upside-down households are ridiculed as ‘third-class citizens’, which is a title that makes them not able to raise their heads!

If there is an upside-down household, there is also a straight-up household, which is directly opposite to an upside-down household!

‘Straight-up households’ can enjoy the spring breeze, have some income on their account books, and can have a lively New Year. They can even buy clothes with cloth tickets and put on new clothes for their children.

Like Zhao Xiulan’s family, there is not much labor in the family, but it is still a family with people working. They barely work hard every year so that they will not fall into an upside-down household, but they will not be able to become a straight-up household.

Zhao Xiulan naturally has an opinion about Li Lijuan not working. Why is this mother-daughter pair at their home so lazy, that even a child as old as Zhao Xiuzhu has to earn work points for their home!

This won’t do, she has to think of a way. She can’t let this mother-daughter pair be lazy at home and do nothing, and just open their mouths to eat!

Unexpectedly, during dinner, Zhao Xiulan was given a chance.

Today, Zhao Xiulan shied away from Wu Jinhua’s 10 catties of sweet potatoes. Ma Yumei had blown a lot of wind in Zhao Weiguo’s ears, accusing Zhao Xiulan of not being good, and herself being pitiful. Of course, she used the child in her womb as an emotional card.

Zhao Weiguo is someone who looks forward to having a son again, so even if he thinks that Wu Jinhua’s 10 catties of sweet potatoes shouldn’t be asked for, it’s scary for him to think that Ma Yumei would really be hungry as it would wrong the child in her womb. After listening to Ma Yumei, Zhao Weiguo also felt that Zhao Xiulan didn’t give more consideration to Ma Yumei and that she should not have rejected Wu Jinhua’s 10 catties of sweet potatoes.

While Zhao Weiguo was drinking porridge with a few grains of rice, he said to Zhao Xiulan solemnly, “Xiulan, I heard that Wu Jinhua dropped by to give you 10 catties of sweet potatoes to thank you today. Why did you refuse it?

Our family doesn’t have much foodstuff anymore. If only you had accepted it, this can give your younger brother in your Auntie Mei’s womb something to eat. If you have done a good thing to someone, it is also right for that person to thank you!”