Chapter 11:

Yu Xiang’an wanted to buy sanitary pads. Despite the “beautiful” price and her current financial struggles, she felt she needed a temporary solution. Suppressing her frustration, she first rinsed her menstrual belt in hot water several times, then frantically stuffed it with tissue paper. With money and coupons in hand, she stiffly headed to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy sanitary pads.

At this time, purchasing sanitary pads required not only money but also coupons.

Ye Qijia worked there, but she was off today. Her colleague recognized Yu Xiang’an and tried to persuade her not to buy them, saying they were too expensive and not worth it. Yu Xiang’an forced a dry laugh but insisted. Only then did Ye Qijia’s colleague check the stock and inform her that someone had bought some the day before, leaving only three pads. She asked if Yu Xiang’an still wanted them.

Yu Xiang’an: “…” Too many thoughts, no words.

She had five yuan from Yu Qingshan, which was enough to buy the three pads.

In the future… she would definitely be able to use sanitary pads every month instead of tissue paper and plant ash! For now… she would “splurge” this once. Yu Xiang’an mentally cheered herself on.

She never imagined that one day, buying sanitary pads would feel like purchasing luxury goods.

Yu Xiang’an could only comfort herself—she had the XiXi Farm. Even without it, she would find other ways to earn money and buy sanitary pads!

If not handled properly, this could easily lead to gynecological diseases.

Next time, though, she would have to be more “subtle” about buying them. After all, times were different. In modern days, spending a third of one’s salary on sanitary pads would also raise eyebrows.

On her way back, Yu Xiang’an caught a glimpse of Ding Minxiu hurrying past.

When they returned, it was already late. At this hour, people were usually either eating or preparing for bed. Electricity was expensive, and even if they had it, few were willing to keep the lights on for long. What was she doing out at this time?

Moreover, in that brief glance, Ding Minxiu’s face looked pale. Was it due to morning sickness? Or was life in the Zhou family not treating her well?

But even if she was suffering, she had brought it upon herself. Yu Xiang’an had no intention of being a saint. Between them lay the life of the original host. She was grateful to be alive now and willing to take on the original host’s responsibilities. Being clear about grudges and favors was a must. Yu Xiang’an continued walking home—whatever happened to Ding Minxiu was no longer her concern. And given her current situation… Feeling another wave of warmth, Yu Xiang’an’s gait stiffened.

It was truly… indescribable.

She could only pray the next wave would come slower. She didn’t dare imagine the mess if the tissue paper inside overflowed.

Yu Xiang’an tried to distract herself with other thoughts. She needed to save money first, then make a trip to the city to stock up on enough sanitary pads. Otherwise, enduring this every month would be unbearable.

Ding Minxiu didn’t see Yu Xiang’an. She had gone out to buy sour plums. She was indeed in the throes of morning sickness, and her symptoms were severe. Only by sucking on plums did she feel slightly better. She had just run out and had to buy more herself.

Zhou Boyang had just gotten off work, exhausted after a long day, and didn’t want to move. Her grandfather and father wouldn’t lift a finger to help, and her grandmother and mother were busy preparing dinner. Ding Minxiu didn’t want to trouble them with such trivial matters either.

She knew that while they refrained from making snide remarks out of consideration for her pregnancy, if she gave birth to a daughter…

Every time she thought of this, Ding Minxiu shuddered.

Her only lifeline was Zhou Boyang.

If the Zhou family abandoned her, she would truly have nowhere to go.

Her biological father was unreliable. He didn’t know about her situation yet, but if he found out, he would surely demand an exorbitant bride price. If she couldn’t stay with the Zhou family, he might marry her off to some unknown man for money…

Sometimes, Ding Minxiu didn’t understand how things had turned out this way. How had they found out? The leaked information had ruined everything.

In her original plan, it shouldn’t have been like this…

After buying the sanitary pads, Yu Xiang’an immediately went home to shower and change. Zhao Qiaoniang heard the noise and came to check. Seeing her washing the menstrual belt, she said nothing, only went back to fetch a thick stack of tissue paper for her before returning to her room to rest.

Yu Xiang’an’s lips twitched: “…”

This month, she had no choice but to rely mostly on the menstrual belt and tissue paper. Next month, after her salary came in and the XiXi Farm’s situation was confirmed, she’d have more financial flexibility.

The soybeans in the farm wouldn’t fetch much, but apples were in high demand. At this time, people barely had enough to fill their stomachs, let alone spare time and energy to tend orchards. As a result, fruits were always scarce in the market. In the original host’s memory, their family had only eaten apples once—when a cousin from the Qin family, who was in the army, brought some back. They were small, not very sweet, and cut into tiny pieces for everyone to share as a novelty.

Her apples were large, with excellent appearance. Though she hadn’t tasted them yet, their fragrance assured her they were delicious and would sell for a good price. However, she’d need to disguise them before selling—freshly picked apples were too suspicious, and the season was too early.

If she were to sell them, the best place would be somewhere crowded like the train station, where they’d attract less attention. She’d also need to disguise herself. If caught, the consequences would be dire. But with the farm, she could hide inside in emergencies, at least temporarily.

Still, this method was only for absolute emergencies. Otherwise, if discovered, she might be labeled a monster.

With her period ongoing and the three sanitary pads used up, Yu Xiang’an had to rely on the uncomfortable tissue paper. At work, she remained tense, terrified of any leaks…

Only after those days passed did she finally relax.

By then, the vegetables they’d brought back from her grandfather and uncle’s place were also finished. From then on, they’d either have to buy from the grocery store or forage for wild greens. But the nearby wild greens had long been picked clean, and even if found, they were often bitter. Eating them occasionally was novel, but frequent consumption was unbearable—especially since they were usually boiled with little oil or salt, hardly qualifying as “delicious.” At best, they filled the stomach.

Vegetables became dietary staples precisely because they tasted good after generations of cultivation.

Zhao Qiaoniang didn’t spend money on fresh vegetables, making do with dried and pickled ones instead. This month’s supplies were due around this time, and the selection was best right after delivery, so it made sense to buy everything at once.

One day, Ye Qiajia came to inform them that both the supply and marketing cooperative and the grocery store had received new stock, urging them to line up early if they wanted to buy anything.

Having someone working at the cooperative certainly had its advantages.

Yu Qingshan sent Yu Xiangju to notify the Qin family, and soon everyone was preparing for the shopping battle.

Monthly rations of food and coupons were fixed. Beyond that limit, purchases were impossible unless through bartering or the black market. But even within the quota, some items were perpetually scarce—like pork. They had a monthly half-catty meat coupon, but in the first half of the year, they hadn’t managed to buy even an ounce for four straight months. That said it all.

The county was large, but the number of pigs slaughtered monthly was limited. With demand far outstripping supply, even having money and coupons didn’t guarantee meat. If stocks ran out before your turn, tough luck.

No wonder people envied those working at the meatpacking plant.

Their connections allowed them early access to meat, meaning their relatives could occasionally enjoy some too.

Pork hadn’t always been this scarce locally, but a swine fever outbreak had killed many pigs, worsening the shortage. Even now, supplies hadn’t fully recovered, though things were better than six months ago.

Yu Qingshan and Yu Xianghai woke up in the middle of the night to queue. Zhao Qiaoniang even swapped shifts to ensure she had enough time to shop.

Ye Qiajia also arranged a shift swap. The men in her family queued early to secure spots, while the women took over during the day. When work hours arrived, the men left for their jobs, and the women continued waiting. Yu Xiangju stuck close to Zhao Qiaoniang—he was old enough to help with chores now.

Yu Xiang’an joined the queue too. When it was time for her to work, Yao Cuifen would take her place. She hadn’t arrived as early as Yu Qingshan and Yu Xianghai, but 4 a.m. wasn’t late either. Fortunately, she went to bed early, or she’d have been drowsy at work.

In the queue, Yu Xiang’an was the only one struggling to stay awake. Most others chatted excitedly in the dark, their enthusiasm palpable.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

Once again, she was starkly reminded of this era’s material scarcity.

If not for the fear of missing out, would people go to such lengths?

At noon, Yu Xiang’an didn’t go home—the break was too short. After work in the evening, she smelled meat before even reaching her doorstep. Not just from her home, but faintly from neighboring houses too. The usual playful children were absent from the streets. Instead, she heard parents scolding kids for sneaking bites. Clearly, today’s shopping had been fruitful.

“Fifth Sister, you’re back! Today we have meat and bone soup!” Yu Xiangju’s eyes sparkled.

Yu Xiang’an smiled. “What did we get today?”

Yu Xiangju wrinkled his nose proudly. “We went early, so we got all our rations—nothing was missing! There was even fish. We used up two catties of our saved meat coupons. If not for the limit, we could’ve bought more!” His tone was regretful. If they didn’t seize this chance, who knew when they’d eat meat again?

Yu Xiang’an checked the kitchen. Their “two catties of meat” were actually one catty of meat—mostly lean, considered inferior—and one catty of ribs.

In those days, fatty meat was prized for its oil content. People generally lacked dietary fat, so lean meat was seen as dry and tough, while ribs were a raw deal. But buyers couldn’t choose cuts—they got whatever the butcher gave them, unless they had connections.

Yu Xiangju swallowed hard. “We rendered the fat today. I ate a small piece of crackling—so delicious!” His face was dreamy. “There wasn’t enough fat. I wish there’d been more.”

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

She internally groaned. Once upon a time, she’d been a meat lover. Since arriving here, she’d eaten vegetarian meals until today. This life was too hard.