Chapter 206 The Ungrateful Wretches Raised by Old Mrs. Yang
Ye Shengge nodded upon hearing Aunt Zhen's words, resolving to be a good helper.
"Um, can I ask who will be cooking from now on?"
Zi Yisheng awkwardly rubbed his nose. Everyone accompanying him to the countryside were rough men, none capable of handling a wok and spatula.
Even Uncle Gong couldn't cook for them every day, or the villagers would quickly notice something amiss.
"I, I can cook. I'm a very good cook."
Mo Lin raised his small hand high, puffing out his chest proudly.
"Pfft, what can you little guy cook? I'd rather learn myself."
Ye Mu'en decided he had to learn to cook. Otherwise, waiting for his mom to cook would be equivalent to her burning down the kitchen.
"Really, I can really cook. If you don't believe me, ask Sister Shengge."
Ye Shengge recalled the few times she had eaten Mo Lin's cooking. Although it couldn't compare to Aunt Zhen's skills, it was definitely much better than hers.
"Mm, Mo Lin's cooking is quite good."
"Alright, that's good. Mo Lin, can Aunt Zhen teach you well during this time?"
Before Mo Lin could agree, Ye Mu'en chimed in.
"Zi Yisheng and I will also learn together. We can take turns cooking."
Ye Shengge was adamant about not cooking. In her past life, she had practiced for a month without managing to make a single decent dish.
Zi Yisheng nodded. For his wife's future well-being, he had to learn a few dishes.
Aunt Zhen seemed relieved and began organizing receipts, setting aside the ones that needed to be used first tomorrow.
"Everyone in the family needs to make at least two sets of thin cotton-padded jackets and pants. We don't have enough fabric coupons, and even less for cotton."
"I'll start making shoes at home. If we need more later, I'll find someone else to make them."
Ye Shengge glanced at her elder brother, who immediately understood.
"If the fabric and cotton aren't enough, I'll get them. Just tell Aunt Zhen what else is missing, and I'll find a way."
Zi Yisheng gritted his teeth. His brother-in-law was stealing his thunder again.
The next morning, Ye Mu'en took the women and children of the family to the department store.
"Twenty jin of White Rabbit milk candy, fifty bars of soap, fifteen pairs of canvas shoes..."
The scene of purchasing goods was utterly brutal, completely disregarding how painful it was for others to buy just one jin of milk candy.
Ye Mu'en drove the car back and forth twice to spend all the nearly expired coupons. Ye Shengge and the others were completely unfazed by the envious glares.
Ye Shengge also picked up a needle that day, and it wasn't the acupuncture needles she was accustomed to.
Cutting clothes was an even more difficult skill, so Aunt Zhen only had Ye Shengge learn to hem, regardless of whether the stitches were straight, as long as they held the fabric together.
Ye Shengge's fingers were pricked countless times, and a piece of fabric was covered in her blood. Aunt Zhen, watching from the side, twitched her lips, thinking what an untalented child.
Little Tiantian seemed to have found something interesting. While Ye Shengge was tearfully applying medicine to her hands, Little Tiantian could already sew two pieces of fabric together.
Seeing Little Tiantian's craftsmanship, Aunt Zhen couldn't help but look down on Ye Shengge. It was a blatant slap in the face.
Ye Shengge, with her injured fingers, just wanted to cry. Making clothes and cooking were her nightmares.
Aunt Zhen sighed and could only reluctantly train child laborers.
Ye Shengge slumped onto the sofa, her fingers really hurting.
"Aunt Zhen, are there people outside who take on sewing jobs?"
"There are, but it has to be done secretly."
Ye Shengge immediately took out paper and a pen and handed them to Aunt Zhen.
"Aunt Zhen, please write down the measurements for everyone in the family. I'll find someone to make them. We should have them make clothes for several years at once."
If you don't have the ability, find someone who can help. There's no need to torture yourself, is there?
Aunt Zhen had sighed more in one day than she had in her entire life. She could only resignedly write down each person's measurements clearly.
Ye Shengge quickly pulled her elder brother along to find someone who could take on the job. On the way, she took out a lot of fabric and cotton.
"Brother, do you feel that the expectations for women in this era seem to be higher?"
Ye Mu'en didn't comment. In his past life, it was normal for women not to know how to cook or sew. But here, women who couldn't cook or sew were useless.
"There's no need to force yourself. If you don't know how, you don't know how. If you have money, are you afraid no one will do it for you?"
"Brother is right. If we don't know how, we'll pay to solve it."
Ye Shengge accepted the reality of the situation easily but also worried about what she could do in the countryside in the future.
Finally, Ye Mu'en found two households that did tailoring. After Ye Shengge explained her requirements, she received grateful glances from them, as finding tailors was not common nowadays.
Ye Shengge even considered Ah Can and the others, preparing work clothes for them as well. The winters in Bai Rong Village only required thin cotton-padded jackets, so two sets for each person were sufficient for rotation. Everything was kept simple.
Just as Ye Shengge was planning for the future needs of the family like a devoted wife, Luo Hansheng rushed in.
Ye Shengge thought something major had happened, and indeed it was, concerning a life.
"What's wrong?"
"Old Mrs. Yang is in trouble. When I went to see her today, I found her haunted house surrounded, and Old Mrs. Yang was arrested."
Ye Shengge immediately stood up in distress. Her elder brother beside her comforted her, telling her to listen to the end.
"Later, I found out that the people Old Mrs. Yang raised reported her when they ran out of food."
"Bastards, a bunch of ungrateful wretches! Why didn't they starve to death?"
Ye Mu'en soothed his sister's rare outburst of temper. After his return, he had heard about Old Mrs. Yang's situation and knew then that those pampered individuals would surely cause trouble.
"Under what charges was Old Mrs. Yang arrested?"
When Luo Hansheng mentioned the charges, he clenched his fist. What else could it be? His family had also experienced ruin and universal disdain because of similar issues.
"The same charge as Old Mr. Yang: people who should have died clinging to life, and hoarding a large fortune to buy large quantities of supplies extravagantly."
Ye Shengge was so angry she wanted to smash a cup. She understood that Old Mrs. Yang would suffer, and those ungrateful wretches would meet a terrible end.
Ye Shengge herself was powerless and could only look to her elder brother for help.
Ye Mu'en was reluctant to get involved. After all, once one was inside, it was difficult to get them out.
"Is it difficult for you, Brother?"
Ye Shengge had not lost her reason. If saving someone would implicate her family, she would rather be a cold-hearted person.
"Shengge, you need to be prepared. Anyone who goes in will be stripped to the bone. I don't know if Old Mrs. Yang's body can withstand it."
After speaking, Ye Mu'en left with Luo Hansheng. Old Fan and Old Dang, who had been listening, were silently filled with sorrow. They knew such experiences too well and did not wish to go through them again.
Ye Mu'en first went to find a comrade to inquire about the situation before taking action. He didn't want to go through all the trouble to rescue someone who was already dead.