In the entire Wanglou Brigade, everyone was busy except for a few lazy boneheads.
Feng Qingxue and Wang Jiao were on this list because the two sisters were so pampered that they never had to work. Plenty of people envied them, many were jealous, and there was no shortage of sarcastic jibes.
"They’re just jealous because they aren’t as lucky as us!" Wang Jiao visited Feng Qingxue, cracking sunflower seeds as she spoke.
The ones gossiping about them were all women, especially those less fortunate.
Feng Qingxue just smiled, "We really haven’t had to work!"
In everyone’s eyes, not working was a sign of laziness.
Wang Jiao matter-of-factly replied, "I have Yuejin to support me, so I have a reason not to work. What business is it of theirs? It’s not like I didn’t work during the busy farming season. Besides, you’re heavily pregnant, not working is perfectly normal for you!"
She touched Feng Qingxue’s belly in astonishment, "It’s so big now. Is it a boy or a girl inside?"
"I have no idea." Feng Qingxue’s medical skills weren’t advanced enough to gender-determine through pulse reading, and current hospitals didn’t have advanced ultrasound technology. But she didn’t care. She put down the nappy she was making and her face filled with motherly gentleness as she smilingly said, "Whether it’s a boy or girl, they’re Lu Jiang’s and my treasure, there’s no difference."
However, Wang Jiao retorted, "How could there be no difference? Boys are boys, girls are girls. If they were the same, there wouldn’t be any difference in gender, let alone so many unnatural deaths among baby girls? Even though I disapprove, many people still do it. Haven’t I just been married for a while? Yuejin’s mother stares at my belly every day as if I don’t know what she’s thinking."
Feng Qingxue shook her head; there was nothing to be done about this mentality.
Therefore, the gender imbalance that plagued the population in the 21st century—where many parents went brideless—was a self-inflicted wound.
There were also many bachelors now, and whether it was due to natural or man-made disasters, it was always the girls who were first to be given up. The resulting abundance of surviving men and lack of women for them to marry naturally resulted in a surplus of bachelors.
Caohu Brigade was impoverished and bachelors were aplenty, the affluent Wanglou Brigade had significantly fewer bachelors and thus, had become a hot commodity now.
"I heard that many girls from other production brigades want to marry into Wanglou." Wang Jiao said spiritedly, "I personally know several families. Yuejin’s mother is currently finding a match for her niece."
Feng Qingxue wasn’t interested in any of this, "Cousin, the New Year’s almost upon us, has the supply of your husband’s side dishes increased?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Jiao’s face instantly lit up, "Of course, the supply of side dishes always increases during Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival. Only during these two seasons do we get poultry like chicken, ducks, and geese. We never have them normally. Do you want to buy anything? I can ask Yuejin to reserve some for you in advance."
Just as Feng Qingxue was about to say that she didn’t have the necessary vouchers, the postman’s voice rang out.
"Did Lu Jiang send you something again?" Wang Jiao jumped up, even more excited than her.
Compared to Wang Jiao who darted out after three steps, Feng Qingxue walked out calmly and evenly, taking over the two large parcels and several letters from the postman, "Comrade Feng Qingxue, your letters and packages are here."
"Thank you, Comrade He Hai."
They had become familiar with the postman as he often delivered letters and packages.
He Hai laughed, "This is our job, no need to thank us. Now I must go, there are still more letters to deliver!"
... My child woke up and started causing a ruckus at midnight yesterday. He didn’t settle down until four in the morning, which meant we couldn’t rest either. That’s why we woke up late today. Tearful face o(╥﹏╥)o