Chapter 35: Chapter 0035 Rich Reward 3_1 Chapter 35: Chapter 0035 Rich Reward 3_1 “Big sister, wipe your tears away. We mustn’t cry. In this world, tears are cheap. Many people can hardly take care of themselves, let alone feel pity for us because of our tears. Big sister, you have the elderly above and the young ones below you. You must be strong. I know, I haven’t experienced what you have. It might sound inappropriate for me to say these things, but it’s an undeniable fact.”
Mother Zhao nodded her head, completely agreeing.
“Guohong, this girl speaks the truth. It’s better to survive than to die. Endure the torment of now. Endure for as long as we can, because only by enduring can there be hope. When we die, we lose everything.”
The old woman couldn’t help but reminisce about the past to teach her daughter.
“When your father and I joined the army to fight the invaders, was there any hardship we didn’t experience? Any punishment we didn’t bear? We’ve crawled out from piles of corpses. We’re not refined folk who care about elegance and face. If we are told to write self-criticisms, we will write them. Told to engage in re-education through labor, we will do. We’ll do whatever they command us to do. Lowering our stance and obeying makes our lives much easier than those who are obstinate.”
Guohong, eyes filled with tears, nodded intently.
Feng Qingxue was quite taken aback. She hadn’t expected this elderly woman to be so open-minded and adaptable. But it made sense; in this era, one had to have an open mind to survive. People who clashed head-on and ran into dead ends didn’t they throw away their lives?
“You and uncle have been on the battlefield?” That makes you war heroes. Feng Qingxue said with admiration.
Mother Zhao nodded, “We joined the army when we were young. We found our revolutionary comrades there, fought wars for over ten years until we established our country. Guohong and that son of mine you’ve never met, they were born on the battlefield.”
“You’re veterans, you should be treated well. Yet, why… ”
“Sigh! I don’t know if you’d understand, but we used to fight wars, now we’re running the country. People like your uncle and our family sometimes get involved without cause. Last year he was sent to Northwestern China, and we still haven’t heard any news about him.”
“We came back to our hometown during that time. It’s better here than in the whirlpool of the Capital City.” Guohong added.
Feng Qingxue, who had witnessed this slice of history, immediately understood, and she asked no more.
Mother Zhao, remembering something, took out a roll of money and food ration tickets from her pocket and handed them to Feng Qingxue.
“Grandma, what are you doing?” Feng Qingxue tried to push the money and tickets back.
“My dear, the last time you helped us in a big way and saved both Tianqi’s and my life. By the time Guohong came back yesterday, we were almost on the verge of dying. I know how precious food these days is, and that money can’t even buy it. Keep this money and the food ration tickets, otherwise, we would feel guilty. Most importantly, I don’t want Tianqi to develop a habit of getting rewards without working for it.”
Feng Qingxue’s hand paused before accepting the money and tickets. She didn’t even count before putting it into her basket. “If that’s the case, I’ll accept it, Grandma. Next time, I’ll bring some grain for you, regardless of its quality, so we can all survive this difficult time together.”
Feng Qingxue was filled with respect for formerly defending their homeland against the invaders. Even though they weren’t well-off now and could mean trouble for her, she decided she would continuously help them.
Without soldiers, where does our home or country come from?
It’s the soldiers’ sacrifice on the battlefield that leads to civilians living peacefully.
However, she only planned to provide temporary relief, not to become responsible for their livelihood in the long term.
After leaving some fruity hard candy for Zhao Tianqi to trade for goods, Feng Qingxue left the Zhao’s house.