Seeing people in the village raise ducks, then releasing them into the rice paddies, I found it a clever way to control pests, and the ducks’ droppings also served to enrich the soil as fertilizer.
So, I too raised three ducks, the reason being only three is because there was a rule from above that you couldn’t have more than three poultry, whether chickens, ducks, or geese.
However, there didn’t seem to be any restrictions on fish fry, so I went to the market and bought tens of dollars worth of fry to release into my own rice paddy.
When I brought the ducks home, they were still small, and I didn’t dare let them out into the rice paddy right away for fear they might eat the newly introduced fry, so I raised the ducks at home first.
At home, there was an infant’s pram, the old-fashioned kind made of wood. I made it myself, using the woodworking skills I’d learned in my earlier years. After finishing the build, I had to sand it down and paint it so it wouldn’t stand out too much. It was more grounded, substantial, and durable.
When cooking, I’d place her in front of the door within my view. Otherwise, she’d make a fuss. This included going to the bathroom; she had to see me. If she could see me, she wouldn’t cry or make a fuss, happily bouncing by herself in the pram. But the moment you were out of sight, she’d start bawling, just like those moms in later times who couldn’t leave their children’s side for a moment.
In the future, children under one year old had to be vaccinated every month, but children back then didn’t have such treatment. To boost their immune system, their vegetables and water usually came from the "space". Baby formula and supplementary foods also came from the Space Supermarket, although most were homemade by me.
Considering my health issues, I insisted on taking daily baths with medicinal herbs and spring water from the "space". The prescriptions for these medicinal herbs were provided by Liang Tian, and the medicinal materials weren’t cheap. Fortunately, the Monkey Stamp was issued in the eighties. On weekends, I wouldn’t let Zheng Kai return, instead sending him to buy all the stamps at the Chongqing Post Office.
Meanwhile, I wrote to comrades all over the country, asking them to help buy stamps. Each stamp cost eight cents, with a sheet of eighty costing six yuan and forty cents. I needed to purchase these in large quantities. Read full story at novelꜰire.net
Right after the New Year, I sent out my letters, and when they were issued in early February, I was just in time.
In the future, the value of these stamps soared; by 2016, a sheet reached 1.5 million yuan. But now, it was priced at only six yuan and forty cents. The difference was staggering.
Because I lived in the rural areas, I scarcely spent any money throughout the year, especially when I could buy everything I needed from the Space Mall. This made me even less inclined to go out, other than occasionally doing some woodworking or making some pretty clothes for my daughter out of the materials from "space". Girls, after all, looked particularly endearing all dressed up, with their hair in little bunches, winning hearts wherever they went.
Once the sweet potato leaves grew big in the field, I’d rustle up some sweet potato leaf pancakes or stir-fry some stems. Truly, every part of the sweet potato was precious. Just some leaves and I’d have veggies for a meal – such were the benefits of living in the countryside: step outside and there’s produce without spending a dime.
The only thing probably lacking was meat.
But I could also buy meat in the "space". Occasionally, I’d stew a pot of braised pork, the especially tender kind. Then I’d press and mash the meat with a spoon before feeding it to my little girl. This little one, she loved fatty meat. Fatty cuts don’t cause indigestion and are suitable for her to eat from time to time at this age.
Besides pork, I’d feed her chicken, fish, and shrimp. I was especially cautious with shrimp, but thankfully, she’d grown this big without showing any sign of food allergies.