“She’s my sister. How can my heart not ache for her? But the dead have to make way for the living. It’s not easy for us to have a joyous occasion at home. We can’t let her death ruin our life!”
Thinking back to his life, Yu Bing immediately felt that it was ridiculous, and resentment arose in her heart.
When the familiar words sounded in her ears again, Yu Bing tried her best to open her eyes.
Suddenly, her closed eyes opened with a cold look.
Yu Bing looked at the corridor in front of her and was stunned for a long time. Didn’t she die in the hospital? Why would she be in an old house that had been demolished?
Yu Bing walked to her house in confusion. The door was not closed tightly, and there was a gap. They were having a loud argument about building a village.
Yu Bing realized that she had transmigrated to the period when her family was choosing people to go to the countryside to do rural construction.
Through the crack in the door, she saw the family talking in the living room.
Yu Pan raised her head and said hatefully, “I won’t go to the countryside to do construction. Either your precious son will go, or that sickly person will go.”
“Do you think I don’t feel sorry for you? I asked long ago. The factory said that Yu Bing is weak. If she goes to the countryside, she can’t help them. She would even cause trouble for them. They don’t want her!”
As Mrs. Yu spoke, she tapped Yu Pan’s head with her hand.
Although the Yu family favored boys over girls, the eldest daughter was their first child. Comparatively, the parents still doted on her more.
“I don’t care. Think of a way yourself.” Yu Pan sat on the sofa.
Mr. Yu and Mrs. Yu looked at each other helplessly.
Yu Wu knew that it was impossible for his parents to send their only child to the countryside. He calmly nestled on the sofa and thought about how he would ask Mrs. Yu for 50 cents to watch a movie with Tan Datou and the others later.
When Yu Bing saw this scene, she couldn’t help but sneer. She pushed open the door and pretended not to know anything. She greeted her family and entered Yu Pan’s room.
Yu Pan’s eyes darted around before she stood up and entered the room.
Yu Pan held Yu Bing’s hand and forcefully squeezed out a few drops of tears. “Xiao Bing, our family has to send someone to the countryside to do construction. I have a hard life. I stopped studying in my teens and came out to work to support everyone.”
In reality, Yu Pan didn’t want to study anymore after graduating from primary school. She stayed at home for a few years. At that time, her grandfather, who worked in a supply company for supermarkets, died. Mrs. Yu was the only daughter, so the vacant position was naturally taken by Yu Pan.
In this era where supplies were scarce, it was an impressive thing to be able to work in a supply company. Yu Pan showed off in the neighborhood for a long time.
After Yu Pan was done acting pitiful, she said, “You’re young and weak. If you go, after your brother and I marry in two years, our parents can use this reason to transfer you back. At that time, our family of five can stay.”
Yu Bing was born sickly, so she was a burden at home.
In her previous life, Yu Pan had also used this reason to let Yu Bing go to the countryside. After Yu Bing refused because of her ill health, Yu Pan immediately married her pursuer in order to avoid going to the countryside to do construction. Her parents refused to let their son go to the countryside to suffer, so the burden fell on Yu Bing. Yu Pan also blamed Yu Bing for her misfortune after marriage. Yu Pan believed that it was because Yu Bing didn’t agree to go to the countryside that Yu Pan had no choice but to get married in a hurry. In the end, she met a bad person.
“I’m not in good health. I’m afraid I won’t be able to survive until the day I return to the city,” Yu Bing said slowly with her head lowered.
How could it be that easy to return? Not to mention the lack of government policy dictating the return to the city in recent years, even if there was later, how could those local people who determined whether or not they returned release them without obtaining enough benefits? How many girls had to sell their bodies to get a spot?
Although Yu Bing had already made up her mind to go to the countryside, she didn’t intend to agree so easily.
Yu Pan continued to persuade her, “You used to sit around all day without exercising when you were studying. Coincidentally, you don’t need to study anymore after high school. You might get better after working there.”
“But I heard from Auntie Jiang that Jiang Yuan sent a letter back saying that farm work is especially heavy there and that he doesn’t eat well. I can at least eat until I’m half-full at home. He’s such a healthy person, but he’s already tired and sick after only two months. I don’t want to delay your marriage either. I’m not even afraid of being tired. I’m just afraid that I won’t be able to eat my fill and have enough clothes to wear. If I go, I won’t even be able to work. I’m afraid I won’t be able to survive.” With that said, Yu Bing raised her head and looked at Yu Pan with her usual timid gaze.
When Yu Pan heard that Yu Bing seemed to have wavered, she immediately expressed her stance. “Don’t worry. As long as you agree, I’ll tell Dad and Mom to bring more food stamps for you.”
In this era, money was not the only thing that mattered when buying things. One also had to have the corresponding food stamps and clothing stamps before others would sell them to them.
Yu Bing lowered her head and tugged at the corner of her shirt with both hands. “I have to take 30 pound food stamps, 20 feet clothing stamps, and 70 yuan. I might never come back. I have to take more money as backup.”
Yu Bing had already planned it all out. In her previous life, because the Yu family only gave her a few food stamps and five yuan, in order to save money, she couldn’t even afford eggs.
With her already weak body, she collapsed from exhaustion after harvesting crops in the countryside. After that, she developed the syndrome of panting after taking only a few steps.
After that, every time her family sent a letter asking her to send food, she would obediently send food back at the expense of scrimping and saving herself. Once, she was so famished that she almost died.