Chapter 51: Helping to Settle Accounts

Su Yue mixed a pot of cabbage and pork stuffing and instantly felt alive again. Han Aiguo was responsible for rolling out the dough, while Su Yue, Old Lady Han, and Han Aimin busied themselves making dumplings.

Looking at the plump, white dumplings lined up on the tray, Han Aimin said happily, “Old Zhang had to compensate our family with two pounds of meat. I heard their household started quarreling as soon as they got home. It seemed everyone was blaming Old Zhang and Wang Yaru. Now they’re crying and making a fuss. I also heard from Aunt Yan next door that the eldest brother and sister-in-law of the Wang family want Wang Yaru to get married off quickly. They don’t want her staying at home for another year.”

Old Lady Han snorted coldly. “Serves her right! Who told them to cause trouble for your eldest brother and sister-in-law? Using only two pounds of meat as compensation was letting them off lightly. That Zhang Cui’e scolds our family at home every day, but we never say anything to her.”

Han Aimin laughed and nodded. “Two pounds of meat must’ve made them feel terrible. Let’s see if they dare to trouble us again in the future.”

Su Yue felt that after this incident, Zhang Cui’e probably would only dare to curse them behind their backs. She had already suffered a loss, and losing two pounds of meat was no small matter. Her heart must have been bleeding.

That evening, the family ate dumplings. As soon as the steaming, plump dumplings came out of the pot, the fragrance filled the air, and Su Yue couldn’t help but swallow hungrily. These days, oil and water were scarce, and she was greedy for such delicacies. Even though their household lived better than most families in the brigade, they couldn’t afford to eat meat every day, let alone dumplings made from white flour. If they had it twice a year, that was already a blessing.

Now she finally understood why people in this era longed so much for the New Year. The New Year meant food, money, and pork. With these, families could treat themselves to something good and replenish their bodies. How could people not look forward to it?

Unlike those in the 21st century, who could easily dine out on fish and meat at restaurants, people here cherished even the smallest feast. In modern times, the taste of the New Year had weakened; some even dreaded it, complaining of the headache it brought.

It was true: the harder life was, the more festive the New Year felt.

As Su Yue was sighing over this, a child’s cry interrupted her thoughts.

“Grandma! Grandma!”

Xiaolei and Maomao rushed in one after another, calling out to Old Lady Han with uncharacteristic affection.

As soon as Old Lady Han heard their voices, she waved her hands with a headache and said helplessly, “These two little dog noses again.”

Su Yue and Han Aimin both burst out laughing. The children had clearly smelled the aroma of dumplings and had come running right on time.

Maomao darted to the table first, raised his head, and looked pitifully at Old Lady Han while biting his finger. He asked with feigned innocence, “Grandma, what are you eating?”

Old Lady Han poked her finger against the child’s forehead and said angrily, “Little puppy nose, stop pretending. Do you think I don’t know why you came running the moment the dumplings were ready?”

But Maomao only chirped and ignored the scolding, his eyes fixed intently on the dumplings. Su Yue thought that if stares could pierce, then the bowls on the table would have holes by now.

Xiaolei was even more direct. He dragged over a small bench, climbed up, and clung to the edge of the table, staring at the dumplings as he begged, “Grandma, you’re eating dumplings. I want to eat them too. Grandma, please have pity on me and give me a bite.”

It seemed that after being scolded a few times for asking directly, the child had learned to beg instead, likely taught by his mother. His words now were always: “Please give me some, Grandma,” or “Grandma, please have mercy on me.”

Old Lady Han fumed. “What kind of talk is that? Are you trying to sound like a beggar?”

Yet even though she was angry, she couldn’t bring herself to be harsh. Although she knew these children had been deliberately sent by their mothers, who clearly smelled the fragrance and told them to run over, she couldn’t deny them. As a grandmother, she could be strict with adults, but how could she eat while letting her grandsons watch hungrily from the side?

There was an old woman in the village who, after separating from her family, refused to share even a bite with her grandson. But Old Lady Han was too soft-hearted to act like that. Every time these two begged, she gave in.

Han’s second and third daughters-in-law clearly knew this weakness well.

Finally, Old Lady Han sighed and said to Han Aimin, “Aimin, go get two bowls and serve them a few dumplings each.”

Han Aimin muttered in dissatisfaction, “It must be my two sisters-in-law teaching them. Every time we make something delicious, these two boys show up right on time. Sometimes they’re playing outside, and suddenly, who knows who calls them back to run here.”

“Alright, enough,” Old Lady Han interrupted. “Go serve them some.”

Han Aimin stood up and went to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Old Lady Han turned to Xiaolei and Maomao and asked, “How are you eating the meat your family got?”

Xiaolei pouted unhappily. “My mother didn’t let us eat it. She said she’s saving it to take to Grandma’s house. We can only eat it after the New Year.”

Maomao was even more upset. “My dad doesn’t know how to cook meat. The food he makes is awful. I don’t like eating it.”

Old Lady Han sighed. The households of her second and third sons were indeed struggling. Especially the third son’s family as his wife could no longer work, so he had to manage everything inside and outside the house on his own. He had never set foot in the kitchen before, and as a grown man, he didn’t know how to prepare proper meals for the family. With the New Year approaching, she wondered how they would manage to celebrate.

Thinking about this, she turned to Han Aiguo and Su Yue and asked, “Usually our family spends the New Year together. But this year, since we’ve separated… do you think it’s better for us to celebrate together or apart?”

Su Yue didn’t answer immediately and instead looked at Han Aiguo.

Han Aiguo understood what his mother was truly thinking. In fact, the old lady hoped for the whole family to be reunited and to spend the New Year joyfully. As people grew older, they longed to see their children united, their sons living in harmony, and the entire family celebrating the holiday together.

Even though the second and third daughters-in-law were often quarrelsome, Old Lady Han still cared deeply for her sons and grandsons.

So Han Aiguo said, “Mom, let Second Brother and Third Brother come over here for New Year’s Eve dinner. The New Year is about reunion so the whole family should be together.”

Upon hearing this, Old Lady Han immediately laughed and agreed. “Good! Let your second and third brothers bring their wives and children over. Our family will have a lively New Year.”

After she finished speaking, she turned to Su Yue. “Daughter-in-law, since they’ll be coming here for the New Year, you’ll have to cook more dishes. I am sorry you’ll be tired this year.”

Su Yue waved her hand dismissively. “Mom, it’s fine. It’s the New Year, of course there will be more cooking. I won’t feel tired.”

Old Lady Han’s smile grew even brighter as she began planning what dishes to prepare.

Su Yue saw how happy she was. Although she disliked Han Lao-er’s and Han Lao-san’s wives, she didn’t care so long as it made the old lady happy.

—-

The day after the pork was divided, snowflakes began falling. It was the first snowfall of winter.

The children cheered, eager to rush outside and play. But the adults, worried that the children would soak their clothes and have nothing warm left to wear, refused to let them go out. The sound of scoldings echoed through the village.

The snow fell heavily. By the next morning, the ground was covered in frozen ice, making it easy to slip and fall. Seeing this, the brigade decided to stop all work until after the New Year.

The members were delighted. At last, they could prepare for the holiday peacefully at home. Families began making rice cakes, bean buns, steamed buns, tofu, and dumplings, filling the air with the bustle of New Year’s preparations.

Yet before the year ended, there was still one major task: the settlement of accounts. After a year of labor, the brigade needed to calculate the members’ work points, convert them into money, subtract the portions of food already distributed, and then distribute the remainder in either food or money, depending on each household’s preference. In addition, the brigade would issue food stamps, cloth tickets, and non-staple food stamps. Everyone eagerly anticipated this time of year.

But not all households earned enough. Work points and money varied by family, and some who had already received too much food earlier in the year now found themselves owing the brigade money instead.

The calculations were incredibly complicated, and the volume enormous. The brigade accountant always dreaded this season. He wasn’t a trained professional and was just someone who had picked up the skills from an older accountant when he was young. Because he could use an abacus and write, he had become the brigade’s accountant. Normally, the job wasn’t difficult, but year-end settlements gave him constant headaches. Every year, he felt he lost more hair because of it.

This year was no different. The New Year was fast approaching, but the work points were still unsettled. The accountant worried himself nearly blind poring over the ledgers. He longed for someone to share the burden.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered Su Yue. The last time grain was distributed, Su Yue had managed to calculate without even using an abacus. She had corrected his mistakes instantly, and her accuracy had impressed him deeply.

Recalling this, the accountant went to the production team leader and the party secretary to suggest, “The year-end accounts are too complicated for me to finish quickly. But the members are waiting for their distributions, and the snow has already started. We need to settle things soon. Secretary, could we find someone to help me temporarily?”

The party secretary took a drag from his cigarette and sighed. “You know most of our members are illiterate. They can barely manage small household sums. Who could handle these kinds of big accounts? Where would I even find someone?”

The accountant smiled. “I have a recommendation. I think Comrade Su Yue, the Han family’s eldest daughter-in-law, could do it.”

The secretary was startled. “Su Yue? The educated youth? She can handle it?”

The accountant nodded. “I saw it myself. She calculates without an abacus, and she’s very accurate. Besides, she’s educated as she went to school. I think she can definitely manage.”

The secretary thought it over, then nodded. “Alright. Let’s ask Comrade Su Yue for help. We can’t make her work for nothing so we’ll give her family some extra goods.”

The accountant was delighted and immediately went to find Su Yue.

When Su Yue heard the request, she hesitated. She was already swamped with New Year preparations: making pastries, steaming buns, preparing bean buns and candies. She was busy from morning till night so how could she spare time for accounting?

Sensing her reluctance, the accountant quickly added, “Comrade Su Yue, of course we won’t ask you to help for free. We’ll give you extra goods in return.”

Su Yue perked up at this. “What kind of extra goods?”

“More grain, tofu, meat, or tickets. Whatever you want,” he replied.

Su Yue’s eyes lit up. What she wanted most was meat. These days, even with money, it was nearly impossible to buy. Her family only had around ten kilograms for the whole New Year which is a pitiful amount, in her opinion. If she could earn extra by helping with the accounts, it was worth it.

“Uncle Accountant, I don’t need anything else. Just give me more meat as we don’t have enough at home.”

The accountant agreed without hesitation. “No problem. I’ll speak to the secretary. We’ll make sure you get more meat.”

Su Yue immediately accepted and arranged to help in the afternoon.

When Old Lady Han heard, she was overjoyed. She felt her eldest daughter-in-law was truly capable; so capable that even the brigade sought her help. And she could earn more meat for the family! Proudly, she told Su Yue, “Go ahead, don’t worry about home. I’m not busy, and Aiguo and Aimin will help me.”

After lunch, Han Aiguo bundled Su Yue tightly in a thick padded jacket and trousers, even wrapping a scarf around her head until only her eyes showed. She looked just like the rustic village women in the movies she had once seen. Still, Han Aiguo worried she might be cold.

Thinking of her sitting in the brigade headquarters all afternoon without a stove, he wanted to pile on even more clothes.

Su Yue quickly grabbed his hand. “I’m not cold. If I wear any more, I won’t even be able to walk. My back’s already sweating.”

Han Aiguo slipped his hand inside her clothes to check and indeed felt dampness on her back. Reluctantly, he gave up and personally escorted her to the brigade headquarters, watching until she went inside before heading home.

The brigade accountant welcomed her warmly, brought her to the table, pulled out a chair, and laid the year’s work-share book and accounting ledger before her. “Comrade Su Yue, this is the record of our members’ work points for the whole year. We’ll divide it in half, you take this half.”

He explained the method. “One work point equals five cents. Each person has their own total. First, convert their points into money. Then subtract the food already distributed. Whatever remains, you record as either grain or cash, depending on what the member chooses.”

“Alright,” Su Yue said easily. It was simple enough. Once she understood, she immediately began calculating.

The accountant pushed an abacus toward her, but Su Yue shook her head. “I don’t like using an abacus. I’ll calculate myself.”

He was dumbfounded. No abacus? Mental arithmetic?

Curious, he decided to watch her closely.

The party secretary, equally doubtful, came over as well. He feared that if Su Yue couldn’t manage, they would have to find someone else.

But Su Yue ignored them both. She started calculating, using mental arithmetic combined with finger techniques she had learned as a child. For simple sums, she used her ten fingers like an invisible abacus. For complex figures, she scribbled quick notes on paper, finishing much faster than with a real abacus and without mistakes.

The accountant and secretary were stunned. They saw Su Yue’s fingers flying across the table, moving so fast they blurred, as if dancing. At the same time, she muttered under her breath, her eyes fixed on the ledger. Within seconds, she had calculated one household’s total, written it down neatly, and moved on to the next.

It was jaw-droppingly efficient.

The secretary frowned uncertainly. “She’s too fast. How do we know if she’s right?”

The accountant, equally skeptical, hurriedly recalculated the figures she had just finished by carefully working his abacus bead by bead. To his shock, Su Yue’s results matched perfectly. Every number was correct.

He swallowed hard, filled with admiration. He had always prided himself on being quick and precise with the abacus. But today he realized there were people who could calculate even faster and more accurately without any tool at all.

The ledgers that had always given him headaches were, in Su Yue’s hands, as simple as child’s play.