https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-9-Marrying-a-Wife-Is-No-Easy-Task-/12849107/
Chapter 10: From Frugality to Luxury is Easy, From Luxury to Frugality is Hard
Chapter 10: From Frugality to Luxury is Easy, From Luxury to Frugality is Hard
[Friendly Reminder: This chapter has a distinct flavor. Please do not read it while eating. ^_^]
After returning from Deng Yunqiang's house, Deng Shirong, who hadn't used the bathroom for two days, could finally hold it no longer. He grabbed a bamboo strip and headed toward the village’s communal toilet, known as the "Shi Hu."
"Shi Hu" and the "bamboo strip" are transliterations from the Hakka dialect. The bamboo strip, or "Shi Bing," is a piece of bamboo used for wiping after using the toilet. In this era, no one in the countryside uses toilet paper, so they use these smooth, thornless bamboo strips instead.
These bamboo strips are about as wide as a finger and roughly the same length and thickness as chopsticks.
As for the "Shi Hu," it is the communal toilet of the village.
Nowadays, rural homes are made of mud bricks and don’t have private toilets. At most, they have a simple enclosure for bathing, with a small water barrel inside, not for bathing water but for urine.
To relieve oneself, one has to go to the village’s communal toilet—the "Shi Hu."
Upon reaching the "Shi Hu," Deng Shirong coughed once.
This cough serves a purpose. The "Shi Hu" is only half-enclosed with a bamboo fence, about the height of a person, with no lock. It’s unclear whether someone is inside, so people usually cough to alert anyone who might be there.
If someone is inside, they will cough in response.
Moreover, the "Shi Hu" is not gender-segregated. If you don’t announce yourself and rush in, you might encounter a man, and everyone can squat together. However, if you encounter a woman, the situation can become very awkward!
So, women in this era have to be quick and alert. They must finish quickly and listen for any sounds of footsteps outside, coughing to alert anyone if they hear someone approaching.
Deng Shirong coughed once and, receiving no response, held his breath, moved the bamboo fence, and walked in, closing it behind him.
Even though he was mentally prepared, Deng Shirong found it hard to accept the sight before him. The ground was covered in feces and urine, and the indescribable odor that filled his nostrils was truly unbearable.
If Deng Shirong hadn’t been desperate, he would have turned around and left.
At this moment, he deeply understood the saying: "From frugality to luxury is easy, from luxury to frugality is hard."
In his previous life, he used the "Shi Hu" until 1989 when they built a new house. By then, everyone was used to the smell and didn’t find it too uncomfortable.
However, after 1989, his family built a septic tank and had a private bathroom. By 2008, they even had a flush toilet. His grandson later taught him how to use a smartphone, and he would spend half an hour reading novels on the toilet.
How comfortable it was back then!
Now, the ground was covered in feces and urine, and the pit behind him was filled with untold tons of waste, teeming with maggots. The pungent smell was overwhelming, and the scene was as disgusting as it gets.
Given this stark contrast, it was no wonder Deng Shirong found it hard to accept.
Deng Shirong finished his business in less than a minute, an extremely rare speed for him.
After pulling up his pants, he rushed out.
Even though he had only been inside for less than a minute, his clothes were already faintly tainted with the smell of feces.
At that moment, Deng Shirong made a decision. As soon as he earned enough money, he would build a house, prioritizing this above everything else. Otherwise, life would be unbearable!
He had come back to enjoy life, not to suffer through this every day.
Under the bright moonlight, Deng Shirong sat outside his home with his children, each of them holding a fan to ward off the mosquitoes.
Thinking about how his children had been eating plain porridge with pickled vegetables all day, Deng Shirong asked, "Azhen, can the rice at home last until the new harvest?"
Azhen, who had been managing the household for the past few years, knew exactly how long their supplies would last. Without hesitation, she replied, "Of course, at our current rate, we should have enough for about three more months."
Hearing this, Deng Shirong felt reassured. He said, "That's good. Tomorrow, when you cook the porridge, add a bit more rice and scoop out half a bowl of cooked rice. I'll go to the village committee and buy some pork to fry for you all."
The prospect of pork the next day lifted the spirits of his children.
His eldest son, Deng Yuntao, couldn't help but ask, "Dad, what's so special about tomorrow?"
Deng Shirong felt a pang of nostalgia. In those times, meat was a luxury, reserved for special occasions and holidays, unlike the abundance of meat in the future.
He smiled and said, "I helped Changfu find a match today and got a three-yuan red envelope. So I thought I'd buy some meat to treat you all."
Azhen was surprised. "Dad, when did you start helping people find matches?"
At eighteen, she was of marriageable age and had some understanding of the matchmaking process. She knew that matchmakers only received red envelopes after successfully arranging meetings between potential couples.
Typically, it took numerous visits to arrange such meetings, but Deng Shirong had managed to do it all in one day, which was quite rare.
"Starting this morning."
Deng Shirong then briefly recounted the day's events. "Your cousin Yiqiang should be coming over soon. If he managed to borrow money from his relatives this afternoon, Changfu should be able to bring his bride home before long!"
Just as he finished speaking, he saw someone carrying an oil lamp approaching their house. As the person drew closer, it turned out to be Deng Yiqiang.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
"Uncle Jiu."
"Cousin Yiqiang."
After exchanging greetings, Azhen handed over the water pipe and tobacco, saying, "Cousin Yiqiang, have a smoke first."
This was a common custom; offering the water pipe and tobacco to a guest was the best way to show hospitality.
Deng Yiqiang accepted and took a couple of puffs before getting to the point. "Uncle Jiu, I went to my eldest sister's house this afternoon, and my wife returned to her parents' home. We managed to gather enough money. I'll trouble you to help arrange the meeting tomorrow!"
Deng Shirong nodded. "No problem. I'll go to the woman's family after breakfast tomorrow and try to arrange a visit before the rice harvest. After the harvest, we'll pick a good day for the marriage registration to ensure your son's wife doesn't miss out on the land distribution."
Deng Yiqiang, thinking about the additional land his family would receive and the possibility of his grandchildren benefiting as well, promised, "Uncle Jiu, if this works out, I'll give you a big red envelope."
Deng Shirong laughed heartily. "Alright, I'll be waiting for that big red envelope."
After discussing the matter, Deng Yiqiang stayed for a bit more small talk before leaving, satisfied, with his oil lamp in hand.
(End of Chapter)
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