Chapter 18: Since You Are Unjust, Do Not Blame Me for Being Unrighteous

Su Yu ruffled the little girl's hair, took a small bowl, scooped out two pieces of rabbit meat, and handed it to her.

"Here, go share this with Su Qianqian."

Su Qianqian was only thirteen, and Su Jing was eight—just five years her junior. Since he was giving some to the younger one, he couldn't leave Su Qianqian out; children were most sensitive to being treated differently. Su Rou, however, was already fourteen and practically a young woman, so it didn't matter as much. Besides, he hadn't given any to Su Jin or Su Xiaoben, so no one else would complain.

"Hehe, thanks, Third Brother."
"Thank you, Brother Yu."

Su Qianqian wasn't much older, so she didn't try to act grown-up. She thanked him alongside Su Jing, and then each took a pair of chopsticks to go off to the side and savor the rabbit meat. Su Jin was also tempted, but he didn't dare come over to wheedle or act cute; Su Yu didn't fall for that, and he was liable to get kicked away.

Once the two girls had finished and were watching him with eager eyes, the rest of the meat was nearly done.

"Alright, stop staring. The meat will be ready in a second. Go set the table; we're eating now."
"Oh boy, time to eat!"

As soon as they heard they could eat meat, the two little ones enthusiastically ran to move the table.

"Huzi, I cut off five pounds of badger meat for you. Remember to take it when you leave. Don't be shy, and don't try to decline; that’s not how we brothers do things."

Huzi gave a grin and didn't stand on ceremony. He nodded, grabbed a stool, and sat down. This time, their parents didn't join them at the table, but Su Yu had set aside two bowls of meat for them, ensuring they would be full. With thirteen pounds of meat in total, no one would go hungry.

Huzi took the corn cakes out of a cloth bag, broke each one in half, and distributed them. There were several cakes in the bag, so with half a cake each and thirteen pounds of meat, they would surely be stuffed. Even Su's parents each got half a cake. Although Comrade Liu Yuzhi told Huzi not to bring food next time, it was clear she was very happy.

Huzi’s father was a militiaman, and his points were fixed at the maximum—ten points a day. Since militiamen were always on duty, they were better fed than others, despite the slight danger, and the brigade provided extra rewards. So, even though Huzi’s family wasn't wealthy, they never lacked corn-meal vegetable cakes. Sometimes they mixed wild greens into the cakes—not because they lacked grain, but to keep a low profile. If everyone else was eating vegetable cakes and your family was eating pure corn meal during a collective era, people might suspect you of falsifying accounts or stealing collective grain. Even those with enough to eat would follow the crowd to avoid standing out.

"Huzi, I’m going to the county town tomorrow to sell some hides and pheasants. Want to come?"

Pheasants and furs could be sold at the commune, but if you were willing to travel further to the county town and sell to restaurants, you could get a better price. Pheasants, wild boars, roe deer, and hares were not considered planned supplies, so they could be sold openly. You didn't need ration coupons to buy chickens, vegetables, or fish at the market—just money. However, items like tea, alcohol, sugar, and cigarettes were tiered. Moutai definitely required coupons, but ordinary liquor didn't. The same went for cigarettes; common ones didn't need coupons, but the pricier ones—the kind costing thirty cents a pack—certainly did.

Not everything was forbidden to be sold. Large factories needed procurement officers to buy unplanned supplies. Wasn't that just reselling? So, even with a procurement license, things were often done discreetly. Procurement officers weren't gods; even with a permit, they sometimes needed connections. It all depended on the situation—common goods found in vegetable markets could generally be sold.

"You're going to the county town? I’m in, I’m definitely in! It's been ages since I’ve been to the city."

Su Yu curled his lip. Their backwater corner was hardly different from the town. Looking over at the girls—Su Jing, Su Rou, and Su Qianqian—they were all clutching their bowls, devouring the meat. Su Sheng, Su Jin, and Su Xiaoben were doing the same, looking positively ravenous. Huzi was talking and eating at the same time, praising the squirrel and hedgehog meat as delicacies.

The dozen pounds of meat were wiped out in just half an hour.

"Girls, you aren't used to eating rich food. Be careful not to soil your pants, and keep an eye out tonight."

Su Yu gave a wicked smile. Although he said it to Su Jing, he intentionally glanced at Su Rou and Su Qianqian. His own family had at least had fish twice in the last few days, but Huzi and his sister had only eaten fish at his house once—a three-pounder that didn't amount to much. Their stomachs weren't accustomed to meat, so it wouldn't be surprising if they had a bad reaction.

Su Rou was already half an adult. Seeing Su Yu’s look, she realized he was warning them. She rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that he could have said something sooner instead of waiting until they had finished eating. Her brother, Huzi, didn't catch the implication at all, thinking Su Yu was just talking about his sister, Su Jing. He even patted Su Jing’s head comfortingly and said, "It’s alright, Su Jing is still young, no one will laugh if you have an accident."

Su Rou curled her lip; Su Yu’s warning had been so obvious, yet her brother was the only one who missed it.

"Brother, let's go home. Don't keep Uncle He and Auntie up."

Rural people slept very early, much like the ancients. Sleeping at six or seven was normal; staying up until nine made you a night owl.

"Oh... right. Well, Uncle He, Auntie, we’re heading back."

After greeting Su's parents, Huzi grabbed the badger meat and headed home. There were still three pheasants, eight squirrel skins, two rabbit skins, and one badger skin left. The squirrel skins were undoubtedly the most valuable; those alone were enough to justify a trip to the city.

After saying his goodbyes, Su Yu returned to his room. He didn't want to dwell on the matter of his aunt’s family anymore; it was infuriating, especially his father's attitude, though he understood it. Originally, even though his aunt didn't have a good relationship with his family, he hadn't intended to ruin her niece’s reputation. After all, what did it matter to him if Zheng Hongmei was promiscuous or not?

Destroying someone's reputation was like killing them, but his aunt’s actions had sent a chill down his spine, leaving him with the urge to go out into the village and spread the truth. If his aunt kept making such a scene, outsiders would think he was too stuck-up to look at rural girls, and potential matchmakers would be hesitant to approach his house. His older brother already had a poor reputation; if his was ruined too, the family might as well pack it in. He couldn't be blamed for his thoughts—his aunt simply didn't know when to stop. This wasn't building a connection; it was creating an enemy.