But at the moment, the most important thing was to stop his wife from opening the floodgates, because if she did, she would fall into the gate and die, taking their unborn child with her.
"I'll do it, I'll do it. You stay home and rest with your big belly. I'll handle opening the floodgates."
Zhang Liunian firmly pressed his wife onto the stool and, with those words, turned to step out into the scorching sun.
Along the way, he encountered his uncle Zhang Xinhua, who was a generation older, and his aunt Wang Xiao'e.
The two of them wore expressions of extreme disdain as they saw Zhang Liunian emerge from his dilapidated mud hut. Just as they were about to pass each other, Wang Xiao'e stopped and said, "Liunian, your family owes us five yuan. When are you going to pay it back? My youngest son is waiting for the money to get married!"
Five yuan to get married?
This was, of course, impossible.
Zhang Liunian's steps faltered. He suddenly remembered that at this time, he was still the notorious lazy bum of Zhangjia Village, and his family had borrowed from half the village.
In his previous life, after Jiang Qingqing died, half the villagers came to collect debts from him. It was then he realized how dire his family's situation had become.
Yet Jiang Qingqing had never uttered a single complaint. Instead, she supported his pursuit of higher education and did everything she could to provide for him.
Recalling the past, Zhang Liunian's eyes turned bloodshot.
He truly was not a good husband or father. His wife and daughter starved every day, while he lay around indulging himself.
Gritting his teeth, he managed not to fly into a rage in front of the couple.
"Auntie, we will definitely pay you back this month." Zhang Liunian clenched his fists, secretly resolving to earn money quickly. Firstly, to ensure his wife and daughter would no longer go hungry, and secondly, to clear his debts.
"What am I even talking to you, you lazy good-for-nothing? What can you possibly do to earn money? Talk to your Qingqing about it another day!"
Wang Xiao'e, without listening to Zhang Liunian, pouted and left.
Zhang Xinhua glanced at Zhang Liunian. He seemed to have something to say but hesitated for a long time. Finally, he couldn't help but speak, "Liunian, Qingqing is a good wife. You two should focus on living your lives properly and don't dwell on unnecessary things.
Uncle tells you, in the face of survival, nothing else matters."
Zhang Liunian understood what Uncle Hua meant. He was advising him not to pursue university anymore, as their family was struggling to survive.
"Uncle Hua, I..."
Before Zhang Liunian could reply, Wang Xiao'e suddenly appeared, grabbed her husband's hand, and said, "Why are you butting in? Let's go, let's go home."
Zhang Liunian watched their receding backs, his fists clenching tighter. He then took a deep breath and continued forward.
His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, finally settling on the plan to open the floodgates first and then find something to eat.
He hurried along the path and finally arrived at Daming Lake.
"Damn pests! You've eaten all the fish fry in the lake. Die for me!"
Not far ahead, an old man wearing a straw hat was fiercely stomping on a pile of lobsters on the ground. He kicked one after another, and within a few kicks, the heaped lobsters were crushed into mud.
Zhang Liunian watched in stunned silence. Lobsters, which would sell for tens of yuan per jin in later generations, were now reduced to mud under the old man's feet. This was truly a waste of nature's bounty.
"Grandpa, what are you doing?" Zhang Liunian was so shocked that he stepped forward to ask. After he spoke, he froze.
Because he remembered that his Zhangjia Village only learned that lobsters could be eaten after 1990. Before that, they had always regarded these lobsters as pests.
Moreover, someone had spread rumors that they had eaten lobsters and nearly died from poisoning, which terrified the villagers into viewing lobsters as natural enemies.
Coupled with the lobsters' rapid reproduction, in just a few years, they had become a plague in Daming Lake, causing the fish population to dwindle year by year.
This was why the old man hated these lobsters so much.
"Can't you see what I'm doing? Of course, I'm exterminating pests and creating new income for the brigade!" If these lobsters don't die, the fish fry will.
Therefore, the old man deeply loathed the lobsters under his feet. Even as he spoke, he didn't forget to deliver a couple of kicks to the lobsters trying to escape, crushing them.
Zhang Liunian squinted, thinking, "What great produce, why waste it like this? Besides, my family is in dire need of food!"
"Grandpa, you don't want these lobsters anymore?"
"Why would I want them? To poison us?"
"Can you give them to me?"
"What do you want these things for? Comrade, please don't do anything rash. If your family comes looking for me, I won't be responsible."
"I have a use for them, just give them to me!"
"What use?"
"It's definitely not for harming people, you can rest assured." Zhang Liunian then added, "Moreover, this is a win-win for us. Think about it, you want to get rid of these lobsters, and I need these lobsters. Isn't that perfect? I'll catch and take them away for free, costing you no effort or money, and it even saves you trouble."
"What you're saying makes a lot of sense." The old man listened, dumbfounded. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed logical.
Besides, he didn't know how to deal with these creatures anyway.
Zhang Liunian taking over for free felt like a windfall.
"Is this alright? It's too much trouble for you." The old man, being honest and simple, felt like he was taking advantage of the young man. He paused, then said, "How about this, I'll give you two fish as a reward.
From now on, the lobsters in Daming Lake will be your responsibility. You must catch them all, the more the better."
And he's giving me fish too?
This was truly a godsend.
Zhang Liunian grinned from ear to ear, but he still accepted the old man's kindness. After all, his family was so poor they had no rice to cook.
Two hours later, Zhang Liunian returned home, not only with a sack of lobsters but also with two large grass carp.
Just as he was feeling elated, he saw Jiang Qingqing sitting in the main hall, tears streaming down her face as she stared at the wall. Zhang Liunian's smiling face instantly fell.
She was crying!
"Bang!" Dropping the fish and lobsters in his hands, Zhang Liunian strode forward and pulled her into his embrace.
Hearing the commotion, Jiang Qingqing turned her head, only to be embraced by Zhang Liunian for the second time.
This embrace was different from the first. The previous one had been urgent and excited, this one was cautious and tentative.
Jiang Qingqing was somewhat taken aback. She had even forgotten to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Qingqing, don't cry. When you cry, I feel as if I've been stabbed with a knife.
Don't worry, I'll take care of this family from now on. I won't be going to university anymore. I'll earn money to support the family and ensure you, Huabao, and the baby in your belly have a good life."
Zhang Liunian held Jiang Qingqing, whispering assurances into her ear.
Jiang Qingqing's mind was a buzzing chaos. She thought she was hallucinating. Why else would she hear Zhang Liunian say he wasn't going to university anymore?
This was impossible. His dream was to get into university and secure a stable job for the state. How could he give it up so easily?
And what did he mean by giving them a good life?
She believed that part. Didn't Liu Nian want to go to university precisely to give his wife and children a better life?
She understood his intentions.
"Liunian, I know you want us to have a good life, so you should still study hard and go to university! I will always support you."
Jiang Qingqing reached out, wrapped her arms around Zhang Liunian, and patted his back encouragingly.