From Modern Struggles to Timeless Love: A Pharmacist's Tale

Chapter 3: Making Money

The next day, Li Mei asked Zhang Wei about the question she had in mind.

He should have made a lot of money while serving in the military. However, the twins are malnourished and their living conditions are dismal.

"You should have made some money when you were in the military. Why are the twins malnourished? Look, they are as thin as a stick now. What happened to us?"

Li Mei looked at the state of their house.

They live in a small mud house at the end of the village. The house is in poor condition, with a leaky roof that needs repair. They have only one bedroom with a Kang that they share, which is made of bricks and heated with firewood. They don't have a gas stove but a firewood stove in the kitchen, where they cook what little food they have.

Their dining room is equally rundown, with four broken chairs and a rickety table that needs to be propped up with a rock.

Their house did not have a living room, so the family spent most of their time in the bedroom. The room was small and cramped, with barely enough space for the four of them. They did not have a television or a radio, and the only entertainment they had was each other's company.

The house does not have indoor plumbing, so they do not have a toilet. Instead, they use a dung pit outside the house, which is surrounded by walls for privacy. The lack of basic amenities makes life difficult for the family, especially during harsh winters and hot summers.

Despite the poor conditions, Li Mei and her family make do with what they have. They work hard to keep their home clean and tidy, and they make sure to take care of each other.

Zhang Wei sighed.

"This is my fault. When I came back 3 days ago, my mother was enraged that I was let go from the military since she won't be receiving my allowances anymore.

Then you went up the mountains to look for wild vegetables but met with an accident. I asked mother for money to take you to the doctor. Who knows what she was thinking? She got more enraged and split us from the family directly.

I could only find this abandoned house that no one wants at the end of the village so we can have a roof over our heads. I asked mother for my share of the money I sent over the years since we split up. She said that all the money was spent on my third brother who was studying at the city.

It's a good thing that I did not give mother my separation pay from the military and waited for you to wake up. There might be nothing left for us if I also gave her the money and the coupons."

Li Mei also sighed.

"It's a good thing that we still have money now. Let's try our best to make more money in the future."

"Yes, I'll help you with whatever you want to do in the future." Zhang Wei looked at Li Mei with loving eyes which made Li Mei blush.

"Ahem, let's go to the city today to sell the remaining mushrooms. We have at least 20 catties left now. We can sell the 15 catties and dry the remaining 5 catties so they won't spoil. Can you go with me to the city? I'm not familiar with this place yet as I still haven't regained my memories."

Li Mei also thought that she could go to the pharmacies in the city and think of other ways they can make money.

Zhang Wei agreed. "Okay I will go with you. Let's also go to the post office and see if the letter from my commander has arrived. They might not have the time to deliver it to the village yet as they only deliver letters to the village once a week."

Li Mei wanted to sell the shiitake mushrooms to a restaurant as it still is not widely known at this time. People would not buy it if she sold it at the market.