Sept. 5, 2025
Life in the Countryside in the Past
When I was a child living in a village, families in the village were organized into a production unit. They worked together, which led to no one really working hard; as a result, crop yields were low and we couldn’t eat our fill oftentimes.
We planted wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, peas, green beans, cotton, sesame and sweet potatoes. Among them, sweet potatoes were our staple food.
We often ate sweet potatoes for three meals every day. In the morning, we peeled them, cut them into chunks, and then boiled them for breakfast.
In the afternoon, we made noodles from sweet potato flour for lunch, and in the evening, we made steamed buns from sweet potato flour for dinner.
There was an old saying in my area: “Sweet potato flour, sweet potato steamed buns—we can’t survive without sweet potatoes.”
As for other grains, we only had a little, which made them seem to be our supplements. They were always added to our meals in small portions.
Every family had a small vegetable garden, where we planted some vegetables for our own use. The most common ones were green onions, Chinese cabbage, radishes, chili peppers, Chinese chives, tomatoes, and so on.
We couldn’t eat meat regularly unless it was during some traditional holidays or when our relatives came to visit us.
If so, parents would buy a little bit of pork from the local town or kill a chicken we had raised at home, but meat was more like a decoration for the dishes; the main ingredients were still vegetables.
Every spring, we would suffer from some food shortages, which were called “闹春荒” in Chinese—I guess it would be “spring famine” in English.
Fortunately, we not only survived, but also grew up despite those tough living conditions.
Life in the Countryside in the Past
When I was a child living in a village, families in the village were organized into a production unit.
They worked together, which led to no onebody really working hard; a. As a result, crop yields were low and we couldn’t eat our fill often of times.
We planted wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, peas, green beans, cotton, sesame and sweet potatoes.
Among them, sweet potatoes were our staple food.
We often ate sweet potatoes for three meals every day.
In the morning, we peeled them, cut them into chunks, and then boiled them for breakfast.
In the afternoon, we made noodles from sweet potato flour for lunch, and in the evening, we made steamed buns from sweet potatothe same flour for dinner.
Sounded more natural this way, so that the thing is not repeated.
There was an old saying in my area: “Sweet potato flour, sweet potato steamed buns—we can’t survive without sweet potatoes.”
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As for other types of grains, we only had a little, whichso they made them seem to be our supplements.
They were always added to our meals in small portions.
Every family had a small vegetable garden, where we planted some vegetables for our own use.
The most common ones were green onions, Chinese cabbage, radishes, chili peppers, Chinese chives, tomatoes, and so on.
We couldn’t eat meat regularly unless it was during some traditional holidays or when our relatives came to visit us.
If so,When that happened, the parents would buy a little bit of pork from the local town or kill a chicken we had raised at home, but meat was more like a decoration for the dishes; the main ingredients were still vegetables.
Every spring, we would suffer from some food shortages, which were called “闹春荒” in Chinese—I guess it would be “spring famine” in English.
Fortunately, we not only did we survived, but we also grew up despite those tough living conditions.
The "but we also grew up despite those tough living conditions" still feel unnatural to me. The "we" sounds like it is referring to all the family members "growing up". But it makes more sense if you want to mean, "but the children there grow up fine despite those tough living conditions".
But if you want to mean that people still live their lives normally, then "but we lived fine despite those tough living conditions".
Feedback
Good job! Interesting to hear about your community back home.
Sept. 5, 2025
Thank you very much.
Life in the Countryside in the Past
When I was a child living in a village, families in the village were organized into a production unit.
They worked together, which led to no one really working hard; as a result, crop yields were low and we oftentimes couldn’t eat our fill oftentimes.
I find placing "oftentimes" at the end doesn't sound as natural.
We planted wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, peas, green beans, cotton, sesame and sweet potatoes.
Among them, sweet potatoes were our staple food.
We often ate sweet potatoes for three meals every day.
In the morning, we peeled them, cut them into chunks, and then boiled them for breakfast.
In the afternoon, we made noodles from sweet potato flour for lunch, and in the evening, we made steamed buns from sweet potato flour for dinner.
There was an old saying in my area: “Sweet potato flour, sweet potato steamed buns—we can’t survive without sweet potatoes.”
¶¶
¶
As for other grains, we only had a little, which made them seem to bemore so our supplements.
The original phrasing is a little unnatural.
They were always added to our meals in small portions.
Every family had a small vegetable garden, where we planted some vegetables for our own use.
The most common ones were green onions, Chinese cabbage, radishes, chili peppers, Chinese chives, tomatoes, and so on.
We couldn’t eat meat regularly unless it was during some traditional holidays or when our relatives came to visit us.
(1) Here, "some" is used to refer to an unspecified something (in this case, an unspecified holiday). In this usage, the word that follows it is singular.
(2) Alternatively, if you want to use the plural: "We couldn't eat meat outside of some traditional holidays" or "We couldn't eat meat except during some traditional holidays".
If so, parents would buy a little bit of pork from the local town or kill a chicken we had raised at home, but meat was more like a decoration for the dishes; the main ingredients were still vegetables.
To me, "decoration" as the uncountable noun sounds more natural here.
Every spring, we would suffer from some food shortages, which were called “闹春荒” in Chinese—I guess it would be “spring famine” in English.
Fortunately, we not only survived, but also grew up despite thoese tough living conditions.
Said living conditions are the subject of your writing, so "these" might be more appropriate.
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Life in the Countryside in the Past This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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When I was a child living in a village, families in the village were organized into a production unit. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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They worked together, which led to no one really working hard; as a result, crop yields were low and we couldn’t eat our fill oftentimes. They worked together, which led to no one really working hard; as a result, crop yields were low and we oftentimes couldn’t eat our fill I find placing "oftentimes" at the end doesn't sound as natural. They worked together, which led to no |
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We planted wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, peas, green beans, cotton, sesame and sweet potatoes. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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Among them, sweet potatoes were our staple food. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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We often ate sweet potatoes for three meals every day. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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In the morning, we peeled them, cut them into chunks, and then boiled them for breakfast. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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They were always added to our meals in small portions. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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In the afternoon, we made noodles from sweet potato flour for lunch, and in the evening, we made steamed buns from sweet potato flour for dinner. This sentence has been marked as perfect! In the afternoon, we made noodles from sweet potato flour for lunch, and in the evening, we made steamed buns from Sounded more natural this way, so that the thing is not repeated. |
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There was an old saying in my area: “Sweet potato flour, sweet potato steamed buns—we can’t survive without sweet potatoes.” As for other grains, we only had a little, which made them seem to be our supplements. There was an old saying in my area: “Sweet potato flour, sweet potato steamed buns—we can’t survive without sweet potatoes.” The original phrasing is a little unnatural. There was an old saying in my area: “Sweet potato flour, sweet potato steamed buns—we can’t survive without sweet potatoes.” |
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Every family had a small vegetable garden, where we planted some vegetables for our own use. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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The most common ones were green onions, Chinese cabbage, radishes, chili peppers, Chinese chives, tomatoes, and so on. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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We couldn’t eat meat regularly unless it was during some traditional holidays or when our relatives came to visit us. We couldn’t eat meat regularly unless it was during some traditional holiday (1) Here, "some" is used to refer to an unspecified something (in this case, an unspecified holiday). In this usage, the word that follows it is singular. (2) Alternatively, if you want to use the plural: "We couldn't eat meat outside of some traditional holidays" or "We couldn't eat meat except during some traditional holidays". This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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If so, parents would buy a little bit of pork from the local town or kill a chicken we had raised at home, but meat was more like a decoration for the dishes; the main ingredients were still vegetables. If so, parents would buy a little bit of pork from the local town or kill a chicken we had raised at home, but meat was more like To me, "decoration" as the uncountable noun sounds more natural here.
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Every spring, we would suffer from some food shortages, which were called “闹春荒” in Chinese—I guess it would be “spring famine” in English. This sentence has been marked as perfect! This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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Fortunately, we not only survived, but also grew up despite those tough living conditions. Fortunately, we not only survived, but also grew up despite th Said living conditions are the subject of your writing, so "these" might be more appropriate. Fortunately, The "but we also grew up despite those tough living conditions" still feel unnatural to me. The "we" sounds like it is referring to all the family members "growing up". But it makes more sense if you want to mean, "but the children there grow up fine despite those tough living conditions". But if you want to mean that people still live their lives normally, then "but we lived fine despite those tough living conditions". |
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