Zhang Hongyan dared not let her daughter cook anymore. Every day it was just eggs and oil, and no amount of good food was enough for her to waste.

Xia Qingqing tried to resist, but her resistance was in vain, and she was still forbidden by her mother from entering or leaving the kitchen.

The person who was most disappointed that Xia Qingqing stopped cooking was Gou Dan. He had just enjoyed two good days, and now he had to go back to eating coarse food.

He didn't dare to express his protest in person, but only dared to complain to his sister in secret: "The dish that Mom made, you can't see a drop of oil at all, I really don't know if she put any oil in it or not."

Xia Qingqing smiled and pinched his chubby cheeks: "It's not as exaggerated as you say. Mom used to cook, and you never said anything about it."

Dog Egg stuck out a finger and shook it, pretending to be profound, and said, "You don't understand, do you? I've never eaten anything delicious before, how would I know that Mom's cooking isn't good? Now that you've spoiled my palate, you have to take responsibility for me, sis."

"How can I take responsibility for you? Two candies every day without fail isn't enough for you?" Xia Qingqing looked at Gou Dan dangerously, giving the impression that if he dared to say no, he wouldn't get another candy.

Dog Egg immediately begged for forgiveness: "Sister, I was wrong. I don't need you to take responsibility. I'm very satisfied. Two candies are enough to satisfy me."

"That's more like it. Open your mouth," Xia Qingqing said, taking out a fruit candy and putting it into Gou Dan's mouth. "Remember to brush your teeth morning and night, otherwise the little bugs will eat them up and you won't be able to eat meat anymore."

Dog Egg was so frightened by his sister's words that he covered his mouth tightly: "I will definitely brush my teeth properly. I don't want little bugs to eat my teeth."

For Gou Dan, candy was very attractive, but meat was the biggest temptation.

For Gou Dan, the biggest punishment was not being able to eat meat.

The elderly people in the village have all lost their teeth, making it difficult for them to eat. Gou Dan absolutely doesn't want his teeth to become like that.

Soon, it was September, and Gou Dan was about to become a proud primary school student.

Xia Qingqing also seriously discussed the matter of the name with her parents, and decided that Gou Dan should get used to his formal name first.

Otherwise, in future classes, what if a teacher says, "Xia Jiale, please answer this question"?

Dog Egg, sitting below, kept peeking around, looking at this and that, completely unaware that the teacher was calling on him.

Zhang Hongyan was initially somewhat skeptical, but after hearing her daughter's example, she instantly realized it made a lot of sense.

"Then we can't call him Gou Dan anymore? It feels weird," Zhang Hongyan asked her daughter hesitantly.

Xia Qingqing thought about it and realized that she had gotten used to calling him Gou Dan. Now, she not only didn't find the name Gou Dan unpleasant, but she also thought it was kind of cute.

But when Gou Dan went to school, things were fine. People in the countryside were used to the idea that lowly people were easy to raise. The children in the brigade were called all sorts of names, like "cowboy," "donkey egg," "dog egg," and "dog leftovers," and no one laughed at anyone else.

But when he goes to junior high and high school in the county, and his classmates call him "Dog Egg" again, he'll lose face. What if some classmates laugh at him? He might even become self-conscious because of it.

"Let's not call him that for now. For the next few days, we'll call him Xia Jiale or Lele to get used to it. We'll call him Gou Dan again later," Xia Qingqing decided directly.

How could she let her beloved younger brother lose his nickname? She had to keep this lovely name for him.

Although Zhang Hongyan and Xia Heping felt this was somewhat complicated, Xia Qingqing was the one who had attended junior high and high school in the county, so she definitely knew more than they did. They would listen to whatever their daughter said.

Xia Qingqing looked at Gou Dan, the person involved, who seemed oblivious to everything, and flicked his forehead with amusement: "We're discussing your name here, why aren't you taking it seriously at all?"

Dog Egg looked at his sister with a blank expression: "Sister, I don't understand. Why do people laugh at me when they know my name is Dog Egg? Aren't all people's names similar?"

His best friend is also called Da Niu (Big Ox). One is called Gou (Dog) and the other is called Niu (Ox). How wonderful! They are simply the most compatible best friends.

Xia Qingqing was stumped by Gou Dan's question. Well, it's a bit too early to discuss this with a 7-year-old.

"You don't need to know that much, you'll understand when you grow up," Xia Qingqing gently patted Gou Dan's little head.

Actually, it's possible that she's overthinking it. Perhaps Gou Dan won't be ridiculed by his classmates because of his name, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Otherwise, it will be too late to talk about this once Gou Dan is actually ridiculed.

Dog Egg as an adult: Who understands the bitterness of being called Dog Egg by your parents and sister even in your twenties? Who understands?

——

On September 1st, Xia Qingqing was entrusted with an important task by her parents: to take Xia Jiale to register for primary school.

There was only one school in the surrounding production brigades, namely the "Shihe Primary School" built in the Shihe Production Brigade.

To ensure the school was built in Shihe Production Brigade, the brigade leader went to great lengths to make it easier for the children in the brigade to get to school.

When Xia Qingqing led Gou Dan to the classroom door, she saw a parent who had brought their child to register already standing by the podium asking the teacher questions.

Xia Qingqing didn't rush forward, but stood quietly at the classroom door to wait, while carefully observing Gou Dan's new teacher.

The other party was a young female teacher with a classic oval face, shoulder-length short hair, and a gentle demeanor.

Qi Xue'er struggled to deal with the student's parent who was trying to negotiate with her, a hint of impatience flashing in her eyes.

Suddenly, she caught sight of Xia Qingqing and Gou Dan at the classroom door out of the corner of her eye. She smiled gently at them and asked, "Comrade, are you here to register your child?"

“Yes, my younger brother’s name is Xia Jiale. I brought him here to register.” Xia Qingqing squeezed Gou Dan’s hand, signaling him to greet the teacher: “Lele, say hello to the teacher.”

Looking at the beautiful female teacher, Gou Dan shyly hid behind his sister and whispered, "Hello, Teacher Qi."

Qi Xue'er had a good impression of the two polite siblings and smiled at Gou Dan, saying, "Xia Jiale, right? My surname is Qi, you can call me Teacher Qi. Come in first, I'll help you register after I've finished solving this parent's problem."

Upon hearing this, Xia Qingqing led Gou Dan into the classroom. The classroom wasn't large, with about 10 slightly worn desks, each capable of seating two students.

The little boy who came to register with his grandma in the classroom saw Gou Dan and immediately made a face at him.