On Xiao Bao's birthday, Xie Zhuo was supposed to go with the workers to weave baskets, but he asked the team leader for leave, saying that he had something to do at home.

During the off-season, the brigade leader doesn't usually restrict leave requests. With the Lunar New Year approaching, whether one wants to earn more work points to have a better year or stay home and not earn any work points is entirely up to personal choice.

The Zhao family, for example, did not come.

However, some people in their families receive government-subsidized grain rations, while others are skilled craftsmen; even if someone else starves to death, they won't starve to death.

Song Guangming wouldn't urge people to go to work.

So when Xie Zhu asked for leave, he didn't say much, just had the accountant write it down in the notebook, and let him go.

The bus, which had been silent for so long, finally started operating ten days ago. Although it was called a bus, it was completely different from the buses of later generations; it was just a shuttle bus.

Twice a day, from the village entrance to the city.

Scheduled at fixed times and locations.

Xu Yan got up quite early today. While the two little ones were still half asleep, she went into the room to wish Xiao Bao a happy birthday and then gave him a small box containing a gift.

Although it wasn't Da Bao's birthday, it still happened.

"What is this, Auntie?" Xiao Bao shook the box, not recognizing what was inside.

“You can open it and take a look after you finish eating,” Xu Yan said. “Today is your birthday, this is a birthday present.”

Da Bao paused in unwrapping his gift. "What about mine?"

“This is also a gift for you. It’s because Da Bao is so cute that his aunt wanted to give him a gift too,” Xu Yan said.

Although the two children received gifts under different names, they were equally happy.

After placing the small box on the table, Xu Yan went to wash up. After tidying up, Xu Yan peeled a boiled egg for each of them and ladled out a small bowl of longevity noodles.

Then tell them that next they're going to the city to buy a cake, take pictures, and watch a movie.

Every time she said something, the two kids would jump up and down.

I was so happy I didn't know how to express it.

"Do you like this arrangement?" Xu Yan asked with a smile.

"I like it!" Da Bao shouted.

"I like it," Xiao Bao shouted along.

"Okay, okay, I know, Auntie is really going to go deaf," Xu Yan quickly stuffed a cut pear into their mouths.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao chuckled and ate the pears that were fed to them.

The bus to the city departs at nine o'clock in the morning. When Xu Yan and Xie Zhuo walked to the station with their child, the four of them were wearing clothes of the same color but different styles.

From a distance, they were a beautiful sight, attracting many people to turn their heads and look in their direction.

Especially Xie Zhuo.

He usually wears a gray outfit with many patches, but he changed his clothes today because he was going to take a photo.

The clothes were custom-made by Xiao Xue, the tailor, and the style was modified from the trench coat of later generations. She chose the best and most expensive fabric for the clothes.

Wearing this at this moment, Xie Zhuo exudes an indescribable aura.

“That person…is Xie Laosan?” An aunt rubbed her eyes and looked over again.

“My goodness, he looks like a completely different person after changing his clothes,” another young woman said, glancing at Xie Zhuo’s face as she spoke.

Granny Tian was also taking Tian Fang to the city today. Hearing the people around her talking, she looked in Xie Zhuo's direction.

However, the first person she saw was not Xie Zhuo, but Xu Yan.

Xu Yan looked beautiful today, wearing the same black and gray trench coat as Xie Zhuo, with a bright red turtleneck sweater underneath and a scarf of the same color around her neck.

She was also holding hands with her two children, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, who were wearing the same scarves as her.

“A vixen,” Granny Tian suddenly blurted out as she looked around.

The woman following behind her, who got along fairly well with Xu Yan, immediately frowned and clicked her tongue, "Whose mouth is that? It stinks. Did you not brush your teeth this morning?"

Granny Tian immediately turned her neck.

The woman snorted and walked away.

"Pah!" Granny Tian spat at her back. "Sure enough, people of the same kind flock together. Look at that vixen of hers."

While scolding, Granny Tian turned her attention to Tian Fang, saying, "You can't be like them. Most men still prefer virtuous wives and mothers who are dignified and refined."

"Huh?" Tian Fang snapped back to reality.

"What are you looking at?" Granny Tian asked, somewhat displeased.

"It's nothing," Tian Fang quickly looked away, not letting Granny Tian notice that she was staring at Xie Zhuo.

Granny Tian glared at her, then shrank back as the cold wind blew, too lazy to say anything more. She simply instructed, "Be smart when you're looking at potential partners later, and don't brag like Qian Hu."

Tian Fang lowered her eyelids and gave a soft "hmm".

When she looked at Xie Zhuo again, Xie Zhuo had already gotten into the car with Xu Yan and Da Bao and Xiao Bao. The driver waited for a few minutes, and when he saw that no one was getting in, he turned around and drove into the city.

"What a waste of money," Granny Tian spat as she stared at the departing bus.

Tian Fang didn't say anything, but her eyes clearly showed envy.

"It's just a few steps, and they have to spend an extra five cents to take the bus," Granny Tian grumbled. "They're so greedy for pleasure, they should all be arrested. What are Xu Yan and Xie Zhuo wearing? Only landlords and rich people wear that kind of clothes..."

Xie Zhuo and Xu Yan had no idea how outsiders viewed them. Of course, their family was in a good mood today, so even if they heard it, they wouldn't bother to care.

When Da Bao and Xiao Bao are at home, they make so much noise they could turn the roof upside down, but when they talk outside, they're basically at a normal volume.

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