Chapter 7

"Xu Di, how are you? Are you feeling unwell?"

As soon as Xu's mother got off work today, she rushed home.

Xu Di was discharged from the hospital today. I don’t know how he is doing. Is he still feeling unwell?

"Mom, I'm fine. I'm not feeling unwell. I slept for several hours this morning and woke up hungry. I got up and ate two steamed buns."

"Okay, I'm glad you're not feeling uncomfortable. Don't be so reckless next time, okay?"

"knew."

Mother Xu is still scared. If they can't save the child, she and Old Xu will be so sad. There are also her parents-in-law in the countryside. Xu Di was raised by them and they have a good relationship with them.

"Okay, I'll go cook, you take a break."

"I'm fine now. I'm not tired. Mom, what do you want to eat tonight? I'll help you."

Xu Di walked into the kitchen holding her mother's arm. She was half a head taller than Xu's mother, about 1.65 meters tall.

"We're making dumplings tonight. The canteen received a batch of Fuqiang flour yesterday. Everyone in our kitchen got five kilograms of it, but we didn't use any food coupons."

Xu's mother thought that Xu Di had suffered a great deal this time, and she had to be well nourished.

"Making dumplings, what kind of filling?"

"Courgette and egg. I've used up all my meat coupons this month, so I can only eat vegetarian food."

There are not many meat dishes in the cafeteria these days, and pork is in short supply. It is said that there is swine fever again.

"The zucchini and eggs are delicious. It's too hot, so I'll have some vegetarian food to keep my appetite going and eat a few more dumplings."

Xu Di now feels that everything she eats is delicious. She doesn’t want to go through the previous feeling of chewing wax at all. She will never diet to lose weight in her life.

Xu's mother smiled, thinking that her son Xu Di was very considerate and knew how to comfort her.

Xu Dike didn't know that Xu's mother thought so well of her. She really didn't want to eat meat in such hot weather.

Both mother and daughter were quick-witted, one was kneading the dough while the other was shredding the zucchini.

In less than half an hour, the dumpling filling is ready. After the dough has risen for a while, you can start wrapping it.

Grandma Xu took Xu Di back to the countryside before she was even one month old and she didn't come back until she started school.

Every time she came back, Xu's mother felt guilty and was reluctant to let her do any work. But Grandma Xu is someone who has experienced turbulent times, she knows people, and she has learned everything she should learn.

Grandma Xu loves Xu Di, but that doesn't stop her from teaching Xu Di how to do things.

So, Xu Di can cook, sew clothes, and do farm work...

When Mrs. Xu came back with the child, Xu's mother and Xu Di had already wrapped the dumplings.

"Mom, we're back."

Mrs. Xu, Wang Meili, works in the pharmacy of the machinery factory hospital. She is twenty-one years old this year and has been married to Xu Li, the eldest son of the Xu family, for three years.

"Now that you're back, wash your hands. Your dad and Dali will be back soon, and we'll make dumplings."

"Xu Di is out of the hospital. How is he? Are you still feeling bad? I'll give you one dollar later, so you can buy something delicious. There are many people suffering from heat stroke in the hospital these days, and I haven't been to the hospital to see you."

Wang Meili has a cheerful personality and loves to talk and laugh. After marrying into the Xu family, she got along well with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

"Then I'd like to thank you, sister-in-law. I'm craving for something, so I'll go buy some candy."

Xu Di has memories of her elder sister-in-law Wang Meili in her mind. She was a cheerful and generous person, and they had a good relationship.

After Brother Xu got married, Xu's mother asked the couple to pay ten yuan per month for food, and let the young couple keep the rest themselves.

Xu's mother was frank and clear about her differences, and she did not interfere too much in the affairs of the young couple.

Xu's mother is open-minded, and Wang Meili knows right from wrong. The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is harmonious. The mother-in-law is a good mother-in-law, and the daughter-in-law is a good daughter-in-law.

"Ping An, do you miss your aunt?"

"Think, think, sugar..."

Fifteen-month-old Xu Ping'an is Brother Xu's son. He has just started to speak and can speak single words.

There was also maternity leave in the 1970s, which was about 56 or 57 days.

Mrs. Xu was in good health and insisted on working until the birth of her baby, giving birth right at the workplace.

When the child was just two months old, Mrs. Xu started working. Fortunately, the machinery factory has its own nursery. Employees send their children to the nursery in the morning, feed them on time, and pick them up directly after get off work.

Everyone does this and their children grow up well.

Xu Di was not immune to children. She was having fun holding Xu Ping'an. The laughter of the aunt and nephew could be heard from far away.

"Xu Di, here, go buy some delicious food."

"Thank you, sister-in-law. I'll take it."

Xu Di put a dollar into his pocket, feeling happy as he had made some extra money.

"Mom, I'm back."

Just as Xu Di collected the money, Xu Jun came back covered in dirt.

"You went into a rat hole and got yourself covered in dirt. Hurry up and wash yourself so you can eat later."

"hey-hey……"

Xu Jun chuckled twice and quickly went to the bathroom to clean himself up.

"You stinky boy, you're always dirty."

Xu's mother had no idea what to do with her oldest son. The child has no major problems, he's just naughty.

Father Xu came back with his eldest son. Not only do they look alike, but they also have similar personalities. Both are the type of people who don't talk much.

"Xu Di, how are you, are you okay?"

"Dad, everything is ready. You and big brother go wash your hands. My mom's dumplings are ready. They are stuffed with zucchini and eggs. They are delicious."

Xu Di poured the mashed garlic into a bowl. This kind of ceramic garlic jar is rarely seen after several decades.

"Mom, is there any Fuqiang noodles in your cafeteria?"

"Well, there are too many wolves and too little meat, so each family gets a few pounds. Fine grains are hard to get now, especially pork. I heard there's swine fever."

"Yeah, the same thing happens in our hospital cafeteria. There has been no meat for several days."

Mrs. Xu saw that her son had finished one dumpling, so she picked up another one for him.

"You eat too, I'm watching him."

Although Brother Xu is not good at speaking, he knows how to care for his wife.

After the child was born, he also learned how to take care of the child and clean the diaper rash instead of just sitting back and doing nothing.

Xu Di was very envious of this, as it was the family atmosphere she had always dreamed of. Unfortunately, it never came true until his death.

It was a meal that was enjoyed in great joy.

After dinner, Mrs. Xu and her husband were responsible for clearing the table and washing the dishes.

Xu Di was playing with his little nephew, and Xu Jun ran away again and didn't come home until bedtime.

He wouldn't go far, he would just stay in the staff quarters and play games with kids of his age.

The games that children play nowadays include catching devils, playing with glass balls, hide-and-seek, skipping rubber bands, and playing with pockets...

They are all outdoor activities, there are many people in the family and the living space is limited. Housing as spacious as the Xu family's is extremely rare.

Most families have several people, crowded in a room of dozens of square meters. The children were in one room, the adults were in another, and it was crowded.

The housing conditions in the 1970s were so tight that most people could not imagine.

Many families who live in bungalows have many sons and there is not enough space for them to get married, so they can only draw curtains in the room to separate them.

Xu Di was glad that he had married into a family with a good family atmosphere and conditions, and he felt much more relaxed in his heart.

I have met all the members of the Xu family except Xu Mei, who was an educated youth in Yunnan Province.

When I have time, I will go to the countryside in the suburbs to visit my grandparents. They are a very good couple and they truly love Xu Di.

Thinking about these things, Xu Di fell asleep.