Soon, Xinxin selected a stack of dozens of comic books including "Dagouling", "Little Pine", "Water Traffic War", "Miner's Blood Hatred", etc.

Chu Tian took it and said, "Go and see if you need anything else. I'll wait for you at the cashier."

Xinxin nodded, turned around and walked to her cousins.

Soon, several people came back with two or three books each, and Chu Tian signaled the cashier to settle the bill.

"Thirty-two books, twelve of which are thirty cents each, thirteen are twenty cents each, and the remaining seven are ten cents each. The total is six dollars and ninety cents."

Chu Tian blinked in surprise as he listened to her quote. He thought to himself, are books so cheap these days? Especially study materials, which are only ten or twenty cents...

"Please help yourself to the books you have chosen."

As Chu Tian gave instructions, he took out seven dollars from his pocket and handed it to the cashier.

Si Ya picked up the two novels and two study materials she had chosen, looked at the money Chu Tian took out, thought for a while and said, "Uncle, I will tell my mother when I get home and ask her to give you the money."

The remaining children also talked about what they would tell their families when they got home.

Chu Tian just put the dime he got back into his pocket. Upon hearing this, he turned his head to look at the others and smiled, saying, "It's okay. It's not much money. Just think of it as a gift from your uncle."

Si Ya shook her head. "No, my father said, uncle, your money is yours. We can't let you spend it on us just because you have money..."

"Yes, Uncle Shi, when we get home we'll tell our parents that you paid for the books for us and ask them to give you the money."

Si Ya nodded repeatedly when she heard this. She clearly remembered that her uncle came to pick them up and took them to the supply and marketing cooperative. He bought something for each of the Chu family children present. But when they returned home that night, they heard the adults scolding them in every household...

Well, although her father didn't scold her last time, he also sternly warned her not to spend her uncle's money unless it was a holiday or her birthday, and if she really did spend it, she must tell her parents.

Chu Tian knew that they were scolded by their cousins ​​for spending money, so when he saw the children were so persistent, he didn't say anything else but just smiled.

"Okay, uncle, I understand."

When he got home, before Chu Tian had time to drink a sip of tea, he received the money returned by the children one after another. The last one to return the money was Chu Jie, who came with his little daughter.

Chu Tian looked at the sixty cents in his hand and said helplessly, "Brother Jie, it's only sixty cents, and you brought it to me personally?"

Chu Jie smiled and said, "Sixty cents may not be much for you, but it's still money, right?"

"Dad, uncle, where is Sister Lele?"

Chu Tian was about to put the money in his pocket when he heard Chu Jie's daughter's question. He squatted down, looked her in the face, and said with a smile, "Your sister Lele is reading comic books in your sister Xinxin's room. Do you want to read it?"

The little girl didn't know what a comic strip was, but she nodded obediently and said, "I want to see..."

Chu Tian heard this and shouted towards Xinxin's room, "Xinxin, come and bring Aidan back inside to read the comic book together."

"Dad, I'm coming right away."

After saying that, Xinxin opened the door, walked over, took the little girl's hand, turned to look at Chu Jie and Chu Tian, ​​"Uncle Jie, Dad, I'm going back to the house."

Chu Tian said "hmm" and motioned Chu Jie to go back into the house and sit for a while.

Chu Jie looked at the two girls who walked into the house. As he and Chu Tian walked towards the main room, he said with a smile, "I haven't seen Xinxin for a long time. She has changed a lot."

"Now, you look like a grown-up girl."

Chu Tian smiled when he heard this, "He's still young. His eleventh birthday is next month, and he's only twelve now..."

Chu Jie was shocked. "Xinxin is only twelve? What year was she born? 1967? One year younger than Aizhu?"

Chu Tian nodded, "Yes, Xinxin's birthday is March 1967."

Chu Jie tsk-tsk'd twice, "Looking at how sensible she is, I always thought she was older than Aizhu..."

"Brother Jie, you're exaggerating. Aizhu is also very well behaved. When you were not around, she always took good care of her younger siblings. When she was not in school, I heard from Xinxin that Aizhu also cooked the meals at home."

Even if Chu Tian is partial to her own child, she cannot speak against her conscience. She does not think Xinxin is more sensible than Aizhu.

The child has changed since Chu Jie and Wang Meihua divorced and remarried. It seems that he became sensible overnight. He talks less and usually is either working, taking care of his younger siblings, or reading and writing.

As for Xinxin, she was spoiled by him since she was young, so her temperament is more outgoing than Aizhu, and she is always smiling and chattering...

Chu Jie just smiled when he heard that. Although he didn't go home often, he had often heard his parents say that Aizhu was sensible.

Chu Tian poured Chu Jie a cup of hot water before sitting across from him. "Brother Jie, you came to me not just to return the sixty cents, right?"

Chu Jie took a sip of the hot water and nodded slightly, "I do have something to talk to you about."

"You know I've been very busy with work these past two years. I basically only get a break once a month or even more than a month. I only come back once a month, so I only see my child once a month."

"Liu Fang knew I couldn't bear to leave them, so she suggested that Xinde, Xinhao, and Aidan all live in the coal mine's family compound. Xinde and Xinhao could go to the coal mine's primary school, Aidan could be sent to the coal mine's nursery, and Aizhu could come back and stay for a day during school holidays before going to the coal mine to stay for two days..."

Chu Tian was stunned for a moment, then smiled, "Isn't that great? This way you can see them more often."

Chu Jie put down his teacup, raised his head and looked at Chu Tian, ​​saying sadly, "But my parents are not happy."

"Uncle and his family can't bear to leave their siblings?"

"Not only that, my parents are afraid that Liu Fang will treat them badly..."

“…That’s understandable.”

It’s not that all stepmothers are bad, but it is a fact that most of them are bad, so it is reasonable for Uncle Chu and his wife to think so.

Chu Jie sighed, "To be honest, I'm worried too. Although Liu Fang is a nice person with a gentle temperament, one can only judge a person by their appearance. Who knows if she is just pretending? Or is she really like that? Moreover, even their biological mother, Wang Meihua, abused them, let alone their stepmother..."

"Besides, hasn't Liu Fang been taking care of her daughter at the coal mine? She never said she would send her back to be taken care of by my parents. Isn't she afraid that my parents will abuse her?"

Chu Tian frowned when he heard this. It was understandable that Chu Jie thought this way.

However, these words are really disheartening, especially for him who is a womanizer.

Although he hadn't seen Liu Fang many times, Yao Xiujuan had seen her many times. Every time she had a break, even if Chu Jie didn't have a break, she would take her daughter with her and ride back to help Uncle Chu and his wife with their work and buy them all kinds of things to show her filial piety...

What happened? Chu Jie still thought about her like this behind her back...