"Hehe, no problem. My sister also said she was going to buy me a few new ones, so we can take turns reading them," Gou Dan replied in a low voice.
Last semester, a boy in my class brought a comic book to school. After that, reading comic books became popular in Gou Dan's class. However, parents don't allow their children to read these things, as it not only interferes with their studies but also wastes money.
Xia Qingqing thought it was perfectly normal for children to read comic books to pass the time, so she bought a few for Gou Dan, giving Gou Dan and Da Niu another form of entertainment.
Da Niu always borrowed Gou Dan's comic books and really wanted to buy his own, but a comic book costs 20 cents, and Da Niu's mother would never agree to let Da Niu waste money on such a thing.
A while ago, Da Niu finally saved some money by catching fish with Gou Dan, but unfortunately he didn't have the chance to go to the county, so he couldn't spend the money.
Da Niu solemnly handed the 2 mao (0.2 yuan) to Gou Dan: "Gou Dan, you must keep it safe, don't lose it."
"How about you pay me back after I buy it?" Gou Dan said hesitantly, afraid that he might actually lose the money.
Da Niu thought about it and agreed. After all, it was still uncertain whether Gou Dan could go to the county, and the rain might not stop in the afternoon.
After the two made their agreement, Gou Dan went home.
Da Niu stood in the yard, staring blankly at Gou Dan's departing figure. He really envied Gou Dan for having such a good older sister.
Unlike him, who has a troublesome younger brother, sigh.
When Da Niu returned to his room, he saw his younger brother Er Niu biting his fingernails.
He strode over and slapped Erniu on the back of the head: "Seriously, you're not allowed to eat until you've mastered this problem today."
......
During lunch, Gou Dan's unusually excited behavior caught Zhang Hongyan's attention.
"What's wrong with Dog Egg today? Did something happy happen?"
Gou Dan chuckled and said, "My sister is going to take me to the county this afternoon."
The rain stopped not long after he returned from Da Niu's house. He and his sister made plans to go to the county after dinner, which made him eat twice as fast as usual.
"Why go to the county? It just rained and the roads are all wet. What if you fall off your bike?"
"No, my sister already promised me, right?" Gou Dan said, looking at Xia Qingqing with pleading eyes, seeking her support.
Xia Qingqing smiled and nodded: "Yes."
Gou Dan immediately looked at his mother smugly: "See? My sister said it too."
“What do you mean, ‘right’? You’ll be in trouble if you fall down,” Zhang Hongyan said, giving her daughter a reproachful look. “You just spoil your brother. He’s never quiet.”
"No way, our Gou Dan is so sensible. He's good at studying and often helps with housework," Xia Qingqing praised without reservation. She genuinely felt that for a 10-year-old child, this level of maturity was already quite remarkable.
Gou Dan blushed at his sister's praise and secretly resolved to study harder and do more chores at home so as not to disappoint her.
Xia Heping silently watched his wife and children interact, and said to Zhang Hongyan with a smile, "Let the children go, it's not so hot today."
“It makes you look like a good person, and I'm the heartless stepmother,” Zhang Hongyan glared at the man, then stopped objecting, meaning she agreed to let the two children go to the county.
Dog Egg immediately cheered happily and urged Xia Qingqing, "Sister, hurry up and eat!"
After finishing their meal, Gou Dan obediently went to wash the dishes, and Xia Qingqing rested for a while before setting off.
Upon arriving in the county, the two went straight to the supply and marketing cooperative. Gou Dan couldn't take his eyes off the comic books displayed on the counter.
Seeing his appearance, the saleswoman immediately smiled and said, "You're here to buy comic books, right? We just received a new batch this morning, and these are all the latest models."
Dog Egg glanced at them and found that they were all books he had never read before, and he wished he could buy a copy of each one.
But he knew it was impossible. After picking and choosing for a long time, he selected his three favorite books and also chose one for Da Niu before telling Xia Qingqing that he had made his selections.
"Are these all you want? Do you want anything else?" Xia Qingqing glanced at the comic books Gou Dan had chosen, feeling that she could finish them in a day.
Gou Dan glanced at the comic books on the counter with a conflicted expression, then shook his head with a heavy heart: "No need, these few will do."
The saleswoman smiled kindly at her, saying, "You two siblings have such a good relationship. This boy is also very obedient, unlike my three rascals who are always causing trouble."
“Boys tend to like roughhousing, and my younger brother is sometimes quite naughty,” Xia Qingqing said.
The saleswoman said with a hint of regret, "I only had three sons, and I always really wanted a daughter, but unfortunately I wasn't lucky enough to have one."
"Sister, you are truly blessed to have three sons in your family," Xia Qingqing said politely.
However, she is not wrong. From the perspective of this era, having a son is considered a blessing, while in the countryside, a daughter is considered a financial loss.
There are very few families that truly love daughters. Many families without daughters want to have one so that their daughters can help with housework.
Sure enough, the saleswoman beamed with delight at Xia Qingqing's words: "Is there anything else you'd like? I'll get it for you."
Xia Qingqing asked Gou Dan for his opinion and then bought some candies, cookies, and other snacks.
"Sister, could you please tell me how much all of these cost?"
"It cost 2.6 yuan in total, including one biscuit ticket and one candy ticket."
Gou Dan handed Xia Qingqing the two cents he had prepared beforehand: "Sister, there's a comic book I brought back for Da Niu, here's some money for you."
Xia Qingqing didn't say no, and took the 2 cents that Gou Dan handed over to pay the bill.
It was still early, so after leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, Xia Qingqing took Gou Dan for a stroll around the county town.
Dog Egg sat on the back of the bicycle, glancing at the buildings in the county town every now and then:
"Sis, do you often go out and have fun when you're on vacation in Beijing?"
"It's alright, I go out for a stroll occasionally when I have free time," Xia Qingqing said, then suddenly remembered something: "Goudan, do you want to go to Beijing for fun?"
Dog Egg, embarrassed that his sister had guessed his little secret, smiled and said, "I was just thinking about it. The tickets are so expensive, I'm not going."
Xia Qingqing's eyes darted around, and she suddenly asked, "If you had to choose, would you prefer to study at home or go to school in Beijing?"
Xia Qingqing had long had the idea of taking her parents to Beijing to develop their careers, and it was time to put this on the agenda.
Gou Dan thought carefully about the question his sister asked and realized he couldn't choose. He had his childhood friends at home and his sister in Beijing, so he just said what he thought.
Xia Qingqing could understand Gou Dan's feelings, but ultimately the decision was in Zhang Hongyan's hands. As long as she could get her mother on her side, the matter would be settled.
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