Xia Tao went out to buy dinner, and when he came back, he brought back not only dinner, but also a bag of White Rabbit milk candy, which looked to weigh about a pound.
"Brother, why did you buy so much candy again? I bought some for Dad a few days ago and he still hasn't finished them."
At first, she bought the candy to help her father improve his health, but later she bought milk powder in the mall and started giving him a cup of milk powder every day. She put the White Rabbit milk candy in the drawer and didn't touch it much.
"I heard that you young girls all love candy. This is something I got from a colleague! The supply and marketing cooperative is closed, so you can't buy anything else here. You can take this candy home and enjoy it."
Xia Tao placed the candy next to his younger sister: "Big brother still has candy coupons here. If you finish this, I'll buy you more."
Xia Wan didn't refuse and accepted it, saying, "Thank you, brother."
In an era of relative scarcity, White Rabbit candy was the sweetest thing in people's hearts.
Xia Wan obliged and opened a piece, putting it in his mouth. It was rich in milk flavor, unlike the milk candies he had eaten in the real world before, which were mostly made up of additives.
Xia Tao bought a very lavish dinner today: braised pork, braised ribbonfish, braised spare ribs, and a cold lotus root salad.
Xia Wan was somewhat surprised to see these dishes. She was quite willing to spend money whenever she went to state-run restaurants to buy food, but being willing to spend money didn't necessarily mean she would get the food.
Why are there so many meat dishes on his brother's trip this time?
Xia Wan, puzzled, asked directly, "Brother, why are there so many meat dishes at the state-run restaurant today?"
"Oh, I have a classmate who's an apprentice at a state-run restaurant. He cooked this, not the head chef! Why don't you try it and see how it tastes?" Xia Tao's hands didn't stop as he arranged the food.
Even if it was done by an apprentice, it's only because they have a good relationship; otherwise, no one else would have gotten it!
The aroma of their food was so enticing that it made Wu Zhaodi and her niece, who shared the same ward, drool.
Although Wu Baoping was craving it, he didn't dare to make a sound because Xia Wan was there, and just huddled in a corner.
Wu Zhaodi pursed her lips as if she wanted to say something, but was stopped by her nephew.
Wu Baoping whispered a reminder: "Auntie, don't say anything. If you make me get beaten again, I'll tell Grandpa, Grandma, and Dad!"
He didn't want to be beaten again, so he would endure it for a few days and then have his father, uncles, and other relatives go to the Wu family to teach Xia Wan a lesson after he was discharged from the hospital.
Wu Zhaodi opened her mouth, but still didn't provoke Xia Wan and the others. She only said to Wu Baoping in a flattering tone, "Don't worry, Baoping, your aunt won't provoke him. Your aunt knows what she's doing! Are you hungry? Your aunt will go buy you some food."
Wu Baoping pursed his lips: "Go ahead, Auntie, come back soon."
Their interaction was observed by Xia Jianguo and Xia Tao. The father, however, didn't seem to care much, having long been disappointed in his daughter-in-law.
However, Xia Tao still felt unhappy. He couldn't understand why his mother was so biased towards her nephew. If she liked her family so much, why did she even get married?
He's not a child anymore. Over the years, he's heard a lot of people say that his mother and father's marriage was all a scheme orchestrated by the Wu family.
It's clear that the Wu family only used his mother as a tool, but unfortunately, she didn't understand!
Over the years, I've treated my family members with all my heart, trying my best to please them, whether they are my nephews and nieces or my brother and sister-in-law. But even so, I haven't gotten any good results.
Xia Tao knew from a young age that, apart from his mother being mentally challenged, everyone else in his maternal grandparents' family was very shrewd.
Take my two aunts, who are both daughters, for example. They married far away and never visit their parents' home during holidays.
His mother was the only one who had to take care of her family and please her husband's family after marrying into Huaihua Brigade. His father, who needed the most care, didn't receive the slightest bit of care from her.
In the end, I didn't get anything good from either side.
Xia Wan glanced at her brother, seemingly sensing his emotions, and picked up a piece of spare rib for him: "Brother, have some spare ribs. Your classmate's cooking skills are pretty good, comparable to a master chef."
Xia Tao smiled憨厚ly: "Little sister, have you ever eaten braised pork ribs at a state-run restaurant?"
"You know what, we've been eating really well these past few days. You brought back these dishes, we had them a few days ago." Xia Jianguo joined in the siblings' conversation, showing off to his silly son.
"That's good, that's good. Eat more, little sister, you're too thin." Xia Tao didn't suspect anything about his father and sister eating well, after all, he secretly gave his father money every month.
It's not surprising that they can afford to eat a few meals at state-run restaurants.
After the three of them had finished dinner, it was already dark outside.
Xia Jianguo urged his daughter to quickly find a guesthouse to rest.
Xia Wan originally wanted Xia Tao to take her younger sister home, but she refused, saying that with her skills, she didn't need anyone to take her.
Xia Jianguo knew his daughter's skills, so he didn't say much.
Xia Tao was quite worried and kept wanting to send his sister away.
However, Xia Wan persuaded him to stay, using the excuse that he should stay here to look after his father.
Xia Wan found a guesthouse relatively close to the hospital. The reception hall was simply decorated, with several wooden benches placed against the wall for guests to rest.
The ground was made of cement, and although it was a bit rough, it was kept very clean.
In the center of the reception hall was a counter, behind which sat a smiling attendant: "Serving the people, comrade, please show me your letter of introduction!"
Xia Wan handed over her letter of introduction: "Comrade, this is my letter of introduction!"
She had no recollection of staying at the guesthouse, and fearing that saying too much might lead to misunderstandings, she only handed over her letter of introduction.
After checking the letter of introduction, the waiter handed it back to her: "A bed in a large room costs three mao (0.3 yuan), and a single room costs one yuan."
"Oh, I'd like a private room, thank you, sir." Xia Wan put away her letter of introduction and handed a dollar to the waiter.
She knew that if the rooms were priced per bed, many people would have to live in one room. She was there to rest, so it was better to have her own room to herself, where she could have peace and quiet without being disturbed.
"Room 303, the hot water room is at the very back." The waiter handed her a key, indicating that the stairs were right next to it.
Xia Wan nodded her thanks and walked up the stairs next to her.
Go upstairs along the narrow corridor, with guest rooms on both sides.
The guest room door was made of wood, with a small sign hanging on it displaying the room number.
Xia Wan found her room, opened the door, and went inside. The room was simply and neatly furnished, with a single bed, a bedside table, a chair, and a wardrobe as all the furniture.
The bed was covered with white sheets, which were a bit old but very clean.
Xia Wan was quite satisfied with the environment; after all, one can't ask for too much at this time.
According to the waiter, the bathroom was right next to the toilet, and she hadn't showered for days and felt that she smelled bad.
So I just glanced around and took a towel to the bathroom, thinking I'd take a shower and get some rest.
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