“But Moxi still has to come back, and I have to stay here and take care of this family.” After thinking for a moment, Zhang Yulan changed her mind.
“She’s not coming back,” Su Xiaonuan told her. “She’s studying in the provincial capital to get into a university there. When she graduates, she’ll have to work in the provincial capital too. Tell me, what’s the point of you staying here alone when your son’s family and your daughter are all in the provincial capital?”
“Mom, we’ll bring you back to visit whenever we have time. It’s easy with our own car; we can be back in just a few hours.” Xiao Moran reached out and smoothed her gray hair. “Before, it was because your son wasn’t capable enough to give you a good life. Now that your son is capable, why don’t you come live with us in the city? Even if you don’t miss us, don’t you miss DouDou and GuoGuo?”
"I miss them. I dream about them every day." Zhang Yulan finally nodded in agreement. "Okay, I'll go to the provincial capital with you."
Xiao Moran raised an eyebrow at Su Xiaonuan, who gave him an OK sign from behind. They were all a little surprised that the old lady could be persuaded so quickly, as they thought it would take two days of earnest persuasion before she would agree.
After all, this home holds too many memories for Zhang Yulan. After marrying into this family, she never left it for a single day. It holds not only her fond memories of her deceased husband, but also the details of raising her two children.
The two, who were just happy, suddenly regretted it. They regretted trying to persuade the old lady overnight, because they saw her frail figure moving around in each room.
I even went outside to check on the chickens and ducks, thinking, if these can be taken to the city, what about the pigs and Dahuang in the pen? Especially Dahuang, I've raised it for ten years, I've long considered Dahuang as family.
He ran inside, looking troubled, and asked Xiao Moran, "Could we take Da Huang with us?"
“This…” Xiao Moran turned his gaze to Su Xiaonuan.
"Mom, if you can't bear to part with Dahuang, then we'll take it with us. From now on, Dahuang can guard our house and yard, but the pig absolutely cannot be taken to the city."
"Okay, okay, as long as Dahuang can go, that's good." Zhang Yulan said excitedly. "The pig is a New Year's pig, it's all fattened up. Otherwise, I'll ask Aunt Hua to raise the pig for us. The New Year is coming soon, we can slaughter it then and have Aunt Hua make it into cured meat for us. You can then drive back to pick up the cured meat."
“That’s a good idea.” Xiao Moran immediately agreed. “Aunt Hua’s cured meat is famously delicious. One big fat pig can feed our family for a long time. Pigs raised by themselves taste better.”
With the pig issue resolved, Zhang Yulan started rummaging through drawers and cabinets again, finding everything she thought was valuable.
What she considered valuable was worthless in Su Xiaonuan's eyes, not even as valuable as the things city people throw away.
"Your mom probably won't sleep." Su Xiaonuan shook her head, waved her hand, and went straight back to her room. "I'm sleepy, I'm going to sleep first. You help your mom pack her things, she seems reluctant to part with anything."
Xiao Moran also wanted to run inside and sleep next to his wife, but he couldn't ignore his mother, so he went over to help and offered some advice. "Mom, it's not like we're not coming back. Don't take everything to the city. And you don't need to bring these clothes. I'll buy you new ones when we get to the city."
“Buying everything new is such a waste of money!” Zhang Yulan pulled out all the clothes she had hidden away. “Even if you have money, you should spend it sparingly. Otherwise, God will take back what He has given you. There is a limit to how much money a person can spend in their lifetime. If you spend it all before you can, you will suffer later.”
"Mom, just tell me, I'll help you pack." Xiao Moran stopped insisting. As long as the car could tow it away, he would try his best to satisfy his mother. There was no way to change her decades-long frugal lifestyle with just a few words.
Poor Xiao Moran, he was kept on his mother's watch until dawn before he could finally sleep.
The old lady was as energetic as if she had been injected with chicken blood; she wasn't sleepy at all. As soon as it was light, she ran off to entrust Aunt Hua with the task of raising pigs for her family.
"Sister-in-law, you're up so early?" Aunt Hua yawned as she opened the door for her.
She wouldn't have gotten up if it weren't for the knocking on the door; she hadn't had enough sleep after causing a scene at the Xiao family's house last night.
He clearly looked sleep-deprived, with dark circles and puffy eyes.
"Here's the thing, I'm going to live in the provincial capital with Moran. I'd like to ask you to raise the pig we're raising for the New Year for two more months before slaughtering it. You can also add some pig feed and vegetables from the garden to fatten it up a bit more. When it's ready, could you please make it into cured meat for us? Moran will drive back to pick it up then." As she spoke, she took out the money from her handkerchief and stuffed it into Aunt Hua's handkerchief. "This is your wages, take it."
"I'll raise the pigs for you, and I can make the cured meat for you, but I won't take a single penny of the money," Aunt Hua declined. "Xiao Nuan has brought us a good life. It would be really outrageous for me to accept money for such a small favor."
The two pushed each other back and forth.
"Sister-in-law, Moran and the others are back. Aren't you going to hurry back and make them breakfast?" Aunt Hua had no choice but to change the subject. "I really won't accept the money. In the future, when I go to the provincial capital, I'll come to your house to freeload."
“Oh yes, I still need to go back and make breakfast.” Zhang Yulan no longer stood on ceremony and put her wallet in her pocket inside her handkerchief. “No problem, you’re welcome to come anytime you want. Mo Ran bought a big house in the provincial capital, there’s enough room.”
Aunt Hua immediately sobered up, muttering to herself what Zhang Yulan had just said. She had silently bought a big house in the provincial capital. Goodness, she had only been in the provincial capital for a short time and she could already afford a big house there.
It's like this money just fell from the sky! How expensive are houses in the provincial capital? And it's not a small house, it's a big one! It's incredible.
"Mom, what are you standing there for?"
The three Xu brothers returned home from get off work and saw Aunt Hua standing there, stunned.
"Have you heard?" Aunt Hua excitedly grabbed her eldest son's arm.
"What did you hear?" Xu Yong looked at his mother with a puzzled expression.
"Mo Ran and Xiao Nuan bought a big house in the provincial capital so quickly. Buying a car and a house is too easy for them," Aunt Hua advised her three sons. "If you have the chance in the future, you should also go to the provincial capital and work with them. You will definitely be more successful than in the village."
"Mom, what are you thinking?" Xu Yong asked. "The village is developing so well, why should we go out? Besides, we're all going to join the militia. In the future, the security of Xiaolong Village will depend on us."
"Mom, didn't you make us breakfast?" Xu Yang asked, yawning.
"Oh dear, I forgot." Aunt Hua slapped her forehead. "You got up a little late, and I just chatted with Sister Lan for a while. I'll go cook you each a bowl of noodles right now, it'll be quick. Don't go to sleep yet, eat first and then go to sleep."
The three of them had worked the night shift, and once they collapsed into bed, they wouldn't wake up until the afternoon. Aunt Hua felt sorry for the children and insisted that they eat breakfast before going to sleep. She rushed into the kitchen and busied herself like she was in a battle, even frying an egg for each of the children.
"Ah, life is getting better every day." The three young men ate their egg noodles and immediately began reminiscing about the bitter past and appreciating the present.
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