At 2 PM, I went to Li Zhonghua's house to pick up Grandma Xia and we went back together. When we passed by the restaurant on our way back from the county town at noon, she stood at the door and specifically told me to go back. I don't know how long she had been standing there.
Grandma Xia wanted to take her luggage, fish, meat, and other New Year's goods back to the restaurant. She couldn't carry them all by herself, and Li Zhonghua didn't have time to take her.
Xia Minmin's grandmother, holding her hand, said to Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei, "Are you two going to start selling couplets tomorrow?"
"Yes, Mom."
"So, should Xiaomin come with you to set up the stall, or should she stay at home so your dad and I can take care of her?"
"If you and Dad have time, then you can take care of it."
“We’ve been working from dawn till dusk, and this little girl has suffered a lot because of it. We’re even busier selling couplets, so we don’t have time to take care of her.”
"Okay, let her come with us. Her third cousin will be back in a couple of days, and she'll have someone to play with."
Xia Minmin heard her third cousin look up and ask her grandmother, "Is Qing-jie on holiday?"
"Yes, your uncle will pick her up from the middle school in the county in a couple of days and then bring her over."
"While we haven't gone far yet, you two ride back to pack some clothes for Xiaomin. Xiaomin and I will walk slowly, and you two can ride your bikes to catch up with us," Grandma Xia urged.
I rode my bike to the rented room. "I don't know what my sister-in-law did to offend my mother. I heard her say she was going home tomorrow."
Xia Jianguo said, "I don't know, maybe my mom will tell me in a while."
The roads are mostly used by pedestrians now. People from the nearby villages are all related or acquaintances. Xia Minmin's maternal grandmother is of a high generation, and people greet her from afar.
Another middle-aged man teased Xia Minmin, calling her "Grandma".
Xia Minmin thought to herself that since she had teased her, she should pay a price. "Oh, my dear grandson."
The crowd burst into laughter, pointing at the middle-aged man and calling him "grandson."
"What are you laughing at? You all have to call her 'Grandma' too. I'm just showing respect for the elderly and care for the young."
After saying this, the middle-aged man fled amidst the laughter of the crowd.
"We're leaving now. Xiaomin's maternal grandfather is still waiting for us at home. You two can chat for a while." After saying that, Xia Minmin's maternal grandmother took her hand and left.
Halfway there, Xia Minmin couldn't walk any further. After all, she had short legs, so she squatted there and didn't move.
Grandma Xia offered to carry Xia Minmin on her back, but Xia Minmin refused and insisted on waiting for her parents.
Xia Minmin's eyesight is really good now. She saw Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei from a long distance and stood up happily, calling out, "Dad, Mom, Dad, Mom!"
After Xia Jianguo stopped, he said, "Dad, I'm so tired! I can't walk anymore. I want to sit on the bicycle."
"Your daughter is such a clever little devil. I was going to carry her on my back, but she insisted on waiting for you," Grandma Xia said with a smile.
Li Chunmei, holding Grandma Xia's hand, said, "Xiaomin is just worried about you, carrying you on her back at such an old age."
In the blink of an eye, we arrived at the alley where the Li family lived.
Grandpa Xia stood at the door looking around; it must have been Grandma Xia who sent someone to tell him she would be coming home today.
Xia Minmin recalled that every time she visited her maternal grandparents, they would stand there and watch them leave.
"Grandpa." Xia Minmin waved as she slid off the bicycle horizontal bar.
"Xia Xiaomin, be careful! Why didn't you wait for Dad to park the car before getting out? It's dangerous, you know? If you do that again, Dad will beat you!" Xia Jianguo said seriously.
Xia Minmin replied with a fawning expression, "I know, I know."
Grandpa, do you miss your youngest child?
"I miss you, you noisy little sparrow."
Grandpa Xia picked her up and carried her to the backyard, where there was a fire room where relatives and friends would gather to warm themselves and chat during the winter days.
It was very hot inside the kitchen, so Xia Minmin asked her grandfather to help her take off her cotton-padded coat, which made her feel a little more comfortable.
Xia Minmin's maternal grandfather made her a cup of egg tea. Xia Minmin hadn't had it for many years. She used to dislike the fishy taste, but her maternal grandfather would make her a cup every morning.
Grandpa Xia lived to be ninety without illness or disaster in his previous life, and he always believed it was because of egg tea. Later, Xia Minmin also saw online that many elderly people drank egg tea.
Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei then came in carrying things. "Mom and Dad, these are new clothes and a cake for you."
"Dad, your teeth aren't very good, so you can eat more of the soft cake."
“Chunmei, why are you spending this money? Your father and I have clothes to wear. You two just paid off your debts and you're already spending money like water.”
"Mom, your and Dad's cotton-padded coats aren't warm enough, and we haven't had a new one made in the past few years. As your daughter, isn't it only right that I buy you two new cotton-padded coats?"
"Mom, don't blame Chunmei. I asked her to buy it. You and Dad have helped me a lot these past two years. If it weren't for you helping us take care of Xiaomin last year, we wouldn't have been able to pay off our debts so quickly."
"Jianguo, we're all family, no need for such formalities. If you need any help, we, as your elders, will definitely do our best to assist you."
"The hardest times are over, and you will all be fine from now on."
Xia's maternal grandparents may have been a bit sexist, but they were much better than many elderly people today. They were able to treat both children equally. In 1992, in order to pay off their debts, Xia Minmin was raised by the two elderly people.
The family sat around the fire, chatting casually.
"Today, Xiaomin teased one of your dad's relatives. The person called her 'Grandma,' and she replied, 'My dear grandson.'"
"How can you be so clever and mischievous?" Grandpa Xia pinched Xia Minmin's nose.
"Jianguo, how about we have a drink tonight, just the two of us?"
"Dad, I'm really sorry, I can't drink with you today. I still have to write couplets when I get back, and I have to set up my stall tomorrow."
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