His family was well-off, and he had access to a wide variety of dishes. He had been to restaurants before and thought that the chefs there cooked very well. However, the dishes Lin Xiaoxiao made today were much tastier than those outside.
Before Han Qiushi could even praise Lin Xiaoxiao, Wang Chunhua exclaimed, "Xiaoxiao, what is this? It's so delicious!!" She took a bite of the fish ball and was immediately captivated by its fresh and fragrant aroma.
The educated youth who were initially shy decided to abandon their shyness after tasting the food. Faced with such a delicious flavor, if they continued to be too shy to pick up their chopsticks, they would end up with less food.
The gasps of surprise reached their peak when everyone started eating the boiled fish.
They never imagined that a fish that was so fishy, smelly, and had so many bones could be cooked so deliciously...
This cooking is absolutely amazing! While thanking Lin Xiaoxiao, they were all very envious of Han Qiushi for having such a partner, so that he could often eat Lin Xiaoxiao's cooking in the future.
With the delicious food, everyone gradually relaxed. Liu Lele looked at the meat on the table and couldn't help but sigh.
Li Mei couldn't help but ask, "Why are you sighing for no reason?"
“Last year when I came here, I always wanted to go home. When the time to go home finally came, I realized that my family, whom I missed so much, seemed to be the same whether I was there or not.”
"During Chinese New Year, my mom and I are always busy preparing food. There's a lot more delicious food than usual, especially meat. My younger brother craves meat, so my mom always puts the best food on the table for him to satisfy his craving."
"But during the busiest times at home, whether it's cooking, lighting the fire, or chopping wood, my mom always speaks to me gently and kindly, telling me that she makes me do chores so she can talk to me more and help me train myself."
“They said they missed me after I became a sent-down youth, so I started taking on chores, whether it was cooking or cleaning, but every time we ate, I could only order some scraps.”
"No matter how tired I was, they didn't say a word of concern."
“At first I had a job, but my parents always said that sending me to the countryside was just a formality and that they would arrange for me to go back soon, so I waited and waited.”
"After all this time, my family wrote to me last month, and they started by scolding me for being heartless and not showing any concern. They even asked me to mail them the food I was eating here, saying that I am just a daughter and don't need to eat so much food."
"I asked around and found out that my brother got into trouble after he got a job, and the factory stopped letting him work."
“I worked so hard and never slacked off at all, and he ruined it all in no time. I hate him. Am I even his biological child?”
"The meat that Lin Zhiqing put on my plate was more generous than the meat my mother put on my plate."
"I've finally figured it out. I can only rely on myself in this life. If I rely on my parents, things might be even worse than they are now." Once Liu Lele started talking, she couldn't help but pour out her grievances to everyone.
The other educated youths nearby looked at her with pity.
Li Mei's family situation wasn't that serious yet, but since she was a daughter, her parents still tended to favor their son more. There was a hint of parental favoritism in her words.
Wang Xue's situation is relatively good: "I have lived with my grandparents since I was a child. They both love me very much. I don't miss my family too much. I just worry about their health. Now that I have come here and met you, I am really happy."
I, Zhang Sanqian, am the boy in my family, so I haven't felt any favoritism. But after hearing what the female educated youth said, I couldn't help but speak up as well.
"Compared to your family, my family is alright."
"I have an older brother and a younger brother, and I am the middle one."
“I didn’t really feel it when I was little. My parents were busy, and my older brother raised me. Whether I went to my maternal grandparents’ or paternal grandparents’ homes, I would definitely have whatever my brother had.”
"Later, my older brother went to school and my younger brother was born. I became the oldest person in the family. I used to be the one being taken care of, but suddenly I had to start taking care of the child. I didn't know how to take care of the child at all."
"However, my older brother does everything too well. I lack both experience and age. My parents always thought I didn't like my younger brother, and over time, they became more and more dissatisfied with him."
“If my brother falls down, it’s because of me; if he cries, it’s because of me; if he’s thirsty, or if he doesn’t go to the toilet properly, it’s all my fault.”
“They used to favor my older brother, but they didn’t neglect me either, so I didn’t feel that they were biased. But ever since my younger brother was born, I’ve become the target of their complaints.”
“They say unpleasant things every day. Sometimes they even hit me because of my younger brother. My older brother also got married, so we're not as close as before. My position in the family is very awkward.”
As my younger brother grew up, we had more food to eat at home. Just then, a neighbor went to the countryside, and my mother found out.
My younger brother wasn't getting enough to eat, and my mother was very distressed. That night, she discussed with me about sending me to the countryside, saying that there was plenty of food there and I wouldn't go hungry.
“We only have so much food for a month. If you starve, it will break your mother’s heart. If you go to the countryside and work hard, you will definitely live a better life than us.”
“I was naive at the time and didn’t think much about it. For the next few years, I wasn’t valued by my family. When my mom suddenly said that, I was very happy. I felt that my mom’s primary concern was that I wasn’t getting enough to eat, and she didn’t think about my younger brother as much.”
"Do you know what? The day before I left, I actually saw my mom cooking meat for my younger brother. That's when I realized I was a fool, still clinging to illusions."
Back then, my mom secretly told my younger brother that once his second brother went to the countryside, he would receive subsidies and would have plenty of food and meat to eat. She told him to be patient for one more day and stay home obediently for the next couple of days.
You know what? When I first heard it, I wasn't even that angry. I just felt, really, really, that my parents didn't like me and clearly only cared about my younger brother.
Actually, my family's conditions weren't bad. Both of us worked, but after my older brother went to work, only my younger brother and I were considered to have no income. Strictly speaking, we weren't. Just the day before my mother said she was going to the countryside, I got a job at a factory. If I hadn't gone to the countryside, I would definitely have been able to become a permanent employee.
My mind was completely blank at the time, and I didn't even mention it to my family.
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