Chapter 104
Except for a few heartless children, the rest of the adults were not very happy with the meal.
Nowadays, there is no cake, and people just eat longevity noodles for their birthdays. Qi Baozhu doesn't like to go out, so on this day, she followed her wish and ate at home.
Qi Baozhu's father ordered a few dishes from outside and brought them back. Qi Baozhu's mother rolled noodles herself and made longevity noodles. There were several plates of fruits and vegetables at home. The fact that they could hold such a sumptuous birthday party for their child at this time shows how high the living standard of the Qi family is.
At a dining table, three children sat in a row, Qi Baozhu's parents sat in a row opposite them, Chief Qi sat in the host seat, and Grandpa Han sat in the guest seat.
During the meal, Chief Qi kindly asked Chu Jiujiu, "How is it, Jiujiu, do you think the food in this restaurant is delicious?"
Chu Jiujiu opened her mouth, but before she could utter a word, she heard Grandpa Han's indifferent voice from her right: "Can you just say it's not tasty? The guest should follow the host's wishes. We are not ignorant of manners."
Commander Qi: “…”
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
The four members of the Qi family: "..."
Chu Jiujiu closed her mouth silently and stopped talking. She lowered her head to eat. Chief Qi hated being provoked the most. Besides, this was his home. If Han Tinghui said such things here, wouldn't that be a slap in his face?
Chief Qi picked up his chopsticks and chuckled, "If it tastes good, it tastes good. If it tastes bad, it tastes bad. Eating at the same table is meant to strengthen the relationship between our two families. In your eyes, you're the host and the guest, and in my eyes, you're the younger generation. Jiujiu can say whatever she wants to me. Oh, I forgot. You're such a hypocrite. You don't know how to write the word 'truth'. You didn't understand it when you were young, and now that you're old and your skin is about to fall to the ground, you don't understand it even more."
Grandpa Han wasn't angry at all. He smiled and replied, "That's better than some uncouth people. I don't know two words, but some people know an entire dictionary. You call being clueless straightforward? You're quite cheeky. No wonder you're always disliked for biting people with your bad temper."
Chu Jiujiu almost lowered her head to the plate. The four members of the Qi family dared not breathe. They did not dare to persuade Chief Qi, nor did they dare to offend Minister Han.
Both of them are highly respected elders, but now they are quarreling over something that happened in their youth. The Qi family feels headache and a little embarrassed.
When they were almost done eating, Qi Baozhu's mother went to serve the noodles. Chief Qi was in a bad mood and could never win a verbal battle against Grandpa Han. Seeing Qi Baozhu's mother trying to serve the noodles to Grandpa Han, he slammed the table in anger and said, "Don't give it to him. It's fine if you came uninvited, but you're on my territory and you're still arguing with me. This is our Baozhu's longevity noodles. No one from the Han family can have it!"
Grandpa Han got angry when he heard this. "If you don't want to eat, then don't eat! You think the Han family is unworthy of me wanting to come here, right? Okay, Jiujiu, get up and follow Grandpa! We Han family members won't tolerate this!"
Chu Jiujiu said to Grandpa Han in a weak voice: "But, Grandpa Han, I am a member of the Chu family..."
Hearing this, Grandpa Han glared at Chu Jiujiu. It was the first time she saw Grandpa Han angry, and Chu Jiujiu instantly became intimidated. She stood up decisively and walked dejectedly to Grandpa Han's side. Seeing that the two were about to leave, Qi Baozhu's mother hurried over to smooth things over, "No, no, no, my dad was just confused for a moment. Mr. Han, please don't be angry. Jiujiu came here today to play with Baozhu, right? Come, bring the noodles upstairs. There are fun things in Baozhu's room. Jiujiu, go with her."
Chu Jiujiu didn't dare move. She secretly glanced at Grandpa Han's face and found that he had a stern face and didn't say anything. Chu Jiujiu knew that this meant he agreed. She took the noodles handed to her by Qi Baozhu's mother, quickly poured two large spoonfuls of fried sauce on them, and then hurried upstairs.
When they got upstairs, Chu Jiujiu didn't know where Qi Baozhu's room was. Qi Baozhu was a little slower than her and pointed to the room on her left. Chu Jiujiu went in, closed the door, and saw the carpet on the floor. She didn't even look for a chair and just sat down. She said with lingering fear, "What's going on? Grandpa Han is usually so kind, but why is he speaking so harshly to your grandfather today? Did they have a feud in the past?"
Qi Baozhu originally wanted to sit on the chair, but seeing Chu Jiujiu like this, she paused, also holding the plate, and sat cross-legged on the carpet. She carefully put the plate away to prevent the soup inside from spilling out.
"I don't know. I haven't heard grandpa talk about it."
Chu Jiujiu sighed: "Grandpa Han originally said that I could stay at your house for one night, but now it's all gone."
When Qi Baozhu heard this, she whispered to Chu Jiujiu, "Why don't you go and try to persuade them?"
Chu Jiujiu looked distressed: "Will it work?"
Qi Baozhu was silent for two seconds. Thinking of the angry look of the old man downstairs, she also felt that the hope of it working was very slim.
But she also wanted Chu Jiujiu to stay at her house for a while longer. After thinking about it, she said, "How about this, you persuade your grandfather and I'll persuade my grandfather to apologize to your grandfather. Maybe it will work."
That's all we can do.
Downstairs, Qi Baozhu's father was smiling and trying to mediate between the two elderly people. "Look at you two. When I was little, you were always fighting. Now my son and daughter are so grown up, and you're still fighting. At your age, it's not easy for old friends to see each other. Let's not dwell on the past."
Hearing these words, Chief Qi and Grandpa Han snorted at the same time.
Actually, to be honest, they didn't have any real deep hatred. They were all small things, and trivial matters at that. They accumulated one by one and became what they are today.
Chief Qi spoke first: "I just can't understand it. Our Baozhu invited us to drink wine, so why did you come here? You're sticking green onions on the street. Who do you think you are?"
Grandpa Han turned his head, looking a little surprised. Then, he sneered, "My wife and I have raised Jiujiu for five years. Before Chu Liqiang came back, Jiujiu and Chu Shao lived with us. Now that Jiujiu's grandfather is gone, I am her real grandfather. Chu Liqiang and his family have always come to our house during the holidays. You don't even know this, and you still have the nerve to ask me which one I am?"
Commander Qi: “…”
He really didn't know these.
First, Qi Baozhu wasn't the type to chat with others. Even if Chu Jiujiu told her everything about her family, she wouldn't think of sharing it with her parents and grandfather. Secondly, Chu Liqiang had been wary of him because of the previous Hongmen Feast, so he wouldn't tell Chief Qi about his past experiences. So, he was tricked by Grandpa Han.
Commander Qi was embarrassed, but he still tried not to admit defeat, "You were also sent down, where are you going to raise other people's children?"
Grandpa Han: "Chu Liqiang's wife is Zhang Fengjuan. Zhang Fengjuan's family is in Qingzhu Village, which is where I was sent down. Do you have any questions?"
What other questions could Chief Qi have? This was someone else's fate. It was already embarrassing for him not to know about it. Asking more would only make it more embarrassing.
After all, it was the Qi family's territory, and the Qi family was large. They couldn't bear to see their father being blocked and unable to speak, so they quickly changed the subject.
"Political Commissar Chu doesn't have a wife. Zhang Fengjuan must be his late wife. Jiujiu and Chu Shao are so pitiful. They are so young and already have no mother."
Grandpa Han had no good face towards Chief Qi, but he was still willing to say a few words to his son and daughter-in-law calmly.
"Yes, the situation is turbulent, and the Chu family is not immune. If there was no other way, Juanzi would not have taken the children to the countryside. Alas, I said that my husband and I took care of the two children for five years. In fact, in the beginning, it was the two children who took care of us. If it weren't for Chu Shao, Jiujiu, and Shengyi, there would be no chance for my husband and I to come back."
Qi Baozhu's mother felt very sad when she heard this. It was not easy for the Han family and the Chu family, and so was their Qi family.
"My father-in-law was one of the first to be sent down to the countryside. When he left, we both lost our jobs. With two children, we were so poor that we couldn't even afford to eat. My husband had to sweep toilets, and I worked in a factory pasting matchboxes. We could barely get by, and every day I worried about my father-in-law in the countryside."
Recalling those difficult years, except for Qi Baoguo who was eating in silence, the rest of the people felt the same way. As a result, Grandpa Han's look at Chief Qi was not as disgusted anymore.
Glancing at the silent Commander Qi, Grandpa Han asked him, "How was your life in the relocation? How much hardship did you endure? Tell me about it."
Commander Qi: “…”
His words seemed to be gloating, but since they had all fallen into the mud, no one should say that anyone was dirty. Chief Qi was silent for a moment, and instead of getting angry, he gave a proper answer.
"The weather in Northeast China was so cold. My first year there, I had no cotton clothes and two toes froze off. One year, there was a heavy snowfall, and the house I lived in was completely covered by the snow. There wasn't much food in the house to begin with, so I opened the door and dug out the snow to drink as water. I ate snow in the morning and evening, and had a thin porridge made from snow at noon. Twenty days later, someone outside remembered me and took me out, letting me eat two roasted sweet potatoes."
Thinking of the taste of the two roasted sweet potatoes, Commander Qi laughed, "It smells so good! I've never eaten anything so delicious in my life."
Grandpa Han originally wanted to ridicule him, but when he really heard what he said, he couldn't do it anymore.
At least he still has his wife and grandson, but Qi Wantang is a real lonely man, just like the deceased Chu Xinghua. The only difference is that Qi Wantang survived and Chu Xinghua did not.
Chu Jiujiu finished her noodles and went downstairs. She had a lot of plans ready, hoping that Grandpa Han would forgive her this time and let her live in her little sister's house. But when she came out again, the tense atmosphere in the living room had disappeared. Qi Baozhu's parents were clearing the table, and Qi Baoguo had gone somewhere unknown. Grandpa Han and Chief Qi were not sitting as far away from each other as at the beginning. They sat on the same bench and chatted casually.
Chu Jiujiu listened quietly for a while and found that they were all various names.
"Is XXX still alive now?"
"Alive, but my mind isn't very clear."
"Do you remember XX? Where is he now?"
"Why are you thinking of him? He died twenty years ago! They said it was a heart attack, but I think he died of exhaustion."
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
This conversation is so depressing.
Chu Jiujiu put the plate in the kitchen. When she came out, Grandpa Han saw her and called her quickly, "Have you finished eating? How was your fun with Baozhu?"
Chu Jiujiu walked over and said, "I'm fine, Grandpa Han, when are you going back?"
"Around five o'clock," Grandpa Han said, "You guys aren't going home today, and Ying Ping is home alone, so I have to go back early."
From what he said, it seems that she can stay here?
Chu Jiujiu's eyes lit up, and she followed up with this: "Yeah, actually, Brother Shengyi will be back tonight, and Weiwei and Chu Shao will be home by 8 o'clock. Grandpa Han, you don't have to pick me up tomorrow. Just ask Chu Shao or Brother Shengyi to send me some clothes. I want to go out and play with Baozhu tomorrow."
Grandpa Han instinctively wanted to say no, but then he thought, it’s vacation time, so let the child play if he wants.
But to be cautious, he still asked, "Where are you planning to go?"
Chu Jiujiu smiled and said, "Summer Palace. By the way, can you tell Weiwei if she has time tomorrow? If she does, please make some egg and scallion pancakes for Baozhu and me for lunch."
Grandpa Han: "You even asked Xiuwei to make an egg and scallion pancake for you. You don't mind the trouble. Well, here's five dollars. Go buy whatever you want."
It wasn't about money, but there wasn't much food in the Summer Palace. Grandpa Han was about to pay, but Chief Qi on the other side stopped him, "No need for that, Jiujiu. I'll give you and Baozhu five yuan each tomorrow morning. It's more convenient to carry extra money when you're out."
Grandpa Han: "The Summer Palace is not what you call a trip away from home. Jiujiu, here, take these twenty yuan."
Chief Qi was secretly competing with Grandpa Han again. The two insisted on paying themselves, and the amount of money they gave was getting more and more. When Qi Baozhu's mother came out of the kitchen, she saw Chu Jiujiu's eyes shining. She looked at the two old men pushing each other excitedly, but did not say a word, "No need, we have money."
Qi Baozhu's mother: "..."
What a little money-grubber.
Qi Baozhu's mother laughed for a moment, then walked over. After listening to the whole story, she rejected the two elderly people's kindness. "How can I let you pay? Besides, the Summer Palace is just a big park, not a shopping mall. It's useless to give so much money. Okay, okay, I'll give the two children money tomorrow, so you two don't have to pay."
Chief Qi and Grandpa Han looked at each other, and finally took the money back obediently. The next morning, Chu Jiujiu looked numb as she took the two dollars given by Qi Baozhu's mother.
If she had known earlier, she should have taken it up immediately when Grandpa Han offered twenty.
It's a pity that money can't buy you what you've learned in advance. Chu Jiujiu had no choice but to take the two dollars and the thousand-layer pie made by Qi Baozhu's mother and set off for the Summer Palace with Qi Baozhu.
Qi Baozhu doesn't like talking to people or being in a crowd, but when she is surrounded by strangers and she knows clearly that she doesn't need to communicate with these people, she is not so afraid or resistant.
After strolling around for the whole morning, they sat on the promenade, each holding a popsicle and licking it slowly.
Chu Jiujiu finally felt alive while eating the popsicle. "It's too hot! The sun in the north is too strong!"
Qi Baozhu sat beside her and asked her curiously, "Is the sun in the south small?"
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
"Not small," she recalled, making a precise comparison. "Actually, they're the same size, but the south is humid, and the air is high in moisture. When the ultraviolet rays hit, they're partially neutralized by water molecules, so it's a little less painful than in the north. People who don't like to sweat should prefer the south. If you sweat profusely when exposed to the sun, then spending summer in the south is a real torture."
Who doesn't sweat? Qi Baozhu bit off a popsicle and held it in her mouth. It quickly turned into ice water. After swallowing it, Qi Baozhu said softly, "You know a lot."
Chu Jiujiu blinked and said, "Because I like reading. The more I read, the more I know."
Qi Baozhu didn't think that was the case. There were not many books nowadays, and even if she loved reading, she wouldn't gain much knowledge. The reason why Chu Jiujiu knew so much was, firstly, because she was smart and knew how to integrate information, and secondly, because she was cheerful.
An open world always brings more interesting things, while a closed world is far less colorful.
Qi Baozhu envied her but was not jealous of her. She knew her own strengths and weaknesses and that her personality was pretty much like that. Although it had improved, she would never become a person like Chu Jiujiu in her life.
She was not discouraged, but just hoped that she could also have something she was good at and something to be proud of.
After her birthday, she would be fifteen years old and would graduate from high school in two years. Although she would only be seventeen years old by then, it was very common for people to go out to work at the age of seventeen or eighteen at that time.
Qi Baozhu knew very well that her personality was a big problem, and she was afraid that no one would be willing to accept her.
Full-time housewives are not uncommon these days, but Qi Baozhu doesn't want to be one. In her opinion, she has no chance of getting married, let alone becoming a full-time housewife. If nothing unexpected happens, she might stay in the Qi family forever. If that really happens, she hopes to have a job, at least not to be a burden to the family.
Qi Baozhu's thoughts drifted away. After a while, she turned her head and looked at Chu Jiujiu, who was concentrating on licking a popsicle. "Where do you want to work after graduation?"
Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment. She had never thought about such a far-reaching thing.
Looking at the colorful murals on the corridor, Chu Jiujiu thought for a moment, "I want to go archaeological excavation and dig for antiques."
Qi Baozhu: "I heard that archaeology is like farming, both require exposure to the sun and wind. Can you handle it?"
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
Good question.
There is a saying that goes, "Ye Gong loves dragons." Chu Jiujiu likes antiques, but she doesn't like the process of wielding a shovel and sweating profusely. It may be okay in the short term, but she really can't stand it in the long term.
After a moment of silence, she continued, "Then I want to work in a museum and look after antiques every day."
Qi Baozhu: “…”
After all, it's all about antiques.
Qi Baozhu couldn't understand this enthusiasm, and Chu Jiujiu didn't need her to understand. Bringing up a favorite topic, Chu Jiujiu asked Qi Baozhu enthusiastically, "What about you? What do you want to do in the future?"
Qi Baozhu shook her head, "I don't know."
Chu Jiujiu chuckled, "I think, Baozhu, you're best suited to working in a library. Libraries are full of books, and even if people go in, they can't make loud noises. It's perfect for you. When the time comes, I'll be the director of the museum and you'll be the director of the library. If I need a book, you can come and give it to me privately or secretly send it to me. Oh, those days will be so beautiful."
Qi Baozhu couldn't help but smile at Chu Jiujiu's happy smile. With someone like her, being a museum director? She couldn't even think about it.
However, the library is indeed a good place. When she was young, she and her mother often went there to borrow and return books.
Not everyone has such a distinct and singular hobby like Chu Jiujiu. For most, their future is filled with uncertainty. Modern people take jobs wherever they get a good interview, and the people here are much the same: they'll go wherever there's a cheap job. Qi Baozhu's future holds countless possibilities. Chu Jiujiu's words today merely etched a faint impression in her mind, gently nudging her in a certain direction. Ultimately, success depended on the right time, place, and people; none of these could be missing.
Chu Jiujiu and Qi Baozhu stayed in the Summer Palace for the whole day. They didn't come out of the exit until four o'clock in the afternoon. They walked back. Qi Baozhu arrived home first. At the entrance of the alley, Chu Jiujiu waved to her, and then slowly walked towards her home.
Because of something that happened last year, the Qi family didn't let Qi Baozhu go out on her own. This was the first time she went out without a family member. When she came back, Qi Baoguo had been wandering in the alley. When he saw Qi Baozhu, he walked over and asked her, "Did you bring me anything delicious?"
Qi Baoguo didn't mention that he had been hanging around here for more than an hour. Qi Baozhu looked at him and smiled faintly, "I didn't bring it. I'll bring it next time. Let's go home."
Qi Baoguo opened his eyes wide when he found out that his sister actually smiled at him. He didn't react until Qi Baozhu was about to enter the door. He started to chase after her, "Here she comes!"
Sister Chu is great. After hanging out with her for a day, Qi Baozhu even smiled on her own initiative. That’s great. He likes Sister Chu. From now on, he welcomes Sister Chu to their home every day!
…
He welcomes it, but some people do not. These some people refer to Chu Liqiang.
…
Grandpa Han let Chu Jiujiu stay at the Qi family for one night without saying a word. Even if Chu Liqiang knew about it, he couldn't blame Grandpa Han. In the end, he could only vent his anger on Chu Jiujiu, saying that she was disobedient and asked her to stay at home from now on.
Even if Chu Liqiang gets angry with his family, he does it silently. Chu Jiujiu didn't notice that he was angry, and thought he just wanted her to stop making so much noise. The weather was hot, and Chu Jiujiu became lazy. Every day when she opened her eyes, she would take a bath first, and then run downstairs to enjoy the cool breeze from the fan.
There are too many rooms in their house, and there is an electric fan in each room. Even Chu Liqiang cannot be so generous. Grandma Han is really so rich that she installed an electric fan in each room of her house, even in the kitchen.
Grandma Han felt that the people in the Chu family had suffered too much, and was about to discuss with Chu Liqiang to let them return to live in the Han family.
Chu Jiujiu didn't know about the adults' affairs. In her opinion, Chu Liqiang was still so busy. She didn't realize that she didn't see him during school. Now that it was vacation, she found that Chu Liqiang was that dragon, who was nowhere to be seen every day.
…
With more time on her hands, it was boring to watch TV all the time. Sitting in the living room, Chu Jiujiu was holding a bowl of mung bean soup and flipping through the newspaper out of boredom.
Wen Xiuwei also had a day off today, which was really not easy. Chu Jiujiu knew that she was very tired recently, so she didn't go upstairs to disturb her.
She drank the mung bean soup as if it were water. After finishing this page, she was just about to turn to the next when Wen Xiuwei came down from upstairs.
Wen Xiuwei also came down to pour herself some water. Chu Shao heard the movement on the stairs and walked in from the back door. "It's almost noon. What do you want to eat?"
Wen Xiuwei rubbed her stomach and shook her head. "I won't eat lunch. I have to control my weight."
Chu Shao frowned, "You can't not eat, and besides, you're not fat."
Wen Xiuwei: "I know, but Master said that even if I'm not fat, I should lose some weight so that I can look better in the photos."
Chu Shao: "Tomorrow when I go to pick you up, I'll talk to your master and ask him whether life or appearance is more important."
Wen Xiuwei sprayed the water out with a "puff" sound, her eyes wide open, "Don't do this! Master is doing this for my own good!"
Chu Shao raised his eyes and looked at her silently.
All of a sudden, Wen Xiuwei understood what he meant.
He is doing this for your own good, so I am not doing this for your own good?
Wen Xiuwei's cheeks flushed a little. She put down the cup and lowered her voice. "In any case, you can't go find him."
Seeing her like this, Chu Shao's tone softened a bit, "You should eat at least a little, right? I'll make you a plate of cucumbers, is that okay?"
Cucumber is fine, that thing is almost the same as water, but before going upstairs, Wen Xiuwei still reminded him, "Use less oil, Master said that I have to eat light meals from now on."
Chu Shao's face was full of impatience, but his impatience was not directed at Wen Xiuwei, but at the master. Nodding, Chu Shao reluctantly agreed, "I understand."
With her back to Chu Shao, Wen Xiuwei smiled slightly, as if she was a little happy and a little proud. She turned around and walked briskly towards the stairs. Suddenly, she stopped.
On the opposite side, Chu Jiujiu put down the newspaper and was looking at Wen Xiuwei and Chu Shao with a puzzled look on her face.
Wen Xiuwei: "...What's wrong, Jiujiu."
Chu Jiujiu blinked slowly, then lowered her head again, "It's okay."
Wen Xiuwei breathed a sigh of relief and was about to continue walking forward when she saw Chu Jiujiu raise her head again.
Wen Xiuwei was almost scared to death by her. She thought she had seen something, and her heart almost stopped. She asked nervously, "What happened again?"
Chu Jiujiu didn't answer her, but shouted to Chu Shao behind her: "Make me a plate of mixed cucumbers too, with lots of sesame oil! I'm not afraid of getting fat!"
Wen Xiuwei: “…”
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