"Why are you carrying so much stuff? Tingzi and I have been looking for food on the mountain. As your older brother, I have to bring something for you when you and Daguo come back."
"Brother, thank you," Meili said, crying.
Da Guo said, "Brother, thanks. We've split up now. I'll take good care of Mei Li, don't worry, brother."
"As long as you two are doing well, that's all that matters. I only have one sister, and it hurts me to see her suffer."
"Alright, let's eat quickly. Tingzi has cooked a lot of dishes. Aside from the Chinese New Year, when else do we have so much time to get together as a family?"
"Brother, sister-in-law is pregnant, and there's too much of this stuff. She needs nutrition too."
“We’ve stored all of your sister-in-law’s things away. You can eat yours. Look at you, you’re just skin and bones. Now that you two have separated, good days are just around the corner.”
"Okay, have your sister-in-law get some medicine for your hand later. Make sure it doesn't get wet. We'll bandage it up. I got it from the hospital when we went there last time. We bought it because we were worried about it getting hurt. I didn't expect you to need it."
When Jianjun's mother saw that her daughter's hands were rubbed raw and calloused, she burst into tears again.
"Alright, stop crying. Our girl has finally overcome all her hardships. What's there to cry about? Cheer up," said Old Man Guo.
"Yes, yes, everyone started eating."
"Honey, when I came back from my mother-in-law's today and saw my sister like that, I felt really bad."
"Hey, honey, look, we need to buy something for their house too, like a quilt. Look, this beautiful quilt is so thin."
“We used to have an old quilt. You can mix the old and new ones together and make a 5-pound quilt. That way it won’t look out of place.”
"Mix the better fabrics and pudding together, so no one will notice the two of you. If you live too well, people will resent it."
"Okay, then I'll get some cotton from my space and have Mom make it for me. My belly is so big now, it's too much work for me."
"Okay, then stop doing it and take good care of yourself during your pregnancy. It's so hard for you to carry our Zhuzi with such a big belly."
"It's more lively with more children. We are no longer alone in this world. We have children with us."
Jianjun took some cotton to his mother's house after dark. "Mom, are you asleep?" Tingting gave Meili some cotton and an old quilt, asking if she could make another quilt for her sister.
"Oh, Tingting, you're so thoughtful. This cotton is so rare. Mixing the new and the old will keep it warm. There's enough cotton to make two quilts."
"Brother, thank you and sister-in-law."
“You’re my sister, don’t be so polite. I saw that your old quilt was no good, so your sister-in-law asked me to replace it for you. We don’t have anything else, so this is just to add some things to your new home.”
The furniture was all made by their parents. The three Jianjun brothers were either working or helping to build houses, hoping to get their sister's home ready as soon as possible.
Besides what they received from the division of the family property, Jianjun's family added a lot of things to the house, spending 360 yuan. Jianjun gave them another 100 yuan, and the remaining 40 yuan was kept as money to cross the river.
“Wife, we finally have a real home of our own,” Sun Daguo exclaimed.
“Well, Da Guo, now you don’t have to sneak food to me anymore and go hungry yourself,” Meili said, hugging Da Guo and crying.
"Silly girl, why are you crying? These are tough times ahead. I also have to thank your brothers. Everyone put in their best effort. They're really united. Unlike my brothers who treat me like this."
Meili knew that Daguo was sad, so she quickly comforted him, "I'm here to take care of you. Let's both take good care of ourselves and have children sooner or later."
Sun Daguo nodded, thinking to himself, "Such a sincere girl, I must treat her well and not let her down, I must protect her."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
