"It's so cold at night, and the snow is deep," you came over, and a few old people lit the candles.
The old man on the kang (a heated brick bed) kept coughing, but he still sat up to see if Cheng Cai had come so late for something.
"Grandpa, these are the clothes I made for you: three cotton-padded jackets and three cotton-padded trousers. Please take a look and see if they fit."
"Oh, right, there are two rabbits too, for you to help your bodies recover."
"Where did you get this cotton from? And what's wrong with this rabbit?"
“I had two quilts, which I took apart and made into clothes. I was thinking that the snow outside was too heavy, and I was worried that the grandfathers would be cold. I know that your cotton-padded clothes are very thin, and you wear the same one in both summer and winter.”
“I was worried that my grandfathers would get sick, so I rushed over. This rabbit was a gift from my aunt after she hunted it, and I brought it to my grandfathers.”
The three old men looked at the child without saying a word, feeling deeply moved that even they, as old men, were still remembered.
“Thank you, child,” Hao Licheng said with tears in his eyes.
"What's wrong with Grandpa Lin? Is he sick? I've seen him coughing the whole time."
"Your clothes came just in time. This winter has been so cold. Old Hao got chilled, but don't worry."
"Go back quickly, it's cold now."
"Alright, Grandpa, I'll come see you again in a couple of days. My brother and I are off now."
The elderly people understood that the two children were too young to sew, so the clothes must have been made by Jianjun and his wife.
They knew that this child was destined for success, and they were both aware of how difficult things had been for the two brothers. For a moment, they remained silent.
Long after the two left, the three old people remained silent, deeply moved, and tears streamed down their faces.
Unexpectedly, the one who cared about them in the end was this child they had only known for a short time; they now treat this child like their own grandson.
"Old Hao, we have to take good care of this, for the sake of this child."
"Jianhui, quickly change into these clothes. It will be good for your illness. It's just too cold. This child has brought a lot of firewood. There will definitely be enough for this winter."
Jianjun was also waiting for the child at the door; he hadn't slept either.
"Uncle, Aunt, we're back."
"Come inside quickly, look how cold your faces are. Drink some hot water, take off your clothes and shoes, and go to bed on the kang (heated brick bed)," Tingting said to the two children.
"Auntie, thank you and my uncle. I saw that Grandpa Lin was sick today, and these clothes came at just the right time."
"Alright, stop with the thanks. Go get ready and go to bed."
Zhu, the three of them share one room, Jianjun, Tingting and the two younger children share another room, and Chengcai and his brother share a room. All the rooms share firewood, except for Tingting and Jianjun. Most families would have to use it sparingly.
The three elderly men, wearing these thick cotton-padded coats and trousers, felt incredibly warm and comfortable, and their gratitude towards Zhang Tingting's family deepened.
Seeing that the snow had stopped outside, Jianjun went to get some large logs to make the sled. After snowing for so long, the ice must be frozen solid.
"Honey, I'm planning to take the kids sledding tomorrow, but the ground must be frozen solid now."
"Okay, after I finish making these new cotton-padded jackets for them, I'll add some time and try to finish them this afternoon."
"My dear wife, you've worked so hard. This child is both a blessing and a busy one."
"Come here, you rascals, come over here and try on the new cotton-padded jackets and trousers I made for you, and take turns wearing them."
“Auntie, this is a new one I made last year, it’s not worn out yet,” Youcai muttered.
"Hey, you little rascal, you keep changing your clothes. You wear the same outfit every day. Aren't you afraid of getting smelly? Hurry up and try it on."
"Chengcai, you've grown quite a bit taller! I'll alter your old cotton-padded coat and give it a good wash."
Chengcai quietly looked at Aunt Tingting. He felt that this was his mother. The mother in his memory seemed to have gone far away, and he could hardly remember her anymore.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get dressed. Tomorrow your uncle is taking you sledding."
"Okay, okay, I'll put it on right now," Cheng Cai said immediately after recovering his senses.
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