The next day, Qiu Dashu got up before dawn and went to the backyard diligently to chop firewood, and then swept the yard, as if he wanted to make up for all the work he had not done at home in the past six months.
"Mom, I'm the only one in this family who doesn't have a free meal. The school has scholarships, but there are people who are in worse situations than me. He's so skinny that he's just skin and bones. I didn't apply for it, but don't worry, I'll go back to work and give double back to our family."
After going out, Qiu Dashu realized that not all parents are as open-minded and motivated as his. Most families have brothers and sisters of similar age, and they don’t have the opportunity to go out just because they study well, but give the opportunity to some individuals.
Although he had always known that life at home was not easy, it was only when he was surrounded and compared with his classmates that he realized how lucky he was. It was also at that time that he felt how painful it was to spend the hard-earned money provided by his parents.
"Third brother, it's a good thing that you've become more sensible after your trip, but too much is as bad as too little. We are family and I won't say a word. You can look as miserable as your classmates, but you can't be restricted from eating and drinking.
As I said, health is the starting point of all revolutions. If the family is really in such a difficult situation, we should save what we should and earn what we should. But in the current situation, if you just keep rewarding yourself, your parents will only worry more."
Qiu Yuling had been getting enough sleep recently and would wake up at the slightest noise. As soon as she arrived in the main hall, she heard her third brother analyzing his sufferings. She couldn't help but speak before Qiu's mother.
"Your younger sister is right. It's right to be inconspicuous outside. You are too outstanding. There will always be a few people who are jealous of others and afraid of others not having them. But don't be too harsh on them.
You are going there to study, so you should use your limited energy to develop your skills instead of just saving face. If money is tight, we won't pretend to be rich. As long as we can still provide for you, just focus on studying hard.
In this regard, none of you brothers are as smart as your little sister!"
That's right, if it were her Yuling, she would have to eat coarse food with her classmates during the day and then turn around and find a way to go out and eat something good.
In her words, her ability lies ahead, and she and the shopkeeper have to follow her. Why would she suffer first because she feels sorry for the people in the house?
While they were talking, the three little ones woke up and were making a lot of noise in the room. Li Qingmei stoked the fire in the stove and called Qiu Yuling to come over and pick up the little ones.
"The one kicking hardest is the eldest, Chidou'er, whose full name is Qiu Wenchi. The one next to your sister is Chengdou'er, whose full name is Qiu Wencheng. The one standing in front of you is the youngest, Huangdou'er, whose full name is Qiu Wenhuang. Both names were chosen by your sister."
"My little sister is a good student. These names are all well chosen. They have both order and artistic conception, especially the word 'Huang'. The meaning of the name 'Huang' is a bright future, brilliant and glorious, and radiant." Qiu Dashu praised the names of his nephews highly.
"Yes, that's what Yuling said. She also said Wen Chi is..."
"The name Chi means fame throughout the world, tension and relaxation, and galloping across the country. The name Cheng implies a bright future, cleverness, resourcefulness, shrewdness, helpfulness, and outstanding talent."
Qiu Dashu followed up with the other two names and sorted out their origins.
His younger sister seemed to have said a few words casually, but his mother said that they were homophones chosen at the time, but in fact they all had extraordinary meanings and were full of expectations and blessings for his little nephews.
Maybe they are both the third child, or maybe little Huangdou is the most obedient. Except when he and the baby are eating, Qiu Dashu always holds him in his arms, even when he falls asleep.
Huang Duoer was happy to see that her brother-in-law and sister-in-law both loved her baby. Now that she had her hands free, she followed Mrs. Qiu to the kitchen and did not move a step out.
Although she had more and more food rations for the babies, all three of them could eat it, and one of them would always be hungry, so she had to mix it with goat's milk to feed them.
Qiu Dashu held the soybeans in one hand and the bottle in the other, maintaining the same posture without moving.
When he returned the doll that night, he found that he could not lift his arm.
He said to himself that he didn't do enough work. His arms would be so broken after holding such a small baby for a whole day. He had to continue working.
The days passed leisurely and the new year came.
Grandma Yuling had been saying she wanted to go back since the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, and no matter how much her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren tried to persuade her, she just wouldn't stay.
Qiu Yuling helped the old lady pack some clothes and accessories, as well as milk powder and malted milk. She and Qiu Dashu harnessed a small donkey cart and went to Shangquan Village on the 28th.
As a result, I met Li Qingfeng (my uncle) and Li Qingtong on the way who were also there to pick up my mother.
"Mom, I'm picking you up. Why don't you wait until it's warmer at noon before going out?" Li Qingfeng jumped out from the back seat of the fourth car.
"Grandma can't stay here anymore, she has to go back."
"Dashu is back? When did you come?" Li Qingtong also parked the car and came over.
The uncle and nephew exchanged a few words of greeting, then turned around and walked back.
"Dashu, go and stay here today and come back tomorrow. It's cold now and it's the New Year soon. There's not much work to do, so it's okay to stay for a day." Li Qingfeng thought that he had to entertain his nephew when he returned.
Along the way, his two uncles took turns asking about Chang City, what life was like outside, and whether he would stay at Jinchuan Metallurgical Company after graduation.
When Qiu Dashu came back after leaving, he was less impetuous and assertive than before. He spoke out what was necessary and kept silent on what was vague. For a while, the atmosphere was very harmonious.
It is so great to be a worker these days. Both uncles hope that their nephew can be a worker, even if it is the most ordinary worker, living in a brick house and having a stable income regardless of drought or flood, which is so enviable.
Look at the cadres in the brigade. They still work during the day to earn work points and stay up late at night to write documents. When there are meetings, they run around a lot, and they can't wait to stay up late to do the oil pressing and cotton spinning work.
Li Qingtong nodded repeatedly after hearing this and said he would try his best.
As he was talking nonsense, he walked very fast and before he could finish his words, he entered the village.
"Oh, is this the third child from the Qingmei family?" An aunt who knew them was pouring water under the saxaul tree outside the door. When she saw them enter the village, she stopped and said a few words.
When the news of Qiu Dashu's failure in the exam reached Li Qingmei's family, they talked about it a lot in private. Didn't they see that several children from the Li family gritted their teeth and went back to school?
Qiu Yuling couldn't call anyone, so when her fourth uncle told her to do so, she smiled with her standard eight-tooth smile and started calling for help.
"Fifth Aunt."
"Hey, this is my childhood sweetheart's little girl. She's getting prettier as she grows older, just like her mother when she was young."
When Qiu Yuling was in Qiu Village, the older generation praised her for looking like the young Qiu Jianshe. But when she returned to Shangquan Village, she looked like Li Qingmei when she was young. Anyway, she was not adopted by mistake.
"How come I could hear you talking from so far away? Why did you take so long to come in?" Zhou Hongfang waited for a long time before she saw her husband and mother-in-law enter the house.
"I ran into my fifth sister-in-law pouring water, and before I had taken a few steps, my third sister-in-law came out. I stopped and said a few words, and then I was delayed." What he didn't say was that if Qiu Yuling hadn't urged her and said she had a stomachache, she wouldn't have been able to come in.
"How come it's so fast? I just heard the voice and was thinking I had misheard it. It's only now that I've reached my elder sister's place."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
