Chapter 24 Chapter 24
Bai Qiujin and Bai Yueji behind him also waved their hands and said, "We've already eaten at Big Brother's house."
"Big brother and sister-in-law, what's the matter with you coming here so late?" Grandma Bai asked as she came over with some tea.
Before the three Bai siblings could say anything, Grandpa Bai seemed to be offended. He frowned and raised his voice in displeasure, saying, "What are you talking about? Can't my brothers and sisters come here if there's nothing wrong?"
"I'm just asking, have you taken any medicine?" Grandma Bai put the tea in her hand down on the table with a bang.
"Mom." Seeing that the atmosphere between the two elders was not right, Chen Zhen hurried over and tugged at her mother-in-law's sleeve, fearing that her parents would quarrel.
Bai Changqing on the other side also walked up to his father and tried to mediate.
"Don't worry, I know your father has a stubborn temper." Grandma Bai took a deep breath and patted her daughter-in-law's hand. Family disgrace shouldn't be aired in public, and fights should be kept behind closed doors. No matter how angry Grandma Bai felt, she would always give the head of the family face. She sat silently on a bench in the shadows, watching the brothers and sisters chat.
Bai Qiujin and Bai Yueji complained to Grandpa Bai about their troubles. The dangers of the epidemic and the lack of supplies in the town during the heavy rain had made their lives difficult. Then, as Grandma Bai expected, "Brother, the main reason I came here this time was to buy some food from you. There are purchase restrictions in town now, and the little we buy every day won't starve us to death. Adults can still drink porridge and eat bean sprouts and cabbage every day, but children can't handle it!"
Speaking of this, we have to say that the country is reliable. Although supermarkets have implemented purchase restrictions in the face of such a nationwide disaster, the prices there have not changed at all compared to before the epidemic. Some things are even cheaper than before, ensuring basic survival.
My aunt rolled her eyes as she listened. These two elders were both more bargain-hunting than the other. I often saw them sharing promotional messages about supermarket and store group buys on their WeChat Moments. And if there were lectures offering free rice and eggs, they'd rush to grab them. They had plenty of supplies stored at home.
Moreover, before the flood, her uncle and aunt had dragged a whole woven bag of vegetables, dozens of eggs, and a bucket of lard from her house. She was sure that their lives were definitely not as miserable as she said.
But there are people who are willing to fall into the trap. The aunt sighed and looked at Grandpa Bai in front of her.
"What's the use of buying or not? We're all brothers, so let's not be estranged. My family grows all our own food, so it doesn't cost money anyway. If you need it now, just take it."
Grandpa Bai's tone was so generous and straightforward that Grandma Bai's face suddenly darkened. Chen Zhen gave her daughter a look when she saw the situation. Bai Yu sighed and took the Ning family members to the second floor.
After the guests left, Grandma Bai no longer concealed her gloomy expression. Before she could lash out, Uncle Bai spoke up, "Dad, Bai Duan is back in the village today to help the army collect food. I've already promised him that I'll sell our food to the army."
Grandpa Bai was surprised. "Aren't those grains they're selling all old? Why don't you just take a few bags of new grain from home and give them to your aunt and uncle?"
Bai Changqing sighed and looked at Bai He on the side. "The problem is that Bai He told me two days ago that he wanted to buy food from me."
Everyone in the house looked at Bai He's face.
Bai He nodded calmly, "That's right, because I plan to live in the village for a long time, so I need to prepare more food."
"We're a family, so why not buy anything? Just take whatever you want." If it were anyone else, and Grandpa Bai got angry and went against him, Grandpa Bai would definitely stick to his guns. But this was Bai He... Grandpa Bai's loving eyes left Bai He and landed on his son, full of warnings: "As an uncle, you can't ask your nephew for money."
Bai Changqing replied readily, "Of course."
"Third brother," Bai Yueji twirled the cup in her hand, raised her head and said coldly, "It's okay if your family has no food. I'll go check on other families in the village." Under the dim light of the restaurant, her face looked sallow, and her bloodshot eyes were cold.
Bai Yueji is the oldest child in the Bai family. When she was born, Bai Hui, the oldest, was already 20 years old, and Grandpa Bai was also grown up. She was raised by her siblings. Her father died of illness when she was ten years old. He was heartbroken that she had no father since childhood, and her family doted on her the most.
"Third brother, there is so much rice in your home. Just give them some and it will be enough for them to eat for a long time." Bai Hui, who had been invisible, couldn't help but persuade him.
Grandma Bai, who had been softening, suddenly stood up from the stool with a cold face and glared at Bai Hui with eyes that seemed to be emitting sparks. "Brother, your family has harvested a lot of grain this year. Usually, your younger brothers and sisters-in-law bring a lot of food to your house. How are you helping them now?"
Grandma Bai's tone was a bit harsh, and the chauvinistic Bai Hui's face suddenly turned ugly. "If my family hadn't sold all the food today, my younger brother and younger sister wouldn't have had to come to your house. Your sister-in-law gave all the eggs and the carrots and pumpkins she harvested to my younger brother and sister-in-law."
"That's very generous," Grandma Bai praised sarcastically.
Seeing his father and uncle's faces darken, Uncle Bai quickly stood in front of his mother and said, "Uncle and aunt, I'll give you each 100 kilograms of rice. It should be enough to last for a while. As long as this difficult period is over, the market will return to normal trading."
A hint of disappointment flashed across Bai Qiujin's eyes. There were six people in his family, and a hundred kilograms of food wasn't enough to last a month. But he was a man who cared about his reputation, so he was too embarrassed to say it wasn't enough.
Moreover, it was always Grandpa Bai who offered it to him, or even forced it on him. Only this Third Sister-in-law… Bai Qiujin felt a surge of resentment in his heart.
Bai Yueji: "I don't want your money for nothing. How much is it?"
Bai Changqing said, "Auntie, there's no need for money. We grow the rice ourselves, so the cost isn't much." The cost isn't much, but farming is laborious and time-consuming! Especially now that rice is ten yuan a pound, this gift alone will cost two thousand.
But he also knew that if he dared to take their money, his father would pick up a stick and let him know what the Bai family rules were.
"No, it's the right amount..."
The two of them pushed back and forth for a while, but in the end, Grandpa Bai spoke up and made the final decision, stuffing the money back. Grandpa Bai even felt bad for them and gave them each a few pounds of pork and twenty eggs.
Bai Qiujin, Bai Yueji and others took their things and left, and the living room suddenly became quiet again.
Uncle Bai and his wife were cleaning the restaurant.
Grandma Bai looked at her husband drinking from a glass at the table and couldn't help but mutter, "You say we're brothers, but can't you be a little smarter than your brother? Every time your sister-in-law comes over, you can't wait to give them everything you have at home. Look at your brother and sister-in-law, they're pretty good, but eight out of ten times they're not at home..."
Uncle Bai was instantly overwhelmed when he heard this. What a mouth of his! He really couldn't help but say, you said you gave the things, but instead of selling them well, you insisted on making Dad feel uncomfortable. You can't please both sides.
"What nonsense are you talking about? My brother is not smart at all. Didn't you hear what he said? He gave eggs and vegetables to my younger sister and brother." Grandpa Bai drank a lot of wine today. The alcohol numbed his nerves. Now he was a powder keg that could be ignited at any time. He slammed the table and stood up. His body was tense like an iron rod, and his eyes were as red as a bull's eyes, looking a little scary.
"Xu Huihui, I knew you had something against my siblings. But I have to say they are better than those people in your Xu family, who are lazy and only care about eating, drinking, whoring and gambling..."
Grandma Bai seemed to have her spine pulled out in an instant, and she lost all her energy. She lowered her head and walked towards the kitchen in silence with the dirty dishes.
But Grandpa Bai didn't give up and shouted towards the kitchen, "Xu Huihui..."
"I told Dad to drink less, but he wouldn't listen. Now he goes crazy!" Uncle Bai couldn't help but throw the broom to the ground. No matter how old you are, you don't like your parents quarreling.
Chen Zhen looked towards the second floor with some concern, wondering whether they could hear her or not. Regardless of whether they could hear her or not, she couldn't leave a bad impression on others.
Bai He, who was about to go home, snatched the wine glass from Grandpa Bai's hand and said to him forcefully, "Grandpa, you are drunk."
"Who said I was drunk?" Grandpa Bai slammed the table. The two puppies, who had been happily chewing a bone in the living room, were frightened and ran out with their tails between their legs.
He was indeed not drunk, but he was also affected by the alcohol. Although he was usually chauvinistic, he valued his partner very much and would never say such words to Grandma Bai.
Bai He supported Grandpa Bai and said, "If you are not drunk, then go and have a good rest. Everyone needs to go to bed."
Grandpa Bai grumbled, but met Bai Hemo's serious gaze and finally relented. He shuffled into the bathroom. Grandpa Bai stopped making noises afterward, but he also stayed silent that night. Grandma Bai was also simmering with anger. The two of them, sharing the same room, didn't exchange a single word all night, a kind of cold war.
Grandpa Bai went into the bathroom, and Grandma Bai took Bai He and Uncle Bai and his wife to the granary.
"We'll move half of Tangyuan's food to your place. You know your grandfather's temper. Even if the family had a mountain of gold, he would squander it all."
Bai He didn't object. Life would only get harder in the future, so he would carefully preserve the food at home. The rice and wheat he had planted in his space were now heading, and would be ready for harvest soon.
Uncle Bai and his wife felt very relieved to leave the items worth a total of 100,000 yuan in the hands of their nephew.
Grandpa Bai was a wonderful man, dedicated and hardworking throughout his life. Now in his seventies, he still has a passion for work. He's still busy in the fields, helping his descendants expand their family business and ease their burdens.
Uncle Bai and his wife were grateful for their father's efforts. They kept the grain with Bai He without telling him, not out of fear of him. As children, they hoped that their father's efforts and gains would be rewarded, not wasted.
In today's society, a selfish person will always live a better life than a kind person. They will not force their father to become a selfish person, but they will do their best to ensure his life.
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