Xia Yuntao held Wang Shuyi's hand tightly in bed and squeezed it gently. "Shuyi, I'm sorry to have to make you suffer in a place like this because of these good-for-nothings."
Wang Shuyi squeezed his hand back, "Why say these things? We are husband and wife, but also parents. Whether it's accompanying you or educating our children, it's my responsibility."
Never mind them, let's go to sleep! We have things to do tomorrow!
Xia Yuntao embraced Wang Shuyi and closed his eyes.
The next morning, Xia Yuntao got up early to make breakfast.
The kitchen in this courtyard was built outside the room where Xia Ruizhe and his family slept, and it was separated from the room by only one wall.
The sounds of pots and pans inevitably reached the ears of Xia Ruizhe's family, who had only gradually settled into their sleep that morning.
Xia Ruizhe was alright. Holding the old man was a test of his faith. He sat up when he heard the noise, put on his clothes, and prepared to help the old man.
Seeing that Xia Ruizhe had gotten up, Ning Ya also got up.
Only Xia Jingtong and Xia Zicheng, feeling restless, pulled the blankets over their heads and ears, wanting to continue sleeping.
Xia Zicheng even yelled in frustration, "So annoying! So noisy!"
"ah--"
The next instant, he let out a scream that almost ripped the roof off.
He jumped up and started hopping around on the spot, yelling, "Mouse, so big mouse!"
The instant Xia Zicheng jumped up, a rat longer than his foot scurried out of his bed, darted across Xia Jingtong's blanket with a whoosh, disappeared into the earthen wall, and vanished without a trace...
"ah--"
Just as Xia Zicheng's scream that had nearly blown the roof off subsided, Xia Jingtong screamed again.
In another room, Wang Shuyi's dignified and kind face was full of disdain.
They're such cowards, raised in a capitalist country, that they're so easily frightened by a rat.
Xia Ruizhe, who was helping in the kitchen, heard the noise and said to Xia Yuntao, "Dad, I'll go check on the two children first."
"Okay, go ahead!"
As soon as Xia Ruizhe left, Ning Ya quickly said, "Dad, I'll go check on them too. I hope Tongtong and Xiaocheng won't be scared."
For breakfast, Xia Yuntao cooked corn porridge.
I stir-fried a plate of bok choy, which was so dry you couldn't see a drop of oil on it, but there was also a plate of smoked meat.
Because of limited funds, Xia Ruizhe's family went hungry for several days after returning home.
Their eyes light up at the sight of smoked meat, and they salivate at the aroma.
Xia Ruizhe and Ning Ya were alright, after all, they had been strictly disciplined by Wang Shuyi in their early years, so they did not lose their composure at this time.
Xi Xia Jingtong and Xia Zicheng are different.
Upon seeing the smoked meat, they forgot everything else, regardless of whether the elders at the table had touched their chopsticks or not, and rushed to grab the meat.
Xia Ruizhe and Ning Ya both looked at Xia Yuntao and Wang Shuyi, the elderly couple, with some nervousness.
Seeing that Xia Yuntao and Wang Shuyi seemed completely oblivious to the siblings' ill-mannered behavior, the two breathed a sigh of relief and began to drink their porridge.
While drinking her porridge, Ning Ya pursed her lips, thinking that these two old folks were finally getting to know the times now that they were broke, and stopped putting on airs and using those complicated rules to control people.
Only after the entire plate of smoked meat was completely devoured did Xia Yuntao ask his two grandchildren with a smile, "Was the smoked meat delicious?"
Xia Jingtong and Xia Zicheng used to prioritize the freshness of ingredients when eating abroad.
But after these past few days of this, they've completely forgotten about the uncleanliness and hygiene of processed meats in China, nodding repeatedly and saying, "Delicious!"
Xia Yuntao still smiled and said, "This is rat meat."
Xia Ruizhe and his family of four were initially a little taken aback.
"Rat meat!?"
After they came to their senses, the four of them exclaimed in unison, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets!
Xia Jingtong and Xia Zicheng, who had eaten the most, rushed out to vomit before they could even speak.
Although Xia Ruizhe and Ning Ya didn't eat as much as Xia Jingtong and her brother, they had eaten just now.
At this point, she tried to hold it in, but finally couldn't and rushed out to vomit.
The elderly couple, Xia Yuntao and his wife, remained calm and continued eating their vegetables and drinking their porridge.
After vomiting, Xia Jingtong plopped down on the ground and burst into tears, sobbing, "I'm not staying here anymore! I'm never staying here again! I want to go back! I want to go back to my country! Waaaaah..."
Xia Zicheng didn't cry, but his eyes were red, and he said through gritted teeth, "I want to go back too. This is no place for a human to stay."
That old bastard fed us rat meat; he was trying to kill us!
Ning Ya also harbored some resentment, but having lived under the thumb of her in-laws for so many years since marrying into the Xia family, she dared not voice her dissatisfaction or resentment.
She looked at Xia Ruizhe expectantly and called out hesitantly, "Aze..."
Xia Ruizhe frowned, a flash of disdain crossing his eyes. How could he have given birth to such a pair of idiots?
This yard is so small, how could the old man not hear them howling inside the house?
Moreover, he had already seen the old man come out out of the corner of his eye.
He glared at Xia Jingtong and Xia Zicheng fiercely, "I told you long ago, if you want to go back, then find a way to earn money to buy plane tickets back yourselves!"
I'm not going back, and I won't give you a single penny!
Xia Yuntao and Wang Shuyi both knew that their youngest son was clever and knew how to coax people.
When the family was better off, Xia Ruizhe's thoughtful words were a source of comfort for them.
Back then, not only Wang Shuyi, but even Xia Yuntao couldn't help but show more favoritism to his youngest son, Xia Ruizhe.
It wasn't until later, when the two decided to return to China, that they truly saw the true nature of their youngest son.
Xia Yuntao then realized that Xia Ruizhe's words were specifically meant for him.
He also pretended not to have heard what his two grandchildren had said before, and only heard Xia Ruizhe's sentence.
"Aze, do you mean you're going to stay in China?" Xia Yuntao asked seriously.
Looking at Xia Yuntao's serious expression, Xia Ruizhe gritted his teeth inwardly. It wasn't that he wanted to stay in China; he simply had no other choice.
He could only bet that Xia Yuntao and his wife were putting on an act.
He answered firmly, "Dad, I had already thought it through before I came back. Now that I'm back, I'm not leaving again. Wherever you and Mom are, that's my home!"
Xia Yuntao nodded with rare satisfaction. "Alright, since you have this idea, come in with me! Let's come in and have a good talk about how our family can make a living in the future."
After Xia Yuntao finished speaking, he looked at Xia Jingtong and Xia Zicheng, who were pale from vomiting, and said, "As for you two, you have seen the current situation of your grandmother and me. If you want to leave, then leave on your own. We will not stop you."
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