Chapter 34 Cotton Candy
The two of them went to the bus station together and boarded the bus back to their hometown. There were only a few days left until the Chinese New Year. The station was bustling with people carrying large and small bags of things and rushing home, hoping to have a happy New Year.
The streets and alleys are decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, preparing to welcome the New Year, and everyone's face is filled with a bright smile.
Seeing the girl take out her phone, Gu Fang's eyes lit up. Back in the third year of junior high, because Gu Zhaodi didn't have a phone, the two of them didn't even have a way to contact each other.
"Gu Zhaodi, can I add you on WeChat? We can come back together during holidays." The boy used a legitimate reason to ask the girl for her contact information.
Gu Fang thought that now that he had her contact information, he could ask her out on weekends, which might allow him to spend more time with her.
“Okay.” Gu Zhaodi placed the code in front of the boy, indicating that he should add her.
Seeing the girl's WeChat in his friend list, Gu Fang's smile deepened.
After a bumpy ride of about an hour, the bus finally arrived in town, where the boy reluctantly said goodbye to the girl.
Watching Gu Fang walk away, Gu Zhaodi dragged her suitcase and walked in the opposite direction.
After walking for about half an hour, she saw the village sign for Gujia Village.
The girl didn't encounter any familiar faces on the way, and soon arrived at the Gu family's courtyard.
Gu Bao, who was playing in the sand in the yard, spotted her older sister returning and ran over excitedly, "Sister, you're back!"
The little boy was excitedly waving his arms and legs, wanting to hug his sister, but hesitated when he saw his dirty little hands.
The girl noticed the little boy's excitement and hesitation, and stroked his soft hair. "Go wash your hands first, and you can hug your sister in a little while."
The little boy obediently skipped and hopped into the yard, turned on the tap, and quickly washed his hands.
The small courtyard in front of her was not much different from when she left, but the leaves in the courtyard had fallen and the chickens that used to cluck in the summer were nowhere to be seen.
"Gu Bao, this is a New Year's gift for you."
Gu Zhaodi took out the gift from her schoolbag; it was a jigsaw puzzle.
Gu Bao's eyes lit up when he saw the puzzle. The little boy believed in the existence of light, and an Ultraman puzzle was enough to excite a little boy for a long time.
"Sister, you're so good, so good." Gu Bao hugged the girl's waist and buried her little head in the girl's waist.
"Okay, stop being so cute, here you go." The girl handed him the gift.
The little boy happily accepted the gift with one hand, but with the other hand he didn't let go of the girl's clothes. His little finger was hooked around her clothes, and he stared at her with blinking eyes.
Ultraman was a light for the little boy, but his older sister was more important than Ultraman.
Seeing how attached the little boy was to her, the girl thought that going home for the Chinese New Year was a good option.
"Let's go inside." The girl took the little boy's chubby hand and walked into the house.
Pushing open the dark room door, a musty smell hit me. Turning on the dim yellow light, I saw that the bed was piled with clutter and there was nowhere to put my feet on the floor.
"Sister, let me help you pack." Gu Bao put the puzzle on the table outside, then squeezed her small body into the small storage room and huffed and puffed as she moved things.
After the girl finished cleaning the room, her back, which had been bent over, was covered in sweat, and the hair on her forehead clung to her cheeks. Seeing how tired her sister was, Gu Bao ran outside to get her a glass of water.
"Sister, have some water." The little boy held up his water cup with all his might, his big, watery eyes staring at the girl.
Just then, Gu's mother's voice came from outside, "Gu Bao, where are you?"
"Mom, I'm here." Gu Bao shoved the water bottle in the girl's hand and ran out.
"What do you want to eat tonight? Mom will make it for you." Gu's mother asked her youngest son affectionately, her face full of smiles.
Gu Bao smiled and pulled her mother into the house, "Sister is back, let's eat meat."
Mother Gu frowned and looked at the innermost small room in the house. "Zhao Di, now that you're back, don't be lazy. Hurry up and cook some braised pork for your brother."
The girl took a deep breath, walked out of the room with a blank expression, called out "Mom" to Gu's mother, and then headed towards the kitchen.
Seeing the girl's lifeless expression, Gu's mother was furious. Who was she trying to impress with that sullen face all day?
Gu Bao noticed the obvious displeasure on his face, but the little boy quietly tried to divert her attention, saying, "Mom, my sister is so nice. She even bought me a toy."
As she spoke, she led Gu's mother to get the puzzle pieces, trying to get Gu's mother to treat the girl better.
Upon hearing her youngest son speak, Gu's mother's displeasure immediately vanished, replaced by a gentle expression. She said matter-of-factly, "Your sister's money is meant for you anyway. Next time, let her buy you more."
Gu Bao was too young to refute his mother's words, so he could only keep them in mind and secretly resolve to treat his sister better in the future.
Children's world is pure. Gu Bao did not become a child who sucked his sister's blood under his mother's influence. Instead, he became a caring boy.
The girl entered the kitchen, looking a little lost. Her hands were rusty from not having lit a fire for six months, and sparks almost landed on her clothes.
After finally getting the fire going, Gu's mother came in and started gesturing at the girl, "Zhao Di, go wash that pile of dishes before you cook."
Looking at the pile of bowls and chopsticks in the corner, Gu Zhaodi knew that her mother must have estimated the time she would return and put them there for her to wash.
When I was in junior high school, it was the same way. We would wait until she got home from school to wash all the dishes together.
Seeing the girl squeezing out dish soap in a big, wasteful way, Gu's mother was instantly displeased. "What a spendthrift girl!"
"How come you start spending so lavishly after just one trip to Nan'an City? Dish soap is free!" Gu's mother kept nitpicking. "That's right, it's not as expensive as your train ticket."
Gu's mother compromised with her son's expectation that his sister would come home for the New Year, but deep down she didn't want Gu Zhaodi to come back, mainly because the round-trip train tickets were expensive.
The girl knew that her mother didn't want her to come home, but as long as she thought of her younger brother's longing for her return, she swallowed all her grievances.
"Okay, Mom, I'll be careful next time," the girl replied softly as she wiped the grease from the bottom of the bowl.
Suddenly, the girl remembered that there were still some desserts in her suitcase that Sister Jing had asked her to bring back. "Mom, there are still some snacks in my suitcase. You can give them to Gu Bao."
Upon hearing that the item was for her son, Gu's mother stopped finding fault and hurried to the girl's room to retrieve it, as if afraid it would be snatched away, her steps never faltering.
When Gu's mother took the desserts out of the girl's suitcase, she was stunned.
Although she hadn't seen much of the world, she could still tell that these exquisite desserts were expensive.
Mother Gu stormed into the kitchen carrying the desserts, saying angrily, "You used the money I gave you to buy these things."
In Gu's mother's mind, her son deserves all the good things, but she doesn't allow Gu Zhaodi to spend her money so extravagantly, even if that money ends up being spent on her son.
The girl felt helpless. The little money she had been given had long been used up, and she wouldn't have made it this far if she hadn't gone to work.
"Mom, this was given to me by my boss. It didn't cost me any money."
Gu's mother's anger subsided only slightly, then her eyes darted around as she said to the girl, "Now that you've started earning money, shouldn't you give some to the family?"
Although it was a question, Gu's mother's tone was one of self-righteousness.
The girl paused in washing the dishes, her eyes lowered, her tone cold, "I don't even have enough money for next year's living expenses. You don't want me to be unable to go to school next semester, do you?"
Gu's mother pursed her lips, but finally remembered the four thousand yuan she received each month, and walked out of the kitchen with the dessert.
Just as the girl finished cooking, Gu's father returned from town, bringing Gu Bao's favorite cotton candy.
Seeing the girl cooking in the kitchen, Gu's father said helplessly, "Zhao Di is back. Dad bought your and Gu Bao's favorite cotton candy today. Do you want some?"
"No need, give it to Gu Bao."
The girl refused Gu's father, who looked embarrassed. In the end, he gave all the cotton candy to Gu Bao.
Sitting in the main room, Gu's mother said, "Isn't it a waste to feed Zhao Di? Why are you asking?"
Father Gu rubbed his fingertips together secretly, but ultimately said nothing.
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