She shuddered at the sight of those eyes. What kind of eyes were they? Gloomy and strange. Xia Youyou turned her gaze away, no longer looking at the person, and followed her mother towards the exit.
When she left the black market at noon and reached the main road, she finally relaxed and patted her chest. This man was even scarier than Cao An!
"Mom, is there any other black market around here?" If that person was always here, she would not dare to come here.
"You only know these two here. The other places are a bit far away, so don't go there. Your brother is also a bit far away and can't take care of them."
Xia Youyou nodded and said, "Let's wait and see tomorrow. Maybe that person won't be here tomorrow."
"Go home quickly, your brother will be back soon."
The two quickened their pace and returned home before Cao An came back. Liu Hui killed the old hen neatly, and Xia Youyou lit a fire in the stove and boiled water.
The two of them divided the work. Xia Youyou was responsible for cooking the other dishes, while Liu Hui plucked the chicken feathers outside. They lit the small stove and began to stew the chicken. "You take care of the chicken soup, and I'll cook the other dishes."
"I can do that, too."
Liu Hui snatched the spatula from her hand and said, "Girls should spend less time in front of the stove and stay away from the smoke, otherwise you will age quickly."
"Then you should stay away too." She retorted, walking to the side and throwing firewood into the two stoves.
"Mom is old now. She's not young anymore. When he was young, your dad wouldn't let me into the kitchen."
"Dad? What kind of person is he?" she asked curiously, holding her chin.
"Your father used to be a lay disciple of Shaolin. He was sent to Shaolin Temple to learn Kung Fu when he was young. Later, due to natural disasters, he could no longer afford to support himself, so he returned home and became a lay disciple. He practiced martial arts all year round and was very strong. After he came down from the mountains, he helped people carry bags everywhere, and he was able to support the family."
"Then how did you get married?"
"We were from the same village and played together when we were young. When we grew up, our families understood each other and it was natural for us to get married. Later, when all our families passed away, we moved to the city and settled down here."
Xia Youyou wanted to ask more, but was afraid of making her sad.
Liu Hui, however, had long since stopped worrying about it. She took the initiative to talk, "He'd been carrying bags all year long, which had damaged his health. He refused to see a doctor, only seeking medicine from barefoot doctors. His condition wasn't fully healed, and he died young. I had a good job at the textile factory at the time, but I sold it to pay for Cao An's education, and raised him with my meager savings. After he graduated from high school, the police were lucky enough to be impressed by his physique and martial arts skills, and made an exception and recruited him."
Xia Youyou listened to her understatement, but only she knew the bitterness and hardship involved. As a widow with a child, you can imagine how difficult it would be.
"Mom, things will get better and better in the future."
Liu Hui waved the spatula in her hand and looked at her with amusement. "Life is good enough now. I've long been content." Cao An gave her his salary every month, and she saved a lot of it. It was enough for him to marry a wife and buy a dowry for their daughter. She now had a son and a daughter, and she still had a long life ahead of her.
"The future will be better than the present."
"Okay, okay, whatever my daughter says is right!"
Cao An pushed the door open again and heard her mother's exaggeration, "What did she say? Don't let her lead you astray." Smelling the rich aroma of chicken soup in the air, "Mom, did you go to the black market again?" After saying that, she glared at Xia Youyou who was sitting obediently and making fire. It must have been her who instigated it.
Xia Youyou felt wronged, "It's not me!"
Liu Hui pointed at him with a spatula and said, "Stop bullying your sister."
Cao An walked over to Xia Youyou and stood beside her, looking down at the aggrieved little girl. "Okay, I won't bully you. You won't try to stop me from going to the black market."
Xia Youyou felt a little guilty. She didn't persuade him because she wanted to go too. "I'll definitely persuade him next time."
Both mother and daughter felt a little guilty and tried to change the subject. "Why did Anzi come home so early today?" She usually waited until sunset before getting home.
"Nothing, I just wanted to come back early." There hasn't been much going on at the bureau lately, and there haven't been any security issues. He raised his hand and rubbed Xia Youyou's furry little head, then squatted down and looked at her. "I know you still want to go to the black market, so be careful."
Xia Youyou understood what he meant and nodded vigorously to show that she knew her limits. Seeing that he no longer objected, she smiled at him flatteringly, "Brother, you must be tired. Come and sit down."
Cao An pressed her down on the small stool with amusement, "Sit down, I'm not tired." His heart was soft, and it was still fun to be well-behaved.
She moved closer to him and whispered, "I want to sell some things tomorrow."
"Go ahead, just be safe. As for your schooling, come with me tomorrow to register. Take the test and let the principal know your results before you can enroll." Enrolling is no easy task. Although she has knowledge of the future, it's hard to say whether she can use it now.
Xia Youyou was confident and agreed readily. She would wait and see whether she could pass the college entrance examination.
"Go get the book and I'll mark the key points for you. They should be on the test, so remember them well. You're not needed here, so go quickly."
She obediently stood up and went to her room to get the book.
"Mom, don't go to the black market. If the red armbands come, you won't be able to run." Mother's health has been declining due to years of hard work. She must have Youyou scan her tonight and get proper treatment.
"Okay, got it. Today I want to buy Youyou a chicken to replenish her body. She's too thin!"
"It takes time to heal your body. Next time, tell me what you want to buy. I can check it out on my way home from get off work."
"You can't go!" Liu Hui objected. "Your clothes are so obvious, everyone will run away if you go!"
Cao An looked down at his uniform and said, "Then I'll change clothes after get off work starting tomorrow."
"That won't work either. Who wouldn't recognize your face? If you just stand there, everyone will run away."
He was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. This face was good for him and bad for him!
"Brother, this is for you!" Xia Youyou ran in and interrupted their conversation. He then helped her mark the book.
"Study hard tonight. Try to do well on the test, then you'll be accepted." It's better not to go to school. These days, schools are full of parades, not a good environment for studying. "Ask me if you don't understand something."
"Of course! But I'm probably not good at politics." Seeing that his mother wasn't paying attention to them, he leaned over and whispered to him, "I have a photographic memory. Just mark the key points for me and I can recite them tonight."
Cao An touched her little head and laughed.
That night, Xia Youyou finished her skincare routine and lay down on the Qiangong bed. Just as she was about to pick up a book, she was excitedly drawn to the relief on the bed. She'd been so exhausted the previous night that she'd gone straight to bed, and tonight, she finally had time to examine the precious huanghuali wood. Touching the relief, she couldn't let it go. The patterns were beautiful: coin-shaped cutouts, peony blossoms that symbolized prosperity. There were two chubby babies at the end of the bed. She touched them with amusement. Were they twins?
Suddenly there was a "click" sound, and Xia Youyou retracted her hand in fright.
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