The next day, Xu Keke got up early as soon as it was light. Without even washing up, she put on a coat and went out of the house.
She was engrossed in lighting the stove when Aunt Gao came out from the side door, startled by her appearance. "Why are you up so early today, child...?"
After saying this, he remembered that Chen Yurong had died, and the child would have to get up and cook breakfast for herself in the morning. He quickly stopped talking.
"What did you have for breakfast? I made some pancakes last night. Why don't you and Mengjia come over and have some?"
Seeing the hesitation in Aunt Gao's words, it was clear that she had made a limited number of pancakes. She figured that if they ate them, someone might have to eat less. Xu Keke turned around and smiled at her, "Thank you, Auntie. Yesterday, Grandpa Chen from the outer courtyard brought some steamed buns to Brother Qi last night. Brother Qi said he couldn't eat that many by himself, so he shared some with me. I'll just cook some porridge."
"Brother Qi, Grandpa Chen, how do you determine the generation?" She hadn't paid attention to how the two Meng children addressed Qi Chang before. How did Qi Chang become their generation? She didn't know which generation the child was on. Considering the child had just lost her mother, if she corrected her, the child might think she was bullying a motherless child. So Aunt Gao didn't say anything more. She went back inside, scooped a bowl of millet from the porcelain jar, and brought it out.
“I got this from my parents’ house yesterday. You’re using millet to make porridge, and this will soften quickly and cook fast.”
Xu Keke didn't stand on ceremony and smiled as she reached out to take it. Aunt Gao glanced at her stove, "After you finish cooking, I'll seal the stove for you. You can unseal it at noon and use it. You don't need to light this stove every day."
Xu Keke's eyes lit up; what a wonderful thing! In Meng Dong's memory, Chen Yurong used to get up early to boil water and cook. After Chen Yurong died, Meng Dong went to work not long after. Every day, they would get up early to light the fire and cook, then the two sisters would take their lunch to school or work. Seeing how easily Meng Dong lit the stove, Aunt Gao probably didn't teach her.
Little did she know that in her past life, Meng Dong's mother had died, and her father had abandoned her, leaving her like a bitter gourd steeped in bitterness. Over time, a bitterness emanated from her very being. People had to be careful when speaking to her and offer appropriate comfort. Although those around her sympathized with her, no one wanted to constantly look at her sorrowful face. Gradually, they all stopped approaching her.
Xu Keke goes about her business as usual, talking and handling things without ever showing any sadness, like "I just lost my mother." Because of her, people don't feel pressured when talking to her.
With Aunt Gao's help, Xu Keke prepared breakfast quickly. After the sisters finished eating, they left the courtyard at almost the same time as the three children from the Gao family.
Nanfeng Middle School and the second primary school that Meng Jia attends are two streets apart. Nowadays, the public security is good, and first-grade children go to school by themselves.
After taking two steps, Xu Keke looked back and saw Meng Jia still standing at the school gate watching her, without going in.
Xu Keke regretted letting her go back to her parents' house with Aunt Gao yesterday. She wondered what her daughter had overheard. Last night, she even said she didn't want to go to school.
Xu Keke ran back without saying goodbye, startling the Gao siblings, who stopped in their tracks, wondering what she was up to.
Xu Keke ran up to Meng Jia, hugged her, and whispered in her ear, "You're good with your hands, help your sister sew a piece of cloth this afternoon. Don't run around after class this morning, do your homework first. That way you won't be short on time this afternoon. If I'm late, wait for me here at noon. I'll be here waiting for you when I arrive."
Meng Jia was very well-behaved, nodding earnestly to Xu Keke. She needed to finish all her homework in the morning, so she had to hurry inside. If she was late, the teacher would punish her by making her copy books, and she wouldn't be able to finish before noon.
Seeing that she had run off without paying attention, Xiao Jiaqing chased after her, calling out pitifully, "Sister Jiajia, wait for me! I'll wait for you..."
Xiao Jiaqing started school a year early because Aunt Gao wanted to make sure there was someone to look after her at home. She figured if he didn't do well, he'd just have to repeat a grade. Meng Jia started a year later, so they ended up in the same grade and class. They're even deskmates now.
"What did you say to your sister?" Gao Lan asked Xu Keke, turning her head as they walked to school.
"It's nothing. I just asked her to do her homework during the morning break and help me with some chores in the afternoon," Xu Keke replied casually.
"They only have half-day classes in elementary school, and you still make her do homework during breaks. What kind of work do you expect her to do?" Gao Lan asked, puzzled.
"There's not much work, just sewing two pieces of cloth together..."
Before Xu Keke could finish speaking, Gao Lan retorted, "We have a sewing machine at home. Just bring the fabric over. My mom doesn't have time, I can just stomp on it for you. Why would we need her?"
Xu Keke glanced at Gao Jiale, who was listening intently. If she didn't know that this family meant well, Xu Keke wouldn't have bothered to explain. "Meng Jia was afraid that people would say hurtful things to her, so she didn't want to go to school last night. I made her do her homework during breaks so she wouldn't have time to wander around and hear what others were saying. Even if those people said something to her face, she wouldn't have time to pay attention. Some things will fade from memory after a few days, but if you don't handle these first few days well, people will keep bringing them up."
Gao Jiale recalled that yesterday, on the street in front of his maternal grandmother's house, he saw his cousins with the neighbors' children, talking to Meng Jia. He called them away, and Meng Jia cried later.
Gao Lan was there at the time, and she not only knew about what happened, but also what they were saying to Meng Jia. At the time, she didn't take it seriously; kids are just talkative, and her brother would just scold them a bit. She never expected that Meng Jia would be so scared that she didn't even want to go to school. She felt a little annoyed, "I should have told Jia Qing to protect Jia Jia."
The other two didn't respond. Gao Jiaqing was protecting Meng Jia; they didn't really believe it.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
