19.019 Don't be idle on nights when I'm around.
Sure enough, after Ning Jin saw Su Yu slowly go to work, Ping An, that brat, came over a short while later, swinging a rope around in his hand.
"Ning Ping'an." Ning Jin called out to him from the wall, not letting go of the bewilderment on his son's face when he saw him turn into surprise. He picked up the child who rushed towards him, patted his little bottom and said, "I've been home three times this month and you weren't home twice. What's wrong? You don't like our house because it's not an apartment building?"
"No, it's not like that. My grandma's house is too cramped. I don't like apartment buildings." Ping An leaned on his dad's shoulder, his eyes crinkling with laughter, and asked, "Dad, did you just get back?"
“I came back last night.” Ning Jin carried him towards the old house and asked, “You don’t like apartment buildings, so why did you stay at your grandma’s house for several days? What delicious food did your grandma cook for you?”
When talking to his father, Ping An spoke his mind. He smacked his lips twice and said, "There's nothing good to eat. It's just cornbread, corn grits, dark flour buns, and cornbread pancakes. They're not as good as what Xiao Yuan's mother makes."
“What do you mean Xiao Yuan’s mom? She’s still your mom. Next time, no matter who you’re talking to, you have to say ‘my mom,’ not ‘Xiao Yuan’s mom.’ Xiao Yuan’s mom and Er Ya’s mom mean the same thing. She does your laundry, cooks for you, and waits for you to come home. She treats you no differently than Xiao Yuan.” Ning Jin formally corrected Ping An’s way of addressing her.
Ping An nodded in agreement, and then said, "Then I will only call Xiao Yuan's mom in front of my grandma and uncles. If I say she is my mom, my grandma will slap my mouth."
Ning Jin thought Ping An was still young and lacked the ability to make judgments, so he didn't pressure him. After all, he wasn't home often and couldn't teach him everything. He knew Ping An's maternal grandmother quite well; she was unreasonable and argumentative. When he married Ping An's mother, he was basically buying her as a wife. However, at least back then, she had a father-in-law who cared about appearances, so Ping An's mother still had some dowry. Later, her father and mother-in-law passed away one after the other, and the two families basically lost contact. But when Ping An was four years old, his maternal grandmother suddenly remembered she had a grandson and only visited a few times a year.
When Ping'an turned five, Ningjin asked his older sister's husband to help him get a job driving a transport truck. Ping'an lived with his grandmother. The old house was crowded, and Ningjin, worried his son would be looked down upon and go hungry, would hand over money and receipts to the family in front of his brother and sister-in-law. Later, somehow, Ping'an's grandmother found out and wanted to take her poor, motherless grandson back to live with her. Ping'an's food money ended up in his grandmother's hands. At that time, Ningjin had just started driving a truck, and he was exhausted and busy. Whenever he came back, he saw his son was in good spirits, and knowing his grandmother hadn't beaten or starved him, he let him be. His maternal and paternal grandmothers alternated between staying at each other's homes.
"Dad, is my eldest brother's bicycle at home? I need to borrow it for half a day." When Ning Jin arrived at the old house, his parents were both home, but Zhao Guixiang's expression changed when she saw her youngest son, so Ning Jin ignored her.
Ning Mancang pushed his bicycle out and asked his youngest son, "When did you get back?"
“Last night.” Ning Jin let Ping An sit on the front bar.
"Where are you going?" Old Man Ning took out a few peanuts from his pocket and stuffed them into his grandson's hand, asking his youngest son who had no intention of sitting down and chatting.
“Pick up Xiaoyuan. He’s been staying at his aunt’s and uncle’s house for a few days now. I guess his aunt’s and uncle can’t find the time to take him back.” Ning Jin said, pushing the cart toward the door, ignoring his mother’s mocking snort.
He first took Ping An to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a pound of White Rabbit milk candy, two pounds of walnut shortbread, and a bag of brown sugar. They were late and there was no fatty meat left, so he cut off a strip of lean meat about two fingers wide. After paying, he grabbed four or five milk candies for his son and said, "If you want some, I'll bring you both back to buy some after I pick up Xiao Yuan."
Ning Jin took Ping An to pick up Xiao Yuan without asking Ping An's opinion, which gave the hesitant Ping An no chance to refuse. After leaving the town, the black bicycle rode along the country road, and Ping An asked his father if he had any relatives in the countryside.
No, Ping An's two uncles aren't very good, but his maternal grandfather was a skilled worker, which is why he was able to get an apartment. Ping An's mother and aunt both married workers with jobs and live in town.
“Yes, that’s where we’re going now. Xiao Yuan’s uncle is also your uncle, his mother is your mother, and his uncle is also your uncle.” He told Ping An this, hoping that Ping An would get to know more of his relatives here.
It's different. Xiao Yuan's uncle doesn't like him. He can't say it out loud, but he knows it in his heart, just like his grandma and grandpa don't like Xiao Yuan. Full of curiosity, he entered Xiao Yuan's uncle's house and saw Xiao Yuan and his cousins eating roasted corn, their mouths covered in burnt ash.
"Dad, you're back?" Xiao Yuan asked vaguely, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. His cousins called out "Uncle" and ran out to find their parents.
"Are you done playing? Your mom asked me to pick you up, but she's at work and can't find the time to come."
"I've had my fun. My uncle said he'll take me home tomorrow." He pulled down all his clothes that were drying on the bamboo pole, and stuffed the little slingshot his cousin had given him into his pocket. Just as he finished tidying up, his uncle came back.
"When did Ningjin get back? Have lunch at home. You and Xiaoyu have been married for over half a year, and this is only your second visit." Li Weidong saw Xiaoyuan packing clothes as soon as he entered the door and hurriedly invited the guest to stay.
"Su Yu is still at home..."
"Are you making lunch?" Li Weidong interrupted him and asked.
“I didn’t do it,” Ning Jin replied, somewhat puzzled as to why he had suddenly asked this question.
“That’s right. You don’t cook, and Xiao Yuan’s mom can cook. She won’t go hungry if you don’t go back. Going back will only cause her trouble. Just stay here and have a meal before you leave. If you really want to go back, then go by yourself and leave the two kids here. This is Ping An’s first time visiting his uncle’s house, so we can’t treat them poorly.” Li Weidong casually carried Xiao Yuan’s packed clothes into the house and took a dried fish from the beam to soak in water.
His enthusiasm made Ningjin reluctant to refuse. Just then, Su Yu, the eldest sister, returned home. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she went inside to cook. Seeing that all the children were home, Ningjin distributed the groceries he had bought from the car to the children, and had Xiao Yuan take the meat to the kitchen.
During lunch, Su Min said, "Xiao Ning, we are really relatives, so don't be so formal. My nephew is staying at his aunt's house for a few days because he likes me as his aunt. It has nothing to do with you adults. You're making it sound like I invited Xiao Yuan to stay just to ask for things."
Su Min knew that her younger sister wasn't a big spender. The things she bought today must have cost at least three or four yuan. Her family only had an income of a little over two hundred yuan a year. Her eldest son was getting married soon, and her eldest daughter was getting married. She couldn't afford to give such a big gift. If she accepted these gifts and then only bought something worth five or six mao at her younger sister's house, it would be a slap in her sister's face.
"Don't think like that, sister. I didn't spend much money on this stuff. It was the money from the fish that my brother sent. She said you wouldn't want it even if I gave it to you, so I just used it to buy things to appease my nephew and niece." Ning Jin vaguely mentioned the money from selling the fish.
Su Min exclaimed "Oh dear!" and said that once the fish was given away, it belonged to Su Yu. How could she sell it and get the money back to her? She also said she wanted to bring some dried fish for her little sister to eat, but she probably wouldn't have gotten to eat any of the fish after it was sold.
Li Weidong asked Ning Jin, "Are the fish quite expensive in town?"
"Your fish is more expensive than the fish from the supply and marketing cooperative without a coupon, and it's fresh. I heard from Su Yu that she sold it to the head chef in the canteen, who is someone who doesn't lack money. As for the rest, I don't know anything." Ning Jin was afraid that his brother-in-law was going to sell things in town, which was speculation and profiteering. If he got caught, it would be terrible. He told him not to mess around. This money is not easy to earn, and if one person gets into trouble, the whole family will suffer.
After the alcohol wore off, he rode his bike with the two children home. When they arrived at the door, he told Ping An and Xiao Yuan to go home first while he returned the bike.
“I’ll go with you, let Xiaoyuan go back first.” Ping An refused to get off the front bumper.
"You might as well be the younger brother; you're not as obedient as Xiao Yuan." Ning Jin patted him on the head and said to Xiao Yuan, "Don't get out of the car; let's go to Grandma's house together and come back later."
"I'm not going, I miss Xiao Hei." He quickly jumped off the bike, afraid of being taken away while riding on it.
Ning Jin was both annoyed and amused. These kids, even at a little older, had a lot of clever ideas. Compared to these two little devils, he was a complete simpleton when he was young.
Xu Yuan watched the bicycle ride away into the distance. He took out his key from around his neck and opened the door, thinking to himself, "I'm not going to that old witch's house. She doesn't like me or my mom, and I don't like her either."
"What do you want to say? If you don't say anything soon, we'll be home." Ning Jin nudged his son, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
"You figured it out? I didn't even tell you, how did you know?" Ping An stared at his father in disbelief.
"I raised you with my own hands and feet, I know exactly what kind of shit you're going to poop just by the way you stick your tail up."
"Then guess what I'm going to say."
"Still getting worked up?" Ning Jin frowned and glanced at him before walking past him and striding forward.
"I'll talk, I'll talk, Dad, wait for me." Ping An caught up with him, hugged his leg, buried her head in his pants, and whispered, "Did Grandma let me stay at her house just to get your things?"
"Why do you ask that?" Ning Jin did not answer.
“Aunt Xiaoyuan doesn’t let you buy things for them. My grandma asks me every day what good things we have at home, and what you bring back every time you come back. She has never said anything like what Aunt Xiaoyuan said.”
"Go to your grandparents' house less often. You have food and drink at home and can play with Xiaoyuan. You know all the kids in our alley. You're perfectly fine at home, why do you have to go looking for trouble?" Ning Jin said impatiently, squatting down to hold Ping An's shoulders and wondering, "Son, can you think less about things? Thinking too much will stunt your growth. Your dad lived with my grandparents since I was little. Your grandma treated me worse than your mom did, but I didn't think about things like you do."
"Didn't my grandma treat you well?" Ping An asked curiously.
Ning Jin was powerless. He hadn't been sent here to be curious. The man sighed, got up, and continued walking back. He thought to himself that children's ideas change every now and then, and such wild speculation is just a waste of time. If he didn't have enough to eat every day, he wouldn't have so many thoughts. Just like Er Ya next door, her biological mother was worse than her stepmother. She was treated like a little servant, but he never saw her being jealous of her brother.
Sitting on his bed that night, he noticed the book on the bedside table, flipped through a couple of pages, and then closed it again. "Why did I suddenly start reading?"
"I want to farm scientifically. I read about soft rot in sweet potatoes in a book before. I went back to my parents' house and it helped. Anyway, I have nothing to do at night and can't sleep, so I read books to pass the time." Su Yu explained that he would be her strongest witness to how she "learned" to treat trees from books.
When Ning Jin heard her say that she was bored and couldn't sleep at night, he didn't dare to reply. He thought that reading was fine too; if she could fall asleep while reading, he would feel at ease. It was better to have one's mind on a book than on another man. He got up and went out. A little while later, he returned with a basin containing four condoms floating in it.
He coughed and said, "From now on, this basin is my personal property. I'll use it specifically for washing condoms, so don't use it for anything else."
He filled the case with water, wiped the outside dry with his clothes, and lifted it up to show Su Yu. "No water is leaking out, it's not broken." Then he poured out the water, turned it over, and wiped the inside dry, afraid it would slip when he used it.
"Come on, with me here, I'll make sure you don't have a moment's rest tonight." He closed the doors and windows, took off his clothes, and pounced on the person on the bed.
After all that last night, he still has energy? Su Yu squeezed her legs together in refusal: "I'm tired, I want to sleep."
He no longer believed her words from the bed. "Stop pretending. Be more open like last night. I know you too well. You either want it or you don't. I believed your lies before, and it made me so frustrated."
Su Yu looked annoyed, but he also got aroused by her pinching. She half-heartedly said, "You were too rough last night. My legs are still sore and swollen."
"Okay, I'll cook, wash the dishes, and do the laundry tomorrow morning." Hearing her words, he felt energized and wanted to go even further.
"You can only do it once." Su Yu grabbed his hand to stop him from moving down.
"I'll cover lunch and dinner too," he added.
"It's really sore, my back aches too, and I have to unload vegetables tomorrow," Su Yu said weakly.
"I'll massage your legs and back, you just go to sleep." The man persisted.
"I'm not doing it anymore, you don't even care about me." Su Yu turned over as if to go to sleep.
"Just once, please." Ning Jin gritted his teeth and compromised, straightening the woman's posture.
...
Fireworks flashed in her mind, a white light streaked across her face, and Su Yu felt as if she were soaking in a hot spring. She could comfortably close her eyes and fall asleep, but the man was still working hard. She punched him, "That's enough, don't be ungrateful."
"Don't rush me, I can't get out, this thing is too thick..."
“你別是故意的吧，昨晚不就用了四個。”蘇愉知道套厚了就會降低敏感性，快感需要長時間積累，但昨晚寧津挺正常，她還以為他天賦凜然，套上就适應了。
“你別說話，分神。”男人滿頭大汗，心裏有些慶幸蘇愉霸道的打折活動，這要是來兩次他可能中途要去吃碗飯補補勁兒。
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