When Zong Shao got home, he found out that Lin Wei was taking a bath in the bathroom. He asked curiously, "Why is your mother taking a bath now?"
Because the climate on Yazhou Island is hot, it's already mid-October and the temperature hasn't dropped completely. I start sweating after taking a shower and working for a while. So their family takes turns taking a bath after meals, so that they can go to bed refreshed after taking a bath.
The two brothers had just been scolded by their mother, so they didn't dare to say a word.
Zong Shao guessed something was wrong as soon as he saw it: "What trouble have you gotten into?"
Mingming Ruirui heard this and looked at the other person with tacit understanding. After a brief eye contact, Ruirui gritted her teeth and took a step forward and said, "When mom came back, we were playing games and... accidentally spit saliva on her."
Zong Shao: "...What game did you play?"
"Spit out the melon seed husks."
Forgive Zong Shao for his poor childhood, he didn’t understand what this game was.
Seeing that his father was not angry, Mingming dared to speak up and explained swiftly: "It's just the three of us. After eating the melon seeds, we spit out the skins together to see who can spit the farthest."
"Did you vomit on your mother?" Zong Shao asked.
Mingming shook his head quickly, then nodded: "Mom suddenly came out from Xiao Shitou's house, and we spit the melon seed shells on her."
Well, it’s not just saliva, but also melon seed shells.
Zong Shao understood what was going on. He got up and took a look around the kitchen. The rice was not cooked, the vegetables were not fried, and water was still boiling on the coal stove. More importantly, there was no vegetable in the house.
Zong Shao had heard a long time ago that people in the south don't stockpile vegetables. When they go to the vegetable market, they basically only buy enough for one or two meals. But it was not until Lin Wei joined the army that he confirmed this with his own eyes.
Although his ancestral home is in Shicheng, he has been serving in the army with his parents since he can remember. At first, his father was stationed in Liao Province with the troops. When he was seven or eight years old, he was transferred to the capital, where he has been until today.
In that part of Liaoning Province, the temperature is below zero for a long time in winter. By late winter, there are basically no green vegetables on the market. In order to have a bite of green leafy vegetables, they had to bring truckloads of vegetables home before the weather got cold and store them in the old cellar.
Later, when we arrived at the capital, which is still a northern city, even though people did not stockpile as much vegetables as in Liaoning Province, it was common to buy half a carload of them. Even in summer, people are used to buying several days' worth of vegetables at one time.
Zong Shao didn't know how long it took his mother to develop the habit of storing vegetables when she moved from Shicheng to Liao Province, but he knew that when she returned to Shicheng, she was unable to change this habit until she fell ill and died.
Therefore, after arriving on the island, when he went grocery shopping with Lin Wei for the first time, he found it very strange to see her buying vegetables by the bunch, potatoes by the piece, and green onions by the root.
Zong Shao also asked her why she didn't buy more at one time. Green vegetables are not easy to store, but potatoes can be kept for a week or so.
Lin Wei asked back: "Isn't it better to eat fresh ones?"
Although vegetables such as potatoes and eggplants can be kept for several days after purchase, they are difficult to lose moisture after being separated from the roots and will become a little wilted. They are edible, but the taste is inevitably a little worse. The vegetables bought at the vegetable market are basically freshly picked that day and it is not far away, so she naturally prefers to make a trip there every day.
Zong Shao suddenly realized.
Therefore, if Lin Wei did not go to the vegetable market that day, there would be no fresh vegetables at home. All that could be found were eggs bought by the kilogram and the dried mountain products that his parents sent from time to time.
Now if you go to the vegetable market, you can buy some decent vegetables and make a couple of dishes out of them. But it's already six o'clock. If we start cooking now, we won't be able to eat until at least seven or eight o'clock, which is not as fast as cooking noodles.
Zong Shao walked around the kitchen and returned to the main house. He entered the living room, walked to the bathroom door and knocked.
Before he knocked on the door, he could hear the faint sound of water through the door panel. Then a "knock knock knock" sound was heard, and the sound inside stopped. About two seconds later, Lin Wei asked loudly what happened.
Zong Shao asked: "Do you want to eat noodles or dinner tonight? If you want dinner, I'll go to the restaurant and take it away."
"All is fine." Lin Wei replied, transferring the decision-making power to Zong Shao.
Zong Shao said okay, and after going out, he asked Mingming and Ruirui what they wanted to eat in the evening.
Mingming rolled his eyes and asked, "Dad, are you doing it?"
Zong Shao said: "If you want noodles, I'll cook them. If you want meals, I'll take them away from the restaurant."
Mingming said without hesitation: "Then I want to eat!"
Zong Shao: “…” His cooking shouldn’t be that bad, right? Then he looked at Ruirui.
Ruirui gave his father face, hesitated for half a minute, and then decided to eat.
Okay.
Zong Shao turned back to the bathroom door, knocked on it and told Lin Wei the decision of the two children, then walked to the chest of drawers, took out the key to open the door, and took out two dollars, two small grain coupons, a small meat coupon, and a seafood coupon. He took them all with him and went to the restaurant to see what dishes were available before deciding which coupon to use.
Because Lin Wei was taking a shower, Zong Shao did not take the two children with him. He took his lunch box and went out.
Not long after Zong Shao left, Lin Wei came out of the shower. She had been sweating today and even washed her hair. She came out and wiped her hair while asking, "Dad is out?"
"Dad went to buy food." Mingming said and then asked, "Mom, are you still angry?"
Lin Wei snorted, meaning of course.
Mingming looked embarrassed, scratched his head and asked, "Mom, how can you not be angry?"
"Well..." Lin Wei sat on the sofa, pretending to be in deep thought.
Mingming Ruirui followed and stood in front of her, waiting for her answer eagerly.
Lin Wei admired their expressions for a while, coughed twice and said, "I'm a little thirsty, what should I do?"
"Mom, let me pour you some water!" Mingming ran very fast.
Ruirui failed to snatch the ball from her brother, so she had to stand back.
After drinking the water her son poured, Lin Wei fanned herself with her hands: "Oh, it's a bit hot, what should I do?"
"Mom, I'm going to get the electric fan." Mingming ran upstairs again very quickly.
Lin Wei quickly stopped the man. With his small body, his weight was not much heavier than an electric fan. If the fan was not taken down, he would fall down.
Seeing this, Ruirui picked up the homework book on the bench where they were sitting in class and fanned Lin Wei: "Mom, let me fan you."
Seeing this, Mingming followed suit and picked up his homework book to fan Lin Wei.
So when Zong Shao came back with the lunch box, he saw Lin Wei sitting on the sofa, holding a cup of water in her hand, drinking it intermittently, and Mingming Ruirui was standing on either side, fanning her vigorously.
While fanning themselves, the two children asked, "Mom, are you still hot now?"
"A little bit."
"Oh." Continue fanning.
Zong Shao put the lunch box on the table, opened the lid and said, "It's time to eat."
Lin Wei responded and stood up: "Let's go eat."
The two children quickly followed, and when they sat down around the dining table, Ruirui asked, "Mom, are you still angry?"
"Of course." Lin Wei nodded.
The little guy looked disappointed and asked tentatively: "When will you stop being angry, Mom?"
Mingming was listening nearby, but he couldn't help but raise his hands to rub his arms. His arms were sore from fanning himself.
Lin Wei was secretly happy, but her tone was still calm: "It depends on your performance in the next two days." After saying that, she saw the two children's faces fall, and asked, "Why? Don't you want to?"
Upon hearing this, the two little guys immediately shook their heads like rattles: "No."
…
After dinner, Lin Wei enjoyed the brothers' fanning service for a while. Looking at the time, she thought they might be tired. Just as she was about to call them to stop, Liu Dan came in from the back door.
Seeing the scene in the living room, she was stunned for a moment and asked, "What happened to you?"
"Nothing, why are you here?" Lin Wei stood up and greeted Liu Dan, then said to the two children, "That's all for today, go and have fun."
Finally liberated.
The two children cheered in unison, put down their homework books and prepared to walk out, but after taking two steps, Ruirui stopped, turned around and said, "Remember to call us when mom gets hot."
Mingming, who was originally walking out hand in hand with his brother, immediately let go of him and covered his face with his hands when he heard this.
If he were a few years older and knew more, he would definitely say "you are bringing up something irrelevant", but now, he just thinks that his younger brother is too stupid and he can't lead him!
Seeing her eldest son's little action, Lin Wei suppressed her laughter and said, "Don't worry, Mommy will definitely not forget to call you."
After the two brothers left, Liu Dan asked, "What did your two boys do again?"
Before getting to know Lin Wei, Liu Dan always felt that Mingming Ruirui was very well behaved. Compared with them, her son was just like the others: people will die if compared with others, and goods will be thrown away if compared with others.
But after getting to know each other better, Liu Dan discovered that Mingming and Ruirui were obedient when they were well behaved, but they were also very naughty when they were naughty.
Lin Wei also had a lot of headaches because of them.
The good thing is that Zong Shao is not a hands-off boss and is decisive in taking care of the children. Unlike the one in her family, she would be thankful if he didn't hinder her when she was disciplining her children, let alone help.
When Liu Dan asked again, Lin Wei told him about the three children spitting saliva and melon seed shells all over her: "I was already very tired in the afternoon, and when I came back they spit all over me. I was really angry."
After hearing this, Liu Dan laughed without any sense of propriety, and then asked, "What did you do this afternoon that makes you so tired?"
"During the afternoon activity class, the teacher's child was not feeling well and asked for leave, so he asked me to help take care of it..." After talking about weeding, Lin Wei rubbed her thigh and said, "In the past, during the busy farming season, I followed the adults and picked up rice ears all day without feeling anything. Now, after only weeding for less than an hour, I feel backache and waist pain, even worse than the children in the class."
Liu Dan said: "This is what happens when you sit in the office for too long. Before I joined the army, I worked in a workshop and was still energetic after a busy day. But now it's not the case anymore. I get out of breath after walking a little more."
Children aged seven or eight are very active. Like his son, he can play all day long without feeling tired. In terms of endurance, she is really not as good as him.
After the small talk, Liu Dan remembered the purpose of his visit to Lin Wei, and told her what happened in Qi's house yesterday. He then said, "Xiao Yang said that Qi Tao originally wanted the old witch to apologize to her, but later he saw that the old witch didn't think she was wrong at all and her apology was not sincere, so he changed his mind and sent the old witch back early."
Lin Wei asked: "Is Captain Qi's mother willing to go back?"
"Of course I don't want to. I made a big fuss at home, scolding Qi Tao for being unfilial and saying I would report him to the army." Liu Dan had an expression that said "Why are you so naive?"
“…”
Lin Wei replied with a string of ellipsis marks, thought for a moment and asked, "Does she really intend to sue?"
Unfilial piety can be a small or big thing. In the former case, it is because the parents are soft-hearted and unwilling to spread the news. Then it is a family matter and at most people will just say a few words about it. But if the parents are tough enough and report it directly to the unit, then it will be a big problem and if things go wrong, the future will be ruined.
"From her attitude, she really wanted to sue him, but Qi Taogang directly told the old witch that if she really felt that he was unfilial, then she could sue him. He even told her which department would be the most useful to sue her."
Seeing Liu Dan's high spirits, Lin Wei knew that Old Lady Qi must not have sued, and asked in confusion: "Then why did she give up?"
"Why? For money!" Liu Dan curled his lips and said, "Qi Tao said which department would be in charge, and then he told me the consequences of filing a complaint. If this matter really gets out, he will be accused of being unfilial and having a bad character, and his future will definitely be ruined. If the situation is good, he will be transferred, if not, he will be demobilized, and if it is even worse, he may be sent to the cowshed."
Speaking of this, Liu Dan felt sorry for Qi Tao. His father died early and his younger brother was still young. It could be said that he was the one who supported the family alone. Of course, Yang Yi came into the picture later.
But this does not diminish the efforts Qi Tao has made over the years. He even almost sacrificed his own family for the Qi family. But even so, when the mother and son disagreed, the mother would scold him for being unfilial and heartless, and would report him to the army.
But what made people feel most sorry for him was Old Lady Qi’s reaction after she heard what he said about the consequences of filing a complaint.
"At the beginning, the old witch was very proud and felt that she had found a way to control Qi Tao. But when Qi Tao said that he might not be able to protect himself after being demoted and would not be able to send her living expenses every month, she was dumbfounded." In fact, Qi Tao said a lot more, but Liu Dan felt that living expenses were what the old witch cared about most.
Thinking of Qi Tao's uncomfortable but not-so-surprised expression at the time, Liu Dan couldn't help but say, "I really don't know what sins he committed in his previous life to have such a mother in this life."
"Some people may be born with a weak bond with their parents, and it's a good thing to be able to see that clearly."
"That's true. Once the old witch leaves, they will feel relieved."
Lin Wei nodded, then remembered that Liu Dan had missed someone from the beginning to the end, and asked, "When we had the argument yesterday, was Captain Qi's brother not there?"
"I didn't see him, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just think it's a bit strange." Seeing Liu Dan's puzzled expression, Lin Wei explained, "Think about it, Captain Qi's brother has only been on the island for half a month, and he doesn't have many close friends. He can't stay at other people's houses all night, right? But if he was at home, it's impossible that he didn't hear anything when there was so much noise outside."
Liu Dan frowned: "It seems a bit strange when you put it that way, but he has nothing to do with this matter, right?"
Lin Wei thought how could it not be related? There were only two children in the Qi family, and it was obvious that Old Lady Qi favored the younger son. But she didn't come alone to visit the unfavored eldest son, she also came with her younger son.
If the younger son does not have a job, there is certainly nothing wrong with him accompanying his mother to visit his brother. But he is a regular employee of a state-owned factory. Would the company have no objection if he asked for a month or two of leave to visit non-immediate relatives? Even if the company has no objection, doesn’t Mrs. Qi worry about affecting her youngest son’s work?
Lin Wei felt that Mrs. Qi and her son probably had other purposes for coming to the island under the pretext of visiting relatives. Maybe all these things were caused by him.
But even if Brother Qi Tao is innocent and these things have nothing to do with him, if he was at home last night and hid in his room...
Lin Wei said: "If he came out to help Captain Qi, I would think he is reasonable. If he only knew how to persuade and smooth things over, I could barely say he is an honest man. Even if he sided with Old Lady Qi, he still has the virtue of being filial. But he retreated, so I can only say that he is irresponsible."
In this matter, is Brother Qi Tao really innocent?
Lin Wei didn't know what others were thinking, but she didn't believe he was innocent. Therefore, she felt that Qi Ze was not only irresponsible, but also had questionable character.
Liu Dan really had no idea what kind of person Qi Ze was.
Although the two families lived close to each other, she had to go to work. Besides, if Qi Ze wanted to find someone to chat with, he would definitely give priority to men, so the two of them didn't have much communication.
In addition to the hatred created by Old Lady Qi, before today, Liu Dan had never thought about what role Qi Ze played in it.
But Liu Dan felt that as long as the old witch could be sent away, it didn’t matter whether Qi Ze was a good person or not. Now that his biological mother was gone, it was impossible for him to stay on the island and continue to make trouble.
Lin Wei said this because she was actually worried that Qi Ze would take advantage of these few days to cause trouble, but she changed her mind and thought, Qi Tao was so clear-eyed that he could even control his own mother, so how could he not be able to deal with his younger brother?
So I felt relieved.
But soon, Lin Wei found that she was too relaxed too early. However, this time it was not Yang Yi who was in trouble, but herself.
She was reported!
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Second update
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