at the same time.
In the neighboring courtyard, Old Mrs. Zhou and her daughter-in-law Xiaomei had a much more meager lunch.
On a small wooden table were two bowls of rice porridge so thin you could see your reflection in it, a dish of dark, pickled vegetables, and half a hard cornbread.
Xiaomei had completely lost the fragile demeanor she had previously displayed in public.
She poked the cornbread with her chopsticks and curled her lips in disgust.
"Mom, when will this end? We eat this pig swill every day, how am I supposed to produce breast milk for the baby?"
She was in her early twenties, with a beautiful face but a somewhat mean expression, completely different from her gentle demeanor in public.
Grandma Zhou sighed, broke the cornbread in half, and pushed the larger piece in front of her daughter-in-law.
"Just make do with this; this is all the compensation the factory gave us left."
"Make do?"
Xiaomei sneered and slammed the cornbread onto the table.
"I've had enough! If this continues, don't blame me for abandoning the children and leaving!"
Grandma Zhou's expression changed, and she hurriedly whispered.
"Keep your voice down! What kind of talk would that be if someone heard you!"
She glanced warily out the window, and only continued after confirming that no one was around.
"Haven't I found a way out?"
Xiaomei looked at her mother-in-law with suspicion.
"What way out?"
Grandma Zhou approached mysteriously.
"It's the family we ran into today, the one surnamed Su."
A glint of greed flashed in her eyes.
"I've inquired about it. Su Jian's family is quite wealthy! He worked as an electrician for over twenty years, then sold his job, and I heard he even extorted money from a high-ranking official. His family is at least a millionaire!"
Xiaomei stared in surprise.
"That old man in his fifties?"
She recalled Su Jianguo, whom she had just met. He was an ordinary middle-aged man who looked nothing like a wealthy person.
"Don't judge a book by its cover."
"Grandma Zhou said proudly."
Xiaomei pursed her lips, then suddenly thought of something, and her face turned ugly.
"Wait, Mom, you don't mean to make me..."
Grandma Zhou gave a meaningful smile.
"What, you think he's too old? That Su Jianguo may be over fifty, but he's in good health. Besides, men that age are the easiest to please. You're young and beautiful; with a little effort..."
Xiaomei irritably pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, lit it skillfully, and took a deep drag.
"I don't mind."
She exhaled a smoke ring and squinted her eyes.
The question is, would anyone even be interested in me?
Grandma Zhou was confident.
"Don't worry, I've observed him. His wife is just an ignorant housewife. As for Su Jianguo..."
She lowered her voice.
"What man doesn't have a taste for fish?"
Xiaomei pondered for a moment, then stubbed out her cigarette in the pickled vegetable dish.
"Okay, I'll give it a try. But let me make this clear: if I don't get anything out of this place, I won't waste my time here."
Grandma Zhou nodded repeatedly.
"That's natural, that's natural."
She glanced at her sleeping grandson in the corner, a calculating glint in her eyes.
"Oh, by the way, go borrow some salt tonight, and try to get on the good side of the women in that family."
Xiaomei waved her hand impatiently.
"knew."
She stood up and stretched.
"I'm going out for some fresh air."
Once inside the courtyard, Xiaomei lit another cigarette and leaned against the wall, puffing away.
It was afternoon.
Su Jianguo lay on the rattan chair in the main room, taking a nap, his snores even and steady.
In the courtyard, Su Mingfu was squatting on the ground, holding a twig in his hand, drawing crooked squares on the mud.
"Big Mao, Little Mao, watch your Uncle teach you how to play hopscotch!"
Su Mingfu lowered his voice, afraid of waking his father inside.
Da Mao lay on the ground with his bottom sticking up, his little hands supporting his chin.
"Third Uncle, how do you play this?"
That's it,"
Su Mingfu drew a crooked grid on the ground with a twig.
"Hop on one foot, without stepping on the line..."
Xiao Mao suddenly burst into laughter.
"My third uncle's drawing looks like a caterpillar!"
Su Mingfu pretended to be angry and reached out to tickle Xiao Mao's itch.
"Dare to laugh at Third Uncle? Take this!"
The two children immediately burst into laughter and started chasing and playing in the yard.
Su Mingfu leaned against the tree trunk, watching his two nephews play, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.
It feels so good to be home for the holidays, away from those annoying homework assignments and strict teachers at school.
Just then, a light footstep sound came from outside the courtyard gate.
Su Mingfu didn't pay attention at first, thinking it was just a neighbor passing by.
The footsteps stopped in front of her door, followed by a hesitant knock.
"Knock knock knock!"
The voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing someone.
Su Mingfu turned his head to look.
The sunlight shone directly on the courtyard gate, outlining a slender figure.
He squinted, unable to make out the person's face for a moment.
Who is it?
He put down the branch, patted the dirt off his hands, and walked towards the door.
When he was three steps away from the courtyard gate, the angle of the sunlight suddenly changed, and the figure suddenly became clear.
Su Mingfu stopped abruptly, his breath catching in his throat.
Standing outside the door was a young woman, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing a blue cloth jacket, which could not hide her slender figure.
Her hair was simply pulled back, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears, making her oval face look even more delicate.
The most striking feature was his eyes.
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