Now that the time has been confirmed with Yan Daqiang, I can go back to my wife's parents' home with peace of mind tomorrow. Seeing Cuihua running around busily, I felt embarrassed to stay any longer, since she was busy. One should be considerate, shouldn't one?
Grandma Yan exchanged a few polite words, after all, there was too much to pack. The first thing to do was decide which of the little girl's clothes to wear. Yan Xiaonan pointed to the light green coat, and Grandma Yan nodded, took it and put it on Yan Xiaonan. It was probably too big, the coat had become a long robe, and Yan Xiaonan had to stand on tiptoe to avoid the coat dragging on the ground.
Such a beautiful coat, but I can only look at it and not wear it. Yan Xiaonan didn't want to say anything. Looking at Yan Xiaonan's obviously depressed face, Yan Daqiang couldn't help but burst out laughing. How could this little girl be so funny?
Cuihua quickly comforted her, "Nannan, my darling, we're not in a hurry. You still have a long way to go. I'll put this coat away carefully. You'll definitely be able to wear it next year. We're not in a rush."
Yan Xiaonan nodded. What else could she do but nod? Looking at the length, she probably wouldn't be able to wear it next year. Sigh, what kind of eyesight does this aunt have? She was only a few months old in the photo. What does she mean by buying a coat for a five or six-year-old?
Yan Xiaonan had really misunderstood her aunt. The clothes were bought through someone else, and her aunt had never even seen them. Besides, this was the smallest coat available. In those days when people couldn't even afford enough to eat, even adults wouldn't buy a coat for themselves. Who would buy one for a little kid? If you were better off, a cotton-padded coat was already a luxury.
But Yan Xiaonan didn't know that her social circle was limited to this small, isolated Mushroom Village. She knew nothing about the outside world, and even if she did, it was all from modern books, so she had no real connection to it.
Fortunately, Yan Xiaonan has a cheerful personality. She changed into a small floral-patterned jacket made by her grandmother, and then wore a rabbit fur vest over it. When she went out, she just needed to put on thick cotton clothes and trousers. Seeing that the little girl was happy in no time, Grandma Yan felt relieved. Her own darling was the best. If this had happened to her second son, Yan Zheng, he would have been in tears.
Yan Daqiang nodded to himself. Such a young child was so magnanimous. It seemed that the Yan family really had hope. He suddenly remembered the matter of having Dongnan join the army. He glanced around and sure enough, he found Dongnan in the yard where he was stacking firewood. He asked Dongnan to make a pot of tea and come over so that they could have a good chat.
Dongnan, unaware of his uncle's plans, happily went to the kitchen to brew a pot of tea and poured it for his uncle. Yan Daqiang then spoke up: "Dongnan, you'll be seventeen by the start of the year, right? What are your plans?"
Southeast answered honestly that he is a junior in high school this year and plans to take the college entrance exam next year.
Yan Daqiang was surprised to find that Dongnan was still a high school student, and he immediately abandoned the idea of letting Dongnan participate. There aren't many students who do well in school these days, and since his nephew wants to study, his uncle should support him.
"Well done, Southeast University! Which university are you planning to apply to?"
Speaking of this, Dongnan got excited and started talking to his uncle about his ideals and goals. Only then did Yan Xiaonan realize that his older brother had lofty ambitions. He wanted to go to an agricultural university so that the grain yield in the land could be increased and the people would no longer go hungry. What a great ideal!
Yan Daqiang was deeply moved. How had his honest younger brother raised these children? Not only were they all good-looking, but they were also kind-hearted. The eldest was steady, the second was smart, the third was honest, and the fourth was mischievous. Even his second brother's children couldn't compare to them, even if they were barefoot.
Yan Xiaonan sat to the side listening, calculating in her mind that her older brother would graduate from university just as the college entrance examination was abolished. As long as he didn't become a teacher, there would be no problem. She just needed to keep a close eye on him.
Having made up her mind, Yan Xiaonan felt relieved and ran off to see Cuihua packing her things to go back to her parents' home. This time, she brought even more than last year, since her uncle was also going. It was impossible for the whole family to leave and only her uncle would be left alone.
When he thought about how his mother said yesterday that she was going back to her parents' home and that his grandmother would go with her, his uncle's mouth dropped open in surprise. How could a mother-in-law accompany her daughter-in-law when she goes back to her parents' home? But when he heard that his mother couldn't live without Yan Xiaonan, his uncle fell silent.
This niece is incredibly clever, unlike any other country girl. Her mother dotes on her like the apple of her eye, never letting her out of her sight. Her second sister-in-law's family lives far away, a round trip that would take two days. It's understandable that her mother is worried, so it's understandable that she'd go with her.
Moreover, last year the whole family went to Cuihua's parents' home together, so having one more person this year isn't a big deal. I heard that Cuihua's younger brother is very capable, so at least there will be someone to talk to.
Grandma Yan carefully counted the things to be loaded onto the oxcart tomorrow: a bag of cornmeal, a full 100 jin, 10 jin of rice (for Nan Nan), a basket of eggs, a can of malted milk powder, four bottles of canned fruit, 20 jin of wild boar meat, two wild rabbits, and some cotton-padded coats that Nan Nan couldn't fit into.
The little girl's things also need to be put away properly, such as handkerchiefs, hats, scarves, and gloves. These are things she must take when going out. Grandma Yan even took out the hair ties that her eldest daughter-in-law bought. There was a big bag of them. She asked Yan Xiaonan to pick out some hair ties, bows, and the like to give to the girls in her maternal family. Of course, there were also fruit candies and White Rabbit milk candies.
Xuemei also prepared everything she needed for the journey, including food, drinks, and blankets. Last night, Dongnan asked her if she wanted to visit her parents' home, but Xuemei firmly shook her head. Since they had sold her, she should just pretend they had never given birth to her. Besides, her unreasonable mother even dared to curse her grandmother, so she resolutely refused to go.
Southeast was delighted to hear this. He had been worried that Xue Mei would be unhappy because she missed her family, but he hadn't expected Xue Mei to be such a sensible girl. He gently stroked Xue Mei's head and said, "Xue Mei, we'll get married after I get into university. Don't worry, I'll treat you well."
Xuemei lowered her head shyly. She believed what Dongnan said. He was a man with his own ideas, steady and reliable. Her parents had done a good thing by selling her to a good family.
Yan Daqiang burped several times after eating dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year. It had been so long since he had eaten dumplings from his hometown. Every time his wife made dumplings, he always felt that something was missing. Today he realized that it was the taste of his hometown, the taste of his mother.
Seeing Yan Daqiang eating with great relish, Grandma Yan was on the verge of tears. It was New Year's Day, she couldn't afford to shed tears, so she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. Yan Xiaonan obediently took out a handkerchief and handed it to her grandmother: "Grandma, there's dust on my sleeve, it hurts my eyes."
What I originally wanted to say was not to rub my eyes with my sleeves, because there are bacteria on the sleeves that can cause conjunctivitis. But do you dare to say that?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
