“Even raising chicks requires feed. The chicks here can’t forage for food on their own, and there’s nowhere to dig up earthworms to feed them, so we can only feed them grain, which is a bit wasteful.”
"But if you like, Mom can let you raise two, but you have to take good care of Grey first. Grey will be relying on you from now on."
Yu Jiu thought that raising them wouldn't be a bad idea, but she would need to set up a vegetable garden in the yard and grow some vegetables. She didn't need too many, just enough for them and the chickens to eat.
"Okay, then it's settled!"
Little An'an was very happy. She even started planning with Yu Jiu how to plant vegetables in the yard, make a doghouse for Huihui, and a coop for the chicks. Everything was arranged clearly. Yu Jiu simply drew some lines according to her wishes. They would just need to bring over some fertile soil and buy some vegetable seeds to start planting.
Speaking of growing vegetables, Yu Jiu suddenly remembered something and asked Aunt Wu.
“Aunt Wu, it must be hard to buy vegetables in the city. Why don’t you grow some your own so you can be self-sufficient, save money and trouble?”
Growing vegetables is nothing shameful, and I think it's allowed in the city too.
“Xiao Yu, you’re a mother of two now, how can you still be so naive? Of course we want to grow vegetables too, but look at us, the whole family is crammed together and there’s not enough room for us to grow vegetables. It’s not like your yard is so big that you can build a few more rooms.”
Aunt Wu exclaimed dramatically that most families were like this: they called their yards, but they were filled with clutter, and some even built houses on top of their yards to live in. It was a miracle if there was any room to step out, let alone room to grow vegetables.
This family is quite wealthy; they own more than one house and have good jobs, which is why they've been able to maintain such a large yard without adding any unnecessary structures. Because they're not short of money, when Yu Jiu and Xu Zi asked Lin Xiaonong to inquire with the homeowner about selling the house, they were immediately refused. They said it was their ancestral home and could be rented out, but absolutely could not be sold.
Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang had no choice but to give up, but the landlord was quite reasonable. Since it was being rented out, it was inevitable that things would get damaged over time, so he only asked that they not add any random things, and that they could set aside a space in the yard to grow some vegetables.
Yu Jiu recalled that when she and Xu Zi went to deliver things to their neighbors that day, the yard they saw was indeed not big. It was just a small area, and if vegetables were planted there, there wouldn't even be room to walk.
No wonder, she asked a silly question. Yu Jiu scratched her head and immediately changed the subject.
The weather was getting colder and colder, and it even snowed. This was the first time An'an had ever seen snow. When she saw something falling from the sky, she thought the sky was going to collapse. She ran home in fear and hugged Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang.
"Mom and Dad, something terrible has happened! Let's take our little brother home quickly! The sky is falling here, things are dropping!"
Little An'an was still shaken. She pointed outside, signaling her parents to look out. Just as Yu Jiu and Xu Zi were about to go out to check, she stopped them, afraid that they would be killed by something falling from the sky.
"You can't go out now, or you'll be finished if you get hit."
Little An'an gave a serious warning because Yu Jiu had taught her before that throwing things from high places was wrong. Even a very light object can hurt a lot if it is thrown from a height and hits someone, and it might even kill someone. Little An'an remembered it, so of course she was scared now.
Yu Jiu found it amusing, but she couldn't bear to tease her on purpose; she simply picked her up.
"This isn't the sky collapsing, it's just snowing. It's getting cold up north, so it snows, just like it rains where we live. It's normal weather, don't be afraid. It won't hurt if it hits someone. Hail hurts, though. Hail is just solidified ice, right, An'an?"
"Come on, let's put on another layer of clothing, and then Mom and Dad will take you to play in the snow in the yard."
"That's right, Mom and Dad can also have a snowball fight with you."
Xu Zi smiled and pinched An An's chubby little face, then found a thick coat for An An to wear. As soon as they arrived, they found a place to prepare winter gear for this place, knowing that the weather here was much colder than at home, so the two of them had prepared in advance so that they could put the clothes on the two children as soon as the temperature dropped.
Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang also prepared a lot of moisturizing cream and hand cream, which they applied to An'an and Yuanyuan every day. They also applied it to themselves, determined not to get any frostbite. After applying the hand cream, they would put on hats and gloves, and even earmuffs to cover the two children completely.
"Are you sure everything will be alright?"
Little An'an clutched her coat with a worried expression, looking a little scared.
"Really, if An'an doesn't believe me, let's stand under the eaves first. Come on, stretch out your little hand, and the snowflakes will drift into your palm in a moment."
Xu Zi straightened An An's little hand, making her palm face up, waiting to catch the snowflakes that were falling. He and Yu Jiu did the same. The three of them maintained the same posture. They only stood under the eaves for a minute, and several snowflakes fell into their palms. As soon as they touched their warm palms, the snowflakes melted and turned into a puddle of water.
"How are you, An'an? Did the snowflakes hurt?"
Yu Jiu and Xu Zi looked at her with smiles. Little An An clasped her hands together and carefully felt them. It didn't seem to hurt, but they were icy cold and her hands were freezing.
"I still have to take more calls."
She became interested in these strange snowflakes, and even stretched out her other palm to catch a lot of snowflakes in it. Then she rubbed them on her face, which made her shiver from the cold.
"This is so much fun! Hahaha, Mom and Dad, look, it can even be rolled into a ball!"
Little An'an, without any instruction, quickly sculpted a small snowball, crooked and twisted, looking both cute and funny.
"An'an made such a beautiful snowman. Now you're not afraid of snow anymore, are you?"
Yu Jiu put her down, straightened her hat, and covered her forehead and ears completely.
"Don't be afraid."
Little An'an loves snow so much right now, how could she be afraid?
"It's good that you're not afraid. But if it snows, you need to find a place to shelter from the snow, just like you would when it rains, you know? It gets really cold when it snows, and if you get too wet, you'll get sick. Also, if you stay in the snow for too long, you'll get frostbite. Your hands and ears will get frostbite. So you must wear more clothes when it snows. You can play in the snow if you want. Here, put on your gloves first. You've already been in contact with a lot of snow. If you don't wear gloves, you'll get frostbite."
"Your hands are so cold right now, aren't they?"
Yu Jiu patiently guided her, speaking in a consultative tone rather than a commanding one. Each time, she gently asked An'an if she was alright, right? She placed An'an on an equal footing with her, which An'an appreciated, and naturally listened to Yu Jiu's opinions. This time was no exception; she nodded excitedly.
"Okay, Mom, can I put on these gloves? Can I go play in the snow again if I wear them?"
"Okay, let's play in the snow for a while. Tomorrow the yard will be full of thick snow, and then we can build a big snowman together, have a snowball fight, and then we can clean up the snow in the yard together."
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