When Xiao Weiguo and Jiao Bai returned home, Xiao Jian and Hu Zi had not yet returned.
Shanshan and Zhang Huihui were busy cooking in the kitchen.
Although the two girls' cooking skills weren't particularly outstanding, they had both been quite independent since childhood, so cooking a simple home-cooked meal wasn't a problem for them.
Xiao Weiguo poked his head into the kitchen and asked a question. The two women said they didn't need his help, as they were his own younger sisters. Xiao Weiguo didn't stand on ceremony with them.
He went inside, found a chair, and sat down under the shade of a tree to smoke.
It was very hot, but sitting in the shade of a tree with a gentle breeze felt quite nice.
There were already a few elm trees in the yard. I don't know when they were planted. Each one is thirty or forty centimeters in diameter and they must be older than Xiao Weiguo.
The biggest advantage of this tree is that it's relatively easy to cultivate and doesn't easily grow crooked. Moreover, every spring it produces many elm seeds. You can pick them, mix them with some flour, and then steam, boil, or stir-fry them; they taste great.
In his previous life, elm trees became increasingly scarce, and Xiao Weiguo had never tasted this dish since leaving his hometown.
However, elm trees also have a major drawback: they are quite dirty. The bark is infested with tiny insects called elm lice. They rot easily when touched, and if you get them on your skin, the disgusting smell lingers for days.
So, children usually don't touch this kind of tree when they climb trees to catch birds' insects, and even birds don't eat this kind of insect.
Near the south wall, at about the height of a person, there is a tree with a thick layer of tattered cloth tied to it.
It was probably used by Gao Hu to practice his skills.
Jiao Bai slowly walked over, stretched out his fist, and gently pounded it a few times. Then he smiled and shook his head.
It was a rare moment of leisure for Xiao Weiguo, who smoked a cigarette while admiring the small courtyard where he had lived since childhood.
Although it was very old and worn, it made him feel incredibly warm and cozy.
Xiao Weiguo wondered if, if the place were to be renovated in the future, some of the old features could be preserved.
For example, those big elm trees, and the jujube and pomegranate trees that Xiao Jian planted.
Most importantly, there's that stone table that they used as both a dining table and a school desk since they were little, covered in all sorts of carvings by the siblings.
This stone holds almost all of their childhood memories.
Someone outside the courtyard gate called out "Big Brother!" It was Xiao Jian's voice.
They must have seen Jiao Bai's car parked at the door.
Then they saw Xiao Jian and Gao Huhu carrying hoes, walking into the yard one after the other.
"Brother, what brings you here?"
Xiao Jian propped the hoe up in the corner and asked Xiao Weiguo a question.
"Something came up, so I came back to check. Who did you and Hu Zi go to hoe the ground for?"
Xiao Weiguo asked the question knowing the answer, but his eyes glanced at Hu Zi out of the corner of his eye.
"Heh, don't even mention it, ask this guy instead."
Xiao Jian pulled Hu Zi in front of him and casually patted his head, making his hair look like a bird's nest.
Tiger shrank back to avoid Xiao Jian's attack and chuckled twice.
"Brother Weiguo, I went to help Xiao Mengjie and her daughter exactly as you instructed."
Xiao Weiguo chuckled inwardly; this kid's got a quick mind. But who was Xiao Weiguo? His life experience was far beyond what Hu Zi and the others could match.
After putting things together, he understood Tiger's little scheme. However, he didn't say anything to expose it.
Children are easily embarrassed, so Xiao Weiguo didn't ask too many questions about it. He just told them to quickly wash the dust and sweat off their faces and bodies so they could eat later.
The food was served quickly.
A simple bowl of noodles, hand-rolled, with Shanshan's excellent kneading skills, resulting in chewy and delicious noodles. Served with a topping of tomato and egg, everyone enjoyed it immensely.
In the sweltering summer, nothing is more comforting than a bowl of cold boiled noodles.
After eating and resting for a while, Xiao Weiguo called Xiao Jian and Hu Zi out.
He wanted to go and see Xiao Mengjie.
He had promised Xiao Feng that he would take care of the mother and daughter, but so far, it was his younger siblings who had been making the sacrifices for him, which made Xiao Weiguo feel a little ashamed.
Since we've just finished eating, why don't we go and take a look ourselves?
When they arrived at Liu Ye's courtyard, they saw that the gate was closed.
Tiger stepped forward and patted Xiao Mengjie's head a few times, calling her name.
Villagers passing by and neighbors praised Xiao Weiguo sincerely when they saw him.
"Weiguo, you are truly remarkable."
In their eyes, Xiao Weiguo's family's help to the poor mother and daughter was entirely an act of repaying evil with kindness. Given the relationship between their two families, it would be good enough if Xiao Weiguo didn't kick them when they were down, let alone offer such a righteous helping hand.
It's said that poverty breeds cunning, while wealth fosters conscience. Is it because Xiao Weiguo has truly become rich that he has turned out this way?
When Xiao Mengjie came out to open the door, she saw that besides Xiao Jian and Hu Zi, Xiao Weiguo and his driver were also outside.
"Big...Big Brother, what brings you here?"
She was a little nervous when she first saw Xiao Weiguo.
She knew the relationship between her family and Xiao Weiguo, but she still couldn't understand why Xiao Weiguo had his family help her so much.
Standing at the gate, Xiao Weiguo didn't say much, only asked a question.
"Mengjie, how is your mother? I've come to see her."
Xiao Mengjie then thought to invite everyone into the courtyard.
"Oh, she's feeling better now, come in quickly."
The group followed her into the courtyard.
The two side rooms next to the kitchen had been thoroughly cleaned over the past few days. As long as Gu Meiying didn't go crazy and cause damage, Xiao Mengjie, being a girl, was quite tidy.
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