"So I want you to help me go to my stepfather's house and make a scene. The excuse is ready. My stepfather and his family took your money and abused your children in every way, and they kept it a secret from you. Now that you know about it, you can go and ask for justice. This way, no one will say anything. After all, everyone can see what kind of life I live in my stepfather's house."
"As long as you teach Liu Xiu a lesson, I can handle the rest myself."
Grandpa Xia said, "That's a good idea. Let's do as you say."
Xia Jin said, "Then I'll buy you tickets after the New Year and you can go there."
"Alright, I'll tear Liu Xiu's face apart when the time comes. How dare you bully our family? If I were to say, Minye is too honest. That bitch Liu Xiu didn't let you see her, so you never dared to go. If you had gone earlier, our Xiaojin wouldn't have to suffer so much."
Uncle Xia, who had been silent the whole time, said, "Come on, stop talking now. I'll ask your aunt to make whatever Xiaojin likes to eat."
Xia Jin smiled and said, "Anything is fine. I'm not picky about food."
"It's better not to be picky about food. It's better not to be picky about food."
Xia Jin and Xia's father talked about their own lives and some good things in their lives to dispel their previous sadness.
When Xia Jin was speaking, Xia's father and the others were listening very carefully, as if they could see the pictures through Xia Jin's description. They had missed too much time in Xia Jin's growth, and now they hope to depict Xia Jin in different periods through Xia Jin's words.
Aunt Xia worked very efficiently and quickly prepared lunch for the whole family. Xia Jin sat down at the dining table. The small table was filled with food, almost all of it meat and vegetables. It was obvious that they had taken out the ingredients prepared for the New Year.
Aunt Xia's cooking skills were good, and Xia Jin was very satisfied with the meal. Father Xia didn't eat much at the table himself, but kept picking up food for Xia Jin, worried that she wouldn't be full.
"Xiao Jin, eat more! Look how thin you are! You'll be blown away by the wind! My arms are almost as thick as your thighs! Eat more so you can have more energy."
Aunt Xia also kept serving food to Xia Jin. The two of them filled Xia Jin's bowl to the brim. Looking at the increasingly high pile of bowls, Xia Jin said with a smile, "That's enough, Dad and Aunt, you don't have to serve me any more. I've had enough. You guys should eat too, or it won't be hot soon."
Aunt Xia said, "No wonder you're so thin since you eat so little. Your two cousins can eat as much as four of you."
Xia Yanjun, the eldest son of Aunt Xia, said, "Mom, girls nowadays all want to be beautiful. Besides, Xiaojin is an educated person and doesn't have to work in the fields, so it doesn't matter if she's a little thin."
Aunt Xia said, "I know, but Xiaojin can't skip meals just to look pretty. Only by eating well can you have a strong body."
"I understand, Auntie. I will eat well."
Although it was their first meeting, they all got along very well. Xia Jin could tell whether the concern was genuine or just a pretense. The care and nagging that Xia Jin had not received from Liu Xiu, he received from this woman he had only met once.
The more Xia Jin gets along with them, the more he likes them. Although he hasn't seen them for many years, Xia Jin still feels very close to them. Maybe it's blood relationship.
After dinner, the family chatted, and Xia Jin gradually learned about his father's side of the family. His two cousins, the eldest cousin, were four years older than him. They had started middle school and then came down to work with their uncle at home, farming. They were honest and steady.
What worries Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia the most now is that other people's children have run away, but he doesn't even have the intention to find a partner and refuses to go on blind dates. Aunt Xia is afraid that by the time his brother finds a partner, he will still be single.
My second brother, Xia Yanbing, is one year older than me. Like my brother, he stopped studying after graduating from junior high school. At that time, the family had the means, but no matter how his father beat him, he refused to go to school and said he couldn't continue studying.
The second brother always wants to go to the south to work. He heard that there is gold everywhere in the south, so he wants to go there to try his luck. But Uncle Xia and others won't let him, fearing that he might be in danger if he goes out alone in an unfamiliar place. The second brother knows his own child well, and Uncle Xia is a little stupid and not as smart as the eldest brother, so he is easily deceived.
While listening, Xia Jin thought about asking them after the Chinese New Year what they would like to do with him. After all, they were his family. Although they had only spent a short time together, he could feel that they really liked him. Since he had the ability, he would help if he could.
Moreover, Father Xia wanted him to live frugally in order to save money for himself. He wanted him to enjoy a better life in the future and wanted him to follow him. Even if he wanted to stay here, he would improve his life.
Maybe the elderly don’t want to leave their hometown, so you can pay to repair their houses and let them take care of their brothers and sisters. This way, their lives will be better and they won’t have to work hard to earn a living.
Moreover, Xia Jin observed that his elder brother was actually a very smart person. Although he only went to junior high school, he always made people feel comfortable in his dealings with others. It just so happened that Xia Jin's career would be getting better and better in the future and he would need people like him. So he let his elder brother train first. After training well, it would be a great help to him.
Xia Jin believed that if his eldest brother had not been in school during a special period, he would not have become a farmer, but at least would have been a factory employee.
Second Brother Xia looked at Xia Jin expectantly and asked, "Little sister, is it better outside than here? Is it fun to take the train? Also, little sister, have you been to the South? Is there money everywhere there?"
Xia Jin looked at his second brother and said, "Brother, I've never been to the south. The city is a little more prosperous than here, but everything else is about the same. The trains are terrible and incredibly crowded. There are a lot of opportunities in the south, but some people get scammed and lose everything they have."
"If you want to go, you must have someone you know take you there. Going alone in an unfamiliar place can easily lead to problems."
Aunt Xia scoffed, "Going south? Have you ever taken a train? Do you know how to do it? Do you know where to buy a ticket and get off? Anyway, no matter what you say, we won't allow you to go south. Just give up on that idea."
"Just stay home and marry when you're old enough, and live a peaceful life, isn't that good? If you don't want to be a farmer, who told you not to go to school? If you can't get into college after going through high school, at least you can find a job in a factory in the county."
"You regret it now, but it's no use regretting it. I won't allow you to go so far south no matter what. How can you work if you can't even speak the language? You're so unruly and don't behave like a decent person."
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