After finishing their meal, Bai Shihai went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought them a pound of fruit candy and a string of firecrackers. Bai Jiaojiao lit the firecrackers at the door, and the crackling sound attracted the village children, who all came over to grab the candy.
There's no candy to eat unless it's a holiday or festival. As soon as these children heard that Bai Jiaojiao was handing out candy at her doorstep, and that it even had plastic wrapping, they all rushed over.
No adults were willing to risk their reputation by snatching the candy from the children; a bunch of kids were happily catching candy at the door.
Bai Jiaojiao handed them out one by one, and when she saw a small black hand with its palm facing up, she stepped over it.
"I want candy!"
Shen Hui stood out conspicuously among a group of children, whose family had a long tradition of being tall.
Bai Jiaojiao pretended not to hear. A pound of candy was nothing. In the blink of an eye, she had divided it among the children according to their ages, giving each of them three and two candies.
The children who received the candy scattered in a flurry, jumping and skipping away, chattering as they went, comparing who had received the best candy.
Shen Hui's nostrils flared as he looked down and glared at Bai Jiaojiao, feigning anger: "Why won't you give it to me?"
"There's no sugar left."
Bai Jiaojiao coldly uttered a sentence. She didn't want to argue with a child, but Shen Hui was old enough to be sensible. Even if he wasn't, Widow Zhou must have made a lot of fuss about him.
Those who came to listen to the noise and those who came to get the candy all left. Bai Jiaojiao was about to close the door when Shen Hui stepped over their threshold and stood under their porch: "I don't care, I want it! You married Shen Heng, so you're my sister-in-law. Why do other kids have it but I don't? Go back and get me a few more pieces!"
Seeing his self-righteous demeanor, Bai Jiaojiao could imagine how Widow Zhou usually disciplined him at home.
"Tell me what you want."
Bai Jiaojiao originally didn't want Shen Heng to come out and get some fresh air, but when he heard Shen Hui's commotion outside, he couldn't help but get angry and came out of the house with a dark face.
Shen Hui, who had been standing tall and acting like a scoundrel, disappeared in a flash when he saw Shen Heng come out.
Bai Jiaojiao pouted: "Long legs are great, they can run pretty fast too."
Shen Heng realized that Bai Jiaojiao was embarrassing him, so he helplessly beckoned to her: "Come over and help me onto the bed."
"Didn't you say you had the ability to come down? Why can't you go back?"
Despite saying that, Bai Jiaojiao still closed the courtyard gate and walked towards Shen Heng.
"That kid probably thinks I can't move while I'm lying on the kang (heated brick bed), so he's coming here to cause trouble. If he comes again, just chase him out with a broom. Who knows who he is?"
Not to mention that Shen Hui and Shen Heng are half-brothers and already have some grudges, Shen Hui's annoying personality means he would be kicked out of anyone's house.
"If they still don't behave, I'll go to their house and give them a talking-to once I've recovered."
At his age, Shen Heng no longer wanted to have anything to do with that family, but if they were being unreasonable, he would still have to give them a good talking-to, lest they forget who the king was.
Bai Jiaojiao said, "Your stepmother probably saw that our family has built a new house and thought there was something to gain, so she wanted your brother to come and freeload off us."
"What 'brother'? Watch your words," Shen Heng pinched Bai Jiaojiao's face lightly, laughing as he made her apologize. "Say it again, or I'll punish you if you don't do it right."
"I didn't say anything wrong."
Taking advantage of Shen Heng's current inability to move around, Bai Jiaojiao ran to the other end of the kang (a heated brick bed).
The downside of building such a large kang (heated brick bed) is that Shen Heng sighed when he saw that there was still room for two people to sleep between him and Bai Jiaojiao: "Come here."
"No way!"
Bai Jiaojiao tilted her head back, making Shen Heng quite angry.
Before they could exchange more than two words, there was a knock on the door.
Bai Jiaojiao went downstairs to open the door, and Bai Shiqing came in carrying a basket: "Why are you keeping the door closed in broad daylight? Didn't you just move in? Shouldn't you open the door to let in some fresh air in your new house?"
"We just finished setting off firecrackers, and there's a smell outside. I don't want it to get into the yard."
“It has to smell like that,” Bai Shiqing said without saying anything more. “My wife’s mother asked me to come and bring you six eggs.”
"We can't accept this, we don't have a banquet to host."
"Oh dear, my brother-in-law is in such a state, what are we going to do for the feast? But my mother-in-law said that we should still follow the rules even if they are not set. Just accept it, it's only six eggs."
Bai Shiqing put the eggs into Bai Jiaojiao's kitchen. Because of Shen Heng's matter, Bai Shibao's business had been suspended for a few days. Bai Shiqing came over wanting to cook them quickly so that Bai Shibao could take them out to sell the next morning.
"Bozi said he'll be able to buy his own bicycle soon. You tell me, this thing really makes money. Hey, if people could do business, would there still be poor people?"
Bai Shiqing has always been quick and efficient. She chatted with Bai Jiaojiao while preparing for the event.
"That day will come." Bai Jiaojiao thought to herself. The intensity of the crackdown has slowed down considerably. Those arrested for speculation and profiteering are usually just given a lecture, unlike in the first few years when some were even executed. In another two years, things will be completely relaxed.
"Anyway, let's get ahead of the curve and enjoy a couple of good years first. I haven't dared to tell them about my current business yet; I plan to wait until after we separate the family before telling Li Shuxian."
Bai Shiqing's thinking is correct. After all, Li Shiqing is now the village chief. Whether he agrees with it or not, he will not allow his family to do this.
"You don't need to stay with me, go take care of your brother-in-law!"
“I also need to do some for Wang Fushun’s side; this business can’t keep stopping.”
The two chatted and cooked in the kitchen, and Bai Jiaojiao even prepared a mask, which was very hygienic.
"vomit......"
As the oil was being fried, Bai Shiqing smelled the strong odor of oil and suddenly felt nauseous.
"Sis, what's wrong? Go outside for some fresh air!"
Bai Jiaojiao opened the kitchen door, and Bai Shiqing ran out, vomiting for a long time but nothing came out.
"This is strange. Did I eat something I shouldn't have this morning? I've felt nauseous all day, but I just couldn't hold it in just now."
Bai Shiqing took a sip of cold water, but it didn't suppress the nausea in her chest.
"Sis, are you pregnant?"
After Bai Jiaojiao said that, the two sisters stared at each other for a long time before Bai Shiqing finally came to her senses: "Really?"
Did you get your period last month?
“My life has been unpredictable all my life, especially in winter.” Bai Shiqing licked her lips. “What can we do? The New Year is just around the corner, and I can’t come to help Bozi.”
"......"
Bai Jiaojiao didn't expect that Bai Shiqing's first reaction wasn't ecstatic joy. She said, "Now that we're all staying at home, I'm not going out. I can just do the work myself if necessary. Second Sister, you don't need to worry about Third Brother's business. If all else fails, have your sister-in-law come over. You should go home quickly. We're just guessing. Aunt Qing has experience, you can go back and talk to her."
Bai Shiqing nodded: "Don't tire yourself out. Your sister-in-law is family too, so it's fine for her to come and help. I have to go back for a bit, though... I'm a little nervous."
Bai Shiqing was very uneasy about her first pregnancy.
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