"Take it out," Niu Dazhu shouted.
Junjun and Zhuangzhuang's plump bodies trembled, their fat quivering as they obediently took out the fried dough cakes. Niu Dazhu snorted and put the cakes back in the basket.
The neighbors, Sister-in-law Niu and Sister-in-law Niu, waited for a long time but their son didn't bring back any fried dough sticks. They were so angry that they gritted their teeth and went to make breakfast while cursing. Just as Niu Dazhu said, their stove and pots were rusty and it would take a lot of time to clean them up.
After having breakfast, Tie Dan said he wanted to take Jun Jun and Zhuang Zhuang to the city for a stroll, and also invited Ya Dan to come along. The two brothers naturally had no objections, as they hadn't been to the city in a long time.
"Buy some meat and fish/shrimp while you're at it," Tang Yuanyuan instructed.
Tie Dan's mother glanced at her and secretly pouted. She was not happy. Since she was staying for a month, she should pay for living expenses. She hadn't thought much about it at first, but Sister Niu and Sister Niu Er mentioned it to her yesterday, and Tie Dan's mother had an idea. She felt that she should indeed pay for living expenses, but Tang Yuanyuan hadn't made any move yet, and she didn't dare to ask. She was extremely frustrated.
Tang Yuanyuan had actually prepared her living expenses a long time ago, and had put 10,000 yuan in cash in her bag a long time ago, but now she didn't want to take it out. She had given it to her mother-in-law, and she figured it would end up in the pockets of those four greedy people.
She's now determined to be meticulous about every little thing.
"Take the money." Tang Yuanyuan took out a stack of money and stuffed it into Tie Dan's hand.
After Tie Dan took his nephew and Ya Dan into the city, Tang Yuanyuan played in the yard with Roubing and Roubao. Many children were peeking in from outside, but dared not come in. Tang Yuanyuan got some candy and had Roubing share it with the children. Before long, the brother and sister became friends with the children and had a great time playing in the yard.
Jumping rope, throwing beanbags, slapping cardboard... these were all things the siblings had never done before, so it was all very new and exciting. Roubao's pink dress was soon covered in black ash. Tangyuan endured it for a while, but in the end, she didn't say anything. At worst, it would just take a little time to wash the clothes. The most important thing was that the children had fun.
For the first time, Niu Dazhu didn't want to work in the fields. Usually, he would take his tools to the fields after breakfast and come back at mealtime. When it was busy, Tie Dan's mother would bring him lunch to the fields, saving him the time of going back and forth. Even if he was not feeling well, Niu Dazhu would not delay his work unless he was bedridden. Otherwise, he would do his farm work every day without fail.
But today he didn't want to go. He wanted to stay home with his little granddaughter. His soft and cuddly granddaughter was so much fun, even more fun than the crops in the field. Niu Dazhu wanted to stay home and play with his granddaughter, but he didn't want to neglect his farm work.
Tie Dan's mother saw the old man pacing back and forth in the yard, taking a few steps and then stopping to look at the meat buns, then taking a few more steps and glancing at the farm tools. He had been dawdling in the yard for half an hour.
"Why don't we skip the field work today and let the eldest and second eldest brothers do it for us?"
In fact, given her family's current circumstances, it doesn't matter whether they farm or not. Every household in the village has more food than they can eat, and she and her husband can just buy what they want. But her husband insists on farming, saying that farmers can't lose their roots, and he feels uneasy if he doesn't farm.
Tie Dan's mother advised again, "It's no big deal not to farm for a month. I'll talk to the eldest and second eldest sons and you can stay at home this month."
"We've been farming for most of our lives, a month's rest is only right," Tie Dan's mother said as she walked towards Brother Niu's house, also picking up a basket of fried dough cakes. "My eldest and second daughters-in-law aren't good cooks, so their breakfasts are definitely not to their liking. How can they have the energy to work if they don't eat their fill?"
"I'm going to work, they don't need to do it!" Niu Dazhu stopped Tie Dan's mother, his face stern as he looked at the fried dough in her hand.
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