The driver handed Zhou Xiang a tattered coat and asked her to fold it and sit on it.
After a bumpy ride, daybreak arrived. After a bumpy ride, we arrived at the north of the county town. Private cars were not allowed to enter the county town, so we had to walk.
When his feet finally touched the ground firmly, Zhou Xiang's internal organs, which had been shaking all the time, finally returned to their normal positions.
After walking for more than half an hour, we finally saw the four-story shopping mall that had been built - Xinghuo Shopping Mall.
Enter from the alleyway over 100 meters behind Xinghuo Shopping Mall.
Turn left and there is another alley of more than 100 meters. Turn right again, walk a few steps, and then turn left again. You will arrive at your grandmother's small yard surrounded by the left, right and front.
The small courtyard and the house together are only about 60 or 70 square meters, with two main rooms and a kitchen divided into two small rooms.
My grandmother and my third brother and second sister all lived in the inner room. After placing three beds, there was a low wardrobe, a cupboard, and a small dining table in the room. There was almost no space to step.
Anyone coming in had to sit on the bed and lift their feet to allow others to pass.
Zhou Xiang sat on his third brother's bed under the innermost window, watching his third brother doing his winter vacation homework.
The little boy, thin and weak, stared at his homework book for a long time without writing a single word.
Zhou Xiang whispered, "Third brother, let's go out and play! I have firecrackers."
Zhou Hua looked at his sister. His sister was thin and small, with big eyes that sparkled with starlight.
"Okay, let's go!" He put down the pen and slowly walked out behind his sister.
When Zhou's mother saw her daughter call her son out, she felt relieved. She was afraid that her son would be stubborn and refuse to go out.
When Zhou wanted to leave the yard, he held his brother's hand, which was very cold.
"Wait a minute."
Zhou wanted to go back to his mother to ask for his third brother's down jacket, but Old Lady Liu was annoyed by the sight of girls. "What are you doing coming in and out? Where are you going? You can't help with anything!"
Mother Zhou handed the down jacket to her daughter, and then said to her mother, "There's enough space in the kitchen for several people. Zhou Quan and I will be busy. Try this coat. It's very warm. We should think of a solution! She helps me with housework every day and even gets a perfect score on the test. Let her have some fun during the New Year."
"Hmph! Is she so proud of herself for getting full marks? Just have fun. Has she finished her winter vacation homework?" Old Mrs. Liu said indignantly.
"She's already finished it. Otherwise, could you tell her to have some fun? Look, this is her report card. Look, she got 99.5 in Chinese, 100 in math, 100 in science, and 100 in morality."
Old Lady Liu didn't recognize anything else, but she recognized the number 100. She took the report card, looked over it several times, and handed it to Zhou's mother. "Well, not bad, not bad. Don't relax, keep working hard."
"Okay, I'll supervise her when I get back."
Zhou Xiang wanted to get his third brother's down jacket, so he came to Zhou Hua and said, "Take off this big cotton-padded jacket and put this on, then put your coat on top of it."
Zhou Hua obediently took off his cotton-padded jacket and shivered with cold. Zhou wanted to quickly put his down jacket on him. He put his arms in it and buttoned it up. "Huh? Not cold anymore, so warm, and not heavy at all. What is this?"
"This is a down jacket. The inside is filled with washed and disinfected duck and goose feathers."
Zhou wanted to pull off the outer coat from his cotton-padded jacket, "Put this on too."
Zhou Hua put on his coat and nodded vigorously, "It's very warm, sister, I'm throwing firecrackers!"
"Yes, there is, but we need to find a bigger place to fall. This alley is not suitable."
"Come on, sister, I'll take you there. I know where it is."
Zhou Hua took Zhou Xiang to a place where prefabricated boards were made. There were many prefabricated boards and many culverts. Zhou Xiang's eyes turned red when he saw the culverts. When his third brother was beaten by his grandmother and didn't dare to go home, he would hide in the culverts at night.
"Sister, this place is big and not many people come here. I often come here to play."
"Well, here you go."
Zhou Xiang took out two boxes of firecrackers and handed them to his third brother. Zhou Hua took them and started throwing them happily himself.
After he finished falling, Zhou wanted to ask him, "Third brother, can we not live with grandma anymore? The place is too small."
"Mom said we have no money, so we can only live with grandma." Zhou Hua seemed numb to this sentence.
Zhou Xiang held his brother's hand and said, "I have money now. I have money. I have made a lot of money. I will take you away and live with a boy who is about your age, okay?
I rescued him in the city. That day I went to the city and partnered with others to buy fruits and sell them to government agencies. I made a lot of money. When I came back, I found him with a fever. He had no parents and had been begging for two years to support himself. After I rescued him, he went back to the county with me.
I used the money I earned to buy a house, bigger than grandma's yard, and he lives there alone. If you go, you two will have company. When I pass the junior high school entrance exam and go to the county town, I will live there too. I originally planned to take you to live with me after I finish junior high school, but if I delay for another year, you will be beaten by grandma for another year. I feel sorry for you, third brother.
After saying that, Zhou Xiang hugged his brother and started crying.
Zhou Hua was hugged by her sister and felt the long-lost warmth. Zhou Hua, who had not cried for a long time, also hugged her sister and cried.
After the brother and sister finished crying, Zhou Xiang asked again, "Do you want to leave?" Mom also knew that I was going to take you away, and she agreed.
After you move in and change schools, your grandmother won't be able to see you anymore, and you'll be away from her. When you grow up, she won't be able to beat you, and you won't be afraid of her anymore."
Zhou Hua thought for a while and said, "If you can get grandma to agree, I will agree."
"Okay, we'll find a way. We'll talk about it after the fifth day of the New Year. It's Chinese New Year, and it would be too ugly if she makes a scene. Come with us tonight to look at houses. Dad doesn't know about this, and there's no need for him to know."
Zhou Hua looked at his sister. His sister was so brave. She dared to buy a house without telling her father, dared to do business with others, dared to save people, and dared to negotiate terms with grandma. Isn’t his sister happy?
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Zhou Xiang asked.
"Are you very happy and blessed to be with your parents?"
Zhou Xiang pulled his brother to sit on the prefabricated board, not caring whether his butt was cold or not.
"If I say I'm very happy or blessed, I'm not. My mother's salary is less than 30 yuan. She gives 7 yuan to my grandmother and 5 yuan to my grandfather, leaving more than 10 yuan. My mother buys all the food and daily necessities for the family. My father only uses his money for his own food and drink, so my mother has a heavy burden. If I don't finish my work or don't do it well, I often get scolded and beaten when I get angry.
In December, I went out to earn some money and gave some to Mom. With the money, Mom felt more confident and her temper improved. I took leave to study at home, and I was able to finish the housework. I also coaxed Dad. These past month or so have been the happiest days I've had in the five years since I moved to town.
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