However, when Wen Songtao saw the bowl that Jiang Qiao handed him, he almost exclaimed in surprise. Not only were there apples, but there were also strawberries. In this season, he could not even eat these things, let alone see them.
"Huh, where did you buy this? Do they even sell these?"
Jiang Qiao smiled and said, "You don't know, do you? I went to the city today. It was set up by someone in their own home. They said they built a small greenhouse and they were selling it, so I naturally bought it. Who cares? As long as you guys are well-fed, that's all that matters."
Wen Songtao turned around and went back into the house with the things in his hands. When Wen Jingwan saw the strawberries in the bowl, she couldn't help but reach out her hand. She was really craving them now. Seeing his daughter eating so happily made the old man feel more at ease than if he were eating them himself. His daughter was doing well, and he could finally rest assured.
Wen Jingwan ate with great relish. "It's so delicious! I never expected my daughter Qiao'er to bring this back. Dad, to be honest, I don't want her to go back."
The old man ate a strawberry, and the taste was so good that even someone like him, who was used to eating good things, couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so delicious!"
She rolled her eyes at her daughter and said, "Take your idea back right now. You're relieved that Jiang Qiao is here, but it breaks my heart. Besides, Qiao Jie needs the child more than you do. We can't do something so ungrateful."
Besides, your area is freezing cold, what's the point of sending the child here? Qiao'er's place is much better. Anyway, Old Qiao is a good person. Otherwise, wouldn't you be worried about your father-in-law?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Jiang Qiao came over and called them to the living room for dinner.
The old man hadn't had high hopes, but when he saw the table full of food, Wen Songtao was dumbfounded. "My God, so many fancy dishes?"
It's not that the old man is ignorant; it's just that he genuinely hasn't been able to afford such food lately. The meat, fish, and eggs that Jiang Qiao used to cook were things he ate every day, but now he really can't get them anymore. He can only eat vegetables, and now even vegetables are scarce; he can only eat pickled vegetables.
Jiang Qiao's side also had more than just these; there were actually some green vegetables. The excuse was that they had bought them today. Anyway, they had nowhere to verify it, so eating them was the most practical thing to do.
Wen Songtao and his daughter stopped asking questions and started eating. The meal brought many emotions to the old man, especially after he drank some herbal tea with his daughter. He felt that life couldn't be happier.
Seeing her grandfather like this, Jiang Qiao knew that the old man had been having a really tough time lately.
"I never imagined that such a harsh and cold place like yours could produce such a rich variety of things."
Wen Jingwan spoke the truth: "It's my daughter who's capable. Otherwise, who could have gotten this?"
Anyway, I don't have time to go into town. With Jiang Qiao here, it's the most convenient thing for me. Dad, let's just focus on eating. We won't worry about anything else; if there's food, we'll eat it.
Jiang Qiao brought in two bowls of bird's nest porridge. "Come on, let's take a stroll."
Wen Songtao was completely convinced this time. "Where did you find this thing?"
Jiang Qiao smiled and said, "That's easy. After I left your house, I kept heading south. I've been to all the ethnic minority areas. Finding some bird's nest is no problem at all."
Wen Songtao gave a wry smile. "Oh dear, you know, my life is even worse than yours."
Jiang Qiao said with a smile, "Grandpa, when you leave, I'll bring some back for you."
Wen Jingwan nodded, "Take some back for my mom to eat."
The old man waved his hand and said, "Don't do that. It's not just your mother at home. Your brother and sister-in-law come back often. If they see this stuff, how can your mother eat in peace? You're pregnant, so we have to prioritize your health."
"Grandpa, you're not going to secretly stew some for Grandma tonight, are you? Listen to me, I'll bring you some later. It's a pity we live so far apart. If we were closer, I could bring you whatever you want to eat anytime."
Wen Songtao's heart skipped a beat. "I'm worried that if I really move in with you, wouldn't I be a burden to you?"
Jiang Qiao said nonchalantly, "What burden is there? I can support one elderly person, and I can take care of two. If there are more, I can just find someone to help me take care of one. They say that having an elder in the family is a treasure. With so many of you precious elders protecting me, what am I afraid of? You agree, Grandpa?"
The old man nodded with a smile, "Speaking of which, our Qiao'er is the most filial. But it will be very tiring, Qiao'er. You should be prepared. They say it's better to look after ten children than to take care of one old person. Taking care of the elderly is not easy."
Jiang Qiao raised an eyebrow. "I'm just doing this to accumulate good fortune for myself. Come on, drink it while it's hot. The older you get, the more you need to take good care of yourself. It's just that the conditions don't allow it now. If the conditions did allow it, Grandpa, you would probably have had your fill of this stuff by now, without me even having to do it."
Wen Jingwan nodded, "That's right, we used to eat this every day in our family, what a pity—"
The old man waved his hand, "That's all in the past, we can't bring it up again, it'll only cause trouble—"
Just when Jiang Qiao thought the three of them could have a peaceful New Year, an accident happened. On the eve of the Lunar New Year, when every household was setting off firecrackers to celebrate the New Year, the power suddenly went out.
Jiang Qiao and his group lived in a somewhat remote area, so they didn't hear the earth-shaking explosion, but those living at the scene felt it very strongly.
Although Jiang Qiao didn't know what was happening outside, her intuition told her that something must have happened. The most important thing for Chinese people is the New Year. After a year of hard work, what is the point if not to have a happy and harmonious New Year with their family?
Even in times of power shortage, the power wouldn't go out at this particular moment. She hadn't expected a line malfunction; the workers regularly checked the lines, so this wasn't the cause. She couldn't figure out what the problem was.
However, she soon found out the answer, because the army was already sounding the assembly call, and the person on duty even ran over to tell Wen Jingwan to hurry up and pack up and leave.
"What? An explosion happened? How is that possible?"
When Wen Jingwan heard the news, her first reaction was that her colleague was joking with her. Was she kidding?
"Sister Wen, they called and told us to go and help. Who would joke around at a time like this?"
Jiang Qiao spoke up at this moment, "Can my mother manage? She's pregnant. Can she stay here and stay?"
It was at this crucial moment that the quality of the soldiers was revealed. Wen Jingwan agreed without hesitation, "Qiao'er, you stay at home with your grandfather, I'll go with them now."
Jiang Qiao was so anxious she wanted to stomp her feet. "What time is it? You're still pregnant!"
Wen Jingwan waved her hand. "It's alright. We have to obey orders. I'm fine. I'm leaving now. Dad, you can stay home and rest assured. I'll take care of myself."
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