While some in Beijing are shrouded in gloom, this small county is filled with joy. Here, winter is also characterized by heavy snow covering the roads, a time when everyone usually finds it difficult to get through.
The family, including women and children, had no capable members. They needed a lot of firewood and thick clothes for the long winter, but they had no money or ration coupons. What could they do?
They could only try to stay home as much as possible, and gave all the warm clothes to Xiao Yan. Others could stay home, but Xiao Yan, as the village doctor, had to go out.
In winter, many elderly people suffer from aches and pains. Fortunately, as life improved slightly, Xiao Yan arranged for people to use firewood to pay for the medical fees.
In this way, a lot of firewood can be stored up throughout the year, which helps to get through the winter.
Xiao Yan came home early today, covered in snow. Yao Yanxin quickly grabbed a small broom and started sweeping the snow off her.
"Our hair has turned white. This is what people mean by growing old together. It's just a pity that neither of us is destined to grow old with someone else!"
Xiao Yan also felt a little uneasy. Everyone has a time of youthful infatuation, and the two of them had once dreamed of a happy future, but neither of them had that kind of luck.
"What's the point of having a man? We'd be better off living together. Look what I brought you back, sister."
Yao Yanxin also put the past behind her and cooperated, asking, "What did you bring back for me?"
Xiao Yan waved a stack of tickets in front of Yao Yanxin, who naturally snatched them away: "Why are there so many tickets this time? There are also two or three candy tickets, which are Xu'er's favorites."
"Soap coupons, industrial coupons..."
Xiao Yan poured herself a cup of brown sugar ginger water and downed it in one gulp: "If one person does the work of two or three people, I should get more votes. When Dean Zhou asked me what I wanted, of course I asked directly."
“We have the money, but we lack various receipts, and he gave me so many, including all the receipts for basic living needs! It's just a pity he didn't give us TV tickets, otherwise he would have bought us a TV to keep you entertained!”
"Don't you dare! We get military vehicles coming to pick up things every now and then, and all the neighbors are green with envy. If we buy a TV, they'll be green with envy!"
"Our lives will be in constant turmoil then. I love my life now, I don't have to go out and see other people's faces every day."
"I can earn money by staying in the yard and cook meals for you all to come back. What a wonderful life!"
“I noticed that you hardly ever go out since you came to the county, and you're always home alone. I was worried you'd get too bored!”
"I won't get bored. The other day, my three kids went to the recycling center and brought me a huge bundle of old newspapers. Look, it's right there over there. I've got my spiritual nourishment!"
"How come I didn't see it?" Xiao Yan walked over and picked up the newspaper, only to find that it had been cut in half.
She picked it up and looked at it—it was clothes?!
Xiao Yan carefully put the newspaper down: "Are you itching to do something? Why don't you go to the textile factory here and see if they want to buy your design drawings?"
Yao Yanxin walked over, rearranged the newspaper, and shook her head: "I think life is pretty good now. You can eat as soon as you come back, and I can earn money at home."
"What are you afraid of? What exactly happened? You still won't tell me why you took the two children and ran away from Beijing without even packing your clothes?"
Yao Yanxin trembled slightly, as if she had just thought of something: "Forget it, let's not talk about the past. Let's just live in the present!"
Seeing that Yao Yanxin really didn't want to talk, Xiao Yan didn't force her: "Look at these two tickets. With these tickets, we can stay warm indoors during the winter!"
Yao Yanxin took the tickets and exclaimed, "Wow! These are 500 jin of coal tickets! That's great! Two tickets are 1000 jin, enough for us to use in the winter!"
“We can put a stove in the room. Grandma Huang’s two stoves are just the right size. We can warm water and cook soup! It’s so great!”
"We can also have hot pot!" Yao Tongjia and her brother, along with Xiao Gengwu, came out of Yao Tongjia's room. They had already heard Xiao Yan's voice.
However, upon hearing them talking, they didn't come out to join in the fun. But when they heard that there was coal, the three of them couldn't sit still. It was too cold, and they practically lived on the kang (a heated brick bed).
However, the pit was too small, and they couldn't stand leaving it. Now that they had coal, they could burn coal in their rooms, which also allowed them to move around.
"Hot pot?" Yao Yanxin and Xiao Yan had both eaten it before, but now that there was nothing, how could they eat hot pot?
Yao Tongjia patted her chest and said, "I'm going out to buy it with Brother Xiao. You guys wait here!"
"Buy?" This word is still quite sensitive, so Yao Tongjia quickly changed her wording: "It's 'change,' you guys take out the big pot and wash it, we'll be back soon!"
Xiao Gengwu understood the implied meaning and took out the coats, hats and gloves of the two of them. These were fabrics and yarns that Yao Tongjia had taken out from her space under various pretexts.
Designed and sewn by Yao Yanxin, the custom-made clothes look stunning on a beautiful person, even though the fabric is military green!
The two elderly mothers looked at the two children, one helping them with their clothes and the other with their shoes, and then they went out together.
Xiao Yan was overjoyed as her son grew up, feeling that he had truly matured and was no longer like before, going months or years without saying a word.
Now he reacts to anything Yao Tongjia says, which is really great!
Yao Yanxin, however, seemed to think that daughters are destined to leave home once they grow up: "I think Tongtong is really going to be smitten by your boy!"
"Let them take him away. From now on, the two of us, one of us as the mother-in-law and the other as the mother-in-law, will live with them and help them take care of the children. Isn't that good?"
Yao Yanxin imagined the scene and felt a surge of excitement: "Hmm! It's really good. You, as my mother-in-law, mustn't bully us, mother and daughter, in the future!"
"It's easy for me not to bully you, come on, give me a massage!"
Yao Yanxin placed her hand on Xiao Yan's shoulder: "Want a massage? That's easy!"
Then he tightened his grip, and Xiao Yan immediately let out a pig-like scream: "It hurts! Let go! Let go! Xu Xu, come and save Aunt Xiao!"
Yao Tongxu pretended not to hear. His mother and Aunt Xiao were together, so they had a lot of screen time. If he got involved, he would be caught in the middle. He had been fooled once before, so how could he possibly leave again?
At first, there were cries of pain outside, then laughter from his mother being caught, and finally, pleas for mercy. Yao Tongxu continued to shake his head at the words: Women are too scary, one minute they're crying, the next they're laughing.
Xiao Gengwu and Yao Tongjia packed all the things into fertilizer bags and carried them back. Thinking of the hot pot, they quickened their pace.
Just as I was about to reach the alleyway in front of my house, two or three men blocked my way!
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