Now that there are more sisters in the family, she tries to save money wherever possible. If they can go to school without spending money, she will find a way to get food for them no matter how hard it is.
Although I can't earn money now, at least I can still help the Tao family with chores, so I won't be bored out of my mind every day.
But with a year of disaster looming, of course we had to find ways to make money, save money, and store food.
They haven't seen any meat in their house for more than half a year. Other families raise chickens and ducks, but they save their grain for themselves. Where would they get the grain to feed the chickens and ducks? Even if they could, the chickens would probably not be full. Rather than being skinny all the time, it's better not to feed them at all.
As the weather grew colder, Tang Cuixiang arrived alone, without bringing anything. Fortunately, she wasn't very tall, so the other women squeezed in, saving her some clothes.
Cuixiang did not go to the village to look for Tang Cuimei.
"No matter how urgent it is, it doesn't have to be in the next few days. I'll wait for my fifth sister to come back this weekend, take a look at her book, and then decide whether or not to give it a try."
Tang Cuimei is currently in the first semester of her third year of junior high school and will be taking the high school entrance exam next summer, so her studies are quite demanding.
As she said, even if Cui Fangfang herself did not do what her uncle did, the school still went to her house. Originally, the school planned to expel her, but Cui Fangfang was the only junior high school student in the Cui family, so how could they just give up?
They had said all the nice things they could think of, and in the end, the village chief gritted his teeth and decided to compensate Tang Cuimei with fifty yuan to settle the matter.
After the school called Tang Cuimei to the office and explained their intentions, Tang Cuimei remained silent.
Fifty yuan is enough for her living expenses for at least two years of high school.
The principal also considered it carefully before calling her over to let her think it over.
“This matter hasn’t become common knowledge. Cui Fangfang, you’ve handled it yourself. Her uncle still hasn’t come out. Their idea is to compensate you with fifty yuan and not pursue the matter further. At least you can’t expel Cui Fangfang. I was thinking that if you really can get into the top high school in the city, you’ll definitely spend a lot of money in the next two years. If you have this fifty yuan, will you save some effort in the next two years?”
"Principal, do you mean you don't intend to pursue this matter further?"
When Tang Cuimei asked a question, the principal's answer made her feel even more pressured.
“They hurt you, but didn’t actually cause any major losses to the school. Logically, it shouldn’t warrant expulsion. I’m thinking that since they’re willing to compensate you, and you’re indeed short of money, why don’t we just let this matter go?”
Tang Cuimei definitely needs this money. Putting aside whether the principal can keep his promise to help her pay her tuition, she needs money to cover her living expenses alone.
Her family is facing a difficult situation right now, and she doesn't want to trouble her older sister and the others any further. If she can manage on her own, she definitely won't bother her older sister to find a solution. Fortunately, she still has some food in her space, and with a little more money, she'll definitely be able to get through high school. As long as she gets through high school, she'll receive a stipend for university. If she can find a way to earn some extra money, she'll be able to settle down.
With that thought in mind, Tang Cuimei agreed without much hesitation, because she was short of money and needed it. What did it matter if she had to compromise her principles for fifty yuan? Her goal was to get into university, not to dwell on such trivial matters.
She never considered raising the price. Fifty yuan is already a lot for an ordinary farming family. She couldn't bring herself to ask for an exorbitant price. Besides, the school clearly didn't try to take advantage of her; they were genuinely looking out for her.
So Tang Cuimei agreed, and the principal breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's right, we can be flexible. As long as there's something in it for us, why not let her give way a little?"
——
It's getting cold, and there's not much work to do at home. Everything that could be done has been done, including storing winter vegetables like radishes, cabbages, and pumpkins in the cellar.
All that's left in the field are some scallions, spinach, cilantro, and garlic sprouts. These vegetables can survive the winter and aren't afraid of the frost.
Just then, Grandpa and Grandma sorted out 300 jin of sweet potatoes and potatoes from this year's autumn harvest. Grandpa pulled the cart while Xiao Jiu pushed it from behind, and the two of them worked hard to deliver the grain to Taoyuan Village.
The small bottle of liquor was wrapped very carefully, so that no one would recognize it. The reason why Grandpa went to this trouble was because he was worried that Sister Cuihua and the others would not accept it. So he went to all this trouble to bring it over, and they certainly wouldn't be able to refuse.
And that was indeed the case. When Sister Cuihua opened the door and saw the grandmother and grandson, panting and pulling a cart, bringing them food, her nose tingled and she couldn't hold back her tears.
"Grandpa Tao, what brings you here? It's so cold. You should have let us know if something happened. You're so old. If you had fallen and hurt yourself, how would I explain it to my godparents?"
As she spoke, she quickly invited the grandmother and granddaughter into the yard. Cuihong, who had been silent, naturally went to pull the cart into the yard.
Although she couldn't hear, she could tell that the grandfather in front of her, who wasn't her biological grandfather, was closer to her than her own grandparents. At least they were still thinking about her and her sisters, afraid that they would go hungry again during the winter.
"Cuihua, Grandpa's family doesn't have much grain. This year, we planted a lot of sweet potatoes and potatoes. Don't mind, we'll send you some more after your grandma grinds the grain."
"No, no, no, Grandpa, really Grandpa, this is already very good, so much is enough for us to eat. Please don't come to bring us any more food, Grandpa!"
"Hey, we still have to send some. Eating this all the time won't do; it'll give you acid reflux and bloating. Even if we can't get you wheat or rice, we can get you some sorghum and sweet potato noodles. These days, everyone's struggling, so hang in there."
Xiao Jiu looked around the house and saw her sister's tearful eyes. She understood that she had already put in an extra bag of 30 jin of sorghum and 20 jin of millet while Sister Hong was unloading the goods and putting them in the cellar.
The two were packed in a burlap sack, which she had specially prepared for them, which is why she insisted on going down into their cellar.
On the way, she felt sorry for her grandfather who was carrying so much heavy stuff, so she could only put it in during this time. Of course, the sack had also passed through Sister Hong's hands, otherwise she would not have remembered it and wouldn't have given herself away.
Fortunately, the eldest and second eldest sisters were talking inside the house with the newly returned sixth sister, and no one paid attention to them.
She also took the opportunity to glance at her sixth sister a few more times. While she felt gratified, she was also a little worried. How would they live without land?
It seems she needs to think of a way to send them some food every now and then.
After unloading the grain, Grandpa wanted to take her away, but her older sister insisted that they eat before leaving, which Grandpa refused.
"It's getting late, and the road will be difficult to travel if we stay any longer. You don't even have enough food to eat, so please don't bother to entertain us. Your grandma has prepared a meal at home and is waiting for us. If you need anything, just come over and let us know. Don't be shy."
The sisters were moved to tears again. They saw them off at the village entrance, and Ajiu waved to them from her cart.
On the way back, Xiao Jiu felt sorry for her grandfather: "Grandpa, let me get off and walk with you. I'm afraid I'll tire you out."
Without saying another word, she slid off the car, and the old man patted her little head with a touching expression.
"No need, you're so light, Grandpa can pull you. Hurry up, your legs are too short, you can't keep up with me. We need to get home quickly."
When they returned, her older sister gave her a small basket filled with some dried mushrooms and a small jar of pickled ginger.
Looking at the basket on her back, Xiao Jiu came up with another mischievous idea. Before getting off the bus at home, she added another ten pounds of soybeans and five pounds of sesame seeds to it.
Grandpa reached for the small basket and realized something was wrong. "Oh dear, these girls, why are they being so formal? Such precious beans and sesame seeds, why didn't she keep them for herself, but brought them back to us? I thought she really only gave us some ginger and mushrooms, sigh."
"Grandpa, look at what you're saying. This is a return gift from my sisters. It's called 'it's impolite not to reciprocate.' If they keep taking our things, they won't feel good about it. Isn't this good? Whether it's a lot or a little, it's just a gesture, right? My sisters don't say anything, and we won't bring it up either. This tacit understanding will lead to more interactions in the future, so don't take it to heart!"
"You, you clever little devil, always thinking too much. While that makes sense, they have it tough."
"Your sister is thinking about how hard it is for you all. You're so old, yet you're still busy in the fields. You have to take care of everything at home and outside. Grandpa, we all need to understand each other so that we can all live well. Oh, don't worry, since your sister gave you some, it means there's definitely more at home. So don't worry about them going hungry!"
Finally, after being persuaded by Xiao Jiu, Grandpa stopped pursuing the matter, but when he got to Grandma, he had to give a long explanation.
Xiao Jiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was good. Now the family had beans to make tofu for the New Year, and with sesame seeds, Grandma could make sesame pancakes for her.
Oh wow, she's such a clever little devil.
As for my eldest sister and her family, they have millet, sorghum, and so many sweet potatoes and potatoes. They'll definitely have a good winter. When someone slaughters a pig for the New Year, they can buy some meat and eat it with the radishes and cabbages they have at home. Compared to the next few years, their lives are actually much better.
Grandma really loves Xiaojiu. The next day, she not only made sesame cakes for her, but also sugar cakes, which made Xiaojiu very happy. She hugged Grandma's face and kissed her while saying nice things to her in a fawning manner.
"Grandma, I love you so much! You're the best grandma in the world, without a doubt. I hope you live to be a hundred years old. When I grow up and earn money, I'll buy you pretty clothes, leather shoes, and lots and lots of meat to cook for you."
Grandma Tao gradually became lost in the promises her granddaughter made for her, unable to extricate herself. Looking at the soft and cuddly little girl, her eyes softened.
Perhaps Xiaojiu has this magical charm. It seems that as long as people are with her, their tempers will unconsciously subside. Not only will they not be able to get angry, but they will also want to smile when they see her and cherish her. Grandma is like this, and although Grandpa is not good with words, he also saves the best for her. Every time he goes out for a walk, he will bring her a piece of candy, a piece of fruit, or even just two peanuts, all of which carry his silent love and care for his granddaughter.
Little Jiu, you are so lucky to be adopted by the Tao family. It must be a blessing from your parents who did charity in your past life. You must cherish it!
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