As soon as Xiao Jiu returned, Tao Anke came out carrying a water jug.
"Quick, you must be freezing! Soak your hands right now."
"Brother, you're back pretty early!"
Tao An glanced at Tao Changyi, his face full of sorrow.
"The teacher went overtime today, and I just got back not long ago. Dad is resting at home and won't pick me up, saying he's afraid of delaying your pick-up time. His favoritism is outrageous."
After tidying up the kitchen, Zhao Lingli came out and heard her youngest son's complaints. She couldn't help but rub his head.
"You, how old are you? Still fighting with your sister over a man. We only have this one bicycle in our family!"
Besides, you don't live that far away. Every time, you walk back while chatting and laughing with your classmates.
Even if all else fails, they've given you money. You could take a bus on the national highway to the town; it's just that you're unwilling to spend the money.
Your sister came back from the city, and she's a girl.
"Sweetie, don't be jealous about this anymore. I steamed dumplings today, how about you eat until you're stuffed?"
Xiao Jiu realized that her older brother wasn't really angry, but rather couldn't stand their father's blatant favoritism. After washing her hands and face, she casually took out some clam oil from her pocket, rubbed it on her face and hands, and then grabbed her brother's neck and pulled him into the house.
"Come on, bro, I've got something good for you, I guarantee you'll like it."
Xiao Jiu pulled out more than a dozen comic books from his schoolbag like a treasure, and Tao An's eyes widened when he saw them.
"My goodness, where did you get so many?"
Wow, this is a collection of sixteen complete books, including "Two Old Scouts," "The Lotus Lantern," "The Battle Against Sima Yi," "The Outlaws of Chencang," "Water Margin," and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." Although it's not a complete set, it's not easy to have collected sixteen books without missing pages!
"Judging by how old it is, did it come from a scrap metal yard?"
"Yeah, when I'm not back, I go to the book collection station to find books. I even swap them with my classmates. Brother, once you've finished reading these books, give them to me, and I'll get you a new batch."
The comic books don't have many words, so you can finish reading them over the weekend. To avoid getting into trouble later, these books absolutely cannot be left at home or taken to school by the delivery guy.
The thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy had lost interest in games like throwing bread and spinning tops. After stuffing the book into his hands, he didn't forget to grab a handful of chocolate coins for his little brother.
This isn't real chocolate; it's just cocoa butter, a common snack in supermarkets today, made with cocoa butter substitutes. Compared to the hard candies of this era, this candy is fresher, and handing it over will make the delivery guy beam with joy.
"Don't say our parents are biased anymore!"
Tao An looked at his younger sister speechlessly.
"Alright, alright, I don't believe you don't know I was just teasing Dad on purpose!"
Haven't we said this enough times since we were little?
"I reckon our parents, even our grandparents, are already used to it. Why are you suddenly taking it so seriously?"
After watching her brother pop a piece into his mouth, Xiao Jiu looked at her strangely and couldn't help but sigh.
“I used to think that it was only natural for my parents to favor me, and I never felt guilty at all.”
Because I'm the youngest in my family!
People who are used to being alone suddenly find themselves living in a dormitory and hearing their roommates complaining about their parents at home.
I realized how happy I was.
The word 'favoritism,' which I used to think was a positive term, has now become a 'derogatory term' among my classmates.
Brother, I'm sorry, I feel like I've taken away too much of your love.
Without her, the youngest child in the Tao family would naturally have received the most attention in the family.
Tao An chewed on the chocolate in his mouth, his mouth slightly open in shock, revealing black chocolate paste.
"What kind of logic is that? None of us brothers have ever thought it was wrong, and none of us have complained about it."
Oh dear, great-grandmother, you're overthinking it. None of us brothers have your sweet tongue, which makes grandpa and grandma smile every day.
Besides, when we're not home, aren't you the one who keeps Grandpa and Grandma company?
The money you saved by being frugal has all been used to buy things for us.
Look at my older brothers, who among them thought of sending me a package?
I sent everything home, and although I ate the rice and sausages they sent back, I don't miss their kindness.
Only you think of me.
So don't overthink it. Really, you're such a kid, why are you suddenly so sentimental?
"Go check on Grandpa and Grandma right away. If you don't go soon, Grandma might come looking for you on her cane."
Xiao Jiu glanced at Tao An, who seemed genuinely unconcerned, and couldn't help but grin.
I took out two bags of non-sweet whole-grain pastries from my bag, which are suitable for elderly people.
She bought this from the supply and marketing cooperative. Unlike the additives in later generations, it was a genuinely good product.
Each bag weighs two pounds; one bag for grandpa and grandma, and one bag for dad and mom.
This was the travel bag she took out of her storage space before getting off the last train.
"What about mine?" Just as they were about to leave, Tao An muttered, and Xiao Jiu gestured with her chin in annoyance.
"There's a pack of three-layer sandwich cookies inside for you."
This was made in later generations; my older brother was younger and preferred to eat these.
He had only meant it as a joke, but unexpectedly, he actually had one. Tao An smiled and happily opened the bag.
Sure enough, there was only one pack left. I opened the outer oil paper, pinched out a piece, and wow, it had a three-layered filling of black, white, and yellow—it looked delicious.
I couldn't wait to put it in my mouth, and soon I felt three different sweet flavors spreading in my mouth.
He was surprised by the unique taste. He took a bite of the black biscuit, which was sweet with a slight bitterness, the white one had a milky aroma, and the yellow one seemed to have a slightly pungent, sweet smell, but it was delicious. It was a bit like the fruity aroma that his sister had brought back before, which smelled bad but tasted good.
Tao An stuffed the cookies into his arms with great satisfaction, not forgetting to make a comment.
"My little sister really knows how to care for people. It's all worth the love and care she gives me."
As soon as Xiao Jiu came out, she saw that her grandmother was sitting in front of the stove in the main room waiting for her. Upon seeing her, she immediately stretched out her arm and called softly.
"My Jiu'er... Fei... Fei, is she here?"
Her pronunciation was still a bit difficult, and her mouth even trembled slightly. When she got excited, saliva would drip down the corner of her mouth. Because of this, her mother specially pinned a handkerchief to her chest. Xiao Jiu quickly went over and wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth.
Her lack of disdain and her perfectly natural actions made the old lady even more fond of her: "Jiu'er..."
"Grandma, I'm here. I was getting my brother a comic book. You must be in a hurry. Here, have a small piece of this easy-to-digest shortbread made from whole grains. Try it and see if it's easy to chew. If it's not, we also have peach shortbread and red and green bean cakes. This big bag weighs two pounds. Eat this to tide you over when you're hungry!"
I was worried about how to take out some dairy products (pure milk yogurt) from the warehouse's cold storage to supplement their nutrition.
"Okay... Seven, okay... bite."
Grandma spoke slowly, trying her best to pronounce clearly. Xiao Jiu touched her increasingly gray hair with heartache.
"Your mother...gave me...gave her a handjob,"
As he spoke, he couldn't resist touching her hair, which looked like it had been washed.
Just then, Zhao Lingli came in carrying a large tray of dumplings.
"The weather was nice yesterday. Your sisters and I went along with her. Your fourth sister even took your grandma to the public bathhouse for a soak."
After washing them, I took the clippers and scissors you bought earlier and gave them both a haircut.
Your father and grandfather went together too, and they'll go again before the New Year.
As the elderly get older, they become reluctant to move around in the winter, and they are even less inclined to go to places like public bathhouses, for fear of falling again.
It took several days of persuasion for her to agree to go for a bath. After the bath, she felt completely refreshed, and seeing so many people at home looking after her, she immediately agreed to go again before the New Year.
Father brought in steamed dumplings. "Your mother is so meticulous. She not only cut your grandma's hair, but also her toenails and fingernails."
Zhao Lingli laughed, "Didn't you also clean up our father's mess?"
We're both usually busy, so now that we finally have a break together, we definitely need to get everything done.
Hey An and Xiao Jiu, aren't you itchy? Why don't you both go to town early tomorrow afternoon to take a bath, and then go back to school?
When her mother thought of her and her brother, she immediately turned to ask, and Xiao Jiu quickly replied.
"Mom, I already went to the bathhouse last night, so I don't need to. Let my brother go."
"Oh, so you don't go to evening self-study, right? How much does it cost to get a bath in the city?"
"The bathhouse I went to was very clean and had a nice environment, so it only cost two cents a time, including a steam room."
"Oh, that's much more expensive than ours. It's a whopping 15 cents now, and the terms are better than the 8 cents we get in our town."
The small wine space has a lot of water stored up, but boiling it is a bit of a hassle.
Because there were no large iron pots, they cooked everything in small pots, one pot at a time.
Fortunately, the space had a preservation function, so the water poured into the wooden bathtub didn't cool down too quickly, allowing her to cook the next pot in time.
Moreover, due to the weather in the north, it is not suitable to take a bath every day, so she usually takes a bath about twice a week.
It wasn't that she didn't want to buy it, but rather that during the steelmaking era, large iron pots were very hard to find.
Even if they are available, the price depends on the quality and the industrial coupons used. Prices range from six to fifteen yuan depending on the diameter and thickness.
However, her mother's words today reminded her that she should buy a large iron pot that is suitable for the space after returning to the city.
I still have quite a few industrial vouchers left, so I'll take this opportunity to use them.
After dumplings, steamed dumplings, and a stew of cabbage, tofu, vermicelli, and kelp were all served, the family happily sat together and began to eat.
Grandma eats very slowly, and her chewing ability has also deteriorated since she got sick.
Her mother specially made her a bib with a built-in bib, which she would put on before eating.
This way, even if it spills or drips onto your body, it won't affect the thick clothes underneath, which is very thoughtful.
Under the dim light of an oil lamp, the family sat around the stove, eating and listening to the siblings recount what had happened at school. Xiao Jiu loved this special atmosphere of everyday life.
After dinner, the older brother was responsible for washing the dishes, and the younger sister was responsible for wiping the table and cleaning up.
After everything was cleaned up, the brother and sister helped their grandmother take a walk in the yard to digest her food, while their mother boiled hot water for everyone to wash up.
Because it was cold, I went to bed around eight o'clock. As soon as I smelled the sunshine on the quilt, I knew that my mother had aired out the bedding for me again. How wonderful!
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