Xiao Jiu returned home the next day at noon. Tang Cuimei handed her over to her grandparents and left in a hurry without even eating.
Only after everyone left did Xiao Jiu dare to take out the tangerines and bananas hidden in her little schoolbag for her grandparents to eat.
Worried that the fruit would be too cold, she even put it on the coal stove.
"Milk, bake it for a while, and eat it when it's warm. It's too cold now, and you'll get heartburn if you eat it."
"Oh my, is this the wine my family bought for Grandma?"
Xiao Jiu nodded, "Look, there are also cookies and bread." There were also some in the food storage space, all in packaging. She specially opened five or six packs.
There were only four bananas, about eighty or ninety tangerines, and with the bread, that was about all the food my backpack could hold.
Her goal wasn't to get the elderly to eat a lot, but rather to let them try something new.
With the preservation capabilities of the future, it won't be a rare thing to be able to eat fruits and vegetables from all seasons all year round.
It's simply a matter of price, and also that if it's not the season, the taste might not be as good.
As for what to use for preservation and how many additives are involved, that's not something a small wine maker can consider.
After all, conditions are tough these days, being able to eat is a blessing, and she couldn't be bothered to think about anything else.
"Grandma, these will dry out overnight and won't taste good. There aren't many left, so you and Grandpa should eat them quickly."
But the old man and woman had suffered all their lives, how could they eat their granddaughter's food? They only took one of each kind to try, and no matter what Xiaojiu said, they refused to eat any more. In their opinion, these good things should be left for their granddaughter.
Xiao Jiu had no choice but to take the food and eat it herself. Seeing how much she enjoyed it, the old couple couldn't stop smiling.
Faced with such family affection, she could no longer bring herself to say that she wanted to study in the county town.
How many more years do they have to live? Some of them are working, some are going to school, and she's the only one left by their side. So what if she earns a little less money?
Nothing was more important than staying with her grandparents. At that moment, she resolutely gave up the opportunity to go to school in the city and chose to stay in the countryside to accompany them.
She could clearly feel that their bodies were not as good as before. She was already seven years old this year. How many more seven-year periods does one have in a lifetime?
How many relatives like this can one encounter in a lifetime?
In her previous life, her parents were busy with work and she rarely returned to her hometown, so she almost forgot what family ties were like.
But right now, just looking at them makes her happy. Watching Grandma shave Grandpa's head, watching Grandpa complain about Grandma's poor skills, and Grandma laughingly scolding him for being an old geezer who is ungrateful. She said it's good enough that someone is shaving his head for him, and he's still being picky.
Watching the elderly couple bicker made Xiao Jiu feel incredibly happy. After washing her grandmother's hair, she took a comb and styled all sorts of strange and unusual hairstyles for her, which made the elderly couple laugh out loud in front of the mirror. Such a wonderful atmosphere seemed to only be seen in movies, which inspired her to write it down.
So, even Xiao Jiu herself didn't expect that her first coming-of-age novel, "To My Most Beloved Grandparents," would be born under such circumstances.
From that day on, she would hide in her online space every day to think about how to write the beginning and how to make the story more realistic.
In this era, novels are strictly controlled, and she never thought about publishing them. Instead, she wrote them as her own diary, intending to organize and publish them when she grew up. Now is not the right time.
Although she studied science, her Chinese language scores were never bad. She even scored 128 points on the college entrance exam. Although she had no experience in writing a novel, she had experience in reading them. She could just keep it and polish it slowly.
She believes that her first novel, in which she has poured her heart and soul, will surely resonate with the general public.
One day, she will bring this story to the big screen so that people all over the country will know about her grandparents' love, their unwavering loyalty, their way of dealing with people, and their boundless love.
During the Lantern Festival, my parents and my third and fourth brothers came back to reunite with us and make dumplings. My sisters Cuihua and the others came to visit relatives on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. Everyone gathered together to make glutinous rice balls, and in the evening we went outside to set off firecrackers and light lanterns. That's how the 1957 Spring Festival officially came to an end in harmony and happiness.
Sixth Sister successfully enrolled in school, following Fifth Sister. The tuition was five yuan per semester. The books were Fifth Sister's old ones, and they bought some notebooks and pens.
After the New Year, Sister Cuihua took her second sister to the town again to help dig up some wild vegetables, dry some vegetables, irrigate the wheat fields and weed. Occasionally, she would also find some odd jobs. Although it was just a town, there were quite a few wealthy people. For example, the family that bought their house before needed help with washing clothes and cooking. Her second sister often went over to help. They didn't give her money (for fear of being reported), but they would give her grain, which was more practical than giving money.
In Taoyuan Village, only Fourth Sister lived at home. When spring came, she would dig for wild vegetables, hoe the ground, fertilize, and wait for the ground to thaw before planting a new batch of vegetables and crops.
Everyone is moving in a positive direction, including Xiao Jiu herself. She and her friends set off before dawn to gather firewood and dig for wild vegetables, keeping themselves very busy. When they got home, they even helped her grandparents cook.
"Grandpa, you just need to take care of the family from now on. Leave the rest of the business outside to me. I'll take care of all the grass for these sheep, chickens, ducks and geese. I promise I won't let them go hungry. The road is hard to walk on, and I'd be heartbroken if they got hurt."
Knowing that their granddaughter was filial and felt sorry for them, the old couple verbally agreed, but after she left, they would still wander around the area and gather some grass. They were obedient enough not to go to the riverbank, as they were old and could not go far, especially the grandmother, who had bound feet.
On sunny days, the white wormwood by the river always grows very large because of the abundant water. Despite her constant reminders, one of the naughty boys in the group still fell in while trying to catch crabs. The group of children were terrified and screamed.
"Help! Jinbao has fallen into the river! Jinbao has fallen into the river!"
Jinbao was younger than her and very thin. He couldn't swim and was splashing around in the water. Plus, he was wearing thick cotton clothes in the winter, so he sank quickly. Despite his young age, Xiaojiu had unknowingly become the leader among the group of children.
"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and run back to find an adult to come and save us. Split up and look for people. There should be people on the riverbank. Go quickly."
She began to take off her clothes. The heavy cotton-padded trousers and coats made it difficult to go into the water, so she exercised to avoid cramping while taking off all her clothes except for her thermal underwear. Under everyone's incredulous gaze, she jumped into the icy river without hesitation.
At that time, Jinbao was already on the verge of death. Instead of swimming past him directly in front, she swam behind him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kept his neck and head above water as much as possible. However, with this struggle, she was getting further and further away from the riverbank. Although the river was not very rapid, she was gradually losing strength. Fortunately, there was a shallow beach covered with water plants in the middle of the river. She grabbed the water plants and pulled Jinbao over, pushing him to climb up.
Compared to her, Jinbao was burdened by the weight of her cotton-padded clothes and pants. It took her a lot of effort to climb up. After climbing up, she started crying and reached out to pull her up while crying. She was furious.
"You still have the nerve to cry? I told you not to go near the ditch, but you wouldn't listen. Now you've learned your lesson? Will you dare to come to the river again?"
"Waaah, Xiao Jiu, this summer I'm determined to have my dad teach me to swim! I gave up after a few mouthfuls last time, and now I regret it so much. If it weren't for you, I might be a drowned ghost. This summer, no matter how tough it is, I'm going to learn to swim. I can't let a little girl save me!"
"Little girl? I'm your older sister. Be good, call me older sister."
"You're only two years older than me, why are you calling me 'older sister'? I have three older sisters."
The river water was icy cold, and Xiao Jiu knew she couldn't soak in the cold water. With Jinbao's help, she had just climbed onto the shallows when she heard children shouting in the distance.
"The adults are here, the adults are here! You two hang in there a little longer, just a little longer, I'll run home and ask Grandpa and Grandma to get you a cotton-padded coat."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jiu hurriedly shouted, "Douzi, come back! Don't let my grandparents know, do you hear me?"
With a sob in her voice, Xiaomai cried out, "Sister Xiaojiu, it's too late! I saw Grandpa Tao and Grandma Tao running this way, trembling, with thick cotton coats in their hands!"
Xiao Jiu's heart skipped a beat. A gust of wind blew by, and she and Jin Bao, whose faces were frighteningly pale, seemed to tremble even more violently.
Before long, the adults came over, some carrying blankets and others carrying thermos flasks. The adults who could swim breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the two of them hiding in the shallows, and quickly took off their clothes and called to them.
"Jinbao, Xiaojiu, don't panic, we'll be right down,"
Xiao Jiu responded and patted Jinbao, "Take off your cotton-padded coat and pants. They'll be a burden. Your grandparents and sister are here. A real man doesn't have to cry."
Jinbao looked at Xiaojiu with teary eyes: "How could you be so brave? I was so scared. I almost didn't get to see them again."
Xiao Jiu rolled her eyes at him and then sneezed. From afar, she saw her grandmother crying and running towards them, supported by her grandfather.
"My little Jiu'er, my darling Jiu'er, Grandma's sweetheart, if anything happens to you, Grandma won't live anymore, my little Jiu'er!"
"Grandpa and Grandma, Jiu'er is fine, Jiu'er is perfectly alright. Please don't come any closer, watch your step."
Just then, two uncles swam up to them and carried one of them to the riverbank.
As soon as Xiao Jiu got ashore, she was wrapped in a warm cotton-padded coat and met with the caring and even distressed eyes of her grandparents.
"Grandpa and Grandma, Xiao Jiu is really alright."
"Grandpa Tao and Grandma Tao, let me carry the little bar? Thank you for saving my Jinbao."
Jinbao's eldest sister had already carried Jinbao on her back, and Jinbao's second sister squatted down to carry Xiaojiu. Xiaojiu was too embarrassed, but Lin's second sister, who was used to farm work, had already forcefully pulled her onto her back and stood up easily.
"Third brother, help the elders up, don't let them fall."
Jinbao's third sister quickly helped Grandpa and Grandma Tao, afraid that they might fall again.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com