Zhou Yue went to school, while Zhou Xing stayed at the shop to help Grandpa and Grandma Zhou.
Logically, a ten-year-old should be in fourth grade. Tao Ran entered fifth grade because he started school early, but Zhou Yue was even more outrageous and went straight to sixth grade.
Later, Grandma learned that Zhou Yue and Zhou Xing had both gone to school before their stepmother entered the family. It was only after their stepmother came that they were deprived of everything. Both children were excellent students, and Zhou Xing was even one of the few top students who managed to get into a school in the county town, leaving the forest area behind. But reality was cruel...
“Both children are very studious. The lessons that A-Yue missed were made up by A-Xing using the books from your Tao Zui family. I was thinking of sending A-Xing to school, but he doesn’t trust us. He said that finishing elementary school is enough and he doesn’t need to go anymore.”
Zhou Xing's persistence made the elderly couple even more heartbroken.
When the older brother found out about this, he promptly pulled Zhou Xing into his room.
"Brother Xing, I'm only in junior high school too. If you trust me, we can learn from each other and make progress together."
Zhou Xing is a smart kid who learns everything quickly, especially math, which he grasps immediately. Compared to him, Tao Zui is a bit less capable, but he has a more solid foundation.
Zhou Xing had no reason to refuse Tao Zui's kindness and readily agreed, using the weekend to cram. Tao Zui also took this opportunity to review and consolidate his knowledge, which laid a solid foundation for his transition from junior high to senior high school.
Ah Jiu studied for twenty years in her previous life, and now that she's finally getting to be a freeloader in this life, she doesn't want to bother with these headaches.
Seeing that the weekend was even quieter than weekdays, her eldest and second eldest brothers and Zhou Xing and Zhou Yue took turns learning, while her third and fourth eldest brothers and Sister Pan learned. She was the only one with nothing to do, so she followed her grandmother to braid hair and make some food.
When the early corn was harvested, Grandma cooked a whole ear of corn for herself. It was golden yellow, soft, sweet, and incredibly delicious. One bite revealed its tender and juicy texture, making the little boy swallow his saliva. In the end, Ah Jiu felt embarrassed by his gaze and broke off half for him to eat.
"Ever since you came, I haven't had a chance to have any of these good things."
The little brother, though small in stature, often acted like an older brother in front of her. He wanted to refuse, but the aroma of corn was just too tempting, and he couldn't help but accept his sister's offer each time.
Over time, he would occasionally sigh and say that his grandmother was biased, and that her bias was outrageous.
When Grandma hears this, she will tap him on the head.
"You ungrateful brat, have you forgotten how all the good food was saved for you when you were little? You have no gratitude at all. Look at Jiu'er, Grandma didn't spoil him for nothing. He spends every day with Grandma braiding her hair, digging for wild vegetables, cooking, washing clothes, and even massaging Grandma's back and washing Grandpa's feet. And what have you been doing? All you do is run off to play all day long, and you don't come back until it's dark and you're not hungry!"
After being teased by his grandmother, Tao An quickly slunk away.
Well, let's pretend he didn't complain. Grandma was absolutely right; he really isn't as considerate as Ah Jiu.
Even if he stays close to his grandmother, he can't stand it; he still prefers climbing high and low for thrills.
In September, the days are hot and the nights are cool.
The potatoes from the previous season were harvested before summer vacation, and the new season's potatoes have just been planted.
They have several varieties of potatoes, with white and yellow flesh being the most common. This year, they also planted more purple-skinned potatoes, which taste better than the other two.
Grandma and Xiaojiu were at home. After finishing their work, the two of them lay down under the shade of a tree to cool off. Tao Yuan appeared in front of them without warning, carrying large and small bags.
Before Grandma could react, Tao Yuan excitedly jumped in front of her and shouted at her with a grin.
"Mother, it's me. Don't you recognize your garden?"
"My God, how did you get back? Why didn't you send a telegram beforehand so your brother could pick you up? You came back all by yourself? I was wondering if you two sisters would bring the kids back this summer vacation, how come..."
As she spoke, she choked up and couldn't speak anymore. Tao Yuan threw down her things and went to hug her mother. The two of them snuggled together for a while before Tao Yuan explained.
"Mom, we originally planned to do this during the summer vacation, but my naughty second son fell from a tree and broke his leg. He was hospitalized for two weeks, and after he was discharged, I had to take care of him. I finally managed to get him back to his old self, and then school started again."
“You know how busy your son-in-law is. Anyway, they both live at school now, and I was free, so I came back to visit you. I left them some money. They can just buy some food and cook something at home on Sundays. They're teenagers now, so I don't need to worry about them anymore. Their dad is home on weekends too, so I can finally relax for a while.”
The old lady cried tears of joy. Tao Yuan comforted her for a long time before noticing Tao Tao standing cautiously to the side watching her.
"Little Peach? It's your auntie! You haven't met her yet, have you? No problem, it's our first time meeting today. Hello, my name is Tao Yuan, and I'm the head of your peach orchard. From now on, you'll be under my management. Oh my, you're so cute! Come here, let your auntie give you a kiss."
Tao Yuan was really not polite. She picked up Tao Tao and kissed her on both sides. Tao Tao didn't expect her little aunt to be so lively. She was immediately amused and smiled broadly. She even hid from Tao Yuan, trying not to let her kiss her.
"Auntie, it tickles! Auntie, please don't kiss me anymore, it tickles so much, giggle!"
"Oh my, this little girl is so adorable. Mom, you have no idea how unlucky I am. My two sons are always running around and causing me so much trouble. Luckily, I only had two. If I had three, I would have been driven crazy. I'm the only one working from morning till night. Those three are the kind of people who wouldn't even lift a finger to pick up a fallen oil bottle. When I came back this time, they were all anxiously pacing around the house, asking where this one was and where that one was. They said they couldn't live without me. I don't care about them. I'm going to go and act cute with you, Mom, and let them annoy me every day."
Although my aunt complained, who couldn't see the happiness in her eyes? This must be what they call a sweet burden.
Tired but happy.
"So many people have advised me to have another child. I also want a daughter, but I'm afraid of having another son, so I've decided against it. My brother and sister-in-law are so smart. Look how clever they are! Mom, how about letting my niece come with me to Harbin? I'll definitely treat her like my own daughter. You don't know, once they leave, I'll be all alone at home, so bored. They don't want me to go to work either. Being idle all day isn't a good solution; they'll just pick a fight."
Upon hearing this, Grandma quickly snatched the small wine from Tao Yuan's arms and glared at her.
"If you want a daughter, go have one yourself. This is my little darling, I've had her since she was little. You're bored, and so am I. She's the only one who keeps me entertained. You're happy to take her away, but what about me? Get out of here. Don't try to snatch her away every time you come back. You brought so many big bags and small packages, what's inside? Is there any gift for Ah Jiu?"
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