Zhai Sanhe no longer lives in the city. He only goes back occasionally at noon to cook a meal, and if he's busy, he eats at the company cafeteria.
Cuihua was heavily pregnant, and it was not safe for her to travel back and forth to the county town, so Comrade Sanhe returned home from the county town to take care of her.
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the Tao family packed their belongings and sent the two elderly people to a rented house in the county town.
It took a lot of effort to find this house.
After all, housing was scarce in those days, and if Zhai Sanhe hadn't used his connections, he might not have been able to rent one.
Tao Changyi and his wife also went back to work on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, Tao An went back to school on the eighth day, and Tao Qing was responsible for taking care of the two elders before school started.
The family had a reunion lunch in their rented apartment at noon.
"Grandpa and Grandma, Dad and Mom, there's no room here. We'll go home tonight and come back early tomorrow morning."
Tao Zui Tao Ran led Xiao Jiu back to the village, and Xiao Jiu was very reluctant to part with him at the thought of having to say goodbye again.
"I hope that when I return, I will be able to welcome the birth of my great-nephew (he can be called either a boy or a girl)."
Cuihua patted Xiaojiu's smooth hair.
"I'm fine with things here, but what about your fourth sister? What are we going to do?"
Tang Cuihong's child is three months older than Cuihua's. Cuihua has many sisters and a godmother who controls her, but Cuihong has nothing.
“When I went to my fourth sister’s place before, she told me that her husband had made arrangements and that we shouldn’t worry.”
I will keep a close eye on her situation.
Green-flowered babies are born in July or August, while green-red babies are born in April or May.
So Xiao Jiu was lucky enough to be on summer vacation and actually managed to catch the birth of Cuihua's child.
"I'll write to ask when I have time. By the way, did your godmother receive the baby clothes her sent to your fourth sister?"
It wasn't that Cuihua insisted on asking Xiaojiu, but rather that it was very inconvenient to contact Cuihong, and that child was lazy and didn't reply promptly.
"Don't worry, eldest sister, fourth sister isn't lazy, she's just a little clumsy."
She had some fabric on hand, and there were many experienced people in the family compound who had made quite a few. She gradually learned how to make them.
She's taken out the things my mother sent her quite often to practice stitching; the last time I visited, she was already practicing on rags.
"Really? Oh, that's wonderful! I was so worried she wouldn't do anything. What if we didn't prepare enough and the child didn't have enough?"
The two families weren't related, and Xiao Jiu's childhood clothes had been used as patches over the years.
After all these years, it's no longer suitable for newborns, so not only Cuihong, but Cuihua also had to start preparing everything from scratch.
Luckily, Xiao Jiu had acquired so much cotton and military fabric; otherwise, they would have had to search everywhere for cloth coupons.
Having survived the 1950s, they have learned to be low-key and frugal; after all, who didn't grow up wearing patched-up clothes?
Even small amounts of alcohol are no exception.
When Xiao Jiu left, he prepared another 200 jin of raw grain for Tang Cuihua, which could be directly ground into fine grain.
Other foods that nourish qi and blood include peanuts, red dates, and dried fruits.
On the fifth night, Xiaojiu didn't light the stove, nor did he go to share a heated kang bed with his brothers. Instead, he slept in his own space for the night.
They didn't cook on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year; instead, they ate breakfast at the Tang family's house.
"Then we'll be going. Sister Hua, please take good care of yourself. Remember to write to us if anything happens."
After the meal, Tao Zui Tao Ran led Xiao Jiu Yuan Yuan Cui Ju Cui Xiang on a walk back to the county town. After buying bus tickets, the group went to pay their respects to their elders.
"Alright, don't worry about things at home. We'll take care of your grandparents. Just write back if anything comes up."
Zhao Lingli looked at the nearly two hundred catties of raw grain that Xiao Jiu had piled up in the room and exclaimed that it was too much, and even wanted her to take some back.
Unexpectedly, she not only refused to take them, but also released another thirty catties of chicken eggs, sixty salted duck eggs, and a basket of quail eggs weighing about twenty catties.
They even brought out a lot of brown sugar, white sugar, various easy-to-preserve pastries, dried goods, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
Zhao Lingli was shocked by what she saw: "My God, that's enough! You've put in so much food, what are we going to do if we can't finish it?"
"My brother also lives at home. Every day, each of you has to eat an egg, no matter what kind, just one to get some nutrition."
As for these raw grains (wheat, rice, millet, corn), they are easier to preserve, and no one will say anything if they are discovered.
"Just grind as much as you need at the mill."
Because these grains had been stored for too long and needed to be eaten as soon as possible, Xiao Jiu didn't touch the refined white flour and white rice in the storage space.
These ingredients are easier to preserve now that it's cold, and they won't spoil.
She was gone for more than half a year, so naturally she had to make sure that all the supplies for that period were in place.
They traveled peacefully from the county town to Luo City. Tao Zui was responsible for buying the train tickets to Xishi, while Xiao Jiu took Cui Ju home.
"Our train leaves at 12:30. Don't delay when you get there, come back quickly. We still need to have a meal together."
Tao Ran originally wanted to deliver it, but Xiao Jiu considered leaving something for her sister instead.
"No need, Second Brother, I'll go myself. I'll bring you the things you mentioned, Yuanzi. Keep an eye on the luggage, I'll be right back."
She was going to put something away, and it wouldn't be convenient for anyone to follow her. It took a lot of persuasion to convince Tao Ran and Yuan Yuan to give up following her.
Cuixiang took a different bus and went back to her dormitory first.
She had been very silent these past few days, not speaking to anyone. She only greeted them once, and they left before they could even react.
"Second sister, I feel like sixth sister isn't doing too well. You should go and see her when you have time, and stop worrying about things."
"You bet! I also think she's in really bad shape. Do you think she might feel bad about kicking her out?"
Xiao Jiu shook her head slightly. "This is something outsiders can't interfere with. What's the use if we think we're a good match but the parties involved don't like it?"
Let them be. You too, don't worry about them yet. Shouldn't you find yourself a partner?
During the Chinese New Year, Cuiju was constantly urged to get married by her family, but she was already used to it.
He verbally agreed, but in reality, it was just talk; he didn't take it to heart at all.
With her busy work and studies these days, where would she find the time to date?
She understood her family's good intentions, but she let them go in one ear and out the other.
Back at the Weng family's courtyard, we didn't dare delay with the wine. Knowing that my second sister was busy, I put out a full ten catties of noodles.
"So many?" Xiao Jiu said nonchalantly.
"I usually just rush through cooking when I'm cooking for myself, so I'll leave you some extra noodles for convenience."
There was a millstone in the Weng family's courtyard, so Xiao Jiu glanced at the little grain that Cui Ju had left.
"I'll leave you some raw grain; grind whatever you want to eat yourself." I've allocated about fifty catties each of corn, millet, rice, and wheat.
Knowing that my second brother and sixth sister often come over for meals, I prepared extra wine.
Just as the dried goods such as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar were put away, Grandma Weng stood in the yard and called out.
"Hey, Xiao Jiu's back?"
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