Lin Dagang drove a tractor to the county town. The sky had just cleared up and the truck bed was filled with straw. Zhao Ming, Jiang Xiaodong and Xu Guoliang followed the truck out to help Jinniu get on the truck. Meng Tao took advantage of the tractor to buy a few more quilts from the supply and marketing cooperative. There were four people in his group, including Meng Jinniu, and there were not enough quilts at home.

The newly bought quilt was just right for Taurus to lean on, and if he drove the tractor slower, the road would not be too bumpy.

Xu Guoliang saw Meng Tao pushing a new bicycle over, and when he learned that it was something she had just bought, he immediately snatched it away. On the way, he rode the new bicycle briskly, sometimes pedaling hard to get in front of the tractor, sometimes slowly following behind, feeling very proud. The noise from riding the tractor almost made his ears go deaf, and it was much better to ride a bicycle by himself, and he could also look around and enjoy the scenery.

On the tractor, Jiang Xiaodong turned his head from time to time to look at Xu Guoliang, and Zhao Ming also watched with a smile. Everyone knew that Meng Tao had a bicycle ticket, and she had money in her hand, which was returned by Tian Zhigao, so it was not surprising that she could buy a new bicycle.

But Meng Tao said that she had a few hundred yuan. How many? This bicycle is a Fei Ge brand, which is very expensive. In addition to the ticket, it costs more than a hundred yuan. Looking at her recent lavish spending, even if it is 700 or 800 yuan, or even nearly 1,000 yuan, I'm afraid she is already facing the end of her rope, right?

After this girl saw things clearly, she really became a different person. This is good. Who doesn't want to live freely and happily in this world? Even if you spend all your money, you can still get it back. Only when you are confident, strong and capable can you have such courage.

Zhao Ming looked up casually at the opposite side. Jiang Xiaodong and Taohua were sitting side by side. Taohua was carefully looking after Jinniu's injured leg to prevent him from being shocked. Jiang Xiaodong leaned back slightly, with one arm around Taohua climbing onto the steel bar of the truck bed, in a protective position.

That day, Jiang Xiaodong handed Taohua an envelope in the hospital, but Taohua pushed it away. Zhao Ming looked back and saw it. He knew that the envelope contained money.

Before the educated youth went to the hospital to visit Jinniu, they discussed whether to buy some things or just collect some money for the brother and sister. In the end, they thought Taohua would not accept the money because she still had money, so they bought some fruits and nutritional supplements.

But Jiang Xiaodong wanted to give money to Taohua privately. Zhao Ming felt that Jiang Xiaodong would not just want to support Taohua, he might have other ideas.

Zhao Ming turned his eyes away and sighed. Everyone can have many ideas, but in the current situation, is it enough to just have ideas? The tractor drove to Yanchong Commune. Zhao Ming looked at his watch. It was past three in the afternoon. When he returned to Linshui Village, it would probably be past four.

The journey was smooth and it took only three hours to get back from the county town.

Passing the supply and marketing cooperative and the grocery store, Meng Tao called Lin Dagang to stop for a while. She jumped off the bike and ran into the grocery store. Jiang Xiaodong followed her. Xu Guoliang, who arrived later, also stopped his bike and followed her in. Soon, the three of them came back with things in their hands.

Meng Tao bought two pork bones, three pounds of fresh pork belly, four pounds of tofu, a handful of celery, two cabbages, four white radishes and a bag of potatoes. She told Jiang Xiaodong and Xu Guoliang that she also had some ham, sausage and beef jerky sent from the provincial capital, and that she was going to have a big dinner tonight and wanted to buy two more roast chickens. Jiang Xiaodong stopped her, saying that the educated youth had raised a big rooster weighing four or five pounds, and was waiting for Meng Tao and Jinniu to come back and slaughter it.

Xu Guoliang said happily, "How can we have a big dinner without wine?" He paid for the wine tonight! Meng Tao thought of the peach blossom wine and chrysanthemum wine she had made casually in the space. There was no technical content at all. She just sprinkled petals into the wine jar and sealed it. I don't know if it will work? Anyway, it is definitely not drinkable now. It will take at least a year and a half.

The tractor started and continued to move towards the village.

In an era without mobile phones and televisions, remote mountain villages didn’t even have electricity, and there were basically no entertainment programs. A tractor coming in and out would attract the attention of the entire village.

Meng Tao had been away from the village for nearly twenty days. After Aunt Yang told everyone some gossip and cleared up doubts, Captain Bao confirmed that the whole village knew that the old Meng family of Naliang Commune was going to send a grandson with a broken leg to Meng Shengli as an heir, so Meng Tao went to the county hospital to treat her cousin. Now that she is back, many adults and children, especially mothers-in-law, have rushed to the Meng family to watch the fun.

Fortunately, Meng Jinniu had been to Linshui Village last time and was familiar with the place, otherwise he would have been looked at carefully by the old ladies.

Even so, everyone still looked at Jinniu's injured leg very critically, asking if it would be okay in the future and if he could still walk and work. They were worried that Meng Tao would suffer a loss and brought back a disabled brother.

Meng Jinniu was placed in Zhao Ming's room. The mothers and grandmothers surrounded his bed. Jinniu answered their questions honestly and patiently.

Zhao Ming and Jiang Xiaodong moved several large travel bags and quilts brought back from the county town into the main room. Meng Tao opened one of the bags, took out two large bags of fruit candies and melon seeds, and gave them to Sun Yutang, asking him to go to Meng Jinniu to distribute the candies, two or three candies and a handful of melon seeds to each person. After eating the candies and melon seeds, they probably stopped talking around Jinniu.

This was a good job, Qian Liang happily followed along to join in the fun.

The tractor was still parked at the intersection. Meng Tao walked over with a blue cloth bag and saw Lin Dagang squatting at the rear wheel checking something. She asked him what was wrong. Lin Dagang said it was nothing, he was just checking it.

Meng Tao asked again if his wife had given birth. Lin Dagang said yes, it was a girl.

Meng Tao smiled and said congratulations. It was a coincidence that the two pieces of fine cotton cloth she picked were both pink, just right for girls.

He handed the blue cloth bag to Lin Dagang: "This is the brown sugar I wanted to buy last time. It's a little gift for you. You can take it back. When I have time, I will go to visit you two."

Lin Dagang looked at the bulging cloth bag. There must be more than just a little brown sugar in it. "Taohua, that's too much, right? We are brothers and sisters from the same village. There's no need to be so..."

Lin Dagang took the bag and said with a smile, "Okay, thank you! I'll come to join in the fun tonight and have a drink!"

Meng Tao nodded, she had a lot of things to do, so she turned and left.

Lin Dagang drove the tractor to the brigade's engine room and parked it, then returned home excitedly. At the gate of the yard, he saw his mother coming out of the kitchen with a dustpan. He subconsciously took two steps back, looked left and right, stuffed the cloth bag in his hand into his cotton-padded jacket, then walked into the yard with his arms around his belly, called out "Mom", and went into the house.

Mother Lin looked at her second son and thought he was a little strange today, but she didn't know what was wrong, so she didn't think much about it and just lowered her head to do her own thing.

Lin Dagang lifted the curtain and walked into his room. It was very cold in the room and he couldn't help but frown. There was charcoal at home. His father-in-law specially sent a sack of it, saying that it was for his wife to use during her confinement after childbirth. But his mother was too thrifty and was always reluctant to burn it. As long as he was not at home, there was no brazier in the room.

He was a tractor driver in the brigade. He had sent countless people from the village to the commune clinic and the county hospital. However, his wife was unable to go to the hospital for childbirth because her mother said it would be the same if she gave birth at home. Many women in the village gave birth at home and nothing had ever happened.

Lin Dagang didn't understand this, so he just obeyed. However, his wife suffered a lot during childbirth and bled a lot. More than ten days have passed, and now she hasn't recovered. His mother-in-law came to visit him and scolded him, saying that childbirth for a woman is like going through the gates of hell, especially for the first time, which can be fatal!

Lin Dagang regretted it deeply and tried to make up for it these days. Whenever he had time, he would take care of his wife and children. His mother was very unhappy and asked what was wrong with having a girl. Lin Dagang just pretended not to hear her. The girl was also his and he had to love her.

When relatives come to visit with gifts, it is generally his mother who keeps them and never gives them to his wife. Now that the family has not yet divided up, his younger brother and sister-in-law have to spend money everywhere, and his mother seems to have a point: the gift-giving and gift-giving between relatives is not something you young couple can control, it is all up to your mother and parents to deal with it.

Lin Dagang understood his mother's difficulties, but he couldn't go too far. His wife didn't get enough nutrition and her health is not good now. His daughter was as weak as a little mouse and didn't even have the strength to cry. He couldn't help but keep it to himself.

Dagang's wife was leaning against the bed to feed her child. When she looked up and saw the man coming back, she immediately looked miserable and almost cried: "What should I do? I have no milk, she can't eat enough!"

Lin Dagang asked hurriedly, "Her aunt sent a hen yesterday. I slaughtered it this morning. Didn't mom stew it for you at noon?"

Dagang's wife shook her head: "Didn't your cousin give birth too? Today is the third day, and mom took it as a gift."

Lin Dagang turned around and was about to go out to argue with his mother, but when he reached the door, he came back and took out a blue cloth bag from his cotton coat and handed it to his wife: "Taohua is for you and our daughter. Take a look at what's in it first."

Dagang's wife handed the small swaddling robe to Lin Dagang: "Hold her to keep her warm, the room is as cold as an ice cellar."

Lin Dagang: “…”

I shouldn't have followed other people's example and used a bed frame when I got married. In fact, the earthen kang is really good in winter.

He unbuttoned his cotton coat and wrapped his daughter in his arms.

Dagang's wife untied the blue cloth bag and took out items one by one, including two pieces of cloth, two packets of brown sugar, a can of milk powder and malted milk, and two big red apples.

Dagang's wife's tears immediately fell: "With milk powder, my daughter can have enough to drink; this fabric is soft and beautiful, my daughter has never had a decent dress since she was born... Taohua, how can she be so considerate? She is really like my own sister!"

Lin Dagang was grateful to Meng Tao, and was also glad that he had thought of keeping the bag secretly and did not let his mother see it.

"Don't cry, my dear. They say crying during the confinement period will damage your eyes. I'll go light up some charcoal and boil some water to make milk powder for my daughter. You can also drink some of this malted milk. Tomorrow, I'll kill the hen at home and give you some nourishment!"

Dagang's wife wiped her tears and said, "I drank malted milk at my parents' house before. It was so fragrant that I could smell it from far away. If they..."

"It's okay, I'm here. Don't mention peach blossoms, don't bother her. Just say it's a gift from your cousin from your mother's side. Keep the things and lock them in the cabinet for your own use. Don't give them to anyone who asks!"

"Yes, I understand."

(End of this chapter)