"I don't expect her to do any work, and with her under my watchful eye, I feel more at ease, right?"
The old lady understood her idea and nodded.
“I would like her to play with the kids, but I see that kids her age are always busy, feeding chickens and doing chores, they seem capable of doing everything. We don’t have any of those chores at home, and we don’t need the kids. After thinking it over, I guess she can only stay with me. Maybe she can even help with some corn kernels, right, Xin Xin?”
The little girl only heard the last sentence: "Help?"
She quickly and readily agreed.
"Yes, Xin Xin can help."
The old lady laughed.
You!
You know what, little Xinxin may be young, but she's incredibly good at counting and recognizing characters—she knows way more than Xiaohua. These past few days, Xiaohua has been thinking about it; there are some words in her picture book she doesn't recognize, and she's been waiting for this little girl to come and explain them to her.
"Xin Xin went back and said that Sister Xiao Hua likes to read and study."
"well!"
The old lady stopped what she was doing and sighed.
"Tell me, the old man didn't have time to take care of Guangming back then, and he's only learned a few characters over the years. We can't let the child be blind for the rest of his life."
If you can read and count, you won't get sold out if something happens.
This world is so unsettling. Young girls like you, without other skills, might find that learning another skill can help them protect themselves a little better.
I completely agree with this point.
"That's for sure. There's definitely a difference between studying and not studying."
"Tell me, if a factory were hiring, would it prefer someone who is literate and understands things, or someone who is illiterate, can't count, and knows nothing?"
The old lady kept patting the kang (a heated brick bed).
"That's exactly the point. Look at those people in the village who don't know anything and just argue nonsense. They can't even read a single word. Some of them can't even calculate their own work points when the grain is distributed. You tell me, they're like that. When something happens, they just cry, make a scene, and threaten to hang themselves. They always think that if they can make others cry and annoy them, then they'll win."
A couple of years ago, Weimin said that everyone should learn to read. Not to mention anything else, even if you go to the commune or something, if you need to use the outhouse, you can't not even be able to tell the difference between men and women, right?
These people just wouldn't do it no matter what, which really annoyed Weimin.
To be honest, it's one thing for them not to do it themselves, but they also obstruct and block the children from learning.
It wasn't just Weimin, but also the second brother—the one you have to call Second Master—who spoke up, and that's how all the children in the village learned a few words.
Then, not long after, a year of famine struck, didn't it? So the matter was put aside again. This time, I don't think Weimin wants to talk about it anymore; that year really broke his heart. Look, last year was a good year, and it's this time of year now, and he hasn't mentioned it once. I guess that's how it'll just be.”
He said that, but when he looked at his granddaughter reading intently, his expression was very gentle.
"Third Aunt, don't worry about that. Last time, I brought back a lot of comic books. Let them read them first."
Over time, children always enjoy listening to stories. If they see that the two little girls know the stories while they don't, how can they feel satisfied?
The old lady's eyes lit up, and she was overjoyed.
"That's true! Not to mention other kids, even Tiger has been listening to Xiaohua tell me stories for half a day these past few days. The day before yesterday, he even went up to Xiaohua and insisted on asking what happened to the story later."
Upon hearing this, Xiaohua also raised her head.
"Yes, he wanted to see it, but he didn't recognize it yet, so he asked me to read it to him. He also gave me all his good food."
Giving something nice to your younger sister willingly, versus giving it to her for a reason, carries a different meaning in this exchange or as a request.
The old lady laughed so hard she slapped her thigh.
"Look at you, look at you! It's only been a few days, and you can't hold back anymore."
Xiao Jian, your trick is really effective; it's a hundred times better than forcibly holding someone down.
"I was wondering why Tiger's been hanging around Xiaohua the whole time he got back these past few days. I was wondering if the two brothers were having some kind of secret."
"Grandma, my brother can count to ten already. I told him if he can count to twenty, I'll teach him and even teach him to read."
Even Jian Dan was surprised; this child was already proactively guiding her brother to study. She truly had the makings of a teacher. Thinking this, she simply said it aloud.
"Third Aunt, don't talk about me. Look at Xiaohua's trick, it's brilliant. Did Huzi want to learn it himself? If you ask me, if Xiaohua were a teacher, she would definitely be a good one."
Everyone loves to hear that, and the old lady was no exception; her lips hadn't closed in a long time.
“Xiaohua has always been more obedient than Huzi. She can figure things out on her own when you teach her something. Unlike Huzi, who is a naughty little devil. He can’t stand being told what to do and just runs around outside.”
Two little heads huddled together, engrossed in a picture book, and the two children quickly recounted what had happened that day.
"Third Aunt, I'd like to exchange some mushrooms. Xin Xin likes to eat them. I was thinking of mailing some to Kyoto later. I can't always take her up the mountain to pick mushrooms. I was thinking of exchanging more so we can dry them and store them."
The old lady was in a good mood, and besides, it wasn't a big deal at all.
"Okay, I'll ask around for you. Do you want hazelnut mushrooms, or anything else will do?"
"Aren't hazel mushrooms only available in autumn? I'm not picky, anything is fine, as long as they're clean."
If possible, replace the hazel mushrooms in the fall with more; Xin Xin likes them the most.
"Okay, I'll ask around for you. Every household has this thing. It's free. If you say they can exchange it, they'll definitely be overjoyed."
"Then I'll trouble you to take the time to see what they want to exchange. If I have something, I'll exchange it; if not, exchanging money is fine too."
"Okay, they took this thing to the commune to ask, but no one would accept it. They all know it's worthless. It's good that they can exchange it for something these days. Don't be too extravagant and make people think you're easy to fool."
A simple squinting smile,
"Okay, I understand. Isn't it because you're here that they dare not take advantage of my lack of knowledge?"
The old lady felt much more comfortable and sat up straight.
"That must be it. I've lived in this village for half my life, old lady. I know what everyone looks like."
They know my temper, so they generally don't dare to try anything funny in front of me.
Don't worry, the third mistress will definitely pick out the best ones for you; we won't accept the bad ones.
There might not be many in spring, but a little bit will be enough for the two of you. You can wait for autumn, when the hazel mushrooms on the mountain come in batches, year after year. Every family dries a lot of them. They're also a good dish in winter. It's just that there are no chickens. If you're willing to use a little oil, the stir-fried mushrooms are also very delicious.
I told them well in advance this year to make sure it was clean and tidy before sending it over, so you two sisters can just wait to eat.
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