"Yes, the kids are always running around outside. If their hands and feet get frostbite, they'll suffer from pain and itching."
These words really struck a chord with the old lady, who slapped her thigh in agreement.
"Of course! Take Tiger for example. His heels were exposed when he was six years old. He always followed his dad around. Before winter was over, his heels were frozen."
Even now, every winter, it aches and itch intermittently, and it's still not better.
I'm telling you,"
The old lady picked up a shoe from the side.
“Look,”
He simply peeked out and his lips twitched slightly.
"Third Madam, I can tell you care about the child, but isn't this a bit too thick?"
She had seen cotton shoes made in the countryside before, and the ones she was wearing now were made by the old lady before. These looked much thicker than the ones she was wearing.
"These are thick cotton shoes, for cold weather. They're not thick enough. These are thin, and they're perfect for wearing now. Try them on."
That's just how she is. In other families, people differentiate between thin and thick cotton shoes. If someone has a pair of cotton shoes for the whole winter, the whole family will be overjoyed.
Cheng Rui tried on his own cotton-padded coat and shoes, then compared them to Cheng An's, happily folded them one by one, and carefully put them into the basket.
"Third Grandma, you're amazing! Everything you make fits so perfectly. I think Xiao An's clothes and shoes fit too."
The old lady chuckled as she was coaxed.
"I just put in a little effort, you should thank your sister. If it weren't for her being willing to give me so many good things, I wouldn't have been able to do anything."
Cheng Rui's face was full of smugness.
"That's right, my sister is the best."
"Haha, yes, your sister is the best."
The old lady turned around and pulled the small basket over again; there was also a small bundle inside.
"Here's the rest of the cloth and cotton; take them all back."
Simple didn't answer.
"Third Aunt, didn't we agree that I wouldn't take the rest back? See if you can put them together and make something for Tiger or Little Flower? Or maybe you think the remaining amount is too little?"
The old lady patted her.
"You're saying this isn't enough? There's not much left, but if we put it all together, we can make a little cotton-padded jacket for each of them. That should be enough. You, my family has already received so much from you, you silly girl."
Cheng Rui picked up the sugar water that Sun Xiang had poured for him on the kang table and drank it all in one gulp, chuckling to himself.
"Tiger, Little Flower, did you hear that? You're going to get new cotton-padded jackets too!"
Tiger happily did somersaults on the kang (a heated brick bed), and Little Flower smiled with her lips pursed, clearly very happy as well.
"Since I came here, Xin Xin, and the two of them, you've made all our clothes, shoes, and everything else. I don't know what we would have done without you."
The old lady is so old, she can naturally tell whether it's true or false, or if it's mostly just being flattered. Who wouldn't be happy to help someone send something by mail if they have the money?
But who doesn't like to be praised?
The old lady was no exception; she smiled as brightly as a chrysanthemum.
"You silly child, when you get something good, think about yourself more."
It was already getting dark, and Jian Dan didn't plan to stay any longer. The old lady also got out of bed.
Did you not pickle any sauerkraut this year?
For even simple sauerkraut dishes, Sun Xiang was almost always asked to help, and the old lady knew this too.
"Perfect timing! My sauerkraut is ready. I'll scoop out a few for you. Do you have any lard at home? You can fry it up. Frying sauerkraut with lard makes for a really delicious filling. You can use it to make steamed buns or dumplings."
No way! I remember you love pork ribs. Pork rib stew with sauerkraut—you're generous with the oil, and the sauerkraut is also very oily; it'll definitely taste delicious.
"Why!"
These are simple dishes that Jian Dan can cook a little bit now, but since Cheng Rui and his brother came, she rarely has the chance to cook anymore. However, just hearing about how delicious they are makes her mouth water.
"Third Aunt, could you get me a few more? I also like the pickled cabbage hearts, the raw kind,"
The old lady smiled broadly.
"Why not? I've pickled a whole vat of it. How much can you guys eat? Come and get some whenever you want."
"Do you still have soybean paste? Would you like some?"
Before today, Jian Dan hadn't cooked for several days and didn't know how many seasonings were left in the kitchen, so she looked back at Cheng Rui.
"Xiao Rui, do you still have any soybean paste at home?"
She didn't intend to refuse; that's how it is in the countryside—giving and receiving is normal.
Cheng Rui thought for a moment,
"It seems there's a hole in that little jar. We used too much pickled vegetables the other day, otherwise we would have had more left."
The old lady simply found another small jar.
“Okay, then I’ll have your aunt pack another jar for you. Who knows how many more days this heavy snow will last? Just have the kids bring the jar back to me when the weather gets better.”
"OK,"
He placed the jar and pickled vegetables at the bottom of the basket, separated by two layers of tattered cloth, before gently placing the cotton-padded coat on top, covering it with the lid, and then carefully hoisted it onto his back.
"Let's go, sis, it's getting dark, it'll get colder if we go any later."
The old lady nodded.
"That's right. I won't keep you here at this hour. Come back and play during the day when you have time."
The snow is so heavy, the roads are difficult to walk on. You two walk slowly, don't slip.
The snow fell heavily for most of the afternoon. The wind was light, and the snow on the village road was so deep that it easily reached up to the ankles, and in some places it went all the way up to the calves, making it difficult to walk quickly.
This place wasn't in the center of the village. There were few residents along the road leading to her house. Next to it was the educated youth compound, then Mingzhu's small courtyard, then an open space, and then Jian Dan's house. There were no other residents. No matter what was happening at the village office, whether it was distributing money or something, it really didn't have any impact. There wasn't even a footprint on the road.
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