In fact, Cheng Chao was not at ease leaving.
Over time, he had come to understand Jian Dan quite well. She wasn't the type to handle things. She seemed indifferent and apathetic, but if it wasn't her problem, she was fine. However, if it was related to her or her family and friends, she could really go crazy.
Cheng Chao felt uneasy about having one big child taking care of three other children.
With Xin Xin, who is indeed young but loves excitement and is still clueless about the world; Cheng Rui, who is always eager to join in the fun and never afraid of making things worse; Cheng An, who is somewhat sensible but is still a child; and Jian Dan, who loves to go up the mountain to play, it's easy to imagine that these next few days will be chaotic and lively.
Oh, and there are four dogs making a ruckus along with them.
On the way back, Cheng Chao kept thinking about it, afraid that someone would come knocking on his door at any moment.
Even after returning to his unit, his brow remained furrowed.
Cheng Jin was puzzled.
"Didn't you take the kids to school? Why do you look so bitter and resentful?"
Cheng Chao plopped down, looking very serious.
"I'm thinking, how many days can they turn things upside down?"
Cheng Jin was speechless. "Can't you hope for something better?"
Simple and the others weren't as carefree as Cheng Chao had imagined. Mainly, the little girl hadn't been back for several months, and with two older brothers visiting, she was looking forward to seeing her friends and wanted to show off to them.
The house suddenly became lively. Jian Dan, still feeling a bit dizzy, quickly waved her hand upon hearing this.
"Go quickly, go play! Take your brother with you!"
Judging by her excitement, it's obvious she'll go find Tiger first. And there's no need to worry about Jian Dan; she's doing very well in the village.
Even after the children went out, she didn't rest. She looked at the bundles the two children had brought, which contained only two changes of clothes, one old cotton-padded jacket for each child. You could still see the stitching marks at the hem, probably because they were too small and they couldn't bear to make new ones, so they added another piece.
The rest were things I brought for myself: clothes made by Tang Sumei, dried meat, and some local dates, all of which were good things.
To be honest, Tang Sumei really treated her like her own child, sending her all these good things.
Glancing at the few lonely pieces of clothing beside him, he quickly rummaged through his own stock, took out a few pieces of blue and gray fabric, and found a bundle of cotton. He stuffed everything into the basket, and as he turned to lock the door, the children came running back, their foreheads covered in sweat.
"Sis, where are you going? Are you leading us?"
Jian Xin had lived with them for so long; you could tell from the things she took.
"Are you going to see Third Grandmother?"
"Yes, are you going too?"
Cheng Rui had already diligently reached out to take the basket from him.
"Sister, we'll take you there."
Two boys, about the same height as him, flanked him like bodyguards, while a little girl skipped along in front of them. Jian Dan's entourage was certainly eye-catching.
"It's only a few steps, and you're offering to walk me around? I think you just want to have some fun, don't you?"
They were laughing and joking, and since it wasn't far, they even encountered villagers on the way who were going up the mountain to gather firewood. Their curious gazes kept falling on them.
"Jian Zhiqing, is this... one of your relatives?"
Then it was Jian Xin's turn to appear, and she introduced herself with a smile.
"This is my older brother, my sister's younger brother."
They bounced around, showing off to almost everyone they met, and then the two children would look up and smile politely.
The journey wasn't far, but they encountered five or six people in just a short time. The difference between laughing spontaneously and being forced to laugh is stark. Even Cheng Rui from She Niu was finding it hard to laugh. The child, feeling wronged, watched them leave and quickly came over to whisper a question.
"Sis, are we there yet?"
Quickly adjust your expression and pretend nothing's wrong.
"Almost there, just a few more houses ahead. By the way, is the basket heavy? Are you tired?"
The children had come with Cheng Chao and hadn't ridden in the oxcart. The old man didn't know this and was momentarily stunned when he saw several children rushing in.
"Come in quickly, what brings you here?"
"Third Grandpa, my sister is here to see Third Grandma."
Jian Xin had become a qualified mouth double, and Jian Dan smiled and agreed.
"Third Master, I've come to ask Third Madam to make me some clothes. These are my second uncle's two children, who are on holiday and have come to keep me company."
Then she turned back and asked the two children to call for someone, and the old lady also came in from the kitchen.
"Hurry up and sit on the kang (heated brick bed). It's getting colder outside every day. Have you lit your fireplace yet?"
They started chatting about everyday things, and then Uncle Liu got off the ground, put on his clothes, and went out.
"Third Aunt, this is my brother. I was thinking of making them another coat, a cotton-padded jacket and cotton-padded shoes to wear alternately, so I came to find you."
"Sure, why not?"
The old lady smiled. This little girl was not only sensible, but she also gave her money every time she asked for help. She always gave her extra fabric, enough to make a dress for the child. It wasn't that she was greedy for money, but who doesn't appreciate such generosity in social interactions?
"I don't have anything else to do right now, so I'll get it done quickly and it'll be finished in a few days."
As she spoke, she reached for her basket on the cabinet lid.
"Come on, let's measure their size first. They're much stronger than Tiger."
That's true. After all, the two brothers grew up in the military region, so their conditions were much better than those of ordinary people in the countryside. The Cheng family also had some wealth, and these two children were three to five times better off than other children.
Cheng Rui and Cheng An were stunned. They never expected that their sister would make clothes for them, especially cotton-padded jackets, on their second day of arrival.
Even when his mother made clothes for them, she wasn't this extravagant. She was always calculating and scheming. After all, his father usually had to help this person and that person. There were only so many cloth ration coupons, and they were growing up quickly, so Tang Sumei had to be careful. Before they came, she told them that his sister lived alone and that they were there to help, so they couldn't ask for this or that.
He immediately slid down from the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), waving his hands repeatedly.
"No, no, sister, we have clothes."
"Sister, we've brought all our cotton-padded coats, that's enough, you really don't need them."
Jian Xin had already climbed onto the kang (heated brick bed) to find Xiao Hua. Upon hearing this, she turned around and immediately complained to Jian Dan.
"Sister, they're not listening!"
She didn't know what politeness was; she was always delighted with whatever her sister gave her.
"That's right, why aren't you listening? Don't you treat me like your older sister anymore?"
"No, no,"
Children are children after all, and they're quite easy to fool. The old lady pulled them around a few times before letting them out, along with Jian Xin and Xiao Hua.
"You guys go out and play too, take your brother with you."
The children readily agreed and disappeared as soon as they stepped out the door.
The old lady noted down the measurements and, without waiting for a moment, immediately spread the cloth on the kang (a heated brick bed), ready to cut it.
"Should we make it bigger?"
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