After all, people's hearts are inherently biased; even five fingers can be of different lengths.
Moreover, this is a very special period. The slogan of gender equality has been chanted for a long time, but deep down, people still can't escape the bias of favoring boys.
In addition, the old sayings passed down from our ancestors emphasize that having many children brings many blessings.
However, not all children are their parents' darlings. Under the pressure of the situation, parents will have to make choices after weighing the pros and cons.
Even ordinary relatives need to visit each other often to maintain their relationship, let alone the bond between parents and children.
Once you leave, contact decreases, and naturally, things fade.
Tan Yajun was probably the one who felt it the most.
After several years of working in the countryside, I received fewer and fewer letters from home.
From two letters a month, plus occasional parcels, to now, one letter every six months, all of them are just bland pleasantries, mostly advising her to get married here and not to think about going back to the city, saying that things are tough back home, and so on.
She's been feeling much calmer lately, but seeing this still makes her a little bittersweet. They're not blood sisters, but they're more like family than her blood relatives.
A child cracked jokes, creating a very pleasant atmosphere. After the meal, everyone was smiling, and Tan Yajun had completely forgotten her earlier gloom.
"Alright, I've cleaned it up for you. I've put the meat in the jar to freeze. There's still hot water in the pot. You two should wash up and go to bed early."
It's getting colder and colder these days, so don't go out unless you have to, or it might get worse.
"Oh, right, there's still ginger water in that pot on the west side, it's still piping hot. You two should drink some later, warm yourselves up, and sweat it out."
Simple, with a hoarse voice,
"Okay, okay, you bunch of busybodies."
It's quite remarkable that these people, who come from all over the country, can get along so well.
"Don't come over for the next few days, so as not to infect you."
"Are you sure you can take her with you? Or should we take her back and help you take care of her for a couple of days?"
Xiao Jianxin reached out and hugged Jian Dan, saying, "No, no!"
Simple doesn't mean that. Aside from the fact that the child still occasionally wakes up in the middle of the night, in everyday life, no one asks someone else to help take care of their child.
"Haha, no need for that. She can keep me company and run errands for me."
It was clearly a case of one party willing to give and the other willing to receive; Li Yan just pursed her lips.
"Let's go, let's go, we're all being looked down upon."
After seeing off a few people, I quickly locked the gate, fed the four little ones, and then went inside to lock the door.
I made sure she drank the ginger water, and I also prepared a packet of cold medicine for Jianxin. It's always good to be on the safe side.
"Come and have some sweet soup. Don't catch a cold, or there won't be anyone to pour me water tomorrow."
The little girl came over, took the bowl, and gulped it down. She wiped her mouth with a flourish and patted her bulging little tummy.
“You drank it all, Xiao Shi… no, I mean Xin Xin. Xin Xin doesn’t have a cold, pour some water for your sister.”
It's been a short time, and the little girl hasn't fully accepted that she's changed her name yet. She still occasionally calls it by the wrong name, but Jian Dan doesn't mind. He reaches out and pinches her little cheek.
"Good boy/girl, here, I'll give you an apple as a reward. After you finish eating it, you have to brush your teeth, okay?"
The little girl leaned in and kissed Simple's cheek with a soft "mmm," filling the air with a sweet, milky scent.
"My older sister is the best!"
After saying that, she skipped over to the kang (a heated brick bed) and started arranging her toys. She paused for a moment, wiped her drool, and then slowly smiled. Raising a child doesn't seem so bad after all.
Two doses of ginger water, one dose of cold medicine after meals, and an extra meal in the middle of the night. With the medicine on hand and the room heated up, I slept soundly all night. The next morning, I felt noticeably better.
The fever is gone, the stuffy nose is gone, the sneezing has stopped, and even the throat is much better. Jian Dan couldn't help but marvel at how strong the body's recovery ability was, given that it hadn't been harmed by antibiotics.
Jianxin was still in good spirits, and since she hadn't caught it, Jian Dan was somewhat relieved.
He didn't get up, but lazily grabbed the little girl's ear and asked,
"What do you want to eat today? I'll make it for you."
The little girl was still a bit dazed, affectionately rubbing her hand against Simple's palm.
"Sister, I want to drink some fragrant porridge,"
This is simple, it must be satisfied.
"OK,"
She sat up abruptly, reached under the covers and pulled out her thermal underwear, putting it on.
"Okay, then, would you like some steamed buns?"
The little girl sat up abruptly.
"Yes, slurp, it smells delicious, does it have meat in it?"
"Your dad should have taken you to eat here before, right?"
Sheng Zhiyuan doesn't seem like someone who doesn't care about children; it shouldn't be that bad.
The little girl pouted.
"Dad bought two, but the bad guy kicked them away and the dog ate them."
“They also hit my dad, hit me, pulled my hair, pulled my face, smashed everything in the house, and we can’t cook anymore. My dad even got sick from the cold.”
The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.
Jian Dan had never avoided talking to her about Sheng Zhiyuan, but she didn't expect that such a young child could remember being bullied so clearly.
My guess is that the key point to remember might not be being bullied, but rather the resentment of not getting to eat the steamed buns.
Seeing that she was about to cry, Jian Dan quickly changed the subject, without feeling embarrassed at all.
"Oh! So, do you want to eat it, or not? If you don't want to eat it, I won't make it!"
"I want to eat, I want to eat steamed buns!"
Afraid that she might really give up, the little girl raised her hands high.
"Okay, okay, eat up! Do you want the big one or the small one?"
The little girl suddenly lowered her hand, her fingers fidgeting with each other, looking very conflicted.
"Sister, will eating steamed buns bankrupt you?"
"Then I'd rather not eat steamed buns, I'll just have porridge!"
These past few days, apart from waking up startled or having nightmares at night, the child has been a cheerful and adorable little one most of the time. It turns out that she understands perfectly well what she feels—the discomfort of living under someone else's roof is real, but she just hides it very carefully.
I placed the neatly folded blanket against the wall, then quickly stroked her smooth little face.
"That won't do. Your dad gives me so much money; I have to feed you until you're healthy and strong."
So don't try to save me money. Just tell me what you want to eat, and I'll make it for you.
"Really? Did Dad really say that?"
"Of course! You still dare not believe me!"
After bickering for a while, Jianxin forgot her earlier gloom and Jian Dan finally let her go.
"Get up and get dressed quickly, I'm going to cook. If you dawdle any longer, Jixiang and the others will laugh at you."
Whether it was a coincidence or not, a few barks actually came from outside, leaving the little girl completely bewildered.
I quickly and efficiently went to the kitchen, lit both pots, washed my face, and then started heating up the food.
If the little princess wants to eat porridge, then porridge must be made.
I rinsed the millet and poured it in, then added a handful of dates and stirred it well.
I had just put the curtain up, intending to heat up the buns, when I heard dogs barking outside again, and soon after, there was a knock on the door.
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