There are four children in the family who are particularly lively, the noisy Xiaoyi, the gentle Jixiang, the sensible Lin Wujun, and the quiet Li Wanda. Especially Li Wanda, because no one here knows him, and they don’t know that he hit the teacher and caused her miscarriage, so there is no need to worry that everyone will think he is a bad child. In this way, Li Wanda’s mood is much more relaxed, his emotions are no longer tense, and the whole person looks much more energetic. I have to say that changing the environment is still good for Li Wanda.

Lin Yiyi's women's bicycle is on the island, which is convenient for her to ride to the village to buy dried seafood. So there are no bicycles in the countryside, so she can only rent the brigade's ox cart. The brigade's ox carts are kept in the cowshed during the farming season. If the cart is full, it only costs 2 cents per person to rent it to the county town for a round trip. However, if Lin Yiyi is alone, it is similar to chartering a car, and she has to pay 20 cents.

Lin Yiyi naturally didn't care about the two cents, so she rented a car to go to the county town. However, the ox cart master still went around the brigade to ask if anyone else was going to the county town. People in this era were very simple and kind.

It's no wonder that when the ox cart master called out, someone really showed up. A few educated youth came up, two of whom Lin Yiyi knew. One was Yu Zhiqing, whom she had saved, and the other was Zhang Zhiqing, who had a conflict with Yu Zhiqing. However, although the two got on the ox cart one after the other, it was obvious that they had a bad relationship. Yes, no matter what the truth of the drowning incident was, it would be strange if they could reconcile, as this was a matter of life and death.

The two of them naturally saw Lin Yiyi. Zhang Zhiqing said, "Hello, Comrade Lin. Did you just come back? I haven't seen you before."

Yu Zhiqing did not say hello. As soon as she saw Lin Yiyi, she remembered what happened that day. She asked Lin Yiyi to testify for her but she refused. When Lin Yiyi returned the gift, she ran into this Zhang, who answered all her questions. Lin Yiyi said that she did not see Zhang Zhiqing push her, and because of this, she was suspected of lying. She thought Lin Yiyi did it on purpose.

Lin Yiyi naturally wouldn't rush to greet Yu Zhiqing. Look at the way she looked at him. Did she owe him anything? She said to Zhang Zhiqing, "Yes, I just came back from the army this morning. I came back just before the New Year. Are you going to the county to buy something?"

Zhang Zhiqing: "I'm going to send a letter home. I was supposed to wait until the weekend, but I didn't expect to have a car today, so I went today. As for the goods, I'll do it on the trading day. It's the New Year, so there will definitely be a lot of goods on that day."

Lin Yiyi: "There were indeed a lot of things on that day, all of which were prepared for the New Year. It can be said to be the busiest one of the year."

Zhang Zhiqing: "We don't have this kind of trading day in our city. When I first saw it, I thought it was quite novel."

Lin Yiyi: "In the city, there are supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores, and there are many places to buy things, but in the countryside, there are fewer supplies, so the trading day helps everyone a lot."

Zhang Zhiqing nodded and agreed that this trading day did have many advantages.

After all, the two were unfamiliar with each other, so they didn't continue the conversation after talking about the trading day. The ox cart became quiet, and everyone sat in silence until they reached the county town.

When Lin Yiyi arrived in the county, she went to see the house first. When she saw someone in the house, she was surprised for a moment, but when she saw clearly that it was Lin Zhen, she understood.

Lin Zhen also saw Lin Yiyi and asked in surprise: "Big sister is back?"

Lin Yiyi: "I just came back today, and I haven't been to the Shanglin Production Brigade to see you yet, but it's the same to see you here. You're about to give birth, and it's safe to live in the county town. The old alley is also close to the hospital, so go to the hospital when the time comes. There are some things a woman can't compromise on in her life, especially when it comes to something as big as giving birth."

Lin Zhen was naturally happy to hear Lin Yiyi's caring words: "Don't worry, big sister, I know. My mother came with us this time when we stayed in the county town, but it's almost the New Year, so she went home. My cousin came instead, and my cousin went to do the laundry."

Lin Yiyi: "You need someone to take care of you. You need to be careful as a pregnant woman."

Lin Zhen and her family stayed here, and did not move Lin Yiyi's room. It was a bit inappropriate to sleep in the host's room when staying at someone else's house, so Lin Zhen and her cousin slept in the guest room, and Lin Dajun slept on the bed in the kitchen. On weekends, Lin Zhen's cousin went home, and Lin Dajun took care of Lin Zhen.

Lin Yiyi sat here for a while but didn't see her cousin Lin Zhen. She thought it was almost time and left.

After leaving, she went shopping in the department store. At that time, the department store did not have a sports goods category, so Lin Yiyi found a football in the toy category, and it was an imported toy, which was really high-end.

Fortunately, in this era, the country has a football team, and some cities also have football clubs. Although ordinary people don’t play football, it is recognized by the country, so children playing football will not be affected by this turbulent era.

It is a pity that there are currently no football production factories in the country. Imported footballs are not cheap. In fact, nothing is cheap if it is labeled as imported. Even a car is not cheap.

After buying the football, Lin Yiyi went for a walk again and remembered that Xiao Yu’s watch was broken, so she decided to buy him a new one.

"Hello comrade, what kind of watch would you like to buy?" The salesperson's attitude was very nice. After all, with Lin Yiyi's fair skin, no one would think she was poor.

Lin Yiyi: "Hello, I want a men's watch."

Salesperson: "Here are the men's watches. Do you want domestically made or imported ones?"

Lin Yiyi: “Let me take a look first.”

Salesperson: "Then take a look."

After looking through all the men's watches in the counter, Lin Yiyi picked out a Rolex. Between domestically produced and imported watches, she is used to buying imported ones. In modern times, she has money, her family has money, and modern people are used to pursuing brands when buying things. In this era, Lin Yiyi thinks that imported watches are really cheap, and imported things are very valuable, such as vintage watches, Chanel and LV series, etc., so when conditions permit, she naturally chooses vintage ones.

However, imported goods require foreign exchange coupons, and Lin Yiyi didn't have any: "Hello, comrade, I want this Rolex men's watch, but I don't have a foreign exchange coupon. I wonder if you have one. I can exchange it with other coupons, such as meat coupons, grain coupons, etc."

Salesperson: "..." She was dizzy. This was the first time she saw this kind of ticket exchange in a department store. However, they would get a bonus for selling such imported items. So, she leaned over to Lin Yiyi's ear and said, "I have foreign exchange coupons, 50 yuan each, do you want one?" It was normal for the salesperson to have such coupons. She had imported watches at her counter. Some people had foreign exchange coupons that they didn't need, so they came to her. The salesperson was already skilled in this kind of thing. In addition to foreign exchange coupons, she also had watch coupons.

Lin Yiyi's eyes lit up: "How many do you have?"

Salesperson: “…three.” She had saved three foreign exchange certificates for a year, mainly because no one in this small county buys imported watches. In fact, even domestically produced watches have few buyers.

Lin Yiyi: "I want them all. Three watches: two Rolex men's watches, just these two, and an Omega women's watch. I'll go get the money for this one and you can issue the receipt." One was for her son. Even though he hasn't grown up yet, she could just keep it as a keepsake.

As everyone knows, among all watches, Rolex is the most collectible. Of course, Lin Yiyi doesn't know much about watches, she just does it for fun.

Salesperson: “…” When Lin Yiyi went to get the money, she still felt like she was in a dream and had an unreliable feeling, but half an hour later, Lin Yiyi came back.

After getting the watch, Lin Yiyi first modified the Omega strap and then put it on. She wiped the watch given by Xiao Yu clean and kept it carefully. This was the first gift Xiao Yu gave her. When she got old and passed away, it would accompany her to the grave.

Then, Lin Yiyi went to buy some odds and ends, and then went to the county gate, where Yu Zhiqing and Zhang Zhiqing were already on the ox cart.

They looked at Lin Yiyi carrying the heavy backpack and were really curious about what was inside.

Lin Yiyi got on the ox cart: "Uncle, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for a long time."

Chef Niu Che: "What are you waiting for? No, we agreed on this time." It's only three o'clock.

Yu Zhiqing curled her lips. They had indeed been kept waiting for a long time.

At around four o'clock, the ox cart arrived at the village gate, and Lin Yiyi saw that her children were waiting there.

Lin Wujun: "I am here, sister is here."

Little Eleven started running: "One by one..."

Lin Yiyi jumped off the ox cart and quickly caught her son who was running back. He was running unsteadily and she was worried that he would fall. "Stand still, mom will take down the backpack."

Xiao Eleven: "Okay."

After Lin Yiyi took the backpack down and placed it on the ground, Xiao Shiyi clapped his hands and went forward to hug the backpack.

Lin Yiyi: “What are you doing?”

Xiaoyi: "Help Yiyi get it."

Lin Yiyi: "...Okay then, you take it. Come on Eleven."

Xiao Shiyi: "Yeah." However, the oil may not be enough, and he can't lift the backpack. Xiao Shiyi glanced at his mother, and seeing that his mother didn't move, he looked at Lin Wujun, "Uncle, move it."

Lin Wujun squatted down and picked up the backpack: "It's so heavy. Sister, what did you buy?" He couldn't straighten his back.

Seeing his pitiful look, Lin Yiyi took the backpack off him. Although she was not very strong, she was still stronger than Lin Wujun, a child. Lin Yiyi: "I bought you some soda."

Lin Wujun: "Wow..." He licked his dry lips. The taste of the soda was really special and very attractive to children.

Li Wanda: "Soda? What is that?" He had never drunk it before.

Lin Wujun: "It's delicious. You'll know once you drink it. It's the best thing ever."

Li Wanda: "Better than milk powder?"

Lin Wujun: "It tastes better than milk powder, better than apples and grapes, it's the best. But I haven't had it for a long time." The last time I drank it was half a year ago when I was eating shrimp. Thinking of this, Lin Wujun immediately flattered her, "Sister, you are so nice, you are the best sister."

Lin Yiyi: "You're really good at flattering people."

Lin Wujun: "No, I'm serious. If you don't believe me, ask Xiao Shiyi. Shiyi, is your mother the best?"

Xiaoyi: "Yes, Yiyi is the best."

Jixiang: "Second aunt is the best."

Li Wanda thought about it and followed suit: "Auntie is the best."

Lin Yiyi: “…” This series of followers.

As soon as they got home, Lin Wujun couldn't wait to see the backpack, but he didn't do anything and waited for Lin Yiyi. Lin Yiyi knew that the child was anxious to see it, so she didn't tease them and took out the things in the backpack.

Lin Wujun picked up a bottle of soda and showed it to Li Wanda: "Look, this is soda, it tastes delicious." Then he asked Lin Yiyi, "Sister, shall we drink soda tonight?"

Lin Yiyi: “Okay, but you can only drink two bottles. The four of you have to drink together.” This small bottle of Arctic Ocean soda is only a small bowl. If four children drink together, each person can only drink half a bottle.

However, even if he could only drink half a bottle, Lin Wujun was happy.

Lin Yiyi took out some other things, and at the bottom was a brand new football: "Here you go." She put it into Lin Wujun's arms, "Congratulations to our Xiaowu for getting first place in the exam."

Lin Wujun held the football, his eyes red. But he ran out immediately and shouted outside: "Everyone come and play." His voice was still a little hoarse.

The children ran out one by one, and Xiao Eleven was no exception.

Lin Yiyi said: "Close the door to the yard, otherwise the football will be kicked outside."

Lin Wujun: “Hey.”

Lin Yiyi's yard is quite big, and there are no fragile or fallable things in the yard, so the children can have a good time with the door closed.

The children didn't know how to play football, nor did they know how to shoot, so they played the simplest game, kicking a football back and forth, but even so, they had a lot of fun. In the past, they threw cloth balls back and forth, but the fun of football was incomparable to that of cloth balls. Football was light and could be kicked far, which aroused the children's enthusiasm. Even Xiaoyi, who was only three years old, was sweating all over his head from playing football, with a few strands of hair stuck to his forehead. His little face was red, but his eyes were shining, like the afterglow of the sun, not hot, but very beautiful.

Lin Yiyi cooked some winter melon, shrimp skin and pork ribs soup so that the children, who had been sweating a lot in the afternoons, could replenish their water. She also fried some vegetables and went to call them to eat.

However, when it was time to eat, Xiao Eleven held the football and refused to let go: "It's mine." He had taken a fancy to the football and refused to give it to Lin Wujun.

Lin Wujun naturally likes football, he loves it very much, but Xiao Shiyi is his nephew and he was raised by his sister, so he is willing to give Xiao Shiyi whatever he wants.

Lin Yiyi squatted down and looked at the child at eye level: "This belongs to my uncle. He got first place in the exam. Mom gave it to him as a reward."

Xiaoyi: "My uncle gave it to me."

Lin Wujun: "...Well, I give it to you."

Lin Yiyi said, "But this one is old. Look, it's dirty here." The black and white football got dirty after just a few kicks. "Do you want a new one?"

Xiao Shiyi rolled his eyes: "New?"

Lin Yiyi: "Yes, it's new, clean, and has never been kicked by anyone else. Do you want it?"

Xiao Eleven: “I want it.”

Lin Yiyi: "Then you also do one thing, and when you do it well, mom will reward you, just like she rewards my uncle, okay?"

Xiao Eleven: "Okay."

Lin Yiyi: "If you eat by yourself later, eat your meal cleanly, and wash the dishes, Mom will reward you with a new ball tomorrow."

Xiao Eleven: “Really?”

Lin Yiyi: “Really.”

Xiao Eleven: "Okay."

Lin Yiyi: "Then you give this ball to your uncle, otherwise you will have to give him a new ball tomorrow."

Xiao Shiyi immediately gave the football to Lin Wujun. Although he was small, he could still tell the new from the old. Of course, the old ones were not as good as the new ones.

Lin Wujun took the football and said, "Xiao Shiyi, if you want to play later, tell your uncle and I will play with you."

Xiao Shiyi: "Okay."

After dinner, Xiao Bin came and brought some food and vegetables. Her son liked to eat here, and the second sister-in-law didn't mind, but they knew it well. Relationships are something that need to be maintained. Although children can't eat much, the second sister-in-law doesn't care about these things, but they can't just take advantage.

Xiao Bin put down his things and said, "Second sister-in-law, my wife is in confinement after giving birth and I have to go back to work. I'll trouble you to take care of the child these few days."

During this period, when Liang was in confinement, it was Qin Xiangju who took care of her most. After all, Xiao Bin had to go to work, and sometimes Grandma Xiao could also help.

Lin Yiyi was not polite and left the things: "This is not the case. Jixiang is very well behaved and can even play with his brother."

Hearing the second aunt praising him, Jixiang looked at his father with pride, and his eyes were very arrogant. Xiao Bin was so embarrassed that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. But he was very happy that his son was getting along well with the second wife.

After dinner, Xiao Shiyi forgot about washing the dishes, but Lin Yiyi did not forget. She planned to buy a football for her son in the system mall. She bought two today and hid one, otherwise her son would definitely snatch the football from Xiao Wu tomorrow.

Xiao Shiyi put down the bowl and wanted to go out to play, but Lin Yiyi stopped him: "Do you still want your new ball?"

When Xiao Shiyi heard this, he said in a crisp voice, "Yes."

Lin Yiyi: "Then you promised mom that you would wash the dishes after dinner."

Xiao Shiyi was stunned for a moment, then immediately picked up his own bowl and said, "Wash the dishes."

Lin Wujun: "Xiao Shiyi, your uncle will help you." As he said that, he also took his own bowl.

Then, Li Wanda and Jixiang also took their own bowls, and four children washed the dishes together. They carried water and washed the dishes in the yard. In the days when there was no detergent, they could wash the dishes cleanly by soaking them in warm water.

After they finished washing the dishes, they checked them one by one for Lin Yiyi. Lin Yiyi said, "They are clean and passed the inspection."

Little Eleven: "Little ball."

Lin Yiyi: "Okay, wait, mommy will get it." She went into the room. Xiao Shiyi wanted to follow her in, but she locked him outside.

Xiao Eleven was knocking on the door outside: "Yiyi, open the door... Yiyi, open the door..." He still didn't understand why his mother closed the door.

Lin Yiyi opened the door immediately. After opening the door, she held a brand new football and handed it to Xiao Shiyi: "Here." Then she gave Li Wanda and Jixiang two pieces of White Rabbit milk candies, "Wanda and Jixiang were also very good today. They washed the dishes by themselves. They are both good children."

Before Lin Le's miscarriage, Li Wanda was a lively and cheerful child, but he had never been praised like this. His mother, Mrs. Bei, was a straightforward person and would not praise her child in such a gentle manner. Or, people of this era basically lacked affirmation of their children. But now, Li Wanda, who was praised by Lin Yiyi, felt different. In addition, he had been affected by Lin Le's miscarriage this semester and had been blaming himself, so it was very important for someone to praise him now. Being affirmed showed that he was not a bad child.

The children went out happily, and Little Eleven was reluctant to put down the football.

Lin Yiyi returned to the kitchen with a smile and started to clean the table. When she finished cleaning the kitchen and the water was boiling, she wanted to ask the children to wipe their bodies and wash their feet, but she found that the children were gone.

Lin Yiyi: “Eleven…Xiaowu…” Lin Yiyi left the yard.

Neighbor: "I saw the children walking towards your in-laws' old house."

Lin Yiyi: “Thank you, auntie.” She followed him to the old house.

In the old house, the elders were having dinner. Little Eleven was standing in the main room, holding a football and showing off: "I got it as a reward. I eat by myself and wash the dishes by myself."

Qin Xiangju: "Little Eleven is amazing, he is really my good grandson. He can wash dishes at such a young age. When your dad was this young, he couldn't even eat, let alone wash dishes."

Xiao Daqiang: "..."Is it really okay for the old woman to slander Lao Er like this? "

Little Eleven: "Dad is stupid, but Eleven knows how to eat."

Qin Xiangju: "That's right, your father is just stupid."

Xiao Eleven chuckled: "Do you know how to play?" He pointed at his ball.

Qin Xiangju: "No, Eleven, do you want me to teach you?"

Xiaoyi: "Kick with your feet."

Qin Xiangju: "Shall we play together later?"

Xiao Shiyi: "Okay."

When Lin Yiyi arrived, Xiao Shiyi was playing football. Grandpa Xiao was with him, and the other children were sitting. Xiao Shiyi was weak, and the ball rolled a few times when he kicked it.

Lin Yiyi: "The child disappeared when I wasn't paying attention."

Grandma Xiao: "Have you finished your meal?"

Lin Yiyi: "After eating, go back with them and take a shower."

Grandma Xiao: "In winter, soak your feet before going to bed. Your feet will be warmer when you sleep."

Lin Yiyi: “Isn’t it?”

After sitting in the old house for a while, Lin Yiyi took the children back home.

the next day

Lin Wujun sorted out his clothes and took Li Wanda to the Shanglin Production Brigade. Lin Dajun was working at the pig farm, and Lin Zhen had to take care of the baby. Lin Sijun was the only one who took care of the pigs and chickens in the Lin family. It can be said that Lin Wujun came back at the right time.

Lin Wujun and Li Wanda went there after having breakfast, and they were carrying a basket with buns and dumplings in it. When they returned to the Lin family's house, Lin Wujun saw that the door was open: "Fourth brother..." He shouted as soon as he reached the door.

Lin Sijun was cutting pig grass. When he heard Lin Wujun's voice, he thought he had misheard. He didn't know that Lin Yiyi and the others had returned. It was not until Lin Wujun walked into the yard that he opened his eyes in surprise: "Xiao Wu, you are back."

Lin Wujun: "I came back yesterday. Fourth brother, Wanda is here too, to celebrate the New Year at our house."