On the first day of the Lunar New Year in 1975, Xu Mo got up early because his Seventh Grandpa was going to take him to the city to play.
Xu Ning put on a thick cotton-padded jacket for him, gave him fifty cents, and asked him to go to the city to buy some candied haws. Xu An also gave him fifty cents.
He accepted it happily and touched his purse, where the New Year's money given to him by several elders yesterday was placed.
Today Xiaowang and Sandan will also go into the city with their families.
He planned to buy a few more strings of candied haws today, one for each of his brothers, and one for his sister, second brother and the elders in the family.
Xu Ning said to Xu An, "Xiao An, why don't you go into the city and play for a day? There's nothing to do at home. You've been bored all winter."
Xu An asked, "Sister, is it okay for you to stay home alone?"
"Why not? We have everything to eat at home. I don't like going out, so I'll just stay at home. You can go with Jianmin and Dalin! Have a good day."
When Xu Mo came over in the evening, he brought two strings of candied haws and said, "Sister, second brother, this is what I saved for you. Come and eat it! This candied haws is delicious, sweet and sour."
Xu Ning took it and ate one, then asked, "Have you spent all the money Xiao Mo gave you today?"
Xu Mo shook his head and said, "Sister, I didn't spend any money today. Grandpa Qi bought all of it for me. He told me to save the New Year's money for marrying a wife in the future."
Xu An almost spit out the water in his mouth and asked, "Why do you think about getting married every day?"
Xu Mo glared at him and ignored him. He smiled and asked Xu Ning, "Sister, are the candied haws delicious? My second brother doesn't like them, so these two strings are for you and my little nephew."
When Xu An saw Xu Mo take the candied haws he had given him back and give it to Xu Ning, he thought speechlessly, this boy is so narrow-minded.
In April, the village was preparing for spring planting. At this time, Xu Ning was already six months pregnant, and her belly looked like a woman about to give birth.
Lu's father and mother have confirmed that she is pregnant with twins.
The adults were very nervous and didn't dare let her do any work. They just let her walk around in the yard after dinner.
Lu Xiaotang wrote her a letter once a week, reminding her not to do farm work and that he would be back soon.
She also wrote a letter to the village chief personally, asking him not to arrange for her to work.
Xu Ning herself was a little worried. It was the first time in her two lives that she was pregnant, and with twins. She was both excited and nervous.
On Saturday, when Xu An came back from school, he brought all his luggage back with him.
Xu Ning asked in surprise, "Xiao An, what happened? Why did you bring all the quilts back?"
Xu An smiled and said, "Sister, nothing happened. I have learned all the knowledge in the textbook. I discussed it with the teacher and decided to take the exam directly in two months. They all agreed."
"Xiao An, there's no need to be like this. I'm fine at home, you should go to school."
Xu An said, “Sister, I have finished my studies, and it is a waste of time to stay in school.
Xiao Mo will be on holiday from the busy farming season soon, so let him stay at home with you while I go to work. ”
The adults also discussed this. Since this place is far from the village, they were afraid that she would be alone at home and wouldn't have time to call anyone if something happened. So they let Xiao Mo not work this year and let him stay at home to accompany her and cook for her.
Xu Ning knew that he had not discussed it with him, so he took the luggage back because he didn't want him to object.
Xu Mo cooked for his sister at home every day, and then took her sister out for activities in the yard according to the instructions of Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu.
Sandan and Xiaowang didn't see him go to work, so they ran to ask Xu's father and mother.
Father Xu smiled and said, "Grandpa Qi has had leg discomfort these past two days, so he asked Xiao Mo to help feed the cows at home, so he didn't come to work."
The two children went back disappointed.
Xu Ning was bored at home, so he took a hoe and wanted to dig out his private plot of land.
Xu Mo saw it and quickly stopped her and said, "Sister, what are you doing with the hoe? This is not your job. Go sit down and have a rest, or you will tire my nephew out later."
Seeing him making a fuss, Xu An smiled and said, "Xiao Mo, I'm really fine. Look at those sisters-in-law in the village. They all go to work when they are pregnant. Now you don't even let me cook."
Xu Mo said, "Sister, how can you compare with others? They are pregnant with one baby, but you are pregnant with two. How can you go to work in the fields? Go sit in the house and be obedient. I will stew meat for you at noon."
Xu Ning was so amused and helpless that he had no choice but to put down the hoe and wait for Xu An to come back in the afternoon to dig.
Xu Mo is also very busy now. He first prepares meals for his sister and second brother here, then runs to the cowshed to cook for a few people, and also has to keep an eye on his sister's activities in the yard.
When Xu An came back in the afternoon, Xu Mo went back to the cowshed. The people in the Youth League Institute were about to finish work, and it would be bad if they saw him.
Xu An looked at a small piece of land that had been dug nearby and asked, "Sister, did you dig this? Didn't I tell you to take a break? Why are you still digging?"
Xu Ning sighed, "I didn't dig it, it was Xiao Mo who dug it. He didn't let me do anything, just let me sit there."
Xu An smiled and said, "This kid is quite reliable except that he is a little greedy."
Xu Ning also remembered the weird things Xu Mo did last winter.
"Have you asked Uncle Dashuan when to go to his house to get the vegetable seedlings?"
"I asked, and Uncle Dashuan said the seedlings can be pulled out in the next two days. I plan to get them back after work tomorrow and plant them early."
After dinner in the evening, Xu's father and Lu's father came quietly with hoes on their shoulders. Together with Xu An and the other two, they had dug up two acres of land in no time.
Xu An locked the door and came back and said, "Sister, when we were digging the ground just now, I heard a lot of noise over at the Youth League House. I wonder what they were doing."
Xu Ning smiled and said, "There aren't many people in the Youth Academy now. There are only a few who can cause trouble. Don't worry about it. You've been tired all day. Go to bed early."
What she didn't know was that this time no one caused any trouble, it was Yang Xiaomei who gave birth.
Sun Hao came to her early in the morning and told her that Yang Xiaomei gave birth to a girl last night.
Xu Ning was very happy for her. She took some eggs and brown sugar and went to the Youth League Home to see her despite her big belly.
Wei Lanlan was surprised to see her and said, "I haven't seen you for just a few days, but your belly seems to be bigger now. Your belly is much bigger than when I gave birth. How many babies are you pregnant with?"
Xu Ning smiled and said, "When I went to the hospital for a checkup some time ago, the doctor said there were two."
The two of them talked as they walked towards Yang Xiaomei's room, where she was sitting on the kang eating.
Seeing the two people coming, he boasted, "Come and see how pretty my daughter is."
The two walked over and looked at the baby wrapped in the swaddling clothes. He looked like a little monkey, and it was impossible to tell whether he was beautiful or ugly.
Wei Lanlan teased her, "You are really good at boasting. What can you see from such a small size?"
Yang Xiaomei was unhappy when she heard this, "How can you not tell? He looks so good, like a little monkey."
The two of them burst out laughing. It turned out that this metaphor was quite apt.
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