Chang Le nodded: "Mom, I know, I will be filial to Grandpa and Grandma. Is all this money really going to be kept with me?"
The clothes sold for a total of over 1,500. Some of the money was spent on gifts. I was originally going to give Ruyi 200, but she only asked for 100. Now we have a little over 1,300 left.
Bai Xiaoyue patted her daughter's shoulder and said:
"Well done, you and Ruyi are both excellent! Just keep the money safe."
Chang Le took out a hundred yuan and handed it to Bai Xiaoyue: "Mom, this is for you."
Bai Xiaoyue refused: "Didn't I tell you to keep it?"
Chang Le insisted, "Mom, this is specially for you. I said I would take care of you. I won't be happy if you don't take it."
Bai Xiaoyue accepted the gift with a smile, gently patted her daughter's head, and felt a surge of emotions.
When I first arrived, Chang Le was just a little baby who could only call for her mother, but now she can earn money to support herself.
I am both pleased that my child has grown up and become sensible, and saddened that time flies so fast and I am no longer young.
With the Chinese New Year approaching, the village has started distributing welfare benefits.
Both factories are doing well this year, so the village officials have decided to give each member three jin of meat, six jin of flour, and six yuan.
Bai Xiaoyue received: fifteen catties of meat, thirty catties of flour, and thirty yuan.
She put the money in her pocket and asked Yan Ci to carry the meat and flour home.
Bai Wenli stopped her and pointed to the bags on the ground: "Xiaoyue, you still have these."
Bai Xiaoyue thought Bai Wenli was joking and teased, "Big brother, what's wrong? Are you going to openly show favoritism?"
Bai Wenli laughed and scolded, "Nonsense, do you think I'm that kind of person?"
Bai Xiaoyue asked in surprise, "Big brother, is this really for me?"
Bai Wenli: "Wenyi told Dad that this trip to the provincial capital was all thanks to your ideas, and that's how the clothes were sold out."
Thanks to Yan Ci, the money wasn't lost, and the village was able to provide welfare benefits.
The village officials held a meeting and decided to reward you and Yan Ci with 20 jin of meat, a bag of flour, and fifty yuan.
Bai Xiaoyue was overjoyed: "Big brother, really?"
Bai Wenyi nodded: "It's true, all of us who went to the provincial capital to sell clothes received subsidies, and you two received the most."
Bai Xiaoyue was relieved and happily called to Yan Ci to move the things: "Aci, hurry up and move them home."
Yan Ci carried a large bag of flour, Xiao Bai carried a small bag, and Chang Le and Bai Xiaoyue carried meat. The family returned home laden with their harvest.
Bai Xiaoyue hummed a song all the way home; the cold weather couldn't dampen her good mood.
Yan Ci put the flour away, and Bai Xiaoyue told him to put the pork belly outside so they could make something delicious for lunch.
Little White was overjoyed when it heard there was something delicious to eat.
Bai Xiaoyue removed the skin from the pork belly, sliced it, soaked it in water to remove the blood, and then marinated it. She then mixed eggs and sweet potato starch into a paste.
Yan Ci sat by the fire, watching his wife in a very good mood.
He asked, "Honey, are you this happy because you got a reward?"
Bai Xiaoyue nodded: "Yeah, getting so much meat and flour for free, plus money, how could I not be happy?"
Yan Ci: "It's not like we don't have any at home."
Bai Xiaoyue: "This is an unexpected surprise. I can take this opportunity to eat meat every day, and I'll just say it's a reward from the village."
While talking to Yan Ci, she put the slices of meat into the egg mixture.
When the oil was about 60% hot, she put the meat slices into the oil one by one to fry.
After frying all of them, wait for the oil temperature to rise and then fry them again. The golden and crispy fried pork is now ready.
She picked up a piece and gave it to Yan Ci: "See if it tastes good."
Yan Ci nodded after eating: "Delicious."
Since it was free meat, Bai Xiaoyue didn't feel bad about eating it, so she fried a lot of it.
She had Xiaobai deliver a large plate to each of Bai's parents, Wen An, and Li Mingyue.
Crispy pork is delicious on its own, or you can add some vegetables to make soup.
Yan Ci liked to eat it like this, so she dipped it in some chili powder.
A large bowl was served, and not a single bite was left. Everyone ate with beaming smiles.
After the meal, Chang Le and Ru Yi went to clean up.
Bai Xiaoyue, Yan Ci, Cui Yu, and Xiaobai sat and chatted casually.
Cui Yu said, "Auntie, your cooking is really good."
Bai Xiaoyue has become numb to Cui Yu calling her "aunt" after hearing it for so long.
She said to Cui Yu, "I only know how to cook some simple home-style dishes, whatever you like is fine. Is your hand alright? Should we go to the hospital for a check-up?"
Cui Yu shook his head: "No need, Grandpa Cui said he can remove the stitches for me."
Bai Xiaoyue said, "Grandpa Cui's medical skills are excellent. It would be great if he could treat you. Just focus on recovering."
Cui Yu said in a low voice, "I just feel like I'm bothering you too much."
Bai Xiaoyue quickly said, "Cui Yu, don't overthink it. This is all what I should do. You were injured while saving Xiaobai."
Cui Yu: "It's nothing, it's just that my hand is injured and I can't do anything, so I'll have to bother you for a while."
Bai Xiaoyue: "What's the big deal? We already have three kids in our family, what's one more? It's four kids!"
Cui Yu immediately said, "Auntie, can I come and eat with you from now on? Once my hand is healed, I'll do all the washing, chopping, and cleaning."
Bai Xiaoyue was stunned. Why did this routine feel so familiar?
Isn't this exactly what Yan Ci said many years ago? These two are no wonder they're related! They even use the same tactics.
She looked at Yan Ci, wondering what to do.
Yan Ci saw the pleading look in his wife's eyes.
He asked Cui Yu, "We only know that you are an educated youth who came to the countryside. Tell us about your situation?"
Cui Yu cleared his throat and said:
“I’m from Beijing. I was kidnapped when I was a child, but my uncle saved me.”
Later, a family crisis occurred, my parents moved to another city, and I lived with my brother-in-law for a few years.
Not wanting to burden my older sister and brother-in-law, I went to the countryside after graduating from high school.
Bai Xiaoyue thought to herself, Yan Ci not only has a younger cousin, but also a younger cousin.
Cui Yu is still quite pitiful; having parents or not makes little difference to him.
Living with my brother-in-law's family, I'm afraid their life isn't very good; otherwise, why would they have come to the countryside at such a young age?
She didn't express her opinion; this was Yan Ci's cousin, and it depended on whether Yan Ci agreed or not.
Seeing that Yan Ci and Bai Xiaoyue hadn't spoken for a while, Cui Yu whispered:
"Uncle, Aunt, if it's too much trouble for you, then forget it. I'll just move back to the educated youth compound."
I just felt your home was very warm and comfortable, so, in a moment of madness, I made an unreasonable request.
Bai Xiaoyue looked at Yan Ci, and Yan Ci nodded slightly.
She quickly said to Cui Yu, "It's no trouble at all, you can move in. We're just worried you won't be used to living here."
Cui Yu's eyes widened suddenly, and he asked incredulously, "Auntie, really? Can I stay here?"
Bai Xiaoyue and Yan Ci both nodded.
Cui Yu received affirmative answers from both of them, and his eyes and brows were full of smiles.
Xiaobai jumped up and said:
“Brother Cui, welcome to my home. My sister has Sister Ruyi, and I have Brother Cui. I am no longer alone.”
And so, Cui Yu settled down at the Yan family home, and the Yan family grew from five to six people.
Two days before the Spring Festival, Ye Changxing came to deliver a gift. Knowing that his mother had borrowed the sewing machine, he also brought a ticket.
Bai Xiaoyue does not accept:
"Changxing, take this back to your mother! Don't keep sending things over; spend more time going home to see your parents."
Ye Changxing: "Auntie, I bought things for Grandpa, Grandma, and my parents. Give the tickets to Ruyi; she likes making clothes."
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