Chapter 21

Last night, Qiao Yu just wiped his body and fell asleep on the bed. Today he planned to rub the mud thoroughly.

Boil some water, make yourself happy first, then boil some for the children.

There is a faucet in the compound, so using water is convenient.

She hid in the kitchen to take a bath, and she didn’t have to worry about the children taking a bath, they could just sit naked in the front yard.

After wearing the pants, she saw many little boys running around with their lower bodies naked. Their families were poor and had no cloth coupons, so it was difficult to even afford a pair of shorts, so the children took turns wearing a pair of pants.

She is long past the stage of stye and now she can face it calmly.

She wanted to wash the youngest Xiaoyong, but Dawei stopped her: “Mom, let me do it!”

Dawei also responded: “Yes, auntie, you went to the city today, you must be tired, let us help me wash.”

Seeing this, Qiao Yu nodded and said, “Okay, you guys can do whatever you want.”

After the sincere encounter, the children quickly became close friends and their friendship deepened.

After getting dressed and walking into the main room, I saw five bowls on the table.

Qiao Yu: “You are growing up now. If you don’t have enough food, drink more malted milk to supplement your body. We have plenty of malted milk at home, so drink as much as you want!”

She made milk powder for Xiaoyong.

The malted milk that Qiao Yu made was much richer than the one the children made themselves.

After watching the children finish drinking, Qiao Yu said, “Go, brush your teeth, wash your face, and go to bed!”

My stomach was originally 60% full, but after drinking the sweet malted milk, it was actually 70% full.

I can’t sleep when I’m hungry, but as soon as I feel a little full, I feel sleepy and fall into a deep sleep.

Early in the morning, food was delivered to the canteen.

For six people, there were only less than 60 kilograms of coarse grains, mainly sweet potatoes and potatoes.

Qiao Yu was sleeping like a dead pig in bed and had long forgotten about the matter.

How many people born in the 2000s don’t sleep too late?

It was Zhou Jun who opened the door. When he saw the amount of grain, he thought it was normal and thanked him after taking it.

Qiao Yu slept until noon and woke up. Seeing Dawei at home, he yawned with guilt, “Dawei, have you and your brothers eaten?”

“Well, there is malted milk and powdered milk that Mom put in the kitchen. We have all eaten them.”

“Ohhhh, that’s good.”

“Mom, the people from the cafeteria brought some food and put it in the kitchen.”

“Yeah, okay.”

After looking at the sixty kilograms of coarse grains, Qiao Yu went back to the house and took out the taro that he had copied last night, and threw a handful of copied candies into the pot to cook together.

Fruit candies and milk candies can be copied, but candy wrappers cannot. She was worried about how to consume them. It was just right to throw them into the pot to make sweet whole grain porridge. The sweetness can replenish some energy for the human body. Adding malted milk powder, it is much better than eating only dry food.

So when Zhou Jun came back, he smelled a sweet smell coming from the kitchen.

Qiao Yu heard the noise and shouted to the courtyard: “Is Zhou Jun back? Wash the dishes! Serve the meal!”

I smelled a sweet smell in the air, coming from Zhou Tuan’s yard. I heard people cursing nearby, and children crying for food and being scolded and beaten by adults.

Qiao Yu didn’t scoop much from the bottom of her own bowl. The space would copy out meat buns, fried dough sticks, hairy crabs, stir-fried shredded pork, and meatballs every day, enough for her to eat all by herself. There was no need for her to compete with the half-grown children for that little bit of food.

Qiao Yu explained the meal: “How can those sweet potatoes and potatoes alone be enough? Eating too much sweet potatoes and potatoes will cause heartburn, so I decided to add fruit candies. Eat quickly, we have a lot to do today.”

However, having many things to do did not stop her from sleeping until noon.

After eating, while the three Zhou Jun brothers were washing the dishes, Qiao Yu and Dawei mentioned the matter of going to school.

Dawei: “Mom, I don’t want to go to school. I don’t like going to school.”

Qiao Yu: “You make it sound like I love going to school.”

Dawei: ???

Qiao Yu smiled and said, “Tell me why you don’t want to go to school.”

“I don’t love…”

Qiao Yu raised her hand to stop him, “Don’t say you don’t like going to school. I don’t like to hear it. When Lao Zhang was still here, you didn’t show any expression of dislike for school.”

Dawei hesitated and said, “Mom, school costs too much.”

“How can it be expensive? It’s only a few dollars a month. I can afford it.”

“but……”

Qiao Yu raised her hand to stop him: “If it weren’t for Lao Zhang, I might have married that violent widower and would have been buried in the ground by now. Lao Zhang saved my life, and I can’t repay him for it. Now he’s gone. Should I repay you and Xiaoyong for it?”

“……”It seems to make some sense?

Qiao Yu: “If I don’t have the ability, will I force you to go to school? Our family is not short of money. Your father’s pension and my grandfather’s child support are more than enough to support you, let alone find you a wife!”

“…Mom, I’m still young.”

“Okay, let’s get back to the point. Even if Zhou Tuan is here, he can’t interfere with my determination to support you and Xiaoyong in going to school! I’m spending my own money! He has no right to interfere! You don’t have to worry about his face after you go to school! Just study hard! Don’t think about anything else!”

“Then…will it be difficult at home?”

“What kind of difficulty is that? If I have no money, I can ask my grandfather for it!”

“…”

Qiao Yu was relieved for the child, so she generously revealed: “Your great-grandfather is a high-ranking official in the military compound in Beijing. He has a lot of supplies and a lot of money every month. When things are settled here, I will have to go to Beijing to get your great-grandmother’s dowry. It’s all left for me! It has nothing to do with that fake guy!”

“……”Dawei didn’t know what to say.

But, my heart seems to be relieved?

Dawei knelt down on the spot and kowtowed three times to Qiao Yu.

Qiao Yu straightened his body, jumped up, and hurried to help Dawei: “What are you doing? Get up quickly!”

“Mom, Xiaoyong and I are not your responsibility. You care so much about us because you are kind and righteous. You have sacrificed so much for us. I know you said these words so that I can eat and go to school in peace, but I… I will definitely take care of you in your old age!”

Qiao Yu rolled his eyes. “Don’t promise me anything. How old am I? You’re already thinking about retirement? I should be working hard at my age! Forget about retirement or not!”

Why rely on your children for old age? It is better to save more money yourself. Money is more useful than anything else.

“…”

“Okay, hurry up and get ready. I’ll take you to the school to see if you can sign up now. Your relationship should be transferred to the army?” Qiao Yu thought for a moment and said, “Let’s go find the director of the Women’s Federation!”

The director of the Women’s Federation looked at Qiao Yu holding Xiaoyong, with Dawei beside her. She pondered for a moment and said, “It’s here, and the marriage certificate has been issued. You came at the right time.”

“It’s better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early.”

After the director of the Women’s Federation handed the household registration and marriage certificate to Qiao Yu, she said, “Just show the household registration to the principal.”

Dawei and Xiaoyong’s surnames were changed to Zhou on their household registration.

“Okay, Director. Thank you very much, Director.”

Seeing this, the director of the Women’s Federation laughed angrily and asked, “Did you call your grandfather to let him know you’re safe?”

Qiao Yu: “I’ll go after I send Dawei to school.”

Not only the old man in Beijing, but also Zhou’s mother had to send a telegram to report her safety.

The director of the Women’s Federation waved her hand and said, “Alright, alright, go ahead.”

“Then I’m leaving, Director.”