Chapter 13: A Model of Cold Exterior and Warm Heart

The Qin family has a large population, even if they save, they still need to eat two or three jin of grain per meal.

They need four or five jin a day.

That’s over a hundred jin a month.

Three hundred or four hundred jin can only last for about three months.

And it’s still a long way from next summer’s harvest.

Not to mention that the tuition fees for the children are also a major expense.

Three children, two of them study in town, and their tuition fees are relatively low.

But each semester, each of them needs about five yuan, not including extra expenses like miscellaneous fees.

One of them studies in the county, and the tuition fee alone is 15 yuan per semester, and various other expenses are also necessary.

So, for one semester, the expenses for the three children are at least forty or fifty yuan.

Although Qin Zhiyi now earns 20 yuan a month, it’s really just a drop in the bucket.

Moreover, she knows that prices will continue to rise every year in the future.

So, earning money from other sources is something that needs to be put on the agenda.

“When are you going to work?”

“After breakfast. Why?”

Xu Sangluo shook her head and asked, “How far is the brick factory from home?”

“It takes about half an hour to walk.”

Xu Sangluo silently calculated the distance and time.

Qin Zhiyi was even more confused, “Is there something you need to do? Or do you need to bring something?”

Xu Sangluo came back to her senses and subconsciously wanted to shake her head, but after thinking for a moment, she nodded.

“I’m going to town today to take a look. I might pass by the brick factory, so I’ll bring you lunch.”

Qin Zhiyi paused his stirring of the porridge, turned his head and looked at her.

But the smoke was swirling, and it was hard to see his face clearly, only that his bright watery eyes were very clear and pure.

He said, “No need, I brought dry food.”

He put down the spoon and walked out of the kitchen.

Xu Sangluo knew his personality of not wanting to trouble others, so she could only shake her head helplessly.

She took a large bowl, used chopsticks to pick up a piece of braised pork belly and tripe, cut them up and put them in the bowl, then poured a spoonful of sauce over them.

Qin Zhishu came in at this time.

Seeing that Xu Sangluo had taken several bowls and was preparing to serve the porridge, he stepped forward.

“Sister Sangluo, let me do it.”

Xu Sangluo steadily scooped the porridge into the bowls, saying, “No need, you go read.”

Then she paused, “By the way, are you coming back to eat lunch or eating at school?”

The school Xu Sangluo used to attend had a boarding system and included meals.

They would only go back to the Xie family during winter and summer vacations, but they would be arranged to work short shifts at the factory.

Half of the money they earned would be given to Liu Xiuhui, and half would be used for tuition.

They could only keep one or two yuan at most.

That was their living expenses for the entire semester, excluding meals.

“We’ll come back to eat.” Qin Zhishu said.

Then he understood her meaning and added, “Xiaoyu can cook lunch today.”

Xu Sangluo was not related to them, how could she let them cook for them all the time.

Xu Sangluo couldn’t help but frown, “Xiaoyu won’t be back in time.”

Although the school has a two-hour lunch break.

But the journey back and forth takes more than an hour, plus the cooking time, it’s really too rushed.

Qin Zhishu shook his head, “Xiaoyu will take a day off today.”

They go to school, and they go to work.

Only Qin’s mother, who is injured, Xu Sangluo, and little Qin Yan are left at home.

They can’t let Xu Sangluo take care of the elderly and children.

So Qin Zhiyi asked the three of them to take turns taking a day off.

Xu Sangluo understood their arrangement.

She said helplessly, “I won’t say anything else, but cooking a few meals is nothing, don’t be so polite with me. Besides, I need to eat too. You’re afraid of troubling me, but I’m afraid…”

“You’re troubling us,” she said.

Seeing Qin Zhishu’s helpless expression, she laughed again.

“Besides, you’re not willing to take my food money, or my rent, and you won’t even let me cook. How can I have the face to eat and live here for free?”

Qin Zhishu pushed up his glasses, a little helpless, “Big Brother said you’ve already paid, enough for several months, and you also bought us so many things.”

“Gifts can’t be counted as that. As for the rest, do you know how expensive rent is outside? How much does a meal cost? Those things aren’t enough to cover a month.”

Qin Zhishu twitched his lips, pushed up his glasses, and looked at her with a “Do you think I’m Qin Xiaoyan?” expression.

Xu Sangluo was amused by his expression and couldn’t help but reach out and touch his head.

But her hand froze after touching him.

Qin Zhishu froze too.

Then, his face flushed red from his cheeks to his ears, and he quickly took a step back.

But as if afraid of misunderstanding, he abruptly stopped.

Xu Sangluo’s hand was still on his head, and she was a little embarrassed.

She was forty years old when she died in the car accident.

Now, Qin Zhishu, who was still young and tender, was just a child in her eyes.

Most of the people who stayed at her farmhouse were elderly people with children.

She interacted with children a lot, so she had some habits.

The action just now was just a habit.

But she had already done it.

She silently recited,

“As long as I’m not embarrassed, the one who’s embarrassed is the other person.”

So she quickly rubbed his head again, then naturally withdrew her hand, “Alright, you kids mind your own business. Your big brother is right, your task now is to study hard.”

Qin Zhishu couldn’t be as calm and natural as she was, his face was as red as an apple.

He rarely lost his composure, he stammered, “You, you’re only three years older than me.”

Xu Sangluo raised an eyebrow and lifted her chin.

“Anyway, you call me sister, so I’m your elder.”

Qin Zhishu, “…”

It was clearly a fallacy, but he couldn’t think of a rebuttal for a moment.

At this time, they both heard a commotion in the courtyard.

Xu Sangluo walked forward curiously to look outside.

Qin Zhishu, whose face was still red, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then reached out and gently patted his face.

Qin Zhiyi was carrying his bicycle into the courtyard with one hand.

Xu Sangluo was surprised.

Then she heard Qin Zhiyi say, “If you’re going to town, ride the bike there. Can you ride?”

Xu Sangluo was even more surprised, then she couldn’t help but laugh.

So this guy went out to borrow a bike.

Looking at the well-maintained Phoenix brand 28-inch bicycle, she nodded decisively, “I can.”

Although she hadn’t ridden one in over ten years.

“Who do you have to return it to?”

“I’ll return it when I come back. If they need it, they can come and get it.” Qin Zhiyi said.

Xu Sangluo nodded, then her eyes curved, and she showed a bright smile.

“Thank you.”

Qin Zhiyi paused his action of putting down the bicycle, looked at her, and nodded.

At this time, Qin Zhiyu also yawned and walked out of the room.

Although she didn’t have to go to school today, she had to get up early to wash clothes and take care of her mother, she couldn’t sleep in.

She had specially borrowed a small alarm clock from her second brother last night.

She was quite surprised to see the two of them in the courtyard.

Big Brother getting up early was fine, but why was Sister Sangluo up so early today.

“Big Brother, Sister Sangluo, good morning.”

“Good morning, Xiaoyu.”

“Why did you get up so early, Sister Sangluo?”

The weather was getting colder, and she didn’t want to get out of bed anymore, she just wanted to stay in bed and sleep until the end of time.