Chapter 217 

After spending a few days in Sujia Village, Fantuan had already established himself as the leader of the village. Wherever he went, a group of children trailed behind him, like a majestic general.

Some people are just born leaders, like Fantuan. Whether in Qingfeng Town, the capital, or Sujia Village, whether they were older kids or young ones, everyone liked to play with him and listen to his commands.

Before Fantuan came, the king of the children in the village was Xiao Bao. Of course, they still liked Xiao Bao as their leader.

Fantuan lay on a haystack, chewing on a blade of grass, legs crossed, gazing at the sky with alternating bright and dark clouds. Occasionally, he would share some interesting anecdotes from the capital with them, concluding, “So, you all need to study hard. Only then will you have the opportunity to see the outside world in the future.”

A dozen children lay in a circle around Fantuan, imitating his posture, legs crossed, gazing skyward. Some were barefoot, some wore worn-out grass shoes, and others wore patched Liberation shoes. Only Su Xiaoxiao’s children wore plastic sandals on their feet. It was quite distressing to see the state of rural children in this day and age.

Shugen asked, “Fantuan, are you really leaving tomorrow? Will Xiao Bao and Da Bao also go with you?”

Fantuan spat out the grass and picked up another straw to chew on before replying, “Yes, we have to leave. There’s business to attend to in the capital, and Xiao Bao and Da Bao also have their own matters.”

Shugen looked envious, his eyes full of longing: “That’s great. Fantuan, what does the capital look like? Does the capital have mountains, rivers, fields, and land like ours?”

Fantuan turned his head and glanced at Shugen.

Before Fantuan could reply, Xiao Roubao had already answered for him, “It’s different. The capital has nothing like that. It’s just crowded with people, cars, tall buildings, subways, elevators, and plenty of delicious food. There’s a huge airport where big planes fly high into the clouds. My brother wants to design big planes in the future. Am I right, second brother?”

Xiao Doubao nodded and said, “Mom said we’re still young and we can have many dreams and goals. We can slowly explore what we want to do the most and decide before we enter university. That’s what I think now; I don’t know about the future.”

The Su family’s three Baos had never seen these things before but were also longing for them. Since the day they heard they were going to ride a big plane to the capital with Fantuan, they had been excited for days, asking countless times about the airport and the plane. However, the Su family had good discipline, and the children rarely boasted about anything. Even though they were doing well in their studies and had many things other children didn’t have, like the brand-new plastic sandals on their feet, they wouldn’t boast. They will not show off just because they are living better than other people.

Since Shugen had never seen these things, he couldn’t imagine them. He said eagerly, “Then I also have a dream now. I must go to the capital in the future, see the subway and elevator, the airport and the big plane, and eat lots of delicious food.”

Xiao Roubao nodded and said, “Alright, alright. Remember to come and play with me when you go to the capital. I’ll take you to eat delicious food.”

The children were still chatting when a shout came from not far away: “Ice pops for sale, cool and sweet ice pops!”

Since this summer, things that used to be available only at the public market or on the black market have been sold openly in the village. They wouldn’t dare to openly sell big items, but small items like ice pops and snacks were fair game.

Xiao Roubao jumped up from the haystack, covering his eyes with his small hands, looking across the river, and pulling Xiao Doubao’s backpack, and said anxiously, “Second Brother, the ice pop uncle is here. Give me my pocket money quickly. I want to treat everyone to ice pops!”

Xiao Roubao has always been generous and has no concept of money. Su Xiaoxiao never made them hand over the red envelopes they received each year or the pocket money they earned. She didn’t restrict their spending on small items, either. However, any expenditure over one yuan required approval from their older brother or parents.

In Xiao Roubao’s eyes, one or two cents per popsicle is still within his own means. Since his older brothers treated everyone to ice pops a few days ago, he felt it was his turn today.

Fantuan stood up and gestured towards the other side of the river, shouting, “Uncle, come over here!”

The ice pop vendor, seeing the group of children, grinned from ear to ear. A big businessman had just walked right up to him.

“Coming, coming; I’ll be right there in a second.”

The uncle selling ice pops unloaded the foam box from his bicycle and trotted over the bridge toward them. “So many people today! What flavor do you want?”

When it came to food, Xiao Roubao knew best: “Don’t you only have plain, red bean, and mung bean ice pops?”

The popsicle uncle smiled mysteriously and said, “Today is different; today, we have these.” With that, he took out several five-ounce ice cream bars from the cooler.

Xiao Roubao exclaimed, “Wow! Ice cream! “After speaking, his mouth was watering. He often had this in the capital but hadn’t had any since he returned.

The other children have gathered around Uncle Popsicle in the center while constantly swallowing their saliva.

Fantuan inspected the box and frowned. “Is this all you have? There’s not enough for all of us.”

The popsicle uncle said, “These things are expensive, and they melt easily. If I can’t sell them, I’ll end up losing money. I didn’t dare bring too many.”

Fantuan counted the children and said, “We can only split three among each. Do you still want them?”

Shugen and the others exchanged glances, shaking their heads as they licked their lips. “It’s too expensive. You’ve treated us to ice pops these past few days, and we don’t have money to treat you back.”

Birds of a feather flock together. While there are many mischievous kids nowadays, there are also many good ones. Generally, those who can play with Fantuan and his friends are not bad children.

It’s okay. We earned this pocket money ourselves, not from our parents. All of you can enjoy eating these,” Fantuan assured them.

“What about your little sister? Leave one for Tangyuan, and we’ll split the rest among the three of us,” Shugen suggested.

In their eyes, Xiao Tangyuan is a beautiful little princess. She is good-looking, always smiling, and has a good temper. She never looked down on them, so they genuinely liked this beautiful little sister.

Xiao Tangyuan, a very sensible girl, shook her head. “I like ice pops. Big brothers can have the ice cream.”

Zhuzi smiled. The little girl was already telling “white lies.” She clearly liked ice cream a lot, too. Zhuzi patted her head and handed her a peeled mung bean ice pop.

Shugen’s mouth was watering uncontrollably. “Can we taste it?”

Fantuan handed out the ice cream bars to the older kids. “You guys split these. Eat quickly; it’s melting fast in this heat.”

Xiao Roubao watched eagerly and wanted to eat, but he didn’t say anything.

Xiao Doubao held his brother’s hand and said, “Xiao Roubao, be good. When we return to the capital, the second brother will treat you to three. They can only eat this once a year. Let’s give them the ice cream this time, and we’ll have the red bean ice pop, okay?”

Xiao Roubao bit his meaty finger and nodded his head. “Okay, the second brother, I understand. I’m just a little greedy.”

Zhuzi rubbed his head and gave him the peeled red bean ice pop. “You don’t have to wait until we’re back in the capital. Can Big Brother buy you one tomorrow when we’re in the county?”

Xiao Roubao smiled and nodded. “Okay!”

Shugen and the others, seeing that Fantuan and the others hadn’t gotten any, approached with their ice pops. “Come and eat. This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my life! It’s really delicious!”

“What nonsense are you spouting? How old are you? You already know what’s the most delicious for your whole life?” Fantuan teased.

Shugen: “Anyway, it’s delicious; it’s the best!”

The Su family’s three Baos rarely had the chance to eat ice cream, but they had at least tasted it before. If Xiao Bao and Yao Bao went to the county, Liang Hongmei would buy it for them.

Although the youngest, Yao Bao, really wants to eat ice cream, he doesn’t ask for it. He has always listened to his brothers, and seeing his sister eating an ice pop, he also chose a mung bean ice pop.

Da Bao said, “You guys eat; we will eat these ice pops first. Uncle Ice pops doesn’t have enough here today, so we’ll go to the public market tomorrow and buy some to eat.”

Shugen and the others no longer hesitated. They divided the ice cream bars among themselves, each taking a bite. For the poor rural children, this was the most delicious food in the world. They vowed to study hard, earn pocket money, and, when they grew up, treat their friends to such delicious ice cream.

Uncle Popsicle, who had roamed the streets for many years and encountered all kinds of people, had never seen such kind-hearted children. These children bought ice cream and shared it with those who had never tasted it before.

“You kids will definitely have a bright future,” he said before closing the foam box.

The kids didn’t think so much about the future, especially the older ones. Xiao Bao and Yaobao used to be young and didn’t understand much, but now that they were older, they realized how fortunate they were compared to other kids in the village. So, they were always willing to help those in need and teach them. If they saw someone bullying poor kids, they would help out.

Su Xiaoxiao and Li Yufeng have packed all their luggage. Now, unlike before, when they could just pack as much as they wanted and drive back from Qingfeng Town, now they had to consider the long journey and the flight. They couldn’t bring many things with them.

“My daughter said that the plane is strictly regulated, and her luggage must not be overweight. She can only bring lightweight mountain goods like her favorite dried radish, which are easy to store and not heavy. They can’t bring sweet potatoes, taro, or any pickled wild vegetables that contain water.

“‘Mom, when it’s Chinese New Year, I’ll buy you and dad plane tickets. You can come to the capital and stay for a few days to see how I’m living now, okay?”

Since she couldn’t persuade them to come during the summer vacation, Su Xiaoxiao could only pin her hopes on the winter vacation.

Li Yufeng quickly tied up her luggage and shook her head, saying, “What’s the point of spending that money? This time, your whole family took a plane and spent a lot of money. Do you still have enough money left? I have some here. If it’s not enough, you can take it first.’

Su Xiaoxiao sighed and said, “Mom, didn’t I tell you? Han Cheng’s family has a whole box of gold, and we could sell just one bar and fly back and forth a hundred times. Money isn’t a problem. The plane tickets this time were earned by the kids themselves and didn’t cost any money. Oh right, Mom, what do you think about the clothing factory I mentioned last time?’

Li Yufeng gave her daughter a sideway glance. “You should save the gold for inheritance. Why are you selling Han Cheng’s gold? You opened a restaurant, asked your second brother to run a breeding farm, told your eldest brother to invest in a food factory, and even want me to start a clothing factory. Why do I feel so uneasy about all of your plans? I really need to find a time to go to the capital and see what you have been doing over the past two years.”

Su Xiaoxiao had originally planned to continue persuading her mother, but when she heard her mother say she wanted to “supervise” her in the capital, she immediately changed the subject and hugged Li Yufeng. “Hmm, Mom, we’ve come to an agreement. You must come to the capital during the winter vacation to see what I’ve been up to.”

Li Yufeng didn’t get angry and smiled. Although she said that, she could see that her daughter’s life was getting better and better. She was actually relieved. She did take her daughter’s words to heart. These things couldn’t be accomplished overnight, but with early planning, they could be done. So her daughter would consult with her in advance. Li Yufeng understood this simple principle.

The nearest airport to Sujia Village is in the city, so Su Xiaoxiao and the children set off early in the morning.

The cubs reluctantly bid farewell to their loved ones in Sujia Village and this lovely little village. Knowing that Fantuan and the others had to return today, the little followers Fantuan gained all wiped their tears to bid farewell to them. 

Several even chased after Su Zhenhua’s tractor for a long time, refusing to listen until Fantuan had his uncle stop the car and talk to them.

Children who grew up in the mountain villages didn’t have as many twists and turns in their emotions. Their feelings were sincere and straightforward. They remembered who had been good to them for a lifetime. Even if Fantuan and the others never returned, they would always remember their kindness.

On the tractor, several big brothers remained silent; even Xiao Roubao secretly wiped away his tears.

Yesterday, he promised to buy ice cream for Xiao Roubao. Before the shuttle bus arrived, Fantuan asked Su Xiaoxiao to look after the luggage and went out with Da Bao, Xiao Bao, and Zhuzi. Anyway, Su Zhenhua accompanied them.

After everything was settled, they went to the public market first.

When Zhuzi saw plastic sandals on the shelves, he suggested, “Why don’t we each get a pair of sandals for Shugen and the others? ”

Fantuan nodded and said, “Sure. We’ll earn a lot of pocket money when we go back to help Uncle Gu with his work. This is practical; let’s buy them.’

Xiao Bao said, “Shouldn’t we discuss it with Aunt Su first??”

Fantuan shook his head. “No need. My limit for reporting expenses from my pocket money is one hundred yuan.”

Xiao Bao was startled and said, “That much? Isn’t it just one yuan for Xiao Roubao?’

Fantuan: “How old am I and how old is Xiao Roubao? Can it be the same?”

Zhuzi said, “It’s not too much. We’ve earned a lot of royalties in recent years and haven’t spent much. We also have our New Year’s money.

Fantuan patted Zhuzi’s shoulder and said, “The real big shot here is this guy. There’s no limit to his pocket money. Whatever he wants to spend, he can.”

Zhuzi laughed but didn’t say anything. He had earned quite a bit in royalties and was also the only child in the family, so everyone doted on him. The elders in the family were always giving him money to spend. He didn’t have much concept of money himself. He hadn’t really counted it, but he knew he had quite a bit saved up. 

Rarely having the opportunity to spend money without worrying about it, Zhuzi insisted on paying the bill. In the end, they bought twenty pairs of plastic sandals, astonishing the staff at the store.

When they returned to the station, Zhuzi and the others handed the sandals to Su Zhenhua all at once. These twenty pairs of plastic sandals surprised Su Zhenhua. He didn’t know what to say. 

“What are you guys doing? Running a wholesale business? ”

Zhuzi said, “Second Uncle, could you please give these sandals to the kids who have been playing with us these past few days and to those kids that can’t afford sandals? They’re either barefoot or wearing grass shoes. Just consider it a gift from us.”

Fantuan waved his finger and said, “It’s not from us, it’s from you, Second Uncle. These sandals were paid for by Zhuzi. Just say they were given by their brother Zhuzi.”

Zhuzi chuckled and said, “‘Do we really need to say who paid for it?”

Xiao, holding an ice cream in one hand and rummaging through Xiao Doubao’s backpack with the other, finally found a coin and handed it to Xiao Zhuzi with narrowed eyes. “Brother Zhuzi, I will give this to you. I know you want to do good deeds without leaving a name. So, just say these shoes were bought by Xiao Roubao for them! They’ll definitely like Xiao.

Everyone: “…”

Fantuan pinched his face and said, “You clever ghost, you’re the smartest!”

Xiao Tangyuan took a look at the money her third brother handed to Zhuzi and saw that it was only one cent.

She frowned and asked Xiao Roubao, “Third brother, can one cent buy so many pairs of sandals?”

Zhuzi picked up Xiao Tangyuan and said, “Third brother is playing with Brother Zhuzi. Let’s go. It’s time for us to enter the station. Second uncle, I’ll trouble you with these sandals.”

Su Zhenhua held twenty pairs of sandals and repeatedly reminded the three Bao’s of the Su family to be obedient, not to run around in the big city, and to stick with Fantuan and the others. Then he watched them enter the station reluctantly. Until their figures disappeared from sight, he glanced down at his worn sandals. The ancestral graves of the Su family were emitting smoke, and the children raised at home were all outstanding individuals.