Chapter 19: Comrade Xi Youyou Was No Longer the Same as Before

Xu Xiu felt flattered beyond expectation. Xi Youyou smiled and waved her hand: “You take it back and eat it. I really only have a little bit. It wouldn’t be easy to handle if I brought it back!”

“You make it taste so good, be sure to come back and buy from me again.”

After Xi Youyou finished speaking, Xu Xiu didn’t think much of it. She just stared at her for a while longer. She had a strong feeling that this female comrade in front of her seemed familiar.

But she couldn’t quite figure out why.

Xi Youyou handed the vegetables over. Xu Xiu hesitated a bit but, after some thought, didn’t show anything unusual. She took the vegetables and left.

Watching her leave, Xi Youyou let out a sigh of relief.

She lingered for a while longer, then finally packed up and went home.

She returned just in time for a meal. Xu Xiu called her over. She took the books out of the bicycle basket and placed them in her room before heading over to eat.

After eating, she went back to her room to read.

The next day, she went out to sell vegetables again.

Today, unlike yesterday, she was not flustered. She brought a small stool, brought some food, and sat comfortably at her stall. It was much more relaxed than yesterday morning.

There were even more people buying vegetables this morning than yesterday.

“Young lady, your vegetables taste amazing when cooked! Give me two more jin today!”

“Are you going to sell vegetables regularly? If there’s a day you won’t be selling, let us know a day in advance!”

“Exactly! My grandson really likes the vegetables from your stall!”

A crowd swarmed around her. The vegetables in her two baskets were quickly snatched up.

Even those who hadn’t bought before, seeing so many people crowding to buy and hearing everyone say the vegetables were delicious, also squeezed in.

Xi Youyou’s vegetables sold extremely well today.

Many people were secretly envious, but that was all they could do—Xi Youyou sold vegetable varieties that they didn’t have. Even if someone had it, it was just one kind.

Everyone’s goods didn’t really compete, so no one was offended.

Last night, she went home and did some calculations. The vegetables she sold yesterday actually earned her 10 yuan.

Each jin was only 30 to 40 cents.

To earn just 1 yuan, she had to sell quite a bit. But now she had earned a whole 10 yuan, which meant she had sold nearly dozens of jin of vegetables.

That was quite a volume.

Yesterday morning she had delayed a bit, since she had to rent a bike and stall space, and also did some cleaning. Her actual stall time wasn’t long, so she was quite satisfied with the money she made.

She figured she’d make even more today. After all, her baskets had just been emptied in a rush, and she continued bringing out vegetables from her cart without pause.

Others didn’t know how many vegetables she had in her cart, so it was still manageable.

Meanwhile, on the other side—

Jiang Cimo had arranged all the training duties in the army. He was now preparing for official leave to return home.

With his leave, he’d be able to stay home longer and spend more time with his parents and children.

Following the list Bai Yuying had given him, he first went to a pharmacy and bought the supplements written in the notebook. Then he headed to a large department store to buy new clothes and toys for the kids.

When asked about the children’s sizes, he couldn’t give a clear answer, but he knew their ages, so the sales clerk helped recommend some sets. He picked out a few new ones.

He also chose toys based on the kids’ personalities.

He even brought back several storybooks that were only available in this area.

He didn’t often have the chance to go home and accompany his parents and children, so whenever he did return, he would bring them more things.

Just to show some care.

After buying everything, he sorted the items. He grouped them by category—those that could spoil were kept in hand, and those that wouldn’t were packed in his bag.

Only then did he board the train to go home.

The train station wasn’t crowded at this time. Watching the scenery flash past outside the window, Jiang Cimo felt a hint of anticipation in his heart.

Although he didn’t particularly like Xi Youyou, he still liked the two children very much—after all, they were his own flesh and blood.

He hoped that this time when he went back, Xi Youyou would remain quiet like the last time and wouldn’t stir up any trouble.

If everyone could get along peacefully, he would spend his few days of leave and then leave again.

Even if the two of them remained unrelated in their own ways, that would be fine.

Previously, he had sent a letter home, and the date of his arrival was clearly mentioned in the letter. Xu Xiu and Jiang Fenglin woke up in the morning, calculated the time, and realized their son was coming back.

They were filled with joy.

“Shall we go buy an old hen this afternoon and stew it into soup?” Jiang Cimo only came home once in a long while, and of course Xu Xiu wanted to nourish his body. “Or should we also buy some spare ribs or something?”

Seeing Xu Xiu rushing around anxiously, Jiang Fenglin sighed helplessly. “It’s just a meal, isn’t it? He’s home for a few days, not just for today. Let’s just buy a chicken for today.”

“Alright!”

After the two of them discussed it, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, upon hearing that their father was coming home, happily jumped around in the courtyard.

“Brother.”

After bouncing around for a while, the two kids sat under the eaves. “Comrade Xi Youyou is different now. Do you think she and Dad will fight again when he comes back?”

Every time their father returned in the past, Xi Youyou would always argue with him.

The fights were so fierce it felt like chickens and dogs were being flung into the sky.

Whenever they heard them argue, the two of them would get scared and hide in their grandparents’ arms.

Even Da Bao wasn’t sure anymore.

He used to think Xi Youyou was just pretending, especially after she bought that electric fan—he thought she’d reveal her true colors the next day. Who would’ve guessed that she’d actually go on to prepare for an exam?

She had been studying non-stop lately, and seemed to be working quite hard.

“She probably won’t.” That was the answer Da Bao gave after thinking for a long time.

Xiao Bao tilted her little head. “Then will Daddy and Mommy take us out to play? Other kids all go out with their parents to have fun. Even just strolling in the streets is fun! And we could buy a skewer of candied hawthorn!” A picture of that scene appeared in Xiao Bao’s mind, and her eyes sparkled with hope.

Da Bao didn’t know how to answer.

At that moment, Xu Xiu, who had been listening nearby, sat down next to her and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Xiao Bao really wants to go out and play with Daddy and Mommy?”

“Mhm!” Xiao Bao nodded heavily, her answer firm and full of yearning.

“Then when they come back, we’ll have them take you two out to play, how about that?” Xu Xiu ruffled the child’s hair with a smile.

Usually, the kids always addressed her as “Comrade Xi Youyou.”

But deep down, didn’t they also want to call her “Mom”?

It was just that the things from the past made them resist a little. But now, that feeling seemed to have faded quite a bit.

One day, they would call her “Mom.”

“Okay!”

Xiao Bao nodded. A hint of anticipation also flickered in Da Bao’s eyes.

Xu Xiu played with them for a little while longer before heading off to make breakfast. After Xi Youyou finished selling vegetables in the morning, she came back first.

While eating, Xu Xiu brought up that Jiang Cimo was coming home.

“He should be getting off the train this evening. Once he’s off, he’ll be back. I’ll go buy a chicken this afternoon and make chicken soup!”

As Xu Xiu spoke, both her and Jiang Fenglin’s faces were lit up with smiles, and the two children were also full of joy.

Xi Youyou smiled faintly on the surface, but inwardly she was not happy at all.

After all, no matter what, she and Jiang Cimo were legally husband and wife, and there weren’t many rooms in the house. The two of them would have to share a room.

Sharing a room—even if nothing happened—meant she wouldn’t be able to slip into her space to sleep anymore.

She might even have to put her vegetable-selling on hold for a couple of days.

Forget it!