When Ning Shu came back from the city, she stopped by the commune nearest to their brigade, which was where the Moon Bay Production Brigade was located, to buy popsicles for her three kids.

Ning Shu bought sugar water popsicles.

They were a bit sweet, a bit cool, and very refreshing, perfect for quenching thirst.

The only drawback was that they melted quickly under the sun.

Ning Shu bought 10 sugar water popsicles, put them in a lunch box, hid them, and then quickly rode her bike back to the brigade.

She pedaled hard to keep the popsicles from melting too fast, even using the strength she’d usually use to spank Lin Erbao’s little butt.

Summer just isn’t complete without popsicles, but it was a hassle to come and buy them each time.

Ning Shu thought about it and decided to buy a refrigerator.

Not only could it store popsicles, but she could also make her own popsicles and keep other food fresh.

They had saved quite a bit of money over the years: earnings from her clothing designs, the rent from three houses sent by Lin Xiaojing, her salary, and Lin Guodong’s salary.

In total, Ning Shu had saved up 12,000 yuan.

Buying a refrigerator would be no problem.

Why wait?

She’d go look for one tomorrow.

She’d be back at work at the kindergarten soon and had taken a half-month leave to come back to her hometown.

With her three kids about to start primary school, she had planned to leave the kindergarten, but now, with the plan to buy a refrigerator and maybe a TV later, she decided to keep working.

The monthly salary and benefits were quite substantial.

Their family had managed to save so much mainly because most expenses were covered by the app.

Otherwise, saving money wouldn’t have been easy.

As Ning Shu rode her bike back to the brigade, she saw from a distance her three kids and two dogs waiting at the gate.

It wasn’t that Ning Shu had particularly good eyesight, but at this time of day, only her kids would be waiting there.

The distance was too far to call out, but she saw shadows moving towards her, led by the two dogs.

“Mom… Mom…” Erbao ran quickly and shouted loud enough for the whole family compound to hear.

“Yes…” Ning Shu responded, not as loudly as him, and wasn’t sure if he heard.

When Erbao finally reached her, Ning Shu got off her bike.

Seeing him sweating, she took some grass paper from her bag and wiped his face. “Hot?”

Erbao grinned, “Yes, very hot.”

“Silly boy,” Ning Shu smiled too.

She opened the lunch box from the basket and took out three popsicles. “One for each of you. Eat slowly.”

Erbao’s eyes lit up, “Popsicles! Mom, you bought popsicles? You’re the best.”

“Mom, you bought popsicles?” Yi Bao and San Bao ran over.

San Bao looked longingly at the popsicle in his brother’s hand.

Ning Shu said, “You eat the popsicles, and I’ll go home to make lunch. There are more in the lunch box. Come and get them after you finish.” These 2-cent popsicles were small and melted quickly, gone in a few bites.

Hearing there were more, the three kids didn’t linger outside.

They followed behind Ning Shu’s bike, eating their popsicles on the way home.

As soon as Ning Shu got home, she took the remaining seven popsicles from the lunch box and put them in five bowls.

She had bought ten in total, and with five people at home, each would get two popsicles.

The sugar water from the popsicles had started to leak out, so Ning Shu unwrapped one and ate it herself.

The cold, sweet water felt really good in her mouth.

As she ate, she unpacked the other items from the basket: meat, ribs, tomatoes, watermelon, radishes, and pickled fish.

The pickled fish was already cooked and just needed to be heated.

However, since there were many people at home, even though she bought two servings, it wouldn’t be enough.

She planned to slice some radishes to cook with it, which would taste great with the sour flavor and be very appetizing.

The ribs were for braising, and the meat needed to be marinated to make salted meat, as it wouldn’t keep well in the summer otherwise.

She put the watermelon in a bucket of water.

She had taken out two from the app this time, and there were still several more in there.

She didn’t take them all out at once because they were purchased in batches.

In the summer, there were lots of watermelons available in the app, and items bought on different days wouldn’t be grouped together for extraction, so she couldn’t take them all out at once.

Besides watermelons, there were also emergency fruits like peaches and bayberries that she could take out when she went to the city to look for a refrigerator.

After finishing the popsicle in a few bites, Ning Shu started cooking.

“Mom… we’re back.”

The three kids, licking their popsicles, finally arrived home, but they hadn’t finished their first popsicle yet.

Even though they had another one waiting, they savored the first one slowly.

They first peeked into the kitchen to check on their mom.

Seeing her cooking, Erbao and Sanbao went to the dining room.

They were hot and wanted to cool down with the fan.

In the dining room, they found five bowls each holding popsicles, with one bowl having two popsicles.

“Mom… are these popsicles for us?” Erbao and Sanbao ran back to the kitchen to ask.

In the kitchen, Yibao was telling Ning Shu about Wang Yuhong: “Mom, the neighbor aunt came by today. She said she came to return the money for the bucket and basin.”

Ning Shu was a bit surprised that they were returning it so quickly. “Got it.”

“Mom… are the popsicles in the bowls on the table also for us?” Erbao asked excitedly.

Ning Shu said, “Each of you gets a bowl. The bowl with two popsicles is for your dad. He works hard to earn money, so don’t take his, okay?”

“Got it,” Erbao replied. “Mom, can we have popsicles again tomorrow?”

Ning Shu said, “Tomorrow I’m going to the city to see if I can buy a refrigerator. If I can get one, we’ll be able to make our own popsicles.” Buying a refrigerator would require a lot of industrial coupons, but she had saved up for over two years.

Even if she didn’t have enough, she could trade with friends for more.

Over the past two years, she had stocked up not just on industrial coupons, but also on meat and grain coupons.

Most of the meat she used came from the app, the first year’s grain was brought from her hometown, and after that, the app started offering grain, so she bought and stored it.

She didn’t have many grain coupons, but she had some.

“Mom, are we really getting a refrigerator?” Erbao asked loudly, unable to hide his excitement.

Buying a refrigerator was a big deal.

Hearing their mom say she was going to buy one, Yibao and Sanbao were also thrilled.

“Mom, are we really going to buy a refrigerator?” Yibao asked excitedly.

“Yes,” Ning Shu replied while cooking.

Yibao asked again “Isn’t the refrigerator very expensive?”

Ning Shu didn’t hide the truth: “Yes, it’s very expensive. The salary I’ve earned over the years isn’t enough; we also need your father’s salary.”

Upon hearing this, Yibao called his two younger brothers over: “Erbao, Sanbao…”

It’s unclear what they discussed outside, but after a while, the three brothers came running back.

Yibao was holding a tin box: “Mom, this is the money we’ve earned. Use it to help buy the refrigerator.”

Ning Shu was very moved.

Her sons brought their pocket money to her, which was probably the most touching moment for any mother.

Over the past two years, the brothers had earned quite a bit of pocket money.

On average, they earned about 5 yuan a year from selling vegetables.

Additionally, by washing dishes every day, they could earn about 1 yuan a month, which totaled 12 yuan a year.

Over two years, that amounted to 24 yuan, plus New Year’s money and other earnings.

They had at least 40 to 50 yuan saved.

Among their peers, they were considered quite wealthy, and even among some less fortunate adults, they were relatively well-off.

Ning Shu didn’t take the tin box: “You should keep your own money. I still have money now, and both your father and I are working and earning money.

You don’t need to worry about the household finances.

When you grow up, graduate, and find good jobs, then you can take care of us. For now, just focus on being good kids.”

Hearing this, Yibao took the tin box back, remembering his mother’s words.

He thought about growing up, finding a job, earning money, and taking good care of his parents.

When Lin Guodong came back, the three brothers were sitting at the gate of the yard, holding bowls, drinking something.

The yard gate was shady and cool, which the children liked.

Their first popsicle was already eaten, and the second had melted into sugary water in their bowls.

They were slowly sipping the cool, sweet water.

Seeing their father return, they quickly urged him: “Dad, come quickly! Mom bought you a popsicle.”

Several of Lin Guodong’s comrades, who were walking with him, heard this and were envious.

A popsicle at that time would be really nice.

Some teased him: “Captain Lin, go home and eat your popsicle.”

“Yeah, Captain Lin, your wife bought you a popsicle.”

“My wife is the best,” Lin Guodong said, then walked briskly, leaving his comrades behind.

As soon as Lin Guodong reached the gate, the three brothers stood up.

Erbao said: “Dad, you’re too late. Your popsicle has already melted.”

Sanbao added: “But you can drink the cool, sweet water.”

Yibao ran into the dining room and brought out a bowl: “Dad, drink this.”

Lin Guodong was indeed thirsty.

He took the bowl from his son.

Because of the melted popsicle, the bowl was icy cold and felt very pleasant to hold.

He took a big gulp, drinking half the bowl in one go.

After two popsicles melted, it was just over half a bowl, not enough for two gulps.

But he didn’t drink it all.

He took one sip, then handed the bowl back to Yibao: “I’m full. Share the rest with your brothers.”

The Lin family was different from other families.

In most families, mothers would usually save the best food for their children and the fathers would eat heartily.

But in the Lin family, Ning Shu divided everything fairly into five portions.

Interestingly, it was Lin Guodong who would leave his share for the children.

At first, Ning Shu would say something about it, but seeing Lin Guodong’s willingness, she stopped.

Fatherly love is like a mountain, after all.

“Thank you, Dad.” Yibao took the bowl and divided the remaining sweet water into three parts, pouring it into the bowls of himself, Erbao, and Sanbao.

Ning Shu stood at the door, watching.

She felt once again that buying a refrigerator was very important.

With a refrigerator, they could make popsicles anytime, and Lin Guodong wouldn’t have to give his share to the children.

Lin Guodong smiled at her: “What’s for lunch?”

“Fish and meat.” Ning Shu turned and went into the kitchen, pouring him a bowl of cool boiled water.

Lin Guodong took it and drank it all in one go, making gulping sounds; he was really thirsty.

Ning Shu said, “I need to go to the city tomorrow. I’m planning to buy a refrigerator. If there’s a TV available, I’ll check it out too, but we don’t have a TV purchase coupon.”

Lin Guodong replied, “I’ll ask around and see if anyone has one.”

Ning Shu said, “No need, I’ll handle it.”

She then carried the dishes from the kitchen to the table.

Lunch was really good.

Two portions of pickled fish from the app contained a whole pound of fish, and with the radish slices Ning Shu added, the soup bowl wasn’t big enough, so they used a wooden basin for washing vegetables.

They also had braised ribs, tomato soup, and vegetables.

The four dishes were so enticing that Lin Guodong and the three children were eager to dig in.

Even the Dogs, Damao and Tiedan, who got some meat, were eating with their heads down.