Ning Shu quickly inserted the 8 popsicles and closed the fridge door. “Go play for a while and come back when it’s dinner time,” she said.

A few kids shook their heads. “Auntie, we’re not going anywhere.”

“Mom, we’ll just wait here at home,” they insisted firmly.

Their determination to eat the popsicles was strong.

Ning Shu understood them well.

When she was a child in her previous life, whenever her grandmother brought out snacks, she too would eagerly wait.

Kids were always craving treats, especially back when snacks were scarce.

Ning Shu left them to it and started preparing dinner.

The kids grew impatient waiting.

They didn’t even think of playing anymore, their eyes fixed eagerly on the kitchen.

They only relaxed when the smell of dinner wafted out, sparking their excitement.

They hurried to the kitchen door to ask.

“Mom, can we eat dinner now?” Er Bao, as always, spoke up first.

Ning Shu hesitated. “…Wait a moment, let me check.”

She went to the dining room, took out one of the small bamboo tubes from the fridge, inspected it, and gently moved the popsicle inside.

The popsicle was frozen solid.

Ning Shu took out six bamboo tubes. “It’s ready to eat.”

The six kids had been waiting behind her, and upon hearing this, they immediately lined up.

“The popsicles are a bit cold, so wait a moment.” Ning Shu fetched some grass paper (as there was no toilet paper in those days) to wrap around the bamboo tubes.

This way, they wouldn’t feel so cold in their hands. “One for each of you,” she said as she handed them out, ensuring no one needed to fight over them.

The kids tried to take the cream popsicles out of the bamboo tubes, but they were frozen solid and hard to remove.

“Mom, we can’t get the popsicles out,” Yi Bao complained.

“Just wait a bit. They’ll soften a bit and then you can get them out,” Ning Shu reassured them.

The bamboo tubes were a temporary solution; she would need to design something better for next time because they were inconvenient for taking the popsicles out.

“Okay.”

Unable to get the popsicles out, the kids didn’t mind and simply licked them from inside the bamboo tubes.

Soon, their eyes lit up.

“Mom, it’s delicious! Just like real popsicles!”

“Yeah, Auntie, you’re amazing. These are even better than the ones from the supply and marketing cooperative.”

“So fragrant, all that milk flavor.”

“Auntie, you’re so talented to make popsicles.”

He Jiaxing, Yang Wenjie, and Cheng Yingyong also chimed in with sweet praises.

These cream popsicles were indeed tastier than the ones from the cooperative; Ning Shu had used plenty of milk powder, ensuring a rich milk flavor.

The ones from the cooperative didn’t have as much, so their flavor wasn’t as strong.

“Alright, alright, go play now. Remember to bring back these bamboo tubes when you’re done; we’ll need them for making popsicles next time,” Ning Shu said, fearing she might lose her resolve if the kids kept praising her like this.

It seems like these kids really like telling the truth, huh?

“Got it.”

Each kid took a small bamboo tube and went out to play.

They didn’t go far, just to the homes of other kids they knew, proudly telling them about the cream popsicles Ning Shu made.

“This is what my mom made, cream popsicles, they’re so delicious!”

“Ning Shu said she’ll make green bean popsicles too, they’re just as yummy as the cream ones.”

“Cream popsicles are made with milk powder, they’re so fragrant.”

“How do you make popsicles? Don’t you need a fridge?”

“Twins, your mom is really amazing.”

“Twins, will your mom make more tomorrow? Can I trade snacks with you for popsicles?”

“Twins, I want to trade snacks for popsicles too, can I?”

The three brothers didn’t want to trade snacks anymore because others’ snacks weren’t as tasty as theirs.

Er Bao said, “Give me money, 1 cent per popsicle.” He really liked money.

“Really? Are cream popsicles also 1 cent each?” Another kid asked immediately.

“Yes, they are,” Comrade Lin Erbao didn’t know, this cream popsicle for 1 cent each, his mother’s loss should take off his little underwear.

“Will your family still make them tomorrow?”

The three children were surrounded by everyone and asked, and the scene was lively.

When Lin Guodong got off work and returned to the family courtyard, he saw such a scene.

The appeal of this group of children is quite strong.

So many children together, if you don’t know, you might think they are discussing something big and important.

“Yibao, Erbao, Sanbao, aren’t you going home for dinner?”

Upon hearing their father’s voice, the three children turned around in the crowd and saw their father approaching from behind.

Er Bao raised the small bamboo tube in his hand. “Dad, look, Mom made these cream popsicles. They’re delicious.” As he spoke, he took the cream popsicle out of the bamboo tube.

It had been some time, and the popsicle had started to melt, making it easy to remove from the tube. “Dad, would you like some?”

After Er Bao asked, he licked the cream popsicle with his tongue.

Some cream dripped from the corner of his mouth, and Er Bao quickly scooped it back into his mouth with his tongue.

Lin Guodong: “…”

“No need, you go ahead and eat. Come back and have dinner later.” Without paying much attention to the children, he left after saying this.

Er Bao: “Okay.”

Yi Bao: “Let’s go home.”

San Bao didn’t say anything and ran to catch up with his father.

Er Bao: “We’re going home now. If you want to change your popsicle, we’ll talk about it tonight.”

“I’ll come to your house after dinner.”

“I’ll come too.”

“And me.”

Having made plans with their friends, Er Bao and the others hurried home.

This was Lin Guodong’s first encounter with a refrigerator, and he was curious.

As soon as he got home, he went to look at the refrigerator.

Opening it and feeling the cold air blow out was surprisingly pleasant.

Ning Shu noticed and said, “There are two more cream popsicles. Do you want to eat them?”

Lin Guodong: “I’ll wait until after dinner. Later, I’ll make a few more bamboo tubes.”

Ning Shu: “I’ll join you later.”

Yi Bao: “Mom, will you make more popsicles later?”

Er Bao said, “Today, many kids want popsicles. Can I make a little more if I sell them for 1 cent each?”

Ning Shu chuckled helplessly, “You’re doing business now? We don’t even have enough to cover costs at 1 cent each.”

Adding sugar to the powdered milk, keeping the fridge running—it’s definitely not enough.

“Huh?” Er Bao was dumbfounded.

Wouldn’t that be a loss? He, Lin Erbao, couldn’t afford to run a loss-making business. “How about we add some more money, 2 cents each?”

Ning Shu replied, “Forget about doing business. We can’t exploit others. If your friends want to eat them, you can give them away.” Even with just a few cents per popsicle, their friends could afford one daily.

However, when the difficult times of the next few years or decades come to an end, then Lin Er Bao might consider a popsicle business.

She imagined Comrade Lin Erbao carrying a box around, selling popsicles everywhere—that scene would be quite amusing.

“No exploitation, but we can trade things,” Yi Bao suggested. “Like trading snacks for popsicles, just like we used to trade snacks.”

Er Bao nodded and looked at Ning Shu. “Mom, can we do it this way?”

Actually, the ten years of difficulty didn’t affect rural folks much; some remote areas hardly felt it at all.

The main impact was on city dwellers, witnessing various scenes more frequently.

So the three children didn’t know much about exploitation and such.

But if Mom said no, they obeyed.

After dinner, Ning Shu and Lin Guodong went up the mountain to cut bamboo and make bamboo tubes.

Their pockets weren’t enough, so they carried a basket.

They conveniently processed the bamboo tubes on the mountain.

When they returned with a basket full of bamboo tubes, the house was bustling. Inside and out, surrounded by kids, everyone came to see the fridge and the popsicles.

Seeing Ning Shu and Lin Guodong return, shy children timidly stayed at the back of the crowd, while lively ones called out to their aunts and uncles incessantly.

When Ning Shu finished washing the bamboo tubes and began making green bean popsicles, the children gathered around again, curiously watching her fill the bamboo tubes with green bean soup.

They reluctantly turned away only after she had filled all the tubes and placed them in the refrigerator.

“Mom, when can we eat these green bean popsicles? Is it after dinner tomorrow night?” Er Bao asked.

Ning Shu replied, “You can have them when you wake up tomorrow morning.”

Er Bao immediately said, “Then I’ll go to bed early tonight.”

Yi Bao added, “Write in the diary early and go to bed early.”

The twins chimed in, “We’ll go back now. We’ll come find you tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll come tomorrow morning too.”

“Goodbye, twins. Goodbye, aunt and uncle.”

The children decided to sleep early that night so they could wake up early the next morning to see the popsicles at the twins’ house.

After leaving Lin’s house, the children returned home and told their families about the twins’ new refrigerator.

Initially indifferent to refrigerators, the children were now intrigued knowing that popsicles could be made in them.

Many children asked their parents if they could buy a refrigerator for their homes too.

Owning a refrigerator that could make popsicles was indeed prestigious.

Child: “Mom, the twins’ family bought a refrigerator that can make popsicles. Can we buy one too?”

Parent: “Even if we sold you, we couldn’t afford a refrigerator.”

Child: “Mom, the twins’ mom is so amazing. She bought them a refrigerator. It’s so cool and refreshing. I want one too.”

Parent: “I also want to buy one, but we don’t have money.”

Child: “Mom, why aren’t you as amazing as Aunt Ning? She can buy a refrigerator.”

Parent: “Then go ask Aunt Ning. If she wants a son like you, you can go live with her.”

Similar conversations played out in many households.

Soon, almost everyone in the neighborhood knew that the twins’ family had bought a refrigerator.

Some even thought about how, with Ning Shu’s refrigerator, they could store their vegetables to prevent them from spoiling.