Chapter 33

“Really, not even one bottle left,” Ning Shu said. She had bought a total of 10 bottles through the app, exchanged 6 bottles with Lin’s mother, planned to drink 2 bottles in the evening, and still had 2 bottles left.

However, she didn’t intend to exchange these two bottles and would keep them for the next time she wanted to drink. Moreover, since she had already exchanged with this person and there were more people to come, she decided not to exchange anymore.

Hearing Ning Shu’s explanation, the three women who came one after another had no choice. Then they looked at Lin’s mother.

Seeing their looks, Lin’s mother didn’t say anything and just ran away.

“Guodong’s wife…”

“Auntie…”

They followed her outside.

These three women were brought by Erbao. Following his mother’s instructions, he went to the households where they usually played and where there were many people. After visiting these three households, Erbao went to Lin Xiaoshan’s house.

“Little Shan ge… Little Shan ge…”

Lin Xiaoshan’s mother was in the yard dealing with the snails they had picked. When she saw Erbao, she smiled and said, ” Little Erbao, Little Shan went to gather firewood. If you need him, go to the village entrance. He will pass by there on his way back.” She didn’t ask what it was about, as she never asked about matters related to Erbao’s family, afraid of being known by her in-laws.

During this period, She and Little Shan had exchanged a lot of rice for bamboo shoots. They had used up the remainder.

 Little Shan hid some on the mountain, and whenever they were hungry, they cooked some to eat with Little Shi. Even when she went to gather firewood, she could take the opportunity to have a bite. Now, Erbao’s mother still had 400 kilograms of rice left. Although she wasn’t sure if they could get another 400 kilograms of rice in the future, they had nowhere to hide it.

They could hide ten or twenty kilograms on the mountain, but hiding 400 kilograms was impossible.

Moreover, Erbao’s mother had also said that they couldn’t get 400 kilograms of rice at once, but they could get 20 kilograms every month. She felt that 20 kilograms per month was just right.

Giving them more would leave them with nowhere to hide it. Twenty kilograms a month was just enough for them to eat for a month. Besides, even if they ran out, with the rice they had saved up, they wouldn’t be greedy anymore.

Erbao, upon hearing Lin Xiaoshan’s mother’s words, went to wait for Lin Xiaoshan at the village entrance. However, he didn’t wait for Lin Xiaoshan but instead encountered Lin Xiaojing on her way back from school.

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“Little Aunt…” Erbao was delighted to see Lin Xiaojing.

“Why are you here, Erbao?” Lin Xiaojing was one of the best caretakers for the three brothers besides Lin’s mother in the old house.

Lin’s father wasn’t as attentive as a woman. Even though he cared for his grandsons, with Lin’s mother around, he didn’t worry much.

However, Lin Xiaojing was different. She felt regretful, guilty, and self-reproachful towards Lin Guodong. After the original host stopped caring about the three babies, whenever she wasn’t at school, Lin Xiaojing would take care of her three nephews.

She transferred her sense of debt to the three nephews, believing that it was her fault that they had such a mother.

That’s why Eleven-month-old Sanbao could recognize Lin Xiaojing on the street – they had been in contact for a long time.

“I’m waiting for Little Shan ge,” Second Baby said.

“Why are you waiting for him? It’s time to go back for dinner,” Lin Xiaojing said, thinking that Ning Shu might not have prepared food for the three nephews.

She asked, “Did your mother cook for you today, or are you going to have dinner at the old house?” Although she had heard her mother say that Ning Shu had changed a lot and was now taking care of the three brothers, Lin Xiaojing subconsciously didn’t believe it.

“We had dinner, but I’m waiting for Little Shan ge to ask him if he wants to exchange snails for soda. My mother said five pounds of snails can be exchanged for one bottle of soda. She wants to exchange five bottles of soda,” Erbao explained.

Lin Xiaojing frowned. What was Ning Shu up to now? Exchanging soda for snails? She would believe it if Ning Shu exchanged snails for soda to drink, but exchanging soda for snails seemed unbelievable.

“Why does your mother want so many snails?” Lin Xiaojing doubted whether she had heard correctly.

Second Baby replied, “My mother said she wants to make rice wine snail meat and send it to my dad.”

What? Lin Xiaojing suspected she had misheard. “Your mother wants to send snail meat to your dad?” Would that bad woman Ning Shu actually send something to her third brother? Would she care about him?

Initially, she didn’t dislike Ning Shu. At the age of 13, she didn’t understand, causing her third brother to marry Ning Shu.

However, Ning Shu said that after becoming her sister-in-law, she would still give her hairpins, White Rabbit candies, and hair ties. At that time, she thought Ning Shu being her sister-in-law was quite nice.

Even though she was severely punished by her mother back then, she still didn’t understand where she went wrong.

It wasn’t until later, when Ning Shu got pregnant and started causing trouble at home, clamoring to split the family and making the household chaotic, that she gradually realized her mistake. She truly had been wrong.

Moreover, that woman didn’t care about her child after giving birth. Lin Xiaojing’s heart was drowned in self-blame, and at the same time, she grew to dislike Ning Shu even more.

Rather than saying she disliked Ning Shu, it was more regret over her own childishness and lack of understanding.

“Yeah,” Erbao replied.

“In our rural area, who would exchange snail meat for soda?” Lin Xiaojing felt Ning Shu was really overreaching by exchanging five pounds of snail meat for a bottle of soda.

Even if the price of soda and snail meat were similar, soda was for rich people. Common folks wouldn’t be so extravagant. Snail meat, after all, was still meat and could nourish people’s bodies.

“I don’t know,” Erbao dodged the question.

“Don’t wait too long. I’m going home. If your mother hasn’t cooked, come to the old house for dinner,” Lin Xiaojing said. She had walked for two hours and was tired.

She didn’t want to linger at the village gate.

When Lin Xiaojing arrived home, she saw everyone busy in the yard and greeted them, “Dad, Mom, I’m back.” Then she went to her room to put down her schoolbag.

As the only daughter of the Lin family, she was fortunate to have her own independent room from a young age, unlike other girls who had to share a room with several people.

“Auntie, we have soda today,” Lin Qingmei told her as soon as she came out, eagerly sharing the good news.

Lin Qingmei was only five years younger than Lin Xiaojing. When she was young, the elders in the family were busy working, and Lin Xiaojing took care of her, so their relationship was very good.

Although they were aunt and niece, they were more like sisters.

Hearing Lin Qingmei mention soda, Lin Xiaojing remembered what Second Baby had said at the village gate. “Did you exchange it at Erbao’s house?” Was their family the one foolish enough to exchange five pounds of snail meat for a bottle of soda?

“Yeah, Grandma exchanged six bottles. We can drink it for two days,” Lin Qingmei said excitedly. She had never had soda before, so she was looking forward to it.

Lin Xiaojing was stunned and hurried to the kitchen to ask her mother, who was cooking, “Mom, why did you go and exchange such expensive soda?” It took five pounds of snail meat for one bottle.

Her mother shrugged. “We have a big family, and we collected a lot of snails. Your sister-in-law wanted to make snail meat and send it to your brother. Since we haven’t tried soda before, we exchanged it. It’s not like we can’t afford it.”

“But this isn’t a matter of whether to change or not.”

However, Lin Xiaojing didn’t know how to respond. Then, she remembered another thing. “Mom, do you know if that woman bought a bicycle?”

“Don’t always talk about that woman. No matter what, she’s already married your third brother and given birth to three children for him. Yes, she was at fault in the past, but you were also at fault. It’s been so long now, it’s time to let go.”

Lin’s mother sighed. She didn’t know when her daughter and the third daughter-in-law’s issue would be resolved.

“Mom, I’m not talking about that. It’s about the bicycle. Do you know if she bought a bicycle?” Every time Lin Xiaojing’s mother told her to let go of the matter, she would get upset. She felt responsible for her third brother’s unhappy marriage, and she couldn’t let it go.

“A bicycle?” Lin’s mother recalled seeing a bicycle in the backyard of the third brother’s house. At the time, she asked Yibao if they had visitors, and Yibao said no. Later, when she returned after exchanging soda, she didn’t inquire further. So, was it the third sister-in-law who bought the bicycle for the backyard? “How do you know?”

“I met her on the way home from school today. She said walking to the county town was too far, so she bought a bicycle.” Lin Xiaojing explained the situation.

Lin’s mother also remembered that the third brother had sent a letter this morning, and the third sister-in-law went to buy a bicycle in the afternoon. So, the money was sent by the third brother in the morning.

“Having a bicycle is quite good, it makes things a lot more convenient. But… but your third brother’s family has three sons, and they’re both still young. They’ll probably have more children in the future. At this rate, I don’t know how they’ll support them.”

Lin’s mother didn’t have any objections to Ning Shu buying a bicycle; it was a happy occasion. But she was worried that Ning Shu would spend money recklessly, and her son would let her. If the three children grew up and got married, there would be no money left.

“Why bother worrying about this? The third brother knows what he’s doing.” Lin’s father’s voice sounded. Obviously, he had also heard what Lin’s mother and Lin Xiaojing had just said.

He wanted to go and see the bicycle bought by the third brother’s family, but… he didn’t dare.

It felt quite stifling.

“Yeah, the third brother is different from his older brothers. He’s decisive.” Lin’s mother didn’t think much more about it.

Lin Guofeng and Lin Guoliang, who were sitting at the door, also heard Lin’s mother’s words. They wanted to ask: Mom, is it polite to say it like this?

…

“Mom…” Erbao came, “Mom, did the soda get exchanged?”

“It’s been exchanged, Grandma did it.” Yibao replied.

Fortunately, no one came to exchange soda after those three women left. A bottle of soda would be finished in a few sips, but exchanging it for five pounds of snails… ordinary people wouldn’t do it.

Otherwise, everyone who came to Ning Shu’s house would find an excuse, which would be exhausting.

With no one else at home, Yibao and Erbao started examining the bicycle. They noticed a bit of mud on it, so they went to find a cloth and carefully wiped it off.

Ning Shu prepared braised snails and grilled Orleans chicken wings. Without an oven, she just waited for the iron pan to heat up and then put the ten Orleans chicken wings in, using it like a hot plate.

After the Orleans chicken wings were done, she also made stir-fried cabbage and egg drop soup.

Today, the two children worked hard picking snails and rice ears all day, although they had a good lunch, dinner was the real feast.

“Yibao, Erbao, it’s time for dinner!” Ning Shu shouted loudly from the kitchen, while bringing down the prepared dishes.

Sanbao quickly crawled out of the mat and reached the door, looking at the pots outside. He shouted, “Pot pot… Food food…”

“Coming, coming.”

The two children washed their hands and ran into the kitchen.

“Wow, Mom, there’s so much food!” Erbao drooled.

Yibao also swallowed saliva. He helped Sanbao up and sat him next to the child seat, waiting for Mom to come and pick him up.

“Dinner’s ready.” Ning Shu poured the bamboo tube porridge into Sanbao’s bowl.

The bamboo tube porridge had cooled down a bit and wasn’t too hot anymore, just right for Sanbao to eat by himself.

“Mom, these chicken wings are so delicious, the best!” Erbao took a bite of the chicken wings, instantly falling in love with the taste. No child dislikes KFC.

“If you like it, eat more.” Ning Shu took a sip of soda, then picked up a chicken wing herself.

“Mom, everything you make is delicious,” Yibao said.

Sanbao looked at Mom, then at the two brothers, and then at his bowl. Although the soft porridge was delicious, he, Lin Sanbao, was not a kid who needed special treatment.

So, he wanted to eat the same thing as Mom and his brothers. Thus, Sanbao pushed his wooden bowl aside and reached out his little hand towards the direction of the brothers’ bowls, saying, “Eat… Eat…”

He wanted to reach for Erbao’s bowl, which contained soda.

Sanbao was used to eating the same things as his brothers. In the past, whenever the brothers ate something, they would feed him too. He thought it would be the same now.

Erbao looked at his little brother. “Mom, Sanbao wants to drink soda.”

Ning Shu didn’t know much about children’s affairs and didn’t know if it was okay for children to drink soda. But she lived with Grandma in the countryside, and at that time, people in the countryside weren’t so particular about raising children, unlike in later generations, where raising children had special rituals.

She remembered that during Chinese New Year or when relatives came to visit, or when her younger uncle and aunt came back, everyone would drink beer. And then, her little cousin, who was about the same age as Sanbao, would also hold her uncle’s hand and ask for this and that to eat, especially when her uncle was drinking beer.

He would dip a clean chopstick into the beer and then tease the little cousin by lightly touching his lips.

Ning Shu naturally didn’t dare let Sanbao drink soda. However, she took a chopstick and dipped it into the soda, then lightly touched Sanbao’s lips. “Since we’re having a feast today, we can’t leave Sanbao out. But Sanbao is still too young to drink soda, so just a little lick.”

Sanbao laughed and stuck out his tongue, licking his lips. There was only a slight sweetness, but because he had already eaten bamboo tube porridge, that tiny bit of sweetness was diluted.

Having tasted it, Sanbao probably didn’t find it delicious, so he stopped thinking about the soda. Instead, he set his sights on the Orleans chicken wings.

“Eat eat eat…” Sanbao reached out his little hand to grab a chicken wing.

Ning Shu didn’t dare let Sanbao eat the chicken wings. Although they were only marinated and then cooked on an oil-free iron plate, they were heavily seasoned, not suitable for such a young child.

Ning Shu picked out the ribs from the bamboo tube porridge, scraped off the tender meat inside, and then fed it to him. “Sanbao, here…”

There wasn’t much meat on the ribs, and it was very finely minced, amounting to just a spoonful, so it was appropriate to supplement Sanbao’s protein intake.

“Ah…” Sanbao opened his mouth and tasted the meat, feeling happy.