Chapter 17: Dazhuang’s Birthday

“This is a gift from my sister,” Bai An said.

It had been a long time since Lu Jin’an had called her his sister, and hearing it now made Bai An feel a little embarrassed.

She couldn’t help but glance at Lu Jin’an. His face was still smiling, as though he was genuinely happy.

“Brother, you should sit down and eat,” Bai An said, pulling a small stool from under the table for him.

Lu Jin’an sat next to Bai An and began eating the rice on his plate.

But the way he was only eating rice and not the vegetables made Bai An frown slightly, following his gaze.

“Brother, no matter how beautiful the flowers are, you can’t eat them with rice,” Bai An said as she picked up some shredded potatoes and placed them in Lu Jin’an’s bowl, smiling. “I didn’t know you liked flowers so much.”

Did he like flowers?

Lu Jin’an thought for a moment. He wasn’t particularly fond of flowers; it was just that this bouquet had been a gift from Bai An.

Thinking about it, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Lu Demin and Wanqing both looked at Lu Jin’an, confusion in their eyes.

Bai An also felt that Lu Jin’an was acting unusually today. When he didn’t get a gift, he had looked so down, but on the way back, he had picked a bunch of flowers for her. While he was happy, it still felt a little strange.

Thinking about how Lu Jin’an had acted before, Bai An wondered if he had always liked flowers like this.

Wanqing, seeing Lu Jin’an so happy for once, gently spoke, “Jin’an, since you like flowers so much, why don’t you try planting some with me tomorrow? Coincidentally, Bai An picked up some flower seeds a few days ago.”

Bai An looked up curiously at Lu Jin’an, wondering if he would actually plant flowers with her mother.

If they could start planting flowers now, the yard would be filled with blooms next spring.

The yard would be full of vibrant, colorful flowers, and maybe even butterflies.

Bai An’s mind was filled with pleasant fantasies, and at that moment, Lu Jin’an stopped smiling, while Bai An began grinning foolishly.

Before Lu Jin’an could respond to Wanqing, he noticed Bai An staring at him, her eyes sparkling and a silly grin on her face.

He shook his head and said, “Mom, I think I’ll pass on planting flowers. I still want to build a pigpen and raise pigs. That way, when the New Year comes, I can exchange some for grain coupons.”

Bai An scratched her head at the thought of Lu Jin’an in the pigpen; she couldn’t quite picture it.

Lu Demin nodded, saying, “Relying on scavenged goods isn’t a sustainable way of living. Maybe it’s better to raise pigs.”

Bai An, hearing that they were really going to raise pigs, felt some resistance in her heart. She had heard that pigs could taste the flavor of their own kind in food, but even knowing that, they still ate it.

The thought of eating the same species made Bai An feel deeply uncomfortable.

“Do we really have to raise pigs? Can’t we raise something else?” Bai An raised her hand and suggested, “I think raising cows would be nice.”

Lu Jin’an raised an eyebrow and gestured for Bai An to continue.

Bai An started counting the benefits of raising cows on her fingers. “Cows are clean and gentle. We can raise female cows, so we’ll have milk every day, and the cows can have calves. With the money we’d spend buying one cow, we could get two cows.”

Lu Jin’an stopped Bai An from continuing with a helpless look. “Listen to yourself.”

Bai An realized that her idea was getting more and more absurd.

“Well, if we really have to raise pigs, can I avoid taking care of them?” Bai An said pitifully as she clung to Wanqing’s arm. “I can help with housework and go out to collect things every day. Please don’t make me feed the pigs or anything like that.”

Wanqing smiled and gently tapped Bai An’s nose. “When have we ever made you do chores? Even now, your brother is still the one washing your clothes.”

Lu Demin, also speaking from the side, added, “As for feeding the pigs, your brother can handle that. Bai An is our little lucky star. How could we make our little star feed the pigs?”

Hearing her parents’ assurances, Bai An turned her gaze toward Lu Jin’an.

Lu Jin’an was about to laugh, but then stopped himself. “Do you really think your brother would make you feed the pigs?”

“Probably not,” Bai An replied, sitting up straight and picking up her bowl. “The dishes are almost cold. You should eat.”

“By the way,” Lu Demin adjusted his glasses, “Bai An, do you know that Dazhuang’s birthday is coming up?”

Bai An, looking confused, lifted her head from her bowl and shook it. “He never mentioned it to me.”

“I ran into his dad on the road today, and he asked me if you wanted to come over and celebrate his birthday.”

“When is his birthday?”

Lu Demin thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, “The day after tomorrow.”

“That soon?”

The next morning, Bai An heard the rooster crowing outside and hurriedly got dressed. She quickly washed her face and headed out.

Lu Demin, who was brushing his teeth, saw Bai An rushing out and quickly spat out the water in his mouth.

“Where are you going, Bai An?”

“I’m going to find Dazhuang and the others.”

It was still barely light, and Wanqing was in the kitchen cooking by the dim light. Hearing Lu Demin mention that Bai An was heading out, she quickly called out, “Dazhuang might still be asleep. Bai An, do you want to eat something before you leave?”

“No, I’ll just eat at Dazhuang’s house later.”

Lu Jin’an, seeing Bai An’s hurried manner, knew that she was going to prepare a gift for Dazhuang.

And he was right—Bai An was indeed preparing a gift for Dazhuang.

Bai An arrived at the secret base she had discovered with Dazhuang and Cuiju. She laid out the snacks she had brought from her space on the ground.

Luckily, she had passed by that snack shop earlier. Although the snacks there had seemed outdated at the time, now they were just perfect.

There were Tiger Paw candies, fruit cakes, crispy sesame twists, assorted candies, White Rabbit milk candies, salted golden plums, and Cheetos-like snacks. At this point in time, even white sugar could be considered a type of snack.

Bai An also checked her space and found some red bean popsicles. However, those would melt easily, so she decided to wait and take them out later when Dazhuang and the others arrived.

These small snacks were things Bai An had seen in the city, so bringing them out wouldn’t seem strange, and they weren’t too expensive. For example, the Tiger Paw candies were 4 cents each, and the fruit cakes were also 4 cents each.

When she calculated it, even though the total wasn’t much, Bai An didn’t quite understand the village’s economic situation. A few cents might be able to buy a lot in the village, so she figured these snacks were harmless. She often kept some of these around the house herself, so she was used to them.

“Well, I’ll just ask Dazhuang and the others not to tell anyone.”

A cloth was spread out on the grass, and Bai An carefully arranged the snacks. Dazhuang and the others gathered here every day, so now, all she had to do was wait for them to come.