Busy for three days straight, getting up before dawn and coming home only after dark, even though Xu Nianhua kept cooking different dishes for them, it didn't change the fact that they were all vegetables.
The bright, clear moonlight lit up the night like daytime, stars twinkled, and fireflies could be seen flying around here and there.
The cicadas kept buzzing, frogs in the fields were singing, and the three siblings sat in the courtyard enjoying the cool evening.
"Big brother, when are you going back to the brick factory?" Xu Nianhua looked at Xu Nianji beside her. He was four years older than her, and now at twenty-three, he got married rather late.
Xu Zhihao, one year younger than Xu Nianji, got married at the end of last year, and soon he'll be a dad.
All because their biased step-grandma said Xu Zhihao married a girl from the city, and that meant the whole family would benefit.
Heh.
Maybe others didn't know, but she did.
This quick and clean split in the family was just because Xu Zhihao was about to be a father. His father-in-law works at the supply and marketing cooperative as an accountant, and since he's getting older, he'll retire soon, so he wants to give Xu Zhihao the job.
The news isn't even confirmed yet, and Liu Sanmei already started scheming about splitting the family. She remembered in her past life, Liu Sanmei couldn't persuade Grandpa Xu Zhong to go along with it, kept dragging it out, and in the end, Xu Zhihao lost the job, and the matter of splitting the family fell through as well.
And Liu Sanmei's favorite grandson, Xu Zhiyuan, didn't get into college either.
Looks like Liu Sanmei's plans might end up empty-handed.
Xu Nianhua quietly pondered, thinking about what the eldest brother could do that would earn money yet still be safe.
"Yeah."
Xu Nianji's features looked exactly like Xu Qinghe's, as if stamped from the same mold—thick black eyebrows, sharply defined features, just as reliable as Xu Qinghe.
"When I come back next time, my wages will be paid. What do you want?" Xu Nianji looked at her with pure affection in his eyes.
There was only one girl in the Xu Family, so both Xu Nianji and Xu Nian'an treated her very well.
"I don't lack anything." As soon as Xu Nianhua finished, Xu Nian'an leaned over and asked, "Brother, is the brick factory still hiring?"
"Just stay at home and prepare to study another year. Get into college and make our Xu Family proud."
Xu Nianji glared at him, "Both of you should focus on your studies. I'm counting on you two going to university, so we can finally celebrate."
"Brother, let little sister go to school, I…"
Before Xu Nian'an could finish, Xu Nianhua said, "Second Brother, there's still some time before school starts. Why don't we try to earn our own tuition?"
"How will we earn it?" Xu Nian'an looked at Xu Nianhua, totally confused. Earning their own tuition really wasn't an easy thing.
"We'll figure something out!"
Xu Nianhua hadn't come up with any plan yet, but she believed they'd find a way.
Xu Nianji seemed to want to say something, but seeing the two of them chatting so excitedly, he didn't want to dampen their spirits.
"Brother, what about the Zhou Family's older sister?" Xu Nianhua suddenly changed the topic.
Xu Nianji froze for a second.
"Don't worry about her. She said she'd wait for me." Xu Nianji lightly tapped Xu Nianhua's forehead, then his smile faded and he said seriously, "You'd better worry about yourself. Just going to the mountain to play, and you managed to fall into the lake. If it weren't for Nian'an going to look for you, do you realize how dangerous that was?"
Xu Nianhua stuck out her tongue playfully, "It was just an accident, really not my fault."