At four in the afternoon, Gu Xiaoqing and Gu Xiaojie followed Li Xuemei on their way back.
Li Xuemei carried two bags on her back.
One of them contained a bag of pears and green dates that were picked from the mountain in the afternoon.
The other bag was filled with white flour, weighing a full twenty jin.
This was packed personally by the two aunts, sincerely given, mainly because Liu Fen and Han Xue also felt guilty, knowing that the young aunt's family was not well-off. Plus, the family's elders were indifferent and biased.
This family never had white flour all year round. They couldn't even fill their stomachs with cornmeal and sorghum flour, let alone white flour.
This time, it's said that the money really shouldn't have been taken, but the niece was so eloquent, and her reasoning was very proper. Both aunts knew this was a sensible kid, stronger than her parents.
So when packing the flour, it was done with sincerity.
That's how so much was packed.
This is probably the first time they showed such a generous attitude toward the young aunt.
Li Xuemei, holding the two young ones, walked back with warmth in her heart.
In her inner pocket, there was 29 yuan, almost thirty yuan.
Even if their family didn't really have so much money in their hands all year round, every fall, when the harvest came, and the grain was sold, the grandparents and the second uncle would show up, more punctually than a landlord collecting rent.
They were afraid they would spend the money.
They didn't even look at what these three little ones were wearing, what they were eating, just dead set on getting money.
This time, the money in their hands was truly earned by their own daughter; let's see who has the face to ask for it.
Li Xuemei gritted her teeth.
Resolutely determined.
The feeling today at her home made Li Xuemei feel very comfortable.
This was something she hadn't felt in ten years.
Indeed, where did this come from?
It was Xiaoqing who first broke through; this child is smart, sensible, and capable. The things she said pleased the uncles and aunts more than anything she could say herself.
Moreover, the child knows right from wrong.
She knows who is good to them.
What she did today made her as a mother truly admire her.
A twelve-year-old girl said things that were so comfortable, making people marvel at her maturity.
Li Xuemei thought of Gu Xiaoqing's last words and became even more determined to hold on to the money, at least not to let her daughter look down on her. Her daughter is backing her up and bringing pride to the family; what reason does she have not to stand tall?
Gu Xiaoqing took a bag from Li Xuemei's shoulder, of course, the one with pears and green dates. Although it looked a lot, the pears took up space, and the actual weight was not as heavy as the flour.
Seeing her mom bent under the weight of the bag, Gu Xiaoqing, though just twelve, couldn't stand by and insisted on helping.
Li Xuemei touched Gu Xiaoqing's hair; due to poor nutrition at home, the children's hair was dry and sparse.
She thought to herself, it's all because of Gu Ruhai and her own misfortune.
Such good children born into this family, what sins had they committed in their past life?
To end up with such unreliable parents?
Gu Xiaoqing was unaware of Li Xuemei's thoughts and walked quickly with Gu Xiaojie, her little shoulders not slowing her down even while carrying a bag.
As they reached the village entrance, they saw Gu Xiaoying and Gu Ruhai, the father and daughter returning with hoes.
Gu Xiaoqing's heart filled with anger immediately.
The work in the fields was clearly finished in the morning. It's already late afternoon, and only now were the older sister and dad coming back; it surely wasn't because Gu Ruhai was being lazy.
If Gu Ruhai were lazy, Gu Xiaoqing wouldn't be so worried.
At least he knew how to be flexible.
The problem was this dad absolutely didn't have that trait.
There was only one possibility, that the grandparents had once again put them to work.
Could anyone catch a breath here?
During the fall harvest when everyone was exhausted, when finally catching a break, everyone would want to take a breath.
But the grandparents were using Gu Ruhai like a beast of burden.
Even beasts need water and feed, right?
Presumably, the grandparents hadn't even given a meal to Gu Ruhai and Gu Xiaoying that day; the father and daughter still had to cook their own meals before continuing to work.
Gu Xiaoqing's face immediately darkened.
Feeling even more convinced that her decision today was the right one.
Seeing Gu Xiaoqing carrying a bag, Gu Xiaoying reached out to take it and asked with a smile, "What goodies did grandma and grandpa give you? Look at how flat Xiaoqing is; no wonder she can't grow taller."
Casually slung it over her shoulder.
Gu Xiaoqing knew her sister was worried she'd tire herself, dragging Gu Xiaojie along, she chatted with Gu Xiaoying, "Grandma gave us pears and green dates, and mom also has a bag of white flour. Sis, one of these days, let's have a dumpling feast. Dumplings made with white flour."
The main issue was that Gu Xiaoqing's family couldn't even afford white flour dumplings during New Year; all the white flour was given to their third uncle, Gu Ruhe. There was no white flour left for dumplings at their place.
It was always those dark dumplings, black dumplings made with cornmeal, and such dumplings had to be steamed; boiling them would make them fall apart.
So not only Gu Xiaoqing craved them, but Gu Xiaoying and Gu Xiaojie too.
Every year, the grandparents' dumplings were first given to Gu Xiaocheng, Gu Xiaofeng, and Gu Xiaomin, leaving no chance for the three of them.
The grandmother would always say they were greedy, haven't they had dumplings before.
So Gu Xiaoqing's proposal truly excited Gu Xiaoying and Gu Xiaojie.
Gu Ruhai frowned upon hearing this but didn't speak up. In fact, he thought it was a waste to use the white flour so frivolously; it would be better to give some to his parents, as older people often have bad appetites, and these things could at least make them comfortable.
But he didn't dare to say it.
Mainly because he didn't want to dampen the children's enthusiasm.
However, he thought to himself that he would privately discuss with the children's mom about keeping the white flour; once the children were appeased, they wouldn't fuss anymore.
But Li Xuemei didn't think that way; hearing about the white flour dumplings, her heart ached.
After twenty years married into the Gu Family, she hadn't even tasted white flour dumplings.
Initially, the times were tough, and everyone was eating communal meals; there was nothing good to have.
After the families divided up, they couldn't fill their bellies, let alone have white flour dumplings.
Even in recent years as things got slightly better, all the white flour was given to the third brother Gu Ruhe. Their family didn't have any money left each year. To convert to cash, the pigs were killed and sold, and even then it wasn't enough for the second brother to bring the grandmother to extort them annually.
The kids never even saw a speck of meat all year.
Forget about a meal of white flour dumplings.
Alright, tomorrow let's get a pound of meat and make a good dumpling feast for the kids to satisfy their cravings.