“Okay!” Xue Yifu wanted to go after receiving the money.
“I’d like to eat some cornbread too,” Jiang Yue said.
“There’s only a few pieces of cornbread here. You don’t want us three men to be hungry, right? Be good, Jiang Yue, eat the meat bun.” Xue Dafu coaxed her.
Even though there were eight pieces of cornbread, they weren’t big. Jiang Yue knew that Xue Dafu and the others wouldn’t be full even if they had two or three each. People who worked all year round had large appetites, but she knew that Xue Dafu bore with it because he was worried for her. Not like eating one extra cornbread would keep them full anyway.
Every penny of the farmers’ money was hard-earned. Even then, they would be reluctant to spend money on themselves. They would rather starve. They probably would not have spent a single cent if she had not come.
Jiang Yue didn’t like the fact that her family ate poorly, but she ate well. She hoped that everyone would have the same food. However, in this situation, if she insisted on giving them one of her cornbread, they would not be able to eat their fill either way. It would be better if she didn’t eat any meat buns and used the two coins to buy four buns.
The meat buns were one coin each, but the steamed buns were two each. If there were four steamed buns, one steamed bun would be enough for her. She could give the rest to Xue Dafu and the others so that they could fill their stomachs.
Besides, they would have money after selling the blind bear… With that thought in mind, Jiang Yue did not stop Xue Yifu and even followed him.
Xue Dafu and Xue Erfu didn’t think much of it.
Xue Yifu brought Jiang Yue to a roadside shop selling buns and smiled at the owner. “What can I do for ya today.”
Before Xue Yifu could speak, Jiang Yue interjected, “Do you have steamed buns?”
The boss immediately smiled. “Yes, there is. Eh, your baby girl is so cute. How many do you want?”
“Jiang Yue, it’s not…” Xue Yifu was in a hurry to say something.
However, Jiang Yue had already spoken, “Four.”
“Alright,” he said. The boss opened the steamer and took out four steamed buns. Jiang Yue held it in her tiny hands.
“Two coins.” The boss smiled at Xue Yifu.
Jiang Yue’s eyes — which were hopeful — looked at Xue Yifu to pay.
When Jiang Yue and Xue Yifu returned and saw Xue Yifu with his head lowered as if he had done something wrong, Xue Dafu and Xue Erfu didn’t understand what was going on.
However, when they saw Jiang Yue slowly opening the package with her two small hands, revealing the four white and chubby buns inside, and then giving them one each, their hearts almost melted.
Xue Dafu’s eyes reddened, and he felt a little sad, but he still smiled and said, “Jiang Yue, how did you grow up to be this good?”
“You all need to eat.” Jiang Yue didn’t know how to stir up emotions, she only knew to let them eat.
“Okay, okay, okay, we’ll eat too, we’ll eat too.” Even though Xue Dafu and the others said so, they were still eating the hard cornbread.
Jiang Yue looked at them with hurt.
Xue Dafu and the others laughed, “We’ll eat this first before eating this. You should eat quickly too. Is one bun enough for you? Do you want more?”
“This is enough for me,” Jiang Yue said.
However, she knew that Xue Dafu and the others would not eat it in the end. They were just coaxing her to finish her fill first.
She had underestimated the determination of Xue Dafu and the others on this matter.
Jiang Yue took a bite of the bun. It was soft and much more delicious than cornbread, but she still felt a bitter aftertaste.