The next morning, Shen Meng packed two baskets of things. Today, she was taking her children back to her parents’ home. It had been half a month, and both Wang Guizhi and Shen Fugui had not visited again, which was very unusual. According to the previous pattern, they should have visited twice during this period.
One more day, and the children would start school. After that, she would have to wait for their vacation time if she wanted to visit.
"Mom, is third aunt coming over to make clothes today?" Mingyang held a patched piece of clothing in his hands, fumbling and not knowing what to do with it.
"Your third aunt is still not well, she won’t come over today. We’ve almost finished making the autumn clothes. Once Xiao Kai’s shoes are done, there won’t be much left to do. We have new clothes that are enough for you to wear, and mom can knit sweaters as well." Shen Meng covered the baskets with old cloth, tied them with rope, and then turned around.
"Mingyang, what are you doing with these old clothes?"
"Mom, my brothers and sisters now all have new clothes. Can these old clothes be given to uncle’s son to wear? I can’t fit into this one anymore, and Ming Liang also refuses to wear it."
Ming Liang, that eye-catching kid, now wears his new clothes every day, not even glancing at the old ones. Ming Fang and Ming Kai were also reluctant to wear old clothes. Although he felt this behavior was not good and wasteful, but... but compared to new clothes, he himself also preferred to wear new ones.
"Sure, just pick out a couple of good-looking pieces, the rest is not necessary. When it’s time to work, we still wear old clothes, it’s more convenient."
Mingyang’s eyes lit up. He quickly agreed and turned back into the house to pack.
Uncle’s son was no different from how he used to be, having no new shoes or clothes, and living a hard life. He rummaged through his belongings and found three unwrapped candies, planning to give them to his brother when they met.
"Mingyang, Ming Liang, go to the brigade headquarters to find Zhang Zhishu and borrow a bicycle. Mom will give you the money!"
The production team had two bicycles. If a member urgently needed to use one, they could borrow it for 20 cents. However, if there was any damage, they would have to pay for it. Most people preferred to walk rather than borrow, fearing accidental damage and having to pay for it.
The two children quickly took the money and ran off.
Lu Mingkai sat on a small stool at the entrance of the main room, holding a shortbread and eating it leisurely. Shen Meng glanced inside the house and saw Lu Mingfang doing her hair.
"Ming Fang, hurry up. Once Mingyang and the others return, we’ll leave early. Mom still needs to go out at noon. Later, you’ll stay at grandma’s house for a while until Mom comes to pick you up."
Lu Mingfang quickly tied a crooked ponytail, grabbed a plaid jacket, and put it on.
"Mom, where are you going?"
Shen Meng blinked, looking into her daughter’s bright eyes and said, "Mom is telling you, but you mustn’t tell anyone else. The doctor from yesterday, their family has some work. If I help, they will pay me. Later at noon... Your dad is in the army, and sometimes he even has to share his allowance with his comrades’ families. Our family can’t always depend on him. Luckily, this doctor knows many people. I’ll ask her to help find some work for me."
Lu Mingfang didn’t expect her mom was doing this to earn money, thinking that it must be because she and her two brothers were attending school now, putting too much pressure on the family. Just last night, her mom had said that grandma was dividing less money now, and there must still be some left. She asked her mom why she wouldn’t let the village chief investigate, and her mom said that since the family eats from the same pot and it’s hard to keep clear accounts. Being too concerned about it would not be good for their children’s reputation. Her mom was working too hard.
"Mom, don’t worry, I definitely won’t say anything. You can trust me."
"Sis, Mom, Xiao Kai heard it!"
Shen Meng: "....."
Lu Mingfang: "...."
Crap, I forgot about this little guy, really, once seated, such a tiny lump, you can’t see him if you don’t look down!!!
"Xiao Kai be good, you didn’t hear, don’t make it difficult for mom."
Lu Mingkai stuffed the last bit of shortbread into his mouth, nodding heavily, crumbs of shortbread spilled all over his collar and chest.
At this time, bicycles were still quite big, of good quality, and could carry a lot of things. Two baskets were loaded, one on each side, Lu Mingyang held Lu Mingliang at the back, and a small stool was tied to the front bar, with Lu Mingfang squeezing at the front holding Lu Mingkai.
After locking the door, Shen Meng leaned the bicycle against a wall, swung her leg over the bar, sat on the seat, took a deep breath, and pedaled away, wobbling.
At first, the bicycle swayed vigorously, swinging too wide, and a few times the children were on tenterhooks, looking for haystacks or sand ditches by the roadside to fall into so it wouldn’t hurt too much.
Shen Meng borrowed the production team’s bicycle and left with two baskets of goods. This quickly reached the ears of Liu Sanjin, who was sitting on the kang, pounding it fiercely with her fists.
"Villain, the villain, just separated from the family and she’s already taking our Lu Family’s grain subsidy to her parents’ home, heartless, she’s not afraid of retribution, wait until the eldest comes back, I’ll make sure he deals with you, villain, wuu wuu wuu..."
Xie Jinghao happened to come out to relieve herself, heard her mother-in-law’s crying, and hurriedly walked faster towards the latrine, afraid of hearing something she didn’t want to hear.
Shenji was not far from Lu Family Village, and Shen Meng’s parental home was located at the east end of the village, right by the main road, convenient for coming and going. Her family lived in a muddy thatched cottage, which stood out among a row of renovated houses, with its very conspicuous dark black roof, Shen Meng glanced at it as she approached the door.
After a bumpy ride, finally arriving at the doorstep, her eyes scanned around and eventually spotted a relatively large stone by the door, which she used as a step.
"Mingyang get off first, can you do it, son? Don’t hurt yourself, okay!"
Lu Mingyang: "...I can manage, mom."
After he jumped down, he staggered due to numb legs, then quickly helped Ming Liang get off too, both small fellas’ legs were numb beyond belief, tensely traveling the whole way, finally arriving safely at grandma’s house.
Shen Meng likewise breathed a sigh of relief, she didn’t have an easy time either, nearly falling into a ditch several times.
"We’ll have to see if there are enough industrial tickets at home later, we should also get ourselves a bicycle, a smaller one, and then when we buy it, you all can learn too, it’s convenient for travel."
"Okay." Lu Mingyang readily agreed, his mom probably forgot that all their industrial tickets had been swindled by their aunt in the county, his mom was returning home, looking happy, so he decided not to mention the disheartening matter.
It was just the start of the work day, she pushed the bicycle home and didn’t encounter many people, looking at the somewhat dilapidated wooden door, she sighed, raised her hand to knock, but then heard some faint coughing inside the courtyard.