Chapter 88: Chapter 89: Hiding Good Things
He opened something wrapped in oilcloth, and as he peeled back the outer layer, a shudder ran through his fingers.
“Bro, isn’t this our winter clothes?”
Tang Zhijun hurriedly pulled out one piece. It was newly bought during the New Year, too precious to wear on ordinary days. He had planned to leave it for next year. But then this sudden flood came, he thought the clothes had been washed away. Surprisingly, they had all ended up in a tree.
He pulled out several more pieces from the bundle, indeed, they were all winter clothes, some belong to him, and some to Tang Zhinian.
A small hand reached forward and grabbed a red cotton jacket.
“It’s Xinxin’s.”
Tang Yuxin hugged her cotton jacket tightly, “Xinxin’s, Daddy’s, Uncle’s, we hid them all.”
Tang Zhinian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He scooped his daughter into his arms. This clever child had the foresight to hide their belongings.
“Let me see what else is inside?”
Tang Zhijun grabbed another package and opened it. There were some books, presumably belonging to Chen Zhong. There were also clothes – mostly Tang Yuxin’s, plus a few pieces for them two. They couldn’t be blamed for hiding fewer clothes, their wardrobe was fairly limited.
“Our Xinxin has learned to hide things well. Even the flood couldn’t wash them away.”
Tang Zhinian lightly touched his daughter’s cheek. Now with these clothes, their household’s burden was considerably eased. There’s no need to buy clothes now, saving them quite a bit of money. They only had two hundred dollars, which had to cover repairs for the house, buying bedding, cookware, and clothes. Under normal circumstances, clothes for four seasons can cost quite a sum. But now, they had what they need. Though not much, it would be sufficient to last a year. By next year, they could earn some more money and then gradually add more clothes.
“Oh right, and there’s this, I remember it,” Tang Zhinian took another package. It was the best preserved because it contained a doll – his niece’s favorite.
He unwrapped the outer layer of oilcloth and found a perfectly dry doll. After stitching the doll up, he would give it to Tang Yuxin. In his heart, it seemed that from the very start, all Tang Yuxin wanted was this doll.
All the paper stuffing was pulled out, but something about the doll Tang Zhijun was holding felt strange.
The doll was a gift from him to his niece. Although water-absorbent, the cotton inside the doll couldn’t possibly make it this heavy?
He felt the doll’s stomach; there seemed to be something inside other than cotton. It was too hard; could it be a book?
Curiosity piqued, he lifted the doll up and found the stomach was split open.
He felt the inside again; it wasn’t cotton, it was something hard.
“Let’s see what this is? What good thing did our Xinxin hide this time?” He pinched his niece’s cheek lightly, “Tell me, what did you hide inside this time?” Tang Yuxin just giggled and sat obediently next to her dad.