In the blink of an eye, it was the 24th, Little New Year, and the heavy snowfall made the festive atmosphere even stronger.
It’s the same for the Xu Family.
In Xu Zhong’s household, things weren’t so good; for Little New Year, there was only an extra bowl of meat.
"Mom, it’s Little New Year today, how come there’s not even chicken to eat!" Xu Jiaojiao looked at the dishes on the table, mostly vegetables, just a bowl of meat, and mostly fatty meat. She was instantly displeased.
"Eat eat eat, all you know is to eat, don’t you know the family has no money?"
Zhao Juxiang looked at her daughter with her bulging belly, then glanced at Cai Jin who was eating with a bowl, and became even more displeased. In other families, daughters brought things home.
But her daughter?
Brought a freeloader home, and though he made 25 yuan a month, it wasn’t even enough to cover his three bowls of rice a meal.
"Why is there no money? Cai Jin gives twenty yuan to the family every month." Xu Jiaojiao pursed her lips, looked at Grandma, and said, "Grandma."
Before Xu Jiaojiao could start, Liu Sanmei glanced at her and said, "Little New Year is a holiday for children. Isn’t there meat today?"
Xu Jiaojiao: "..."
She wanted to say something, but Liu Sanmei said, "If you think the family’s food isn’t good, you can live on your own."
"Grandma, where would we live on our own?" Xu Jiaojiao indeed was considering living separately so that Cai Jin’s money would be in her hands.
"Pa."
Before Liu Sanmei could speak, Zhao Juxiang had already put down her chopsticks and said to Xu Jiaojiao, "Jiaojiao, if you live on your own, don’t expect me to take care of your kids."
"Mom." Xu Jiaojiao pouted and didn’t dare speak anymore.
"Zhiyuan, eat more meat." Liu Sanmei picked a large piece of fatty meat for Xu Zhiyuan and said, "You’re our family’s college student. In the future, you’ll be a people’s teacher, so eat more."
Liu Sanmei now put all her hopes on Xu Zhiyuan, as her once-favorite grandson has disappeared, leaving behind a stream of criticisms.
But Xu Zhiyuan was different; he’s a college student. Once he graduates, he’ll be assigned a job as a teacher.
Teaching wages aren’t high, but it’s a respectable and stable profession.
Just look at Xu Qingjiang; as a teacher, his monthly salary is very stable.
The snow was falling heavily. When Xu Nianhua got up the next day, she saw the village covered in white, looking extremely beautiful.
Xu Nianhua, like a child, ran into the courtyard and built a snowman with Xu Nian’an, so much so that Zhuangzhuang wanted to hug the snowman.
"Zhuangzhuang, you can’t hug it; it’ll break if you do!" Xu Nianhua pulled Zhuangzhuang, trying hard to explain that he couldn’t hug the snowman. Zhuangzhuang just ran circles around the snowman, his happy laughter echoing through the yard.
The snow continued for three days straight.
Xu Nianhua lost the initial joy and started worrying.
When he left, Pei Yicheng said he would return to the county around the 27th or 28th, but tomorrow would be the 27th. The snow was so heavy that even bicycles weren’t safe to ride. Could Pei Yicheng still make it back?
The snow was thick on the roads, and the factory had already given out meat, chili sauce, and thirty yuan before Little New Year, making everyone happy for the New Year.
The New Year preparations were stored up, and Ji Ying wouldn’t let Xu Nianhua go to the county, so Xu Nianhua was anxious, unable to go to the county to make a phone call or get in touch.
Standing by the window, looking at the thick snow, Xu Nianhua couldn’t help but sigh, wishing for a mobile phone.