Seeing Xiao Bao's timid appearance, with two prominent patches of highland blush on his little face and somewhat yellowish hair, brought warmth to the scene.
Not hitting him, but opting for a different type of meat?
By mid-afternoon, Yun Xiaoxiao had bought a chicken and stewed it, making chestnut chicken stew.
She also steamed a large bowl of rice.
She really did her best.
The two little ones didn't go out to play, but instead sat on the small stools by the kitchen door, glancing into the kitchen and then out at the surroundings.
"Brother, it smells so good."
They were dressed in new clothes and new shoes, and soon they would get to eat chicken.
The day felt utterly unreal.
Yet, as each brother gnawed on a big chicken leg, it felt genuine; the chicken was delicious.
Even now, after the reintroduction of the college entrance exams, eating meat was a luxury saved for holidays, when the family would be willing to butcher a chicken.
But now, without any celebration, they were eating meat, something completely beyond their expectations.
"Tomorrow, we'll go into the mountains to pick wild fruits." It was entirely Yun Xiaoxiao's wish to know what kinds of local wild fruits there were, fearing that one day, fruit bought unseen from her smartphone could raise suspicions if they weren't available locally.
Being a farm wife capable of feeding her family was truly not easy.
There was still much to learn.
"There are wild boars in the mountains, very fierce ones. Dad usually doesn't let us go into the mountains." Maybe it was because they had eaten their fill today and were dressed warmly, but Da Bao felt a bit braver.
It was still the late '70s, not yet the '80s.
"Mom, I'll help you wash the dishes."
You, a little kid, helping her wash dishes?
"That would be great." Spending more time with the children would let them know that she really wasn't going to hit them for no reason anymore.
Xiao Bao also wanted to help, but Yun Xiaoxiao and Da Bao refused him together.
Just a few years old, this child was able to wash dishes, and did a pretty clean job at that.
Yun Xiaoxiao had bought a free-range chicken weighing about three pounds from Pinduoduo, with some chestnuts added, and half was left, but as for the rice, only a small bowl remained, which she put away in the cupboard.
Yun Xiaoxiao returned to her room, lay on the hard plank bed, and browsed Pinduoduo on her smartphone. There were many apps on the phone, but none of them could be opened, except for Pinduoduo.
She planned to buy some pork, but the order didn't go through, leaving her utterly confused.
Trying to order again, but still, the purchase failed.
Could only one type of meat be bought per day?
Or could the same product be bought only once a day?
She reflected on her purchases for the day, and indeed, she hadn't bought duplicates of anything.
She had bought clothes for Da Bao and Xiao Bao, selecting a buy-one-get-one-free offer; the clothes fit Da Bao perfectly, but were a bit big for Xiao Bao.
But she had bought two pairs of the same shoes, hadn't she?
Yun Xiaoxiao still hadn't figured out this shopping thing. She hurriedly bought a solar charger because if her phone ran out of battery, she wouldn't be able to buy anything.
She managed to successfully purchase two sets of clothes for herself.
This made her wonder: Could there be a time constraint for buying identical items?
She bought two sets of underwear in a vest style.
Then she washed all the clothes at once, not wanting to wear the previous female supporting character's undergarments.
Toothbrushes and underwear are personal items.
She also took the opportunity to wash the children's clothes.
Yun Xiaoxiao went to check on the kids, peering through the window to see that they had already fallen asleep.
The next day, she was woken up early by the crowing of a rooster.