Ruanlin Family was looking for a small hoe in the clutter behind the house.
After finding it, she instructed Xiu Xi, "Xiaoxi, when you go to the front mountain later, be careful and make sure to co back before dark, okay?"
Even though Xiu Xi’s skills were beyond question, Ruanlin Family always reminded him every ti.
Xiu Xi nodded, catching a glimpse of so sweet potatoes in a corner of the main room. They varied in size, so very large and so very small, and most of them were broken except for one that was just the right size and completely intact.
He thought of how much Ruan Jiaojiao loved eating them, and figured it would be perfectly roasted by the ti they returned ho in the evening.
He walked over, picked up the good sweet potato, went to the brazier, used tongs to dig a small hole in the charcoal, and placed the sweet potato inside. After burying it, he covered it with charcoal again.
As he finished all this and stood up, he noticed Old Man Shu watching his actions, his eyes filled with an indescribable emotion.
"..." He paused for a mont, unable to hold back, and explained, "This is for Jiaojiao to eat."
"!!!" Old Man Shu imdiately dismissed the nostalgia from his eyes, looking up to glare at this audacious boy. What did he an? Did he think Old Man Shu would steal a bite in his absence?
He just rembered the tough tis outside long ago when he roasted sweet potatoes like this, which made him nostalgic.
Seeing Old Man Shu not speaking, Xiu Xi also fell silent for a few seconds, finally turning to gather the irregular and broken sweet potatoes, and said, "If you want to eat, eat these, roast them yourself." Saying this, he didn’t care about Old Man Shu’s reaction and turned to head to the back yard, going towards the front mountain.
Old Man Shu was so mad he nearly threw his cat at him!
Shortly after Xiu Xi left, a rustling sound ca from outside. Old Man Shu was wandering in the main room; Ruan Jianguo and Ruanlin Family had gone to the back mountain to dig winter bamboo shoots. Hearing the sound, he thought it was atball returning, so he went to open the ajar door.
But as he opened the door, he was faced with a man so thin his back was hunched. It was already winter, and although the sun had co out a bit today, it wasn’t warm. During the day, it barely reached four or five degrees, and at night, it was near freezing.
In such cold weather, Old Man Shu saw the man standing in front of him wearing a pair of worn-out rubber shoes with holes, no socks, autumn trousers layered with coarse woolen pants that hadn’t been washed in ages, covered in a layer of black scabs, making one feel nauseated just looking at them. The man’s cotton jacket, worn for over a decade, was tattered and shabby, and he tied a very thick belt around his waist, presumably to keep the wind out.
"Who are you?" Old Man Shu gave him a once-over before frowning and asking.
It was already the nineties, long past the toughest years, yet Old Man Shu couldn’t comprehend how a grown man could live in such a state; with even a bit of effort, he could at least earn a modest living.
Xiu Jianlin had co because Liu i had just heard atball’s howl and guessed that soone from the Ruan Family had returned, which prompted her to send Xiu Jianlin over to borrow money from the Ruan Family.
Over the years, Xiu Jianlin had already borrowed a lot of money from the Ruan Family. Borrowing here and there, he had lost track of the amount, and he never once repaid any of it.
Initially, Liu i was still fearful, afraid people would demand repaynt, but after seeing no such requests over the years, she shalessly continued to urge Xiu Jianlin to borrow more.
User Comments
0 comments from readers