“Mom, Mom, Mom.”
Yan Dabao quickly grabbed his mother, who turned around and left. He looked at some of the neighbors sticking out their heads to watch the bustling scene and asked the old lady to let them in.
“When pigs fly. Didn’t you take everyone away? There was no sound for two months. I thought you didn’t remember that you still have a real mother alive.”
For these two sons, Jin Zhanhua was thoroughly disappointed.
Was she not good enough for them? Did she lack food and drink or abuse them? Although she separated the family, she chose to live with her youngest son. But the kinship was constantly continuous.
A few days ago, they came quietly to take the children away. She was angry, but it was reasonable to consider her youngest son’s words. The children could not stay away from their parents all the time. She thought that her grandchildren had left, but later, they brought them to her every three or five times to have a look, and gradually, her anger disappeared.
It was better now. It was almost two months after leaving, and the family members were the same as dead, or if they did not come when she, this mother, died, she would not even pay the child support.
She had heard a lot of gossip from those women who look down on people these days. They said that it was essentially about a bad mother if her son was not filial. They said that they felt sorry for these two ingrates.
“Mom, what are you saying?”
Yan Dabao’s smile was a little stiff. He initially thought that taking the children home was about adding a bed. But now, when he took them back, he realized that it was not so simple.
The oldest of the four sons, Dadan21DadanBig Egg, had started school, but the seven-year-old Erdan20ErdanSecond Egg and five-year-old Sandan19SandanThird Egg and Sidan18SidanFourth Egg were far from school age, especially the two younger ones. They could not stop weeping for half a moment. When they got up, the ceiling could make the two brothers cry.
There was also food for four children. The husband and wife were busy with resignation and starting entrepreneurship, but the four children also had to eat, drink and empty their bowels. Money was one thing and time was another. They never thought it would be so annoying to raise four sons.
This was Yan Dabao, and so was Yan Erbao.
In the past, the old lady would not let her grandchildren starve. They, the grandchildren, would eat whatever she ate. There was the savory whole-wheat steamed buns, white rice, and stewed fish at home. If Yan Chu ate fish belly, they always had the head and tail to eat. And when they killed chicken at home, Yan Chu ate chicken legs, and they also had chicken wings and breasts. As long as they were not comparing themselves with Yan Chu, they ate no worse than other people’s children.
And with the addition of dry goods such as seafood and bacon that Granduncle brought across the mountain, as well as a variety of fine flour, grains, and oils, every child went out with a white and fat body, and their spirit was different.
But after the children went back with their parents, Liu Hui felt that these three daughters were losing money and were going to marry sooner or later, so she would be willing to buy those things to eat.
In the family planning in the previous life, both husband and wife were formal workers in the factory. If she had to lose their re-employment, Liu Hui merely did not like her daughters and could live tolerably well with them on the surface.
Now, the couple and the eldest brother’s family have agreed to go into business, and work was no longer needed. Liu Hui could not take advantage of her youth to have another son. As for the fine, she was going to get rich, and would she lack that money?
She dreamed of having a son. This time she had the opportunity, but she was indifferent to her three daughters. Just because she had not given birth to a son yet, doesn’t mean she could not have one. She did not beat and scold them except for cutting some of the food.
Yan Sanni15SanniThird Girl was the youngest and the most tender-tempered. She was used to eating soft whole wheat steamed buns. Now she had to eat steamed buns mixed with rice flour. She was unaccustomed to eating them.
Moreover, it was unknown what Liu Hui and Yan Erbao were busy with every day. The prepared meal was a steamer basket of steamed bread and a pile of pickled vegetables for them. In addition, not to mention meat, they did not even have an egg. The little girl had been crying at home for several days and clamoring for her grandmother every day.
Adults on both sides felt vexed by their children, but they did not think about how old the children were when they took them back in their previous life. Could children in their teens and twenties be ignorant?
But the old lady always only asked them for little living expenses and did not complain about how tired it was to take care of the children. They thought that the children would quickly grow and did not have to worry at all.
Now Yan Dabao and Yan Erbao have discussed their resignation. Once they came out of the machinery factory, the family houses of the two families would get taken back. The housing reform had not started yet, but these houses were still unit houses.
In their previous life, they pooled money to buy this modest house after the housing reform. The market price of small property rights houses was not high. In addition to the size and location, the increase was far less than the quadrangles, but it was definitely not a few amounts.
The two families did not want to give up the house in the factory, but they did not give up the great opportunity brought by rebirth. They calculated the money on hand. The two families decided to open a spicy hot pot shop together and thought about making the most money in the future.
They were already optimistic about the house. There were stores below and kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms above. Just because the rent budget was limited, the size of the rented house was not spacious. They could live with their two couples, but it was absolutely impossible to squeeze seven more children.
As soon as the two brothers discussed, they sent the children again.
“The children all miss their grandma, and after taking the children back, we found out that it was not so simple to take care of the children. We, husband and wife, go to work on weekdays and can’t watch the children at all. They can only be locked in the house. For a long time, we are also worried about children having accidents.”
Yan Dabao flattered the old lady and did not dare to say anything about his resignation. He was afraid that the old lady would listen to them to do business and would come and get involved. He did not want Yan Chu, that bastard, to take it away.
“Pooh!”
The old lady sprayed saliva on her son. “When you took the children away, didn’t you think I badly treated them? Now you think I have raised them well? There’s no door to send them back.”
“Grandma, Sanni’er is going home to live with you.”
The youngest Sanni hugged the old lady’s thigh. It turned out that not every child’s mother was as good to the child as Grandma. She was not greedy for Little Uncle’s drumsticks. Just giving her some shredded meat and soup was enough.
“Mom, we don’t think that you are not raising them well. It’s just because we think it’s not good to live apart from their parents since the children are older. We haven’t come to see you these days because there are so many things in the factory. We want to save some money to buy a spacious house, and then we will pick you up and live with the children and be filial to you.”
Yan Erbao was eloquent, but Jin Zhanhua did not believe in his evil.
“No need to say it nicely. I think Jinbao23JinbaoYan Chu's nickname, refers to valuables in general; precious; darling; sweetie is the only one who can honor me when I’m old. If you don’t annoy me, I’ll be a merciful Buddha.”
Yan Dabao and others lowered their heads and looked like they were being taught, but they sneered in their hearts.
The old lady did not know yet. Her filial son would anger her to death in the future.
“Little brother is naturally filial, Mom, about these children…”
Now they asked the old lady, and they did not face her either. They followed her words to praise Yan Chu.
“It’s okay if you want to send them here, but the living expenses of each child will rise. It’s 10 Yuan a month. Do you like it or not?”
Jin Zhanhua looked at the seven children coming home and lost weight in less than two months. Especially the three granddaughters, they had sharp jawlines. It was visible that the two daughters-in-law and children could not take care of others.
There was nothing wrong with her being soft-hearted, but after this incident, Jin Zhanhua also wanted to understand that she used to be a charitable person for too long. Two pairs of sons and daughters-in-law thought she had become a clay Bodhisattva for them to take care of.
It was alright to send the children back this time, but the cost of living had to rise. Both parents had hands and feet to make money. It was unreasonable for her, the grandmother, to fill the hole all the time.
The two brothers were cold-hearted to the youngest brother Jinbao. As a mother, she had to think more about her little son and save more money for him.
“Mom, our life is also difficult.”
Zhang Qiaoqiao thought that the old woman was indeed biased. These were all her grandchildren. She did not bring anyone up but raised the cost of living. Didn’t she scrape their bones and blood to raise that little bastard Yan Chu?
“I don’t know how much money you earn? You can’t afford to raise your four sons. Did you move all your money to your wife’s parents’ home?”
Four children added up to 40 Yuan. Zhang Qiaoqiao’s salary alone was enough. She pretended to be poor in front of her when she had not been home.
“That’s all I say. From this month on, you’ll send 10 Yuan per child. In the future, when the price of goods rises, the cost of living will also increase. Otherwise, you can take them back. Anyway, I, this mother, let you back-biting and cursed me a few more times. I don’t care anymore.”
The old lady hurried to dismiss people after she spoke.
“Mom Mom Mom.”
Yan Dabao and Yan Erbao held the old lady together and looked at each other.
“Yes, ten Yuan is 10 Yuan. Can we not raise the cost of living?”
When the spicy hot pot shop opened, how could the additional 5 Yuan be counted? Now, they had the old lady help them raise the children for a few more years to give them a break and wait for them to get older.
The brothers compromised and left all seven children after giving the money.
“Dabao, Erbao, why did you send the children here again?”
When they left the quadrangle, the two brothers were stopped by the people in the courtyard and asked. Everyone pricked up their ears.
“The children missed their grandma, and they were crying and causing a commotion at home, so we had to send them back.”
Of course, Yan Dabao and the others could not say that it was because they were impatient to raise them. They found a reason to equivocate and then hurried away.
“Isn’t it just 5 Yuan? When Little Brother dies, the old house belongs to us. How many five Yuan should it cost?”
Yan Erbao was far away and muttered. In the eyes of the rebirth people, Yan Chu was already a dead man, and the house was naturally theirs.
“This time, we have to find a way not to let him lose the house.”
Zhang Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes. The second son’s family had no sons. Of course, this old house belonged to the eldest grandson of the Yan family. It was hard to achieve that in the future and would be cheaper for outsiders.
Now they shared a common hatred, and Zhang Qiaoqiao would not say these words. She just encouraged everyone to aim at Yan Chu and saved the house first.
When the four went away, the quadrangle suddenly became lively.
“How could the biased old lady’s grandchildren miss her?”
Everyone could not understand this. In the past, others would listen to the old lady say “good Jinbao” one by one, but she had never called her grandchildren like that. As for the children’s good food, in everyone’s eyes, it was because the living expenses given by Yan Dabao and Yan Erbao were enough.
The old lady did not say how much money her son gave her. This action had caused a misunderstanding among neighbors. Everyone thought that the old lady carefully supported her little son with her older son’s money, and the harmed grandchildren sometimes drooled at what delicious food their little uncle ate.
If the children honestly came back because they missed the old lady, it meant that the old lady treated them better than their parents. But if so, was the old lady still a partial old lady in their heart? People in the quadrangle suddenly did not understand.
“Grandma.”
After Yan Dabao and others left, the seven children looked at the old lady with a coy expression.
Yan Sanni was a bit more lively. Who made her a child and forgetful?
She held the old lady’s thigh, clutching her belly, and said she was hungry. When she came out of the house in the morning, none of the seven children had breakfast.
“Every little brat comes to collect debts with me. I truly owe you in my past life.”
The old lady’s mouth was unforgiving, and she babbled and walked to the kitchen. Although she had a group of sisters in the park, she was also lonely when she stayed at home. She was used to bringing a group of children up, and suddenly there was so much less at home. She was not used to it at all. But she was all right now. They would be back when they came back. Anyway, she would have to cover enough living expenses this time.
“Grandma, can I have pork lard rice today?”
Put a pile of frozen lard on the steaming white rice, and the heat would melt the lard. After that, pour the soy sauce and stir it. It was tasty.
Sanni sucked away her saliva and asked eagerly, without putting the old lady’s curse into her ears at all.
“Your mouth is suddenly artful. Dadan, there’s no soy sauce at home. Take the money to buy soy sauce.”
The old lady forgot to buy soy sauce after calling her brother the day before yesterday. Now the soy sauce bottle was still empty. One could not eat pork lard rice without soy sauce.
“Yeah.”
The children understood what Grandma meant. They cheered, put down their luggage, and stepped forward to surround the old lady.
Sure enough, Grandma was still the best in the world. Of course, Grandma would be even better if she could curse them less as a debt collector.
“Little Uncle.”
When Yan Chu came back from school on Saturday night, he saw a group of children sitting at the table. The older children helped the old lady set the dishes. When they saw him coming back, they called out warmly.
Now, their parents have become very strange. In contrast, the little uncle who had not talked to them very much also seemed lovely and intimate.
“You’re all back.”
Yan Chu was not curious why the eldest brother and the second brother would send the children back. In fact, because of the characters of the two brothers and sisters-in-law, he guessed that it would not take too long for them to pick up the children. Sooner or later, they would send them back.
The original self’s missions did not require him to take care of Yan Dabao and Yan Erbao, so he did not intend to stop their possible behavior in the future.
The couples were both adults. They could be responsible for their actions. Of course, he would not aggravate the situation.
He would live his own life well. Let fate take care of them in the future.
