CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 34: FAMILY INTERACTIONS (PART 2)

The two returned to the small living room, closed the door, and went into the bedroom, happily staring at Zhou Jiao, "Little Aunt, we delivered them. Grandpa and the others are still drinking, so I came back."

"Alright, take the peanuts and ask your grandma to make you two cups of milk powder in the small living room outside. Drinking milk with peanuts, this little life is even better than those big men, right?" Zhou Jiao teased them with a smile.

"Remember to take the milk powder over, there are small bowls in the small living room, take your time. The hot water is very hot, don’t pour it yourselves because you’re small. Mom, can you make milk for them?" Zhou Jiao instructed the little ones while loudly speaking to Mother Zhang.

The two happily held hands, taking the milk powder and peanuts, and foolishly smiled at Mother Zhang to charm her.

"You’re spoiling them, milk powder with peanuts. Oh, little ones, wait for the milk to come, you mustn’t pour the hot water or there will be trouble."

The eldest sister looked at Mai Miao, "Girl, you’re grown up, next time you can’t drink this, it’s the milk for your little brother to drink, it’s okay for Xiao Miao since she’s small."

"Mom, I know, just this time. Little Aunt also bought a pack and left it at our grandma’s for us to drink with the brothers. Grandma, you enjoy the peanuts too, they smell so good."

Zhou Jiao watched them in the living room, she had nothing to do. Just as her son was about to cry, she quickly picked him up to feed. Little Ping’an will be well-behaved once he has milk to drink. The room was buzzing with people, and it wasn’t his bedtime yet.

Mother Zhang came in with milk powder and saw her feeding, "This isn’t enough milk for Ping’an, I put some on top."

Zhou Jiao smiled, silently mouthed ’foreign exchange certificate,’ pointed at the pillow with her finger, and whispered, "Don’t worry, the child drinking it is healthy and not wasting it."

Mother Zhang rolled her eyes at her, concerned about the other two daughters-in-law outside, she gestured at her with her finger.

"Mom, why don’t you make a cup of brown sugar water for yourself, there’s plenty of it, I can’t use it all," Zhou Jiao playfully said. She truly had a lot of milk powder and brown sugar, but they wouldn’t believe it, so she could only let them drink it.

"No need, the red jujube porridge with brown sugar tomorrow will taste great, eating it this way is a waste. Your dad is happy with peanuts, he got tipsy on the wine, it’s just right for the whole family to have red jujube porridge." Mother Zhang refused, she absolutely wouldn’t listen to her. If they’re to do a confinement month, nothing is ever in excess.

Zhou Jiao finished feeding the baby, and the son was full. She burped him and patted his back. Mother Zhang worried she’d get tired, took the child, "You lie down for a rest, I’ll hold Ping’an while playing outside."

"Alright, Mom, there’s 2 pounds of sugar in the wardrobe drawer that I bought today, grab some for my sisters-in-law, and the brown sugar is in the cabinet outside, take it yourself. I’ll lean back first, can’t sleep now anyway."

"Leave the sugar there, when it’s Ping’an’s wash on the third day, relatives will bring a lot, giving each person two pieces will use up the two pounds, then we can use it. Don’t worry, Mom has it all figured out. Rest easy."

As Mother Zhang’s words ended, she took the little quilt next to her, wrapped up Ping’an, and walked outside, "Ping’an, let’s go see the little sisters, they are having milk powder with peanuts."

"How about that, didn’t I say the girl is good, she always remembers to show filial piety to her own mom. You two kiddos really listen to your little aunt, a sip of milk, then a peanut. Don’t eat too much or you’ll get a sore throat, save some for when your brothers come back tomorrow."

Mai Miao looked at the bowl of milk wasn’t much left, and said to Mai Sui, "Little sister, let’s clink and down it in one go. Don’t be greedy for more." Raising her cup, she tapped Mai Sui’s small bowl.

Little Mai Sui foolishly looked at her grandma and mother, "Sister, I don’t understand, don’t break my small bowl."

Haha... Even Zhou Jiao in the room laughed out loud, the women’s laughter together startled the men drinking in the main room.

The men in the main room were curious when they heard the laughter; they had no idea what was happening that was making them laugh so heartily. But seeing that the women weren’t bickering like cockfighting, making the house smoky and suffocating, they were quite happy. They often heard in the village about whose mother-in-law had quarreled again, whose sister-in-law fought again, sometimes they could argue over a single scallion.

Mr. Zhang sighed to his sons, "Your mother had the hardest life in our family; she was the eldest girl and never had enough to eat. At that time, your grandpa below her had a bunch of kids, four half-grown sons, and not enough coarse grain to eat. As the saying goes, half-grown boys can eat a father to death, plus it was chaotic at that time. The bandits and devils came and would kill, everybody ran every day, afterward, your grandpa’s family was left with your two uncles.

Your mom married into our family, her natal family wasn’t helpful, when we separated, we got a thatched house that would rain inside when it rained heavily outside. Besides the thatched house, your grandpa only gave us a set of meals, a hoe, two quilts, and 200 pounds of coarse grain. To survive, we worked ourselves to death, finally got a harvest. When the bandits came, we had no choice but to flee, had to run up the mountains.

We planted sweet potatoes in the mountain hollows, but the place was so small, we could only divide a small plot for each, not enough to eat, so we mixed it with wild grass and roots. The worst was the winter with no wild vegetables and nothing to eat, just drank hot water. In spring, everyone who came out was swollen, every family would have someone pass away.

Your grandpa took us three brothers deep into the mountains every day to survive. When your mom was pregnant with the second one, the winter barely ended with nothing to eat, kept a bit of coarse grain to feed into the mouths of the eldest and your sister, your mom got all swollen, and I couldn’t sleep a wink all night. At that time, your little aunt was also pregnant; us three brothers decided to eat well even if it killed us.

Hiding from your grandpa, we took game and daggers into the city under the cover of night to exchange for coarse grain. At that time, we didn’t dare enter the city, just went to Wang Baiwan’s area in the east to trade grain. People said he was a traitor, but I thought he was a good man. Once we encountered the little devils, it was he who hid us brothers in his home.

Later on, life gradually got a bit better. Now life is good, I think you missed out on your grandpa, if he were alive, he’d be overjoyed. You guys are catching a good time."

The eldest took a sip from his small drink, "I still remember when Dad went out one night and didn’t come back, Mom sat there waiting with a wolf pelt holding me and the older sister, waiting for Dad to return. My mom would secretly wipe her tears, and those tears would keep flowing. Since then, I’ve felt a numbness in my heart whenever I see a woman cry."

"I remember my biggest dream was not having to enter the mountains again, those blistered feet were so painful, finally waiting for it to callus, but had to start running again. Really didn’t want to run, but seeing Uncle Da He’s pillar got killed, scared me so that any rustle in the wind I’d follow everyone to flee desperately." The second brother was also lost in memory. Those days were truly too bitter, now finally, I don’t have to force myself into the mountains.

Zhang Guoqing curiously asked, "Second brother, how were your feet all bloody, no straw shoes?"