"Hmm! That's fine, your mom's coming back soon, right? I'm hungry, Xiaoxiao, find grandma something to eat."
The old lady took a sip of the orange powder drink, her stomach growling with hunger, mainly because she had gotten up early and walked all the way here.
She walked all the way from the east to the west; even in a straight line, that's at least ten kilometers.
No wonder she's hungry.
She expended a lot of energy.
Jiang Xiaoxiao agreed immediately, "Sure! Grandma, you sit down! I'll go make you some food."
And she headed to the kitchen.
In the summer, their family set up a cooking area in the courtyard with a canopied roof.
At this time, there were no exhaust fans, so it was ventilated and cool.
The old lady walked to the doorway, looking through the bamboo curtain at Jiang Xiaoxiao busy at the gas stove.
They used gas tanks; there were no gas lines installed in their house.
The old lady was surprised, watching her granddaughter skillfully wash and slice vegetables; the potato shreds were as thin as needles, and her knife skills were sharper than the old lady's, who had been cutting vegetables for decades.
She rubbed her eyes.
A year has gone by; the change is too drastic, isn't it?
What are those two doing?
They used to treat the girl like a treasure, reluctant to let her do any chores.
Now they are actually letting her?
The old lady wondered if she was seeing things.
She shook her head and went back to sit down.
Originally, she was filled with anger, determined to pressure the two of them until they agreed, whether they wanted to or not.
But now, seeing them, it seemed they were having a hard time too.
She couldn't help feeling sad.
All are her children; truly, both palms and backs of the hand are flesh. What mother wouldn't feel for her son?
But if it weren't for Jiang Zhiqiang in the eldest's family about to marry and needing a job rather than going to the countryside for labor...
She couldn't bear to see the grandson left behind.
That's why the eldest daughter-in-law Feng Guihua incited her, and the old lady acted on it.
Actually, the old lady knew she was just fanned and fired up.
Now, calming down, the old lady felt it was hard to speak about the issue.
Jiang Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, secretly amused.
Of course, she knew why her grandma came this time.
Knowing, she understood how to calm her grandma down.
There was really nothing to eat at home, just potatoes as vegetables; as they were workers, according to household registration by head, buying grain was barely enough.
But don't even think about eating meat.
Her mom had retired due to illness, with only half her previous salary.
Jiang Shitou and Jiang Xiaoxiao had no jobs and were idle at home, relying only on Jiang Laocheng's salary.
The family was really in difficult straits.
Didn't see that Jiang Xiaoxiao's clothes were patched.
She hadn't even settled in properly.
In came a flurry of guests.
The house was really lively today.
"Xiaoxiao! Has your grandma arrived?"
It was Uncle Jiang Laocheng and Aunt Feng Guihua, fashionably late.
But they made it just in time.
Jiang Xiaoxiao pointed inside the house, "My grandma is inside."
If Jiang Laocheng and Feng Guihua didn't come! This show couldn't be performed.
Jiang Xiaoxiao dished out the potato shreds.
Along with a couple of steamed buns and corn mush, that was lunch.
At that time Fan Xiuying also returned.
Today was payment day at the matchbox factory; they settled every half month.
Lately, Jiang Xiaoxiao and Jiang Shitou had been helping her box papers.
This month their family got three and a half dollars more, totaling eight and a half dollars in wages; Fan Xiuying calculated in her mind, afraid it wasn't enough to prepare things for her daughter to take to the countryside.
This child was impatient, actually going to the neighborhood committee head to register.
As if scared it would run away.
Fan Xiuying couldn't not prepare.
Or else her daughter would go empty-handed.
In the countryside, many things were hard to get.
Fan Xiuying was pained for her daughter, anxious too.
Their family wasn't affluent.
Along with the kids suffering too.
But what could be done?
With one less breadwinner, herself retiring early due to illness to give Jiang Xiao a job, there was no other way.
Jiang Xiao sitting at home wouldn't do either.
And Jiang Xiao's in-laws, it wasn't because Jiang Xiao had a job that they treated him slightly better.
Otherwise, when Jiang Xiao had the big daughter, the old lady's face would hardly have been pleasant.
Sigh! They say raising children is for old age, now not even waiting for them to be old, the kids are already causing endless concern.
Entering the door, she saw Jiang Xiaoxiao serving food in the kitchen.
"Oh dear, my little darling, what are you doing causing trouble, you don't even know how to cook, aren't you afraid of cutting your hand?"
She quickly took the plate from her daughter's hand and stuffed a bag into Xiaoxiao's hands.
Jiang Xiaoxiao quickly said, "My grandma, uncle, and aunt have come; they're surely here to ask uncle's Jiang Zhiqiang to replace dad at work. You should be careful; don't argue with grandma, she's the type who bends to softness, not hardness! If you insist it's not possible, grandma might just get angry.
Then maybe aunt will add fuel to the fire, and eventually dad will have to compromise."
Her dad was good at everything except being a bit overly filial.
But there was no way; Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn't just tell dad not to be filial.
Now they could only try to change grandma's mind indirectly, to lessen dad's confused moments.
Though most times dad was quite reliable.
Fan Xiuying heard this, her brows furrowed tightly.
Fire rose in her heart.
Did the old lady really not want them to live?
Always thinking about uncle's family, even trying to snatch their job this time.
This job belonged to Jiang Laocheng, why not give it to her own son but to a nephew.
Still had to consider the old lady's emotions.
Fan Xiuying felt so wrongly treated.
Having this bunch of relatives really was unlucky.
"Can I control your grandma? I refuse to believe, if I don't agree, your uncle can still force us to carry out the procedures?"
Time to play tough.
Jiang Xiaoxiao sighed, understanding her mom's fiery temper well.
"Mom, when the time comes, don't speak, just shed tears, let me handle it, remember just wipe your tears. When grandma sees you crying, don't retort or explain to anyone, just cry!"
Fan Xiuying was stunned. Cry?
This wasn't her style, she didn't like crying.
What use was crying in the face of problems?
"The third one's family is back, aren't you quickly coming in? Outside whispering with your daughter, what are you up to?"
The old lady spoke up.
Alright!
Fan Xiuying quickly replied.
"Mom, I'm helping Xiaoxiao serve the food, I'll be right in."
Jiang Xiaoxiao cheerfully carried in a pot of corn mush.
"Grandma! Lunch is here. You're hungry aren't you, eat right away. I specially steamed you an egg cake, there are only two eggs at home, not even a single plate for stir fry, thinking since you made the trip, we don't have much to offer, this is a token of my parents' goodwill."
She placed the egg cake in front of the old lady.
No deceit there, they really didn't have eggs to eat.
This was saved by her parents to replenish her body.
The old lady saw the egg cake; not a single bubble, it was steamed perfectly.
Soft and tender, looked appetizing.
She couldn't help but nod.
"You are thoughtful, child."