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Chapter 49 I miss you
A few days after Song Wei Ping left, Xu Xiao Jiao became a little bored.
She had played all the game consoles and started to feel bored. She and Xu Xiao Gang had explored all the places in the town and even went to the river in Meilin Village to catch fishes a few times.
But when she counted her fingers, she realized that Song Wei Ping had only been gone for seven or eight days.
Xu Xiao Jiao was bored and sat on the hanging basket reading Song Wei's usual books as she chatted with Wu Chun Hua who was sewing shoe soles in the yard, "Mom, say, these days are passing day by day. Why are they passing so slowly?"
Wu Chun Hua didn't find it slow. It took more than ten days to move here. Although there was no field, she wasn't idle. Grandma Song had to look after her flowers every day. So, there was also a family in the backyard which had an old lady who also raised a yard of flowers. Grandma Song had found a kindred spirit. The two old sisters talked endlessly every day.
As for her, it was cleaning. Although she had cleaned it a good few times before moving in, she couldn't finish arranging things in a day or two after moving in. Moreover, the spring was time for planting melons and vegetables. She made a few trips to Meilin Village and planted some vegetables on the small plot of land owned by the two families and watered them occasionally. This way, she didn’t have to buy any vegetables this summer and autumn.
She lived a fulfilling life every day. Glancing at her daughter, Wu Chun Hua smiled and said, "I saw that you weren’t idle either. You take Xiao Gang everywhere on your bicycle. In the past two days, you followed me to Meilin Village to the river fork to fish. Now you have nothing to do?"
Xu Xiao Jiao weakly responded, "Mom, I have to do something."
Wu Chun Hua laughed out loud, "From what I see, you feel empty after Wei Ping left, right? When Wei Ping was here, you just sat there eating melon seeds every day and I didn't see you say you’re bored. What is there to do? We don't have any fields. Wei Ping said he would open the pot stewed meat shop when he comes back. What can you do? Besides, when Wei Ping left, he told me to watch you more and not let run around wherever you want to go. Just wait for him to come back and go with you.”
Hearing the words Song Wei Ping, Xu Xiao Jiao's heart moved and she couldn't read the book in her hand anymore. Could it be that she was really like this because of Song Wei Ping?
**
Liu Chun Yan from the cooperative discovered that her new friend Xu Xiao Jiao had been coming to the cooperative for longer and longer periods recently.
Liu Chun Yan's home was right behind Xu Xiao Jiao's new home. She had a grandmother who loved flowers and plants and had a yard of it planted at home. Since Grandma Song and her grandmother got to know each other, Liu Chun Yan gradually got to know Xu Xiao Jiao.
Liu Chun Yan originally thought that Xu Xiao Jiao was too good-looking and might be arrogant and difficult to get along with. But after getting to know her, she realized that this wasn't the case. Being friends with Xu Xiao Jiao wasn't comfortable at all.
Every female loved beauty. Liu Chun Yan had a slender figure but had a square face. Because of this, she was troubled. So Xu Xiao Jiao gave her some suggestions.
She cut her long braids into short hair that only reached her neck and left her bangs in front. Her whole face instantly looked half smaller. When she paired it with the clothes Xu Xiao Jiao picked for her, her whole appearance instantly changed. In Xu Xiao Jiao's words, her temperament immediately became delicious. In the past, the male party of the blind date used to pick on her. As soon as she came home from the last blind date, the matchmaker said that the man was attracted to her and thought she was good-looking.
Because of this, she and Xu Xiao Jiao quickly became good friends who talked about everything.
"Hey, Xiao Jiao, I see you come to the cooperative every day and I don't see you buying anything." Liu Chun Yan was in the non-staple food section. She only had this bowl of rice after taking over her mom's shift. She had only worked for more than a year. Her age wasn’t too big. She was youthful, lively and cheerful.
Xu Xiao Jiao leaned on the counter, looking through some of the newly arrived non-staple foods, talking to her every now and then, "Can’t I come and chat with you? I notice that your business has deteriorated a lot this year. Today, not many people came. You’re on your own, it must be boring.”
When reaching this point, Liu Chun Yan agreed, "Say, why is my luck that bad? As soon as the iron rice bowl was provided, the national policy changed. When I first started working, my Mom said to me, 'You don't have to give any good attitude to those people who buy things. If they don’t buy here, there’s no other place to buy them. If they make you angry, just scold them. My Mom has been selling things like this for half her life.”
She knocked on the counter, regretting, "Say, when it’s my turn, I was so restrained in the first year. Now that I loosened up and want to show off my power, they won't come now. I heard that there are many people carrying bundles now and selling things in the streets and alleys. People do their own business and are affordable and cheap. If it’s me, I won’t go to the cooperative to buy expensive things. Afterall, they’re all foods.
As she spoke, she sighed again, "Do you think I can keep my iron rice bowl?"
Xu Xiao Jiao thought about the rapid changes in the future, "It's difficult."
"Oh, why are you like my mom? Can't comfort people at all? My Mom had said that now that the country allows having one’s own business, this cooperative isn’t reliable anymore. She told me to study hard and try to get into college this year. But I have thrown away my textbooks for so long. What I studied in high school was just like playing around. How can I still learn it?"
Xu Xiao Jiao was just about to say, if you want to study, I can help you and I still have some high school textbooks there.
Before she could say anything, the phone rang.
Her heart tightened when she saw Liu Chun Yan muttered, "It's been a long time since a call came."
She familiarly picked up the phone and said, "Hello, hello, who are you looking for?"
It was unknown what was said at the other end. Liu Chun Yan was a little surprised. She raised her head and glanced at Xu Xiao Jiao, "Hello, comrade, please repeat once more. Who are you looking for?"
After confirming again, she looked up, "Xiao Jiao, looking for you?"
Xu Xiao Jiao immediately felt relieved and hurriedly picked up the phone, "Hey, is this Song Wei Ping?"
"It's me."
Song Wei Ping's voice came through the phone and was slightly distorted. Just two words made Xu Xiao Jiao feel extremely aggrieved.
"Song Wei Ping, why did you only call home now?"
Liu Chun Yan was eavesdropping with her ears perked up. When she heard this sentence, she was suddenly enlightened. She leaned over and heard Song Wei Ping called out, "Jiao Jiao".
She burst out laughing immediately, "Oh, Xiao Jiao, I was wondering why you spend so much time in my cooperative every day? You are waiting for your match's call, haha."
Her voice wasn't quiet. Song Wei Ping heard it immediately and chuckled softly.
"Liu Chun Yan, quickly go to one side and do your work. What us couple have to say is none of your business." Xu Xiao Jiao blushed and pushed her.
Phone bills were not cheap these days. Liu Chun Yan joked a little and stopped teasing Xu Xiao Jiao. She took the feather duster and went to sort the shelves.
Xu Xiao Jiao picked at the burrs on the mat on the glass counter and watched her move to the side. Then she directed to the other end of the phone, "Song Wei Ping."
Song Wei Ping's voice was warm, "How many days have you been waiting? I just arrived here and ran a shipment for someone. I'm in Guangdong now."
Xu Xiao Jiao would never admit that she came here every day just to wait for Song Wei Ping's call, "I'm not waiting for you."
She added, "That's right, you said you would call home. I told Grandmother and Mom and they were all looking forward to it. But it took you so long to call back."
When she wanted to hide something, she always liked to talk a lot. Song Wei Ping knew that she was specifically waiting for him, "It's my fault this time. I will call you once a week from now on, so there is no need to specially wait."
With this plan, she didn’t have to wait around. Xu Xiao Jiao nodded, “Then we agreed on this.”
"En," Song Wei Ping could almost imagine her obediently nodding, and smiled unconsciously, "What do you do every day?"
Xu Xiao Jiao counted them on her fingers, "Reading books, playing games, riding bikes with Xiao Gang, fishing, and sleeping in a hanging basket."
As she kept counting, she realized that she seemed to have done nothing serious. "I also helped Grandmother plant flowers and helped my Mom wind the thread."
Song Wei Ping laughed out loud this time.
"Hey, Song Wei Ping, I really helped." Xu Xiao Jiao could hear that he didn't believe it.
Song Wei Ping slowly stopped laughing, leaving only his shallow breathing.
"Jiao Jiao."
His voice was so close to her ear that Xu Xiao Jiao pinched her other earlobe unconsciously.
"I miss you."
This was the first time that Song Wei Ping expressed his longing for her so clearly. He leaned against the phone booth and listened to her voice, feeling extremely at ease. He felt that his heart that had been tense these days calmed down.
Unable to bear the longing any longer, Song Wei Ping spoke again.
"Jiao Jiao, I miss you."
Xu Xiao Jiao remained silent. Song Wei Ping didn't rush her. After a while, he began to talk about what he had experienced in Guangdong.
"It's very prosperous here, especially at night. There are night markets everywhere. Almost everything they can think of can be sold. This time I saw a camera. I will buy one for you when I go back this time."
"I also saw the phone you mentioned, called 'cellular phone'. With it, you can make calls anytime and anywhere. But I can't afford this now. It's too expensive."
"The food here doesn't taste good. I'm too lazy to cook it myself when you're not here. Without me cooking for you at home, I wonder if you eat well."
"Xiao Jiao, although it is very prosperous here, I still miss home."
"Next time, I really want to take you out with me."
"I'm fine here. Tell Grandmother and Mom to not worry. You don't have to worry either. Wait for me at home."
During the phone call, Song Wei Ping did most of the talking, while Xu Xiao Jiao was listening.
Before hanging up, Xu Xiao Jiao called out, "Song Wei Ping."
She opened her mouth, but she didn't say the words "I miss you too".
She only said, "Take good care of yourself. I'll wait for you to come back."
Song Wei Ping was already satisfied.
After hanging up the phone, Xu Xiao Jiao's cheeks were red and a little hot.
Liu Chun Yan came over again and saw that she kept fanning her face and couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, your match said some love words to you. Look at you, your pink face is full of beauty. It makes one want to dote on you."
Xu Xiao Jiao’s embarrassment turned into anger and said, "Smelly Chun Yan, you’re laughing at me again."
When Liu Chun Yan saw her being so shy, she couldn't help it anymore, "Alright, alright, I won't mess with you anymore, Jiao Jiao~"
She imitated Song Wei Ping's voice, deliberately lengthened her accent, and laughed loudly, "Xiao Jiao, does your match miss you?"
The first time Xu Xiao Jiao was teased, she just wanted to run away and she did run away. Before leaving, she fiercely threw down, "Liu Chun Yan, wait until you find a match, I will make you blush."
The blush on her face didn't go away even when she got home.
Wu Chun Hua became anxious as soon as she saw it, "AIya, what's going on? You have a cold. Look at your flushing face. Sit down quickly. Where is the thermometer? Quickly measure it."
It was truly what shouldn’t be mentioned was mentioned. Xu Xiao Jiao sat down on the hanging basket and held a pillow and her head, "Mom, what cold? I'm fine."
Wu Chun Hua reached out and touched her daughter's forehead. It was indeed not a fever, "Then what's wrong with you?"
Xu Xiao Jiao coughed and said, "Nothing. I was running in a hurry. And, Song Wei Ping called."
When Wu Chun Hua heard this, she understood that the young couple must have said something. Daughter blushed because she was shy. She held back her laughter and sat back down, "Oh, aiya, this Wei Ping, didn't he say he’ll call when he reaches? Why did he only call now?"
Xu Xiao Jiao hurriedly explained to Song Wei Ping, "Mom, he is too busy. When he arrived, he met with a boss he had worked with before and delivered a batch of goods for him. He is occupied every day. As soon as he had some free time, he called home. He didn’t do it on purpose.”
Wu Chun Hua couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, I got it. I didn't say anything and you’re protecting him."
"Who’s protecting him? I couldn’t wait to hate him." Xu Xiao Jiao tugged at the fur on the pillow.
Wu Chun Hua didn't make fun of her daughter any more and got to the topic, "How is it? Wei Ping is fine outside? Have you told him that he got to eat well and drink well and don't have to worry about home? Everything is fine at home."
Xu Xiao Jiao nodded, "That's what I said. He said he's doing well, but the food in Guangdong is different from ours. He's not used to it."
Wu Chun Hua agreed, "The different environments nurture different people. It's a given. It's weird if he can get used to it. In the past, every time Wei Ping came back, he had lost weight. This time when he comes back, got to nourish him well. To earn money and support the family, he has to travel so far."
Xu Xiao Jiao blinked. Did Song Wei Ping always lose weight when he came back? Why didn't she notice it?
Wu Chun Hua was still talking, "Wei Ping, this kid, is very motivated and courageous. Look, doing business is allowed. There are some people in the town taking action. However, I haven't heard of anyone going out. At most, carry a bundle to go out and sell some things to make a living. There are very few people like Wei Ping who bitterly go out."
Xu Xiao Jiao nodded. The first batch of people who became rich were really the ones who dared to venture and take action.
"Mom, aren’t you happy that your son-in-law is capable? When I wanted to marry Song Wei Ping, you were still worried. Now you can rest assured. With him, I’m not suffer any bitterness." Xu Xiao Jiao recalled the start to now. She really didn't suffer at all.
Wu Chun Hua smiled contentedly, "I'm happy. Mom can't be any happier. People in the whole surrounding area aren’t as blessed as you. Who gets married isn’t spinning around the stove and burrowing into the field. While you, you haven’t been in the field for more than a few times. And you can't cook. Every day, you want to eat this and that. And they’re weird things. It made Wei Ping become a good cook."
Xu Xiao Jiao was quite proud of herself, "Who gave me the foresight? Mom, I've been training Xiao Gang recently. I think he's pretty good at cooking, but not as good as Song Wei Ping. He's not bad even after some practice. Don't feel distressed for him. Just let him do it. When he gets the hang of it, let him cook more. In the future, you can just help at the side."
Wu Chun Hua laughed and said, "Mom has nothing to do every day and you get your younger brother to cook."
Xu Xiao Jiao nodded, "First let him practice every now and then. Mom, think about it. When Xiao Gang gets married, he can help his wife with cooking. This skill will be extra points. There’s no harm from listening to me."
Xu Xiao Gang had grown rapidly in the past two years and had grown stronger. Unlike others, Wu Chun Hua wasn’t reluctant to let her son do any work. She nodded when she heard this, "Okay, I will listen to you."
After talking about Xu Xiao Gang for a while, Xu Xiao Jiao turned the topic to Song Wei Ping again, "Mom, Song Wei Ping said that from now on, he will call home once a week to report that he is safe. Grandmother can answer it next time. Although Grandmother doesn't say it, she is definitely worried."
Wu Chun Hua nodded, "That's true. You take Grandmother over. Mom and Xiao Gang won't join in the fun. I heard that the phone bill is expensive, so you can give a few instructions on Mom’s behalf."
The sun was shining warmly on people. Xu Xiao Jiao was swinging back and forth in the hanging basket as she listened to Wu Chun Hua start talking about opening a pot stewed meat shop again, "When Wei Ping comes back this time, let’s open the pot stewed meat shop first. When the time comes, we’ll sell pot stewed pork at home first. This way, he doesn’t have to run around and can rest for a while. When he goes out again later, mom will take over and help you do it. Out of the money earned, Mom can get some pocket money. The rest will be given to you to keep.”
How could that do? She had already thought about the pot stewed meat shop. Even though it is just a small shop now, if it is managed well, it will not be a problem to package it into a chain and sell it to the outside world. This was a matter of dividends. Things should be decided long ago.
She and Song Wei Ping discussed that in the early stage. When they only have a small storefront, they wouldn’t need the money. Just give it all to Mom. Once they want to expand it in the future, they can refine the dividends.
But if the business is good and busy Song Wei Ping and maybe herself may have to help. Her Mom will definitely not be happy if they don’t accept money. They can just set an amount at that time.
"Mom, don't fight with us about money. When they open the business, let's work for a month and see how the sales go."
Wu Chun Hua nodded, "Alright, alright, Mom is idle now. When you guys talked about opening a pot stewed meat shop before, Mom was interested but still find it unrealistic. But recently, I see that there are a lot of people carrying loads on bicycles to sell in town and feel that this policy is good. Look, you can make a lot of money by starting a small business. Mom is looking forward to the opening of our pot stewed meat shop."
When Xu Xiao Jiao heard this, she suddenly sat up and said, "Mom, let's not wait for Song Wei Ping. Let's open the store ourselves!"
She was bored right now. The weather was nice and the temperature was comfortable. Instead of thinking about Song Wei Ping every day, she might as well keep herself busy. When Song Wei Ping comes back, he will definitely be surprised and distressed.
Wu Chun Hua was a little stunned, "Is this okay? We female comrades can't do it. I heard that if you open a store, you have to travel to many places, etc."
Xu Xiao Jiao waved her hands, feeling more and more certain that it would work, "It's not difficult, just go to the county to register. I'm familiar with many places in the county and have acquaintances even if I'm not familiar with them. Mom, it's settled. Let’s not wait for Song Wei Ping. You go back to the village tomorrow and ask Uncle Zhao to order the basket according to the size we originally mentioned. We have already prepared the iron pot. I will go to the county to buy some seasonings. Then we will look at the rest as we do it."
When Xu Xiao Jiao said this, Wu Chun Hua's heart flared up, "Daughter, can this work?"
Xu Xiao Jiao jumped down from the hanging basket and said, "How can it not? Women can hold up half the sky. Even if Song Wei Ping isn’t around, we can still open the pot stewed meat shop. When he comes back, he's guaranteed to be surprised."
A few days after Song Wei Ping left, Xu Xiao Jiao became a little bored.
She had played all the game consoles and started to feel bored. She and Xu Xiao Gang had explored all the places in the town and even went to the river in Meilin Village to catch fishes a few times.
But when she counted her fingers, she realized that Song Wei Ping had only been gone for seven or eight days.
Xu Xiao Jiao was bored and sat on the hanging basket reading Song Wei's usual books as she chatted with Wu Chun Hua who was sewing shoe soles in the yard, "Mom, say, these days are passing day by day. Why are they passing so slowly?"
Wu Chun Hua didn't find it slow. It took more than ten days to move here. Although there was no field, she wasn't idle. Grandma Song had to look after her flowers every day. So, there was also a family in the backyard which had an old lady who also raised a yard of flowers. Grandma Song had found a kindred spirit. The two old sisters talked endlessly every day.
As for her, it was cleaning. Although she had cleaned it a good few times before moving in, she couldn't finish arranging things in a day or two after moving in. Moreover, the spring was time for planting melons and vegetables. She made a few trips to Meilin Village and planted some vegetables on the small plot of land owned by the two families and watered them occasionally. This way, she didn’t have to buy any vegetables this summer and autumn.
She lived a fulfilling life every day. Glancing at her daughter, Wu Chun Hua smiled and said, "I saw that you weren’t idle either. You take Xiao Gang everywhere on your bicycle. In the past two days, you followed me to Meilin Village to the river fork to fish. Now you have nothing to do?"
Xu Xiao Jiao weakly responded, "Mom, I have to do something."
Wu Chun Hua laughed out loud, "From what I see, you feel empty after Wei Ping left, right? When Wei Ping was here, you just sat there eating melon seeds every day and I didn't see you say you’re bored. What is there to do? We don't have any fields. Wei Ping said he would open the pot stewed meat shop when he comes back. What can you do? Besides, when Wei Ping left, he told me to watch you more and not let run around wherever you want to go. Just wait for him to come back and go with you.”
Hearing the words Song Wei Ping, Xu Xiao Jiao's heart moved and she couldn't read the book in her hand anymore. Could it be that she was really like this because of Song Wei Ping?
**
Liu Chun Yan from the cooperative discovered that her new friend Xu Xiao Jiao had been coming to the cooperative for longer and longer periods recently.
Liu Chun Yan's home was right behind Xu Xiao Jiao's new home. She had a grandmother who loved flowers and plants and had a yard of it planted at home. Since Grandma Song and her grandmother got to know each other, Liu Chun Yan gradually got to know Xu Xiao Jiao.
Liu Chun Yan originally thought that Xu Xiao Jiao was too good-looking and might be arrogant and difficult to get along with. But after getting to know her, she realized that this wasn't the case. Being friends with Xu Xiao Jiao wasn't comfortable at all.
Every female loved beauty. Liu Chun Yan had a slender figure but had a square face. Because of this, she was troubled. So Xu Xiao Jiao gave her some suggestions.
She cut her long braids into short hair that only reached her neck and left her bangs in front. Her whole face instantly looked half smaller. When she paired it with the clothes Xu Xiao Jiao picked for her, her whole appearance instantly changed. In Xu Xiao Jiao's words, her temperament immediately became delicious. In the past, the male party of the blind date used to pick on her. As soon as she came home from the last blind date, the matchmaker said that the man was attracted to her and thought she was good-looking.
Because of this, she and Xu Xiao Jiao quickly became good friends who talked about everything.
"Hey, Xiao Jiao, I see you come to the cooperative every day and I don't see you buying anything." Liu Chun Yan was in the non-staple food section. She only had this bowl of rice after taking over her mom's shift. She had only worked for more than a year. Her age wasn’t too big. She was youthful, lively and cheerful.
Xu Xiao Jiao leaned on the counter, looking through some of the newly arrived non-staple foods, talking to her every now and then, "Can’t I come and chat with you? I notice that your business has deteriorated a lot this year. Today, not many people came. You’re on your own, it must be boring.”
When reaching this point, Liu Chun Yan agreed, "Say, why is my luck that bad? As soon as the iron rice bowl was provided, the national policy changed. When I first started working, my Mom said to me, 'You don't have to give any good attitude to those people who buy things. If they don’t buy here, there’s no other place to buy them. If they make you angry, just scold them. My Mom has been selling things like this for half her life.”
She knocked on the counter, regretting, "Say, when it’s my turn, I was so restrained in the first year. Now that I loosened up and want to show off my power, they won't come now. I heard that there are many people carrying bundles now and selling things in the streets and alleys. People do their own business and are affordable and cheap. If it’s me, I won’t go to the cooperative to buy expensive things. Afterall, they’re all foods.
As she spoke, she sighed again, "Do you think I can keep my iron rice bowl?"
Xu Xiao Jiao thought about the rapid changes in the future, "It's difficult."
"Oh, why are you like my mom? Can't comfort people at all? My Mom had said that now that the country allows having one’s own business, this cooperative isn’t reliable anymore. She told me to study hard and try to get into college this year. But I have thrown away my textbooks for so long. What I studied in high school was just like playing around. How can I still learn it?"
Xu Xiao Jiao was just about to say, if you want to study, I can help you and I still have some high school textbooks there.
Before she could say anything, the phone rang.
Her heart tightened when she saw Liu Chun Yan muttered, "It's been a long time since a call came."
She familiarly picked up the phone and said, "Hello, hello, who are you looking for?"
It was unknown what was said at the other end. Liu Chun Yan was a little surprised. She raised her head and glanced at Xu Xiao Jiao, "Hello, comrade, please repeat once more. Who are you looking for?"
After confirming again, she looked up, "Xiao Jiao, looking for you?"
Xu Xiao Jiao immediately felt relieved and hurriedly picked up the phone, "Hey, is this Song Wei Ping?"
"It's me."
Song Wei Ping's voice came through the phone and was slightly distorted. Just two words made Xu Xiao Jiao feel extremely aggrieved.
"Song Wei Ping, why did you only call home now?"
Liu Chun Yan was eavesdropping with her ears perked up. When she heard this sentence, she was suddenly enlightened. She leaned over and heard Song Wei Ping called out, "Jiao Jiao".
She burst out laughing immediately, "Oh, Xiao Jiao, I was wondering why you spend so much time in my cooperative every day? You are waiting for your match's call, haha."
Her voice wasn't quiet. Song Wei Ping heard it immediately and chuckled softly.
"Liu Chun Yan, quickly go to one side and do your work. What us couple have to say is none of your business." Xu Xiao Jiao blushed and pushed her.
Phone bills were not cheap these days. Liu Chun Yan joked a little and stopped teasing Xu Xiao Jiao. She took the feather duster and went to sort the shelves.
Xu Xiao Jiao picked at the burrs on the mat on the glass counter and watched her move to the side. Then she directed to the other end of the phone, "Song Wei Ping."
Song Wei Ping's voice was warm, "How many days have you been waiting? I just arrived here and ran a shipment for someone. I'm in Guangdong now."
Xu Xiao Jiao would never admit that she came here every day just to wait for Song Wei Ping's call, "I'm not waiting for you."
She added, "That's right, you said you would call home. I told Grandmother and Mom and they were all looking forward to it. But it took you so long to call back."
When she wanted to hide something, she always liked to talk a lot. Song Wei Ping knew that she was specifically waiting for him, "It's my fault this time. I will call you once a week from now on, so there is no need to specially wait."
With this plan, she didn’t have to wait around. Xu Xiao Jiao nodded, “Then we agreed on this.”
"En," Song Wei Ping could almost imagine her obediently nodding, and smiled unconsciously, "What do you do every day?"
Xu Xiao Jiao counted them on her fingers, "Reading books, playing games, riding bikes with Xiao Gang, fishing, and sleeping in a hanging basket."
As she kept counting, she realized that she seemed to have done nothing serious. "I also helped Grandmother plant flowers and helped my Mom wind the thread."
Song Wei Ping laughed out loud this time.
"Hey, Song Wei Ping, I really helped." Xu Xiao Jiao could hear that he didn't believe it.
Song Wei Ping slowly stopped laughing, leaving only his shallow breathing.
"Jiao Jiao."
His voice was so close to her ear that Xu Xiao Jiao pinched her other earlobe unconsciously.
"I miss you."
This was the first time that Song Wei Ping expressed his longing for her so clearly. He leaned against the phone booth and listened to her voice, feeling extremely at ease. He felt that his heart that had been tense these days calmed down.
Unable to bear the longing any longer, Song Wei Ping spoke again.
"Jiao Jiao, I miss you."
Xu Xiao Jiao remained silent. Song Wei Ping didn't rush her. After a while, he began to talk about what he had experienced in Guangdong.
"It's very prosperous here, especially at night. There are night markets everywhere. Almost everything they can think of can be sold. This time I saw a camera. I will buy one for you when I go back this time."
"I also saw the phone you mentioned, called 'cellular phone'. With it, you can make calls anytime and anywhere. But I can't afford this now. It's too expensive."
"The food here doesn't taste good. I'm too lazy to cook it myself when you're not here. Without me cooking for you at home, I wonder if you eat well."
"Xiao Jiao, although it is very prosperous here, I still miss home."
"Next time, I really want to take you out with me."
"I'm fine here. Tell Grandmother and Mom to not worry. You don't have to worry either. Wait for me at home."
During the phone call, Song Wei Ping did most of the talking, while Xu Xiao Jiao was listening.
Before hanging up, Xu Xiao Jiao called out, "Song Wei Ping."
She opened her mouth, but she didn't say the words "I miss you too".
She only said, "Take good care of yourself. I'll wait for you to come back."
Song Wei Ping was already satisfied.
After hanging up the phone, Xu Xiao Jiao's cheeks were red and a little hot.
Liu Chun Yan came over again and saw that she kept fanning her face and couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, your match said some love words to you. Look at you, your pink face is full of beauty. It makes one want to dote on you."
Xu Xiao Jiao’s embarrassment turned into anger and said, "Smelly Chun Yan, you’re laughing at me again."
When Liu Chun Yan saw her being so shy, she couldn't help it anymore, "Alright, alright, I won't mess with you anymore, Jiao Jiao~"
She imitated Song Wei Ping's voice, deliberately lengthened her accent, and laughed loudly, "Xiao Jiao, does your match miss you?"
The first time Xu Xiao Jiao was teased, she just wanted to run away and she did run away. Before leaving, she fiercely threw down, "Liu Chun Yan, wait until you find a match, I will make you blush."
The blush on her face didn't go away even when she got home.
Wu Chun Hua became anxious as soon as she saw it, "AIya, what's going on? You have a cold. Look at your flushing face. Sit down quickly. Where is the thermometer? Quickly measure it."
It was truly what shouldn’t be mentioned was mentioned. Xu Xiao Jiao sat down on the hanging basket and held a pillow and her head, "Mom, what cold? I'm fine."
Wu Chun Hua reached out and touched her daughter's forehead. It was indeed not a fever, "Then what's wrong with you?"
Xu Xiao Jiao coughed and said, "Nothing. I was running in a hurry. And, Song Wei Ping called."
When Wu Chun Hua heard this, she understood that the young couple must have said something. Daughter blushed because she was shy. She held back her laughter and sat back down, "Oh, aiya, this Wei Ping, didn't he say he’ll call when he reaches? Why did he only call now?"
Xu Xiao Jiao hurriedly explained to Song Wei Ping, "Mom, he is too busy. When he arrived, he met with a boss he had worked with before and delivered a batch of goods for him. He is occupied every day. As soon as he had some free time, he called home. He didn’t do it on purpose.”
Wu Chun Hua couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, I got it. I didn't say anything and you’re protecting him."
"Who’s protecting him? I couldn’t wait to hate him." Xu Xiao Jiao tugged at the fur on the pillow.
Wu Chun Hua didn't make fun of her daughter any more and got to the topic, "How is it? Wei Ping is fine outside? Have you told him that he got to eat well and drink well and don't have to worry about home? Everything is fine at home."
Xu Xiao Jiao nodded, "That's what I said. He said he's doing well, but the food in Guangdong is different from ours. He's not used to it."
Wu Chun Hua agreed, "The different environments nurture different people. It's a given. It's weird if he can get used to it. In the past, every time Wei Ping came back, he had lost weight. This time when he comes back, got to nourish him well. To earn money and support the family, he has to travel so far."
Xu Xiao Jiao blinked. Did Song Wei Ping always lose weight when he came back? Why didn't she notice it?
Wu Chun Hua was still talking, "Wei Ping, this kid, is very motivated and courageous. Look, doing business is allowed. There are some people in the town taking action. However, I haven't heard of anyone going out. At most, carry a bundle to go out and sell some things to make a living. There are very few people like Wei Ping who bitterly go out."
Xu Xiao Jiao nodded. The first batch of people who became rich were really the ones who dared to venture and take action.
"Mom, aren’t you happy that your son-in-law is capable? When I wanted to marry Song Wei Ping, you were still worried. Now you can rest assured. With him, I’m not suffer any bitterness." Xu Xiao Jiao recalled the start to now. She really didn't suffer at all.
Wu Chun Hua smiled contentedly, "I'm happy. Mom can't be any happier. People in the whole surrounding area aren’t as blessed as you. Who gets married isn’t spinning around the stove and burrowing into the field. While you, you haven’t been in the field for more than a few times. And you can't cook. Every day, you want to eat this and that. And they’re weird things. It made Wei Ping become a good cook."
Xu Xiao Jiao was quite proud of herself, "Who gave me the foresight? Mom, I've been training Xiao Gang recently. I think he's pretty good at cooking, but not as good as Song Wei Ping. He's not bad even after some practice. Don't feel distressed for him. Just let him do it. When he gets the hang of it, let him cook more. In the future, you can just help at the side."
Wu Chun Hua laughed and said, "Mom has nothing to do every day and you get your younger brother to cook."
Xu Xiao Jiao nodded, "First let him practice every now and then. Mom, think about it. When Xiao Gang gets married, he can help his wife with cooking. This skill will be extra points. There’s no harm from listening to me."
Xu Xiao Gang had grown rapidly in the past two years and had grown stronger. Unlike others, Wu Chun Hua wasn’t reluctant to let her son do any work. She nodded when she heard this, "Okay, I will listen to you."
After talking about Xu Xiao Gang for a while, Xu Xiao Jiao turned the topic to Song Wei Ping again, "Mom, Song Wei Ping said that from now on, he will call home once a week to report that he is safe. Grandmother can answer it next time. Although Grandmother doesn't say it, she is definitely worried."
Wu Chun Hua nodded, "That's true. You take Grandmother over. Mom and Xiao Gang won't join in the fun. I heard that the phone bill is expensive, so you can give a few instructions on Mom’s behalf."
The sun was shining warmly on people. Xu Xiao Jiao was swinging back and forth in the hanging basket as she listened to Wu Chun Hua start talking about opening a pot stewed meat shop again, "When Wei Ping comes back this time, let’s open the pot stewed meat shop first. When the time comes, we’ll sell pot stewed pork at home first. This way, he doesn’t have to run around and can rest for a while. When he goes out again later, mom will take over and help you do it. Out of the money earned, Mom can get some pocket money. The rest will be given to you to keep.”
How could that do? She had already thought about the pot stewed meat shop. Even though it is just a small shop now, if it is managed well, it will not be a problem to package it into a chain and sell it to the outside world. This was a matter of dividends. Things should be decided long ago.
She and Song Wei Ping discussed that in the early stage. When they only have a small storefront, they wouldn’t need the money. Just give it all to Mom. Once they want to expand it in the future, they can refine the dividends.
But if the business is good and busy Song Wei Ping and maybe herself may have to help. Her Mom will definitely not be happy if they don’t accept money. They can just set an amount at that time.
"Mom, don't fight with us about money. When they open the business, let's work for a month and see how the sales go."
Wu Chun Hua nodded, "Alright, alright, Mom is idle now. When you guys talked about opening a pot stewed meat shop before, Mom was interested but still find it unrealistic. But recently, I see that there are a lot of people carrying loads on bicycles to sell in town and feel that this policy is good. Look, you can make a lot of money by starting a small business. Mom is looking forward to the opening of our pot stewed meat shop."
When Xu Xiao Jiao heard this, she suddenly sat up and said, "Mom, let's not wait for Song Wei Ping. Let's open the store ourselves!"
She was bored right now. The weather was nice and the temperature was comfortable. Instead of thinking about Song Wei Ping every day, she might as well keep herself busy. When Song Wei Ping comes back, he will definitely be surprised and distressed.
Wu Chun Hua was a little stunned, "Is this okay? We female comrades can't do it. I heard that if you open a store, you have to travel to many places, etc."
Xu Xiao Jiao waved her hands, feeling more and more certain that it would work, "It's not difficult, just go to the county to register. I'm familiar with many places in the county and have acquaintances even if I'm not familiar with them. Mom, it's settled. Let’s not wait for Song Wei Ping. You go back to the village tomorrow and ask Uncle Zhao to order the basket according to the size we originally mentioned. We have already prepared the iron pot. I will go to the county to buy some seasonings. Then we will look at the rest as we do it."
When Xu Xiao Jiao said this, Wu Chun Hua's heart flared up, "Daughter, can this work?"
Xu Xiao Jiao jumped down from the hanging basket and said, "How can it not? Women can hold up half the sky. Even if Song Wei Ping isn’t around, we can still open the pot stewed meat shop. When he comes back, he's guaranteed to be surprised."
Thanks for the chapter!!!
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