CH 15

Ji Zhile has been troubled by the fact that his family is very poor. This is the first time he has thought about this serious issue.

But he did not dare to ask his mother, because his mother was said to be poor and wanted to beat him up, so Ji Zhile could only find Ji Ningyi.

He frowned and his fair little face was a little sad: “Brother, is our family poor? That’s why Mom asked me to pack the unfinished food back.”

Ji Ningyi is three years older than Ji Zhile, so he is already a lot more sensible and knows a lot about family than Ji Zhile. However, Ji Ningyi did not think much about this issue, but he also agreed with his mother’s statement that the unfinished food should be packed and taken home.

Ji Zhile used to like to waste food, so Ji Ningyi decided to tell a small beautiful lie: “It should be.”

Immediately, Ji Zhile became even more worried, tightly squeezed the packing bag in his hand, and solemnly put the leftover food into the refrigerator.

Although he is only three and a half years old, he has already learned a lot. He knows that money is very important. Without money, he cannot buy food, new clothes, or toys.

Ji Zhile said, “Brother, I won’t order so much from now on.”

Ji Ningyi nodded: “That’s right.”

When Ji Ningyi returned to his room, he unexpectedly found that Si Tian was there. His eyes lit up immediately: “Mom.”

Si Tian said, “Ningyi, I want to discuss something with you.”

It was the first time for six-year-old Ji Ningyi to feel involved in a major family event. He stood upright and said in a serious tone, “What is it?”

Si Tian said: “Ji Zhile is serious about wasting food. I want him to experience poverty. Let’s have a simpler meal for the next two days, shall we?”

Ji Ningyi nodded: “Yes, Mom, I very much agree with your ideas and practices.”

People like to be approved, even if the person who agrees with them is a child.

Si Tian curled up her mouth: “That’s why I came to you. Ningyi should go to bed early and you have to go to school tomorrow.”

Ji Ningyi gave an obedient “hmm”, but his eyes followed her figure.

Si Tian stopped and suddenly asked him, “Can you sleep by yourself?”

Ji Ningyi blushed slightly: “I can.”

“Then I won’t accompany you. Have a good night.”

“Good night, Mom.”

Si Tian left and Ji Ningyi sat on his little bed. If he said just now that he needs someone to accompany him to sleep, would Mom stay with him?

But he is in the first grade and all the classmates in the class are sleeping alone. If anyone still sleeps with his parents, he will be laughed at if he speaks out.

It’s just that he wanted to be with Mom very much, since he knew that after Ji Zhile was born, Mom never slept with him.

Ji Ningyi lay on the bed after washing himself, remembering what his mother said just now. He frowned a little and thought of something again.

It turned out that his mother came to him for Zhile. Ji Ningyi could not hide his disappointment in his heart. Obviously, his mother turned out to be his mother alone…

Realizing that his thoughts were wrong, Ji Ningyi shook his head immediately, trying to throw away these bad thoughts. Last time, such bad thoughts came to his mind, which made him lie to Zhile, and the result was that his mother took him to the mall alone and bought him new clothes.

Ji Ningyi raised the quilt and buried his head. He knew it was wrong, but sometimes he just wanted to do it.

***

At this time, Ji Zhile was still awake. He took out his little notebook in good spirits and began to record what bad things Mom did to him today.

1. Mom laughed at the self-criticism letter he wrote (PS: he obviously wrote it seriously!)

2. Mom asked him to pack the unfinished food.

But just after writing this sentence in pinyin and Chinese characters, Ji Zhile put his chin against the tip of the pencil and thought. Mom asked him to pack because she had no money, so she wanted to save money. It seemed that Mom was not wrong.

Ji Zhile erased this sentence in a very fair and principled manner and then tried hard to think about what bad things Mom did to him today.

It’s strange, he can think of a lot of things easily before, but today Ji Zhile thinks hard and only remembers that his mother came to pick him up from school. The other children are very envious, saying that Ji Zhile, your mother is so beautiful.

Ji Zhile’s mouth curled up with joy when he thought about it now. After thinking about it, he erased the first item of Mom laughing at him.

He felt that his mother’s coming to pick him up today could offset the ridicule.

In that case, there is no record in today’s notebook. Ji Zhile thought for a moment and wrote in pinyin, “Mom is not bad today. If she comes to pick me up from school tomorrow, I will erase her calling me a monster.”

But Mom scolded him many times, Ji Zhile thought, then Mom would have to come to pick him up many times.

***

Because he spent a little more time on the little notebook at night, when the alarm clock rang the next morning, Ji Zhile was still a little sleepy. He rubbed his eyes and went downstairs. His original sleepy eyes widened the moment he saw the food on the table.

There used to be many kinds of things, but now he has only a glass of milk and a KFC packed back yesterday.

Ji Zhile looked at his mother and brother’s breakfast in disbelief. Their breakfast was simpler than his, only milk and eggs. Ji Zhile’s face was wrinkled, the milk was so bad, and the eggs were so bad.

In Ji Zhile’s opinion, anything unpalatable is the cheapest. In comparison, the heated chicken legs on his plate are much more delicious.

Ji Zhile was afraid that the two of them would rob him, so he quickly sat down on his seat, gnawed off a piece of meat, and said vaguely, “Good morning.”

In Ji Zhile’s world, as long as someone else eats something, they can’t take it away, but he is chewing while sneaking glances at his mother and brother from the corner of his eye.

They are eating really bad eggs… Ji Zhile frowned quietly.

He looked at the two chicken wings on his plate. They were golden and smelled so tempting. Ji Zhile gritted his teeth, pushed the plate to the middle of the table, and said with pain: “One for brother, one for mother.”

Si Tian declined politely: “You can eat by yourself, I will eat eggs.”

Ji Ningyi said seriously: “Zhile, you can’t give the rest of your food to others.”

Ji Zhile pouted: “You don’t eat.”

Anyway, he could finish it, he just thought it was uncomfortable for his brother and mother to eat only unpalatable eggs and he wanted to share his own meat with them.

Ji Zhile finished eating the leftover food from yesterday and even burped. But he doesn’t like milk, so he only took a sip and put it there.

Si Tian saw it and asked Ji Zhile pretending to be serious: “Do you know why we only eat eggs and milk?”

“Why?”

“Because food is expensive. These two are nutritious and filling, so I eat them.”

Ji Zhile blinked and asked softly, “How does it compare with KFC?”

He already had the answer in his heart. Bad eggs and milk must be cheaper. Sure enough, he heard his mother say, “Of course, KFC is more expensive.”

Ji Zhile let out a groan, his fingers intertwined, thinking that he ordered so many KFCs yesterday but did not finish them all, feeling a little guilty.

At this time, he heard his mother say again: “Drink the milk now, don’t waste it.”

It was the first time that Ji Zhile picked up the cup so obediently. He held it with both hands and drank it all with his head raised, but his posture was very bold and his expression was very painful.

Why in the world is there such a nasty thing as milk?

It would be great if the milk could disappear one day, Ji Zhile thought so.

Si Tian was very relieved because this was the first time Ji Zhile had finished drinking milk so obediently these days. It seemed that her poverty education was effective.

***

Ji Zhile was very troubled by the fact that his family was poor. He was still thinking about it until he went to Huahua Kindergarten.

His deskmate Xiao Yuan broke Ji Zhile’s thinking as soon as he came to the classroom. His voice was very excited: “Zhile, was the person who picked you up yesterday your mother?”

Ji Zhile nodded.

Xiao Yuan said: “Your mother is so beautiful. Now everyone believes that you have a mother.”

Mentioning this, Ji Zhile proudly puffed out his chest: “Of course.”

Xiao Yuan asked: “Will your mother come to pick you up today?”

In fact, Ji Zhile did not know, but he said confidently, “Of course.”

“Your mother is very kind.”

Ji Zhile raised the corners of his mouth happily and heard Xiao Yuan say again: “My mother took me out to eat noodles this morning. It was delicious.”

Speaking of breakfast, Ji Zhile wilted again. The KFC he ate for breakfast yesterday and the eggs his mother and brother ate were not tasty at all.

If their family was rich, would they be able to eat delicious noodles like Xiao Yuan? Ji Zhile plucked up his courage and asked Xiao Yuan in a low voice: “Xiao Yuan, do you know how to make money?”

Xiao Yuan thought for a while and said, “My father can make a lot of money.”

“What does your father do?” Ji Zhile asked.

Xiao Yuan said: “My father asks other people to sell things and he just needs to collect the money, so my father stays with me at home every day.”

Ji Zhile suddenly thought of his father. Dad hasn’t been back for a long time, he must not be someone who asks to sell things to others, maybe Dad sells things for others.

Ji Zhile was worried and asked Xiao Yuan: “Can those other people make money selling things?”

Xiao Yuan said: “My father will pay them wages, but if the wages are too much, it will not be enough.”

Ji Zhile thought of the KFC he ate yesterday. The 32 yuan hamburger really cost a lot, so the money was not enough.

The case was solved, Mom did not have a job, and Dad’s salary was very little. It turned out that their family was really poor.

Ji Zhile frowned tightly and sighed.

Xiao Yuan asked: “Zhile, are you unhappy?”

Of course, Ji Zhile was not happy. He asked Xiao Yuan: “Xiao Yuan, does your father still need someone to help him sell things?”

Xiao Yuan said, “I’ll go home and ask him.”

“Is Zhile’s father looking for a job?”

Ji Zhile: “It’s me.”

Xiao Yuan immediately shook his head: “No, my father only wants adults, not children.”

Ji Zhile suddenly felt even sad, lying on the table and muttering to himself: “Then how does the kid make money?”

Xiao Yuan thought about it and said excitedly, “You can pick up the bottle!”

*****

Translator’s Comment:

I am very worried about Ji Ningyi here. He had many thoughts that were not suitable as a child.

Anyone who is an expert in child’s psychology? Waiting for your comment. (╯•ᗣ•╰)