CH 4

Chapter 4: A Biased Mother (4)

“Do you also think that Zhaodi should give up all the toys just for the sake of Xiaobao?” Yin Yin’s clear voice rang. She looked at Jiang Jianguo with a slightly cold gaze.

Jiang Jianguo stuttered: “Zhaodi, Zhaodi is the older sister after all…”

“Just because Zhaodi is older and the elder sister of Xiaobao, should she let herself be wronged and give all the toys to Xiaobao? She is older and the eldest sister of Xiaobao so she needs to give all the things that Xiaobao asks? Is that what you mean?” Yin Yin’s tone was calm without any ripples, but Jiang Jianguo became nervous.

He immediately opened his mouth to explain, “No, wife. I’m not trying to say that.”

Yin Yin didn’t intend to listen to his explanation and directly interrupted him. “The toys now are the toys you promised back then, and you should keep your word. As a father, you should set a good example to your children and keep your promise. If you don’t, how can the children learn?”

Jiang Jianguo opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Yin Yin left the still absent-minded Jiang Jianguo and went to the kitchen to cook.

Jiang Tianyang who was still crying was also dumbfounded. Why didn’t his mother coax him like before?

Jiang Zhaodi slowly closed the door that was slightly opened with a slit. The location of her room was not very good, and their house was inside a village of a city. The houses in a village were tightly connected to each other, so her room was especially dim despite having a window.

The small room is very plain. It was remodeled from a storage room. Inside the room was a small bed, a square-shaped table which was used by Jiang Zhaodi to do her homework, and a cardboard box, in which all the clothes of Jiang Zhaodi’s was neatly placed inside.

Jiang Zhaodi sat on the small wooden bed with the bear doll and lego held in her arms, with a look that was a little silly. What her mother said just now was still ringing in her ears.

She reached out her hands and touched the little bear’s ears and belly, she moved very gently, as if she was afraid that she might damage it. She thought of what her mother had just said just now and a smile bloomed on her face.

In the end, she fondly put the little bear and lego at the side of the bed so that she could see them while sleeping.

She unzipped her schoolbag and took out a red plastic bag from the innermost part of her bag.

The red plastic bag was opened, revealing the contents inside, a five-yuan note and three ten-cent notes. The notes were a bit crumpled, so Jiang Zhaodi carefully smoothed them out with her tiny hands.

She was lucky today and picked up more bottles.

Jiang Zhaodi lifted the mat of her small bed, and took out a small stack of money. One dime, two cents, one yuan… Five yuan.

Looking at the money in her hand, some of it was earned from picking up bottles this semester, and there was also from the money she received in New Years.

As she looked at the money, Jang Zhaodi’s heart was full of satisfaction.

When she finally saved enough money, perhaps she could persuade her parents to allow her to study.

The money is full of coins and many notes, which is a bit inconvenient when keeping it. Tomorrow, she planned to exchange it for a larger amount of banknotes with the uncle in the small shop next door.

“Mom, let me help you serve the dishes.”

“Alright.”

Yin Yin was almost done cooking the dishes, and Jiang Zhaodi served the dishes skillfully. Generally when Yin Yin was not at home, it was Jiang Zhaodi who was cooking. Sometimes, when Yin Yin worked overtime to do some stuff like checking the homeworks of students, the task of cooking and taking care of Xiaobao fell on Jiang Zhaodi’s head.

Placing the dishes on the table, Jiang Zhaodi took another bowl and filled it with rice.

“Dad, Xiaobao, it’s time to eat.” She called for the two.

“Coming.”

Jiang Jianguo sat down at the table with Jiang Tianyang nestled in his arms. The two of them were watching TV together before they were called out.

Yin Yin cooked four dishes; Tomato Scrambled Eggs, Braised Pork, Sweet and Sour Short Ribs, and Stir-Fried Lettuce.

Jiang Zhaodi took the braised pork and sweet and sour short ribs with chopsticks and put them in one bowl, then she sat beside Jiang Tianyang.

Yin Yin untied her apron and came out of the kitchen. What greeted her was the sight of Jiang Zhaodi feeding Xiaobao with a bowl and spoon held in her hands.