Chapter 37 – Sensible (1)

“Don’t move an inch!”

Su Xiaoxiao, with a dark face, pulled the quilt for the three little ones.

The kissing plan failed.

The three little ones could only close their eyes regretfully and obediently stopped talking.

The children played happily and slept quickly. After a while, there were even small snores from them on the bed.

Su Xiaoxiao held her cheeks and looked at the three little ones who were sleeping soundly. She herself didn’t know what it was like to be accompanied by a mother, and somehow by a coincidence, she became a temporary mother for others.

There were some people who had been caught in the rain and still wanted to hold umbrellas for others.

But there were also some people who inherited the cold and indifferent genes from their parents

  ……

It was late at night, and the father and son just came back with a sullen face, dragging their tired bodies.

When they got home, Father Su plunged into his room and didn’t eat dinner.

Su Xiaoxiao filled a bowl of meat soup with rice and handed it to Su Ergou, “Where have you been today? What’s wrong with Dad?”

-Meat soup with rice

The first thing Su Cheng usually did when he came home was to call her daughter, but today he didn’t do that, which was obviously unusual tonight.

Su Ergou received the soup and took a sip, and whispered, “Uncle Cheng passed away, and it was five days ago. Dad only got the news today, and when he hurriedly went there, the person was already buried.”

“Who is Uncle Cheng?” Su Xiaoxiao asked.

Su Ergou sighed: “One of dad’s brothers1, who used to go to escort with dad several times before. But his legs and feet were not very good, so later he didn’t do it anymore. He has been working as a temporary worker in the town for all these years, and his life is very difficult. In those days when dad was in the prime of his life, many people came to flatter dad. When dad didn’t do it anymore, only Uncle Cheng who was still willing to communicate with dad. Don’t you remember? When you were a child, you had a serious illness and didn’t have the money to go to the medical center. It was Uncle Cheng who sold his family’s old cow, so that you could have the money to treat the illness.”

1this brother is not a real / biological brother, but he’s a really good friend that is so close like brothers.

That was when Su Daya was 7 years old. Su Ergou was 5 years old. She was so ill that she became unconscious. So only Su Ergou remembered the family’s despair and the hope that was brought by Uncle Cheng who sent charcoal in snowy weather2.

2To send charcoal in snowy weather (idiom) : to provide help when others need it urgently.

They were the same people who also walked through the escort life together. Zhang Dao is a white-eyed wolf3, but Uncle Cheng is very affectionate and righteous.

3White-eyed wolf (白眼狼) bái yǎn lánɡ : someone who is incapable of expressing gratefulness and appreciation and even bites the hand that feeds him.

No wonder Father Su was so sad.

Su Ergou was actually also very sad: “In the past few years, the Cheng family has borrowed a lot of foreign debt to treat Uncle Cheng. When Uncle Cheng left, he left behind an orphan, widow and an elderly woman. Let alone pay off the debt, they don’t even know how to continue to live on.

——

There was no lamp in the room, and Su Cheng sat blankly on a chair.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, “Dad, it’s me. Are you asleep? I’m coming in.”

After saying that, without giving Father Su a chance to refuse, Su Xiaoxiao came to Su Cheng with a bowl of meat soup and rice.

She didn’t light the lamp, and there was a dim candle light in the main room, which was not very bright, so Su Cheng’s dispirited attitude could be hidden.

Su Cheng didn’t want to be too embarrassed in front of his daughter. He said in his usual tone, “Dad is not hungry.”

Su Xiaoxiao handed him a note: “Take it.”

Su Cheng asked, “What?”

“Loan’s receipt.” Su Xiaoxiao said.

Su Cheng didn’t understand.

Su Xiaoxiao took his hand and put the loan’s receipt in his palm: “He Tongsheng still owes 15 taels. When he pays back the money, take it to the Cheng family.”

Su Cheng suddenly raised his head and looked at his fat daughter in astonishment.

Su Xiaoxiao let go of his hand and sat down on the stool beside him: “If it’s not enough, I still have 4 taels here.”

“Enough, it’s enough…” Su Cheng’s throat was choked.

“All three members of our family can do things, and there will always be money to earn.” Su Xiaoxiao was not very good at comforting, and she didn’t know if this could make Father Su feel better.

“I won’t buy those rouge gouaches in the future, and I won’t eat Jinji’s snacks. The expenses won’t be big. I remember that our family has land. When Wei Ting recovers, just let him go to the farm, we will have enough food, and we can also save money.”

-Rouge gouaches