Chapter 113: Thoughtful

Su Qingyue discussed it with Xiang Jianming and the others, deciding to have the educated youths from the Educated Youth Courtyard serve as teachers to conduct literacy work for the factory workers.

After a vote and election, Dai Xiaohong and Zhou Xiang were appointed as the literacy teachers for the processing factory, holding classes twice a week to mainly teach the workers basic Chinese characters and arithmetic.

Any worker at the processing factory could attend classes for free. Everyone was very enthusiastic about learning, and some even brought their children who weren't in school yet to listen.

Gradually, the number of people grew. On weekends, when several children from the village who were studying in the county returned, they also came to listen.

"Teacher, I know how to do this problem!"

Su Zhuangzhuang raised his hand and read the characters on the small blackboard aloud, receiving warm applause when he sat back down.

Xiang Xiaole was not to be outdone, "Teacher Dai, I know arithmetic within ten too!"

Several little children vied to answer questions, pushing the learning atmosphere of the literacy class to a climax.

Even Widow Liu's three children raised their hands to answer questions, each of them appearing poised and confident, not at all as timid and cowardly as before.

"It really is good to study. Look, it's only been half a year, and these little children have changed so much. Now they greet people when they see them, and their mouths are so sweet."

"That's right, and they are very smart. They know more characters than I do. Oh, it makes me feel embarrassed."

After class, people walked home in twos and threes.

Suddenly, the first snow of winter drifted down from the sky. The pure white snowflakes gradually became larger, dancing in the air like goose feathers.

The children's screams and playful laughter instantly scattered into the sky.

Su Qingyue smiled and pulled Su Zhuangzhuang and Su Qingxi to go home, "Let's go home to eat first. After eating, we'll have a snowball fight in the courtyard!"

"Yay! Auntie, I want to be on your team. I want to protect you!"

Su Zhuangzhuang said in a milky voice, hopping and skipping as he walked back.

"Brother Xiaole, wait until I've eaten, I also want to find you for a snowball fight." Xiang Xiaole issued an invitation.

"Brother Xiaole, come over. You bring Brother Xiaoqiang along to play too."

Su Qingyue smiled and spoke to Kong Shan and her sister-in-law, "After eating, let the children all come to my courtyard to play. I'll light a few more fire basins."

"Okay, then we'll be there in a while."

"What do you want to eat later?" Pei Huaiye brushed the snowflakes off Su Qingyue's hair, a faint smile on his face.

"I want to eat some kind of hot soup."

"How about radish and pork rib soup, and steaming a pot of buns?"

Su Qingyue felt happy just thinking about it. She nodded firmly, "Mm, I also want to eat something spicy."

Her appetite had been very good lately; she wanted to eat both sour and spicy things.

Sometimes she was like a child, wanting to cry if she couldn't eat what she wanted.

"I'll prepare everything for you, both sour and spicy."

Pei Huaiye's voice was doting, "Qingxi, go call Father and Sister-in-law over to eat, don't bother lighting the fire."

"Okay, Brother-in-law. Sister, I want to eat sweet potato balls."

"There are plenty of sweet potatoes at home, we'll fry some in a bit!"

Su Qingxi got her answer and happily went to call people.

"Why is it like the New Year, frying balls and steaming buns?" Su Mingqiang smiled until his eyes squinted.

Pei Huaiye lit two fire basins, and the whole kitchen was warm and not cold at all.

"Father, there is a fire basin in the main room. I've poured hot tea, you and Big Brother go sit and rest for a while."

"Qingyue, you go rest too, don't move around."

Pei Huaiye shooed everyone to the main room to sit, serving melon seeds, peanuts, and a plate of dried apricots, "They are very sour, you try one."

Su Qingyue ate one, her eyes wrinkling from the sourness. "So delicious." She tossed them into her mouth one after another.

"Eat too many, be careful your teeth will get sour."

Li Zilan chided. Su Zhuangzhuang also ate a dried apricot, his whole little face wrinkling up, saliva flowing down the corner of his mouth, "Wow! Wuwu, so sour!"

Su Mingqiang laughed until tears flowed out, "That's what you get for being greedy."

Su Qingwu dug a basket of sweet potatoes, washed off the mud, and sent them to the kitchen, "Huaiye, I'll light the fire for you."

"Okay."

Su Qingwu originally thought his brother-in-law would refuse, but he didn't expect him to agree directly. He scratched his head and had no choice but to sit in front of the stove to light the fire.

In the main room, several people were roasting by the fire and chatting.

Before long, Pei Huaiye brought out a large basin of steaming buns. Su Zhuangzhuang exclaimed in surprise!

The white, chubby buns were squeezed together. Breaking open the soft skin, inside was fragrant cabbage and tofu.

Everyone had a bowl of pork rib and radish soup. The ribs were soft and tender, the radish sweet. Taking a sip of soup and eating a bun, a hot feeling swept through the whole body. There were also two fire basins in the main room.

Su Mingqiang had never spent a winter like this; he felt as happy as if he were dreaming.

Su Qingyue loved spicy food, so Pei Huaiye specially made a kind of spicy cabbage bun. Breaking it open, it was a sour and spicy cabbage filling, very flavorful.

"Eat slowly, there's still plenty." Su Qingyue had already eaten three buns, and Pei Huaiye handed her another one.

Li Zilan's eyes squinted. Qingyue had been pregnant for three months, and her belly was visibly growing. It hadn't been obvious in the first month or two, but why was it so big now?

After the meal, Su Qingyue started to feel sleepy.

Two hot water bottles had already been placed inside the quilt. Su Qingyue crawled in and hummed comfortably.

Why was Pei Huaiye so thoughtful?

Such a thought flashed through her mind, and she fell into a drowsy sleep.

Pei Huaiye closed the door lightly. Kong Shan and her sister-in-law brought the children to have a snowball fight. He added tea and dried fruits to the main room again.

Kong Shan and her sister-in-law's jaws almost dropped to their chests.

Asking Li Zilan, Su Qingyue was sleeping in the room, lunch was cooked by Pei Huaiye, and now he was even helping to entertain guests.

How did she cultivate such good fortune?

"This is nothing. Qingyue is pregnant, and Pei Huaiye dotes on her to the bone. Before she was pregnant, it was the brother-in-law who cooked, and now he doesn't even let her wash clothes, doesn't let her do anything, just lets her eat and sleep as she pleases."

Kong Shan and Zheng Hui were dumbfounded listening to this.

In the courtyard, Su Zhuangzhuang and the other little children were divided into groups for a snowball fight. Xiaohei and Xiaobai also participated. The two puppies were well-fed and had grown quite a bit, looking like fluffy balls, very nice to touch.

The puppies didn't understand the rules; seeing the round snowballs, they ran and chased after them.

When they caught up, they would carry the snowballs to Su Zhuangzhuang and Su Qingxi to claim credit.

"They can even pick up snowballs, so amazing!"

"Zhuangzhuang, don't freeze the puppies, don't let them pick up snowballs." Li Zilan knew Su Qingyue liked these two puppies very much.

"Got it, Mom."

"Brother Xiaole, let's build a snowman." Su Zhuangzhuang's hands were red from playing, but he still excitedly went to dig for snow with his face flushed.

Xiang Xiaole blew warm air onto Zhuangzhuang's little hands, "Let's go, let's roast by the fire for a while before building the snowman."

Several children returned to the main room to roast by the fire.

Pei Huaiye brought out a basin of hot water, "Come over and soak your hands, soak for ten minutes before taking them out."

His tone was very serious, and the several little children all obediently listened.

Kong Shan winked at Li Zilan, that look seemed to say, "This man is too thoughtful, and he's also good at taking care of children." ===== CHAPTER 114 =====