Chapter 872

The car was full of children, each one going to the city for the first time, their faces full of excitement and agitation, and they gathered together to communicate happily.

Ye Yaodong put on his hat, covered his mouth with a mask, and chatted with his brother-in-law for a few sentences. After getting on the main road, he also closed his mouth.

It was shaking, and the noise was loud, so they relied on shouting to talk. It wouldn't be too late to talk after getting off the car.

The children also went from being high-spirited and full of excitement at the beginning to becoming more and more listless later on.

It wasn't until they entered the city area that they came back to life, their eyes wide open, each one lying on the edge of the tractor, stretching their necks to look around with surprise, their mouths open wide enough to fit an egg, wishing they could grow another pair of eyes to install on the back of their heads.

After coming back to their senses, they excitedly chattered non-stop, their fingers pointing here and there.

Because they didn't take any protective measures, their heads were covered in a layer of dust. When they got off the car, there was obvious dust falling down when they patted their hair, echoing that lyric "Your hair is like snow."

"Ah, we're here, we're here?"

"Are we here? Is this it?"

"Wow, is this the market?"

"Wow wow wow, too great, we're here!"

"It's so big and clean here, so beautiful, much cleaner than our countryside, the houses are so tall, so many cars..."

"So many people too, I've never seen so many people in my life..."

Ye Yaodong just got off the car and went to open the store door first to make it convenient for unloading goods. When he passed by a few children, he made them happy.

"Haven't you guys ever been to a fair?"

"Fairs don't have this many people, and how can a market be as beautiful and spacious as this?"

"That's true, fairs are crowded with people, you guys are short and can only see heads, or feet, how could you see so many people."

"Dad, when are we going to buy a ball?"

Lin Guangyuan also stared at him with fiery eyes; he had also been thinking about his soccer ball.

"Help your uncle unload the goods first, then tidy up the store. Don't rush for this moment. You guys come over to help move things too, don't just watch, don't just talk, there will be plenty of time for you to stroll later."

Everyone jumped and hopped with excitement, and went to help move tables, chairs, benches, pots, bowls, ladles, and steamers. The adults unloaded the goods from the car and below, while the children moved them into the house.

After all the miscellaneous items on the tractor were moved down, the store was also piled full, looking messy and unbearable.

Ye Yaodong looked at the pile of miscellaneous items and suddenly didn't know what to do.

"You guys should have put them at the entrance, all piled up inside the house, how are we going to handle it?"

Lin's sister-in-law also scolded the children depressedly, "Are you guys stupid, just throwing them inside like this? There's no place to put your feet, how can you organize? Hurry up and move them out again..."

"Ah? Just moved them in and have to move them out again..."

"Exactly, didn't say it clearly..."

"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and work, you can go play after you're done."

All the children resigned themselves to moving the things in the house out bit by bit.

Ye Yaodong also accompanied them to organize, until an hour later, the tables, chairs, benches, kitchenware, bowls, and chopsticks in the house were all arranged in good order.

His brother-in-law and the others thought quite thoroughly. Being new here, they definitely weren't familiar with the city, so preparing things from home and bringing them over saved them from buying them outside. Anyway, it was a trip to the city, so it was better to transport them all at once by tractor.

The long tables and benches placed in the house were all idle ones from the school, which he had bought a few of, and simply painted them, writing his own family name sign on them, so they didn't look shabby.

It was just that there were more scratches on the tabletop, and a few small holes, and they were engraved with names, engraved with the word "early," and had three-eight lines drawn on them.

These problems weren't big, anyway, having tables, chairs, and benches was enough for people to sit and eat.

At this time, several sacks of clothes, pillows, quilts, and other daily necessities were placed on a few tables, and several sacks of rice, flour, homemade sweet potato starch, and sweet potato starch noodles were also stacked in the corner.

The freshly harvested corn also had three big bags, and there were cabbage and pickles, not in sacks, but in baskets or jars...

It was estimated that they had moved their entire family fortune over, bringing everything they could, and exchanging whatever they could with relatives and neighbors, such as that big basket of eggs.

It definitely wasn't just their own, otherwise how long would it take to save up such a big basket.

He had said earlier when getting on the tractor, how come there were so many sacks, and they were stacked so high. If the tractor hadn't been heightened, it probably wouldn't have been able to hold so many things.

"Dad, the store is organized, can we go buy a ball now?"

Ye Yaodong glanced at him. This kid was too impatient, always asking and talking. Just finished working and sat down to rest for a while and urged again, need to let him cool off.

"Don't you want to go see your grandparents? Since you're here, don't you want to ask about your own store? And you have to see where your uncles, aunts, cousins, and cousins are going to live tonight, and find the house your grandparents rented for them."

"Alright."

Lin's sister-in-law held a ladle of water she had begged from a neighbor in her hand, and was splashing it onto the ground bit by bit, intending to make the ground a bit wet, so that dust wouldn't fly all over the sky when sweeping later.

She said with a full face of smiles, "You guys go find Grandpa and Grandma first, I'll sweep the ground here and clean up the hygiene. These things were stuck with dust on the way, and they're all dirty. After washing them clean, just in time to cook noodles for lunch, it's almost 12 o'clock."

"Then I'll take you guys to find Grandpa and Grandma first," Lin Xiang Hui said, beckoning to the children.

Ye Yaodong also followed behind.

The few children were extremely excited, running and jumping to the front, finding them themselves.

Later, they really found them, without needing anyone to point the way.

"Here, here, I found them..."

"Found them..."

A group of children all rushed into the store. Lin's father and mother were extremely happy. There were only two customers in the store at this time. After Ye Yaodong entered the house, he helped entertain them for a while.

After they bought the dried squid and left, there were only their own family members in the store.

The children's chattering voices resounded throughout the entire store.

Lin's father and mother asked them a few questions in detail, and after chatting for a while, they planned to take them to the rented house first. It was also the village where the two old people stayed. The two old people also rented one for their family, so they had company.

Ye Yaodong let them go first, and he stayed to watch the store.

This made Ye Chenghu anxious to death. This was waiting in the store again, how long would it take?

He was hungry, and the aunt had already said it was 12 o'clock. They set off in the morning, but it was 12 o'clock when they arrived in the city. And Dad said they were going back at night, so if they delayed any longer, would there be no time to buy a ball?

And the adults still had a lot to say, so how long would they have to wait?

Not seeing the ball early made him feel as uncomfortable as if a cat was scratching his heart.

Ye Yaodong also saw his mouth pouting enough to hang an oil bottle, walking back and forth in the store restlessly, squatting for a while, standing for a while, or walking to his side wanting to speak but stopping, and then walking to the door.

"No need to rush, wait for them to settle down, we'll have lunch, and I'll call a rickshaw at the door to take us to the department store. It's very fast, be patient, why be so impatient."

"Rickshaw?" Ye Chenghu's eyes lit up. He had long seen a whole row of human-pulled carts parked not far from the market entrance.

He had seen people sit on them, and then the people pulling the carts ran very fast.

Did his dad mean he would take him to ride a rickshaw later?

Too great, too great!

He instantly became energetic again!

"Mm, I don't know where the department store is either, just sit on the rickshaw and let people take us there, which saves us from asking people everywhere and looking everywhere like headless flies. It's estimated that by the time we find it, the sky will be dark."

"Good good good, then let's ride a rickshaw."

Ye Yaodong flicked his forehead, "So I told you not to be so impatient."

"How can I not be impatient, since we're here, and have to wait here for half a day, Uncle and the others are so slow."

"They'll be over soon."

Ye Yaodong also stood at the door. It happened that Lin Xiang Hui also walked over from across the road, holding a shoulder pole, and after a while, carried two more sacks toward the village across the road.

It was estimated that he was moving luggage, intending to put the luggage in the place where they lived first, and then come over to have lunch together.

"Why did Uncle come and then leave..."

"Moving luggage."

"Sigh..." Ye Chenghu squatted at the door, supporting his chin with his hands, and sighed heavily.

By the time they finished eating noodles and walked out of Lin Xiang Hui's new store, Ye Chenghu's temper had already been worn away.

He held Ye Yaodong with one hand, his body only rushing forward, his whole person at a 60-degree angle to the ground.

"Finally out, hurry up Dad, hurry up, it's going to be too late..."

"Why is it going to be too late..."

"Hurry up and ride the rickshaw..."

He had been looking forward to it for a long time.

A group of children at the store door looked at the father and son with envy.

They couldn't go to the city, they had to help work at the store. The store would open tomorrow, and they had to start doing some preparatory work, such as kneading dough to make steamed buns, making buns, and making hand-rolled noodles.

Ye Yaodong let him pull him, until he was pulled onto a rickshaw pulled by a strong young man.

He still wanted to hear a few more people call him boss, but this child got on the car so anxiously.

Ye Chenghu reacted after sitting on the car, forgetting to ask if the person knew the way.

"Big brother, do you know where the department store is? We want to go to the department store."

"Know, know, there's no place in this city I don't know."

"How much is the fare?" Ye Yaodong added.

"Two dimes."

"So expensive Dad, old popsicles can buy 10."

"Then you go down and walk?"

"Don't want to."

"Then no popsicles for the next ten days, deduct your fare. When you're out and about, who gets on a car without asking?"

Ye Chenghu didn't care at all. Anyway, as long as he bought him a soccer ball and a basketball, he wouldn't eat popsicles.

However, when he saw his brothers and sisters eating old popsicles while he didn't, he remembered a profound lesson.

At this moment, he was full of expectation, with only the ball in his heart and eyes.

As soon as the rickshaw stopped, he jumped down immediately, and then his mouth became an O-shape, watching the crowd surging around the department store, and there were bicycles at the door, more people than they had seen at the aquatic wholesale market earlier.

"So many people Dad..."

"The clothes they wear are so beautiful, Dad, look... buy a floral dress for Mom too, the floral dresses they wear are so beautiful..."

"Still quite conscientious, knowing to ask me to buy a floral dress for your mom."

"Of course, Mom would definitely look good wearing it."

"Let's see if there are any later."

Ye Yaodong also felt that the floral dresses worn by some girls on the road were quite beautiful. If he saw them in the department store, he could buy one for Aqing.

Otherwise, if he bought a piece of floral cloth back, she definitely wouldn't know how to make a dress, and would definitely feel awkward and not dare to wear it.

In this summer, city women all dressed like this, so his wife could of course too.

Father and son walked into the building excitedly holding hands. For Ye Yaodong, there was nothing to stroll, but he couldn't resist his son feeling fresh.

Ye Chenghu hadn't seen anything, he hadn't even entered the supply and marketing cooperative in the town, here every counter brought him incomparable novelty, and he stopped to stroll at every counter for a while.

Ye Yaodong also understood the child's excitement of not having seen the world, holding his hand, as long as he didn't get lost, he could stroll past counter by counter. It was rare to come once, of course he had to let him have fun and open his eyes more.

The city's department store couldn't be compared to their small town's supply and marketing cooperative. The supply and marketing cooperative had only those few counters in total, but here there were several floors, like a comprehensive building. Individual things needed vouchers, but there were also many things that didn't need vouchers anymore.

"Dad, it's so big inside, no wonder it's called a department store, there are so many people inside."

"Dad, so many people are queuing there..."

"Are they selling televisions there? Are they queuing to buy televisions? Do you have to queue when you buy a television, Dad?"

"No need, there are more people in the city, and city people all have wages, they all eat commodity grain, and all have money, so many people buy televisions, so they have to queue."

Ye Chenghu nodded, he knew this, city people who eat commodity grain are all rich people, stronger than their countryside.

Father and son strolled one counter after another. Although they didn't buy anything, they didn't disturb others from buying things, looked and left, and were very moral not to touch or poke randomly.

After all, those counter ladies all looked at people with their nostrils, each shouting not to touch if not buying.

Until they strolled to a women's ready-to-wear store, Ye Chenghu shouted for his dad to buy a floral dress for his mom.

Ye Yaodong went in and turned around, not knowing if it was popular this year, inside were all kinds of floral dresses, he, a layman, just closed his eyes and picked. Anyway, if the size wasn't right, his wife could change it.

He pointed to a long dress with purple flowers on a white background, looking particularly elegant, and he felt Aqing would definitely like it.

Now there weren't so many diverse colors for clothes, and the basic color tones on the street were black, white, gray, and blue, dusty.

Only some youthful and beautiful girls, and individual young women dressed particularly beautifully, so just now in the crowd, Ye Chenghu noticed the women wearing dresses at a glance.

After all, everyone has a love for beauty, and liking beauty doesn't distinguish between old and young.

"Can this dress be taken down for a look? I want to buy it for my wife, how much is it?"

Hearing the movement, the counter lady took time to turn her head and look at him, and then her eyes lit up, so handsome!

This person was actually quite good-looking, but thinking of what he just said about buying for his wife, and seeing the child he was holding, she felt a bit regretful.

"22 yuan each, don't touch randomly, if it's okay, I'll take it down, otherwise look at something else."

Damn, a proper seller's market, and the attitude was so bad.

Ye Yaodong felt depressed.

Actually, this attitude was already considered good. By comparison, the attitude and tone toward others were even worse.

He smiled and said politely, "Girl, my hands are very clean, look... I won't touch randomly, I just want to take a close look. If it's convenient, you can compare it on your body. You are so beautiful, if this dress sets you off, it would definitely look good on my wife."

The counter lady was overjoyed...

Ye Chenghu was stunned listening, looking at his dad in surprise!

Short and fat, skin yellow and rough...

Ye Yaodong also lowered his head and looked at him, father and son staring at each other with big eyes.

Then he pressed Ye Chenghu's head down and turned it outward.

Staring at him straight like this with surprise, how could he say the following words?

Ye Yaodong closed his eyes again, said all the insincere words of his life, and then spent 20 yuan to buy the clothes and left...

Ye Chenghu's head was pressed, unable to look up at his dad, until he paid, he really broke free, and then was pulled out by his dad.

"Dad... how can you praise... mmm mmm..."

"Speak after walking far away!"

Otherwise it's easy to get beaten!

This child is too honest!

"Praising a bit won't lose a piece of meat, and also got a bargain, isn't this? Two yuan cheaper!"

Thinking of the price, Ye Chenghu didn't struggle with his dad's serious nonsense and random praise, his face aching with pain.

"Dad, I finally know why Mom always says you can't put money in your pocket. You really can't put money in your pocket."

"I usually ask Mom for money, it's two or three cents, at most no more than five cents. How many things can 20 yuan buy? Mom will definitely scold you to death when we go back."

Ye Yaodong touched his nose.

"It's okay, I also sacrificed my eldest, and bargained for two yuan down. Originally they told me 22, Mom will understand..."

"Forget it, let's not stroll, otherwise I'm afraid you'll spend all the money in your pocket, and we won't have money to buy basketballs and soccer balls."

Ye Yaodong actually felt it was okay. A meter of cloth costs several yuan, not to mention floral cloth is more expensive. This is a ready-made garment, and the manual labor fee for a long dress is also quite a lot, not to mention people have to earn money.

"No, I brought enough money."

"Anyway, Mom will definitely scold you when we go back."

After he pulled Ye Yaodong to buy two soccer balls and one basketball, he beat his chest and stamped his feet even more, regretting it.

This dress could have bought him two balls!

An ordinary soccer ball costs 10 yuan, plus two yuan without an industrial ticket, and basketballs are the same. Three balls cost 36 yuan.

He regretted it, shouldn't have pulled his dad into the store to buy a dress.

"Dad, let's go back quickly, don't buy anything else!"

"Long-winded! Buying for you and still shouting!"

Ye Chenghu held a basketball in a net bag, Ye Yaodong helped him carry two, also in net bags, and they had already been inflated.

At this time, Ye Chenghu had no intention of continuing to stroll, wishing to go home quickly and play ball quickly.

He had just patted the basketball a few times in the store, feeling it was particularly fun, patting it and it would bounce back into his palm. Now the basketball had successfully surpassed the soccer ball in his heart.

"We've already bought them, we can go back."

"So lively, not strolling?"

"Not strolling, I have balls and that's enough."

"Alright."

But when he came to the door, he saw some small gadgets, such as tin frogs, small rubber balls, jump ropes, rubber bands, girls' hairpins, etc.

He felt he couldn't be partial. Although the soccer ball bought back was for everyone to play with, it was nominally for Ye Chenghai.

He had the big head, no reason for others to have nothing. These cheap small gadgets could be bought back for them to share.

Like rubber bands and hairpins, the little girls in the family could also use them.

Seeing him collect a big pile of things from the small stall, Ye Chenghu was happy again. Which child doesn't like toys?

"Dad, you bought so many..."

"Buying toys and you don't feel heartache for me spending money?"

"Hehe, I'll help you carry..."

"How can you carry so many? Honestly follow me closely, there are many people coming and going here, don't get abducted."

Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes at him, directly spread the floral dress just bought, wrapped the small toys in it, and carried it.

No plastic bags, really too inconvenient, having to carry a basket wherever he went. It happened that he didn't bring a basket, and the holes in the net bag were too big, some toys could be loaded, some couldn't.

They had a lot of things in their hands, and three balls. Ye Yaodong simply sat on a rickshaw at the door again to go to the aquatic market, to avoid bumping into thieves, robbers, or hijackers on the road.

After returning to the market safely, he walked toward Lin Xiang Hui's store. The children in the house had long been looking forward to their return, especially Lin Guangyuan.

Seeing them appear at the door, and still carrying soccer balls in their hands, his eyes were brighter than the stars in the sky, and his voice calling Uncle was much louder than usual.

Other children also immediately dropped the work in their hands and rushed out, calling Uncle one after another.

"Soccer ball!"

"It's a soccer ball!"

"My God, Uncle bought two soccer balls! And a basketball!"

"Wow, there's a soccer ball, so many..."

"Uncle... Uncle... can we borrow it to play? Can we?"

Lin's sister-in-law immediately scolded them, "Don't mess around, all come over to work, the things your uncle bought are to be taken back, how can you play with them?"

A group of children were instantly disappointed, except for Lin Guangyuan, who knew that one of the balls his uncle bought was to be given to him, which he had begged for.

Ye Yaodong also lived up to expectations by raising his hand, signaling Lin Guangyuan to take a net bag, "This one is a gift for A-Yuan, you guys can play together when you're free."

"Thank you, Uncle!"

"Wow! Uncle gave Big Brother a soccer ball!"

"Is it for Big Brother?"

"Ah?" Lin Xiang Hui hurriedly dropped the work of kneading dough in his hand and walked over, "How come you gave A-Yuan one too, this ball should be quite expensive, take it back..."

"I bought three, specifically to give one to A-Yuan, it's fine, take it. Others don't have soccer balls, but there are other small toys, everyone come and pick one..."

Instantly, cheers shook the sky. No child could resist the temptation of toys.

Ye Yaodong's status in their hearts also rose straight up, it was already high enough, now it should be directly at the top of the first place.

"Don't rush, everyone has a share, don't break the dress for me, if you break the dress, no toys and you'll have to be beaten..."

He spread the floral dress on the table and let them pick one each.

At that time, he bought twenty or thirty scattered pieces, some repeated, some different, different varieties, boys' and girls' preferences were all there, and each one was almost dazzled.

It was Lin's sister-in-law who urged them to pick quickly, and after picking, help work, so they hesitated and each took one they liked.

Seeing that they had already started preparing the ingredients to be used tomorrow morning, and were extremely fast, Ye Yaodong felt reassured.

Anyway, Lin's father and mother were around, they had stayed here for more than half a year, and were very familiar, and the surrounding neighbors were also familiar, so with people looking after them, he could leave with peace of mind.

Before leaving, he also called Lin Guangyuan to the corner and told him how much the ball cost, counting it as a gift from him as an uncle, and the 30-plus yuan of wages he had originally saved were still his.

"Do you want to take it back directly or save it with me first?"

"Save it with you, if it's in my pocket, it will definitely be known by my parents, and then they will think I stole it from the store."

"Alright, then save it with me first, if it's spent by me, don't cry."

Lin Guangyuan smiled, "Won't! If it's spent, then treat it as filial piety to you."

Ye Yaodong smiled and patted his shoulder, "Okay! Go in!"

He also had to say hello to his father-in-law and mother-in-law while he was at it, and take away the turnover and daily flow list for this period.

And the rent for his eldest brother and sister-in-law's store, just take it back, which could also make the two people slightly happy.