Chapter 653

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

When Wang Erhai and Wang Xiaohua returned together to their hometown of Shanggou Village, it was already around five o'clock in the afternoon.

Li Xiulan was frying dumplings and sugar rings in the firewood room.

Now that all three children had grown up, actually not many people ate the fried dumplings and sugar rings even if they were made.

But this was part of the New Year; making some dumplings and sugar rings was what gave it the New Year flavor.

"Mom, we're back!"

Li Xiulan looked up and saw Wang Erhai and Wang Xiaohua walk in together, and she was immediately overjoyed.

"As long as you're back, Erhai. Why didn't Meiqi come back with you?"

Li Xiulan didn't see Liu Meiqi, so she casually asked.

Wang Erhai answered honestly:

"She's doing sanitation work in the county town and isn't coming back."

"Isn't she coming back even on New Year's Eve?" Li Xiulan was stunned.

Wang Xiaohua hurriedly said:

"Mom, let's go to Second Brother's house in the county town for the New Year this year. Shanggou Village is too small. If Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, and I all come back, there won't even be enough places to stay. We might as well just go to Second Brother's in the county town for the New Year, so everyone can gather together, and you and Dad can also experience life in the county town."

Li Xiulan heard this and laughed heartily:

"You're thoughtful. That sounds good. I just don't know if your father is willing to go."

"What about Dad? I'll ask him." Wang Erhai said.

Li Xiulan said: "He went to visit Liang Xinghua's house. Give him a call."

Liang Xinghua had only returned today.

Wang Zhanggen went to his house to visit, wanting to say hello to Liang Xinghua, because after the New Year he planned to build a new building on Liang Xinghua's homestead land.

Wang Erhai was about to call Wang Zhanggen when Wang Zhanggen had already returned.

"Dad, you're back at just the right time. This year, should our whole family go to the county town for the New Year?"

Wang Erhai hurriedly asked Wang Zhanggen.

Wang Zhanggen was stunned:

"What about the hometown side?"

Wang Xiaohua said:

"Just go to the county town for two days and one night. Go on New Year's Eve and come back on the first day of the lunar new year. The hometown side won't be a problem."

Wang Xiaohua also said:

"Dad, going to the county town for the New Year is Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law being filial to you and Mom. Besides, in the county town you two won't have to busy yourselves with anything; you just need to wait comfortably to eat the New Year's Eve dinner. Most importantly, this will add glory to your face! With so many of us spending the New Year in this shabby rural house, others will laugh at us to some extent."

Wang Xiaohua's words were such that every sentence skillfully manipulated Wang Zhanggen; it could be said he spoke straight to Wang Zhanggen's heart.

Wang Zhanggen's first reaction was actually not very willing to go to the county town for the New Year.

After all, the friends he knew were all near Shanggou Village, and there was no one he knew in the county town, so the New Year would be spent without much meaning.

But hearing Wang Xiaohua say this, he immediately changed his mind.

"Alright, then let's tidy up and go to the county town tonight?"

Wang Zhanggen replied thus.

Wang Erhai said instead:

"Mom is still frying sugar rings and dumplings. The house needs cleaning too, and we need to put up spring couplets and door god paper. Let's finish all the chores tomorrow, and then going to the county town won't be too late."

Wang Zhanggen said:

"Then you go help your mom with the chores. I still need to tell Zhang Aifen to clear the vegetable garden after she finishes the New Year's Eve banquet. After the Lantern Festival, we'll start building the new house."

After saying this, Wang Zhanggen turned around and left.

Actually, this matter could wait until after the New Year.

He just didn't want to stay at home to help with chores.

Wang Erhai and Wang Xiaohua had long been used to his behavior.

So they didn't say anything.

They only went to wash their hands, then went to help Li Xiulan fry sugar rings and dumplings.

"Erhai, Xiao Hua, when you were children you loved eating sugar rings and dumplings. After the New Year, take some back with you. You can eat them slowly. Sugar rings and dumplings can be preserved for a long time!"

Li Xiulan said with a smile while using chopsticks to stir the golden, crispy sugar rings frying in the oil pot.

Wang Erhai said instead:

"Mom, there are many snacks now. Just taste a few bites during the New Year. Actually, there's no need to make so many."

Li Xiulan said instead:

"We need them, we need them. Without making these, where would the New Year flavor be?"

Then she added: "By the way, I also bought two jin of fruit jelly back. You three brothers used to love eating it!"

Hearing his mother's words, Wang Xiaohua couldn't help but feel emotional inside.

When they were children, the three brothers indeed liked cheap snacks like fruit jelly, hawthorn cake, dried bayberry, and sugarcane. But that was because the family was poor and couldn't afford high-quality snacks. Now they weren't so poor, there were many snacks they could eat, and they didn't really like these cheap snacks anymore.

It was precisely because they ate too many of these miscellaneous things as children that their teeth weren't very good. Eldest Brother and Second Brother's teeth were relatively neat, but they both had cavities. As for Wang Xiaohua, not only did he have cavities, but his teeth also grew unevenly.

"Mom, I can't eat sugar rings and dumplings anymore. I just got orthodontics, and the dentist said I can't eat things that are too hard. Jelly, though, I can try a few."

Wang Xiaohua said so.

Li Xiulan looked up at Wang Xiaohua's mouth, and only then discovered Wang Xiaohua was wearing braces.

"Why go do that? Original teeth are best; this must cost not little money."

Li Xiulan's most important concern was actually being afraid of spending money; one couldn't say she was stingy, she was just accustomed to saving her whole life, saving had been carved into her bones, besides asking God she didn't know how to haggle, in every other aspect she saved whenever she could.

"Mom, it didn't cost much money, just one or two thousand yuan."

Wang Xiaohua told a lie.

Because he knew, if he told the truth, correction plus tooth extraction plus X-rays and other miscellaneous things had already cost over ten thousand yuan, Li Xiulan probably couldn't stand it.

"One or two thousand yuan isn't much!"

It's just that, saying one or two thousand yuan, Li Xiulan still thought it expensive.

She also said:

"Getting dentures at Lao Liang's in Town, one tooth is only 98 yuan, I just got one filled not long ago."

Li Xiulan bared her teeth to show Wang Xiaohua and Wang Erhai.

The filled one was the lower left back molar, that kind of silver inferior denture, great color difference, and poor quality.

But rural old people all love this style; some old people, open their mouths and their mouths are full of silver teeth.

"Mom, let's not talk about this; from now on don't make so many sugar ring dumplings, can't finish them."

Wang Xiaohua changed the subject.

His and his mother's cognition were completely not on the same level.

And changing a person's cognition is the most difficult thing in this world.

"I'm still afraid of making too little; before making twenty jin of flour, before the Lantern Festival arrived, you all finished the sugar ring dumplings; this year I only made eight jin of flour."

Li Xiulan said so.

Wang Erhai said instead:

"Mom, making this is too troublesome; from now on we'll just buy directly; now the County Town's supermarkets have everything for sale, sugar ring dumplings too!"

Li Xiulan however said:

"Bought from outside, how can it compare to homemade? And the outside sugar ring dumplings, who knows what oil they're fried with; mine is fried with our own pure peanut oil, so fragrant!"

Li Xiulan also said:

"Erhai, next time bring more down; when you go to Mei Qi's home to visit relatives after the New Year, also bring some for her parents!"

Wang Erhai could only laugh dryly and say:

"Okay okay, we'll listen to you!"

……