Bai Dan felt a tugging pain in his heart as he knew that rascal Bai Da had definitely made Xingxing suffer.
“Okay, grandpa will take you in, and from now on, you’ll live with grandpa. And grandpa will send you to university!”
He usually lived alone and pretended not to feel lonely by raising a few chickens and a black dog named Xiao Hei! He also raised a pig because he felt one person couldn’t eat that much.
Everyone said, “Old Bai, you’re already in your late fifties, close to sixty. Why not live with your son and enjoy life instead of living alone?”
He didn’t want to. He liked living by himself. Why should he live with his son? Except for feeling too quiet at night, everything else was fine!
But now things were different; his granddaughter was going to live with him. He needed to spruce things up a bit.
“Xingxing, once you’re better, how about grandpa takes you to the market, huh?”
Bai Dan was skilled in bamboo craft, whether it was making baskets, bamboo strips, or bamboo chairs, he could create them perfectly.
Every market day, he’d weave some small baskets and sell them.
“How long will that be, grandpa?”
Bai Zhi looked at herself, small as a pebble, her head feeling groggy.
“Just a few days, just a few days…”
Then Bai Zhi could no longer hear Bai Dan’s voice,
Back home, after putting Bai Zhi in bed, he remembered what the doctor had said about needing to nourish Xingxing.
Without a second thought, Bai Dan grabbed a chicken and slaughtered it.
His cooking was average; he just needed to add salt and MSG.
Bai Da came over with Bai Yu while Bai Dan was cleaning the chicken, he saw them but acted as if they hadn’t arrived.
“Dad, it was Bai Ye’s fault this time. He doesn’t know his own strength. I saw it—it was because he tripped on a sharp rock. If Bai Ye hadn’t been holding Xixi, they might have both fallen.
Here’s 200 yuan, please use it to help Bai Zhi recover, including clothes for her. If she needs to stay a few days, let her stay. Don’t worry…”
Seeing that rock, Bai Da’s heart chilled. Thinking about what Bai Ye had said, that Bai Zhi had intentionally pushed Xixi, how young is she?
Such malicious intent, that’s really too much.
But she’s already injured now, hopefully, she’ll learn something from this experience.
Bai Da sighed deeply, as Bai Ye stubbornly stared at Bai Dan without speaking.
“Just leave the stuff and go. Come with me tomorrow to move the hukou. Since you look down on Xingxing, let her stay with me.
Don’t tell me it can’t be done; those words don’t exist for me!”
After sorting the chicken, Bai Dan walked into the kitchen, then came back out to face them.
He took the 200 yuan and Bai Zhi’s belongings from Bai Da.
“You can leave now.”
Bai Da sighed and took his son out of the courtyard.
Looking back, the door was already closed, and Bai Ye felt even worse.
“It’s all my fault, Dad. It would have been better if I were the one hurt. Now, what about Xixi’s tuition?”
Bai Ye was guilty, not because he injured his sister Bai Zhi, but because of the situation now, having given Grandpa the 200 yuan, they now had no money for the little sister’s school fees.
“You indeed made a mistake, Bai Ye. If Bai Zhi was hurt, you should have told me to take her to the hospital. How could you not say anything?
But let it be. Hopefully, she’ll learn something from this experience.
You—make sure to apologize to your sister, okay? This time it was your fault.”
Bai Da stopped to look at Bai Ye, saying word by word,
It was wrong of Bai Zhi to push Xixi, but then was it right for Bai Ye to push Bai Zhi?
“I understand, but what about Xixi’s tuition fees? School is starting soon; maybe I should call mom?”
With a face filled with frustration and regret,
Bai Da thought Bai Ye had learned his lesson; his kids were not usually unreasonable, except for Bai Zhi.
“No need, I’ll think of something else. I’ll go to the factory tomorrow and see if I can get an advance!”
Actually, Bai Da’s salary was quite high, about six to seven hundred a month, which was considerable back then, but almost half went to school fees for the three children.
Last month, Bai Ye had some matters to handle and only worked for half the month, so this month he was really struggling…
“Uh-huh!”
Bai Ye responded faintly, but deep down, he severely held a grudge against Bai Zhi. If it weren’t for Bai Zhi, would these problems even exist?
Of course, Bai Zhi didn’t know, and even if she did, she wouldn’t feel anything.
Isn’t it normal to pay for medical expenses if you injured someone?
Is it unnecessary for your own daughter?
In the end, Bai Dan was quite capable; he took Bai Da the next day to transfer their household registration, successfully registering Bai Zhi under Grandpa’s household account.
Bai Zhi stayed in bed for three straight days, and Grandpa really wouldn’t let her set foot on the ground at all.
After lying in bed for three days, she had only been eating chicken soup—one with only salt—that truly wronged her taste buds.
“Grandpa, I feel better today, let me go pick some vegetables!”
Starting from yesterday, her head wasn’t dizzy anymore. Bai Zhi felt she should be recovered. Even if not, she had to claim she was because it was too uncomfortable!
The feeling of lying motionless,
She got up and looked around the small courtyard, which was filled with bamboo. Grandpa used bamboo to make various crafts to sell at the market.
And today was the perfect day.
“Shall we go in the afternoon? Shall we go to the market with Grandpa now?”
Without further discussion, Grandpa was about to put Bai Zhi in the carrying basket. Bai Zhi quickly stood up,
“Grandpa, I can walk by myself. It’s embarrassing to have you carry such a grown person!”
One could indeed fit a person inside the carrying basket, but she wasn’t really nine like she seemed—to be more than twenty years old and carried in that manner just wouldn’t do.
She couldn’t accept it herself.
“Are you sure you can handle it? It’s a half-hour walk,”
Grandpa was somewhat skeptical. Today, he was carrying items that others had pre-ordered, along with some bamboo winnowing baskets used for washing vegetables,
And bamboo chopsticks, bamboo brooms,
“I can do it. I used to walk a lot before. Grandpa, please take me along?”
Bai Dan thought for a moment, and if Xingxing wanted to go, then let’s go.
“Alright, shall we go then?”
Grandpa, carrying several baskets and holding bamboo winnowing baskets, set out!
Market days fell on the 1st, 4th, and 7th dates of the lunar calendar—villagers from ten miles around would attend.
It was quite lively. The only things that might interest the children would probably be cotton candy and a bowl of wonton soup.
Upon arrival, Bai Dan wasn’t in a rush to set up his stall, as he had paid for his space, which happened to be a locked shack-like stall that nobody could take over.
He brought Bai Zhi to a small booth.
A few bamboo poles and a tarpaulin could make a little booth,
Couple of coal stoves, and they could start cooking.
This was Bai Zhi’s first time witnessing such a scene.
“Boss, two bowls of wonton, one large bowl, and one medium bowl!”
“Coming right up!”
Bai Dan sat down with his granddaughter and pointed to a stall across,
“There, that’s Grandpa’s stall. After we eat, we’ll go sell stuff, and then I’ll buy you some meat. How does that sound?”
Bai Zhi’s eyes sparkled as she nodded quickly,
Not for any other reason, but after eating flavorless chicken for three days, she was up for anything!
In Bai Dan’s eyes, Xingxing had no idea how long it had been since she had had meat. How badly was she craving it?
The wontons came quickly, 15 in the medium bowl and 20 in the large bowl.