70s Delicate Girl: A Guide to Being a Rich Woman-Chapter 187: New Year Is Coming

"Grandpa, I brought some cured meat over. Do you need anything else here? I can think of a way to help," Yin Yang said with a smile. He knew his grandfather was looking out for him, but he was also worried about him because he was the only relative he had left in the country, and he couldn’t just leave him unattended.

"You’ve brought meat again. Yin, aren’t you afraid that we old folks would finish all the meat you’ve saved?" Professor An laughed heartily. Yin Yang’s occasional help made them feel more hopeful about life.

"There’s still some left. If it runs out, I’ll just buy a bit more," Yin Yang said unconcernedly.

"We’re old now; you should eat more yourself," Professor Song said helplessly. Thanks to Yin Yang, they managed to get by quite decently.

Although they didn’t eat lavishly, they seldom went hungry, even if they ate mostly coarse grains.

When they were first assigned here, they were extremely despairing. Some even committed suicide, but they managed to persevere.

"I can’t consume that much," Yin Yang shook his head.

"We don’t lack anything here, honestly," Professor Song smiled. If it weren’t for his grandson, he probably wouldn’t have survived.

Recalling past events, the pain and despair of being falsely accused and reported by the student he valued the most was something he could never forget.

"Does it get cold here at night? How about I find someone to bring over some thicker quilts?" Yin Yang asked. Over the years, his grandpa’s health had been deteriorating, so he had to pay more attention.

"No need for that, don’t bother with such things. You’re struggling yourself; there’s no need to worry about us old folks. You’ve sent us so many things already; we don’t lack anything," Professor Song said helplessly. His grandson was too filial, which made Yin Yang bear too much, causing him to feel heartache watching it.

Over at the educated youth camp, with the New Year approaching, many people were requesting letters of introduction from the team leader to go home and visit their families. Of course, they had to return eventually, as their household registration had been transferred to the countryside when they came.

There were only a few who didn’t go back, just Yin Yang and Huo Qingze. Yin Yang wasn’t planning to go elsewhere at the moment, and Huo Qingze simply didn’t want to return to face his stepmother’s disgusting face.

"Looks like it’ll just be the two of us celebrating the New Year again this year," Huo Qingze lightly laughed in the quiet small courtyard, watching Yin Yang who was reading not far away.

"How many dishes have you learned to cook this year?" Yin Yang put down his book and lazily looked at Huo Qingze.

"I’ve learned two actually, why? You plan on letting me cook all by myself?" Huo Qingze rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his true nature with other uninteresting people around.

"Hehe, not impossible," Yin Yang said shamelessly.

"Dream on," Huo Qingze coldly spat out two words.

"With that attitude, you’ll never find yourself a match. Smile a bit," Yin Yang teased as he looked at Huo Qingze’s indifferent demeanor.

"Don’t you have the same attitude every day and still haven’t found someone?" Huo Qingze stabbed right at Yin Yang’s heart without hesitation.

"Life’s tough enough without tearing each other apart; you’re going too far," Yin Yang expressed his frustration.

Compared to the tranquility at the educated youth camp, the Xu Family was bustling. After dividing the grain, their granary was filled over half, which really set their minds at ease. The previous years were too tough, so they naturally valued the grain more.

"Grandma, with so much grain, when will we cook some white rice?" Xu Mumu asked Madam Chen. She had been in this world for almost a year now, eating meals that were either porridge or mixed with various sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Honestly, she started missing the taste of plain white rice.

"We’ll have your dad grind some in the afternoon, then we’ll cook white rice," Madam Chen was uncharacteristically generous this time.

"Grandma, I want rice balls," Xu Minglei looked at Madam Chen expectantly.

"We’ll have them during the New Year," Madam Chen, no longer stingy due to the good harvest this year, responded.

Xu Mumu and the others had finished their final exams and were just waiting to collect their report cards.

"Still over half a month to go until New Year," Xu Minglei was a little unhappy.

"Alright, we can eat more then," Xu Mumu said, smiling as she tousled Xu Minglei’s hair.

"Sis, when will our big brother come back? He said he’d buy me new clothes this year," Xu Minglei shifted topics, no longer talking about rice balls, and started mentioning their big brother.

"Probably in the next few days," Xu Mumu replied with a smile. Xu Minghui hadn’t yet shared the news of his confirmation with the family.

"I really want big brother to come back soon," Xu Minglei eagerly expressed, the bond between the two brothers was quite strong.

"Minghui and the team are working overtime. I wonder if he’s tired," Li Caixia was also fretting over her son. Her belly was very large now, with the due date not far off. In about a month’s time, the baby inside her would be born.

Since the baby was due around the New Year, most of the necessary preparations were already done.

The birth, naturally, would take place at home; Madam Chen was skilled at delivering babies. She had given birth to several children herself and had helped deliver other women on the team, making her quite experienced.

Although Xu Mumu was somewhat uneasy, Li Caixia and Xu Hai had complete trust in Madam Chen, so Xu Mumu said nothing more.

Qian Ying’s belly was slightly smaller than Li Caixia’s, but it wasn’t long until her due date as well, just a little over a month later than Li Caixia’s.

However, Qian Ying didn’t look very well. Bearing this child put quite a burden on her body. Though Xu Xue had helped restore her health somewhat, her constitution wasn’t strong to begin with.

In contrast to Li Caixia, who was lively and active every day, Qian Ying appeared pale, with a somewhat sickly demeanor.

The subject of Xu Mumu and the others’ conversations, Xu Minghui, returned the very next day, carrying a large bag, giving off the impression of returning in glory, which drew the attention of many villagers.

Upon arriving home, Xu Minghui was warmly received by the family. This time, he returned suddenly after working overtime for two weeks straight.

Once home, he unpacked all the things he bought for the family. These were purchased from out of town with the truck team, a bit cheaper than buying locally.

For the elderly couple, he brought back two thick wool sweaters. For Xu Hai, it was a pair of rubber shoes, handy for work. For Li Caixia, he bought a scarf, the style of which wasn’t available at the local supply and demand cooperative.

For Xu Minglei, it was a piece of clothing. The fabric and style were quite new, unlike anything available locally. For Xu Mumu, it was the promised wool coat, very beautiful.

Apart from those, he also brought some necessities for the soon-to-be-born baby: bottles, milk powder, and some baby clothes, soft and comfortable to the touch.

"You rascal, buying so much stuff and not thinking to save some money," Xu Hai jokingly slapped Xu Minghui on the back.