Back To The 80s-Chapter 462 - 472: Xiaopang_1

When Chen Gang and Jiujiu arrived at Xiaobei’s store, she had already instructed Zhou Tiezhu to bring the food over, and it was being kept warm on the stove.

Because the two children were having lunch there, Xiaobei had bought two jin of meat and asked Zhou Tiezhu to cook braised pork, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, and a big steamed bun.

While eating, Jiujiu said, "Auntie, we had a quiz at school and I scored a hundred on two tests, and I am the only one in our class who can speak English."

Xiaobei realized that she hadn’t taught the two children English in a long time. The articles she submitted to the publisher every month were rushed out at midnight. Putting down her chopsticks, she asked, "Have you two been listening to the English broadcasts on the radio? I’ve been so busy that I forgot about it."

Chen Gang and Jiujiu both nodded, "We have, we have been learning English along with the broadcasts every day. Grandma says I speak English better than the announcer on the radio," Jiujiu says excitedly.

Chen Gang was smiling as he watched Jiujiu and added, "Grandma is right, Jiujiu really does speak better than that announcer." Jiujiu laughed even more happily.

Xiaobei watched the interactive pair and was suddenly reminded of the phrase childhood friends.

After Jiujiu and Chen Gang had finished their lunch, Xiaobei said goodbye to Xiao Hong, took them out of the market, went to the post office, and made a call to Lu Aiguo. She asked him to send a hundred jin of normal Pu’er tea and a hundred jin of ordinary black tea.

People here still prefer to drink Shaan green tea and jasmine tea in winter. However, habits are meant to be broken. Many people adhere to old rules and are afraid to try new things. But Xiaobei wasn’t afraid, because this might be a new business opportunity.

After discussing the matter with Lu Aiguo, Xiaobei could tell from his deep voice and his emotional state that something wasn’t right. She couldn’t help asking, "Aiguo, has anything happened on your side recently?"

"What could possibly have happened to me? I’m just fine, just having a cold, my throat doesn’t feel well," Aiguo replied.

"Are Fang Jing and Yueyue all right?" Xiaobei asked again.

"Yeah, they’re all fine. Please tell mom and dad everything is good here. If Fang Jing can’t get leave this year, we’re not coming back for the Spring Festival." After chatting for a while, Aiguo rushed to hang up.

Xiaobei was puzzled. The Spring Festival was still a long way off. Why would he be discussing not coming home for the New Year so early?

After hanging up, Xiaobei saw the sky was gloomy and decided to go home directly. With Xiao Hong there, she was relieved.

She bought two jin of lamb chops at the market near her home, which she could stew into soup for dinner.

Carrying her lamb chops, she slowly walked home and saw Xiaopang from a distance, wearing a small floral cotton-padded jacket with a topknot, standing at the gate with Wen Xiuqing.

When Xiaopang saw Xiaobei coming home, she did not run over eagerly as she had done the previous few times.

It wasn’t until Xiaobei got closer that she realized Xiaopang throwing a tantrum at the doorstep, stubbornly standing across from her grandmother, refusing to go home or be held, her eyes wide and watery, sniffing her nose.

Seeing her mother coming over, Xiaopiang’s lower lip protruded and she began to cry loudly.

Xiaobei knew that trying to coax her at this moment would only make her more temperamental. Pretending not to see, she asked Xiuqing, "Mom, what’s wrong with Xiaopang?"

"Your dad went out to buy salt and took Mo Wang but not her. So she started to make a fuss. She won’t go home when asked and doesn’t want to go find your dad either," Xiuqing answered helplessly looking at the stubborn little girl.

While crying, Xiaopang gazed at her mom. Seeing Xiaobei didn’t even look at her after crying for a long time, her sobs gradually subsided.

Xiaobei sighed. Xiaopang had recently developed a habit of pampering herself, largely due to her grandparents, especially Lu Zhanguo, spoiling her without limit.

Lately, when Xiaopang is unhappy at home, she throws a tantrum and throws things around. Xiaobei decided to take Xiaopang for a few days herself to correct her bad habits.

Seeing Xiaopang’s crying subdued, Xiaobei bent down and asked, "Xiaopang, mommy is going home. Do you want to go back?"

Seeing her mom finally paid attention to her, Xiaopang cried even harder, shaking her head vehemently while sobbing.

Xiaobei stood up, telling Xiuqing, "Let’s go back first. Let her cry it out. We’ll come back when she stops crying." After saying that, she walked into the yard without looking back, carrying the meat.

Xiuqing couldn’t bear to leave Xiaopang alone, so she squatted down and coaxed her, "Good Xiaopang, let’s go home, okay? If you go home, grandma will give you candy."

Upon hearing this, Xiaopang blinked, wiped away her tears with the back of her small chubby hand, nodded her head, and repeated, "Xiaopang eats candy."

Standing inside the gate, Xiaobei sighed deeply. This is exactly how you appease her in different ways. Xiaopang still won in the end.

After dinner, before Lu Zhanguo came home, Xiaobei took Xiaopang back to her house, planning to personally look after Xiaopang for a while.

Xiaopang was quite happy to go home with mom, it had been several days since they had taken her home.

Not long after they got home, Xiaopang asked for an apple.

Xiaobei peeled the apple, cut it open, scooped out the seeds, placed it in a small bowl, and let Xiaopang sit on the small stool in front of the coffee table to eat it.

Xiaopang ran joyfully to the coffee table, but when she looked down at the apple in halves, she became unhappy. She had been eating whole apples at her grandparents’ house recently, and now seeing half an apple triggered the idiosyncrasies of childhood perfection, she pointed to the apple and started to cry, "Mom, it’s bad! Don’t want it!"

Xiaobei said very seriously, "Mommy took out the apple seeds, it is not bad."

"Bad! Don’t want, don’t want." Xiaopang cried louder and louder, while Xiaobei sat on the sofa, watching Xiaopang cry without saying a word.

Seeing her cry didn’t work, Xiaopang picked up the apple from the bowl and threw it on the floor, then looked defiantly at her mother with her tear-streaked face.

Xiaobei suppressed her anger and said in a severe low voice, "Lu Xinyan, pick up the apple."

Xiaopang not only didn’t pick up the apple, but she also threw the other half from the bowl onto the floor.

Xiaobei got up and went into the bedroom, planning to ignore Xiaopang and give her the cold shoulder.

Seeing her mom not only didn’t console her but also went into the bedroom, Xiaopang’s cries got even louder. As she cried, she watched the bedroom door, waiting for mom to come out.

When Lu Zhanguo came home, he found his daughter crying in the middle of the living room, with half an apple on the floor.

Xiaopang had been about to stop crying. But when she saw her dad, she started wailing again.

Lu Zhanguo felt bad for his daughter. Seeing her cry, her eyes swell like a little rabbit, with tears falling like beads, he quickly changed his shoes, took off his coat, bent down to hug Xiaopang and asked, "What happened to Xiaopang? Don’t cry. Is it okay if daddy hugs you?"

Xiaopang glared at the bedroom door and began to cry harder as a form of protest.

Xiaobei opened the door abruptly and signaled Lu Zhanguo to let go of Xiaopang.

Lu Zhanguo saw his precious daughter crying so hard that she couldn’t catch her breath. He picked her up, held her in his arms and comforted her.

Xiaobei glared at Lu Zhanguo, infuriated. This is exactly how a child’s bad behaviors are indulged.