Back To The 80s-Chapter 485 - 496: Parent and Child_1

Gu Xiaobei freed one hand, pinching Xiaopang’s little nose, "You’re a big sister, you can’t fight with Doudou."

Xiaopang was so upset that she was about to cry, clutching tightly onto Gu Xiaobei’s arm, "Mommy, put brother down, and hold Pangpang."

Gu Xiaobei handed Doudou to Wen Xiuqing who was standing by the Kang - traditional Chinese bed-stove - put her arms around Xiaopang and said, "Holding Xiaopang, are you satisfied now?"

Xiaopang nodded vigorously, hugging Gu Xiaobei’s neck tightly.

"So, can mommy hold brother too?" Gu Xiaobei teased her on purpose.

Xiaopang nodded again, "Holding brother is fine."

Wen Xiuqing laughed and said, "Indeed, blood is thicker than water. Anything less just wouldn’t do."

Mo Wang also ran over on his own, seeing mom sitting on the bed, seemingly put at ease instantly. He leaned against the Kang - traditional Chinese bed-stove - grinning and watching his mom and sister.

Early next morning, Gu Xiaobei went to the post office to call Lu Aiguo. Turns out he was quite ready to come over for the New Year. Upon hearing his normal voice, Gu Xiaobei figured their relationship must have improved and she was relieved.

The weather was favorable in the next few days, Gu Xiaobei’s business started to get busy, and orders were pouring in. Packing gift boxes for delivery, it was the same old routine as every year, yet somehow it was smoother this time around.

Using up a dozen days, working overtime. The New Year’s goods business was wrapped up for this year. Gu Xiaobei watched the last batch of New Year’s gift boxes leave the warehouse and sighed, "Another year’s rush has come to an end."

Xiao Hong and the others all nodded and said, "Yes, indeed. The year passed by instantly."

After Gu Xiaobei handed out red envelopes to everyone and they all had a year-end meal together, this year’s hard work was symbolically closed with a perfect full stop. Everyone could go home and celebrate the New Year with peace of mind. After a good rest, they would gear up for the battles to come!

Seeing that they were getting off work earlier this year, Gu Xiaobei took her two children home to the residential compound to stay. She had been so busy in recent days that she had neglected her two little ones. Xiaopang had already expressed her protest more than once and wanted her mom to cuddle her to sleep.

When Wen Xiuqing went shopping in the morning, she bought extra to send to the residential compound, so that Gu Xiaobei wouldn’t have to take the kids downstairs and could just stay in the house all day.

Wen Xiuqing told Gu Xiaobei, "You guys stay at the residential compound for a few more days. Your dad and I will prepare the New Year’s goods. Without these two around causing trouble, we’ll be much better off. Besides, it’s cold outside, we can’t have the kids catch a cold right before the New Year."

Gu Xiaobei nodded, "What do you want me to buy?"

"No need. We still have the two hundred you gave us last month, and your older brother gave us five hundred the other day. That should be enough for the New Year. If it’s not, we know where to turn for help," said Wen Xiuqing, without any embarrassment.

Gu Xiaobei didn’t say anything but immediately took five hundred yuan from the house and said, "Since my elder brother gave, we must also give. If it’s still not enough, let me know. My elder brother has to support his family solely on his salary, so my elder brother shouldn’t have to contribute money in the future."

Wen Xiuqing felt very gratified deep down. All her three daughters-in-law were unconcerned about money. Although they all had a bit of a temper, they never let it affect them, which made living together quite easy. Thinking back, she felt a bit uncomfortable about how she almost blindly split up the couples.

Gu Xiaobei didn’t say more either, she just handed the money to Wen Xiuqing. Xiaopang, standing beside her with her big eyes wide open, excitingly asked, "Grandma, are you going to buy candy? Bubble gum?"

Wen Xiuqing put the money in her pocket, bent over to pick up Xiaopang and said, "Little children can’t eat bubble gum. If you swallow it, it would stick to your intestines."

Xiaopang blinked, the gum will stick to my intestines? It seemed quite serious. With her bright and clear big eyes, she curiously asked, "Can we eat candy? Grandma, are you going to buy candy?"

"You little glutton, all you know is eating candy. Okay, wait until your sister Lele comes, then you both can eat candy," said Wen Xiuqing, while poking Xiaopang’s little nose.

Wen Xiuqing had to go back and cook for Bai Xiaolan, she didn’t sit for very long before she hurriedly left.

Gu Xiaobei let Xiaopang and Mo Wang play by themselves while she cooked. The meal for the three of them was easy to prepare, she stewed some ground meat and rolled out some noodles, a simple mix would do.

Xiaopang loved meat. Gu Xiaobei, however, was afraid that eating too much meat would be bad for her stomach, so every time she would use lean meat to stir-fry vegetables and cut the meat into really small pieces. This way, there seemed to be a lot of minced meat in a bowl, but in fact, there wasn’t much.

Using chopsticks clumsily, Xiaopang scooped up the noodles towards her mouth and asked, "Mommy, where did the meat go?"

"Isn’t the meat in your bowl?"

"It’s too small, I can’t see it. Mommy, can I eat a big piece of meat?"

Looking at her daughter’s pitiful eyes, Gu Xiaobei nodded and said, "You can eat a big piece of meat when it’s the New Year."

"Mommy, will brother also eat it?"

"Brother will eat it too."

Only then was Xiaopang satisfied and continued to struggle with the noodles. Her little mouth was smudged with the brown minced meat sauce all around, even her little face was covered in sauce.

After finishing her meal, Gu Xiaobei took the two kids to wash the dishes. For the children, they were more interested in the chores they couldn’t do. Xiaopang and Mo Wang stood on little stools, Gu Xiaobei put a basin in the sink with warm water in it, and started letting them play with this water. Meanwhile, she could wipe the stove table and mop the floor.

When the kids had had enough, Gu Xiaobei had also almost finished cleaning. So, they washed the dishes together, used soap to wash their hands and face, and prepared to take a nap.

Xiaopang was so excited to sleep in her mother’s arms that she kept saying, "Mommy, tell a princess story, tell a princess story...."

With one child under each arm, Gu Xiaobei laughed and said, "OK, a princess story it is. Today, we will talk about the Mermaid Princess. Long, long ago, by a beautiful seaside..."

It was Gu Xiaobei who fell asleep first while telling the story, even though the two kids were still awake.

In a daze, Gu Xiaobei heard someone knocking at the door very lightly. Looking at her two children leaning against her body, sleeping soundly, she gently maneuvered Xiaopang and Mo Wang onto the Kang - traditional Chinese bed-stove, covering them with the small quilt. She then left to open the door.

Unexpectedly, it was Ge Chunling standing at the door wiping her tears. Gu Xiaobei quickly pulled her into the room, lowered her voice and asked, "What happened?"

Ge Chunling knocked at the door softly as she knew the children were sleeping. But now that Gu Xiaobei asked her what happened, her tears started to fall even more fiercely.

Gu Xiaobei led her to the sofa, handed her a tissue to dry her tears, and said, "Come on, stop crying. The New Year is just around the corner, it’s no good to cry."

Ge Chunling took the tissue, wiped her runny nose and tears, and murmured through her sobs, "I can’t live like this anymore. If it keeps going like this, she’ll drive me crazy. My mother-in-law complains every day about me not earning money and freeloading, saying that Xiaobao is already over a year old, and I should go find a job."

Gu Xiaobei sighed in her heart, thinking that it seemed Wu Family’s joy over her grandson had passed and she had started to find various faults with her daughter-in-law again.