Xu Dong found a teahouse, asked for a private room, and started preparing for lunch.
It is inconvenient to go out, and the temperature is high, so food is not easy to store, so lunch is very simple, one piece of bread for each person, plus an after-dinner fruit, and nothing else.
The triplets looked at their father eagerly.
The three brothers gave away two loaves of bread, but now the three of them only have one loaf left, and they will definitely not be full.
Xu Dong ate the bread and deliberately pretended not to see it. He had to bear the consequences of the mistakes he made.
He also wanted to take this opportunity to educate the three brothers and let them know how precious food is. Outside is not as good as at home, and no one will spoil them.
"dad……"
"What's wrong?" Xu Dong was unmoved at all.
Dabao handed the bread to his father pitifully: "Dad, just one piece of bread."
After saying that, he pointed at himself and his two younger brothers with his chubby hands. The meaning was very clear that one piece of bread was not enough.
Xu Dong wiped his mouth, took the bread from his eldest son's hand, divided the bread into three parts, and divided it into three parts, and then distributed it to the three of them.
"Isn't that great? Let's eat quickly. We have to go to the zoo and botanical garden in the afternoon!"
"Dad, it's too little. I won't have enough to eat."
Dabao looked at a ball of bread that was only as big as his fist and said with a puffed mouth.
"There's nothing you can do about it if you don't have enough to eat. Who asked you to give away the bread?"
Xu Dong waved his hand.
Xu Jingyi broke off half of her bread and was about to share it with her cousins, but when she received a look from her uncle, she had to give up the idea.
The same was true for everyone else, and everyone instantly became very close to each other.
Of course, except Lele.
The more defeated the brothers are, the happier the devil is. If her father were not there, she would definitely add insult to injury.
"Wow, dad doesn't love me anymore."
Dabao shouted with a sad face.
Erbao and Xiaobao also felt aggrieved.
Xu Dong put down the bread and said seriously:
"Of course Dad loves you, but you are about to go to elementary school and are already young men. You must think clearly about the consequences before doing something.
Just like what happened in the morning, the three of you knew clearly that the bread was for lunch, but you still insisted on giving it away. Now that you are fine, you can only go hungry.
Don't think that your father and brothers and sisters will help you. Everyone only has one piece of bread. If it is given to you, your father and brothers and sisters will be hungry just like you.
Do you think you are hungry yourself, or do you want your father and brothers and sisters to be hungry?"
The triplets were quite sensible and ate their own bread obediently, then quickly finished the apple, barely half full.
Under Xu Dong's supervision, everyone else also finished their lunch without any waste, completely eliminating the possibility of "cheating".
Before four o'clock in the afternoon, the triplets began to complain that they were hungry. Xu Dong delayed his return until dark. He wanted the three brothers to remember the feeling of hunger.
As soon as they got home, as expected, the three Dabao brothers cried and went to complain to their grandmother.
Xu's mother was so distressed that she quickly gave each of her grandchildren a bowl of mung bean soup to pacify their stomachs for the time being.
"What happened?" Yang Lina asked concerned.
Xu Dong briefly explained the matter.
"Oh, it's so rare for a good dad to finally wake up!" Yang Lina said sarcastically.
Xu Dong smiled bitterly: "I don't want to really hurt them. My sons will go to elementary school soon. They are not too young. It is time for them to understand something."
"Hmph, why don't you take care of me, boss?"
"They are both girls, and they are in the rebellious period of youth. The stricter the control, the greater the backlash. It is better to let nature take its course. You can relax, I know it all."
Xu Dong quickly assured.
"Take it easy, be careful not to capsize in the gutter, and don't make fun of their future."
Yang Lina couldn't help but remind her.
"Everything is under my control, don't worry!"
…
The following days seemed uneventful.
Probably because of the lack of food, the entire society has fallen into a downturn, and the pace of life has suddenly slowed down a lot. Even walking has slowed down unconsciously.
After enduring it, I finally made it to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Early in the morning, after breakfast, Xu Jingyi went out carrying a large bag of things.
After getting along for several months, her relationship with Pan Jun has become increasingly warm. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Since her boyfriend can't come back, she will go to her boyfriend's house to pay homage to the festival.
This is also her first time visiting.
According to the address, Xu Jingyi quickly found her boyfriend's home.
"Dong dong dong..."
"Jingyi, why are you here?"
Mother Pan was so happy that she could hardly close her mouth from ear to ear.
"Auntie, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, I came to see you." Xu Jingyi replied with a smile.
"Come in quickly!"
Pan's mother quickly pulled her "prospective daughter-in-law" into the house.
Xu Jingyi conveniently put the bag on the sofa:
"Auntie, uncle hasn't come back yet?"
"Well, your uncle has been transferred to Hancheng with the army. Everything there is difficult at the beginning and he is very busy. He probably won't be able to come back this year."
Mother Pan sighed.
"How many years will uncle stay there?"
"At least three years."
Xu Jingyi quickly comforted her: "Auntie, don't worry. I heard from my brother-in-law that Renchuan Airport is undergoing maintenance. After a while, Yanjing will be able to fly directly to Hancheng, and it will be convenient to travel back and forth."
"Okay, let's not talk about him anymore. Are you thirsty? Auntie will help you get some water."
"Thank you, aunt!"
"Why are you being polite to Auntie? Just treat this place as your own home." Mother Pan said angrily.
Xu Jingyi took the water glass and took a sip of water, then looked around and asked smoothly:
"Auntie, isn't Yingying at home?"
"She went home with Chen Lei and won't be back until the afternoon."
Chen Lei is Pan Ying's boyfriend.
Xu Jingyi nodded, and then took the bag on the side: "Auntie, my grandma fried some fish balls, and I brought some here specially for you to try. There are also twenty eggs, which my mother asked me to bring.
Yours.”
"No, no, it's too valuable. Auntie can't take it. You can take it back later!"
Pan’s mother refused repeatedly.
"Auntie, do you treat me as an outsider?"
Xu Jingyi pretended to be aggrieved.
Pan's mother had no choice but to take the bag: "Auntie, please take it to the head office. Your family is too polite. Auntie doesn't even know what to say."
"Auntie, if you say such things again, I won't dare to come again next time."
"Okay, okay, Auntie, stop talking. You sit and watch TV for a while while Auntie goes to the room and puts things away."
"Auntie, go and do your work!"
In less than five minutes, Pan's mother came over with a red envelope and a green bracelet.
"Jingyi, it's your first time to visit our house. Auntie has given you a red envelope. You must accept it."
"Auntie, you really don't need it."
"Good boy, take it quickly!"
After some evasion, Xu Jingyi accepted the red envelope.
Pan's mother then grabbed the "prospective daughter-in-law's" right hand and put the jade bracelet on it.
"Auntie, the bracelet is too expensive!"
Xu Jingyi wanted to take off her bracelet.
The quality of this bracelet is not cheap at all. You can't buy it for less than hundreds of thousands.
Pan's mother quickly stopped her and said: "There are a total of one pair of bracelets. They were passed down to me by Pan Jun's grandmother. I have already planned them. One for you and one for Yingying. They are just right!"
"Auntie, I haven't officially agreed to Pan Jun yet?"
Xu Jingyi said shyly.
"Isn't that a matter of time? Our Pan Jun has already recognized you, and so has Auntie. You can't run away." Pan's mother joked with a smile.
Next, after Pan's mother tried her best to persuade her to stay, Xu Jingyi stayed for a lunch.
Pan’s mother ate the fish balls and praised them profusely:
"Your grandma's cooking skills are so good. The fish balls she makes are so strong. Auntie has never tasted such delicious fish balls in her life."
In fact, fish balls taste good for one thing.
On the other hand, thanks to the current shortage of supplies, although the Pan family's living standard is not bad, it is not much better. They don't even eat meat, and they even have very little oil and water.
Only when Pan Jun came back from "going abroad" occasionally would he bring some dry goods and local specialties such as seafood, but he couldn't eat many meals.
"Auntie, I'll bring more next time."
"No, it's not easy for your grandma to make fish balls once. It's enough to eat them once. How can you make them often?"
Mother Pan shook her head.
"Auntie, my grandma basically wants fish balls two or three times a month. It's okay."
Every time Xu's mother makes fish balls, she will share some with the old man's family and the second child's family. The old man never favors one over the other.
"That won't work either. Only after you and Pan Jun get married will my aunt feel at ease."
After the meal, Xu Jingyi helped Pan's mother clean up the kitchen and then said goodbye.
Pan's mother also wanted to keep the other party for dinner.
"Auntie, you also know that today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. My grandma is having a dinner party tonight, so I really can't stay."
"Well, Auntie won't keep you. If you have time on the weekend, remember to come and sit. Your uncle and Pan Jun are not at home all year round, and the house is too quiet."
Mother Pan warned.
Xu Jingyi nodded: "Auntie, I will definitely come over to accompany you more often in the future."
Pan's mother was very happy and personally put her "prospective daughter-in-law" in a taxi.
After leaving her boyfriend's house, Xu Jingyi did not go home. Her father just called and told her that the digital store was closed and asked her to go directly to her grandma's house.
When we arrived at the courtyard, it was very lively inside.
Xu Ting pulled her eldest niece to her: "Jingyi, tell me quickly, how are you getting along with your future mother-in-law?"
"Auntie, what's the matter with the future mother-in-law still missing?"
"What's there to be shy about? Auntie is someone who has been here before and can help you with the details."
Xu Jingyi blushed: "Aunt Yan is very good to me and gave me a bracelet."
"What kind of bracelet? Let me see it quickly!"
Xu Ting urged.
Xu Jingyi directly raised her right hand.
"Tsk, tsk, what a big deal!"
Because she couldn't tell whether it was good or bad, Xu Ting directly called her sister-in-law and younger siblings over.
Yang Lina looked at the bracelet carefully and then said: "It should be true. Dongzi gave me a jade comb. The texture looks very similar."
"Nana, how much is this bracelet worth?"
Tan Aifang asked quickly.
"I don't know the exact price, but it must be several hundred thousand. Pan Jun and his family are not bad, so they shouldn't be able to fool Jingyi with bargains."