Fortunately, Xue Ling had already swept away the snow at the entrance of the yard, and the bicycle could still enter smoothly even though it was carrying a lot of things.
Ouyang Mei and Cheng Tianfang, who were warming themselves by the fire in the kitchen, heard the noise and got out one after another.
Cheng Tianfang saw her brother wearing a very nice leather jacket and couldn't help but be surprised: "Brother! This thing is very expensive!"
Cheng Tianyuan gently swept away the snowflakes on the leather and found that there was only a little water splash on the leather. It dried quickly after wiping it off. As his wife said, this leather jacket was warm and could cover the snow.
He smiled, swept away the snowflakes, and replied: "I don't know how expensive it is, but your sister-in-law bought it for me. She bought me two pieces yesterday, they are very warm!"
After hearing this, Cheng Tianfang couldn't help but look at Xue Ling on the side with a strange look.
A leather jacket like this costs dozens of yuan, and ordinary workers might not be able to afford it even if they earn a month's salary.
But Xue Ling made a lot of money and was generous with her purchases. She bought two pieces in one go!
Xue Ling didn't pay too much attention and was busy taking down the dry goods in front of the car.
"Brother Yuan, have you bought mutton and beef?"
Cheng Tianyuan smiled and said: "I bought it. It was snowing again in the winter, and the market was very deserted. I negotiated the price and bought a lot! Look! Two legs of lamb only cost more than five yuan, and there are a lot of bones added!
There are several beef elbows that are frozen hard, it would be good to thin them out a little later."
He remembered Xue Ling's words before and turned to look at his sister.
"Afang, your sister-in-law said it was a rare visit for you, so she specially took ten yuan this morning and asked me to go to the market to buy meat and vegetables for you to eat. Look, she also asked me to buy a bag of melon seeds and peanuts for you.
"
Cheng Tianfang took it humbly, moved her mouth, and finally whispered: "Thank you...sister-in-law."
Last time they went home and bought a lot of delicious food, she was very happy to eat it.
She knew her brother very well and was very economical. Apart from rice and flour, she couldn't bear to buy anything else.
Today's meat and snacks must be Xue Ling's own idea.
Ouyang Mei shows off how rich her family is all day long, but she is very stingy. She usually only gives her a few snacks, but how can Xue Ling be so generous, giving her only ten yuan!
Xue Ling smiled and said: "Bone soup is being cooked inside. It's very cold. I'll ask your brother to get a small charcoal stove. Let's have hot pot later!"
Cheng Tianfang swallowed hard when he heard this and nodded: "Okay! Okay!"
Cheng Tianyuan unloaded the big basket and moved it to the kitchen.
Xue Ling quickly poured a glass of hot water and handed it to him.
"Have a drink to warm yourself up."
Cheng Tianyuan smiled slightly, took a sip and drank.
"It's not cold anymore after we enter the house. It's very warm in the kitchen. You can do translation work here in the afternoon. Your desk is too close to the window and it's very cold."
Xue Ling smiled and whispered: "I moved the books down this morning."
Cheng Tianfang took out a handful of melon seeds, ate them, and said with a smile: "It's so fragrant! It's delicious! I like sunflower seeds the best!"
After hearing this, Xue Ling and Cheng Tianyuan looked at each other and laughed one after another.
Ouyang Mei, who was standing outside, looked a little gloomy and was secretly anxious.
Ah Fang is so brainless, he bribed her with just a little bit of meat and melon seeds!
Has she forgotten who will be her brother’s biggest helper in the future?! If the Cheng family wants to be truly wealthy, they can only rely on her and her eldest brother!
There is a small charcoal stove in the corner of the kitchen. It is a bit old but not broken.
Cheng Tianyuan moved it out, cleaned it with snow, threw charcoal inside, and lit it on fire.
Then, he cut the beef and mutton into thin slices and filled two large plates.
Xue Ling brought the bone soup, added mushrooms and some ginger to it.
"It's cold. Let's add a little more ginger when we make soup. It's good for your health and can also relieve the cold."
Cheng Tianyuan readily agreed and said: "I bought several pieces of ginger earlier, which is enough for us to eat until the New Year."
The preparations were quickly completed, and the four of them gathered together to eat hot pot.
Cheng Tianfang ate happily and kept laughing: "It's so delicious! I'm almost exhausted! No - brother, give me some more! The county is really great! I really came to the right place!"
Ouyang Mei on the side echoed: "I asked you to come here a long time ago! Look, you have everything you need to eat and drink, unlike in the countryside where you can get whatever you want!"
Cheng Tianyuan glanced at his sister, not wanting to say anything in front of Ouyang Mei, and continued to brush the mutton for Xue Ling to eat.
Ouyang Mei ate happily and talked more.
"My brother has already come by car and brought a lot of goods. Our store has been almost cleaned, and the shelves will be delivered in two days. We will be able to open the business and make a lot of money soon! Haha!"
Cheng Tianfang was also very excited and said: "I will stay in the county from now on and make a lot of money with Brother Cong...with you and Brother Xiang!"
…
After eating, Ouyang Mei and Cheng Tianfang went next door with melon seeds and peanuts.
Xue Ling cleared the table, while Cheng Tianyuan boiled hot water and washed the dishes and chopsticks.
The snow stopped outside, but it was still very cold as the cold wind blew the snowflakes around.
Xue Ling sat at the dinner table and translated. While thinking about it, he considered it based on the context and then wrote it down after making sure it was correct.
Cheng Tianyuan went to the second floor to clean, and didn't come down to the kitchen to drink water until he was thirsty.
Xue Ling stretched and asked, "Have you called home? How are your parents doing?"
Cheng Tianyuan replied: "My body is fine. Mom said the two hot water bottles you bought are really good. Our dad uses them every day. At night, one is used to apply on the arms and the other is used to warm the feet with Mom. They are very comfortable to use."
Xue Ling smiled softly and said: "Next time I go back, I will buy two more, one for each of them to warm their feet."
Cheng Tianyuan also smiled and whispered: "I will accompany you to buy it."
Xue Ling lowered her voice and asked: "Then my parents know that my sister-in-law is here, right? Do they agree?"
Cheng Tianyuan shook his head and explained: "She told her parents that Ouyang Mei lives next door to us now and is busy opening a store, so she needs her help for a while. When her store is no longer busy, she will go back. She didn't dare to tell the truth, and she deceived them perfunctorily.
.”
After a pause, he added: "If my father knew she was coming to the county town, he would definitely refuse. That girl deliberately took advantage of my father's absence to pack her luggage and leave with Ouyang Mei. My mother couldn't do anything to her.
I couldn't catch him even if I chased him. My mother said that my father was so angry that he smashed the bowl."
Xue Ling sighed softly and whispered: "Dad was worried that she came here because of that Lin Cong, that's why she was so angry."
Girls of fifteen or sixteen years old are ignorant about worldly affairs, so they really have to worry.
Cheng Tianyuan said solemnly: "I have already told my mother that when the weather clears up and the car can drive to the suburbs, I will take her back."
"Yeah." Xue Ling nodded.
That evening, the two of them came over to have dinner, then left and went back next door.
Ouyang Mei had been criticized by Xue Ling before, and seeing that Cheng Tianyuan never treated her well, she didn't dare to come too often.
Now that Cheng Tianfang is making excuses, she really wants to come here for every meal.