The sky was getting slightly brighter, Cheng Tianyuan got up and saw Xue Ling asleep leaning on the quilt, with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead. He felt distressed secretly. He stepped forward and carefully changed her position, and saw that she was lying on the mat, and soon fell asleep again.
He didn't dare to wake her up, so he tiptoed out of the room.
There have been showers in the evenings recently, and the weather in the Imperial Capital is not very hot, with a slight coolness in the morning and evening.
He went to the next room to see his two sons, and when he saw them both kicking off the quilt and sleeping in a pile, he couldn't help but chuckle fondly.
He took a thin quilt to cover their bellies, turned around and opened the door.
The door opposite was ajar, and Cheng Muhai was grinding soy milk in the corner of the kitchen.
A while ago, four elderly people went to play in the old city of the imperial capital and saw someone making small grinding mills and handicrafts for sale. Cheng Muhai was moved when he saw it, and asked his master to make a bigger one, and then bought it and took it home to grind soy milk for his grandchildren.
.
Home-ground soy milk is smoother and children like it. Even Xue Heng and Cheng Tianfang fell in love with drinking soy milk.
Cheng Tianyuan looked at the purple-red soy milk and couldn't help but ask: "Dad, did you mix it with black rice?"
"Red beans." Cheng Muhai explained: "I finished eating the black glutinous rice yesterday. I asked your mother to buy a few more kilograms when she goes to the market."
The old man prepared breakfast for everyone in different ways, and everyone ate happily.
Cheng Tianyuan entered the kitchen and saw his mother making millet porridge. He quickly asked: "Mom, do you want to make steamed buns today?"
"The dough has been kneaded, but the hair is still inside!" Liu Ying said, "Go and try it. If you can, start doing it."
Cheng Tianyuan washed his hands and kneaded the dough, and asked: "Why are you all so early? You didn't go to bed until ten o'clock last night."
Liu Ying replied: "As I get older, I fall asleep and no matter when I wake up, I can't fall back asleep. Your dad and I are used to getting up early, and we wake up at four or five o'clock."
Cheng Muhai whispered: "We old people can sleep for six or seven hours, which is enough."
Cheng Tianyuan seemed to remember something and asked: "Dad, did Uncle Chang call you a few days ago? What did he say to you?"
"Alas..." Cheng Muhai whispered: "He is not very good. Ever since his sister-in-law Chang died the year before last, he has been very lonely. Later, his daughter-in-law forced him to sell his old house and fields and asked him to go to the city to join them.
If he stays, his life will become even more difficult."
Liu Ying lowered her voice: "He only has a son from Tianshuan, but the son has a soft ear. He will listen to the mother-in-law in everything and doesn't even dare to look after his own father. Tianshuan's wife took all of Chang Bo's money.
, and then treated the old man harshly every day, not allowing him to eat three meals a day - how pitiful!"
Cheng Tianyuan was related to their family and knew the Chang Bo family quite well. He couldn't help but ask: "Dad, did you ask Tian Shuan to answer the phone? You should give him a good scolding."
"Where!" Cheng Muhai snorted coldly: "You, Uncle Chang, went to Chen Min's Café de Coral to make a call, otherwise he wouldn't have any money. Tian Shuan went to work in a factory, how could he be taken care of? You, Uncle Chang, said
, He is still strong and plans to find a job in the development zone and let Chen Min introduce him to it. Chen Min is afraid that he will be too tired and dare not accept the offer. I asked A Min to give him a hundred yuan.
He said I bought him cigarettes and food. However, I couldn’t help him for a while, but I couldn’t help him for a long time.”
Cheng Tianyuan frowned: "His old house is gone, and he doesn't even have any land to grow food. How can he live on? A few years ago, he took out all his savings and lent us some money.
, finally bought a house for Tian Shuan and the others. It’s better for them to live in the house bought by the old man, take all his money, and treat the old man harshly!”
Liu Ying secretly wiped her tears and whispered: "Pity him for an old man... No matter how strong his body is, he can't bear such aggrievedness and anger. He is so angry with Tianshuan now that he refuses to go back.
He picked up some bottles and cans thrown away by others in the development zone and sold them to make a living. He slept in the warehouse of Café de Coral at night. Chen Min’s family gave him food, but he always refused to take it. Later Amin told him that the house belongs to our family.
He only lives in the warehouse after paying for the building and giving him a place to sleep."
"What?" Cheng Tianyuan was so angry that his veins were showing, "He now makes a living by picking up rags?!"
"Yes, it's been like this for the past few days." Cheng Muhai whispered: "I lived in the warehouse at night, and during the day I picked up bottles and cans to sell. I don't know how I managed to cope with three meals a day. I didn't dare to eat what Chen Min gave him.
of rice.”
Cheng Tianyuan asked: "Then - Shuan didn't find his old man that day?"
Liu Ying even swallowed: "He went to find him, but Chang Bo had given up on him. Chang Bo asked him to pay back part of the money and buy back his hometown's fields so that he could return to Chengjia Village, but he did not dare to agree, saying
His wife refused. Chang Bo slapped him and said he had no son, and then he never looked back at Jiangyuan Phase II."
Cheng Tianyuan quickly made the steamed buns, turned around, washed his hands and went to make a phone call.
After a while, Chen Min answered.
"Ayuan, why are you so early? It's just past six o'clock, I just opened the store!"
Cheng Tianyuan would call him and Ahu from time to time and ask: "How are you doing? Are you busy? Is business okay?"
"Business is not bad. Beer and watermelon sales are very good in summer." Chen Min said with a smile: "My boy can already help bring beer to customers. He is already a helper."
His son is almost two years old, a little younger than Ahu's son, and looks very much like Chen Min.
Cheng Tianyuan smiled and said: "Awesome! You and your sister-in-law teach you well!"
Chen Min laughed loudly: "It's just a joke! Brother Ahu's son is already quite big, much taller than mine. My aunt came here a few days ago, and Brother Ahu took her with her, but she only stayed here for one night.
After paying homage to my uncle, I will return to the provincial capital the next day."
Cheng Tianyuan said: "I haven't had time to contact Ah Hu recently, so I will call him later. Ah Min, I want to ask you about Chang Bo's situation."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Min smiled bitterly and sighed: "Ayuan, it's not that I don't help... Uncle Chang doesn't dare to accept my help. I have three hot meals here and serve them to him, but he runs away and says with a smile
We can give him a place to sleep, and he is already grateful to us as Bodhisattvas. But the old man is like this... It's really not possible! My wife saw him drinking water and eating steamed buns by the river yesterday. How do you think this can continue in the long run?"
Cheng Tianyuan felt very uncomfortable when he heard this, and asked: "Is his old man over there? Let him talk to me on the phone."
Chen Min whispered: "No, I went out at dawn and won't come back until evening."
Cheng Tianyuan sighed: "I'll call in the evening. Amin, tell Uncle Chang that I need an old man to help look after the warehouse. There is only one old man at the door of the warehouse to help look after him, but he has a family to take care of and has to go back from time to time, so he has to take care of both.
No, I want to ask him to help me. The salary and treatment are the same as that old man, including food and accommodation. I asked him if he is willing to help me. If he is willing, you buy him a ticket and I will pick him up at the pier.
come over."
Chen Min knew as soon as he heard that Cheng Tianyuan wanted to help Uncle Chang, and he responded repeatedly.
"The old man is so pitiful... No matter how strong his body is, he can't bear to eat three meals out every day without being hungry! If he is willing, I will take him to the north by boat tomorrow."