Chapter 19 Shopping to Pacify the Wife

"Da Zhu, why are you here?" Da Bao asked, puzzled to see a grimy little boy whose pants and shirt were both hanging off him.

At this time, many people would be at home having their meals.

"Auntie, Da Bao, Xiao Bao..."

After taking a look at the other party, Yun Xiaoxiao couldn't help but reflect. Even in the twenty-first century, there were still many poor people, with countless children in remote mountainous areas unable to afford school or to have enough food and warmth.

"My mom told me to go pick up a big bundle of firewood to take back," said the boy.

"But it's mealtime now. You should have eaten first before coming out; otherwise, there won't be any food left for you," she replied.

Da Bao knew that Da Zhu's current mother was his stepmother.

"Let's all go collect firewood together. Maybe we'll even find some wild fruits?"

Yun Xiaoxiao looked at the small and skinny Da Zhu who seemed to have a tougher time than even Da Bao and his siblings.

The firewood-gathering team gained an extra member.

There was a bamboo grove nearby. Yun Xiaoxiao wanted to gather what could start a fire, and bamboo husks were the best for that.

"You guys pick up around here, I'll go see if there are any wild fruits."

What wild fruits could there be in autumn?

Small grapes?

When Yun Xiaoxiao left, she also took with her the vegetable basket that Xiao Bao was carrying. Da Bao and Xiao Bao obediently collected bamboo husks and leaves, while Da Zhu picked up firewood not far away.

"Brother, mom won't leave us behind, will she?" Xiao Bao asked Da Bao while picking up a bamboo husk, both children afraid of being abandoned by Yun Xiaoxiao.

The past couple of days, their mother had been too kind to them.

But both brothers knew their mother wanted to return to the city.

She even said it was because of them that she couldn't go back.

Some of the Educated Youth who failed the exams, but were single, could return to the city. But once the Educated Youth got married, going back to the city became much harder.

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"Third Brother, are you going to buy something for sister-in-law?" Cao Dali asked, surprised to see Zhao Tianlei heading towards the department store.

Fang Chaoyang and Zhao Tianhe really wanted to cover Cao Dali's mouth; wasn't it obvious what he was planning?

After the last batch of goods was sold, they could go back.

Third Brother buying gifts was a way to keep his sister-in-law happy.

Among them, only Zhao Tianlei was married. The others either came from families too poor to afford a wife, or no woman was willing to marry them.

"You guys help me pick something out."

Otherwise, why would Zhao Tianlei bring them along?

Entering the department store, they saw a dazzling array of goods.

"Something for washing the face, and some clothes," said Cao Dali, recalling that many little sisters-in-law had talked about these things.

Zhao Tianlei took his advice.

He had bought facial wash before.

"I'll take a lipstick," he said.

The sales clerk looked at the group of burly men, "We have all these lipsticks: bright red, rose red, peach red..."

Cao Dali scratched his head, "It's just lipstick, how come there are so many colors? How could you possibly use them all on one mouth?"

A typical clueless man, aren't there only one color?

Why are there so many?

"Which color do you want?"

"Third Brother, I think this rose red color looks nice."

Zhao Tianlei didn't listen to Cao Dali, "I want this peach red, and that bright red."

"Third Brother, I think one is enough," protested Cao Dali.

There was no need for two, especially since one lipstick cost five yuan, which was way too expensive.

A kilogram of meat was only one yuan and twenty cents.

He also bought a piece of clothing, and the total bill came to a hundred yuan.

Zhao Tianlei didn't even blink, believing that having made money, it was time to spend it on his wife.