boyutpedia Chapter 269 The Holiday Is Half Over
Chapter 269 The Holiday Is Half Over
Chapter 269 The Holiday Is Half Over
"Huozi! You..."
"There are many women in my family..." Qiu Huoming looked disappointed.
Ding Yu glared at him and looked at the teller, "Comrade, give me... a box of vanishing cream and a bottle of clam oil."
After they bought the things, Qiu Huoming held the net bag and put one hand on Ding Yu's shoulder, and they both walked to the door.
There is strength in numbers. The snow on the road has been swept away by the crowd. There are many piles of snow on both sides, black and white mixed together.
"Huozi, go to my house and get the car. I'll accompany you to visit your grandparents."
Qiu Huoming glanced at Ding Yu and said, "My cousin likes to eat candy..."
"There are some at home. I'll bring a bag for her."
Qiu Huoming smiled and said, "Thank you on behalf of my cousin."
"Huozi, you are getting worse and worse!"
Grandma stretched out her hand but failed to stop him. She scolded him, "Come on, what are you buying?"
Grandma held Qiu Huoming's hand and said, "It's so cold, are you cold?"
Grandma had dropped the food in her hands and stood up. She had a headscarf tied with a knot at the bottom, just covering her thick neck. She looked very happy, "Huo Ming is here, old man, Huo Ming is here."
Mother Ding paused for a moment, she reached out to take the paper bag, opened it and took a look.
……
Qiu Huoming then followed his grandfather into the yard, "Grandpa, where is Third Aunt?"
"This is Xiaoyu, right? This round face is a sign of good fortune."
Xiaoping glanced at Qiu Huoming, and Qiu Huoming nodded.
Xiaoping's eyes lit up instantly.
Before Qiu Huoming could respond, his grandfather hurried out of the yard, the pipe in his hand still smoking.
“Life is a necessity!”
She met Qiu Huoming very rarely, and she hadn't seen him for more than half a year.
When he got home, Ding's mother was cleaning the yard. When she saw her son coming back, she immediately frowned and said, "You still remember to come back!"
His face was full of wrinkles when he smiled. After more than half a year of recuperation, his originally dark skin had become a little whiter, and with his new hairstyle, he already had the demeanor of an old city man.
Grandma came over, Qiu Huoming jumped off the bicycle, and Ding Yu sat on the back seat, cooperating with him tacitly, stretching out his foot and stopping the bike.
Qiu Huoming reached out and took down the net bag hanging on the car. "I bought malted milk. This stuff can be drunk by adults and children."
Ding Yu pushed the car into the yard, locked it, and then called out to Qiu Huoming.
There was a lot of coal slag scattered along the road near the coal factory, which mixed with the snow and looked dirty.
"Okay, be careful when you go out, the road is slippery."
Second uncle smiled and nodded to him.
Xiao Ping called out timidly, "Brother Huo Ming."
She immediately called out, "Brother Ding Yu."
Ding Yu raised the corner of his mouth and handed the candy to her.
Ding Yu nodded, "That's enough, Huozi and I need to go out and do something..."
The yard in front of my grandfather's house was swept very clean. A little girl was sitting on a small bench playing with the snow. On the other side, my second uncle was lying on a chair with a hunched back, holding up one of his hunched hands, and swaying in the sun.
Time seems to have not passed, and we are still in high school.
Qiu Huoming called out appropriately, "Hello, godmother."
Grandma turned around and pulled Xiaoping over, "Quick, call Huoming brother, you were talking about him before, why are you like a wooden man when he's here..."
"Grandma, Second Uncle, I'm here to see you."
Qiu Huoming handed her the malted milk. Xiaoping hugged it tightly, looked up with a look of surprise, and called out voluntarily, "Thank you, Brother Huoming."
Grandma was sitting next to him, bending over, picking vegetables.
Not long after, Qiu Huoming rode Ding Yu's 28-bar bicycle to East Street. He went back home first, left one of the boxes of malted milk, a portion of vanishing cream and clam oil, and then picked up the net bag and hurried to the coal factory.
Children have short memories. She just felt that Qiu Huoming looked familiar and for a moment she forgot who he was.
Ding Yu quickly raised the paper bag in his hand and said, "I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative early in the morning to pick out some vanishing cream for you. Mom, it's so cold, so you should apply more."
"The eldest grandson is here, come in, come in."
Hearing the sound of the bicycle, Xiaoping was the first to look up. She looked at Qiu Huoming with some confusion.
Qiu Huoming carefully walked around the snow piles and entered the factory dormitory.
Ding Yu took out a bag of candy from his coat pocket with a smile, and stood in front of Xiao Ping with his waist bent. "Call me brother Ding Yu, and I'll give it to you."
The smile on the corner of his mouth could not be concealed, "Do you have enough pocket money?"
Ding's mother was very kind to her son, so she spoke more gently.
There were footsteps in the yard.
"He went to the street to buy New Year's goods and hasn't come back yet."
"Oh, when will Third Uncle come to town?"
Xiao Ping squeezed over and said, "I know. My dad will be back on the day of the year-end party."
Ding Yu asked curiously, "What day is the year-end party?"
Xiaoping shook her head.
Qiu Huoming smiled and said, "It's next Saturday. The village is not busy. Why doesn't he come earlier?"
"They are going back to the village to celebrate New Year's Eve."
Grandpa said.
"Let's celebrate the New Year together this year." Qiu Huoming said with a smile, "It's been a long time since our family has been so lively."
Grandpa knocked on the pipe under the door frame to knock out the ash inside.
Then he straightened up and nodded, "This year, our family must dress up well and have a good New Year..."
"My second uncle has a disability, so we all come here to celebrate. We'll move the TV over on New Year's Eve. I heard there will be a Spring Festival Gala this year, and there will be many singers performing."
Qiu Huoming said while sitting on a chair in the living room.
Ding Yu asked curiously, "How do you know? What is the Spring Festival Gala?"
Qiu Huoming chuckled. This was also the first Spring Festival Gala. It set a precedent for the Spring Festival Gala and remained popular for the next forty years.
Xiao Ping said enviously: "Then I won't go back to the village. I will stay at home and watch TV."
Grandpa smiled and said, "That won't work. I'm afraid your grandparents will miss you."
Xiaoping frowned and felt very worried for a moment.
Grandma took the malted milk from her and asked Qiu Huoming, "How do you eat this?"
"Drink it with water, it tastes delicious, grandma, you can try it."
"Make one cup per person. People in the city love to drink this."
Grandpa instructed, and grandma nodded, "Then everyone has a drink."
There was a noise at the door. Grandpa leaned over to look, then put down the pipe in his hand and walked out quickly.
Qiu Huoming saw his second uncle pushing a chair and walking crookedly into the yard. He walked very slowly, using all his strength in every step.
"Second Uncle, you can walk now!" Qiu Huoming said in surprise.
Grandpa supported the second uncle and said, "Come back and call me, I will bring you in."
Second Uncle's face flushed, "No...no! I...will go by myself!"
Grandpa was about to scold him, but Qiu Huoming greeted him with a smile, "Second Uncle is amazing, Grandpa, if you let Second Uncle exercise every day, maybe Second Uncle will be able to walk normally."
The second uncle looked at Qiu Huoming with complicated eyes, and he nodded with effort, "I...can do it."
Grandpa slowly loosened his hand and protected him at his side.
Grandma was in the kitchen, making malted milk with a bowl. She watched through the window as my second uncle moved slowly inside. She rubbed her eyes and said nothing.
The second uncle finally stepped into the room and stopped, "Dad..."
Grandpa's eyes turned red. He stretched out his hand, picked him up and put him on his special wooden chair.
The second uncle stabilized his body, then he gasped, a smile appeared on his face, "I...walk!"
Qiu Huoming gave a thumbs up and said, "Second Uncle, you will definitely be able to do it in the future."
"This...time, it's the...longest."
Grandpa nodded, "We didn't help you. You were on your own."
Second Uncle closed his eyes and leaned back in a wooden chair to rest.
Grandma called from the kitchen: "Xiao Ping, come in and get the bowl."
Xiao Ping responded, and Qiu Huoming and Ding Yu followed her and went to the kitchen to bring out the bowls.
One of the bowls was given to my second uncle.
The aroma of malted milk filled the air. Grandpa swallowed his saliva and said, "This stuff is very precious. I'm not thirsty. Huo Ming, you can drink it with me."
Qiu Huoming took a sip of his malted milk and said, "It's not expensive. I'll buy more after you finish it. Drink it quickly, Grandpa. It won't taste good if it gets cold."
Xiao Ping took a sip and said, "It smells so good, just like candy..."
Grandma reached out and brought Grandpa's bowl to his mouth, "Old man, take a sip, it smells so good."
Grandpa couldn't resist and took a sip. "Wow, no wonder it's so expensive, it tastes really good."
The second uncle opened his eyes, lowered his head and took a sip. He smacked his lips and praised, "It tastes... good."
Qiu Huoming laughed, "Second Uncle also said it tastes good. I'll bring another can over in a few days."
Grandpa waved his hand and said, "Don't waste it. We don't know how long we can finish this bottle."
"If you don't drink this stuff, it will clump and become unpalatable."
Qiu Huoming explained.
Grandpa hesitated for a moment, "Then... let's drink one bowl every other day..."
Grandma smiled and said, "We are city dwellers now, so what's wrong with drinking some malted milk?"
A few people were talking and laughing when the loud voice of the third aunt came from outside the door, "Why are you leaving the vegetables at the door and not taking them in?"
Grandma slapped her forehead and said, "I forgot."
She walked out the door quickly, "Old Three, Huo Ming is here, go in and talk to him for a while."
The third aunt's complaints stopped abruptly.
She walked in quickly and put the vegetable basket and the roll of couplets in her arms on the ground.
"Huo Ming, come and show me whether you have gained weight or lost weight."
As soon as I stepped into the living room, I saw Ding Yu first, "Oh my goodness."
Qiu Huoming poked his head out from behind him, "Third Aunt, I'm here."
The third aunt then patted her chest and said, "My dear, I saw a big round face at first glance."
Ding Yu touched his face silently.
Grandma followed in and slapped Third Aunt on the head, "What are you looking at me like that?"
"Third Aunt, this is Ding Yu, my classmate and good friend."
"I'm sorry, take a closer look, the more you look at this child's face, the prettier it becomes. He looks blessed."
Ding Yu curled his lips and called out, "Third Aunt."
"Mom, we are drinking malted milk, it tastes delicious." Xiao Ping held up the empty bowl to show her aunt, and then asked, "Mom, can I have another bowl?"
The third aunt looked at Qiu Huoming, "Huo Ming bought it?"
Grandma said, "It's in the kitchen. Go have a bowl too. It's really delicious."
Qiu Huoming smiled and said, "I have some at home, so I wanted to let my grandparents, my second uncle, and my third aunt have a taste of it."
Third Aunt reached out and ruffled Qiu Huoming's hair, "Third Aunt missed you so much."
"Have lunch at home, don't leave. And Ding Yu, you have to stay here too. I bought some fish."
Qiu Huoming nodded, "Okay, I love the fish cooked by Third Aunt the most."
"Would you like braised fish or sweet and sour fish?"
"Sweet and sour fish!" Qiu Huoming's eyes were burning.
"Fortunately, I bought a bag of white sugar."
"Third aunt, I brought you a box of vanishing cream and some clam oil." Qiu Huoming took out a paper bag from his cotton-padded jacket pocket and handed it to the third aunt.
The third aunt was stunned.
Xiao Ping shouted happily: "Mom has vanishing cream too!"
The corners of the third aunt's eyes turned red, "I am also enjoying Huo Ming's blessing."
She bent down, picked up the basket of vegetables, brought it to the kitchen, then came out and put the couplets on the cupboard.
"I'm going to the kitchen to help. Huo Ming, go chat with grandpa and grandma for a while. They miss you every day..."
Qiu Huoming nodded.
Xiao Ping chased after him relentlessly, "Mom, I want another bowl."
Qiu Huoming shouted, "Third Aunt, just make her a bowl, and you should also drink one bowl. I bought it specially for you..."
"Got it. Don't spend money next time. Just come. Why buy anything? We are not outsiders!"
Qiu Huoming smiled but didn't respond.
The vacation seems long, but in fact it is not enough.
Qiu Huoming was at home, completely unaware that the holiday was already halfway over.
During this time, he took his elder sister to see Director Jiang of Wucheng Middle School, and Qiu Huoming told him everything he wanted to say.
Director Jiang gave a guarantee, and Qiu Huoming returned satisfied.
My eldest sister has been smiling more often recently.
Qiu Huoming called Du Xiumin's factory on the seventh day after Old Lady Zhu's death.
Du Xiumin received a call soon.
She seemed to run over to answer the call, and as soon as she held the phone in her hand she burst into tears, "Is that Huo Ming?"
Qiu Huoming said "hmm".
"I can't buy a ticket. I asked many people for help, but I still can't get one."
Her voice was hoarse and almost unrecognizable as her original voice.
"Sister Xiumin, your grandmother wrote me a letter before she passed away."
"Did she mention me?"
"She said it. I said it in her tone. She said: Xiumin, if you really miss me, don't think about running back to see me. I'm already dead. There's no need to meet. If you're really filial, buy some gold foil, fold it into gold ingots, and burn them for me. Only gold ingots are accepted here. Don't burn paper money. It's useless..."
"Also, I've had a good life, and I have no regrets. You shouldn't feel any regrets either. Try to live the life you want..."
After Qiu Huoming said this, he suddenly felt relieved, "That's all."
Du Xiumin was silent, and suddenly laughed, "She is indeed my grandmother. I will go buy some gold foil and fold gold ingots for her myself. I want her to have endless money down there..."
"Well, Sister Xiumin, she said she read the 5 yuan you gave her over and over again and felt so happy. She gave me the money and said she was paying it back for you."
Du Xiumin's tears welled up again, "I understand, thank you..."
……
Qiu Huoming hung up the phone and walked outside the post office. He looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly. It was early in the morning and the streets were bustling with people.
He squatted at the gate of the post office, watching the crowd coming and going.
Before he knew it, someone on his left called out, "Daming! Damn, it's you. I just thought this person squatting there stupidly looked like a crazy Qiu Huoming..."
Qiu Huoming stood up, his feet numb. He grimaced and cursed, "Li Ming! Where the hell have you been? Fatty and I have been looking for you several times!"