"Xiao Xiao, Shitou, sit down, Dad has something to talk to you about."
Jiang Laoshi sat in front of the round table, while Fan Xiuying handed over a box with tobacco leaves and some newspapers.
She herself had a sewing basket in her arms.
She sat down by the table, stitching shoe soles. Every household made their own cloth shoes, and women never had any free time.
There's always work in their hands.
Jiang Xiaoxiao and Jiang Shitou sat down at the table.
Their family had four siblings - two elder sisters, Jiang Yue and Jiang Xin, a middle brother, Jiang Shitou, and the youngest daughter, Jiang Xiaoxiao.
The eldest sister, Jiang Yue, was part of the first batch of educated youth to respond to the state's call and went directly to Beidahuang.
The second sister, Jiang Xin, wasn't well and replaced their mother to work as a female worker at a textile factory.
Three years ago she also got married to a worker from the machinery factory, Qin Dazhuang. Both couples had working positions.
At home, only Jiang Xiaoxiao and her brother Jiang Shitou were left.
"Dad, what's up? Why so serious? I'm feeling something doesn't seem right!"
Jiang Shitou, by nature, was simple-minded, but his personality was lively and straightforward. He was a blunt person.
This kind of third brother, Jiang Xiaoxiao hadn't seen in a long time.
Jiang Laoshi gave Jiang Shitou a nudge with the newspaper, "You are always babbling nonsense! Your mouth is always so reckless. You tell me, when are you going to be a bit steady? Check it out, your sister's even better than you?"
Actually, Jiang Laoshi was just like his name, really honest.
An honest person, through and through.
"Dad, it hurts, hurts! Am I really your biological son? No wonder everyone says parents love the youngest one, seems like I'm not your biological son, beware of hitting me silly, I'm already not as smart as my sister, if I become silly, I won't even find a wife, see if you get worried."
He cried out in fake agony, but in reality, he jumped around the round table.
Jiang Laoshi, being honest, was amused by the talk.
"You sit down, don't say you were the one your mom and I picked up from the trash heap, your sister is the real biological one. I'll beat you up, you little rascal. Talking nonsense, now you're getting more and more unrestrained."
Pointing at the chair, Jiang Shitou sat down honestly.
Raising his hands in surrender.
"Fine, fine, you're awesome. Now I'm the adopted one. Oh my, mom, mom, what kind of people are my biological parents? Are they some high-ranking cadres or what? If so, could I benefit from it, at least getting a job would be no problem, right?
Mom, was there anything left from when I was little, like a package or anything? That could be evidence of finding my biological parents."
Jiang Shitou fell into unstoppable fantasies.
Fan Xiuying couldn't stop laughing, touched the needle tip on her hair, then continued sewing with the thimble, said laughingly, "You have no such fate, I heard when you were picked up, it seemed the wife of the dung collector lost a child, you could go ask around. Maybe you could be replacing the dung collector."
Her joking words made Jiang Shitou's face fall.
"Mom, you're just bullying me, teaming up with Dad to bully your son, got any fun in that! Xiao Xiao, let's ignore them."
He was pulling Jiang Xiaoxiao into his camp.
Jiang Xiaoxiao's eyes were wet!
This joyful family nurtured her for eighteen years, always thinking of her well-being.
Jiang Laoshi saw his daughter's eyes were red and was startled.
"What's wrong, daughter! Don't cry golden beans, say it out loud if anything troubles you, Dad and Mom are here for you! Shitou, did you bully your sister again? I think you're asking for a beating, unruly for three days, wife, get my bamboo whip, if I don't teach this brat a lesson, he'll overturn the heavens."
Jiang Shitou was dumbfounded!
He moved closer to his sister and truly had red eyes, with tears like pearls, clear and ready to fall just hanging on her lashes.
Jiang Shitou's heart skipped a beat.
He was wronged!
How could he bully his own sister?
Jiang Xiaoxiao hurriedly stood up! She blocked the enraged Jiang Laoshi.
"Dad, it's not my brother's fault, he didn't bully me at all!"
Jiang Laoshi couldn't believe it, his youngest daughter was like someone they held dear in their hands and feared melting in their mouths.
The youngest daughter came to Jiang Laoshi when he was thirty-five, a daughter born to a seasoned parent, Jiang Laoshi doted on his daughter more than any other kids in the family.
"Don't protect your brother, surely it's him, not doing proper business all day, I must teach him well. You're so soft that you don't complain when bullied, what will become of this."
"Xiao Xiao, you're really something, your brother always bullies you, and you always protect him, what will you do when you go out? I'm telling you, don't protect your brother, your Dad's right, this boy needs a beating to straighten up. Your brother does need a good sorting out."
Fan Xiuying actually went to find the bamboo whip.
Jiang Shitou was tearless, was this really his biological parents? They were forcibly pinning this onto him, he felt more wronged than Dou'e.
"Dad, Mom, do you think it's snowing outside now?"
"Alright, stop talking nonsense and change the subject, how could it be snowing outside, what month is it now?"
Jiang Laoshi had already snatched the bamboo whip from his wife.
Jiang Xiaoxiao quickly stopped Jiang Laoshi.
"Dad, listen to me first, it's really not related to my brother, I just sat there thinking of a scene from a novel, that's why I'm teary-eyed, it's really nothing to do with my brother."
Before her biological parents found her, her real parents truly treated her as their own daughter.
She was the youngest girl in the family, naturally cherished like gold by her parents.
Who would have thought their daughter turned out to be someone else's child.
"Really?"
Jiang Laoshi, holding the bamboo whip, was still being gripped tightly by Jiang Xiaoxiao, doubting his daughter.
Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded firmly.
The Jiang family's parents and all of Jiang Jiang's relatives were sincere, their love never discounted by any relation.
These were her real family.
But in her past life she mistakenly took the foster parents and siblings who genuinely valued her as strangers, and focused solely on building a relationship with her biological parents.
She single-mindedly believed that was her real family.
She made many mistakes, upsetting her foster parents as a result.
Even led to the nearly ruined Jiang family.
This time she absolutely wouldn't let history repeat itself.
She was a daughter of the Jiang family, always will be, she will repay what she owes, and for what was given to her, she will surely return the favor.
This time she won't let herself be blind.
Won't hurt her family's feelings.
Jiang Shitou contentedly spread his hands, "See! Dad, I said so, I said I didn't bully my sister, right? You just didn't believe me."
Jiang Laoshi put down the bamboo whip, "Alright, since there's nothing, you two sit down. This matter concerns the big issue of your futures, that's why Dad brought you over, to lay it out clearly in front of you, you should think about how to deal with it yourselves, Dad respects your opinions."