"I knew it…" Looking at the new formula on the packaging, Sheldon complained, "They actually replaced whole wheat flour with refined flour, and even added industrial saccharin and coloring to the bread…"
The unhealthy food ingredients made Sheldon, who paid great attention to his health, feel uncomfortable.
"Really?" Seeing her youngest son's over-the-top reaction, Mary worriedly took the packaging to look at the new formula, then said, "I knew there was a slight sweetness to the bread today…"
In fact, there is nothing wrong with a product constantly improving its formula to keep up with the times and maintain sufficient competitiveness.
Given the local preference for sweet tastes, the food company's addition of saccharin to the bread formula can be considered catering to the market.
And in some ways, this time the food company's bread formula modification to cater to popular taste was a very successful change.
After all, soft, sweet bread would certainly be more popular than coarse-textured whole wheat bread.
Mary obviously preferred the current sweet bread as well, but seeing her youngest son's indignant expression, she still tried to comfort him, "Sheldon, I don't think there's anything wrong with the bread… Of course, it would be even better if the price didn't increase."
"No," Sheldon still argued, "Excessive sugar intake can lead to obesity, diabetes, and other diseases. They are committing murder…"
"Stop, Sheldon. It's not as serious as you're making it out to be." Mary was startled by her youngest son's analysis and immediately cut off his topic.
"Perhaps." Sheldon, whose words were cut off, continued noncommittally, "Compared to sweet bread, I have the right to choose healthier whole wheat bread. If there isn't any, I'd rather starve."
Mary, who was trying to comfort her youngest son, felt annoyed when she saw him acting somewhat unreasonably.
Just as she was about to lose her temper, George, who had been busy all day, walked through the door.
"What happened?" Sensing the tense atmosphere between his wife and youngest son, George asked.
Mary suppressed her anger, explained the bread situation to her husband, and then wanted him to help her persuade their youngest son again.
However, George didn't think it was a big problem. He suggested, "Maybe we can go check if the supermarket has whole wheat bread."
"I told you, the supermarket only has this kind of sweet bread now." Faced with her husband's perfunctory response, Mary became a little impatient again.
"Not necessarily. Besides the supermarket we usually go to, other places might still have whole wheat bread." Sheldon, who couldn't read the room, caught a loophole in his mother's words.
Then, he looked at his dad and asked, "Dad, can you go with me to other supermarkets to check?"
Driven by his obsession with whole wheat bread, Sheldon wanted to personally check the supermarkets.
"Please, I just got back." George took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door, saying to his youngest son, who was looking at him expectantly, "Sheldon, you're a man now. The supermarket isn't far from here, and I believe you can go by yourself."
Encouraging education can help children build confidence, especially children like Sheldon who are growing.
Indeed, encouraged by his dad, Sheldon thought for a moment, then affirmed, "Yes, I can do it."
To eat healthy whole wheat bread, the highly motivated Sheldon went back to his room, grabbed his protective gloves, and then hurried out of the house.
In the kitchen, Mary watched her youngest son leave alone, then turned to look at her husband, who was getting a beer from the refrigerator, and her brows unconsciously furrowed.
Clearly, because she cared so much about her youngest son, Mary was once again somewhat dissatisfied with her husband.
…
Later, as Mary went back to prepare dinner for everyone, Georgie agilely rushed through the door.
After closing the door tightly, he wiped away non-existent sweat from his forehead and, panting heavily, said to Mike, who was sitting on the sofa, "Mike, you know what? Those reporters are really difficult to deal with—"
Earlier at the school gate, after Mike and the others left, the reporters, as a second best option, shifted their questioning to Georgie.
In the living room, Mike handed Georgie a glass of water and asked curiously, "How did you get rid of them?"
"I didn't—" Georgie didn't even bother to drink the water and eagerly explained, "Those reporters followed me all the way to the doorstep…"
At this point, Georgie also looked depressed.
Those reporters were like sticky plaster, impossible to shake off.
Looking out the window, outside the Cooper family yard, several people holding microphones were gathered.
Fortunately, because private property is sacred and inviolable, those people did not trespass into the yard.
"What's going on?" At the window, George looked at the people outside his yard and asked in surprise.
"Those people are magazine reporters, trying to dig up gossip about The Plastics…" Georgie explained to his dad.
George had also seen The Plastics' debut performance on the "Spring Welcome" stage on TV.
Combining that with his eldest son's explanation, George understood the intentions of the people outside the yard.
"Let them stay there, they'll probably leave soon." Having initially determined that those reporters posed no threat, George, who found it troublesome, picked up his beer and sat back down on the sofa.
Although Medford Town is a small place, it has its own local television station.
The television station also has its own radio journalists, so the profession of those people outside did not attract much attention from everyone.
After a while longer, Connie, who had gone to pick up Missy from school, also entered the house with the little girl.
"Mike, are all those people at the door looking for you? They all said they were reporters…" Missy happily ran up to Mike and asked curiously, "Oh, by the way, Mike. What is a reporter?"
"A reporter is a reporter." Mike patiently explained to the curious little girl, "It's a profession, an industry. They mainly engage in news recording and news reporting. Of course, those outside are probably entertainment reporters."
"News? Can I also be on TV and in newspapers?" Missy, being outgoing, had just answered several questions from the reporters.
If Connie hadn't pulled her away, she might have played with the people outside for a while longer.
Yes, in Missy's eyes, those people asking questions outside were just playing with her.
"No, Missy. Those reporters outside don't seem like good people." At this moment, Connie, who had hung up her coat at the door and tidied herself up, walked over and interrupted her little granddaughter's fantasy.
With her richer life experience, she easily discerned the intentions of those reporters outside.
Clearly, those people had ill intentions.
However, none of these were big problems for Connie.
She smiled and teased, "Mike, it seems the girls of The Plastics are really going to become famous this time. What are your thoughts?"
Connie knew the true relationship between Mike and the girls of The Plastics.
Knowing many inside stories, she naturally also knew that the success of The Plastics had Mike's support behind it.
At least, that Christmas song was of great significance to The Plastics.
"What thoughts could I have?" Mike said casually, "The Plastics' current achievements are all the result of the girls' own hard work."
Mike did not take credit for the girls' success.
"Alright—" Seeing Mike's bland reaction, Connie immediately lost interest.
So, she shrugged, took a bottle of beer from the table, and went to sit on a nearby sofa.
…
Another half an hour later, Mary finished preparing everyone's dinner.
"Sheldon isn't back yet?" After placing the food on the dining table, Mary looked towards the living room and asked.
"He should be soon, let's wait a little longer." George responded.
Because there were Christians in the family, the Cooper family's dinner prayer usually only began once everyone was present.