Chapter 67 - 68 They Haven’t Eaten Yet
“I’ll go check on Xinxin,” said Tang Zhinian promptly, setting down the iron he was holding, and went inside the house to check on his daughter. To his delight, he found Tang Yuxin sound asleep, with her shoes and socks off, and her blanket neatly spread over her without any sign of disturbance.
As he moved closer, he adjusted the cover for her. He initially felt drowsy, but now he was wide awake.
“Bro, let’s not sleep tonight.”
Tang Zhijun didn’t feel sleepy either. He suggested getting the greenhouse setup done and the seedlings planted, after which they could rest. This was the best time to do so because waiting a few days longer could delay their plans.
Throughout the night, the two brothers worked tirelessly on the greenhouse. By the time Tang Yuxin woke up, they were still busy outside. She picked up her clothes, dressed herself carefully, sneaked out of bed, and put on her little shoes. Then she ran outside.
Outside, brothers Tang Zhinian and Tang Zhijun had been working all night, yet they showed no signs of tiredness. Shrouded under the night’s darkness, they were about to finish, after which they could complete the greenhouse and start planting seeds.
“Xinxin, come here and warm yourself by the fire,”
As soon as Tang Zhinian saw Tang Yuxin had woken up, he motioned her to sit near the stove where it was cozy. Meanwhile, another stove was preparing a pot of porridge, the soothing sound of which echoed in the background.
Tang Yuxin quickly sat herself between the two stoves, the heat making her small face glow with a rosy tint.
Tang Zhijun gently pinched Tang Yuxin’s face.
“Look at our Xinxin’s sweet face, she’s growing up so beautifully. Wait till we’ve earned enough money, Uncle will send you to Youth Palace to learn piano. Our Xinxin will be just like a refined lady, already good at calligraphy. If she learns piano too, she would be proficient in all – music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. And on top of that, she is intrigued by medicine. Any man who marries Xinxin will be truly blessed.”
This trait required careful nurturing.
The two brothers, Tang Zhijun and Tang Zhinian, hastily ate a few bites before heading out to set up the greenhouse. The later it got, the more trouble it would cause. Especially since the weather seemed to be worsening, rain might hinder them.
After dropping off his daughter at Chen Zhong’s, the two brothers headed out to the fields.
At lunchtime, Tang Yuxin struggled to eat the bun in her hand.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Zhong asked as he took a bite of his own bun. Villagers in the countryside usually ate steamed buns, they were white, substantial, and satisfying. Chen Zhong led a fairly comfortable life, always having white flour to make buns – something even considered a luxury amongst villagers. Similarly, Tang Yuxin had been enjoying white flour buns since her childhood. Her father, Tang Zhinian, had never compromised on her meals.
However, today the child was eating very slowly. Was it the result of the buns being not so delicious? But that couldn’t be; they were the same as yesterday’s, soft and of white flour.
“Daddy and Uncle didn’t have their meal,” Tang Yuxin said, putting down the bun she no longer wanted to eat.
She knew that today, because of needing to fix the greenhouse, her father and uncle were rushing. Hence, they wouldn’t be preparing lunch. Otherwise, by now, Tang Zhinian would have come to pick her up for the meal.
Although her family had limited means, Tang Zhinian was an honest man and did not take advantage of others. Xinxin rarely had her meals at Chen Zhong’s. If he hadn’t come to pick her up, that meant they probably had been up all night and hadn’t eaten today either.