"Dad, I'm back."
Just as he was thinking, Li Xuemei's voice suddenly came, and Li Qinghai looked up with a smile breaking across his face. The two little ones had already run over, pouncing on him.
"Grandpa, grandpa, we're back."
Gu Xiaoqing hadn't seen Grandpa for many years. Back then, because of her sister Gu Xiaoying and her own marriage, Grandpa Li Qinghai had stormed in with two uncles, strictly forbidding them from marrying just like that.
But what could they do? Gu Ruhai was determined to follow the words of their grandparents, which made Grandpa Li Qinghai so angry that he spat blood.
He left saying he would never again meddle in their family's affairs, and since then, Grandpa and the uncles never visited again.
Now, seeing Li Qinghai, Gu Xiaoqing felt a surge of emotions. After all, he was the only person in the previous lifetime who sincerely treated her and her siblings like family.
In the previous life, Li Qinghai was deeply caring towards them, secretly bringing dried goods and grains every time Li Xuemei returned home, and occasionally slipping them some money. Although it wasn't much, and couldn't cover major costs, it still supported their family's expenses over the years.
Even if the two aunts always gave them cold looks, that was all they did. Once the uncles came home, the two aunts were sensible enough to stop.
After all, the two uncles weren't the type to be trifled with, and they had cherished their sister Li Xuemei for years. So, even if the two aunts were a hundred percent unhappy, they wouldn't dare act out in front of the uncles.
The consequence would surely be a good scolding. The uncles generally had good tempers, but it depended on the issue. For mundane household matters, the uncles were gentle and liked to coax the aunts, but when it came to Li Xuemei, no one dared to push their luck.
Whoever did would be unlucky.
So, over the years, the two aunts had learned to behave themselves.
"Oh my, my dear grandkids are back! Come in, sit inside. Grandpa has prepared something for you. Your uncle picked some wild apples and pears from the mountains a few days ago, and Grandpa saved them for you."
Li Qinghai's hands were covered in pig food scraps, so he couldn't immediately hug the two kids, but he spoke cheerfully.
"Darling, hurry, Xuemei is back," Li Qinghai called into the house.
Grandma Wu Zhaodi lifted the curtain and came out, joyfully speaking to Li Xuemei, "Bring the kids in quickly. We haven't tidied up the yard yet. These past few days, your brother and sister-in-law have been busy with fieldwork, and we just got back, so we haven't had time to clean up."
Gu Xiaoqing walked up affectionately, calling, "Grandma."
Wu Zhaodi was the type of grandma who doted on her daughter, but she had her limits and wouldn't make her daughters-in-law resentful. Most of the time, the little extra money and eggs she gave her daughter came from her and her husband's pockets.
People are selfish, and Gu Xiaoqing appreciated having a biased elder adore her, at least someone cared, who wouldn't want that?
"Grandma!"
As soon as Gu Xiaojie saw Gu Xiaoqing call, he immediately rushed over, hugging Wu Zhaodi's leg and cheerfully calling her.
This made Wu Zhaodi ecstatic.
She led the two children inside, "Come, come, sit down. Grandma has some treats for you."
She unlocked the big wardrobe, and immediately a sweet fragrance wafted out, a mix of apples, pears, and other fruits.
It's something many families had, keeping valuable things hidden away, so whenever a cupboard or chest was opened, this kind of scent would pour out.
Wu Zhaodi took a basket from the cupboard, filled with blue and red wild apples and two shiny green pears, placing it in front of the kids.
"Take some and eat," she said.
Seeing the two kids staring at the basket, too stunned to move, Wu Zhaodi laughed. Her grandkids were well-mannered, knowing not to touch without permission, following the rules well.
In fact, Gu Xiaoqing and Gu Xiaojie were just overjoyed.
They took so long to react that they just sat there staring without moving.
Wu Zhaodi grabbed a handful of wild apples for each of them, cheerfully saying, "Try them, sweet or not?"
She looked warmly at the two children.
Li Xuemei couldn't stand it, pulling her mother to sit on the edge of the heated brick bed.
She glared at Gu Xiaoqing and Gu Xiaojie, clearly signaling not to take too much.
Gu Xiaoqing quickly tugged on Gu Xiaojie, and the two carefully placed the small wild apples in their pockets, then ran out to the yard to watch Grandpa chop pig food.
In those days, every family had limited means. Uncle's family had four children too, so it was clear that Grandma locked these things away. If Gu Xiaoqing and Gu Xiaojie ate them all, Li Xuemei would feel guilty towards her two brothers.
"Mom, don't do that, give some of these to Jianguo and Jianhui to eat, otherwise my sisters-in-law might argue with my brothers," she persuaded her mother.
Wu Zhaodi rolled her eyes, "Who dares to argue? Don't think I'm biased, these wild apples were divided with Jianguo, Jianhui, Yufeng, and Yuhong long ago, otherwise your father would call me biased.
Those are my grandchildren too, I wouldn't shortchange them. Your life has been hard, marrying into that kind of family, can't I give you some of what I have left?"
She looked pitifully at her dark and skinny daughter and had already cursed her son-in-law Gu Ruhai countless times in her heart.
Li Xuemei knew her mom was just concerned, reassuringly saying, "Mom, don't worry yourself, your daughter is the unfilial one, not able to support you and Dad, and making you worry, I'm already unfilial. But if you hurt yourself trying to support us, I couldn't bear it."
That was Li Xuemei's honest truth, over the years, it was always her parents supporting them, while her family seemed like a bottomless pit, even a bloodsucking one.
Her parents grew older each year, and it seemed it was time for her to be the filial one, but there she was, shamelessly coming for more money.
Truly unfilial.
Wu Zhaodi shot Li Xuemei a look, "What are you saying? Don't I know those two old ones from the Gu family are just as biased? Otherwise, your situation wouldn't be like this. It's just these few tough years, once they're over and Xiaoqing and Xiao Jie grow up, life will get better. I'm waiting for you to take good care of me."
Li Xuemei hugged Wu Zhaodi's arm, playfully, "Alright, alright, I'll take good care of you."