Chapter 33 - New Clothes (1/2)
Proofread by Claire.KK
Actually Li Hongmei longed to wear some new clothes. It had been a long time since she wore some new outfit. What she put on everyday were old and worn-out ones with patches all over them. What her children wore were also secondhand outfits; what was more, due to their physical growth, they had long outgrown those clothes.
Xiao Baozhu was a girl and girls like to be dolled up. Once she heard that they couldn’t buy new clothes, she said sulkily, “I don’t agree. Baocheng and others have new clothes every year but why don’t we?”
“Well…” Li Hongmei was indeed good at arguing, but she has been bullied for all these years so she would rather wear old clothes than cause new troubles.
At last, Xiao Baoshan stepped forward and said, “Ma, though we shouldn’t show off our money, we don’t have to deny ourselves all pleasure. You have earned these money with your own two hands so just spend some when you feel like, or what’s the meaning of making money? We don’t have to mind what elder and third aunties would say as long as we pay off the filial piety tribute to grandpa. We have done anything for them these years and we don’t owe them anything.”
Ye Xiaoxian then said, “Yes, Ma. Baoshan is right. We surely have to keep it low but we should not deny ourselves any pleasure. Money is meant to be spend.”
After Ye Xiaoxian finished speaking, Xiao Baoshan turned around and looked at her, feeling supported.
But Ye Xiaoxian didn’t requite his gaze at all but only looked at Li Hongmei.
Li Hongmei pondered over and over and finally said, “Fine, since you all agree, I’d rather listen to you. As I was fighting all alone within these years, Baozhu and Baofeng were little, but now Baoshan has come home and little Ye is able to deal with things alone, what else am I afraid of? Then let’s try our best to make money and spend our money generously!”
Like this, the whole family began to cheer up.
…
The next day, Ye Xiaoxian got up early and made cold jelly as usual.
Baozhu and Baoshan used to pick Chinese mesona in the mountain to make cold jelly, but now since Baofeng was going to private school, Ye Xiaoxian couldn’t let Baozhu go up to the mountains alone but asked Baozhu to learn how to make cold jelly after her.
“Baozhu, look. This is the rice juice I blended and the thickness is just right. It won’t do if it’s too thick or too watery.”