novelraw Chapter 39 If you don't love the young, why should we respect the elderly?
Chapter 39 If you don't love the young, why should we respect the elderly?
After washing up, Tong Yuheng went to the vicinity of the dining car. She entered the space through a secluded connection point, cooked a large pot of porridge, and brought it out in the same large enamel basin she had used to hold the wontons the night before.
There was some pickled vegetables in her lunchbox, which she would share with everyone later. She didn't add sesame oil, afraid that it would tempt the people next to her and make them unable to swallow the coarse bread in their hands.
They only prepared boiled eggs and scallion pancakes, which they ate on the bus and could then go to the state-run restaurant for a meal after getting off the bus.
Tong Yuheng carefully carried a bowl of porridge through the crowded aisle to her seat. Yuyao and Tong Jiahui, seeing that she had brought such a large bowl of porridge, didn't ask any questions, but got up to give up their seats and called Xiao Liu and Xiao Qi, who were sitting under the seats, to go wash up so that they could eat first.
Linglong and Xiaowu immediately came over, took out their lunchboxes and spoons, and peeled the eggs. Yuheng poured the hot porridge into their respective lunchboxes, took out two lunchboxes for herself, one of which contained pickled vegetables, peeled her own egg, poured in her own porridge, and began to eat.
The four of them had just finished eating when Tong Jiahui and her three other daughters returned. Linglong went back to the two-seater by the aisle, while Yuhan and Yuheng sat in the three-seater for takeout, helping the two younger ones peel eggs and serve porridge. They quickly finished their breakfast as well.
The couple opposite Linglong kept watching them, admiring their orderly movements and exclaiming: "This family's children are so well-educated!"
It would be great to have a girl like that in my family. Look at them, how beautiful and lovely they are!
Seeing the woman's eager gaze, Tong Jiahui suddenly paused, wondering why the woman looked so familiar.
Tong Yuheng sensed they meant no harm. Seeing there was still some porridge in the bowl, she brought it over and said, "Uncle and Aunt, eating just pancakes and eggs is too dry. Let me pour you some porridge!"
"Ah? Oh, thank you!" Chu Lin saw the family eating heartily and didn't refuse. He handed them his lunchbox, and Tong Yuheng poured a large portion for them. He also gave them some pickled vegetables.
"That's enough! Thank you, young lady! I have some candy here, you can have some!" His wife hurriedly grabbed a handful of candy from her bag, and Tong Yuheng accepted it. The two began to eat breakfast at the foot of the ground.
There wasn't much porridge left in the basin, so Tong Yuheng divided it all up for her mother and Yuyao. Then Yuyao took the basin and everyone's lunchboxes to wash them, and Xiao Wu got up and followed. Their mother had told them that, except for their eldest sister, no one else could act alone.
After breakfast, Chu Lin went to wash his lunchbox. At this time, his wife moved outside and started chatting with Tong Jiahui.
"Big sister, your children are so well-behaved!"
"It's alright, he can be quite noisy sometimes." Tong Jiahui felt a strange sense of familiarity with this person.
"Judging from your accent, you must be a local from Yan City. I'm from Jinhai. I just came back from a business trip to Yan City."
"Yes, we are from Yanshi. According to the policy, my two older daughters have to go to the countryside, and in two years, my two younger daughters will also have to go to the countryside. I was worried about them, so I simply applied to go to the countryside as well, so that the whole family can stay together."
Tong Jiahui explained the reason for going to the countryside in a few words, but still didn't mention where her family was going.
"I worry about having such a beautiful daughter. Your children will all be successful; you're so lucky!"
"Thank you for your kind words!"
Seeing that the two were having a pleasant conversation, Tong Yuheng joined in. Yuyao was even better at chatting; because she was well-read, she chatted with Chu Lin about all sorts of things and had a great time.
Later, the two families were less wary of each other and exchanged names. Tong Jiahui also told them that she would get off at the next stop after them, Qingshi County.
The woman's name was Zhao Xinhui, and the man was a military officer. Her family was originally from the south, but she moved to the north with her husband who was serving in the military. What she didn't say was that she was also in the military, but she was a researcher, and her identity was kept secret. Her husband was there to protect her.
Because both of their names contained the character "Hui," Zhao Xinhui and Tong Jiahui became increasingly close. When they got off the bus, Tong Jiahui remembered where the familiarity with Zhao Xinhui came from.
She looks about four or five points like her mother! And her mother's surname is also Zhao!
"Mom, what are you thinking about?" Tong Yuheng asked when he saw her lost in thought.
"Oh, it's nothing, it's just that this Zhao Xinhui looks a bit like your maternal grandmother..."
"Huh? Doesn't my maternal grandmother not have a maternal family?" Tong Yuyao asked, intrigued, as she leaned closer.
"How could she not have a maternal family? She was just lost in the war and can't be found anymore. Your maternal grandmother had an older brother and an older sister, but we don't know if they're still alive."
Soon, another family boarded the bus. They were a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, with an eight- or nine-year-old girl and a five- or six-year-old boy.
The boy was sturdy, while the girl was very thin; it was obvious that the family favored boys over girls. The boy's sleeves were filthy, and Linglong glanced at them before looking away.
The girl looked at the two pretty older women opposite her, whose clothes were clean and without patches, and felt quite envious. She smiled at them, and Linglong returned a polite smile.
The old woman pulled her grandson to sit down, while her daughter-in-law and granddaughter stood. She must have bought two tickets, as neither child had a seat.
When Xiaoqi wanted to sit here to look at the scenery outside the window, Linglong moved over so that she and Yuyao could sit here. Tong Yuheng also moved over and sat facing his mother on this aisle side.
But before Xiaoqi could go over, the old woman stood up and sat in their seats, letting her daughter-in-law sit there.
Yuyao protested, "Ma'am, these are our seats. Please go back to your own seat!"
"Don't you have any manners? Don't you know the importance of respecting the elderly and caring for the young?!"
"Ha, so you know how to respect the elderly and care for the young! But you took my sister's seat, is that what you call caring for the young? If you don't care for the young, why should we respect the elderly? You're not an elder in my family, why should we indulge you? Move aside!"
Yu Yao's mouth was sharp and unforgiving; she kept talking until Yu Yao couldn't get a word in edgewise.
"What right does a little girl like you have to sit in a seat! What kind of seat does a child have to take up! Did you even buy a ticket?"
"We actually bought tickets. Old lady, there's something wrong with your thinking. Everyone says women hold up half the sky, and you look down on girls? Are you dissatisfied with the teachings of great men?"
"You, you're talking nonsense! I didn't!" She saw Tong Jiahui sitting calmly across from her, and judging from her age, she was probably the mother of this group of daughters, so she started yelling at her!
"How did you raise your daughter? She's ill-mannered! No wonder she can't have a son!"
Tong Jiahui was furious. "You're taking my daughter's place and swearing at me! Do you think I'm easy to bully?"
"How I raise my daughter is none of your business. I think my children are very well-mannered, much better than you, you old feudalist!"
As for whether I'll have a son or not, that's none of your business. My daughter is a hundred times better than your grandson. You couldn't trade ten of your grandsons for one of my daughters!