Before Yuan Chun got on the car, she stuffed twenty yuan into Mr. Wei’s pocket. "Dad, this is the money I earned from picking mushrooms lately. Please use it, and while you’re at home, don’t be reluctant to spend on anything with mom. Dad, you’ve already raised me and my brother well, and we both have jobs and earn salaries every month now. You and mom shouldn’t work so hard to earn extra points, and don’t save the fine grains and meat at home for us to eat. We get a share of these things in the city every month, so there’s no need for you to save them for us."
Mr. Wei didn’t take the money, "You’ve just started working and haven’t received your salary yet. You should keep this money for yourself. Your mom and I have money."
Then, extending his calloused hand, he patted his daughter, "Hurry up and get on the car. Don’t worry about your mom and me, we’ll take care of ourselves."
"Dad, then I’m off."
Yuan Chun stuffed the money into Mr. Wei’s hand, "I still have money on me, enough to spend."
"Dad, take your time on the way back, don’t rush."
"I know. When you reach the capital city, don’t argue with your sister-in-law. You’re all family, and if you get married in the future, you’ll need your brother and sister-in-law from your parental home to support you." Mr. Wei reminded her again, uneasily.
Yuan Chun had already boarded the train.
Yuan Chun returned to the steel factory in the evening.
At her doorstep, the little silly boy was sitting on a small stool, stretching his neck pitifully in the direction of the stairway.
The moment he saw Yuan Chun, he jumped up and ran over, "Pretty sister, you’re back. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time."
Yuan Chun saw the dark circles under his eyes and the weariness on his face, clearly indicating he hadn’t rested well.
She asked, "What time did you come to wait for me?"
The little silly boy obediently told her, "As soon as you left yesterday, I sat here waiting for you. But during meals, my mom called me home. After eating, I came back to wait. I wanted you to see me as soon as you came back."
Hearing this, Yuan Chun felt a pang of pain in her heart.
"I told you I’d be back this evening, but... well, you’ve waited anyway. But don’t do this again in the future."
Yuan Chun took out her key and opened the door.
"Did you have dinner?" Yuan Chun asked again.
"I did. My mom also told me to bring you a meal box, saying that if you came back too late, you wouldn’t be able to get food at the canteen."
Only now did Yuan Chun notice that the little silly boy was holding an aluminum lunchbox in his arms.
The little silly boy grinned and held up the lunchbox, "It’s still warm. Pretty sister, eat up."
Yuan Chun accepted it, touched by their thoughtfulness. "Thank you, Sanbao."
Although she didn’t lack food—her space was piled with all kinds of food like a mountain—she was still very touched by the thoughtfulness of Mrs. Chen and the little silly boy.
After all, in this era, not many people were willing to give food to others for free.
Yuan Chun put down her basket, washed her hands and face, and secretly took out a packet of sandwich biscuits from her space, giving them to the little silly boy, "Here, I specially bought these for you from the county."
"Pretty sister..."
"Sanbao, don’t call me pretty sister anymore. Just call me Yuan Chun or Xiao Wei, but don’t call me pretty sister."
The little silly boy looked unwilling, "Sister is pretty, why can’t I call you pretty sister? I don’t like calling you Xiao Wei."
"Then just call me Yuan Chun."
"Alright."
The little silly boy unhappily sat on the small stool, but after eating the biscuit, he became happy again. "It’s so good, there’s sugar inside."