Seventy-Ninth Quarrel

  Yuanyue also arrived at Longwocun village later that day, but she came alone with gifts and told Sun Zhenxiang that her parents were busy with work and would come to see them another time.

  Everyone understands this, when they reach their parents' position, there is rarely personal time on such festivals.

  At noon, I had lunch at Zhao Yang's house. In the afternoon, Cao Jia and I went to the city to help Chen Mei sell clothes.

  Moreover, they seemed very interested in this and for the next three days, the two of them stayed in the store, helping to sell clothes, and when it was time to eat, they cooked and ate together.

  Cao Jia only knows how to make one dish: tomato scrambled eggs, the kind where you stir-fry tomatoes and then crack in the eggs.

  In January, I will make fish, whether steamed or braised, both are quite good.

  Morning plum doesn't need to be said, home-cooked dishes are basically not good enough for her.

  With Cao Jia's help, not only did the business in the store improve a lot, but the food also became much more abundant.

  As they were leaving, Chen Mei gave each of them a bonus, and the two were so delighted that they hugged Chen Mei tightly.

  However, when it was time to leave, Cao Jia and Yuan Yue felt a little regretful. They had spent too much time playing in the store and not enough time accompanying their godmother.

  Zhao Yang brought two packages to send to them, Cao Jia took out a large paper package wrapped in newspaper from inside, opened it and found two smaller packages inside, and asked with surprise: "Is this the formula you made for bathing? It's great! By the way, we've almost used up Mei's supply these days, remember to replenish a batch!"

  Now Zhao Yang and his family use the fourth-generation formula he improved: Qing Si Tang, Mu Dan Lu, to wash their hair and take baths. Although it is also freshly brewed and used immediately, it takes much less time than the previous methods, making it more convenient. The effect goes without saying, absolutely better than those high-end chemical products on the market, and most importantly, there are no side effects!

  Zhao Yang nodded and said calmly: "Alright, I know!"

  He was actually delighted, and had been worried that he wouldn't have an excuse to go see Chen Mei. In the past four days, he had only gone once to deliver a small dish made with walnut kernels, but hadn't even had a chance to talk to Chen Mei before being chased back.

  Cao Jia smiled and said: "Forget it, don't bother you, just go pack a few sets now, we'll deliver them on the way!"

  This little girl! However, Zhao Yang's reaction speed was also very fast, and he said with a straight face: "All the ones at home are given to you two, I'll prepare more medicine when I get back!"

  Cao Jia looked at Zhao Yang's face and hummed twice, then pouted and hugged Zhao Yang's arm: "Brother Zhao Yang, I don't want to leave you!"

  Zhao Yang patted her head and smiled: "Brother will miss you too! Yeah, I'll go see you when I have time!"

  Yuanyue pulled Zhao Yang's other hand and said: "Brother Zhao Yang, you have to keep your promise! If you go, we'll treat you to dinner!"

  Cao Jia nodded hastily, took out the bonus given by Chen Mei from her bag, and shook it, saying: "We have money! It's not asking parents for it, this is our own hard-earned money!"

  Zhao Yang looked at the two sensible younger sisters in front of him, what else could he say? Of course, he agreed to everything!

  Cao Jia became excited in January, describing the school environment to Zhao Yang and introducing various delicious and fun things in the provincial city. If it weren't for the late hour, they would have gone to see Chen Mei, who knows how long they would have talked!

  Sent off Cao Jia and Yuan Yue, Zhao Yang hurried back home to prepare over a dozen packages of Qing Si Tang and Mu Dan Lu. If there were fewer, it wouldn't be enough to send; if there were more, it would take too long to use them up - this quantity was just right!

  At night when Zhao Yang and Chen Mei were cooking telephone porridge, he asked: "Are the Qing Si Tang and Mu Dan Lu at your place almost used up? I'll send some to you tomorrow?"

  "Hey, you two sworn sisters, what's going on? Hmm, I still have a few more packages, if you're free, just send them over!"

  Zhao Yang was delighted and said: "Of course I have time! Let's go tomorrow, I'll bring Xiao Xi along!"

  Chen Mei smiled lightly and asked, "Xiao Xi, have you been behaving yourself these past few days? Haven't gotten into any trouble?"

  Zhao Yang said disapprovingly: "Xiao Xi is so mischievous, what kind of trouble can she get into?! I'm telling you, now she can even recognize her own name!"

  Now Zhao Yang starts teaching Chen Xi some characters and numbers at home, of course, all based on interest. Chen Xi can recognize her own name probably because her name has too many strokes!

  Their "phone porridge" conversation was casual and carefree, focusing on the atmosphere and mood. As both were adults, they mostly understood each other's thoughts and feelings, making their conversations like a gentle mountain stream, warm and joyful, never once having an argument.

  But where in life is always happy and joyful? Today, the two of them chatted and quarreled, and the reason was the problem of Chen Xi's kindergarten.

  "Chen Chen's Wardrobe" has been open until now, and Chen Mei's enthusiasm and sincerity have also made her good friends with many customers and neighbors. When they are free, they will come to the store to take a stroll, and often just chat with Chen Mei or simply appreciate the beautiful clothes, but sometimes when they see attractive clothes, they can't help but buy them too.

  Because they are all local people, they are more familiar with the situation in the county. Morning twilight also passed her third birthday last month and is about to enter kindergarten. Morning plum asked them about it and was quite interested in three of them. Today, she mentioned this matter to Zhao Yang on the phone.

  Zhao Yang now spends more than half of his day with Chen Xi, and as soon as he hears that she is going to be sent to kindergarten, he immediately becomes unhappy and says: "Xiao Xi is so young, what's the point of sending her to kindergarten?"

  Chen Mei was taken aback and also heard Zhao Yang's displeasure, so she smiled and explained: "Still young! This year is already three years old, and at the age of three and a half, you can enter kindergarten!"

  Zhao Yang also felt that his tone was a bit sharp just now, so he slowed down and said: "Can the countryside be compared to the big city? They send their children to kindergartens because they are busy with work and have no time to take care of them. Now Xiaoxi is taken care of by my parents, and I can also teach her, why should I send her to kindergarten? Can they take better care of her than me and my parents?"

  "Of course they can't take care of you as well as your parents, but kids have to go to kindergarten and school! Besides, you and your uncle and aunt have your own things to attend to, you can't always be bothering them, right?"

  Zhaoyang sat up on the bed, somewhat anxiously, and opened the bedroom door again, frowning: "Why isn't Xiaoxi 'her own business' anymore? I consider Xiaoxi more important than anything else!"

  Through these two months of getting along, Zhao Yang had already treated the lovely Chen Xi as his own flesh and blood! Moreover, Chen Xi was Dong Hai's only blood relative in this world, he would use all his love to treat her!

  For the first time in a long while, Chen Mei saw Zhao Yang scold her. There was naturally a part of it that was due to their relationship having become closer recently, but an even bigger reason was that Zhao Yang really pitied Chen Xi! As for Zhao Yang's words, Chen Mei felt both moved and a little intimidated. She spoke in an even softer and gentler voice: "Zhao Yang, I know what you're saying too... I just wanted to illustrate a point..."

  Zhao Yang couldn't help but interrupt her and said, "What kind of logic is this? Don't you know what's in my heart? You should also be able to see what it's like on my parents' side!"

  Chen Mei stopped for a moment and sighed, "Zhao Yang, calm down! Xiaoxi will eventually grow up and live independently! Going to school is also an important part of it!"

  Zhao Yang walked into the main room, took a deep breath and said: "I know that Xiaoxi is going to school, but she's so young now, why rush to send her to school?"

  "Alright, don't you think I know what's on your mind? You just can't bear to have Xiaoxi leave your side, right? And I want to spend every day with her too! If we enroll Xiaoxi in kindergarten in the county, doesn't mean I won't be able to take care of her every day? Besides, enrolling her early will help cultivate her communication skills with others earlier. It's not just because parents don't have time to take care of their kids that they send them to kindergarten!"

  Zhao Yang pushed Little Hei away from him and said in a harsh tone, "I just can't bear to part with Xiaoxi, what's wrong with that? If you take her to the county, how much time can you spare to accompany her? And what's this about cultivating her communication skills? I'm telling you, in our China, from elementary school to high school to university, that's 16 years of time, plenty of time to cultivate! Now she's so young, let her happily and carefreely spend her childhood, that's the most important thing. Why are you in such a hurry to stuff her into kindergarten? Are you dissatisfied with how we're taking care of her?"

  "Mei cried out: 'I didn't!' and then burst into sobs."

  Hearing Chen Mei's crying voice, Zhao Yang suddenly felt a basin of ice water poured down from his head, and he hastily said: "You, you don't cry, I, I..."

  "I didn't! When did I ever complain about the way you took care of me? Am I that kind of heartless person? I'm just afraid of causing trouble for your family!"

  Zhao Yang also felt that his previous words were too extreme, and he said apologetically: "I was in a hurry just now, I didn't think before speaking, and I just blurted it out. Don't be angry, don't cry, okay?"

  "What kind of person do you think I am? You're so old, how can you speak without thinking? I think you're doing it on purpose!"

  On this cool autumn night, Zhao Yang was so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat. He wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Don't cry... I'll go to your place right now and apologize to you in person!"

  Mei was startled and hastily said: "You're not allowed to come! Otherwise, I, I..."

  She said two "I"s but didn't say anything, however, judging from her tone, she was quite angry.

  "Okay, I'll listen to you, don't cry anymore!" Zhao Yang hurriedly said. Hearing that Chen Mei was still sniffling on the phone, he forced a smile and said: "Xiao Xi is still young, let me take her with my parents instead!"

  Chen Mei's attitude also hardened as she said: "Xiao Xi is my daughter, what I want to do has nothing to do with you!"

  Zhao Yang heard her say that and knew she was no longer angry, so he let out a sigh of relief and said softly: "I also regard Xiaoxi as my own daughter!"

  "What did you say?"

  Zhao Yang said loudly: "I also regard Xiaoxi as my own daughter!"

  After saying this, Zhao Yang only felt a sense of relief in his heart and repeated again: "I also regard Xiaoxi as my own daughter!"

  "Chen Mei lowered her voice and scolded: 'What are you yelling about at this late hour?'"

  Zhao Yang smiled and said in a tone of negotiation: "Xiao Xi, don't rush to send her to kindergarten yet?"

  "It was originally not going to be sent now, it's you who insisted on arguing with me!"

  Zhao Yang's face turned red with sweat, and he smiled wryly: "I'm worried then confused, this worried then confused!"

  Chen Mei snorted and said: "You dare to yell at me? You have the nerve to yell at a woman!"

  It's true that Zhao Yang was too sensitive, now he had nothing to say, and could only let Chen Mei mock him, while he accompanied her with a few words.

  However, through this quarrel, he felt that their hearts were closer!

  PS: Last weekend, which was supposed to be the second day of making up for lost time, went to a classmate's place and had some drinks, then I think I caught a cold... As soon as I sat down, I felt dizzy, but lying down couldn't sleep either, speechless...

  ;