Stepmother

Sister Duan came out with the braised pork, just when she heard this, she went back to the kitchen and asked Song Zhaodi: "You and Jianguo have been married for so long, why haven't you moved?"

Sister-in-law Duan: "I think Xiao Zhong looks like that, and I really want a child." After a while, "Qiu Sanwa will be three years old this year. You don't need to hold it, and you don't need to coax it. , one can be reproduced."

"Jianguo said?" Song Zhaodi raised her eyebrows, this man actually learned to curve to save the country, "Did you say you want a daughter?"

Sister-in-law Duan nodded: "It's good to have a son and a daughter."

Song Zhaodi said heartily, he is good and I am not good: "Yes, very good." Meng did very well, "However, I have to ask a few children about this. The temperament of the eldest baby and the second baby depends on It's pretty good, but it's actually very sensitive." After a pause, "I don't think it's worth it to hurt the hearts of two children for one child."

Sister Duan wanted to say no, but when she spoke, she realized that the eldest child looked very sensible, but in fact he was only eight years old and the second child was only five years old. Possibly estranged from Song Zhaodi: "You are thoughtful. Then, if, I mean, if the eldest baby and the second baby always disagree, you don't want it?"

"I don't care." Song Zhaodi said, "I will have a pension in the future, and Zhong Jianguo will also have a pension, and we don't expect them to retire. If they have conscience, just come and see us. , and when we die, we will donate the money we have saved to the country, leaving nothing behind."

Sister-in-law Duan sighed: "You really think about it."

It's better not to live."

Sister-in-law Duan disagreed: "How can everyone be like your second sister. You are very knowledgeable, and you can teach children. In the future, a daughter will definitely be very sensible."

"Hey, I'll talk about it later." Song Zhaodi said, "At least until the three children are truly sensible."

Sister Duan handed the lettuce to Song Zhaodi: "You're right, but I still think you think too much. If you don't believe me, I'll go back and ask Dawa."

"Then you ask." Song Zhaodi has made up her mind not to give birth, it doesn't matter if Sister Duan asks or not, "Auntie, I'm going to buy something to send back to my mother, what do you think? Shall I send a copy to Jianguo's uncle?"

Sister-in-law Duan saw her pour the lettuce into the pot, stir fry it three times, and then put it out, she quickly asked, "Is this all right?"

"Okay." Song Zhaodi handed her the plate, "Lettuce won't taste good if it's been fried for a long time. In fact, it's best to wrap the meat without frying the lettuce."

"Really?"

Song Zhaodi turned back subconsciously, saw Dawa leaning on the threshold and stared straight at her, and smiled: "You can try it."

"Then I'll go—" Dawa looked around and saw that there was no more lettuce, "I'll go pick lettuce."

Sister Duan hurriedly said, "Call Liu Wei to help you pick it."

"Okay." Zhong Dawa turned around and looked for Liu Wei, who was nestled in the corner of the bench.

Sister Duan continued: "Jianguo's uncle was sent to Xiaosong Village. I think you'd better send it to your mother's house and ask your mother to give it to him."

"That's what I thought." Song Zhaodi said, "Jianguo also used the phone in his office to call his brother, and when he gave his dad a New Year's gift, he bought one for us, We'll give the eldest brother money when we go back. We'll stop sending things to his dad and my cousin."

Sister Duan handed the washed spinach to Song Zhaodi and said, "His father doesn't look like a father at all. Even if you don't buy anything, no one will say anything. Grandma's side, you have to send something over there."

Song Zhaodi smiled and said: "Don't mention it, I want to laugh when you talk about it. The night before yesterday Jianguo said that he would go to the supply and marketing cooperative for two days to buy things. When the big baby heard it, he asked him what he bought. Jianguo said about the New Year's gift. Before he could finish, the big baby shouted that he wouldn't buy it for his grandma."

"Then do you buy or not?" Sister Duan said, "I remember you bought it last year."

Song Zhaodi: "The eldest baby and the second baby do not agree, we listen to them. Anyway, no matter how much you send to the Bai family, the Bai family will not read our favor. If you don't send anything, they will Don't dare to come to the island to make trouble."

"My grandma is coming again?" Zhong Dawa came in with a handful of lettuce leaves and asked.

Song Zhaodi turned to Sister-in-law Duan and said silently, "I see."

"Your grandma didn't come." Sister Duan said, "Your mother explained that she went to the post office to send something to your grandma."

Zhong Dawa continued to turn to Song Zhaodi: "Send something again? Didn't you tell me not to buy something for my grandma? Mother, how can you talk without saying anything?"

"I haven't bought it yet." Song Zhaodi said, "I just said it casually."

Zhong Dawa said with a serious face: "Then don't buy it, I don't agree."

Sister Duan was speechless and wanted to laugh: "You don't need your money, so you have to agree to buy it or not?"

"It is necessary." Zhong Dawa said earnestly, "Our family needs to vote on buying things. If Dad and Mom lose, they have to listen to me."

Sister Duan is curious: "Why did you lose?"

"Three votes win two votes." Song Zhaodi said, "Three votes for his brother."

Sister Duan opened her mouth and couldn't believe it: "Sanwa doesn't agree?"

"The big baby taught him." Song Zhaodi said, "The third baby is afraid that the big baby will not lead him to play. Is Sanwa in the house?"

Zhong Dawa: "Yes. Mother, can you eat? I'm hungry."

"Tell your dad to pour hot water to wash your hands." Song Zhaodi poured the eggs into the spinach soup, "You can eat now."

Zhong Dawa turned around and ran out: "Great! I can finally eat." As soon as the lettuce was placed on the dining table, she went to move the stool.

In Mrs. Duan's view, a woman must have a child of her own. When the food was on the table, Sister-in-law Duan watched Zhong Dawa wrap the braised pork with lettuce leaves and was very happy, so she asked, "Dawa, if your mother gave you a sister, would you be happy?"

"Have a younger sister?" Zhong Dawa doesn't quite understand, "Mother wants to have a child?"

Song Zhaodi said: "Not yet. Grandma is just asking you, if you don't agree, you don't have to give birth."

Although there are many soldiers on Wengzhou Island, there are also many fishermen. Zhong Dawa, who likes to run out and play, often finds that the stomach of a woman with a big belly disappears after a period of absence, so Zhong Dawa asks others what happened to the other party's belly.

I have met many times, and Zhong Dawa is not very old, and she knows what it means to have a child: "Can you not have a sister?"

"Why?" Zhong Jianguo asked first.

Zhong Dawa: "I don't like my sister." Zhong Jianguo's face changed slightly, and Zhong Dawa said quickly, "It's not that I don't like my mother's sister, I don't like my sister. Mother, you You can have a younger brother, I, I will lead him to play and help you take care of your younger brother."

Song Zhaodi originally thought that Dawa didn't want to be because she didn't want her to have children, but he was surprised when he finished: "Why don't you like my sister?"

Dad don't ask me to take my sister to play."

Zhong Jianguo was very unhappy, and said angrily, "My sister is messing with you?"

"Yes!" Zhong Dawa blurted out and turned to Song Zhaodi, "Mother, I didn't lie to you, I'm serious."

Sister-in-law Duan was curious: "Which little girl - wait a minute, isn't it Du Tao from your second aunt's family?" Turning to Song Zhaodi, "Du Tao fought with Dawa?"

"No." Song Zhaodi also understood, "That little girl cried whenever she cried, she was very willful. During the few days she was there, I boiled eggs for several children, one for each child, and the girl's After the eggs are eaten, if you see whoever has not finished eating, they will grab their eggs."

"I told her mother to take care of her, and her mother thought my mother was stingy, so she only boiled one egg at a time." Zhong Dawa pouted, "There are only four hens in my family to lay eggs, I Mother cooks five in the morning and five in the evening. She has been at our house for a few days, and they have eaten all the eggs in our house."

Liu Wei listened funny: "If they're not here, you won't eat?"

"They're not here, we eat three a day." Zhong Dawa stretched out her finger, "Eat in the morning, but not in the evening. If you don't eat in the morning, we eat in the evening. It was the second aunt who called us You make eggs in the morning, and you have to make eggs in the evening.”

Song Zhaodi nodded: "Dawa is right. Because we often use eggs to stir-fry dishes, we hardly make eggs at night."

"What do you mean, when your second sister is here, you cook eggs for your children sooner or later, and cook vegetables with eggs?" Song Zhaodi nodded, and Sister Duan opened her eyes wide, "How can you give your children such a meal? Too many eggs? Eat so much, do they still eat?"

Song Zhaodi: "I'm afraid that children won't eat rice and noodles, so they won't do it at night."

"Second aunt doesn't know anything, so she knows we are stingy." Zhong Dawa snorted and suddenly thought, "Mother, you are not allowed to have a younger sister."

Song Zhaodi "puchi" laughed, she thought the eldest forgot: "I don't care, your dad wants a little sister."

"Dad?" Zhong Dawa turned to Zhong Jianguo, "What do you want my sister to do?" Before Zhong Jianguo could speak, the young boy continued, "You are not at home every day, and you want your sister and don't take care of it. , I won't take care of you, are you trying to make your mother sick?"

Zhong Jianguo made a "cough".

Song Zhaodi hurriedly handed him the soup.

Zhong Jianguo took a sip of soup and swallowed everything in his mouth. Then he said, "Zhong Dawa, I'm your father, you can't speak to me in this tone."

Zhong Jianguo suddenly felt a headache: "Your mother has no opinion—"

"I have an opinion." Song Zhaodi interrupted him, "I don't agree to adding a sister to the three children."

Zhong Dawa put her hands on her hips: "Dad, are you speechless now?"

"Is your family like this?" Liu Wei asked weakly.

Song Zhaodi coughed lightly and suppressed her smile: "Who is right in our family. I think Dawa is right about adding a sister to the family."

"Of course!" Zhong Dawa raised her chin, "Mother, don't listen to Dad, he doesn't know anything."

Zhong Jianguo put down his chopsticks: "Zhong Dawa, believe it or not, I'll beat you?"

"I believe it." Zhong Dawa said, "You are tall and I am short, you are big and I am small, you can beat up as much as you want, even if I don't believe it."

Zhong Jianguo took a deep breath: "The sharp teeth and sharp mouths learned from your mother."

"Mom, what did Dad say about you?" Zhong Dawa said quickly, "Tell Dad to sleep in a chair at night."

Song Zhaodi gave him a duck leg: "Sleeping in a chair in such a cold day, I want to freeze your father to death. It's almost done, sit down and eat."

"Do you still have a sister?" Zhong Dawa said, thinking that his father wanted a sister, and turned to Zhong Jianguo.

Zhong Jianguo snorted: "Don't you want to eat duck legs? Give it to me."

"Stingy." Zhong Dawa hurriedly protected Song Zhaodi's duck legs that had been marinated for a long time.

The last time Mrs. Duan ate with the Zhong family was when Liu Yang came. At that time, the eldest child was still young, and she didn't know Song Zhaodi very well. She hardly spoke at the dinner table, and she looked very well-behaved.

More than a year has passed, if Mrs. Duan watched the big baby grow up a little bit, Mrs. Duan would not have believed that the child in front of her was the big baby, "Zhao Di, your house is usually so lively? "

"When his father is not at home, it is very quiet." Song Zhaodi said, "The eldest and the second have dinner, and then take the third out to play." Duck Leg, instructed, "Put down your chopsticks when you're full. If you dare to eat it, I'll beat you up."

Erwa pinched the duck leg and returned it to Song Zhaodi: "Keep it for dinner."

Master Liu was delighted, "Erwa is also quite funny."

Kill the chickens to kill the ducks, and now the ducks and chickens quack when they see them."

Senior Liu continued: "There must be a lot of talk about it." After a pause, "Dad, if you talk about eating them again, they won't dare to grow up."

"Then I'll feed more leaves." Zhong Dawa blurted out.

Master Liu hurriedly covered his mouth, afraid of spitting out saliva.

Zhong Jianguo glared at the big baby: "Hurry up to eat, eat and play, don't be angry at home."

Zhong Dawa snorted twice, took a big bite from the duck leg, and looked up at Zhong Jianguo.

Zhong Jianguo suddenly wanted to beat someone: "Don't you need a beat?"

Song Zhaodi shook her head and laughed.

Sister Duan followed: "I now understand why you said that when they grow up, the three children in the family can be so lively, if there is another one or two, your family will have to fight every day. similar."

"War? It's almost too soon." Master Liu said suddenly.

Song Zhaodi froze in her heart: "What does Uncle Liu mean?"

"We have received news that we are already fighting with the Soviet Union." Zhong Jianguo said, "You listen to the radio these days, you can hear the news of the war."

Song Zhaodi quickly asked: "Are you going to support?"

"No need." Zhong Jianguo wanted to say more, noticed that several children were there, so he called Song Zhaodi to get him a steamed bun.

Seeing this, Song Zhaodi did not ask any further questions.

The next day, Song Zhaodi replaced all the food stamps at home with rice and noodles, and the oil and cloth stamps with oil and cloth, and hurriedly bought something to send to her parents.

On the morning of March 2nd of the solar calendar, the news of the war between China and the Soviet Union spread all over the country. The fishermen on the island were worried about the shortage of supplies. In the afternoon, they rushed to the non-staple food factory and the supply and marketing cooperative to line up to buy things. Song Zhaodi was tidying up her vegetable garden.

Song Zhaodi didn't waste the feces of chickens, ducks, and geese, and sprinkled them all into the vegetable field.

Dawa straddled the schoolbag that Song Zhaodi had made for him with rags, took Erwa's hand to open the door, smelled a stench, and the two brothers looked at each other and ran inside. However, the big baby stepped on a pile of chicken shit.

Zhong Dawa's face changed suddenly: "Mother, what are you doing?"

"Do you still want to eat tomatoes and cucumbers?" Song Zhaodi asked.

The baby choked.

Song Zhaodi put down the shovel and picked up the hoe: "When the **** dries up, it won't stink."

"When can it be dried?" Zhong Dawa asked quickly.

Song Zhaodi looked at the sky: "If it doesn't rain, it will take at least three days. When you two enter the house, I will sweep the feces from the road into the floor, so that your father will not shout when he comes home. "

"Mother, don't you dislike it?" Zhong Dawa asked while covering her nose.

Song Zhaodi rolled his eyes at him: "What do you think?" After a while, "However, it is much better than the cesspool in the countryside."

"You actually said a lot better?" Zhong Dawa felt incredible, "I clearly remember that you used to think that Sanwa's diapers were dirty, so you asked Dad to wash the diapers."

Song Zhaodi sighed: "I want to live a finer life, but with you three mud children, the fairies in the sky will also become rough old women who eat without washing their hands.

"By the way, Sanwa is at the grandma's house next door. You two take him out to play, eat well and then do homework."

"Okay." Zhong Dawa put the schoolbag in, and she suddenly thought, "Mother, you, do you wash your hands when you cook at night?"

Song Zhaodi frowned: "It depends on your mood."

"Huh?" Zhong Dawa was surprised, "You can't look at your mood, you have to wash your hands."

"Mother, if you don't wash your hands, you will get sick." Erwa reminded.

Song Zhaodi raised her eyes and saw Erwa's seriousness, Dawa was shocked and wanted to laugh inexplicably: "Don't worry, I will wash my hands."

"You must wash your hands." Zhong Dawa was worried, and she didn't forget to explain when she walked to the door.

Song Zhaodi waved her hand and hurry up.

The big baby turned to the second baby, worried: "Mother won't forget?"

"Maybe." Zhong Erwa once fell ill with diarrhea, and Song Zhaodi threatened him because he didn't wash his hands well before eating. After that, Zhong Erwa was very careful when washing her hands, rubbing it over and over again.

This winter, the children's faces on the island were very dry from the wind. Because they didn't wash their faces and hands properly, and the elders were busy, it was inevitable that some negligence had caused many children's hands to crack.

The three children of the Zhong family wear clothes with patches, because the patches on the clothes are either flowers or small animals, and with clean faces and hands, they feel extra comfortable.

Ma Zhonghua met Dawa and Erwa once, and when he got home and saw his two children, he couldn't help but talk about Zhou Shufen learning more from Song Zhaodi and cleaning up the children.

To say that would go a long way.

Although she had Song Zhaodi's assurance, Zhong Dawa still felt that when his mother was busy, she would probably cook without washing her hands. When Zhong Jianguo came back, Zhong Dawa took Zhong Jianguo to complain.

Zhong Jianguo saw his son's face full of worry, he really wanted to say, it's not clean, it's not sick after eating. However, he knew that once this word reached Song Zhaodi's ears and it was snowing heavily outside, Song Zhaodi would also drive him to sleep on a chair.

"

The big baby really ran to the kitchen: "Mother, do you want me to help you?"

"No." Song Zhaodi said, "Tell your dad to come in to serve the rice, and I'll just fry the vegetables." As he spoke, he stuffed a handful of dry leaves under the pot. Immediately, pick up a rag to wipe your hands, and continue to stir fry.

Zhong Dawa was satisfied, turned her head and called his father in. When Song Zhaodi was not paying attention, she made a face at her and went outside to pull the table and wait for dinner.

China fought with the Soviet Union. Although the East China Sea Fleet did not receive an order to go to support, no one in the entire army dared to relax, because they were afraid that the United States and Lao Jiang would take advantage of the mess.

Zhong Jianguo ate dinner at home, took a bath and changed clothes before driving to the camp.

Song Zhaodi was not as inexplicably flustered as before. She should sleep and eat with her children. It's useless to panic anyway, Zhong Jianguo is a soldier, and it is his duty to obey orders. If Zhong Jianguo was sent out, it would be useless for her to cry blindly.

In September, China and the Soviet Union reached an agreement for a temporary truce. Zhong Dawa is also in the second grade.

Song Zhaodi originally planned very well. She brought her three children back during the summer vacation, and also let Zhong Jianguo's uncle meet a few children. However, the north is not stable, and Xiaosong Village is in the north. Song Zhaodi was worried that the situation there was tense, so she did not bring a few children back.

But Zhong Dawa and Zhong Erwa remembered.

Dawa knew that Xiaosong Village belonged to Binhai, and heard Song Zhaodi say that she would take the train to Binhai City and then transfer to Xiaosong Village.

Zhong Weiguo's family is in Binhai City. Zhong Dawa has not seen his uncle and aunt for two years, so she thinks of Zhong Weiguo's family.

There was still a month before the winter vacation, when Zhong Dawa came home from school, she suddenly thought, and when she got home, she asked, "Mother, shall we go to Xiaosong Village during the winter vacation?"

"Why did you ask this all of a sudden?" Song Zhaodi didn't react for a while.

Zhong Dawa did not hide Song Zhaodi, she just said that she missed his aunt.

Zhong Weiguo and his wife took care of several children. The eldest child missed them. Song Zhaodi was happy.

When it got dark, Zhong Jianguo came back.

Xiaosong Village is far from Wengzhou Island. Song Zhaodi and her three children will not be able to return for at least a week. When Zhong Jianguo thought of returning home, it was pitch black, and he couldn't even drink a sip of hot soup, so he violated his conscience and said, "The weather is cold, and it's snowing heavily on the coast. I'll go back later when it's warmer."

"Binhai is snowing so early?" Song Zhaodi turned to look at the calendar on the wall, "It's only the seventh day of November."

Zhong Jianguo: "It began to snow in the early October of the lunar calendar over there, and the highest temperature during the day was minus ten degrees."

"Then shall we go back?" Song Zhaodi asked Dawa and Erwa.

Erwa shook her head again and again and spit out a word: "Cold!"

Dawa was a little disappointed and didn't bother to go back. However, a month later, when Zhong Dawa finished the exam, when she returned home, she saw Song Zhaodi packing her luggage, her face changed suddenly, she grabbed Song Zhaodi's hand and asked, "Mother, did you quarrel with my father?"

"No." Song Zhaodi looked strange, "Who told you?"

Second baby: "Why did the mother pack her clothes? Brother Lin Zhong said that when his mother and his father quarreled, his mother would pack up his clothes and go back to his mother's house."

"Don't you want to go back to Xiaosong Village?" Zhong Dawa asked.

Song Zhaodi: "I want to go back, let's go back together."

"Huh?" Zhong Dawa was surprised, "Let's go back too? Why don't we know?"

Song Zhaodi: "Don't say you don't know, I don't know either. Your dad just told me to pack up quickly, and I'll ask fellow villagers to drive our own fishing boat to send us out to sea."