The Fat Wife of the 1980s Awakens

I originally thought that everyone in the family was still in a sweet dream, but unexpectedly, in the east wing, Xie's father and mother had already put on thick cotton clothes and were walking leisurely in the courtyard in the cold morning air.

"Why did you get up so early?"

Xie Yi asked in surprise.

"Second brother, why are you up so early?"

Seeing this, Xie's father and mother hurried forward, their words revealing a bit of joy, "I was used to waking up at this time when I was at home."

"I plan to go check out the scrap yard," Xie Yi explained.

Although he had only been home for twenty days, he had already entrusted the management of the scrap factory to Wang Degui. He couldn't help but feel worried and wanted to check it out in person.

"Oh, then you have to have breakfast before you go," Xie's mother said hurriedly. She was about to get up and go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Xie Yi, but suddenly realized that the kitchen here was different from the earthen stove in Xiaoxi Village. She needed to use a coal stove to cook. She seemed a little at a loss for a moment, "I... I don't know how to use your stove yet."

"Don't bother. I'll just grab something to eat when I pass by the state-owned restaurant on the way to the scrap yard," Xie Yi consoled his mother with a smile, then helped them light the coal stove for heating before returning to his room.

He seldom ate snacks on weekdays, but he clearly remembered that Xu Xiufang always liked to prepare some for the children. When he opened the cabinet door, he found it was full of various foods.

He grabbed a handful of biscuits and a can of malted milk and said, "You may not be familiar with the things in the kitchen. Wait until Sanbao wakes up and ask him to teach you how to use them. Eat these first to fill your stomach."

As Xie Yi's footsteps faded away, Xie's mother brought a kettle from the living room and made a cup of malted milk for herself and Xie's father.

In the past, she was always very stingy with such enjoyment, but since last year, Xu Xiufang would mail back a can of malted milk or milk powder every month, for fear that it would expire and be wasted. She and Xie's father also began to make a cup from time to time to enjoy it. Over time, this sweetness has become their daily life.

Father Xie gently sipped the sweet malt extract, his eyes passed through the window lattice and fell on the thin snow covering the yard, his thoughts drifting away.

The spring farming season is about to arrive, but at this moment, they are in the prosperous capital city and no longer need to be farmers working in the fields.

Coming back to his senses, he looked around with a lot of emotion in his heart: "I thought that I would work in the fields until I grow old, just like my ancestors, but I never expected that there would be a day like this, where I can enjoy the comfort of the city."

"Who says it's not?"

Sitting by the warm fire, Xie's mother was also deeply touched. "Marrying a good daughter-in-law can bring prosperity to three generations. This saying is absolutely true!"

"That's not what you said before," Father Xie glanced at his wife with a hint of joking in his tone.

"You're talking about me, aren't you the same?"

Xie's mother responded with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Didn't you always want to save money to build houses and arrange weddings for your three children? Later, when you saw that the second child's life was getting better, didn't you give more money to the eldest and third children when the family was divided? Later, you built a new house for Chunyan and paid for the eldest wife's medical treatment!"

Outsiders often talk about the poverty of the Xie family, but few people know that Mr. and Mrs. Xie have lived frugally all their lives and have accumulated quite a bit of savings.

If not, how could the first and third wives have gotten such a huge fortune when the family was divided with just the meager income they earned through hard work?

Unfortunately, in the end, the money that was saved with great difficulty was not used directly on Sanbao, but was used on the first and third wives. In the end, they did not get much benefit from it. Instead, it was the second wife who did not spend a penny and took on the responsibility of supporting them in their old age.

"The second child is indeed filial."

Xie's father echoed, his tone full of approval.

A smile appeared on Xie's mother's lips, but at this moment, a child's cry suddenly sounded, interrupting her thoughts.

"Are Huanhuan and Kangkang awake?"

She stood up quickly, her heart full of concern.

"should be."

Father Xie responded.

"I must be hungry."

Mother Xie walked towards Xie Chunyan and Feng Dongling's room anxiously, muttering non-stop, "Oh, Chunyan and Dongling are really something. They didn't even pick up the child to comfort him even though he was crying so hard. What if he wakes up the second child? She didn't get a good rest for two consecutive nights on the train!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Xie shook his head helplessly without saying anything.

At this moment, Xu Xiufang woke up slowly, but found that there was no one around her.

She yawned, changed into comfortable home clothes and walked out, only to find that everyone had already gotten up.

Everyone gathered in the main room, each holding a bowl, and enjoyed breakfast quietly.

"what happened?"

Xu Xiufang asked curiously, with a glimmer of inquiry in her eyes, "Why don't you say anything?"

"Mom," the voices of the three babies rose one after another, like a cheerful stream, instantly making the originally quiet atmosphere full of vitality and energy again, and the air was filled with the warm smell of home.

"Xiufang, are you awake?"

Mother Xie stood up almost as soon as the children finished speaking, a loving smile on her face, a concerned light flashing in her eyes, and she asked softly, her voice full of gentle laughter, "Did our loud voices pull you back from your dreamland?"

"You guys are silent because I fell asleep?"

Xu Xiufang half sat up, rubbing her still sleepy eyes, and asked curiously.

Her voice contained both the warmth of being touched by such thoughtfulness and the helplessness of being unable to laugh or cry because of such excessive care.

"We thought you must be exhausted after sitting on the train for several days," Xie's mother smiled, her eyes full of love, "so we wanted you to sleep a little longer and replenish your energy."

To Xu Xiufang, this meticulous care was both sweet and a little embarrassing.

Xu Xiufang looked up at the clock on the wall of the main room. The hand quietly pointed to ten o'clock. Time had passed quietly without her noticing.

She couldn't help but smile bitterly. Time seemed to no longer be important in the warmth of this home.

Mother Xie seemed to understand her thoughts. Her laughter was full of understanding and care. She did not continue to delve into the issue, but instead asked with concern: "We have saved breakfast for you. Do you want to eat breakfast first?"

"Okay," Xu Xiufang nodded, her eyes passing over Xie Yi who was sitting quietly beside her, without staying for too long, "Did Brother Yi go to the scrap yard?"

"Yes, we haven't seen him since we woke up this morning," Fang Kai took over the conversation, with a hint of regret in his tone, "I was thinking about going with him today."

"He has been at home for so many days, there must be a lot of things waiting to be dealt with at the scrap factory. It's okay, I'll take you there after dinner," Xu Xiufang's tone was calm and firm, showing her confidence in handling these matters.

"Mom, I'm not going. I want to go back to grandma's house," Dabao suddenly interrupted, looking a little anxious.