She spent one point in the system shop on a toothbrush and toothpaste. Xu Tang discovered that most of the items in the shop cost only one point. Perhaps points were simply difficult to earn.
After brushing her teeth, Xu Tang scooped up some water with her hands and washed her face. She combed her hair again, ate breakfast, and then slowly took a look around the house.
There were eight rooms with tiled roofs. Directly facing the main gate of the courtyard was the main room, where everyone usually ate. On either side of the main room were Xu Tang’s room and her parents’ room.
Along the right wall were three rooms, belonging to her eldest brother Xu Changxing and his children. The room at the very end was the kitchen.
On the left were the rooms belonging to her second brother and his wife, as well as a room for Xu Qingqing.
The courtyard was about twenty square meters. Behind the main room was a small plot of private land where they had planted some cabbage and chili peppers. The outhouse was right beside it.
Xu Tang was just about to use the toilet. She came to the outhouse and was immediately hit by the smell.
Ugh! That smell is suffocating!
She really didn’t want to go in, but she couldn’t hold it any longer. She held her breath, hurriedly did her business, and rushed back out.
As soon as she came out, she heard Zhao Guifang’s voice.
“Tangtang, are you feeling better? I’m going to make lunch right away, and then you need to take your medicine.”
With that, Zhao Guifang hurried into the kitchen to prepare the meal.
Xu Tang followed her to the kitchen door.
“Mom, let me help you.”
Zhao Guifang waved her off.
“No, no. You go lie down in your room. It’ll be ready soon.”
Watching Zhao Guifang move so efficiently, Xu Tang realized that she really didn’t need any help. So she wandered around the courtyard for a while.
Before long, Zhao Guifang came out carrying a bowl of chicken soup noodles.
“Tangtang, Mom made you some chicken soup noodles. I put them on the table. Eat them while they’re hot.”
She then returned to the kitchen and continued preparing food for everyone else.
By the time Zhao Guifang finished cooking, everyone had already returned from work. Some carried the dishes to the table while others washed their hands.
Liu Ermei carried a dish into the main room and saw Xu Tang.
“Little sister, are you feeling better today? Does your head still hurt?”
“Sister-in-law, I’m much better today.”
Once everyone had brought the food to the table and sat down, each person asked about her condition. Xu Tang patiently answered every question, reassuring them that she was fine.
Everyone picked up their bowls and began eating.
When Zhao Guifang noticed that Xu Tang was sitting there without touching her food, she thought something was wrong and asked worriedly, “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?”
Xu Tang shook her head.
“Mom, I’m fine.”
She looked at the chicken soup noodles in front of her, then at the food in front of everyone else.
There was a plate of stir-fried wild greens, a basin of cornmeal steamed buns, and half a bowl of watery porridge in everyone’s bowl. There were barely any grains of rice in it.
Would that really be enough to fill them up?
Xu Tang felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Yesterday, she had eaten alone in her room, so she hadn’t noticed it as much. But today, with everyone eating together, she felt as though she were eating all by herself while everyone else had so little.
Seeing her expression, Zhang Yue also asked, “Little sister, what’s wrong? Don’t you have much of an appetite?”
Xu Wanjia also thought Xu Tang wasn’t feeling well.
“Little Aunt, I’ll go up the mountain this afternoon and find some wild fruit for you. Maybe it’ll help whet your appetite.”
Xu Wen hurriedly chimed in, “Me too! Me too! I’ll go too!”
The others also looked at Xu Tang.
Xu Tang smiled and gently patted Xu Wen on the head.
“Little Aunt just thinks there’s too much for me to finish. Xiao Wen, can you help Auntie eat some?”
“How much could there be? You eat it yourself. There’s food in his bowl.”
Zhao Guifang stopped Xu Tang.
Xu Wen quickly said, “Little Aunt, I won’t eat it. I have food in my bowl.”
With that, he lowered his head and continued eating, afraid that if he was any slower, Grandma might scold him.
But Xu Tang picked up her bowl, took a serving of noodles with her chopsticks, and put it into Zhao Guifang’s bowl.
“Then, Mom, help me eat some. I really can’t finish it, and it would be such a waste not to eat it.”
Zhao Guifang was touched.
“Oh my, my daughter is so thoughtful and filial.”
Xu Tang then picked up another bite and put it into her father’s bowl.
“Dad, you eat some too.”
Her father was touched as well.
“Dad has enough. This girl really is so considerate…”
Suddenly, Xu Tang remembered something.
“Oh, right, Mom. We need to properly thank Uncle Datou, the hunter who carried me down the mountain.”
“You don’t have to tell me that. If you thought of it, do you think your mother wouldn’t? Yesterday, your father and I took twenty eggs to his house and thanked him already. Don’t worry! Your mother understands these things.”
Zhao Guifang looked as though she were saying:
If I didn’t even understand this much about human relationships, wouldn’t I have lived all these years for nothing?
“No wonder you’re my mom. Wise and mighty!”
Xu Tang gave her a thumbs-up.
Zhao Guifang was clearly pleased by the praise.
“Of course.”