Xiao Sheng patted her back to help her catch her breath, looking completely unfazed. "Second Sister, you and Eldest Sister are always like this when you go to the toilet. Maybe next time you should wear a doctor's mask—it might help a bit."
"The toilets in the staff residential compound are all like this, and they smell even worse in summer. Luckily, our home is far away. Maybe when conditions improve in the future, we can build a clean one."
Mi Duoduo shook her head, thinking to herself that this "future" was still a long way off.
She took Xiao Sheng's hand and started walking back. Just as they turned the corner, she saw Zhang Xiaolian stepping out of her house holding a silk scarf, waving at her from the doorway. "Duoduo, come get the scarf."
Mi Duoduo's heart stirred, and she quickly led Xiao Sheng over.
Zhang Xiaolian handed her the scarf, her expression carrying a hint of reluctant politeness. "Here, be careful with it. Don't get it dirty—the fabric is delicate."
Mi Duoduo took it and examined it. It was indeed a sky-blue silk scarf, embroidered with tiny white flowers. The fabric was smooth and silky, standing out starkly in the drab surroundings of the staff residential compound.
She deliberately held the scarf up close, feigning admiration. "Auntie, this scarf is so beautiful. Your daughter-in-law must really care about you to buy you something like this."
Zhang Xiaolian was momentarily speechless, her lips twitching slightly. She replied dismissively, "It's nothing special. Just put it on quickly."
Mi Duoduo smiled and agreed, asking Xiao Sheng to help her fold the scarf into a triangle and tie it around her head, neatly covering her scalp.
She nodded in Zhang Xiaolian's direction, looking pleased. "Thank you, Auntie. I'll return it to you as soon as my hair grows back."
Zhang Xiaolian waved impatiently. "Alright, alright. Go back and rest. Your head still needs time to heal." With that, she picked up her child and turned back into the house, not even bothering to close the door properly.
Mi Duoduo watched her retreating figure, the smile fading from her lips.
She touched the scarf on her head. The texture was indeed high-quality, a rare luxury in this era.
She called out in her mind, "Xiao Fu, can you duplicate this scarf?"
Xiao Fu's virtual avatar flickered as it responded, "Yes! This scarf isn't particularly valuable. A Level 1 System can duplicate it."
Mi Duoduo's eyes lit up, and she whispered, "Duplicate."
The next moment, Xiao Fu's voice echoed in her mind. "Ding! Duplication successful! 1 Duplication Point consumed. Current remaining Duplication Points: 1. Duplicated item has been stored in the System Space. Host has completed the first duplication. Reward: 10 Integral Points."
Mi Duoduo felt a surge of joy but kept her expression neutral as she led Xiao Sheng back home.
The scarf on her head still carried a faint scent of soap, but the memory of the toilet's foul odor made her frown involuntarily. Life in the 1970s wasn't just about lacking food and clothing—even going to the toilet was a battle.
"Xiao Sheng," she suddenly said, "if our family's conditions improve in the future, the first thing we'll do is build a clean toilet."
Xiao Sheng was taken aback for a moment before nodding earnestly. "Okay! When I grow up and earn money, I'll definitely build the cleanest toilet for you, Second Sister!"
Seeing his serious expression, Mi Duoduo couldn't help but smile. With such a sensible younger brother and Xiao Fu as her Golden Finger, life didn't seem quite so unbearable.
Back home, Mi Duoduo had just sat down at the table when Xiao Sheng gently nudged her toward the bed. "Second Sister, lie down for a while. You must be tired after going to the toilet. I'll go boil some water."
Unable to resist his insistence, she obediently lay back down on the bed.
Just as she closed her eyes, she heard the faint rustling from the kitchen as Xiao Sheng poked at the honeycomb briquette stove.
Soon after, Xiao Sheng carried a small stool over and sat by the bed, holding a dog-eared textbook in his hands, softly reciting the lesson.
His voice was like a diligent little bee, buzzing around her ears, but it wasn’t annoying.
After some time, the kettle in the kitchen began to whistle with a “zhi zhi zhi” sound—the water was boiling.
Xiao Sheng immediately closed his book and stood up quietly: “Second Sister, I’ll go cook. Don’t move.”
Mi Duoduo responded with an “Mm,” listening to the sounds of him bustling in the kitchen—the clatter of pots being scrubbed, the clinking of bowls and plates, and suddenly, two crisp tapping sounds—the sound of eggs being cracked.
Her heart stirred—what was this kid planning?
Just as she was wondering, the quiet staff residential compound suddenly grew lively. The clamor of half-grown children, the ringing of bicycle bells, and the shouts of adults calling their kids home all mixed together—school was out.
“Xiao Sheng! Xiao Sheng!” a boy’s voice called from the compound entrance.
Xiao Sheng poked his head out from the kitchen and responded. Soon, a boy about his age ran in, clutching a homework notebook: “We didn’t cover any new math lessons today. I left the homework on the table for you!” With that, he dashed off like a gust of wind. By the sound of it, it was Xiao Shun.
Xiao Sheng put away the homework notebook and had just returned to the kitchen when bicycle bells rang again at the compound entrance—it was Eldest Sister Mi Laidi returning home.
The Gongxiao She (Supply and Marketing Cooperative) wasn’t close to the textile mill’s staff residential compound, so the family’s only bicycle was used by her to commute to and from work.
She parked the bike under the eaves and locked it. Without even taking off her army-green cloth bag, she rushed straight to the bedside as soon as she entered: “Is Duoduo awake? Does your head still hurt?”
“Eldest Sister.” Mi Duoduo propped herself up and smiled. “Much better, it hardly hurts anymore.”
Mi Laidi reached out to touch her forehead, then pressed her own against it. Only after confirming she didn’t have a fever did she sigh in relief, the red veins in the corners of her eyes looking even more pronounced: “That’s good. I’ll go help Xiao Sheng with dinner. Rest a bit longer.”
With that, she hurried into the kitchen, and soon, the soft murmurs of the siblings could be heard inside.
Xiao Sheng soon returned to the bedside, spreading out his homework notebook and leaning over the small table to work on it.
He wrote with great effort, the pencil tip scratching softly against the paper. When he encountered a problem he couldn’t solve, he’d frown and chew on the pencil eraser. His earnest expression made Mi Duoduo’s heart soften.
The sky gradually darkened, and the sweet aroma of mixed-grain flatbread wafted from the kitchen, mingling with the steam of corn porridge, spreading warmth through the chilly room.
Just as Xiao Sheng finished solving the last problem, familiar footsteps sounded at the compound entrance—it was Father Mi Jianye and Eldest Brother Mi Mancang returning from work.
“Dinner’s ready!” Xiao Sheng chirped like a cheerful little bird, swiftly packing away his homework notebook and following Eldest Sister Mi Laidi to carry the food to the living room.
The Eight Immortals table was wiped clean, with a long bench placed on each side. Two small stools were propped at the corners of the table. The family gathered around, and the dim yellow lightbulb overhead cast a warm, cozy glow.
Dinner was simple: a basket of mixed-grain flatbread, made from cornmeal mixed with sorghum flour, yellow with a hint of red; a bowl of corn porridge for each person, so thin you could see your reflection in it; in the center, an enamel basin held mashed garlic eggplant, with barely a drop of oil, and beside it, a small bowl of soybean paste and a few washed scallions.
Only in front of Mi Duoduo was a small white porcelain bowl placed, containing tender yellow steamed egg custard sprinkled with a layer of fine salt—a sight that made anyone’s mouth water.
"Duoduo, hurry up and eat the steamed egg custard." Big brother Mi Mancang, sweat still beading on his forehead, urged in a gruff voice, "Eat it while it's hot, it gets fishy when it cools down."