He wasn't good at studying and wasn't very bright, but he was excellent at farm work and had been a strong laborer since he was a child.
From the age of twelve, when he dropped out of school, he became a free laborer for his two uncles.
They get up earlier than the chickens, sleep later than the dogs, work harder than the oxen, and eat worse than the pigs.
This is a true reflection of Xiao Bing.
This kind of life continued for six years, and it continues to this day.
After shaking his head and sighing for a while, Xiao Ning washed his face with a towel, scooped up some water, and quickly carried it back.
When Xiao Ning got home, she found her grandmother cooking porridge in the kitchen. Her grandfather was nowhere to be found. Xiao Ning put the toothbrush cup back in its place and poured the water from the bucket into the water vat.
"Grandma, is Qiang still not awake?" he asked casually.
Grandma Xiao supported her back with one hand and kept stirring the porridge in the aluminum pot with a spoon with the other, replying, "It's still early, let her sleep a little longer."
Xiao Ning shook her head. Grandma was good in every way, except that she spoiled the children too much and never said a harsh word to them.
"Where's Grandpa? How come he disappeared as soon as I turned around?"
Grandma Xiao switched hands and continued stirring without turning around: "He let the ducks out, they'll be back in a bit. Oh, Ning Yazi, go chop up the pig feed!"
"Oh, okay!" Xiao Ning replied, walked through the side door, and came to another room. There was a pile of cabbages and sweet potatoes on the floor, and a wooden board and an old kitchen knife next to them.
Picking up the cleaver, Xiao Ning squatted down and began chopping pig feed.
With his skill, chopping pig feed would naturally be both fast and efficient.
Before long, a pot of pig feed had been chopped, but Grandma Xiao's porridge was not yet ready.
Without saying a word, Xiao Ning opened the side door and found a small tiled house built on the side of the main house, with a wood-burning earthen stove inside.
"Smack!"
Light dry pine branches, stuff them into the stove, and then place some withered branches on top. Soon, a roaring fire was lit.
Xiao Ning skillfully washed the pot, poured in the swill, then poured the previously chopped pig feed into the large iron pot and covered it with the lid.
Add firewood and heat the fire to cook the pig feed.
More than half an hour later, an unpleasant smell emanated from the iron pot. Xiao Ning stopped adding firewood and waited until the sparks in the stove were completely extinguished before getting up and returning to the house.
At this moment, Xiao Yousheng had returned, and Grandma Xiao had cooked the porridge. The little girl Xiao Qiang came out of the room with disheveled hair and sleepy eyes, still not fully awake.
Xiao Ning washed his hands, ladled out a bowl of porridge, picked up two pieces of leftover food, and squatted on the steps by the door to start drinking the porridge.
"Grandpa, let's move to the city after the New Year!"
After finishing their porridge, Xiao Ning handed Xiao Yousheng a cigarette and casually remarked...
"What's so great about going to the city? We don't know anyone here, and the expenses are too high. Even drinking water costs money. No way!"
Xiao Yousheng lit a cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, and refused without thinking.
"Sir, I bought a house in the city!"
Xiao Ning said helplessly.
"Huh? Where did you get the money to buy a house?"
Xiao Yousheng was taken aback, then he suddenly realized and said, "You went to Yuhang to find your mother?"
"No!"
Xiao Ning shook his head: "Why would I look for her? It's all money I earned myself, clean and honest money!"
"laugh!"
Xiao Yousheng scoffed: "You little brat, others may not know your capabilities, but do you think I don't? Tell me, how much do you think you can earn in a month delivering food in Yuhang?"
"Don't think that just because Grandpa is old, he's easy to fool. I watch the news every day, and I understand the current social situation!"
"Money is hard to earn, and life is tough! Even if you work your whole life, you still won't earn enough to buy a house. Your uncle is a good example!"
“I can understand you asking your mother for money. It’s not shameful. Even if she didn’t raise you, she’s still your mother, and that blood relationship can’t be severed.”
"You can't take her money and then not appreciate her kindness! That's not how you behave!"
Xiao Yousheng was like a wise man; his words hit the nail on the head, leaving Xiao Ning speechless in an instant.
However, Xiao Ning is no longer the same Xiao Ning as before.
He chuckled and said, "Grandpa is right. I understand the principles of being a good person, so I won't explain further. I just have one question: do you want to move to the city?"
Sometimes, too much explanation is useless, and it's better to remain silent.
Xiao Yousheng squinted, staring blankly at the Lamborghini in front of the door, not even noticing that a cigarette butt had burned his finger.
After a while, he quickly threw away his cigarette butt, rubbed his hands together, and said leisurely, "Ning Yazi, have you calculated how much it will cost for the whole family to move to the city? Even if you have some spare money now, how long can it last? And what will happen after that? Are you going to have the whole family slink back home?"
The old man's way of thinking is indeed unique; he doesn't make decisions on a whim, but rather considers all aspects.
No wonder people say that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure.
Xiao Ningcheng agreed, and he smiled, "I've considered these issues, sir. Let me put it this way: as long as it's about money, then there's no problem!"
Xiao Yousheng chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Unfortunately, the problem is you don't have any money, right?"