Chapter 160 - 159: How to Eat a Banana (First Update)
The family found a room on the second floor.
Upon opening the door, they saw that it was quite clean and tidy.
The bedding was all in order, and there were glass windows.
Gu Xiaojie had never stayed in a guesthouse before and curiously touched around here and there.
Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei stayed in a double room, while the three children stayed in a triple room.
Gu Ruhai felt a bit down, not too pleased. On the first day of coming to the city, they’d experienced its luxury and expense, which dampened his enthusiasm.
They worked hard to earn money, just over sixty yuan a day, and here, a single night consumed a third of that; how could they not feel discouraged?
Gu Xiaoqing understood what her parents’ silence meant.
She jokingly explained, "Mom, Dad, don’t be discouraged. Actually, it’s because we just got here and haven’t found the right place yet, so we’re staying at a guesthouse. Actually, if we rent a place, it won’t be expensive. I’ve inquired, a large apartment is only about two hundred yuan a month, not including utilities.
If you do business here, it’s not that expensive. Think about it, back home the cost isn’t so high, and you could earn over sixty a day; let alone the city, where people spend money more freely than at home."
Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei also realized that they’d been startled.
They felt uneasy having their daughter comfort them.
As parents, relying on their child was really not right.
It was late, and they didn’t go out for dinner. Gu Ruhai fetched two kettles of hot water, and the family ate the dry food they brought along with it.
Early the next morning, the family went out for breakfast.
That night, Li Xuemei had a discussion with Gu Ruhai, deciding that they should not dampen the children’s spirits.
Since they were here, they should act generous, eating and drinking as they pleased. After all, they had two thousand yuan with them; they wouldn’t run out.
Moreover, this trip was also for the children to gain worldly knowledge.
They shouldn’t be too parsimonious.
So by breakfast time, the whole family was already in high spirits, each face filled with happiness.
Li Xuemei and Gu Ruhai, being adults, had concerns on their minds, pondering as they ate breakfast.
That meal cost them two jin of youtiao and five bowls of millet porridge, along with two plates of pickled vegetables, and each of the three children got a tea egg, altogether costing two yuan and nine cents.
By this reckoning, the food in the city was more expensive than back in their town.
However, the couple sat there for half an hour and saw that in an hour’s time, the shop had excellent business, nearly full, with the shop owned by a couple and their two boys helping out, yet they were still too busy to stop.
They gained a bit of hope for business, knowing that since they both did food business, as long as business was good, they’d have no major problems surviving.
As long as they could earn money, then the couple would be at ease.
They had a house and land at home, and as long as the city expenses could be covered, even if they couldn’t save much, it was okay.
At least the two of them were here for the kids to study, so they were looking after them.
Besides, the couple remained confident. If vegetarians could make a living with youtiao and millet porridge here, who would take on such hard and tiring work without earning money?
So they finally settled their minds.
After breakfast, Gu Xiaoqing took the family to visit Fang Shaonan’s home, a bit worried whether anyone would be home.
When they arrived at the courtyard gate, they were stopped by the guard.
Gu Xiaoqing mentioned He Cui’s name, and the guard told them to wait while he went to verify.
After a while, He Cui came out with the guard, spotting the family of five from afar.
After greeting the guard, He Cui led them towards her home.
"Brother Gu, Sister-in-law Gu, you’re a rare guest. I thought it was a family relative. Just wondering who it was."
He Cui was enthusiastic and had no airs of an official; moreover, she liked Gu Xiaoqing, which made her look favorably upon Gu Xiaoqing’s parents.
Think about it, parents who raised such a smart and sensible child couldn’t be bad.
Gu Ruhai was at a loss for words when he saw He Cui, eyeing her khaki suit, neatly trimmed hair, matching trousers, and polished leather shoes, all exuding a cadre’s demeanor. To Gu Ruhai, even the village captain and director didn’t have such an air.
He couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Li Xuemei was better off, chatting with He Cui with a smile.
Inside He Cui’s house, the couple was even more dumbfounded.
This house.
Though it looked like a single-story house, it was a large set of independent house and courtyard.
Behind the main building were rows of adjacent buildings.
The last time Gu Xiaoqing visited, she knew Fang Shaonan’s house was very large, estimating that his parents were likely high officials.
Just the house alone wasn’t something ordinary people could afford.
Sitting on the living room sofa, Li Xuemei handed over a cloth bag to He Cui.
"We country folks don’t have much good stuff, just some homegrown dates and walnuts, fresh-tasting. We brought them for you to try. Don’t be polite; you must accept them."
Li Xuemei was actually a bit nervous inside, seeing their circumstances, and felt their gifts were inadequate.
He Cui didn’t put on airs, opening the bag and smiling broadly, saying to Li Xuemei and Gu Ruhai, "Brother, Sister-in-law, you’ve brought something to my heart. In the city, it’s hard to find that in supply and marketing cooperatives, the dates and walnuts are usually old stock from who knows when and don’t look fresh at all, nothing like yours. I won’t be polite and will accept them."
Those words instantly drew the families closer, giving Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei a bit of calm amidst their anxious thoughts.
He Cui poured them tea, offering apples and bananas to Gu Xiaoying, Gu Xiaoqing, and Gu Xiaojie, along with a plate of snacks, namely checkered cakes.
The most popular pastries then were checkered cakes, peach crisps, and fried rice strips, with other cakes rare.
Gu Xiaojie had never seen a banana before, his eyes gleamed, looking at the yellowish thing filled with curiosity, smelling a fragrance, but he had never had it before.
Picking it up, he was about to bite into it.
Gu Xiaoqing watched with embarrassment.
Oh, my brother, you’re going to embarrass us!
Quickly, she grabbed the banana from Gu Xiaojie’s hand.
Gu Xiaojie was upset.
But noticing the adults chatting, he knew better than to cause a fuss in someone else’s house.
Pouting, he stared intently at Gu Xiaoqing.
It meant, look at the kind of sister you are!
Gu Xiaoqing peeled the banana’s golden-yellow skin, revealing the white inside, then handed it to Gu Xiaojie.
"Eat this. The outer skin can’t be eaten."
Gu Xiaojie blushed with shame.
He took a bite.
His little eyes instantly lit up several degrees.
It was so delicious. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)