Chapter 330
Early the next morning, Zhou Yueshen went out and bought a new washing machine.
Even though it was Sunday, he still had to go to the breeding farm later.
Being the boss meant working 365 days a year with no days off.
After a good night's sleep, Second Child had already forgotten about what happened the previous night.
Seeing a washing machine at their doorstep, he excitedly circled around it and asked Zhou Yueshen if it was indeed a washing machine.
He said he had seen one at Grandma Jiang's house.
He also mentioned that Little Jiang never had to wash clothes.
Zhou Yueshen picked him up and taught him how to use it. Second Child was intrigued and learned earnestly, declaring that since his older brother didn't know how to use it and only he did, he would take charge of washing all the family's dirty clothes from now on.
Zhou Yueshen patted his little head.
Other children usually hated doing chores, but his own son fought to do them.
This would actually lighten Si Nian's burden quite a bit.
Zhou Yueshen told him to help his mother more often.
Second Child boasted that he was the absolute most hardworking boy ever.
The weather was beautiful today, and the early morning sun already illuminated half the courtyard.
The vegetables they had planted earlier had all sprouted, looking lush and green under the sunlight.
Zhou Yueshen had built a small fence around the pond; after all, with many children around, it could be dangerous.
Inside were the little fish fry that Zhou Zehan was raising.
By now, they had grown plump and healthy, swimming happily in the water, quietly waiting for their little master to feed them.
Oh, and the rabbits they kept had given birth to a litter of bunnies, eight in a single litter.
Their previous hutch was no longer big enough.
Having raised them for so long, and since the two children had practically brought them up, no one could bear to eat them.
But having too many wasn't a good idea either.
Si Nian planned to take them to the market to sell.
Even though they were domestically raised now, they still carried wild rabbit genes.
They could fetch a good price.
Da Huang was lying on the side sleeping, while a group of half-grown bunnies nestled snugly on his belly, sleeping soundly.
They had clearly treated him as their own nest.
They were even closer to him than to their own parents.
Perhaps because he had watched them grow up with his own eyes, Da Huang was exceptionally tolerant of them.
The entire courtyard was brimming with vitality.
Zhou Yueshen put his son down to let him figure things out on his own, then had someone bring over some wooden boards and started hammering away in the yard.
Beside him lay Si Nian's design blueprint.
It was a wooden house she had designed for Da Huang.
The previous incident where Da Huang got depressed had made the whole family feel guilty towards him.
Si Nian also felt that she had neglected Da Huang way too much.
Right now, Da Huang was the darling of the family.
So, Si Nian decided to build him a wooden house.
However, she only knew how to draw the plans, not how to build it, so she handed the task over to Zhou Yueshen.
Following the drawing, Zhou Yueshen quickly built a framework.
Passersby who saw him hammering away to build a doghouse sighed in disbelief.
It was just a beast meant for guarding the door, yet he was building it a doghouse; it was truly too extravagant.
He probably didn't even treat his own parents this well.
They saw such a big house belonging to the Zhou family, yet only the couple lived there themselves.
They hadn't even brought their parents over to show some filial piety.
Instead, they valued a dog so much; it was truly incomprehensible.
Next door, Fang Hui was also leading her son out to attend his tutoring classes.
Even though they hadn't been here long, she had already enrolled her son in tutoring classes for every subject.
Even in this small city, she couldn't let him slack off.
Seeing the Zhou family's man working in the yard, and the little boy wearing slippers with his hair looking like a bird's nest, shouting and yelling happily in the courtyard, Fang Hui withdrew her gaze.
Just as she pulled her son to leave, she noticed he was staring inside too.
Fang Hui said, "Bowen, do you see that? You must never be like that child, all sloppy and unkempt. That kind of child is the most annoying."
Fang Bowen withdrew his gaze and gave a soft "Mm."
He said he understood.
Fang Hui pulled her son away.
Zhou Yueshen had finished the doghouse by the time Si Nian got up, yawning.
She brewed a cup of floral tea, and Second Child immediately ran over, saying, "Mom, Mom, look at our newly bought washing machine!"
"It's the same brand as the one at Little Jiang's house."
"Dad bought it."
"From now on, Mom won't ever have to wash clothes again!"
Surprised, Si Nian walked over and inspected the twin-tub washing machine, which was very fashionable for the current era but looked a bit old-fashioned in her eyes.
She was also very happy.
How could she not be happy about something that freed up her hands!
Zhou Yueshen was cleaning up the leftover wood scraps, while Da Huang wagged his tail and excitedly circled his new home.
He was obviously thrilled.
Si Nian felt that today was truly a good day; waking up, the house had gained quite a few nice things.
"What made you think of buying a washing machine?" She hadn't even thought of it herself.
Zhou Yueshen replied, "The weather is getting hotter, and we need to wash clothes more frequently. With a washing machine, doing the laundry will be easier for you."
Si Nian agreed it made a lot of sense and nodded. Seeing that it was already eight o'clock, she asked, "You don't have to go to work today?"
Zhou Yueshen shook his head slightly. "I do. I'm heading over right now."
Si Nian looked a bit disappointed. "I was thinking that since it's Sunday today, I'd take Little Dong and Little Han to buy bicycles. If they had bicycles, it would be more convenient for them to go out."
She was thinking about how Eldest Child had to run around doing business every day, which was quite tiring.
Zhou Yueshen's expression shifted slightly. He patted Second Child, who was looking up at him, and said, "I probably won't have time today. Some workers are coming over later, and I need to keep an eye on things."
Because he was expanding the site and the surrounding area was all wasteland, he had hired quite a few workers to go over there.
Si Nian felt it was a pity, but knowing he was busy with work, she didn't say much more.
After eating a simple breakfast, Zhou Yueshen drove off.
Si Nian hadn't gone out shopping in a long time, so she specially put on some makeup.
Since arriving in this era, she didn't have much time to put on makeup.
But women loved beauty, let alone when going out shopping.
She applied light makeup and changed into a dress.
When she walked downstairs in high heels, Jiang Jiu and Zhou Zehan, who were lying on the floor playing marbles, opened their mouths in an "O" shape.
"Mom is so pretty!"
"Auntie is a fairy!"
Si Nian felt overjoyed being flattered by the children.
She rubbed their heads and smiled, "Let's go, Mom is taking you to buy bicycles."
She had her own bicycle, but it was too big for the two children to ride.
It wasn't impossible for Si Nian to ride alone with Yaoyao, but she couldn't just leave her two sons behind and make them walk by themselves.
So she walked to school with her two sons every day.
If she bought them bicycles now, the whole family could ride to school together.
Hearing that his eldest brother and Second Brother were going to buy bicycles, Jiang Jiu immediately dashed home to ask his grandmother for money, saying he wanted to buy a bicycle too.
His grandmother disagreed, saying he was still too young and riding a bicycle was too dangerous.
She would still drop him off at school herself.
Jiang Jiu felt wronged, complaining that Second Brother and his eldest brother both had one, but he didn't.
Grandma Jiang explained that Eldest Child and Second Child were different; they were brave, and they often rode their mother's bicycle, so they knew how to ride.
He had never even touched one, so it was too dangerous.
Jiang Jiu felt even sadder.
Feeling aggrieved, he ran back to his room.
Jiang Wenqing, who had just returned home, didn't see his son and noticed his mother looking distressed.
He asked for the reason.
Grandma Jiang told him about the matter.
She added, "Besides, the Eldest Child and Second Child have their parents to teach them how to ride bicycles. They've been running around outside since they were little, so they are bold. Si Nian follows them around too. With my old bones, how could I possibly learn to ride a bicycle? I can't just run chasing after my grandson, can I?"
Although her heart ached for her grandson, there was nothing she could do.
Ever since her grandson was abducted last time, she had been extra careful with everything.
Hearing this, Jiang Wenqing felt a pang of heartache and went upstairs to knock on his son's door.
After knocking for a long time, Jiang Jiu finally opened the door with red eyes.
Seeing his father, the boy instinctively tried to shut the door, but Jiang Wenqing stopped him.
Jiang Jiu pouted, glaring angrily at his heartless father.
His eyes were full of resistance.
He didn't like his dad at all. He liked Second Brother's dad. Second Brother's dad was amazing; he raised rabbits and fish for Second Brother and even built a new house for Da Huang.
Second Brother's mom would also buy him new clothes, bicycles, and toys.
But he had no dog, no rabbit, no fish, and not even a bicycle.
He was truly the most pitiful child in the world.
Jiang Jiu felt like his heart was broken.
Jiang Wenqing hurriedly said, "Little Jiu, I heard your grandma say that you want to buy a bicycle?"
Jiang Jiu replied, "Why are you asking? You won't buy me one anyway."
After saying that, he angrily tried to close the door again.
Jiang Wenqing said, "Who said I won't buy you one?"
Jiang Jiu: "Grandma said so."
Jiang Wenqing: "What Grandma says doesn't count. Dad will buy it for you, okay?"
Jiang Jiu froze, looking at him in disbelief. "R-really?"
Jiang Wenqing breathed a sigh of relief and immediately smiled. "Of course it's true."
He added, "Dad has been transferred back to the research institute in the city. From now on, I will come home every day. Dad knows how to ride a bicycle. I'll teach you how to ride it then, alright?"
A flash of pleasant surprise crossed Jiang Jiu's eyes, but he quickly hid it. He wasn't that happy; it was just... just that this way, people wouldn't call him an orphan without a father or mother anymore.
He was still young after all. Even though he was acting awkward, he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes.
He hurriedly ran to find the Second Child and the others, asking them to wait for him.
"Second Brother, my dad said he will buy me a bicycle too."
"My dad said he won't leave anymore and will come home every day."
"Second Brother, Second Brother, my dad will also teach me how to ride a bicycle from now on."
He said happily.
The Second Child was happy for him but also felt a little sad, saying, "That's great! My dad is very busy every day and has to go to the pig farm, so only Mom can teach us how to ride."
Si Nian walked out and interrupted the two children. "What are you talking about? Let's go."
Although Zhou Zedong was also happy, he didn't show his emotions as openly as his younger brother.
He held his younger sister's hand and followed beside Si Nian.
Zhou Zehan and Jiang Jiu held hands, skipping and bouncing ahead.
They were clearly very excited about buying bicycles.
Jiang Wenqing stood at the door. Seeing his son come out, he finally stepped forward to greet them.
Hearing that he was going to take Jiang Jiu to buy a bicycle, Si Nian nodded.
No wonder Little Jiang Jiu looked so happy.
The group went to the department store.
Children's bicycles were quite popular; after all, there were many wealthy people in the city.
Children from well-off families would start riding bicycles to school by themselves at a very young age.
As soon as the children arrived at the department store, they let themselves loose and started picking out bicycles.
This reminded Si Nian of the first time she brought them to the mall, when they were so timid that they didn't even dare to try on a piece of clothing.
The Little Han of today had undergone a heaven-and-earth transformation.
Soon, the two children pushed over a red and a blue bicycle.
The Second Child said happily, "Mom, I want this red one. It's so cool."
Si Nian rubbed his head and said okay.
Jiang Jiu glanced at Second Brother, then looked at Si Nian rubbing his head.
A hint of envy flashed in his eyes.
Gripping the handlebars of the bicycle, he looked unconfidently at his bespectacled father, who had little presence beside him.
He couldn't bring himself to call out to him.
Jiang Wenqing didn't make things difficult for him and asked, "Does Little Jiu like this one?"
Jiang Jiu immediately nodded. "I want this one. Second Brother said red and blue are the most handsome!"
Jiang Wenqing smiled. "Alright, Dad will buy it for you."
Zhou Zedong pushed over a slightly larger black bicycle.
He then took out the money he had made from selling pancakes recently and handed it to Si Nian, saying, "Mom, I have a hundred yuan here."
The bicycle he had chosen happened to cost exactly a hundred yuan.
This way, Si Nian wouldn't have to pay out of her own pocket.
Si Nian accepted his money without the slightest sense of guilt, claiming it was to save up for his future wife.
Jiang Jiu and the Second Child, who had no money, exchanged a glance.
Eldest Brother wasn't playing fair.
After buying the bicycles, Jiang Wenqing had other matters to attend to and originally wanted to take his son home first.
But his son was unwilling, so he had to head back first by himself.
The department store would pack the bicycles and deliver them to their home, so there was nothing to worry about.
Si Nian immediately led the children up to the third floor.
Summer was coming, so of course, they needed to buy new clothes.
In no time, the children's hands were full of various shopping bags.
Jiang Jiu struggled to hoist the bags onto his shoulders, glancing at Eldest Brother and Second Brother, who didn't even change their expressions. He didn't dare to utter a word of complaint.
Si Nian wasn't just buying for herself; she bought for the children too.
With full outfits for everyone, the children ended up covered in bags.
Passersby kept staring at the children and snickering covertly.
They found it amusing and felt envious of Si Nian.
When they got home, the three children collapsed onto the sofa in exhaustion.
However, once the bicycles were delivered, it was as if they were pumped full of adrenaline.
Even Zhou Zedong, who was studying, put down his book. The three children excitedly started learning how to ride their bicycles in the courtyard.
Fang Hui brought her son home from his classes and saw the children riding bicycles in the courtyard.
They were branded ones, quite expensive.
One look and it was obvious they were newly bought.
Fang Bowen also looked over, a trace of envy flashing in his eyes.
He instinctively said, "Mom, I also..."
Fang Hui immediately cut in, "Son, riding a bicycle is too dangerous. We won't copy them. I bought you a violin. You can start learning it as soon as we get back."
Fang Bowen shut his mouth.
The next day, Zhou Zehan put his little bunnies into his schoolbag and sneakily started a small business with Jiang Jiu.
Few of their classmates had ever seen rabbits, and even if they had, they were only the dirty ones at the wet market.
They were nothing like the ones Zhou Zehan raised, which were chubby, white, spotlessly clean, and incredibly cute.
The little girls were instantly won over. They surrounded Zhou Zehan, their faces flushed with excitement. "Second Brother, can you give me one? I want one too."
"Yes, Second Brother, I want one too. I'll take good care of it."
"Second Brother's family is my family."
Zhou Zehan said, "I raised these myself. I can't give them to you for free; you have to pay for them."
Eldest Brother had started his pancake business.
He could do business too.
Hmph, it just so happened that Mom said he had too many little rabbits and couldn't keep them all.
She even said they had to be sold.
Originally, Zhou Zehan was reluctant. He felt that the bunnies were so cute, and since he had raised them himself, it would be too pitiful to eat them.
He could only sell them to children who loved small animals just as much as he did.
Everyone asked him how much they cost.
Zhou Zehan said they were two yuan each.
His were wild rabbits, not just your ordinary rabbits.
Two yuan was too much for people in the countryside.
But for a place like this, which was almost equivalent to an aristocratic elementary school, it was nothing at all.
Even if they could come up with the money, Zhou Zehan still refused, saying he would only sell it to them if their entire families agreed.
The children said they would take it home to show their families. If their families agreed, the sale would go through, and if not, they would return it to him.
And so, the group of children carefully cradled the little rabbit all the way home and told their dumbfounded families,
"Second Brother said this is no ordinary rabbit. This is the rabbit from Wang Wei's poems."