Chapter 12: A Protective Family
Cai Jinhua, after being yelled at like this and seeing Yun Linhai’s gloomy expression, also mumbled and dared not speak.
Second Brother Yun Chenxi also had a cold face, and Eldest Brother held Yun Jiao in his arms, covering her ears, his dark eyes looking deeply at the woman who was making a scene.
For a moment, the tractor fell silent.
Yun Chenxi broke the atmosphere: “Aunt Cai, is it appropriate for you, as an elder, to say those things in front of the children?
You don’t cherish or care about your own children, but our children don’t need you to worry about them. We are all adults now, so you should watch what you say.”
Cai Jinhua pointed at them: “You, you are just bullying me because I don’t have a man by my side!”
Hearing this, no one paid any attention to her.
The three Yun family men were too lazy to talk to her; the more they talked, the more agitated she became.
Only an aunt who usually got along well with her pulled her aside: “Alright, get up quickly. Don’t you see the Yun family cherishes Yun Jiao? How can they not be angry when you scold people like that?”
Even an outsider like her felt it was too much.
This Cai Jinhua was truly accustomed to scolding her own daughter at home, thinking that everyone else was like her, treating their daughters like grass.
Although Yun Jiao was not their biological daughter, the Yun family had many boys. Moreover, Yun Jiao was good-looking. If she were their child, they would also love and protect her.
Cai Jinhua indeed calmed down afterwards, and they reached the village without further incident.
The father and his three sons carried the items, and Yun Jiao held a pear, walking with small steps beside her father and two older brothers.
Her legs were short, and her steps were small, while her father and brothers had long legs, so she had to take two steps for every one of theirs.
It gave the impression of a busy little short-legged person.
However, the father and sons made allowances for her slow pace.
While walking, Yun Jiao didn’t forget to take a bite of the pear. This pear was a crisp, fragrant green-skinned pear, with plenty of juice.
Of course, while eating, Yun Jiao didn’t forget her father and brothers. She raised her chubby little hand, stood on tiptoe, and offered the pear, which she had already taken a small bite out of.
“Dad, have a bite.”
Yun Linhai was endeared by his obedient and soft daughter. He patted the little one’s head: “Dad won’t eat, Jiao Jiao eat it yourself.”
Yun Jiao’s voice was soft and sweet, but she was stubborn: “Dad, eat together, and brothers too.”
There were only a few pears in total, and with so many family members, there wouldn’t be enough to share when they brought them back.
Yun Die took a small bite: “It’s delicious, very sweet.”
Yun Jiao immediately showed a soft smile, her dark eyes sparkling, and her small dimple at the corner of her mouth was especially cute.
“Big brother, eat.”
“Second brother, eat too.”
She flitted around like a little butterfly, giving everyone a bite of the pear before contentedly holding it and continuing to eat.
After all, Yun Jiao had the soul of an adult sea monster. Although her understanding of this world and her curiosity were no less than that of a newborn child, some of her behaviors were much more regulated than those of ordinary children.
For example, when eating, she ate very diligently and didn’t get food all over her mouth.
They had arrived home and could see Yun Xiaowu from afar, sitting on the doorstep, stretching his neck to look.
Seeing them, he immediately got up and ran over.
“Sister, Fifth Brother’s Jiao Jiao, did you miss me? Fifth Brother missed you so much.”
Yun Jiao was held obediently by him and showed a happy smile with her eyes curved.
Her beautiful big eyes turned into small crescent moons, and her curly, thick eyelashes fluttered, looking particularly lovely.
“I missed you. Here, Fifth Brother, eat.”
She had already eaten half of the pear and gave the remaining half to Fifth Brother.
Yun Xiaowu was extremely touched.
How could his sister be so good?
The other members of the Yun family also came out. Seeing the three of them with bags and packages, the children were overjoyed and swarmed around, asking in a chorus what things they had brought.
Yun Die and his two older brothers were very annoyed. With so many boys in the family, there were endless questions, and their voices were not small. What was the difference between this and a vegetable market?
The adults, however, felt very sympathetic, extremely sympathetic.
Grandma Yun slapped Yun Die’s arm: “Why are you wasting money? How much money did it cost to buy so many things!”
“It didn’t cost money, Mother, please don’t hit me, it really didn’t cost money.”
Back home, Yun Die drank some water before explaining the whole incident clearly.
Shen Yunlian and Wang Mei put everything away together. These were all good things, and if they were just left lying around, those wild children could ruin them in a day.
Yun Jiao hovered around her mother and aunt.
“Mom, I want one, no, two oranges, two pears, two bananas…”
Her mother stroked her head: “Good Jiao Jiao, we’ll eat these slowly, we can’t eat them all at once.”
“I won’t eat them all.”
Yun Jiao shook her head obediently. Seeing them put the fruit in the cabinet and even lock the pears, she immediately became anxious and circled around their feet.
“If I don’t eat them, they’ll go bad and won’t be delicious.”
The younger children who had followed out of curiosity nodded repeatedly.
Yun Jiao held the two women’s clothes corners and looked up at them with pleading eyes, resembling a pitiful little kitten.
“If they sit for too long, they’ll go bad and taste bad.”
“Grandma’s candy, if it sits too long, it melts and doesn’t taste good.”
The older generation had suffered through hardship. When Yun Jiao was one or two years old, she would sit with them, and they would recall the past. Life was truly bitter back then, and many people had starved to death.
Therefore, they had developed a habit of not eating good things right away but saving them up.
But if they didn’t eat those things for a long time, they would rot or expire, wouldn’t that be an even greater waste?
Unable to withstand Yun Jiao’s persistent entreaties, Mother Yun finally took out some fruit.
Yun Jiao’s face immediately lit up with joy: “Let’s eat, everyone eat together.”
“Okay, okay, let’s eat together.”
The whole family was infected by the little one’s smile, and the mischievous boys in the family were even more excited, jumping around.
It was certainly not enough fruit for everyone to have one. The oranges were peeled, and the segments were divided. The orange peels were not thrown away either; Grandma Yun took them and put them away.
“These orange peels are also a medicinal ingredient. If dried, they can be stored for a long time. Adding some when we stew soup can enhance the aroma.”
The bananas and pears were also cut into small pieces, and everyone ate a little.
Even though it was only a small amount, the whole family sat together and ate with exceptional sweetness.
“This is so delicious.”
After finishing, Yun Xiaowu declared ambitiously: “When I grow up and can earn money, I’ll buy lots of fruit, so much that all of us can’t finish it!”
Uncle Yun laughed heartily: “Then we’ll be waiting for your filial devotion, Xiaowu.”
They thought that eating fruit today was already a luxury, but they didn’t expect to have fragrant meat buns and mantou for dinner.
When those white, plump buns and mantou came out, the whole family’s eyes glowed as they swallowed their saliva.
People living by the sea had no shortage of meat. They could afford clams, for example.
But fish and pork were completely different matters.
And that fine white flour, just looking at it made them drool with longing.
