At the beginning, he took his seven younger siblings to join Yi Zhonghai.

"Oh, um, do you have any of those milk candies? You mean the kind you can soak in water and drink?"

Yi Zhonghai scratched his head sheepishly and said.

"You mean the Mickey Mouse milk candy? We don't have that right now. You'll have to wait until Chinese New Year, then there might be some available."

The salesperson immediately understood his thoughts.

"Yes, yes, that's it. Comrade, could you please reserve a pound or two for me when it arrives? I'm a fitter at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, and I live in Nanluoguxiang. I'll come and buy it when it arrives."

Yi Zhonghai nodded hurriedly.

"To be honest, don't expect to get even a pound or two. Even if I did, I wouldn't dare keep that much, and it's very expensive. Are you sure?"

The sales clerk hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay, I can pay first."

As Yi Zhonghai spoke, he took out more money.

"No need, comrade. We're not even sure if the goods will arrive yet. Please come again at the end of the year."

The sales clerk stopped him and said with a smile.

"Okay, thank you for your help."

Yi Zhonghai smiled憨厚ly.

He turned his head and asked a few more children, confirming that none of them wanted any.

Only after being persuaded by Yi Zhongding did they reluctantly stop shopping.

"Brother, I'll carry the wooden buckets, you carry the two wooden basins."

Yi Zhongding only went to move the things after he saw that he wasn't going to buy them anymore.

"No need, wait here for a moment, I'll go borrow a cart to haul it back. It's not easy to move, it's solid wood and very heavy."

"But you're a good kid, you've got some strength, you lifted it up in no time."

Yi Zhonghai reached out to stop him, and said with a smile.

"Alright, during the busy farming season, I can still carry over a hundred pounds of rice, so what's this bucket?"

Yi Zhongding nodded.

"Haha, we can't waste our energy like this, let's wait a bit."

Yi Zhonghai patted him on the shoulder and walked out.

He returned shortly afterward, pulling a cart.

The two brothers loaded the buckets and basins onto the car.

"Come on, kids, get in the car, your big brother will take you home."

Yi Zhonghai cheerfully greeted the children.

Yi Zhongding then carried his younger siblings into the car.

Yao Mei couldn't wait to climb into the wooden tub as soon as she got in the car.

The others followed suit and climbed inside.

This wooden barrel is quite big.

It's big enough to fit all these babies inside.

"Hehe, from now on I won't have to bother washing them one by one, I can just throw them all in to soak."

Tan Xiulian couldn't stop laughing when she saw this.

"Haha, they're still so young now, but they won't be able to keep up next year, they'll all be grown up."

"You go up too, keep an eye on the child so he doesn't fall. We'll take care of you this time."

Yi Zhonghai pulled the cart, turned his head to look, smiled with great satisfaction, and then said to his wife.

"Then I'll go up too."

Tan Xiulian didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly.

"Haha, Dingya, let's go, brother."

Yi Zhonghai lifted the handlebars with both hands and steadily pulled the bike forward.

Yi Zhongding was helping to push from behind.

"Yaoyao, don't jump, your older brother is pulling the cart."

Seeing Yao Mei jumping around happily, Yi Zhongding quickly said something.

"It's okay, let her play. Even if they jump around together, it won't make a difference."

Yi Zhonghai said with a loud laugh.

It seemed to be to corroborate his statement.

He also drove the car a little faster.

The babies were so happy they giggled.

Their laughter echoed throughout the streets.

I ran into an acquaintance on the street.

He always had to stop the car, crane his neck, and loudly introduce himself to people.

His expression, his tone, his posture—it was as if he were showing off.

He showed off like that three or four times.

They finally returned to the courtyard house.

"Hey, Lao Yi's back."

Yan Bugui hunched his shoulders, rubbed his hands together, and walked out of the courtyard with his usual smile on his face.

These are traces left from when he ran his own small business, and also the imprint of a small business owner.

Always smile at everyone you meet.

"Hmm, Lao Yan, perfect timing, come lend a hand."

Yi Zhonghai greeted him cheerfully.

"Oh, so you went to eat Peking duck? You all smell delicious."

Yan Bugui walked out of the courtyard with a smug smile, sniffed the air, and stared intently at the oil paper package.

"Yes, let the kids have a taste of meat."

Yi Zhonghai nodded, put down the car, and reached out to take the babies down one by one.

Then I asked him to help me carry the wooden bucket into the house.

Yi Zhongding carried a wooden basin in each hand as they walked home.

You know what?

These days, things are all about honesty.

This wooden basin is quite heavy.

"On a day like this, roast duck is served with radish strips, but it doesn't have the aroma of scallions. On such a cold day, it's much better to go for hot pot."

Yan Bugui made conversation while carrying the bucket.

"They have those scallions, they say they're from greenhouses, that's enough to add flavor."

"Let's save the hot pot for next time; we have to treat the kids to something good eventually."

Yi Zhonghai continued, picking up where he left off.

"You're so generous, old man. This meal for ten people is enough to feed my family for half a year."

Yan Bugui's words were filled with envy, yet also carried a subtle hint of criticism.

His eyes kept glancing at the oil paper package that the old man was carrying.

"Old Yan, you're just too calculating. Your sister-in-law is still in her postpartum period. You should get her some good nourishment so she can have enough breast milk to feed the baby."

Yi Zhonghai found it amusing to look at his increasingly undisguised gaze, but he didn't say a word.

This duck skeleton is saved for making soup for the children.

There's still plenty of meat on top.

How could I possibly give it to you, Old Man Yan?

"Oh, how can my family compare to yours? With just my meager salary, we're lucky if we can even afford to eat."

"Hey, Lao Yi, from today onwards, your family should start to be more careful with our money."

"Look at these babies, they're still drinking milk right now, but the expenses will be considerable in the future."

"My family has three little ones now, and the expenses each month are so high that it breaks my heart."

Yan Bugui's tone seemed to carry a hint of schadenfreude.

"What you say makes sense. We should prioritize the children. We adults have lived most of our lives, seen and experienced a lot, so we should prioritize the children."

"Alright, we're home. You must be tired. I'm throwing a banquet for the kids tomorrow, you absolutely have to come and support us."

Yi Zhonghai said with a smile.

"Alright, let's share in your joy. These kids are so adorable, your house will be lively and bustling from now on."

Yan Bugui smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

"That's right, our ancestors are protecting us."

"Haha, come on, have a cigarette. I'll take one, and you can have the rest. Starting tomorrow, I'll have to quit smoking too."

Yi Zhonghai took out cigarettes from his pocket, took one for himself, and gave the rest to him.

"It's all the same, it's all the same, I can't bear to buy cigarettes anymore."

Yan Bugui accepted the cigarette with both hands.

A quick glance revealed that at least half of the original amount remained, making them incredibly happy.

He quickly pulled out a stick and lit it.

He took a satisfying puff.

Then, seemingly casually, he put the remaining cigarettes into his pocket.

Yi Zhonghai looked at Yan Bugui's amused smile, which seemed to be the result of a great bargain.

The smoke he exhaled obscured his deep gaze.