Su Li, harboring his own little thoughts, had been unusually quiet throughout the journey. By the time they arrived home, he had fallen asleep, and it was Su Shen who had to carry him from the car.
While busying herself with various tasks, Gu Zi said, "He must be tired. Let him sleep on the sofa for a while, and we'll wake him up for dinner. I'll prepare lunch. Will you have enough time to eat before going to the pig farm?"
Su Shen gently placed their son on the couch, covering him with a blanket, and replied, "I'll have enough time. Let me help you."
"Great!" The couple then proceeded to the kitchen together.
Su Bing, holding Lele, glanced at his father's retreating figure, then at his younger brother, sound asleep. Compared to these two, he seemed to lack any advantage that would win him favor...
Half an hour later, a table full of delicious food was ready. After Su Shen and his wife and child finished their lunch, they left the house.
After tidying up the kitchen, Gu Zi began to prepare the ingredients for the hot and spicy soup. Once everything was ready, she took Lele upstairs for a nap.
Neither Su Bing nor Su Li felt sleepy. Su Bing took out a book to read, while Su Li busied himself with his homework. Su Li had become more self-disciplined, hardly needing Su Bing to supervise him.
The most cunning thing about Su Li was that he would save any questions he had about his homework to ask his mother unless he needed the answer urgently. This was his way of showing his eagerness to learn.
Su Bing saw through his brother's little scheme, but he understood and sympathized with him. Neither he nor Su Li had experienced a mother's warmth in their early years. Now that they finally had a loving mother, it was no wonder that Su Li would behave this way.
Su Bing also yearned to talk more with his mother, but he felt that it would seem too deliberate and childish.
He had forgotten that he was still just a primary school student, a child who needed to be spoiled and pampered by his mother.
In the early afternoon, there was a knock at the door. Su Li's eyes lit up at the sound, and he was the first to run out and open the door.
Su Bing also put away his book and followed. He saw Su Li leading their aunt, Li Hua, who was carrying a basket of eggs, into the house. Li Hua looked at the pigeon cage in the yard with surprise. "These are all pigeons, aren't they? They haven't been tamed yet, have they?"
Su Bing replied, "No, not yet. My mother said she would do it when she has time. Auntie, please come in and sit down. My mother is still taking a nap."
The brothers led Li Hua into the house. Big Yellow, the dog tied up in the yard, recognized people well. Seeing Li Hua, he didn't bark, knowing that she was a member of Gu Zi's family.
After entering the house, Li Hua placed the eggs beside the table. Just as Su Bing was inviting her to sit on the sofa, Su Li came over with a cup of hot water. "Auntie, please have some tea!"
Li Hua had become quite familiar with the children of the Su family through her frequent visits.
She cared about them and, fearing that the hot water might scald Su Li, quickly took it and took a sip.
Su Li cut straight to the chase, eagerly asking, "Auntie, do you know how to weave a fox out of foxtail grass?
Su Bing watched and instantly understood why Su Li had been so eager to open the door. It turned out that he had a plan in mind. They all knew that their aunt was coming that afternoon, and Su Li wanted her to teach him how to weave a fox.
Su Li must have thought that since their grandmother knew how to do it, their aunt would too.
Sure enough, Li Hua said, "Yes, I do. When we were children, we didn't have many toys. We made our own toys out of grass and leaves. Weaving a fox out of foxtail grass is no problem."
Su Li took Li Hua's hand and pleaded, "Then Auntie, can you teach me how to do it?"
Li Hua saw his eagerness to learn and didn't know why, but of course, she was willing to teach him.
"Sure, it will give your mother some more time to sleep. Let's go pick some foxtail grass, and I'll teach you!"
With that, the two of them went out again. A few minutes later, they returned to the living room, each holding a handful of foxtail grass.
Gu Zi woke up at two o'clock, while Lele was still sleeping. She heard the noise downstairs and guessed that her sister-in-law must have arrived. She quickly tidied herself up and went downstairs.
She was halfway down the stairs when she saw Su Li in the living room, hurriedly collecting something. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, Su Li was hiding something in his arms. He called out "Mom" and quickly went upstairs.
Gu Zi caught a glimpse of what seemed to be foxtail grass. What was there to hide about that?
Su Bing didn't say anything. He knew what Su Li was thinking. Su Li felt that his weaving was not good enough yet. He wanted to perfect it before giving it to his mother as a surprise.
Su Bing stood up and said, "I'll go check on Su Li." Then he went upstairs too.
Gu Zi didn't understand, but she greeted her sister-in-law first and led her to the kitchen. "Today, you can watch me do it once. I'll tell you some key points. Did you bring a pen and paper?"
...