Siheyuan: Starting from Building a Village

After a while, Sanmao and Xiu walked around the open space outside, picked up two cigarette butts and a few fallen leaves, and when they returned to the outer courtyard of the office, Lou Xiao'e had already prepared a bottle of soda.

"Thank you auntie."

Xiu, who got the soda, looked at it as if it were a treasure. He held it in his hand and looked at it non-stop. He even put his nose to the mouth of the bottle and snorted, wanting to smell whether it had orange flavor.

Lou Xiao'e said gently, "Girl, you two should share the drink. Children shouldn't drink too much."

"I know, Auntie."

As he said that, Xiu handed the soda to Sanmao, wanting Sanmao to have a sip first.

"Xiu, you drink first."

Sanmao originally wanted to take the soda home and wait for Damao and Ermao to taste it together after school. However, Lou Xiao'e opened the bottle cap first. Although they were young, they knew that it would not taste good once the soda inside ran out.

"Wow, is this orange-flavored soda? It tastes so good, it really tastes like orange."

Xiu tried taking a small sip, and a sweet smile immediately appeared on her face, a smile of contentment after her expectations were met.

"I'll have a sip too."

Sanmao couldn't wait to take a big sip. Because she drank it a little too fast, she almost choked on the soda. When she handed the bottle to Xiu, she burped. An orange flavor passed through her mouth and into her nose. It felt surprisingly good.

"Sanmao, drink a few more sips."

"Xiu, you drink too."

The two children were being polite to each other, and it was a very heartwarming scene.

"belch.."

Sanmao burped again.

"Hehehe, Sanmao, your burps all smell like oranges."

"belch.."

If he wasn't paying attention, a gas rushed up from his abdomen and Xiu couldn't help but burp.

"Hahaha, Xiu, you too."

"Hee hee hee."

After drinking the soda, Sanmao did not forget Cui Dake who was outside. He had paid for the drink, so he took the soda bottle, filled it from the tap, and trotted over to deliver it.

"Brother Cui, leave one for me."

Looking at Cui Dake drinking water in big gulps beside him, Yan Jiecheng licked his lips and swallowed hard.

Cui Dake ignored him and just drank a small bottle of water. After finishing it, a satisfied look appeared on his face.

"Uh... Jie Cheng, look at me, I'm so sorry. I was so thirsty that I couldn't hold it back. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

After drinking the water, Cui Dake felt refreshed and didn't mind talking to Yan Jiecheng for a few more words.

"You..you are really good."

Yan Jiecheng had no other options. The water was bought by someone else, and he knew that Cui Dake was really thirsty. Perhaps Cui Dake couldn't help but drink it all. Seeing others drink a bottle of water, Yan Jiecheng turned his eyes and thought to Sanmao: "Kid, go get another bottle of water so that I can drink some too."

"Want some water? Bring me money."

Sanmao stretched out her hand directly in front of Yan Jiecheng.

"You little brat, you get other people's water for free, believe it or not, I will beat you up later."

"This bottle of mine costs money, you don't have to drink it."

Sanmao was not afraid of Yan Jiecheng's threats. He clearly remembered that someone had slapped him in the face before, and his mother went to the man's house with a kitchen knife.

"Yes, the kid is right, if you don't have money you will be thirsty."

Since you pay for the water you drink, you naturally don’t want others to drink it for free. This is Cui Dake’s mentality now.

"Cui Dake, why are you so proud? It's just five cents, as if no one can afford it."

Looking at Cui Dake who was arrogant beside him, Yan Jiecheng felt insulted. This was an insult from a peasant who had just come from the countryside. This was absolutely intolerable.

"I'm not thirsty anymore, so I feel proud, huh."

Cui Dake glanced at Yan Jiecheng, shook his head, turned his gaze to Sanmao and said, "Kid, give me another bottle of water, and I'll give you another five cents."

"Give me the money first."

Sanmao extended her hand to Cui Dake again.

"Don't worry, kid. I have plenty of money. I'll give you ten cents to get me two bottles."

Cui Dake is not short of money. He didn't give the pig to the steel mill for free. He needed to pay for it.

"You wait."

Sanmao was very happy to earn another dime. This was faster than making money by running around picking up waste.

"Kid, I want two bottles too."

Seeing that Cui Dake drank three bottles of water, his face looked very different. Yan Jiecheng gritted his teeth and hardened his heart. He decided not to lose face in front of Cui Dake.

"Okay, wait a moment."

Sanmao bowed slightly towards Yan Jiecheng like a waiter and nodded.

"Hey, Yan Jiecheng, after spending this dime, do you still have money to eat?"

"Hmph, Cui Dake, you don't have to worry about this. If I don't have money to eat, I can go home and eat."

This is the only thing that Yan Jiecheng is better than Cui Dake, but he is only better in words. In fact, he still has to spend money to eat when he returns home.

"Well, I can't compare with you in this respect, but you can go to a restaurant and drink."

There are certainly advantages to not having family around, which is that you are free and can eat and drink whatever you want as long as you have money.

"Humph!"

Yan Jiecheng snorted coldly and stopped talking. There was no point in continuing like this. In this aspect of freedom, he was indeed not as good as Cui Dake.

"Uncle, give me some water, drink it quickly."

Yan Jiecheng didn't say anything polite, and there was no need to be polite, because he had paid for the water.

"Kid, this is only one bottle, one more bottle is needed."

"Don't worry, I'll get it to you right away."

Sanmao picked up the bottle and went in again.

"Brother Zheng, whose kid is this? He's really smart."

Xu Damao leaned against the door, looking at Sanmao filling the water bottle back and forth, and said enviously.

"Brother Zheng, I also want to give birth to a boy in the future. This child is so smart."

Li Dabao was also leaning against the door, with Xu Damao on either side.

"Then you have to work hard. As for whose child this is, I really don't know. He should have just moved here."

Liu Guozheng was sitting under the corridor, watching Sanmao running back and forth with a smile, while Xiu was playing around Lou Xiaoe. Looking at this clever little girl, Lou Xiaoe was so happy that she wanted to give birth to a beautiful and lovely girl in the future.

"Auntie, let's buy another bottle of apple-flavored soda and some sausage."

Sanmao earned another two cents from Yan Jiecheng and Cui Dake, plus the ten cents he had on him, he now had three cents, so he decided to buy another bottle of soda and take it home for Damao and Ermao to try. The remaining ten cents could be used to buy three sausages, and he would still have one cent left.

"Auntie, can I return this bottle?"

Xiu, who was playing nearby, suddenly saw the bottle in Sanmao's hand and asked quickly.

"This little girl is really smart."

In the end, Sanmao and Xiu got a bottle of soda and six sausages. After thanking Lou Xiaoe, the two ran away with the sausages.