Reborn Sanitary

At night, under the dim light, Xu Yan, who had been running all afternoon, took out an old wooden box with peeling paint from the kang cabinet after dinner, opened the box and began to count the money. Looking at the box full of small change on the opposite side, I feel a little sore in my heart. It's all small change. The money was earned by my sister with her own hands. For some reason, Xu Tao suddenly remembered that time when he walked on the road. I can often see dime dropped on the ground and no one picks it up. Thinking about that time and looking at Xu Yan now, Xu Tao can't tell what it feels like in his heart.

Xu Yan frowned slightly after counting. "Sister, how much is a meter of plastic sheeting for you to see this afternoon?" Xu Tao knew from Xu Yan's expression that the family didn't have enough money, so he asked softly.

Xu Yan looked up and thought of Xu Tao, "Xiaotao, plastic sheeting is 51 meters, and slatted girders can be cut down in the forest, but our family doesn't have enough money. When school starts, you have to pay tuition and book fees, which is eight dollars. One yuan, this money cannot be moved, and I have to buy a notebook and a pencil. The notebook costs seven cents, so it costs four or five, and the pencil costs three cents, so I have to set aside ten yuan for these. The total money in our family is 100 yuan. Thirty cents, if it wasn't for buying a horse a few days ago, how could our family have more than [-]?"

After Xu Yan finished speaking, she looked down at the scattered coins and felt a little worried. Xu Tao was taken aback for a moment, remembering that there was no horse at home when he was a child? "Sister, why are you buying a horse?"

Xu Yan raised her head and looked at Xu Tao, "We can't always rely on others to help us in farming. Where is our 20 mu of land? How can we always rely on others? The former village cooperative was disbanded and left a few horses. I dragged someone to buy one. 140 yuan is given to the village one time, and basically all the money our family has saved in the past two years has been handed over.”

Xu Tao knew what Xu Yan said was the truth. It is unrealistic to expect others to help with his 20 acres of land. It is his duty to help others. Buying a horse can at least reduce the burden of farming at home. Xu Tao frowned slightly, "Sister , even if I take away my school money, is that enough?"

Xu Yan looked at Xu Tao, who was sitting across from her with a serious face, and laughed, and reached out to tap Xu Tao's forehead, "Silly boy, it's not enough."

Xu Tao rubbed his forehead, "Why not enough?"

Xu Yan smiled and shook her head, "Xiaotao, sister will do the math for you, the ten yuan left at home is for you to go to school." Xu Tao nodded, frowning slightly, not quite understanding.

Xu Yan continued, "30 yuan for plastic cloth? Ten yuan is set aside for human relations in the village. Who has a baby? Who is married? Who is in a funeral? Xiaotao, my sister told you, these The money must be reserved, otherwise it will be too embarrassing to borrow money when the time comes, and if outsiders know about it, they will look down on you, and they will say that if a polite person goes out to borrow money, after a long time, no one will associate with you." Xu Yan put away the smile on her face and looked at Xu Tao seriously.

After a pause, Xu Yan continued, "Xiaotao, that's why sister has to set aside some money. No matter what time it is, even if we eat bran and swallow vegetables at home, we must never let outsiders file the spine, Xiaotao, People have a face, a tree has skin, people live in this world, if they have no face and no skin, life will be meaningless, although our family is not rich, but we are definitely not busy, human relationship is normal communication, you come and go, you can make trouble a mix."

Xu Tao nodded, "Sister, I understand." Xu Yan smiled, "Xiaotao, for the rest of the money, he will help our family build a greenhouse, no matter what the relationship is, you have to cook a meal for them, right? There must be some meat on the dinner table, otherwise why would they help you with the work next time, no matter what, it will cost five or six yuan for the whole meal."

After Xu Yan finished speaking, she looked down at the wooden box in her hand, feeling a little worried in her heart. She had to set up the shed by the end of September at the latest. At that time, the vegetables in the yard had been closed, and everything to be dried and stored had to be cleaned up. , there is still a lot of work, and there are few people in the family. Xu Yan can only rush forward and cannot drag back. Now that there are many vegetable sellers on the street, the price of her own food can't be sold at all. If she can pay ten yuan more It's almost there, Xu Yan kept calculating in her heart.

Xu Tao looked at Xu Yan, who lowered her head and muttered in her mouth, and there was a flash of distress in her eyes. A few dollars made her sister feel like this. Xu Tao didn't know how Xu Yan's 140 dollars was saved. Xu Tao also knows that the price of food is very low now, otherwise his family would not have such a difficult time.

Xu Tao took a deep breath, "Sister, can you give me five dollars?" Xu Yan was taken aback, then raised her head to look at Xu Tao, "What are you doing?"

"Selling popsicles." Xu Tao said softly, Xu Yanteng sat up straight, "What is it? Selling popsicles?"

Xu Tao nodded slightly, "I've inquired clearly. When the popsicles are sold, they get two cents and five cents. When they're sold, they're five cents. It's a half-and-half profit. A foam box is only one yuan when you go to the waste collection station. I'm buying some cowhide bands. Things like that, it costs about five yuan to make a strap.”

"No, it's so hot. One day when the popsicles come down, everyone is peeling. Didn't you see that the people who are working now don't rush to work at noon? Besides, they go from village to village. After a day, their feet are all gone. I can get you out of the bubble, no, I don't agree." Xu Yan stared at Xu Yan and shouted.

Xu Tao sighed, held Xu Yan's waving hand, and said calmly and slowly, "Sister, our family can't always rely on you alone, you will be tired, I know you love me, but sister, I love you too You, it's okay, can I come back when it's hottest at noon? Sister, the actual situation of our family is to collect enough money as soon as possible, and when the time comes, if you ask me to work, I won't do it, do you think it's okay? "

Xu Tao's calm and slow voice made Xu Yan slowly calm down. Looking at the sensible Xu Tao, Xu Yan hated the irresponsible couple very much at this moment. Forced into this, Xu Yan looked at Xu Tao with reddened eyes, "Xiao Tao, why don't you go sell vegetables, and sister go sell popsicles."

Xu Tao smiled slightly, and shook his head lightly, "Sister, I don't know how to sell vegetables, you should go, if the vegetables that our family has worked so hard to grow are sold by me, I will feel bad, I should sell popsicles , That doesn’t need to be calculated, it costs five cents a piece, and I’ll sell it if you give me the money, it’s very simple.”

Xu Yan looked at Xu Tao who was smiling lightly. She didn't know why, but she saw her brother's rare persistence from that faint smile. Xu Yan lowered her head and thought for a while, then looked up at Xu Tao, "Okay, you go to sell popsicles, but you want Promise me, you will go in the morning, I will go in the afternoon, and we will switch shifts."

Xu Tao looked helplessly at Xu Yan, who was full of persistence, and nodded, "Okay." Xu Yan smiled, "I'll buy you a foam box tomorrow after I've sold the vegetables, and we'll take it back to make a good mess, or we won't Keep warm." Xu Tao nodded in agreement, and thought for a while, "Sister, can the bicycles we leave the house still be used?"

Xu Yan thought for a while, then looked at Xu Tao uncertainly, "It should work, those two bought it for seven yuan a few years ago, and it worked at that time, but I don't know now, you can ask Daming tomorrow Uncle, let me see." Xu Tao nodded and agreed, because he has a bicycle and can run faster.

The next day, Xu Yan was sent away. After Xu Tao finished his work, he took out the bicycles piled up in the lower room, looked at them carefully, and pushed the bicycle with all flat tires on the front and back, and came to Zhang Liang's house, and stood at the door. While yelling, Zhang Liang, who ran out of the car, saw Xu Tao pushing the dilapidated and unremarkable bicycle, his eyes widened in surprise, "Is this a bicycle?"

Xu Tao looked down at the rags in his hand, nodded, "Zhang Liang, is Uncle Daming at home?" Zhang Liang circled the bicycle twice, and clicked his lips, "In the house, come in, Xu Tao, this thing can still be ridden ?"

Xu Tao shook his head, "I don't know, let your dad have a look." After speaking, he pushed the rattling bicycle and followed into the yard, and greeted Zhang Daming who was sitting in the yard working, Zhang Daming Standing up and walking to Xu Tao, Xu Tao smiled, "Uncle Daming, can you help me see if this bicycle can still be repaired? As long as it can be ridden."

Zhang Daming nodded, crouched down and began to look around. After a while, he raised his head and looked at Xu Tao, "Yes, you want to ride?"

Xu Tao hummed, "I want to sell popsicles, so hurry up with a car." Zhang Daming didn't speak, but just nodded. Zhang Liang glanced at Zhang Daming who was holding tools and was ready to work, and pulled Xu Tao aside, "So Going out to sell popsicles on a hot day, are you stupid?"

Xu Tao smiled, "My family almost paid for building a greenhouse, and I'm fine if I stay at home. It's better for me to go out than my sister. My sister is tired enough." Zhang Liang looked at the smiling Xu Tao and said nothing. The situation of Xu Tao's house Zhang Liang scratched his head for a while, "I'll go with you, so that you won't be bullied by outsiders. If someone snatches your popsicle, I can help you. At that time, if you get tired from pedaling, I will help you." You can change shifts."

Xu Tao looked at the serious boy in front of him, and suddenly reached out and tapped Zhang Liang's forehead, "No, I can do it myself, I don't want to cause trouble, who can bully me, I will go back first, there is still work to do at home. After Uncle Daming cleans up, you can send it back for me." After Xu Tao turned around to say hello to Zhang Daming and left, Zhang Liang looked at Xu Tao's thin figure, and felt his nose a little sore for some reason, so he rubbed his nose. Liang ran to Zhang Daming's side and muttered in a low voice.

In the evening, Zhang Liang brought the bicycle over, and Xu Yan also bought the foam box. The siblings sent Zhang Liang away and continued to paste newspapers on the foam box endlessly. The thicker the paste, the better the insulation effect. After one day, on the third day, Xu Tao began to sell popsicles on his bicycle with the three yuan Xu Yan gave him.

Day after day, Xu Tao became darker and thinner, but Xu Tao smiled more. In order to prevent Xu Yan from selling popsicles instead of herself, Xu Tao would put two bags in his change pocket when he finished his homework and left. Good pancakes or steamed buns, and some home-made pickles and a can of water, leave early and return late, every day.

In one month, from the end of July to the end of August, Xu Tao earned a full 147 yuan by selling popsicles. Looking at the pocket change, Xu Yan secretly cried several times. For the first time, I discovered Xu Tao's stubbornness hidden under the appearance of weakness.

Now the family has enough money to build a greenhouse, and once again has more than enough money. Although Xu Yan feels distressed, she is not stronger than Xu Tao. Xu Tao sells popsicles until the next day when school starts. Xu Tao grinned as he saw a box full of pocket money, "Sister, don't worry about it now, when the vegetables come out, there will be more pocket money in our money box."

Xu Yan looked at Xu Tao who was sunburned like black charcoal, blinked hard and nodded, smiling, "I believe it."