It was almost six o'clock in the morning, and most of Ye Fan's friends and employees were still sleeping, so they naturally had no time to look for her. Erbao and Geng Sensen were not awake yet, and Yu Wentao was probably exercising in the park. During the morning exercises of various units in the army, no one should have made this call. But it was exactly thinking of this that made Geng Zhiye panic, worried about any emergencies in the army.
When he picked up the phone and heard a familiar voice, Geng Zhiye couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief: "Xiao Ming?"
"Brother Geng?" The person on the other end of the phone stopped, obviously not expecting him to be at home.
Geng Zhiye: "Is something okay this early in the morning?"
"I, it's like this, my dad is in the hospital, Xiushui Store may have to trouble Sister Ye to keep an eye on him for a few days."
Zhang Xiaoming's tone was normal, as if his father was just a little uncomfortable. But Zhang Xiaoming has many brothers and sisters. Even if the youngest is not at home, the second oldest will not care about the elderly. Zhang Xiaoming also has two younger sisters, and the younger sister's family lives with her old father. The brother-in-law has a job, and his younger sister has free time to open the store. If his older sister can help, Zhang Xiaoming doesn't need to worry about it at all, let alone how many days it will take.
Geng Zhiye thought of this for a moment and asked tentatively: "Isn't Uncle Zhang not doing well?"
Zhang Xiaoming sighed first, and after a while he said in a rather helpless tone: "I didn't sleep at midnight. I didn't touch the light cord when I got up. I got out of bed before the light came on. I don't know how I fell. The doctor said it was just a matter of time." What happened in the past few days has made us mentally prepared.”
"No, why does he get up so late at night?"
Speaking of this, Zhang Xiaoming wanted to catch his father and scold him: "I went to bed early and woke up and couldn't sleep. I'm going to go out and get some fresh air. My brother-in-law said he often gets up at three or four o'clock." He paused for a moment, suppressed his anger, and said, "Fortunately, My little nephew ate too much melon last night and woke up in the middle of the night. He heard a noise and thought there was a burglar. He asked my brother-in-law to take a look, and then he was sent to the hospital in time. "
In Geng Zhiye's impression, Uncle Zhang had always been in poor health. A few years before he moved, Uncle Zhang was on crutches. With such a body, I get up for a walk in the middle of the night. Geng Zhiye was speechless, "Do you want Ye Fan to help?"
"No, no, I just met Laifu. He said if you don't understand anything, just ask him."
Geng Zhiye hung up the phone and said to Ye Fan: "Uncle Zhang, I'm afraid it's just about today."
"He had the same heat stroke as me, but he was too old and weak to survive?"
Geng Zhiye was angry and funny: "Don't talk nonsense! You must have fallen on your head when you got up in the middle of the night. Xiao Ming doesn't have time to go to the store. You can go and have a look in the store later."
Ye Fan nodded: "Then I'll cook, eat early and go there early."
Geng Zhiye followed her to the kitchen: "You don't seem surprised?"
"Uncle Zhang's body, Xiao Ming was mentally prepared ten years ago. By the way, have you informed me?"
Geng Zhiye wanted to call Zhang Xiaoming back, but suddenly thought that the voice on the phone was very noisy. He probably made the call from a public phone outside. "You can look at the specific situation later."
Ye Fan took out the side dishes from the cupboard and washed some eggs. Xiao Wang hurried over: "Auntie, let me do it."
"After washing the eggs, heat up the steamed buns and steamed buns, and make two more dishes." Ye Fan said, "Vegetarian dishes will do."
Xiao Wang subconsciously looked at Geng Zhiye and asked tentatively: "Is there still half a pound of braised beef in the refrigerator?"
Geng Zhiye: "Don't stir-fry, pick up a cucumber, cut the beef and put them together, and make some cold tomatoes."
Ye Fan boiled the eggs, put the steamed buns on the grate, turned on the gas stove, and went to the courtyard to enjoy the cool air with Geng Zhiye.
As soon as Xiao Wang washed the tomatoes, Yu Wentao came back with fried dough sticks and said to Xiao Wang: "The cucumbers and beef are enough for us to eat."
Xiao Wang whispered: "Uncle said to shoot a cucumber and then make a tomato."
"I said enough is enough." Yu Wentao put down the fried dough sticks, "Is the porridge ready?"
Xiao Wang nodded: "Have you added alkali? The grains are all cooked."
Yu Wentao opened the lid of the pot, took a quick look and put the pot on the gas stove to boil over high heat. Xiao Wang put the kettle on the stove and asked, "Then shall I ask Erbao to get up?"
"The second baby is up." The second baby got up with her parents, but instead of washing her face and brushing her teeth, she memorized foreign words in front of the window.
Erbao memorizes foreign language vocabulary every day in case she is suddenly needed to step in. She can't even speak the most proficient English and French.
Xiao Wang was startled: "Why are you walking silently?"
"You are busy sealing the stove." Erbao said, "I'll call Brother Sensen."
After waking up Geng Sensen, she went to wash her face and brush her teeth. Seeing the facial mask in the trash can, Erbao ran to the living room again: "Mom, can I use your facial mask?"
Ye Fan: "You're going to be late for work. Let's talk about it when you come back tonight!"
"Okay!" As long as it works, Erbao doesn't care whether it's night or morning.
Yu Wentao brought the porridge to the main room, and Uncle Yu's voice came in. The little dynasty Yu Wentao looked at him and asked, "Would you like to buy some food?"
Ye Fan saw that there were no tomatoes, and combined with Xiao Wang's appearance, he knew what her mother-in-law had said. She smiled and said, "I'll go take a look."
Xiao Wang was holding porridge and fried dough sticks, and said: "I'm going to help aunt get something."
Ye Fan went to the front yard and asked: "Aunt Yu scolded you?"
"I said uncle wanted to eat tomatoes, but she said enough. I was afraid that uncle would be angry and quarrel with her."
Ye Fan said: "They don't quarrel. She is old and sometimes very stubborn. If you think the food is enough, just listen to her."
"But it's rare for uncle to come back once." Xiao Wang doesn't go home often, and every time she goes back, her parents always ask her what to eat. Even if she complains about the trouble, she will eventually do it. Xiao Wang compared her feelings, and since it was not troublesome to mix tomatoes with sugar, she felt that she should do it.
Ye Fan: "It's rare to come back once or twice a week without saying anything. You can see if Dabao comes back another day, if he doesn't want to eat, Aunt Yu will prepare a big table."
After the words fell, the two of them went outside. Ye Fan looked at the things in the car, selected a few cantaloupes, and bought twenty duck eggs.
Half of the residents in this alley go out to buy things, mainly melons grown by farmers and chicken, duck and goose eggs. Some people also buy a tender pumpkin and fry it to feed a family for two meals. But when everyone dispersed, Uncle Yu's dishes were not sold out. He knew it well, so he smiled and told Ye Fan to go to his daughter's house for dinner.
When he arrived at Ginkgo's house, he gave all the green amaranth to his daughter because his two grandchildren liked to eat it. Give her some beans, eggplant and pepper, and give the rest to her son. If by chance you meet your nephew, give him a handful.
Whether or not you make money is secondary. The important thing is that your daughter doesn’t have to buy vegetables, and she doesn’t have to worry about her children’s health after eating vegetables with excessive pesticides.
After the meal, Ye Fan sent Erbao to work before heading to the store, telling the two clerks to keep an eye on the store these days. Ye Fan also gave them a commission, so they were very attentive. Ye Fan went to the hospital after coming out of the store, but she did not go in. She glanced at the door of the ward. Zhang Xiaoming said, "Go and get busy." Ye Fan reminded him to tell his younger brother and return to the company.
In the evening, Ye Fan took out the facial mask and asked Erbao to soak her feet and put on the facial mask. She thought it was a waste of sweat and she thought it was troublesome to apply the facial mask, so she just put on some skin care products and went to grandma's room to watch TV.
Geng Zhiye was also at home tonight. When he saw Erbao running as fast as the cat in the morning, he couldn't help but ask: "Who does this child look like?"
Ye Fan: "You don't mind the trouble of using a facial mask. I use this mask, so it definitely doesn't look like the two of us."
Geng Sensen was sitting on the single sofa nearby, holding a water cup and said leisurely: "My niece looks like my aunt. My aunt is several years younger than my aunt, and she looks similar to my aunt. Unfortunately, I have always been worried about how old my sister-in-law is with Uncle Laifu. I will get divorced in 2018.”
Geng Zhiye didn’t understand: “What do you mean?”
Ye Fan: "Both husband and wife are unkempt, so they can live a lifetime."
"Yes!" Geng Sensen nodded, "When Erbao is looking for a partner, we should also find him someone like Uncle Laifu. With a face that is barely visible, he is cleaning himself up every day. Dabao's partner must find someone younger than him. Aunt like this.”
Ye Fan wanted to laugh: "You are so good at arranging, what kind of thing are you going to find?"
"I'll let it happen."
Ye Fan: "If you don't go home after work, you go to the night market to eat. I think you are destined to be the God of Food!"
"The God of Cookery is not bad either." Geng Sensen poured water, "Uncle, do you want it?"
Geng Zhiye was surprised: "There is water in my cup, why do I need yours?"
Ye Fan wanted to laugh when he heard this: "He soaked wolfberries in a thermos cup!"
Geng Zhiye wondered: "When will you be able to enjoy this?"
Ye Fan: "I ate too much smoky and fried food, and my body can't bear it."
Geng Sensen shook his head, and the old god said: "It's hard not to take care of yourself when you reach middle age."
Talking about middle-aged care in front of a fifty-three-year-old man, Geng Zhiye wanted to kick him out. Ye Fan held his knees and said, "He is not as healthy as you."
Geng Sensen couldn't deny this. His uncle could run five kilometers without gasping for breath, but he would die after running three kilometers.
As for his strength, he couldn't break one of his uncle's hands with one hand.
Geng Sensen put down the water glass and looked outside, with a puzzled look on his face: "You are also a senior officer now. Do you still need to watch the training?"
Geng Zhiye: “Speak directly if you have anything to say!”
"You don't have to watch the training. You sit in the office every day. Even if you are not drinking tea and reading newspapers, but analyzing intelligence, you are still using your brain." Geng Sensen was very confused. "You are older than me, your metabolism is not as good as mine, and you eat more than me. , why are you as thin as me? "
Geng Zhiye: "It is scientific to be fatter than you?"
"That's right. Look at those athletes who, after training intensively and not dieting, will gain weight within a few years. You have been there for more than a year, and you don't even have a swimming ring." Geng Sensen clicked his tongue, "Are you born to do this? Be a soldier?”
Ye Fan: "Sensen, apart from eating, your uncle also eats candy when he is hungry, eats some fruit when he comes back, and drinks a bottle of soda."
"Then what?" Ye Fan: "You bought the barbecue for him for the first time this year. As for you, you have hot pot for three days, barbecue for two days, buy a toothbrush when you go out on the weekend, and you can go to a burger restaurant for a meal , If you are not fat, who is fat? ”
"A hamburger and a cup of Coke only cost me. My uncle has two bowls of rice and a steamed bun, as well as a lot of vegetables and meat."
Ye Fan: "The oil in the vegetables and meat is not as much as the piece of meat in your burger. Secondly, there is not much oil in the buns. The rice is almost the same as your hamburger. The soup your uncle drinks only has a little salt and sesame oil. You There is sugar in the cola. As for food, your meal is heavy on oil and sugar. Besides, it’s just your afternoon tea. You eat it as usual in the evening.”
"But I am young."
Ye Fan: "Your health is not good. Your uncle's metabolism is slower than that of a soldier in his thirties, but he is actually about the same as you."
"You mean my body functions are similar to those of my uncle?" Geng Sensen looked horrified, "Oh my god, I am -"
Ye Fan interrupted: "Your uncle is almost like an ordinary person in his thirties."
"No, no, I'm only twenty-seven, and my physical age is more than thirty?" Geng Sensen also felt heartbroken. It would be better for his aunt not to say, "I'm going to exercise!" After saying that, he jumped up and ran out.
Geng Zhiye cursed: "My brain is sick!"
Then there was the sound of basketball being played in the front yard. At this time, many neighbors were walking outside. No one thought Geng Sensen was disturbing the residents. Erbao couldn't stand it and couldn't hear clearly what was being said on the TV. He was so angry that he yelled: "Geng Sensen, are you full after eating?"
Ye Fan was happy and said in a low voice: "It's not like you're full after eating."
Geng Sensen came back and turned on the lights in the courtyard and asked Erbao to play badminton with him.
Erbao washed himself clean and smelled good. He only sweated with him because he was mentally ill: "Hit yourself!"
Geng Zhiye stood up and Ye Fan turned off the TV and went out to watch the two men compete. The result was predictable. Geng Sensen was sweating from picking up the ball and gave the racket to his aunt. He wanted to drink water to replenish his energy.
Ye Fan and Geng Zhiye went back and forth. Geng Sensen held the water cup and studied: "Auntie, can you even play badminton so well?"
The sound of badminton was not too quiet. Erbao couldn't stay in the house any longer. He leaned against the door frame and said, "You're stupid. When my dad plays with you, he hits the ball so fast and so hard, it's like walking a dog."
Geng Sensen stared at her: "Can you speak?"
Erbao: "You can see for yourself whether the speed is too slow or not. The ball my dad gave me is straight."
Geng Sensen stared at the slow ball, wasn't he? "Uncle, you are not such a bully." Geng Sensen shouted.
Erbao said with a smile: "My dad doesn't bully others!"
Geng Sensen wanted to say something, but when he realized something, he pointed at Erbao from a distance: "I'll take the bus to work tomorrow."
"Your car is mine." Erbao reminded.
Unable to refute, Geng Sensen asked his aunt to seek justice.
Ye Fan: "If you tell me a few more times that you are young and your uncle is old, he will stop walking you."
Geng Sensen was mean-mouthed, scratched his nose, put the water glass on the window sill, and replaced it with his aunt. Geng Zhiye stopped walking him and played hard for about ten minutes. He was sweating like rain and couldn't stand it anymore, so Geng Zhiye asked his nephew to put the ball away.
The next morning, just after dinner at Ye Fan's house, the phone rang. Geng Zhiye was close and picked it up easily.
Ye Fan saw that he looked serious and didn't seem anxious, so it was definitely not the army's problem. He hung up the phone, and Ye Fan asked: "Xiao Ming?"
Geng Zhiye nodded: "Uncle Zhang left in the middle of the night. Xiao Ming called to report his funeral. Aunt Yu, are you going or bother to go?"
"I'll go take a look first," Yu Wentao said.
Ye Fan: "Let's go together. Buy some paper money and firecrackers."
Ye Fan is now very familiar with this kind of thing as he has sent away several relatives and elders in the past few years. After dinner, Ye Fan first took her mother-in-law to make wreaths, and then took her to buy paper money. She didn't make any detours during the process, which showed how many times she had been there.
Ye Fan hated Zhang Xiaojun and his wife, and the two of them also hated Ye Fan, so Ye Fan went to the Zhang family's old house to take a look, comforted Zhang Xiaoming with a few words, and then drove away.
On the day of the burial, Ye Fan went with Chang Guangrong, Wei Jianshe and others, bringing wreaths they had bought.
None of them had lunch at Zhang's house.
After Uncle Zhang's affairs were finished, Zhang Xiaoming invited his friends alone to have a table at the Capital Hotel on a weekend.
Wei Jianshe's biological aunt, Aunt Li, is a neighbor of the Zhang family. She can hear any disturbance in the Zhang family. Wei Jianshe asked Zhang Xiaoming: "I heard from my aunt that you take care of all my affairs?"
Zhang Xiaoming explained that his sister was a married girl. The Zhang family has a son, so there was no reason for his son-in-law to pay for the funeral expenses. He then said, "This incident is too sudden. My younger brother will not be able to come back. I can't let my unmarried younger brother die for my father." . Xiaojun also said that he will be responsible for my mother when she gets old, but I won’t take care of everything.”
Wei Jianshe sneered: "How did I hear that the condolence money given by the unit was taken away by Zhang Xiaojun?"
Zhang Xiaoming was silent for a moment. He probably knew that he couldn't hide it, so he sighed and said: "The work unit gave it to my mother, but my mother gave it to Xiaojun. She also said that I am better than Xiaojun, and I can't take it back in public."
"You just have such a good temper!" Wei Jianshe was so angry that he picked up his glass and took a sip.
Zhang Xiaoming said with a smile: "One less brother and one more brother like you is not a loss!"
"Can it be the same?" Wei Jianshe glared at him.
Chang Guangrong was startled and dropped his chopsticks on the table: "Keep your voice down!"
Ye Fan: "Don't talk about Xiao Ming, your family will be the same in the future!"
"My father went away one day, and my mother didn't dare sit at the door and wait to collect money, and then asked me to pay for meals for relatives and friends." Wei Jianshe said.
Chang Guangrong: "It's not that your mother doesn't dare, it's that although she is partial, she also knows right from wrong. Besides, your mother is not sensible. First of all, your aunt can't spare her. It's not like Xiao Ming's mother, who is a total fool. His aunt actually I still think his mother did the right thing.”
Ye Fan: "Is it because his cousins wanted to do business with Xiao Ming and Xiao Ming didn't take them with him?"
Wei Jianshe shook his head: "I brought it with me. One time when we went south to pick up things, we asked his cousin to go with us. But when we got there, he first said he didn't have enough money, and then said he didn't know how to choose goods. Xiao Ming said that he would just go out this time and gain experience. Those guys almost died of anger.”
Ye Fan suddenly wanted to laugh.
Chang Guangrong laughed out loud, and then said seriously: "Zhang Xiaoming, I am not cursing your mother. Once she has to be cared for when eating, drinking, and having sex, Zhang Xiaojun will definitely leave her to you."
The smile on Zhang Xiaoming's face solidified.
Wei Jianshe panicked: "What should we do?"
Ye Fan: "Thank you for being better than the other. I have no choice but to go to Zhang Xiaojun's boss and tell him that he doesn't want his old mother, and then ask the boss to make arrangements. The worst is for Xiao Ming to serve for half a year. Then let Zhang Xiaojun serve first, and your mother will be with them. I can’t hold it for half a year.”
Zhang Xiaoming couldn't bear it.
Seeing this, Ye Fan said: "Don't think that it is unfilial to ignore it. You think you only have this mother, but you are not her dearest child. Also, Xiao Ming, the store is busy, please take your mother home Who will take care of it? Do you think the Dong family can agree to it?”
Dong Ying gave birth to a baby in the hospital, and his mother went to see her. During Dong Ying's confinement period, the Dong family was busy. Zhang Xiaoming’s younger sister has been there a few times. Several times on Sundays, I would buy chickens and fish to cook. Sometimes I would help Zhang Xiaoming pick up the boss.
Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaoming said: "She thinks Xiaoying gave birth to a child who is not a son."
Ye Fan: "Then let her eldest grandson take care of her."
Chang Guangrong nodded: "Eat the food. The old boy Dazhi has almost finished the food."
Jin Dazhi and another friend of his were also there, as were two people close to Zhang Xiaoming and Wei Jianshe, and the table was full.
These parents were fine, but their relatives had a lot of troubles. They sympathized with Zhang Xiaoming, so no one said anything sarcastic about him. Then again, it's not appropriate for them to interrupt given their status.
Ye Fan didn't drink, but he was smelly of liquor and went home after coming out of the store. When he got home, he found that his mother-in-law looked strange. Ye Fan winked at Xiao Wang. The nanny followed Ye Fan to the bathroom. While removing her makeup, Ye Fan asked, "What's wrong with grandma?"
"Another familiar old neighbor left." Xiao Wang didn't know Uncle Zhang, "Do you have no friends anymore?"
Ye Fan: "She and Uncle Zhang are not friends. She probably thinks of her age."
"What should we do?"
Of course it is to leave the current environment.
Ye Fan estimated that Geng Huihui was on vacation, so after taking a shower, he called Geng Huihui and asked her if she wanted to go play nearby. As soon as Geng Huihui heard this, she knew that her aunt was covering the travel expenses, and she immediately expressed that she could leave at any time.
Geng Huihui was in good health, and the doctor also recommended moving around more, so she expressed that she wanted to go out with her grandma for a few days, and a nanny would follow her. Her mother-in-law hesitated for a moment before agreeing, but also arranged for a nanny to accompany her.
Ye Fan gave Geng Huihui thousands of dollars and planned for a week, but Yu Wentao was going home on the fifth day.
There is no comfort like home outside. It has air conditioning, delicious food, popsicles and soda in the refrigerator, and a hair dryer and water boiler are better than a guest house. Geng Huihui gave the remaining money to Ye Fan and muttered: "I don't have a happy life."
Yu Wentao has sharp ears. After being out for a few days to adjust, he retorted energetically: "You don't think there are too many mosquitoes? Didn't you say that it's not as comfortable outside as at home?"
(End of chapter)