Chapter 1002: Chapter 875: The Three Penniless Brothers
The south-facing room furthest inside on the second floor had curtains hanging from the windows on the side and the main southern direction, fluttering in the night breeze.
Ping’an was the first to turn on the light. In the view, the central one-and-a-half-meter long, eighty-centimeter wide solid wood simple desk and stool divided the room into two areas.
The area from the south window down to fifty centimeters in front of the desk had a bamboo bed without "legs" tightly laid against the corners of the walls on both sides. Judging by its length and width, it must have been custom-made.
At this point, Yu didn’t understand that a small country popularized this kind of tatami. To avoid later giving others leverage, Zhou Jiao intended to reform it.
—Cool in summer, and a layer of mattress added in winter, it was for the children to rest and play.
The remaining large section from the desk to the inner wall, the wall facing the south window, had bookshelves running one row deep from waist level to the wall, all open.
Besides a whole row of handmade military cars, trucks, tanks, etc. made from bullet casings, there were also trophies from Ping’an, the little friend.
Starting from the second row downwards, there were some iconic illustrated children’s books and magazines, all arranged for the three children to easily pick up.
On the blank section of the half wall, there hung a piece of finely mounted flowing cursive script.
If Mr. Cheng were here, or anyone with some literary knowledge, they would surely see from the signature seal that this was a gift personally written by the Chairman.
Moreover, under the orange-yellow light, the most eye-catching was a splash of brilliant colors adorning the interior, full of childlike fun.
—In the inner corner against the wall were six different colored wooden boxes, which could serve as stools and store toys and small items.
Zhou Jiao didn’t worry about her sons not being strong enough to move them and painted the boxes in vibrant colors like orange-yellow, egg yellow, grass green, dark green, light blue, and dark blue according to their preferences. Now, each son had two favorite boxes, which was very fair.
"Wow, brother-in-law, I’ll just sleep here in the future."
Zhang Guoqing broke into a cold sweat upon hearing this and instinctively looked at the three children. Luckily, the little ones were gleefully watching the commotion and didn’t respond.
"Little Ping’an, quickly take me to your room for a look."
Ping’an glanced at Yu, avoided the topic, and looked at Zhang Guoqing, "Dad, you don’t need to stay with us. If anything, I’ll shout out at the window."
Zhang Guoqing reassuringly glanced at his two younger sons again, seeing them wave at him innocently while seated with storybooks, he smiled.
These three little things, truly precocious, every time they had to run into the room and grab snacks first, but now they had calmed down.
After Zhang Guoqing checked the window and left closing the door, Ping’an pointed at the dark blue box, "All my toys are in here, do you want to play?"
Yu stomped angrily, "I’m about to go to middle school, still playing with toys?"
The three brothers giggled happily.
Yu snorted, imitating his grandfather with his hands behind his back, pacing slowly around the room, finally stopping at the desk and tapping it with his finger.
"There should be a set of calligraphy tools here, such a big desk suits writing characters when the mood strikes. I’ll go home and ask my grandpa for a set this weekend to give to you."
Ping’an blinked, turned to glance at his two brothers holding back laughter with their hands over their mouths, and sighed inwardly. Still hadn’t remembered what he said, laughing for what, not worried about revealing?
Thankfully, the silly brothers didn’t show off that they didn’t lack any calligraphy tools!
"My brother-in-law, huh, don’t know what he was thinking." Yu shook his head with his hands behind his back, "Playing things wastes one’s willpower. Don’t play if you can avoid it."
Ping’an couldn’t help but smile at him, "Those are the words your grandpa usually trains you with, aren’t they?"
Yu glanced at him, waved lightly with his hand, and nodded, "I think he makes a lot of sense, gifting it to you."
"Go, go, young master doesn’t need you to gift anything?"
"Little Ping’an, remember I’m your elder."
Ping’an raised his chin, looking sideways at him disdainfully, "Who still has marbles in their pocket? Whose bag hides a slingshot? And who always wants to drill into the air-raid shelter?"
Yu was choked by his words, unable to maintain his act, pointing at him, "Can’t play anymore, little thing, aren’t you uncomfortable if you don’t poke people?"
"Your father thanks me for waking you up."
"You... you... no wonder my grandpa says you’re like your parents, a little fox in the future."
Ping’an was quite interested, smiling, "I’m my parents’ son, is it strange to be like them? But your grandpa’s vision isn’t right! My dad is such an open and honest person, and my mom wouldn’t even step on an ant."
Yu was stunned, pointing at him speechless. How shameless! Do you think you can pretend to be ignorant because you’re young? He’s not dumb; many say his sister uses a knife without blood.
"What are you looking at? Have you seen my mom step on ants, or kill chickens? My dad donates his salary to the Welfare Institute every month, isn’t that open and honest?"
Really? Yu subconsciously looked into his eyes.
"Look at these desks, these boxes, these shelves, plus the repaired broken stools downstairs in my house... these were all bought by my dad with broken wood and made by hand himself. Foxes, huh, idiots..." He stopped abruptly, realizing he couldn’t ruin his dad’s reputation.
"My family has four adults earning salaries, but many families in the big courtyard don’t have as much money as ours, yet they bought new furniture and new appliances. My family moved here and it’s all old furniture."
"I feel sorry for my three brothers. It’s pitiful; all the money got squandered by my mom and dad, sent to my grandfather’s comrades, or to the elder and welfare institutes."
"Look at my three brothers, over a year passed without making new clothes, even the New Year clothes were sent by my second aunt from home. Liu Yi and May 1st are still wearing my old clothes now."
Liu Yi and May 1st immediately put down their books, glanced at each other seriously, then nodded at Yu, specially pointing at their clothes to prove their innocence.
May 1st added, "The cloth tickets at home are the old folks’ generosity to their grandparents."
Luckily, Mr. Zhang and Mother Zhang weren’t here, nor did they hear this. Otherwise, their tears would certainly flow uncontrollably. Such agony, who knew the three grandsons were about to run around naked!
"So you see, your grandpa misunderstood, didn’t he?!" Ping’an continued in a dull tone, "Those adults only care about the country, look at how much gold my mom donated?"
Before Liu Yi could catch up, his brother May 1st beat him to it, unwilling to be left behind, immediately following up, "Mom and Dad said if there’s no country, where does family come from? Money is just external stuff."
Ping’an sighed, "Except for worrying that my three brothers won’t grow up and supplementing some nutrition for us, are they considered smart people elsewhere?"
Yu was stunned, nodding unknowingly, and then blurted out, "My sister and brother-in-law are good people! My grandpa, except for saying you’re clever like your parents. But my dad also told him your parents embody something like ’talent within, bearing outside, skill in deeds, righteousness in person.’
Your father has good eyes!
Little Ping’an was satisfied, giving his two brothers a subtle approving smile. Nice, indeed brothers united could break gold. The difficulty of appearing poor was not low, must continue to carry it forward.
