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Chapter 451: Chapter 441 Wang Dan’s Purpose
When Shen Yunfang took leave and came back, she accidentally learned that Goudan’s three children had lice and felt completely uncomfortable all over.
If these things weren’t eradicated, they would spread, and she and her children might get lice as well. As for whether Wang Dan and her husband had them, that went without saying.
So Shen Yunfang, disregarding the kids’ fierce resistance, threw the family of five into a big bathhouse and insisted they clean themselves before coming out. The family did get cleaned, but when they came out, they were wearing the same clothes they had on when they arrived.
Shen Yunfang asked them why they didn’t change into a clean set of clothes after bathing, to which they bluntly replied, "We only brought this set of clothes when we came; we didn’t bring any extras to change into."
Shen Yunfang didn’t even want to look at Wang Dan feigning embarrassment. It was so obvious what she meant; even a fool could understand it.
Having no choice, Shen Yunfang hurriedly took them to the supply and marketing cooperative, picking out ready-made clothes for the entire family, from inside out. Then she took them to the barber’s, where the boys got their heads shaved, but the adults were out of her hands.
The group rushed to pick up Manman and Pangpang, and the two kids were startled by the sight of three bald brothers. Manman even curiously touched their heads before retreating behind Shen Yunfang and whispered timidly, "Mommy, the bald brothers are prickly."
Oh, how Shen Yunfang laughed at that.
After getting home, without needing any introduction from Shen Yunfang, the five children started playing together. Aside from their constant hunger, Goudan’s kids were pretty good, and it didn’t take an evening for them to start following Pangpang’s lead. You could say he had quite the knack for leadership.
Once home, Shen Yunfang watched the children change out of their clothes, which she then took and scalded in boiling water. She also took the opportunity to educate them about the dangers of lice.
As for the two adults, she didn’t feel it was her place to say anything, just hoping they’d be conscientious enough to join the fight against the lice.
The dinner was cooked by Shen Yunfang herself, utilizing the piece of pork she had at home. She prepared six dishes, with a mix of meat and vegetables, and the whole table devoured everything voraciously.
Wang Dan helped to clean up, and then the two sisters-in-law started to chat.
"Sister-in-law, what made you think of coming over?" Shen Yunfang finally found time to ask the question that had been on her mind, genuinely puzzled about the purpose of the family’s visit.
Wang Dan giggled, "Didn’t I say when you went back to your hometown? I said I’d come visit you when I had the chance. Thinking about you here in the Capital without any relatives, and having nothing much to do at home after the harvest, we thought of bringing the kids over to see you, and at the same time give these little brats some exposure."
Wang Dan didn’t say her true intention, but by now it had already been fulfilled.
Actually, the real purpose of Wang Dan’s visit wasn’t anything more than hoping Shen Yunfang would buy a set of clothes for each of their children; it was as simple as that.
So why would Wang Dan bother spending all that money on train tickets to come to the Capital just for Shen Yunfang’s clothes when the ticket money could just as well buy clothes for the children back home?
Comrade Wang Dan had done her calculations. If both she and her husband took the kids to the Capital, the kids could get away with not having tickets, just the two adults needed to buy them. Adding up the round-trip train tickets for the adults and meals on the way, it came to about fifty yuan.
Fifty yuan could also amply cover buying each child a set of clothes back where they lived, but Wang Dan thought, if they came to the Capital, the second sister-in-law would definitely buy new clothes for the kids once she saw them outgrowing the old ones. Moreover, the whole family of five could stay for a few days, tour the Capital city, and have something to boast about when they returned home.
Crunching the numbers, they wouldn’t be far off the budget, so Wang Dan decided to take her family for a jaunt to the Capital.
Shen Yunfang couldn’t imagine that it was all for just a few sets of clothes for the children. She had not only exceeded the task on the very first day by buying clothes for the kids, but she also bought clothes for the couple and had their heads shaved. One could say Wang Dan’s calculations had well and truly paid off.
"Hehe, I thought you meant you’d visit me in Gaijiatun, never imagined you’d come all this way to see me." Shen Yunfang didn’t know what to say, that excuse seemed far-fetched.
You see, if you were rich and leisurely, I’d understand you making a trip to the Capital to visit relatives and have a good time, but you all are so poor you can hardly afford food or clothing. So what was it you were really after by spending all that ticket money to come here?
Hehe, you came all this way for some items, and now you’ve got them all.
"I’ve been to Gaijiatun already, why would I go there again?" Wang Dan was nonchalant, "And, you know, I really could tell the Capital is different from our place as soon as I got off the train."
"I heard that last year, Big Brother went to work on the road construction. What about this year, isn’t he going?" Shen Yunfang had heard from Li Hongjun that Big Brother had been put to work on road construction by his wife, which was pure manual labor. There was a daily wage, but it was extremely tiring, and usually, only the young and strong could endure it for more than a few days.
"Oh, of course, he’s going. Why wouldn’t he?" Wang Dan was quick to reply, "The kids are getting older, and when the time comes, we’ll have to find spouses for them and build houses, won’t we? All that requires money. If your Big Brother and I don’t work hard while we’re young, by the time those three grow up, they might not even find anyone to marry."
"So Big Brother came with you all, isn’t that holding him back from work?" Road construction usually coincides with the slack season or after harvest. 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"It’s not. Your Big Brother checked already. The roadwork starts next weekend. We’ll have our little outing and then get back just in time for him to start work—nothing’s delayed," she had planned it all along.
"Oh, that’s good," Shen Yunfang nodded, relieved. They would be gone by next weekend, just one week’s time. Good, not bad.
"Sister-in-law, that roadwork is not easy; can Big Brother’s body take it?" After worrying about when the family would return, she found the leisure to chat with her sister-in-law again.
"He has to do it even if his body can’t take it, who asked him to have three sons? I can’t be like his mother, showing favoritism. When the kids are grown up, if I’m capable, I’ll build a house for each, but if I’m not, I won’t build any; they’ll have to figure it out themselves," Wang Dan really disliked how Qiu Shuping showed favoritism to Li Hongqi.
"Sister-in-law, you might not know, but what does that official title of Li Hongqi actually manage?" Wang Dan said mysteriously.
