Stepmother

    Zhong Dawa exclaimed: "Now?"

    "Yes, it is now." Song Zhaodi said, "Go and take out your clothes, it's cold by the sea, take the thickest cotton coat and cotton shoes, and just take a set of clothes inside. There is a kang at home, and the underwear can’t be dried after washing, so it can be baked on the kang.”

    Zhong Dawa threw down the schoolbag and went back to the room, turned out all the three brothers' thick clothes, and carried them into Song Zhaodi's room: "Mother, how do you fold them?"

    "I'll come." Song Zhaodi asked while folding her clothes, "Is there a lot of homework assigned by the teacher?"

    Zhong Dawa: "No homework."

    "Oh, your teacher." Song Zhaodi didn't want to comment, "Don't bring that book. Dali is in second grade this year like you. I am afraid that I will forget what I have learned, so I will look back at Dali. Book."

    Zhong Dawa sees that she is very busy and doesn't want to disturb Song Zhaodi, but she can't help but ask: "Mother, did Dad say why?"

    "He said that your uncle and grandfather are your father's uncle who are ill, and he especially wanted to see your three brothers." Three sets of cotton-padded clothes, cotton-padded pants and cotton-padded shoes were stuffed into a bag, and Song Zhaodi didn't have any. He took the padded jacket again and planned to go back to wear her sister's or her mother's clothes, "I don't believe a word of what your father said."

    Zhong Dawa is curious: "Then did you ask my dad?"

    "Your dad pretended to be very serious and didn't want to talk about it." Song Zhaodi recalled Zhong Jianguo's expression and clicked, "He must have a guilty conscience, for fear of 'talking too much will be lost' , I guessed it. I stopped him and didn't allow him to go, he pushed me away and ran out. "

    Zhong Dawa nodded: "Mother, you guessed it right, Dad must be hiding something from you, or it's a big thing." Pause, "Mother, you know, then we don't go. ."

    "We're going." Song Zhaodi said, and couldn't help sighing, "Your grandma Liu is going with us, saying that you are going to Xiaosong Village to see your uncle's mother, that is, her sister-in-law.

    "I think she may know something. She knows it, and your grandfather Liu must know it too. It means that your father is hiding something from me. No matter what, we have to go."

    Zhong Dawa was about to speak when she suddenly found the room very quiet: "Where are the second and third babies?"

    "It's next door." Song Zhaodi fastened her bag, took out a hundred dollars, and stuffed the rest into the quilt. She went downstairs with Dawa and found that the pot above the stove was smoking. Take the pot off and seal the stove.

    Zhong Dawa was curious: "Mother has already cooked? It's only four o'clock now."

    "No." Song Zhaodi lifted the lid of the pot, "Boiled eggs and duck eggs, leave us to eat on the road."

    Zhong Dawa's eyes widened: "A lot."

    "Not too many, only thirty duck eggs and eggs together." Song Zhaodi said, "We have a lot of people, and we have to eat for two days. These are not enough."

    Zhong Dawa couldn't help worrying: "Do you only eat eggs?"

    "Your father ran to look for a fishing boat after telling me, maybe he has found it by now." Song Zhaodi said, "In such a short time, I want to make a few oil cakes. Can't do it."

    Zhong Dawa couldn't help sighing: "Dad's work is too unreliable." Carrying a schoolbag full of eggs, tea jars, milk powder and toffee, she followed Song Zhaodi out of the kitchen to find the lock, "Mom, does Dad have the key?"

    "Yes." Song Zhaodi put the key on the baby's neck, "Don't worry about your dad, even if he doesn't have the key, he can pick the lock." After that, she took the lock and locked the door superior.

    When she walked to the gate, she suddenly thought, "Mother, what about the chickens, ducks and geese?"

    "There are vegetable leaves and wheat bran under the eaves, your dad will feed them." Song Zhaodi said, and couldn't help sighing, "You are a child, why do you worry about more things than me? Don't Look, let's go."

    Zhong Dawa responded and suddenly thought: "Mother, what if grandma is here?"

    Song Zhaodi said nothing, dragged him out of the door by his arm, and closed the bamboo raft door: "Your father is at the dock, ask your father what to do."

    "Oh, good." Zhong Dawa wanted to go directly to the pier. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Erwa and Sanwa, and waved to her two younger brothers, "Follow me."

    Sanwa thought she was going to play, so she ran over with her short legs, not too cold, and asked with a smile, "Where is my brother going?"

    "Go to the pier to catch fish." When Sanwa was unwilling to go out to play, and clamored for Song Zhaodi to hug him, Dawa fooled him like that. However, this trick is not often used.

    Sanwa is only a little over three years old, so she can't tell the truth from his brother's words.

    "Yes, catch the big fish." Zhong Dawa held the third baby and handed the other hand to the second baby.

    Er ​​Wa asked in a low voice, "Brother, I don't want to go to that grandma's house."

    Zhong Dawa turned her head, why?

    "It's cold." Erwa said, "Dad said it."

    The eldest child said in her heart that it was Dad who asked us to go: "Grandma's house has a heated kang, and my mother said it's not cold."

     "Brother, what did you say?" Sanwa asked hurriedly, "loud, I didn't hear you."

    Dawa thought to herself, just to keep you from hearing: "I said, it's almost time to reach the pier. Sanwa, hurry up."

    "I'll run." Sanwa released Dawa's hand and ran towards the pier.

    Wengzhou Island is quite big for children, unable to hold back the children's high energy, so I visited Wengzhou Island several times in one summer vacation, so that the three-year-old Sanwa knew where the wharf was.

    Song Zhaodi watched Sanwa run fast, thought for a moment, knocked on the door of a fisherman, and asked someone for a rope.

    "What are you doing with the rope?" Sister Duan was curious.

    Song Zhaodi: "The aunt told me why did you go back to Xiaosong Village with me?"

    Sister Duan took a breath and smiled awkwardly: "When I didn't ask."

    "You really have something to hide from me." Song Zhaodi was not angry, Zhong Jianguo dared her to take away the three children, it was definitely not dangerous. He didn't dare to tell her, it's definitely not a good thing.

    Arriving at the pier, seeing Zhong Jianguo still there, Song Zhaodi asked with a half-smile, "Don't tell me yet?"

    "Get on the boat quickly." Zhong Jianguo avoided her eyes and urged, "Go to Yongcheng and take a bus to Hangzhou."

    Song Zhaodi nodded slightly: "You can do it, Zhong Jianguo."

    "Xiao Song, Xiao Song, I'll tell you later." Sister-in-law Duan took Song Zhaodi's arm, "Get on the boat first, otherwise you won't be able to catch the train to Shencheng."

    Two adults and three children rushed to Hangcheng Railway Station, and it was already dark.

      Take off the cotton socks when

    Zhong Dawa: "I know."

    It is cold in winter and there is no kang or heating in the house, so Song Zhaodi made a few pairs of cotton socks for a few children and left them to wear them when they play in the house.

    Sister-in-law Duan saw this and couldn't help but sigh: "I'm still worried that it's cold in the car, and a few children can't bear it."

    "I'm also worried." Song Zhaodi said, "I specially brought them a set of cotton-padded clothes, and when they were transferring in Shencheng, I took them out and wrapped their hands and feet." After a pause, "Auntie , you can tell me now."

    Sister Duan laughed: "I thought you forgot. In fact, I just found out, your Uncle Liu called and told me."

    "What happened?" Song Zhaodi asked hurriedly.

    The Chinese New Year is approaching, there are only a few people going out, there are only a dozen people in the whole carriage, half of them are Song Zhaodi and his party.

    "Your Uncle Liu is the teacher, and the goal is too inconvenient, so I hope you will keep it. However, Xiao Song, don't worry, I will take care of you. Your Uncle Liu also said that the two children will eat Wearing it is provided by the commander, which is equivalent to living in your house."

    Song Zhaodi immediately understood: "I heard Jianguo mention once that Uncle Liu has followed the commander since he was a soldier. He is the commander's cronie, and our next-door head, Lin, is a crony of Deputy Commander Wu.

    "The two children must have nothing to do with Uncle Liu, they are relatives of the commander? No, if they are relatives, the commander can send them back to their hometown. Are they comrades of the commander, or the children of the leader? "

    "I really don't know about this." Sister Duan waved her hand, "Let's see the child later, or come back to see Jianguo, you can ask him. I listened to the tone of Lao Liu's words and was very anxious. "

    Song Zhaodi: "Where are those two children now?"

    "In Shencheng." Mrs. Duan said, "Uncle Liu said that if we get off the train and go directly to Nanjing Road, we will see two children who are about the same height as Dawa."

    When Zhong Dawa heard about him, she asked curiously, "Grandma, mother, what are you talking about?"

    There are two more children in the family, Song Zhaodi is a little tired, but when he thinks that if the commander has another way, he will definitely not let Zhong Jianguo, who has three children, adopt those two children.

    Hangcheng is very close to Shencheng, and it will be there in a while. Song Zhaodi didn't lie to the eldest baby: "We want two little brothers to come to the house, do you welcome them?"

    "Mother, what do you mean by coming here?" Zhong Dawa often sees his father and his mother playing word games, "You have to make it clear."

    Song Zhaodi helped her forehead: "It's just that we have two little brothers living with us, sleeping in the same room with you, and never leaving again."

    "Are they making trouble?" Zhong Dawa asked.

    Song Zhaodi almost laughed, the first thing that the child thought of was actually this question: "It's not making trouble, it's similar to Dali."

    "Then I agree to let them sleep on the bottom floor." After Zhong Dawa finished speaking, she suddenly thought, "Mother, why did they come to our house?"

    Song Zhaodi: "Father is dead, mother is gone, no one wants them. Your father thinks we won't take them in. In such a cold day, they will freeze to death."

    "Huh?" Zhong Dawa didn't expect it to be like this, "It's so pitiful."

    Song Zhaodi: "Yes, very pitiful." Speaking out, Song Zhaodi thought something was wrong, "Sister-in-law, you should know their names, right?"

    "I really don't know." Sister Duan said, "Your Uncle Liu may think that Xiao Zhong will tell you."

    Song Zhaodi continued: "Not only did Zhong Jianguo not tell me, but he also told you not to tell me before getting on the train? I am such a person in his eyes."

    Song Zhaodi snorted: "If he had this consciousness, you wouldn't use his uncle as an excuse."

    "Little Song, your Uncle Liu said, we have to go to Binhai." Song Zhaodi didn't say anything, and Sister Duan almost forgot.

    Song Zhaodi nodded: "I know."

    When they arrived in Shencheng, Mrs. Duan took a few children to the hostel first. Song Zhaodi found a bluestone brick and carried the brick to Nanjing Road.

    At twelve o'clock at night, Song Zhaodi arrived at the door of the Peace Hotel. She didn't meet anyone with bad intentions along the way. Song Zhaodi breathed a sigh of relief, but did not dare to throw away the bricks. After all, she had to go back .

    I saw three people standing at the front door, one tall and two short.

    Song Zhaodi hurriedly ran over and saw that the tall man was a woman, clean and tidy, so I couldn't help but be a little puzzled, this woman's dress and skin color didn't seem to be able to support two children: " Are you waiting for someone?"

    "Who are you?" The woman looked at Song Zhaodi, because the moonlight was dark, and Song Zhaodi turned her back to the moonlight, so the woman opened her eyes and couldn't see what Song Zhaodi looked like, "You came to pick up these two children's?"

    Song Zhaodi nodded slightly: "Yes." After speaking, she paused, "Who are you?"

     He pushed the two children to Song Zhaodi's side.

    Song Zhaodi realized that something was wrong, the two children have been silent, and their hands are empty and their clothes are very thin. Seeing that the woman turned around and was about to leave, Song Zhaodi didn't even think about it, she reached out and grabbed it, "Where's the child's luggage?"

    "What luggage?" The woman was stunned and asked subconsciously.

    Song Zhaodi was puzzled, and even more puzzled in her heart: "You asked me to take the child away without packing the child's luggage?"

    "No luggage." The woman said.

    Song Zhaodi felt a sudden shock and grabbed her arm: "Then let me ask you, who are you?"

    "I, I'm just raising them for a few days, and it has nothing to do with them." The woman broke Song Zhaodi's hand as she spoke, "Let go of me, the child is given to you, and I have to go home too. ."

    Song Zhaodi looked around and saw that there were no ghosts on the empty street, she raised her back to the back: "Believe it or not, I will kill you with a brick?!"

    The woman shivered and her face changed greatly: "You, you dare?!"

      Before she could regain her senses, she continued, "I advise you not to shout, your voice is not as fast as mine. Hurry up and say, who are you in the end?"

    "She's the one who raised us."

    A word came from behind, Song Zhaodi did not look back, but stared at the woman: "Why not raise it?"

    "I, I have four children myself, so I can't afford so many children." The woman said.

    "Uncle Zhao gave you money."

    Song Zhaodi's eyelids twitched, these two children are indeed the commander's people. It was obvious that the two children who were talking before and after were not the same person, but at this time it was not the time to struggle with these, so he continued to ask, "How much did you give?"

    "Five hundred."

    Song Zhaodi sneered: "Five hundred yuan? Enough for two children to reach adulthood. How long will she take care of you?"

    "Five or six months."

    Song Zhaodi: "What about your luggage?"

    "She hid."

    Song Zhaodi did not look back from beginning to end, stared straight at the woman, grabbed her arm with one hand, and held a brick with the other: "I will ask you one last time, where is the child's luggage? I said it three times, and if I didn't say it, I slapped it with a brick—"

    "I, I said," The woman is actually an ordinary housewife, she usually quarrels with the neighbors on the left and right, and talks about the East's parents, the West's short, the biggest scene I have ever seen in my life , it's just a black seven-category parade.

    In the middle of the night, I met a ruthless woman, and the woman would have been scared and stunned. If Song Zhaodi hadn't dragged her, she would have collapsed to the ground. I never thought that as long as she shouted to wake up the people in the restaurant, Song Zhaodi would run wild with her two children, but couldn't outrun the people in the restaurant.

    Song Zhaodi did not let go of her, but put the brick next to her head: "Where is it hidden?"

    The woman was trembling all over, her teeth chattering, and she pointed to the south with trembling fingers: "Yes, by the river."

    "Take me there." The Peace Hotel was very close to the river, Song Zhaodi grabbed her arm, moved the brick to her neck, and shouted at the back, "You two, follow."

    The little brothers raised their heels subconsciously.

    Song Zhaodi pushed the woman and asked, "Do these two children know where you hid things?"

    "No, I don't know." The woman said honestly, "I told them that I went to the toilet to hide things."

    The cold wind hit, Song Zhaodi shivered, thinking that the two children were wearing very thin clothes, she couldn't help but walk faster: "They didn't ask you?"

    "I said, if you dare to ask for those things, don't expect to see the people who come to pick you up." The woman said, feeling a pain in her arm, and said quickly, "It's here, it's here."

    Song Zhaodi snorted coldly: "You two go get the things." Seeing the two children running in the direction of Shidun, she asked, "Where's the money?"

    "No, no money." The woman said.

    Song Zhaodi snorted: "Then let me guess." After a pause, "Is your man a relative or friend of Uncle Zhao as the two children say?"

    The woman froze.

    Song Zhaodi was quite surprised. She felt that Commander Zhao was either in meetings or stayed in the barracks all day, and there must be more men than women among the people he knew.

    Song Zhaodi continued: "Your man promised the uncles of the two children to take care of them. So the uncles of the children gave you five hundred yuan. Later, you found that it was very difficult to take care of a litter of children by yourself, so just follow your man. make trouble.

    "You can't help your man, so you can only call the child's uncle. The child's uncle is too busy to leave, so please ask me to pick up the child, right?

    "Not saying a word means I guessed right. Your man told you to pack your children's luggage, but you dare not leave it, and you don't want to give those things to the children, so you hide things and scare them?

    "Your man originally promised to take care of the child, and the child's uncle reassured your man that your man should be very kind. If you didn't do what you promised others, your man is unlikely to unknowingly leave the rest of the money. . Is that money on you?"

    The two children who came over with a large bag were dumbfounded.

    The woman's face was pale, her body was shaking like a sieve, and she regretted rushing to deliver the two children.

    Song Zhaodi chuckled, and the woman trembled even more: "I count three times, and if you don't say where you are, I will kick you into the river. If you don't drown, you will freeze to death."

    "I, I said, I said." The woman said quickly, "In her pocket."

    Song Zhaodi turned to the two children: "Take it out."

    A tall boy quickly put the package on the ground and turned over the woman's pocket with both hands.

    Song Zhaodi saw the child pull out a roll of things, released the woman's hand, held the brick and said to her, "Get out!"