My sixth brother and I have been together for 22 years. The salary card in his hand has always been like a mystery, and I have never seen its appearance, nor have I heard the name of the bank where the account is opened. Every month, he pays me a few hundred yuan for living expenses, but he always gives me benefits at the end of the year without reservation. Despite his busy years and debts, I still have a surplus. This is the true portrayal of the old saying in the countryside: "A man is a rake, a woman is a box, not afraid of a rake without teeth, but afraid of a box without a bottom." ”
This morning, I was awakened by the wild north wind. In the first half of last night, the world was silent, and when the sky was slightly white, the sleet hit the windows as if they were about to break in, making a fierce crackling sound. I put on a padded jacket, stepped on slippers, and gently opened the curtains, only to see that the eastern hill was covered with snow, and there was no trace of pedestrians on the road. The bare old elm trees were on the top of the mountain, squeaky and crooked by the wind. In the wasteland at the foot of the mountain, black plastic sheets stand tall in the wind, and the snow in the sky is like swaying ink.
Yesterday's neighbors also returned to their hometowns, and from morning to night, the home was bustling. There was an endless stream of guests, and the smell of rice, cards, and laughter were intertwined. At this time of year, I always sleep a few more hours in the afternoon, just waiting for the dead of night. The New Year's flavor and liveliness in the countryside are indeed far better than those in the cities.
The sixth child returned yesterday and sat at the coffee table after dinner and ate melon seeds. Xiaoliu and I sat on the sofa opposite and played with our phones. He casually threw the melon seed skin into the trash, but unexpectedly flew onto my slipper. I glared at him and said with a smile: "During the Chinese New Year holiday, why don't you practice throwing pots?" He got up and clapped his hands, took out two red cards from his underwear pocket, and handed them to me in a chic manner: "You keep texting every day, isn't it just for this year-end bonus?" It's all here, get the flowers! ”
I eagerly threw off the quilt, and my shoes were not properly dressed, so I reached out to grab the two cards: "Hurry up and hand it in, Xiaoliu and I are about to run out of food." Xiaoliu also shook off the quilt and teased with a smile: "Mom, you calm down, don't look like you haven't seen money." My eyes are not healed, and I broke my knees again. The sixth child also smiled: "Your mother is so capable, being a housewife at home, she can still hurt herself." ”
I looked at the amount on the card, shook my head and said, "Your unit is really picky, and you can get this money." Xiaoliu took the card and looked at it: "Not bad, there is also a card from the cake shop, this one belongs to me." He looked at the front again and reported loudly: "500 yuan for the supermarket poverty alleviation card, 100 yuan for the shopping card of Little Red Riding Hood Cake Shop." The sixth said: "That's good, my cousin is in a private company, and I heard that he hasn't been paid for two months." ”
I put both cards in my pocket: "Little Liu, let's go to the New Year's goods tomorrow." Xiao Liu said with a smile: "Issue a supermarket shopping card, and specify that we want to go to the poverty alleviation supermarket, we are still waiting for others to help the poor." I stretched out my hand to help him: "Come here, Mom will help you." "We decided to go shopping at the poverty alleviation supermarket tomorrow, so I took two big shopping bags in advance and took the bus to take Xiaoliu to the city to find the supermarket.
The supermarket is located on the first floor of the basement, and the door is narrow, only allowing the words "XX supply and marketing supermarket". Access to the supermarket, the staircase is smaller than our unit building. After going down dozens of stairs and turning a few corners, we found the entrance to the supermarket. It was past 12 noon, and the supermarket was dimly lit, with only two waiters and a cashier. The supermarket grounds are spacious, but things are messed up. The ground is full of local products from various counties and districts, which are more expensive than ordinary supermarkets. Xiaoliu and I walked around it three times, and we had no desire to shop. In the end, Xiaoliu reluctantly bought a box of chewing gum. At the checkout, I casually asked, "Can I buy tobacco and alcohol with this poverty alleviation card?" The salesperson, a middle-aged woman, told me, "Yes, this card is the most cost-effective way to buy cigarettes." At this time, another young man came in with two 500 yuan shopping cards and bought several cigarettes. Xiaoliu sighed: "Such a supermarket ......”