But when Su Xiaotian had everything arranged perfectly for everyone, they were surprised to discover that their sister was truly different from them.
Su Xiaotian had a general understanding of her brothers’ situations.
Starting from the previous night, she had been planning how to supervise her brothers’ studies.
She had even created different study plans for each of them.
The Su family children were all intelligent, they just hadn't focused their efforts on studying.
Su Xiaotian, afraid her brothers wouldn't give their all, had acted wronged and said she didn't want to be bullied, needing her brothers to work hard and become workers in the city to protect her.
The brothers thought about how the Kang family, because they had someone working at the supply and marketing cooperative, felt superior and looked down on them.
Therefore, they studied much harder than usual.
After assigning tasks, Su Xiaotian had them sit around the table to study while she sat under the shade of a tree with a small stool.
Su Xiaotian was also holding a book. To outsiders, it looked like she was flipping through the pages casually.
In reality, Su Xiaotian was diligently reading a book on horticulture that she had found in the system's library.
After some testing, she discovered that the books the system provided could only be seen by her; no one else could see them.
This was a great convenience for her reading.
As long as she had a book at hand, or something to cover it up, she could read safely.
Occasionally, her brothers would glance back and see their little sister reading, feeling that they had lived in vain for so many years, as if they had lived their lives for nothing, and were not as good as their little sister.
If they didn't study seriously, they would be letting people down.
In the blink of an eye, a morning passed.
Su Xiaotian finished a book and felt stiff when she stood up.
Looking at her brothers who were still diligently studying, she was very satisfied.
This was the effect she wanted, but rest and work were equally important.
“Second Brother, I want to dig for earthworms,” Su Xiaotian said, placing the book in her hand on the small stool and making a request as if it were natural.
“Tiantian, earthworms aren’t fun. How about Second Brother takes you fishing instead?”
Su Ciliang couldn't see the fun in earthworms and thought fishing was much better.
If they were lucky, they might catch a fish and improve their meals.
However, Su Xiaotian insisted on digging for earthworms.
She decided to raise chickens with earthworms. The book said this would increase the hens' egg production.
Su Ciliang had no choice but to look at Su Shouwen, begging him to help persuade their little sister.
Su Shouwen looked at his little sister dotingly and said, “If Little Sister wants to dig for earthworms, then let’s dig for earthworms. You haven't dug few before anyway.”
Most children choose earthworms as bait for fishing, and Su Ciliang was very skilled in this regard.
Unexpectedly, Su Xiaotian then requested that all her brothers go dig for earthworms because she needed a lot of them.
The brothers wanted to continue studying, but they couldn't bear to refuse their little sister's request, so they decided to take time out at noon to dig for earthworms.
When Grandma Su and the others returned from work, they saw half a basket of earthworms.
The sight of so many wriggling earthworms made Grandma Su feel unwell.
“You brats, what are you digging up so many earthworms for? It’s disgusting!”
Grandma Su grabbed the broom by her side and charged towards Su Ciliang.
Among these boys, Su Ciliang was the most restless, and Grandma Su instinctively felt he was behind this.
“Grandma, we didn’t dig them up to cause trouble, it was Tiantian who wanted them,” Su Ciliang shouted at Grandma Su as he ran.
Grandma Su didn't quite believe it when she heard it was Su Xiaotian’s request.
Tiantian was such a clean little girl, why would she want earthworms?
“Grandma, it’s really me. I want to raise earthworms to feed the chickens, so the chickens will lay more eggs.”
Su Xiaotian, who had been fiddling with something by the wall, had to put down her work and rush out to protect her brothers.
Grandma Su had never heard of feeding chickens with earthworms, but she remembered that someone used to feed chickens with small fish, and the chickens grew very well, so she believed it.
“Tiantian, tell Second Brother what you plan to do, and Second Brother will help you!”
To protect himself, Su Ciliang decided to pledge his loyalty.
“It’s almost done. Just add some vegetable leaves, tree leaves, and such every day. When you have free time, sprinkle some water. Oh, Second Brother, pour more than half of the earthworms in, and chop up the rest to feed the chickens.”
Su Xiaotian was overjoyed that Su Ciliang was willing to help.
Looking at so many earthworms, she also felt uncomfortable, so she handed them over to Su Ciliang to handle.
Grandma Su washed her hands and went to cook. Su Xiaotian obediently helped, and the grandmother and granddaughter chatted in the kitchen, the atmosphere pleasant.
“Grandma, in a couple of days, let Dad find a way to go to the county town and bring back more food for us,” Su Xiaotian suggested.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you,” Grandma Su replied with a kind smile.
Thinking about the coupons at home, Grandma Su decided to have pure cornmeal porridge for lunch, and prepare a mixed-grain flatbread for everyone.
When Grandma Su’s meal was almost ready, the others who had been working in the fields also returned.
When Grandpa Su entered, his expression was a bit strange.
Grandma Su couldn't help but ask.
“I don’t know who sent something to our house. The team leader brought back the parcel notice when he went to town.”
Just as they were talking about using someone else to send things to cover their tracks, they received a parcel notice. It was truly a case of “when you’re sleepy, a pillow arrives.”
Grandma Su slapped her thigh and said, “Then let Third Brother ask for leave from the captain tomorrow and go to the county town to pick up the items.”
The old couple understood the implication, but the others were clueless and were only guessing who had sent them something and what it was.
“Mother, who do you think sent the package? We don’t have any relatives outside,” Liang Xiu asked curiously.
“Perhaps someone your father saved in the past remembers his kindness and is repaying him,” Grandma Su immediately brought the matter into the open.
Liang Xiu was from a nearby brigade and knew that her father-in-law had been a kind person in his early years, and it was said he had saved many people!
It wasn't impossible for someone to remember their past kindness and send something.
“Then, in the afternoon, let Tiantian’s father find Accountant Li to get a certificate,” Liang Xiu added.
Grandma Su agreed.
When the family saw the flatbreads and the golden cornmeal porridge on the table, they could hardly believe their eyes.
The three daughters-in-law all turned their gaze to Grandma Su.
Why had the family’s meals been so good these past two days?
“What are you looking at? Don’t you have food? Hurry up and start eating!” Grandma Su served Grandpa Su a bowl of cornmeal porridge, gave him a flatbread, and then said.
“Mother, don’t we have much grain left?” Su Laoda asked tentatively.
“We don’t have much, but the summer grain will be harvested soon, so we have enough,” Grandma Su said as a matter of course.
Wang Xianghua whispered, “If we didn’t have to subsidize my sister-in-law, our family would have enough to eat.”