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Chapter 191 God Will Not Let the Blind Sparrow Starve to Death
Time passed quickly as Qiao Yicheng was busy, and it came to the end of 1976. Although life on 20 yuan a month was indeed a bit tight, he could still make ends meet with the help of his second aunt Wei Shufang and second uncle Qi Zhiqiang.

Although Qiao Yicheng seemed to be barely making ends meet, in the eyes of his neighbors, the Qiao family had returned to the way it was before Qiao's mother passed away.

The five children of the Qiao family have undergone complete changes. Sanli and Simei wear clean clothes when going out every day. Even the naughty Qiao Erqiang has become much cleaner, not to mention the plump and white Qiao Qiqi.

Every neighbor who knew about the Qiao family's situation gave a thumbs up to Qiao Yicheng, the eldest son of the Qiao family, but they were full of sarcasm and contempt for Qiao Zuwang.

Qiao Zuwang is a guy who cares a lot about his reputation. When he realized that he was being laughed at by his neighbors, he wanted to go home and teach the culprit Qiao Yicheng a lesson, so that they could all see who is the real boss.

But as soon as he got home, he saw the fat and fair Qiao Qiqi. After all, Qiao Zuwang was not a beast without humanity. He couldn't help but show a happy expression, and the frustration he had endured outside disappeared.

"You idiot! You're really good at raising kids!"

"Humph!"

Too lazy to pay attention to his "bad dad" Qiao Zuwang, Qiao Yicheng thought to himself that most of his money every month was spent on Qiao Qiqi. How could he not get fat?

Looking at Qiao Yicheng who was helping Qiao Qiqi wash diapers, Qiao Zuwang suddenly found that he had no place to vent his anger. He could only hold the chubby little cutie Qiao Qiqi and tease her.

Although Qiao Zuwang is an incompetent father, perhaps because of their blood relationship, Qiao Qiqi actually likes being held by Qiao Zuwang.

As the New Year draws to a close, every household begins to stockpile supplies for the New Year. This is because supplies were so scarce in that era that people could only accumulate them bit by bit. It was almost impossible to buy all the New Year's goods at once like in later generations.

The Qiao family is very different from other neighbors because Qiao Zuwang is a person who doesn't care about things, and Qiao Yichen wants to take care of things but doesn't have the ability. They can only struggle to maintain food and clothing for five brothers and sisters.

"Brother, other families have already started preparing for the New Year!
Why don’t we prepare New Year’s goods at home?”

"Erqiang, you want to eat again, right?

As long as you stay home obediently these few days and stay with Sanli and Simei and don't go anywhere, I promise to let you have a good time this year!"

"Really? Big brother!" Qiao Erqiang showed a surprised expression.

"Erqiang, don't be too happy too soon!

Can you promise that you, Sanli, and Simei will not leave our house?"

“I can guarantee it!
Unless you come back, I will never open the door!" Qiao Erqiang heard what his elder brother Qiao Yicheng promised, and he quickly patted his chest to make a promise.

"Well! Erqiang, remember what you said today!

I will take Qiqi with me, and Erqiang, you stay home and look after the two sisters."

"Ah? Big brother, you won't sell Qiqi out, will you?"

Qiao Yicheng pulled Erqiang's ear in annoyance, "What are you thinking about?

I took Qiqi out because I was worried about you!"

"Oh! Brother, can I ask you something?" Qiao Erqiang rubbed his ears and looked at his elder brother Qiao Yicheng in front of him with confusion.

"what?"

"Brother, where do you put our food?
I can never find it!"

"Hehe, if I don't put it up, will you be able to stop me?"

After arranging for his three younger siblings, Qiao Yicheng tied his younger brother Qiao Qiqi to his chest with a cloth strip and took Qiao Qiqi to the nearby supply and marketing cooperative.

Qiao Yicheng spent all his savings to buy a large roll of red paper, a brush, and ink, then came to a busy market and borrowed a table from a state-owned restaurant on the roadside.

Because it is near the end of the year, only state-owned restaurants are not very busy, while other legal stalls and state-owned stores are already surrounded by people.

"Auntie, can I borrow your table for a while?"

"Huh? What are you going to use it for?" The middle-aged woman who was about to refuse outright turned her refusal into a question when she saw the strange combination of brothers.

"Auntie, my calligraphy is very good!
I just want to take advantage of the New Year to write couplets for others.

Let's see if we can exchange it for some New Year's goods." Qiao Yicheng explained with a smile.

"Is this true? You can write calligraphy at such a young age?" The middle-aged woman looked at Qiao Yicheng in front of her with doubt.

He looked carefully at the two brothers in front of him, and also saw the pen, ink and paper in Qiao Yicheng's hand. He guessed that Qiao Yicheng was also a poor child, and then nodded in agreement.

"Just put the table right here in front of my store. If anyone chases you away, call me out!"

"Thank you, aunt!"

"By the way! Don't charge random money, or people will accuse you of speculating!"

"I understand! Auntie, I only exchange it for food!"

Soon, Qiao Yicheng easily dragged an unused table aside and set up a couplet stall in front of the store.

Qiao Yicheng didn't need to shout, he just cut the red paper into the size of the couplet and started writing quickly.

The peculiar combination of brothers is the perfect way to attract everyone's attention. As Qiao Yicheng wrote furiously, a crowd quickly gathered around him. "Hey, wow! This kid is only about ten years old, right? Look how beautiful his handwriting is!" an exaggerated voice came out, a perfect example of a "ghost face."

"Tsk! Su Laohan, the carrying pole fell over and you didn't even know it was a one.

Can you tell whether this child's handwriting is good or not?"

“Even if you haven’t eaten pork, you’ve seen a pig run.
It's beautiful, and a hundred times better than the scribbles made by some experts!"

"Hey, I didn't realize Su Laohan, you are quite knowledgeable!"

"That's right! Little brother, how much do you want for this couplet?"

"Not for sale! Only for food!"

As for how much you give, it all depends on your mood."

"Haha, this is a good feeling!

How about I exchange this bag of candy for a piece of calligraphy from you?"

Qiao Yicheng looked at the bag of candy in Su Laohan's hand and quickly refused, saying, "No way! You have too much candy!
Just give me a few as a token of my appreciation!"

Candy is hard currency nowadays, and Qiao Yicheng felt embarrassed to take too much, so he could only politely refuse.

"You know what, you're quite the scene kid!
Then I'll give you ten candies in exchange for a pair of couplets!"

"Okay! Thank you uncle for opening the shop for me!
This couplet just happens to be suitable for you!"

"The first line reads: 'New Year brings prosperity to the home,' the second line reads: 'Great blessings fill the house, and the business flourishes,' and the horizontal scroll reads: 'Bamboo heralds peace.'"

"Haha, great! It sounds festive! It cheers me up!" Su Laohan said with inexplicable joy.

Seeing Qiao Yicheng and Su Laohan complete the transaction, Su Laohan's companions could no longer bear it, "Little brother, you wrote this couplet very well!
Just write me an identical one!"

"Haha, uncle!

I have many couplets like this!
There’s no need to write the same thing!”

"Ah? What other couplets are there?" the uncle said with surprise.

"Uncle, I just heard your conversation with Uncle Su.

I feel like there's a couplet that's particularly suitable for you. How about I read it to you first?"

"Okay! Okay! Read it to me!"

"The first line is about celebrating the festival with great joy, the second line is about hanging lanterns and decorating to welcome the New Year, and the horizontal scroll is about family happiness."

"Good! Good! Great!

Little brother, I want this couplet."

After getting the uncle's consent, Qiao Yicheng wrote the couplet in Yan style in one go, then blew dry the ink and handed it to the uncle in front of him.

With Su Laohan and the other man opening the market, Qiao Yicheng started writing non-stop. As it was not fashionable to talk about money now, Qiao Yicheng did not write couplets about wealth. All he wrote were about a happy family.

Soon Qiao Yicheng finished writing all the red papers and exchanged them for a variety of New Year's goods. Perhaps because he saw that Qiao Yicheng and Qiao Qiqi were both children, Qiao Yicheng didn't need to say anything, as all the New Year's goods exchanged were food.

After appeasing a few customers who didn't exchange couplets, Qiao Yicheng gave the couplets he had left in advance to the middle-aged woman in the state-owned restaurant.

"Auntie, thanks to your help today! Thank you so much!"

"My boy, you wrote this couplet really well!

Business is booming like the rising sun, and wealth is abundant like the spring tide!
Haha, the horizontal banner is even better: it means a lot of money coming in!" The middle-aged woman praised happily.

"Haha, as long as you like it, Auntie!"

"I like it! How could I not like it!

Is your handwriting Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy?
It’s so comfortable to watch!”

"Auntie, do you also know calligraphy?"

“Haha, I don’t quite understand!

But I graduated from high school after all, so I know a little bit about calligraphy!"

"Little brother, will you come tomorrow? I've saved a seat for you!"

"Huh? I should come again! Auntie, thank you in advance!"

(End of this chapter)