The mist in the morning has not yet dissipated, and the morning after the Mid-Autumn Festival is already a bit chilly. Young Jin, who got up early, wore a quilted sackcloth with several patches on her back. She said hello to Mrs. Han with a bamboo basket on her back and went outside. Today is Mrs. Chen's 50th birthday. It's still early to hit the hogweed on the mountain, otherwise the pigs at home today will have no hogweed to eat.
"You Jin went up the mountain so early, aren't you a little girl afraid?" The next generation, who was also carrying a bamboo basket, caught up with You Jin. It turned out to be Saburo from the Lin family.
"Uncle Lin." Although Lin Jiasan Lang was only six or seven years older than her, but he was of a higher rank, You Jin respectfully called Uncle Third.
Lin Saburo followed Young Jin's footsteps: "It just so happens that I'm going to hunt hogweed, can we be friends?" Thinking that the little girl would be afraid to go up the mountain alone, he kindly suggested to go together.
Young Jin shook his head, although he said that the defense between men and women in the countryside is not as strong as in the city, but there is still the possibility of gossip when walking together: "Third uncle go first, I have to wait for the second strong uncle's house. Let's go with Qiao Qiao." Seeing that she stopped and said she was waiting for someone, Lin Saburo didn't force it: "Okay, then you all pay attention to safety, the third uncle will go first!"
Standing on the spot and waiting for Lin Saburo's figure to gradually disappear in the morning fog, it didn't take long for Qiao Qiao to trot all the way to the place agreed by the two: "You Jin, I'm here!" Qiao Qiao is thirteen years old this year, a strong The cute little girl has a good relationship with You Jin on weekdays, and the two of them go up the mountain to hunt hogweed from time to time, and they can be regarded as a companion.
"Then let's go!" Seeing her coming, the two went up the mountain together. Now that it's getting colder, the hogweed on the mountain is getting less and less. It is estimated that it will start snowing in a month or two, and the hogweed will be gone.
The two little girls climbed up the hill one after the other, and they found the hogweed after a while. The two of them were mowing the hogweed while talking: "You Jin, what are your family going to do? Why are the third uncle's family and your uncle's two cousins back?" Yesterday, Yue Changshou and others entered the village in a mule cart, but most of the villagers saw it, but they didn't know why, Qiao Qiao I was also very curious, so I asked more.
"I've nursed my babies, and they've all come back." Young Jin moved very neatly, a handful of hogweed were cut into the back basket for a while, and the back bag was filled up in a short while: "Jojo Hurry up, my mother is giving birth today, and there are still a lot of chores at home waiting for me to do!"
Seeing that the pig grass cut by the young gold was already full of the back basket, Qiao Qiao hurriedly released her hands and feet, and soon filled the back basket. The sun is coming out. After separating from Qiao Qiao at the intersection, You Jin returned home with a heavy bag on his back. As soon as he opened the courtyard door, he heard the old Chen swearing at people. Sure enough, she still couldn't put her longevity on her and her temper would improve. point of hope...
Put the pig grass at the door of the pig sty, and then go to the old Chen to replace the scolded Xiaoyin Xiaozhu: "The milk is giving birth today, you two are still mad at the milk, what are you going to do now! "Take the dishes from Young Yin's hand, and hurriedly drove the two younger sisters away. He turned his head again and said to the old Chen Shi with a smile: "The younger sisters are still young, and there are a lot of milk adults. Besides, you have a baby today, so you have to be happier!"
Standing under the corridor with his hips on his shoulders, Mrs. Chen looked at Young Jin, who was laughing like a dog, and then looked at the row of money-losing goods standing at the door of the west wing, snorted heavily, and returned to the front. Fang, today is her 50th birthday, so I can't be angry with this group of losers here.
Although it was a birth child, the Yue family was only a village family. They just ate a better meal than before and boiled ten red eggs, and it was considered a birth child. Old Chen's married daughter also brought back two grandchildren to give birth to the old mother, and also brought back two old hens, so happy that Old Chen boasted that his daughter was promising.
Yue Changhong married the only son of a wealthy family surnamed Ge in a relatively wealthy village on the edge of the town. The year she married into the Ge family, she gave birth to a big fat boy, and later gave birth to two sons and a daughter. , This makes her position in the Ge family, which has been passed down for three generations, very stable, and her man is also a strict wife, so Yue Changhong can talk very comfortably in the Ge family.
Ge Jinbao, the son-in-law of the Yue family, was a thin middle-aged man. He smiled and said, "Today is my mother's 50th birthday. Although our family doesn't have much money, those who should be filial to my mother should still be filial." The words were so nice and full of filial piety, the old Chen was even more coaxed to be very happy.
At lunch, the old Chen family was also rare and generous. He slaughtered one of the two old hens that his daughter brought back to her mother's house, then chopped up some potatoes and simmered them, plus the unfinished ones that Yueshou brought back yesterday. Pork can be regarded as having two meaty dishes. Although there are many Yue family members, it can be considered that they have eaten meaty food, and everyone is very satisfied.
As for the red eggs that had given birth, Mrs. Chen followed her usual bias: she first took one for herself, then gave one to each of her four grandchildren and grandchildren, and gave one to each of Yue Dafu's father and son. , exactly ten eggs were divided up, not even the daughter and son-in-law got an egg, let alone the seven granddaughters of the second room.
Seeing Old Chen and others peeling the shells of red eggs, Xiao Jiu, who was sitting in Young Jin's arms, smacking her lips, she really wanted to eat eggs! "Third sister, egg, egg!"
Before You Jin could react, the old Chen smashed the egg shell he was holding in his hand, and then gave Xiao Jiu a vicious look: "The money-losing thing still wants to eat eggs!"
Young Jin picked up all the eggshells she had smashed and threw them under the table, coaxing Xiao Jiu who was scared to cry while making amends with the old Chen: "Xiao Jiu is still young, but she is a little greedy, She's ignorant, don't be angry, I'll take her back." Xiaojiu is still young, although he was beaten by the old Chen, but this child who has just started talking, how can he hold grudges? But he wanted to eat eggs, but was so frightened by Old Chen's mean appearance that he hid in Young Jin's arms and started crying.
"Every day I cry besides eating! It's really a disaster for the family and money-losing goods!" The old Chen family disliked the granddaughters of the second room the most, and now seeing Xiaojiu crying, the annoyance in his heart is even more, but he thinks that today is his own life After giving birth, the daughter and son-in-law's family came back, so they resisted the urge to beat others. You Jin hurriedly carried the person back to the west wing to coax him. If he continued to cry in front of the old Chen family, he might have to deal with Xiao Jiu!
Seeing that the old Chen family was still scolding and babbling, Yue Dafu's face was a little unsightly, and there are still outsiders from his son-in-law and his family today, how could he lose his sense of proportion? Then he stopped her aloud: "Okay! I don't care what day it is today?" Seeing that Dafu Yue spoke up, the old Chen stopped saying anything, but he still resented the money-losing girl in the second room, if it weren't for that, he would be lazy And greedy to lose money and kill yourself, how can you be scolded by the old man in front of his son and daughter? The resentment in my heart increased by three points.
Seeing that she was unhappy, Yue Changhong hurriedly changed the subject and told the old Chen Shi about the gossip in the city today. Women are all gossip, so the old Chen's mind was diverted by her, and the originally awkward atmosphere turned around a lot. The family talked and laughed happily, so not beautiful. Only the remaining five daughters in the second room sat in their place dumbfounded, motionless and silent.
***
On the second day after the old Chen gave birth, the people from the third house and the two grandsons of the big house all returned to the county seat. After sending away two grandchildren, the old Chen's heart was up and down: "Old man, you said that we spent so much money, what if it doesn't work?" All of his belongings were given away, and all the money he had saved for decades was given away at once, and it was normal for the old Chen to be restless.
Lying on the kang smoking dry cigarettes, Yue Dafu frowned slightly, and he was a little worried, but he still felt it was worth a try: "I think Wen Tao is not a liar, since he dares to ask us for so much money, he must be the same. There really is a way, if the boy can pass the test next year, then the money will be spent."
"But the head of the family, this boy's test will cost 100 taels. In the future, if you are going to take the hometown test, how can our family get money?" Although the old Chen has never read books, he has heard a lot of it. The gossip about the difficulty of being a scholar is naturally worried that more money will be required for the exam in the future. "Now our family has only seventeen or eighteen taels of silver left. If we spend more money, it will be gone." Yue Dafu has made a final statement.
Smashing the cigarettes on the ground, Yue Dafu looked a little heavy: "There will always be a way. If it doesn't work, everyone can eat a few mouthfuls of rice and save some money to sell food." There are more people around, and these years have also saved some money by selling some food every year, but for one hundred taels of silver, Yue Dafu is also very distressed when he thinks about it. The three sons are all working outside, the third is in the county all the year round, and he gives back a few taels of silver every year. Also hides a lot of family.
Old Chen sternly rolled his eyes and said, "Then it's so easy to save food rations, let alone the seven losers from the second family's family who don't know how much food they need to eat in a day! "Thinking of those few money-losing goods that can't be eaten, the old Chen's chest is full of suffocation, and his eyes roll a few times before thinking of an idea: "If the autumn harvest is only a few days, the second room will be taken away." A few money-losing people rushed to the field to work, right? The little ones can't do it, the young gold and the young silver are both half-old girls, how can they be a day laborer?"
Yue Dafu doesn't have much affection for the granddaughters of the second room. In addition, Xiaojin contradicted his elders a few days ago and also attracted Lizheng. Although Yuedafu didn't have an attack on the bright side, there was still a thorn in his heart. The child is so rebellious, will it be good in the future? After thinking about it, he also agreed with the old Chen's suggestion: "But you are still a child, you can do as much as you can."
Seeing that Yuedafu agreed, the old Chen also grinned, knowing that the autumn harvest is a very tiring thing, a half-old girl has to shed a layer of skin even if she doesn't die, she smiled and helped Yuedafu stuff the dry tobacco: "This way Come and save a lot of money for hiring day laborers!”