In the evening, the sun gradually sets.
Ji Huai slept on the swing under the tree, swinging slowly and closing his eyes to rest.
Hearing the footsteps, he opened his eyes and looked towards the door. Wang Xiufen came over holding a cardboard box with a smile on her round face.
She walked up to him and put the box down, placing her hands on her hips and panting, "Ji Liang's mother gave him eleven little ducks, and now he's raising them for the New Year, just enough to kill them and eat them."
Ji Huai sat up, looked at the little ducks chirping inside, and suddenly said, "Let's just raise a batch. In two or three months, the rice in the fields will be harvested."
When the rice is harvested, there will be scattered rice in the field. When the time comes, the ducks can be driven off the field, thus saving the feed for the ducks.
For farmers, this is a profitable business. Moreover, rice is grown here twice a year. This harvest around the National Day will take a long time before planting again, a full three to three and a half months.
Meat ducks that are sold in a short period of time can only be raised for two months, which saves a lot of feed and reduces the cost to a very small amount.
"Can I still move? The road is not stable!" Wang Xiufen squatted down to lift the box. Her waist hurt, and she reached out to hammer it.
"I'll do it." Seeing this, Ji Huai frowned and stood up, easily picking up the box and asking, "Where do you want to put it?"
"Put them in the shed and raise them first." Wang Xiufen followed him and muttered, "My body is becoming more and more useless. Last year I could raise a hundred, but this year I can't. If I could do it, I wouldn't be able to raise them." ?”
"Why can't we do it? If we can't do it, why don't you take the ducks back and raise them? I think it's okay to raise a few thousand more." Ji Huai said and put down the box.
Wang Xiufen is a hard-working person. She has been working hard all her life, and she will feel idle even if she doesn't work for a day. It is no exaggeration to say that she had to crawl into the ground even if she dragged her legs.
"You little bastard, I really owe you in my previous life!" Wang Xiufen pointed at him and laughed, thinking he was joking.
When her husband was still alive, the two of them could raise thousands of them, but now they are old and can no longer do it.
"Seriously, go buy some ducklings now. When you can go to the fields, you'll be harvesting rice." Ji Huai suggested again.
The ducks need to be raised for a month before they can be driven out of the fields. Before that, they had to be kept in a shed with feed.
"Are you going to drive them to the fields?" Wang Xiufen still didn't take it seriously. She fed the ducklings in the box and took a small bowl with water and put it in it.
"I'll hurry." Ji Huai responded quickly.
Wang Xiufen was slightly startled, thinking she heard wrongly, and turned to look at her grandson. Ji Huai was handsome and handsome. After their son and daughter-in-law left, they were left with such a precious grandson. He felt like his baby was in pain. No matter how hard they worked, they were not willing to let him suffer.
"Don't talk nonsense, you can't bear this hardship." She waved her hand and refused to listen to his nonsense.
Everyone knows that by driving ducks to the fields to save feed, you can definitely make money without losing money, but how many people are willing to do this job
In the past, there were still people of their generation who could do it, but now no one in the nearby villages does it. Old people like her can no longer work, and young people are unwilling to come back to work. It is dirty, tiring and painful.
"If you don't try, how will you know that I can't endure this hardship? This is what our family does. If I try, if I can't endure this hardship, I will go to work in the city. If I can endure this hardship, of course I want to live a life holding on to the family business. ." After Ji Huai finished speaking, he continued, "Is it possible that I have to stay at home and grow old? If you can't do it anymore, I will take over."
Who wants to be a social animal when he can keep the family business
Seeing that he was serious, Wang Xiufen's expression on her round face also calmed down, and she said earnestly, "If you can endure this hardship, you will definitely not be hungry, but even for a twenty-year-old young man, grandma is not willing to let you do this."
"What should a twenty-year-old boy do?" Ji Huai asked.
"I bought you a car too. You're so handsome. How can you get a wife if you don't work in the city?" Wang Xiufen looked worried and rejected his proposal.
This line of work was very hard, and she couldn't bear to let him suffer. What if he was single? In the past, those who raised ducks, chickens, cows and sheep in the village could easily be single for the rest of their lives.
"What should you do if I go to work in the city? I don't trust you to be at home alone. I have to stay at home to watch over you." Ji Huai sat aside again, "Besides, how much money can I make by working for others? I don't have any education. , I can’t find a good job, why am I afraid of suffering if I can make enough money? Why should I be so anxious?”
When Wang Xiufen heard that he was so filial, her eyes turned red, and she reached out to press the corners of her eyes.
Her grandson is so sensible, such a miserable child.
Seeing that Ji Huai really wanted to give it a try, she thought for a moment and sighed, "How about just raising it? If you really can't do it, I will sell the land behind it. Many people also want to buy it, and they all offer five thousand yuan. An acre of fish pond can be sold for tens of thousands, and if you sell it, you can get some money to get married."
She might reach the sky in just a few years with her feet glaring. It would be useless to keep these things. It would be best if Ji Huai could really take over.
The rice will be harvested soon. If you drive the ducks out of the field diligently, you can make a profit. The cost of trial and error is also low now.
"If I can't do it, why should I keep it?" Ji Huai raised his eyebrows proudly after speaking, "If I can do it, who will work?"
"Little bastard." Wang Xiufen scolded him with a smile.
"Didn't you clamor a few days ago to catch fish from the pond and sell them? You can't even do it. I'll get up early tomorrow to help you catch fish, and then send you to the town to sell them." Ji Huai patted her shoulders.
Although he is lazy, he knows all these things he has heard and seen since he was a child.
Three of the five fish ponds have not dried up. A batch of fry were released very early, and neither fish nor feeding was done. It’s been a closed season recently, so these semi-wild fish are a little more expensive.
Wang Xiufen has suffered from back disease since last year and cannot do heavy work. Otherwise, these family properties can still be sold for a lot of money, and his life will always be very smooth.
"Okay!" Wang Xiufen grinned from ear to ear.
She knew that her grandson's pain was not in vain, and that she felt sorry for her grandma.
Night falls slowly.
Ji Huai declined the invitation from the group of fox friends and stayed in the room covered with a quilt while blowing on the air conditioner.
Wang Xiufen went to bed early, just after dark.
He was chatting with Wen Yun, and after his various requests, she finally agreed to start the video. Looking at her fair and pretty face, Ji Huai was in a daze for a moment.
Being stared at by him, Wen Yun blushed shyly and moved the camera away slightly, "What did you just say you were going to do when you got up early tomorrow?"
"Catch fish." Ji Huai didn't force himself to face the camera anymore, resting his hand on the back of his head, "I'll have to get up at 5:30 tomorrow. I have to rush to the morning market, otherwise we won't be able to sell out."
When he said this, Wen Yun would not waste his time, but he did not hesitate, "Let's talk some more."
She bought a hard seat, and there were people next to her and in front of her. She was thin-skinned and too embarrassed to speak. She always listened to what he said.
At the end of the sentence, Ji Huaiba said in a loud voice, "I have a wife. I can't just live by it. I have to make a plan. I will marry you when you graduate."
Wen Yun's clear eyes were filled with shyness, but also mixed with sweetness.
The train was very quiet at night, and Ji Huai still didn't want to hang up the phone with her. She put on headphones, and the two of them fell asleep with the microphone connected.
This was her first time traveling far away, and she was actually very scared. She didn't dare to close her eyes at night. He made her feel more at ease. She held her cell phone in one hand and pressed the bag in front of her with the other, falling into a light sleep.
The next day, it was still dark.
When Ji Huai got up, Wang Xiufen also got up, and the two went to the fish pond to catch fish.
She directed on the shore, and he went down to the fish pond.
This is a laborious job, but fortunately there are many fish in the fish pond. After more than an hour of work, I caught more than 20 kilograms.
Wang Xiufen has already put the things needed to set up a stall in his car. Ji Huai quickly washed the mud off his feet, changed out of his dirty clothes, put on flip-flops, picked up the car keys and drove to town.
It was already bright, and the two of them quickly found a place to set up a stall on the street.
The main species in their fish pond is tilapia, which is easy to feed and has delicate and delicious meat. The locals also like to eat it.
The tilapias were placed in a basin, and because they were resistant to low oxygen, they were all jumping around.
Ji Huai had never been out to sell anything, and his eloquence was not as good as Wang Xiufen's, so she put him aside. Wen Yun was also awake, and he was typing and chatting with her.
"This is a river fish. My grandson just caught it. Once you eat it, you will know that the taste is different." Wang Xiufen grabbed the fish with calloused hands and said, "Look, this is different from the raised fish. The meat is different." Solid.”
Ji Huai glanced at her and said nothing. He took a short video of Wen Yun, first taking pictures of the people on the street and then their stalls. Wang Xiufen was also in the frame.
I saw that Wang Xiufen had persuaded the person who came to ask for the price, grabbed a fish and put it on the scale, then took it off and put it on the chopping board. Holding the fish head in her hand, she quickly fiddled with the fish with her hands and feet, making the fish scales fly up.
After a few seconds, he turned the fish over, and after a few more seconds, he successfully removed the fish scales and cut off the fish's tail with one knife.
Then he pressed the body of the fish with one hand and held the knife at an angle with the other hand. With one stroke, the belly of the fish was cut open. The knife was pushed further in, and the internal organs in the fish's belly were dug out. Two knives were cut into the gills on the left and right sides, and the fish was washed in the water.
Ji Huai pulled out a bag and handed it over. She flipped the bag over and grabbed the fish. She flipped it over again and the fish was put into the bag and handed to the customer, "Eleven yuan."
The whole set of movements was so smooth that it only took a few minutes.
The short video could only be filmed for fifteen seconds. Wen Yun watched the first half, but she also felt it was very impressive.
"It must be said that the fish in the river are easy to sell. The fish fed with feed are not delicious. Fortunately, our fish are semi-wild and taste better than those fed with feed." After Wang Xiufen finished speaking, she whispered to him, "Otherwise It’s cheap, two yuan per pound, and of course it must be caught in the river.”
Ji Huai nodded in agreement.
As a businessman, you can't always tell the truth.
As more and more people came to buy, Wang Xiufen asked him to stop playing with his mobile phone and help quickly.
Ji Huai made a voice call to Wen Yun, put the phone on his lap, and was busy collecting the money while holding the bag and handing it over.
Nowadays, online payment is not that popular in town, and most people still use cash.
the other side.
Wen Yun, who was bored on the train, kept hearing lively voices inside:
"This fish is delicious and very fat. It is definitely not raised on feed. Don't worry."
"Look, he's still alive. He was just caught today."
"Seven dollars, find three dollars for this beauty."
"My grandson caught it. Look at this head. This fish has no spines and is delicious no matter how you cook it."
…
If the old man is full of energy, he must be very energetic.
"How much do you have left from selling it?" Wen Yun looked at the rising sun outside the car window and asked him.
"Half." Ji Huai replied to her while wearing an earphone.
"Hurry up and find the money." Wang Xiufen urged him with a loud voice while busy killing fish.
Ji Huai took the twenty yuan handed over by the customer, found another five yuan, and said, "I sold three more."
Wen Yun: "Is it easy to sell? Are there many people selling it?"
Ji Huai: "It's okay."
…
Seeing him talking, Wang Xiufen glanced at him but said nothing and continued to kill fish quickly.
It didn’t take long to sell more than 20 kilograms of fish. By almost ten o’clock, the stall was already sold out.
Ji Huai handed the money to Wang Xiufen, "Here, one hundred and forty-two yuan."
Wang Xiufen wiped her hands, took the money, and hit her waist again, frowning in pain.
"You have such a waist." Ji Huai moved the things into the car and placed them in the trunk. "I heard that there is a Miao doctor in Dacheng Town who specializes in treating this kind of disease. I will take you to see it."
Wang Xiufen shook her head and sighed, and continued to beat her waist, "Everyone has problems when they get old."
"Treat the problem if it's wrong and work less." Ji Huai put the last two stools in and sat in the driver's seat. "I'll ask for the specific address and then I'll take you there."
"Let's talk about it later." Wang Xiufen sat in the car and sighed that it was convenient to have a car. In the past, her husband rode a small electric bicycle, and the two of them would come to town to set up a stall. You need to bring too many things to set up a stall, and the small electric machine is too small and stumbling. Sometimes you have to run back and forth several times.
After resting for a while, Wang Xiufen turned her head and asked, "Who were you talking to on the phone just now? Are you staring at the phone all the time, and the relationship is so good?"
Her original intention was to scold him for playing with his phone all day long.
Ji Huai was reversing the car and looked in the rearview mirror and said casually, "Your grandson's wife."
"Who?" Wang Xiufen sat upright suddenly, her eyes as wide as those of the boss.
"Don't talk nonsense." Wen Yun naturally heard it on the other end, her heart skipped a beat, her breathing became rapid, and she spoke hastily.
"You don't want me to say it? Then I won't say it." Ji Huai's tone was accommodating, he turned the steering wheel and drove forward.
Wang Xiufen had lived for half her life, and she knew roughly what was going on. She was so excited that she smiled and asked in a low voice, "Where is the little girl from? What is her name?"
Wen Yun's face turned slightly pale, her heart strings tightened, her whole body became stiff, and her palms continued to sweat.
Her birth was not glorious, and her aunt often scolded her mother behind her back for being shameless, saying that she was an illegitimate daughter whose biological father did not even know who she was.
Most families despised this kind of background. She even felt that no family would accept her, and she felt inferior to her core.
Xujiacun and Jijiacun are neighboring villages. Wang Xiufen should know the situation of Xu Zhuang's family. Once he knows that it is her, he will definitely know her life experience.
"she… "
"Ji Huai..." Wen Yun interrupted him, her voice choked with sobs and pleading, and the tip of her nose was sour.
Ji Huai pressed Min's thin lips tightly, and his eyes flashed, "My name is Xiaoyun, I haven't graduated yet."
"Oh." Wang Xiufen nodded repeatedly and asked, "Are you a classmate?"
Ji Huai: "Well, I'm going to a normal school this year."
"The normal school is great. You can become a teacher when you graduate." When Wang Xiufen heard this, she was extremely satisfied. She lowered her voice and said kindly, "Come to our house to play when you have time. Grandma will cook for you."
"Where are you free? Let's wait until the holiday." Ji Huai answered for her.
Seeing that Ji Huai didn't talk about sensitive topics or reveal her life experience, Wen Yun breathed a sigh of relief and slumped in her seat.
She couldn't face her life experience directly, and she didn't even dare to go back to the Xu family for fear of being ridiculed. She felt that everyone who looked at her had a colored look.
As if to say: Look, she is the illegitimate daughter born to Wen Qiulan, her mother is a bitch and ran away with someone again. She doesn't look good at first glance.
Wang Xiufen looked very excited. Seeing that Ji Huai never hung up the phone, the couple had a good relationship, so she couldn't disturb him.
After returning, she continued working and Ji Huai went upstairs.
Wen Yun did not continue chatting with him by voice, but hung up the phone.
Ji Huai was confused and just when he was about to call, she sent a long text.
"Our relationship is not stable enough and we don't understand each other well enough. I don't want my parents to know so early. I am still studying and we are so far apart. Our relationship is our own business at this stage. I feel... "
Wen Yun actually spoke incoherently, and her logic was not very clear.
He never mentioned her existence to his family or friends before, because he had different intentions and was afraid of getting into trouble, so he wanted to play more behind her back, but now it really caught her off guard.
"Not stable enough? What do you think is stable?" Ji Huai said this.
"I didn't mean that." She became anxious.
Ji Huai: "What's wrong with being so far apart? Why are you afraid of love being stronger than gold?"
Wen Yun stared at the words he sent, typing and deleting, deleting and typing in the dialog box. When she didn't know what to reply, she saw the latest message he sent, her pupils shrank, her brain went blank, and her ears followed. Buzzing.
He said: "Aren't you afraid that grandma will know your life experience? You are afraid that she will dislike you, will not agree to our relationship, and will object to me being with you."
The facts that she tried so hard to hide and were unwilling to face were revealed by him bloody and exposed to the sun. The hand holding the phone began to tremble slightly.
He knows it all.
"My IQ is enough. I can only say good things about you in front of her without damaging your image. If you don't let me say it, I won't mention it in the future. And I don't think it's a big deal. I don't take it to heart at all. , she will only feel sorry for you and want to take care of you. According to what I know about her, she will also like you very much."
"It's not a big deal. I can support you. My home is your home."
"Who cares about this? What are you thinking about?"
…
He talked about it directly, very calmly, and didn't take it seriously at all.
Wen Yun found that it was not as embarrassing as she had imagined. The anxiety she had been feeling was relieved, and a warmth surged in her heart. The big rock that was suppressing her was slowly falling to the ground.
It turns out that this matter is not that embarrassing, and some people will not care.
Ji Huai sent another voice call and she answered it.
"You talk a lot in a roundabout way. Is there anything you can't tell me directly? We are so far apart. If you don't tell me, will you hold it in and get sulky if there is a misunderstanding?" He educated him for a while.
Wen Yun buried her head and did not answer.
"Are you stupid? What's the big deal?" He was helpless and laughed at her.
"Don't talk about this yet." Wen Yun had to take her time.
"Okay!" He agreed and laughed at himself, "My parents have died long ago. Aren't I even worse off?"
"I think it's nothing." Wen Yun didn't even think about answering.
"Yes, I think it's okay. Are you so sensitive? I just like you. Does it have anything to do with anyone else?" Ji Huai asked her.
Wen Yun had nothing to say.
"Did I show that I don't love you enough and make you suspicious?" Ji Huai raised his eyebrows and raised his voice slightly, indicating something.
As soon as Wen Yun heard what he said, she kept twirling the little doll on her schoolbag, her voice getting softer and softer since the words he said while holding her in bed two days ago were heard.
Ji Huai answered: "You dare to say how do you know? You have to deal with it!"
Wen Yun's whole body was on fire. "I won't tell you anymore. I want to take a nap. I'll be at the station soon."
After finishing his words, he hung up in a hurry, shrinking his neck and not daring to raise his head for a long time.
Ji Huai looked at the hung up voice call, raised his lips and did not continue to pester.
afternoon.
Ji Huai calculated the time when Wen Yun would arrive at the station. He called her and learned that the school had sent a bus to pick her up. She had already sat on the bus and asked her to have a good rest first.
Wen Yun was really tired these two days. When she got on the school bus, she finally let down her guard and fell asleep leaning on her seat.
Ji Huai found out the address of the Miao doctor and walked downstairs to see Wang Xiufen hoeing in the yard. He was so convinced that he walked over and grabbed the hoe, "I just complained about my back pain this morning, and now I'm working again."
"These sweet potatoes are going to be planted..." Wang Xiufen started to make excuses.
"What kind of seeds are you planting? Put on your shoes quickly and I will take you to see a Miao doctor now." Ji Huai took the shoes she had put aside and urged her.
"Where should we go now? In a few days..." Wang Xiufen was very stubborn. She couldn't get up without fainting and falling to the ground. She couldn't go to the doctor, so she had to endure it.
Ji Huai didn't let her say anything, he pulled her and pushed her into the car.
Wang Xiufen was still thinking about the land she hadn't finished hoeing. He couldn't help but said, "You wear plaster every day. Are you really not afraid that you will be paralyzed in bed and unable to get up?"
This time, she was so scared that she shut up.
Dacheng Town was fifty-three kilometers away from them, and the road was not easy to travel. Ji Huai drove for an hour and a half before he found the place where the Miao doctor was.
A large dilapidated tile-roofed house with several beds covered with straw mats and several elderly people lying there. The Miao doctor was very old, with gray hair and a long beard. He was wearing gray cotton and linen clothes.
When they came in, people were going out one after another, most of them came for diagnosis and treatment after hearing the reputation.
Ji Huai helped Wang Xiufen lie down on the bed. After explaining the symptoms, the Miao doctor began to diagnose.
An herbal medicine is burning on the stove next to it, releasing a fragrant smell. Put the herbal medicine in gauze and apply it to the affected area for fifteen minutes.
Fifteen minutes later, the Miao doctor diagnosed again and started to work. It was said that he would loosen the muscles and bones, straighten and adjust the meridians, and then apply a layer of gray powder. It was said that this was the medicine and should be applied for two hours.
The fee is not expensive, a total of thirty-five yuan.
Ji Huai carefully helped Wang Xiufen get into the car. She lay in the back seat of the car and said on the way back, "Is this really useful? It's still so far."
"You won't know until you try it. I have to come tomorrow. I have to come for a week in a row." He replied.
A course of treatment lasts for seven days, and Miao doctors say that a condition like Wang Xiufen’s needs at least seven days.
She touched her waist. Maybe she was worried about the money for gas and medicine, so she didn't even pick up a hoe when she went home. Finally, she was willing to go back to her room and lie down to rest.
Ji Huai picked up the basin, poured rice bran and corn kernels in, mixed plate after plate, and began to feed the chickens and ducks.