The work should not be delayed for too long. Ji Huai told her to have a good rest and not get out of bed, and then hurried away carrying firewood.
He walked for a long time, and Feng Qiaolan thought that she had heard wrongly and did not recover.
Faced with the matter of going to college, he had a different toughness than before, which gave her the feeling that even if he abandoned his wife and children, he still had to go to college.
Now, Ji Huai couldn't say no more. This was once the result she wanted most, but when he said it himself, she was not happy at all.
He is an arrogant person who refuses to be mediocre, as if his wings were suddenly broken.
Feng Qiaolan was sleeping on the bed, with her hands on her belly. The child was kicking her palms. Her eyes also showed loneliness and weakness. The pain in her heart was no less than his. She didn't know what to do for a moment.
Maybe their initial marriage was wrong.
The house next to the Beicun warehouse is filled with peanuts, and there are barrels of peanut oil next to it.
Ji Huai brought firewood on his back and piled it aside.
His job on the job was to fry peanuts. Liutou Village was not poor and grew a lot of peanuts. The peanuts could be squeezed into peanut oil and peanut oil could be bought.
While others went to work in the fields, with their backs to the loess and their faces to the sky, being baked by the scorching sun, he could still enjoy the cool air and be lazy. Frying peanuts does not require skills. You get up early to collect firewood. The master is beside you when frying peanuts. You can finish the task and leave early.
Leisure work naturally earns fewer points. Others can earn ten centimeters a day, and those who work harder can earn thirteen or four cents. He only earns six cents a day. The people who work with him are all old, weak, sick and disabled, and there are very few young and strong young people like him.
"It's time to start work, work, work," the old master shouted, calling for them to light firewood and start working.
The small house started to get busy. If you want to squeeze out rich and mellow oil from peanuts, you must first fry the peanuts. During this process, the heat must be in place. If the peanuts are not cooked well, the oil yield rate will be reduced, and the squeezed oil will not be fragrant. If it is fried, the oil yield will be reduced. The rate is also reduced and the oil is not fragrant.
Ji Huai stir-fried vigorously, and the water in the peanuts in the pot gradually evaporated. He was sweating a lot due to the heat.
"Add some water." The old master ordered with a straight face.
Ji Huai followed the master's instructions and added some water, continued to stir-fry, and then picked up firewood and put it in.
The old master asked in a deep voice: "Have you had breakfast today?"
"Eat." Ji Huai reached out and wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied.
"You only have so much strength after eating? Hurry up and use more strength!" The old chef urged without expression, but there was still a hint of severity in his words. He turned around and pointed at the little boy next to him and praised him, "Ali Good job today.”
Ji Huai continued to stir-fry, and the master chef came to check on him from time to time.
The peanuts were gradually fried into a golden color. At this time, the old master came more frequently. He stretched out his hand and squeezed the peanut skin, and when it was almost done, he asked Ji Huai to stop.
The fried peanuts are scooped out and the next step is to crush them.
Ji Huai didn't need to do this job, so he poured in another basket of peanuts and continued to stir-fry.
The old master was standing outside the door for some air, holding a cigarette in his hand. These days, cigarettes are not cheap, so you have to smoke sparingly. Looking at the cigarette that was almost burned out, he took two more puffs.
"Hey, has Ji Huai come to work today?" A woman from the village brought peanuts over, looked at the back room from the corner of her eye, and asked in a low voice.
The son-in-law of the Feng family was tall and thin. City people couldn't bear hardships, so he came to do this kind of work. At first glance, he looked like a sneaky person.
The old master said: "Fried peanuts in it."
"Didn't he say he wanted to go to college? Is this true? Then you have to ask the captain to find someone else for you." The woman said to him again.
"Let's talk about it later." The old master also frowned and his face turned pale.
This matter was causing quite a stir, of course he knew. After the college entrance examination was resumed, all the educated youth in the village were ready to make a move, and even those who got married were unwilling to do so.
His nephew married a female educated youth and gave birth to two children. Now he is planning to take the college entrance examination and return to the city. There was a small fuss in two days and a big fuss in three days. Anyway, I had a severe headache.
Ever since he learned that Ji Huai secretly took the college entrance examination and insisted on going to college, he didn't have a good look towards him. I married someone from their village, my wife is pregnant with a child, and now I want to run away, this is a typical example of inhumanity!
Isn't that a beast
After several rounds of roasting peanuts in the house, the air became very hot. Everyone went out for a brief breather, a drink of water, and a rest.
When the women who were working saw Ji Huai coming out, they smiled and joked, "Are the college students coming out?"
It was a rarity in universities these days. When I was admitted, all the cadres from the town came.
Someone started, and of course others echoed, "College students are different from us. They are assigned jobs after they study. If they are from the city, they will eat the country's food from now on."
The group of educated youths called them mud-legged people behind their backs and looked down upon them. Ji Huai is good-looking, taciturn, and seems to want to be on the same level as them when he speaks. Now he is probably looking at people with his chin, looking very arrogant.
"Aunt Li, please don't praise me. There are so many college students. Who knows how good they will be in their studies? They all just eat to make ends meet. It's the same for everyone."
Ji Huai's words were so comforting that he stopped teasing him. When he saw Feng's mother and Aunt Zhang also transporting peanuts from the peanut field, the woman looked at Feng's mother and said, "Is your Qiaolan going to give birth? How soon?" Months old?"
"Eight months." Feng's mother replied.
She used to say this with a bit of hope, but now the smile in her answer is very far-fetched, and she even thinks that if she didn't have this child, her daughter's life might be better and she would still have a choice.
"It's been eight months." Aunt Zhang sighed with emotion, "I remember it wasn't long after we had the wedding banquet. It's been almost a year. Time flies so fast."
Mother Feng murmured: "Yes."
She was carrying the peanuts, and Ji Huai reached out to take them, carrying them aside and saying, "Mom, take a break, I'll come."
"Look, even if you don't have a son, you still have a son-in-law. A son-in-law has half a son, and you don't even have to have children. You've already made a lot of money." Aunt Zhang looked at Feng's mother and continued, "Wait until your son-in-law finishes college. Come out, I see you and Feng Dafeng waiting to enjoy your happiness!"
"Yeah yeah."
"What a blessing."
…
All the women who heard it echoed, and Granny Li, who was holding the oil, came out to say something, "You two should live longer, good days are ahead!"
Mother Feng tried her best to keep her expression straight and didn't think it was a compliment at all.
Everyone knew that her son-in-law was leaving and leaving her pregnant daughter behind. She was also a coward. Her chest heaved slightly, and her eyes got wet. She bent down to hold her breast, turned around with her back arched, and pulled another basket of peanuts, silently. Work.
Aunt Zhang looked at her and raised the corners of her mouth unconsciously. When she came to talk to her son as a matchmaker, Feng Dafeng and Feng's mother refused without even thinking. They clearly looked down on her son.
Feng Qiaolan insists on marrying an educated man. What’s the use of being educated? I am still doing this kind of leisure work because I have read some books and now I have to run away.
It's really hilarious.
When Ji Huai came out, Aunt Zhang asked again with concern, "When will school start? When will you go to school? Can you wait until Qiaolan gives birth to the baby? Didn't Auntie say that even if you want to leave, you have to stay with her? A woman has to go through hell to give birth, and she is carrying your child."
Mother Feng suppressed her emotions and her hands still couldn't stop shaking. Feng Qiaolan was only eight months old, how could she catch up
When Ji Huai came to take the peanuts from her, she showed resistance, "I'll do it myself."
"Your waist is not good, don't hurt it." He pulled it over, easily lifted it up and put it on his shoulder. As he walked forward, he turned to look at Aunt Zhang, "I was supposed to go at the end of August, but I won't go, Qiaolan. I’m worried about having a baby.”
As soon as the words came out, everyone present was stunned. Even the old master smoking beside him relaxed his mouth and narrowed his cloudy eyes.
Mother Feng was stunned like a piece of wood. When she regained consciousness, she was at a loss to catch up. She grabbed Ji Huai's hand in disbelief, "What did you just say? You're not going?"
"Mom, are you so excited?" Ji Huai smiled helplessly and said casually, "Qiaolan and I have also told you that I won't go. I was just going to give it a try. Who knows, I will pass the exam." At first, I thought it would be a waste if I passed the exam, but after thinking about it, she was still pregnant with the child. It would be troublesome to take her there, and I might not be able to take care of her. If she didn't take her, I wouldn't be able to worry about her and her. The child must be worried about me, so I decided not to go."
Everyone present had to digest what he said. After Aunt Zhang was stunned, she couldn't help but said quickly, "That's a university. Why don't you go to university and work here? You can't go back to the city."
The group of educated youths in the Educated Youth Academy had fought hard for a university for workers, peasants and soldiers, and then they tried all kinds of tricks to return to the city. How could Ji Huai give up
She was convinced that Feng Qiaolan would not end up well, and she even felt that the Feng family's feng shui was not good. Not only did they not give birth to a son, but their son-in-law also left. Fortunately, Ji Dahai did not marry her, otherwise she would have been very unlucky.
"There is nothing we can do about it. We can only weigh the pros and cons. After thinking about it for a long time, I still can't let go of her and the child. I can't leave." Although Ji Huai sighed, there was no regret on his face and he continued to work.
His downplaying tone and putting his wife and children first suddenly made people feel that although this educated youth is not hard-working and can't do heavy work, he is reliable at least. Besides, it's normal for scholars to not be able to do heavy work.
Aren’t those female educated youths also delicate and artificial
When Ji Huai continued frying peanuts, the old master's attitude softened a lot. When he leaned over to look at the peanuts in the pot, he gently reminded him to add some water, and then said, "You really don't want to leave? Are you really willing?"
Who would want to stay here if they had the chance to go to the city
If you leave and don't come back, that's normal. People are selfish and cruel. They leave their wife and children here to go to college and cut off contact. With this skin, life will be good in the future.
"I'm not willing to give in." Ji Huai said bluntly, constantly adding, "There's nothing we can do if we're not willing to give in. How can there be anything perfect? I used to think about studying hard and letting her and her children live a good life. I don't know if there will be a good life. I don’t know, staying with her now is what she needs most, we can talk about the future later.”
The old master nodded and said, "If you don't bear hardships, you won't be able to endure hardships, so it's not too bad."
The little girl from the Feng family has good taste. At least the boy has never thought about leaving her and living a comfortable life.
"Not bad? I'm afraid I won't be able to feed Xiaolan and the children. Fortunately, I don't eat much." Ji Huai laughed at himself to lighten the mood.
The old master looked at his thin body and smiled brightly.
Noon.
People after work went home to eat one after another. Feng Qiaolan later fainted again and did not dare to get out of bed. Feng's mother had been rushing back to cook during this period, just to let her daughter rest more. When she saw her lying on the bed, there was another wave of concerned greetings.
Feng Dafeng also came back. Feng's mother told the news that Ji Huai would not leave. He also paused, and then his face darkened, "Do you believe him? Can he believe it?"
It's not like they didn't know about that kid's attitude some time ago, and they didn't know what he had in mind.
"Really, Ji Huai said he had told Xiaolan, didn't Xiaolan?" Feng's mother couldn't hide the joy in her eyes. She looked at Feng Qiaolan expectantly, unable to see anything wrong.
Facing Feng Dafeng and her gaze, Feng Qiaolan lowered her eyebrows and nodded slightly, without any confidence at all, "He has mentioned that he won't leave, and I didn't ask for details."
"Ji Huai said he couldn't worry about you and the child. How hard would it be if you took care of the child alone? Mom was so worried that she couldn't sleep all night long. How difficult would it be without her husband by her side? What are you going to do?" Feng's mother Her eyes were red, and her heart dropped a little.
She had never dared to show these emotions before.
Feng Dafeng used to be arrogant and kept refuting Feng's mother, saying that it would be the same with or without Ji Huai, but now his eyes flashed and he said nothing.
He will also grow old, how can he protect his daughter for the rest of his life? People in the village are so talkative that they can drown someone with their spit.
Ji Huai came back a little late. Feng's mother had already prepared the meal. One of the few eggs was fried and placed in front of Ji Huai, urging him to eat more.
"Mom, you and dad eat." Ji Huai declined.
Feng’s mother: “Your father and I don’t like eggs. Salted radish is good with rice and appetizing.”
Feng Qiaolan naturally knew it was a lie, so before she could say anything, Ji Huai put the egg in front of her and spoke first, "I don't like eating it either. Xiaolan should eat more. During this time, she has been suffering from chest tightness and shortness of breath. She’s getting bigger and bigger, but she’s getting thinner and thinner. I’m afraid she doesn’t have enough nutrition.”
Feng's mother and Feng Dafeng's attention was diverted instantly. Feng's mother asked anxiously, "Where do you feel uncomfortable? Why didn't you tell mom? Is it uncomfortable?"
"I'm fine." Feng Qiaolan shook his head.
Mother Feng's expression became solemn again, and after thinking for a while she said, "Mom will ask your uncle to grab some Chinese medicine in a few days and see if he can make some tonic soup for you. The chickens at home have also grown up and can make soup. "
"I don't want to eat." Feng Qiaolan resisted.
The chickens at home are kept for laying eggs, and she already ate one last time. Ordinary people only kill chickens during the Chinese New Year. She doesn't want to be so wasteful, how can she be so valuable
Feng’s mother: “It needs to be replenished.”
"I'm fine."
"There's no flesh on my face, I'm still fine,"
…
Neither Feng's mother nor Feng Qiaolan would give in. Feng's mother was also worried. On the one hand, she felt that killing chickens was indeed a luxury. She couldn't lay more eggs after killing them. What would her daughter eat when she was in confinement? On the other hand, I really feel sorry for my daughter and can't bear to look past her.
Ji Huai was not qualified to speak. He was very poor. If he didn't go to work on time, he wouldn't even be able to earn back his share of the meal.
After meal.
Feng Dafeng sat aside to rest for a while. Ji Huai said to him, "Dad, didn't you just twist your wrist? Stop going up the mountain to collect firewood for a while. I'll go."
"Yeah." Feng Dafeng was not polite.
They have to go to work in the morning and afternoon. They can only go back to collect firewood at noon or in the afternoon. If they come back late at night, it is not convenient to go up the mountain.
Ji Huai's job at work was already leisurely. If he didn't collect firewood, he would have made no contribution. Moreover, it would take two days for this guy to collect firewood to meet his day's supply.
Nowadays, the mountain forest has not been destroyed. When you go into the mountain, you can see big trees one after another.
Some big trees are so big that several people are needed to carry them over, and some are precious trees, but how can they be precious or not precious nowadays? There were so many of them all over the mountains and plains that they often chopped them down and used them as firewood.
Ji Huai kept walking deep into the mountains. When he saw firewood along the way, he didn't pick it up. Instead, he relied on his memory and came to a big tree.
The tree was several meters tall, with dense leaves, and the bark underneath had been stripped away.
This is an agarwood tree. The bark can be used to make paper and artificial cotton. If the bark is peeled off, the tree will not die. It will grow new bark and then be peeled off again.
What he wants is not the bark, but the agarwood.
Since he was a child, he has had good academic performance. He likes to read books and has a good memory. He remembered reading a book that once said that agarwood is not an agarwood tree, but the resin secreted by the old stems of agarwood trees in the process of self-repair after being injured by external factors, commonly known as the scars caused by it.
This scar, after a certain period of time, is a piece of "agarwood", which can be used as spices and medicine. It is said that burning it can also help sleep and maintain health. In the past, the Ji family had a rich relative whose ancestors were landlords. Every time New Year came, he would always buy agarwood and light it.
The villagers in the village may know that agarwood is expensive, but they don’t know where agarwood comes from.
He looked up at the tree. The tree had been struck by lightning, and a branch on the right side was swaying, and small branches had grown out. He put the backpack aside, took the knife, took off his shoes and climbed up the tree.
The wound on the branch was not small, but there were not many "scars". He raised the knife first and cut off the branches that had grown out, so as not to be unable to bear the weight and fall down and hit people. Moreover, there would be a wound after cutting it off. Next year he would You can get "Agarwood" again.
The resin layer is very thin and hard. It is not easy to remove it. You have to cut off the connected piece of wood, take it back and chip away at the wood piece by piece, leaving only the layer of resin.