In the fields at the head of the village.
Feng Dafeng and Feng Mu were both working slowly in the afternoon. They were discussing how to discuss with Feng Qiaolan and let the other party take care of Ji Huai without causing resentment or misunderstanding.
Aunt Zhang finished her work and came over with a hoe. Another woman came with her. When they saw Feng Dafeng and his wife resting, they also stopped and said, "You still have a lot of land left to turn. Today I can’t finish it.”
Feng's mother looked at the field and replied: "We can't finish it."
"Hey." Aunt Zhang sighed and suggested, "How about you guys rest for two days? What if something happens if this continues?"
Feng Dafeng didn't know why. He only heard the woman next to him say, "Yes, it's not an option to continue like this. People can leave as soon as they leave. You still have to live your life."
Mother Feng didn't understand, "Who, who's gone?"
"We all know." The woman standing next to Aunt Zhang looked at her sympathetically, but she didn't understand what she said.
Aunt Zhang also had a sad look on her face, feeling sad for her, as if she could feel the same.
"What do you know? Tell me clearly. Why are you half-talking and half-hiding?" Feng Dafeng said in a deep voice. His temperament is not as weak as Feng's mother. Based on his feelings this morning, I feel that it is definitely not a good thing.
When he said this, the woman's expression became much calmer. She looked at Aunt Zhang and hesitated without saying anything.
Feng Dafeng lowered his face and looked at Aunt Zhang again.
Seeing that she couldn't escape, Aunt Zhang could only bite the bullet and calm down the atmosphere, "You guys have no other intentions, they are all concerned about you. Didn't that Ji Huai run away? I just said that these educated youths are unreliable. I don't know if there is any way to do it." If you find him, you can’t give him an advantage in vain!”
"this… "
Feng's mother was anxious and just about to explain, Feng Dafeng's eyes widened angrily and asked: "Who told you that Ji Huai ran away? Who started the rumor?"
When he yelled like this, Aunt Zhang was startled and both of them took a step back, feeling that he was starting to get angry. After all, he only gave birth to one daughter and became an impoverished family. Now that his son-in-law has left his pregnant daughter and ran away, what hope does he have in life
People passing by also listened attentively and quickly came forward to persuade:
"What's going on here?"
"Calm down, calm down."
"Dafeng, don't get angry."
…
"Why don't I get angry?" Feng Dafeng continued to stare at Aunt Zhang and the two of them, with blue veins on his face, "Why are you saying that he ran away? Who said that?"
What will others think of their home if word spreads
Aunt Zhang and the woman looked awkward, didn't answer, and looked like they were giving in to him.
Feng Dafeng looked at the two of them, and his face became even more livid, "What do you mean? Why are you not talking? Zhang Cuihua, don't think that your husband is the captain of the production team, so you are talking nonsense. I tell you, I won't eat this." Set, if you don’t give me an explanation today, let Ji Zhuang handle it!”
Ever since they refused Ji Dahai to marry Feng Qiaolan, the two families were not at odds with each other, especially Zhang Cuihua, who always came to cause trouble, and now she was at odds with him.
More and more people gathered around the ridge to watch the excitement. Everyone had the mentality of watching a show. Although they tried to persuade them, they actually didn’t think it was a big deal.
Aunt Zhang was humiliated and the other party wanted to involve Ji Zhuang. She immediately stepped forward and said, "Hey, what I said is also true. I care about your family. Maybe I can ask our captain to think of a solution." . Xiaolan is about to give birth, and it’s not an option to continue like this. If you don’t let me say it, I won’t say it.”
In his words, he seemed very helpless.
"Do you know that Ji Huai ran away? Why didn't I know?" Feng Dafeng laughed angrily and pointed at her and scolded her, "If you don't speak clearly today, I tell you, this matter will not be tolerated!"
Aunt Zhang had regressed so many times and was retorted by him one after another. She felt embarrassed and simply said bluntly, "I ran away in the first place. Everyone knows it. I said you two don't just go out to work, you still have to watch at home." Be careful, Xiaolan, what if something happens again?"
The woman standing next to her also nodded, and mustered up the courage to agree, "Yes, that educated youth was so cruel to abandon his wife and child, no matter what, he is simply not a human being. Xiaolan still has a long life in the future, and her mood is important when she is pregnant. .”
"That's right, I have long seen that Ji Huai is not a good guy. Apart from being able to read some books, what good can he do? At first, I just thought that your family's conditions were better. Which man in the village is not better than him?" Aunt Zhang wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. Give your son a hug.
Feng Dafeng was so angry that he didn't speak for a long time. Just when Aunt Zhang thought that he had been exposed and couldn't refute, a confused voice sounded, "Aunt Zhang, are you talking about me too?"
Aunt Zhang was caught off guard, her face turned pale with fright, her lips turned white, and she looked at Ji Huai with wide eyes as if she had seen a ghost.
Ji Huai carried a hoe and walked over to the fields. "I just came out from the workshop. I heard that someone said that our house was full of ghosts and howls in the middle of the night. They also said that I left Xiaolan and the children and ran away. The rumors became more and more evil. There won’t be any new news now, right?”
"You didn't run away?" The man on the shore stared at him and asked, also startled by his appearance.
"Why am I running?" Ji Huai was hoeing the ground and seemed unable to understand, "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing, nothing." The uncle waved his hands repeatedly, not wanting to get involved anymore.
"Mom and Dad, Xiaolan cooked some bean soup. I brought some for you. You eat first and I'll take care of it." Ji Huai ignored it and just took it as a joke, then turned around to talk to the Feng family and his wife.
By the time Feng Dafeng wanted to argue with Aunt Zhang and the two, they had already secretly left.
The people present gradually dispersed.
"Aren't these people talking nonsense?" Mother Feng was furious, "I don't know who spread the news."
Ji Huai replied: "I heard that someone is suffering from lunatic disease and talking nonsense in the village. Everyone took it seriously."
"Really?" Of course Feng's mother knew about lunatic disease and asked, "Is it Mrs. Li?"
There were two or three people in the Li family who were suffering from lunatic disease, and her first reaction was to this family.
"I don't know." Ji Huai shook his head and continued working.
In the next few days, the rumors in the village changed. Everyone was saying that Aunt Zhang had a lunatic disease, and now she was starting to get sick.
Ji Zhuang found out about this. He rushed home with a dark face and yelled at Aunt Zhang, "Tell me, do you have a lunatic's disease?"
"Who do you think has lunatic disease?" Aunt Zhang almost jumped up.
Ji Zhuang: "Otherwise, why would you talk nonsense about the Feng family's ghosts crying and wolf howling, and also saying that Ji Huai ran away? Isn't that what you heard?"
"That's what I heard, I..."
"You still said that you were not sick. You came back in the middle of the night and said that something happened to the Feng family. You heard crying and said that Ji Huai had run away. After a while, you said that the Feng family was going to hang themselves. It turned out that the Feng family was fine at all. Ji Huai was there every day. You went to work, where did you run away?" Ji Zhuang's face became even more ugly, "I think your brain must be abnormal!"
Aunt Zhang exaggerated when she said it, now it's better, she shot herself in the foot.
"I'm not crazy!" Aunt Zhang was furious, saying hysterically, and kept denying it.
Once I lost control of my emotions, I felt better now, more like I was sick.
When Feng's mother returned from fetching water at the entrance of the village, Mrs. Li stood at the door of Feng's house and chatted with her. She heard Mrs. Li say in a low voice, "I heard that it was Zhang Cuihua who got the lunatic disease."
"Is it her?" Mother Feng also expressed surprise and opened the door to let Mrs. Li in.
Ji Huai and Feng Qiaolan were both in the yard. He stepped forward to pick up the water that Feng's mother had brought back, poured it into the tank, and continued, "It turns out she is the one who got the disease. She was the one who was talking nonsense that she must be the one in our family."
He helped Aunt Zhang convict herself of the crime.
"But in the past few days, she has been saying that she is not sick, and she doesn't look like she is sick." Feng's mother still found it incredible.
"Yes." Old Mrs. Li was also confused, "I've been saying it to everyone these days, and it seems normal."
Ji Huai Manyouyou Science Popularization: "Which person with a lunatic disease would say that he is sick? This disease is divided into mild and severe. When the patient becomes ill, he does not know that he is ill, so he is called a lunatic."
"Really?" Mrs. Li clicked her tongue several times as if she knew some big gossip again, "But yes, Mrs. Li also thinks she is not crazy. Last time she even said she was the Queen Mother!"
Ji Huai shook his head and sighed, "I'm afraid this disease will cause trouble."
"Isn't that right? They are all crazy and cannot be cured!" Old Mrs. Li said with eyes wide open.
In the afternoon of the same day, the news that Aunt Zhang's lunatic illness could not be cured spread throughout the village. It was said that she had the same disease as Mrs. Li who was wearing tattered clothes and talking about her. It was just not as serious as Mrs. Li's. That’s all.
Aunt Zhang was still arguing with Ji Zhuang and Ji Dahai at home, "I'm not sick. Let me tell you, I'm not sick. You are the only one who has lunatic's disease. Who has lunatic's disease?"
Ji Huai came down from the mountain and saw many people gathered around their door. Mrs. Li and Mrs. Chen were also there. They winked and said, "Look, no one who is crazy will say that he is sick. Li Er Didn’t the mother-in-law also say that she was not sick? She also said that she was a landlady."
"With this disease, which girl would still want to marry in? Hey."
"It's really miserable. It's fine, but it's like a lunatic's disease."
…
Ji Huai hadn't gone far when he heard that Aunt Zhang was so anxious that she rolled her eyes and fainted.
It was better now. Not only did the surrounding villagers think she was getting sick, Ji Dahai was a little suspicious and hurriedly went to find the barefoot doctor in the village.
Ji Huai has no sympathy at all and is just reaping the consequences. When he tried so hard to smear their family, he never thought of mercy and wished they would have a bad life.
The sun has been very strong these days, and the agarwood that Ji Huai cut back intermittently has dried in the sun. The wood is white, fluffy and light.
Hearing that agarwood could be sold for money, Feng Dafeng was also looking for it when he went up the mountain to cut firewood. He was not very lucky and finally found a piece. He couldn't wait to chop it back and show it to Ji Huai.
As a result, not to mention being able to extract agarwood, the thin layer of resin was not enough to be used as incense even if it was dried.
All for nothing.
As the New Year is coming, Ji Huai and Feng Qiaolan bought a lot of things after getting married this year and spent a lot of money. They had no money to buy meat for the New Year. Feng Dafeng was also anxious. Fortunately, the pig raised by Ji Erpang's family in the village wanted to eat. Kill him and ask him to help sell pork.
Feng Dafeng still has a lot of work. He used to work as a bricklayer and sell pork at the same time. He got up early to chop bamboo and prepare to skewer the pork.
The pork was weighed, and the bamboo was also considered a weight. Ji Erpang even came here to tell him to leave the bamboo thicker when cutting it.
His family has raised this pig for a long time, weighing more than 400 kilograms, and is just waiting to sell it to have a good year.
If a farmer wants to sell the pig he raises, he must first hand over 60% to the state, and the rest is his own. If the pig is killed, he will be able to sell less than 200 kilograms in the end.
On the day Feng Dafeng went to the city to sell pork, Ji Huai followed him into the market.
Along the way, Feng Dafeng wanted to speak several times, but in the end he swallowed it out of shame. Seeing that he was getting closer and closer to the city, he couldn't help but ask, "How much malted milk is left in Xiaolan's drink?"
Ji Huai: "I only drank half a can."
Feng Dafeng felt extremely painful: "..."
After drinking less than half a can in such a short period of time, this girl is becoming more and more outrageous! ! !
"I will sell the agarwood later and see if I can buy another jar for her. She will give birth soon and will need more nutrition. By the way, Dad, where will you sell meat later? I Let's go find you and buy some New Year's goods together in the afternoon." Ji Huai asked him.
Feng Dafeng swallowed back what he was thinking. If he didn't let Ji Huai buy it, wouldn't he be disrespecting his daughter? I could only bite the bullet and say, "I'm near the intersection of Long Street."
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute." After Ji Huai said that, the two of them separated and walked to one side.
Purchase station.
Today's purchase price for agarwood was better than last time, four yuan, fifteen cents, and one tael. This time he got close to seven taels, and sold it for nearly twenty-eight yuan.
It was a bit more than he expected, and the budget for buying new year's goods was high.
When he turned to leave, he saw the thick and dark man who sold Morinda citrifolia last time. This time he was not alone. There were two people following him, and the three of them were holding two sacks.
Ji Huai slowed down and stood not far away, watching. He faintly heard the buyer say: "This bag weighs twenty-eight pounds. Let's put the other bag in as well."
The two bags together weighed at least fifty kilograms, and were sold for nearly six hundred yuan.
While the three of them were dividing the money, he stood there and thought for a long time. These three people must have a way to judge the rhizomes of Morinda citrifolia, and they definitely don't need to look at the flowers and fruits, otherwise they wouldn't be able to dig so many now.
No matter how many agarwood trees there are on the mountain, the amount of agarwood that can be obtained is limited, but it is different with Morinda citrifolia. As long as you can find it, you can dig out the roots. If you have a lot of agarwood, you can sell it for money.
He didn't stay long. He first went to the black market to find Shouhou and spent one yuan to buy some "overseas remittance coupons." Shouhou gave him the coupons and looked at his backpack, "What do you have in this?"
Ji Huai didn't make any secrets. He took out a piece of agarwood and gave it to him, "Take it back and light it for the New Year. It will make the house smell better."
Skinny Monkey had never seen this thing before. The wood was about half the size of a palm. It was light and fluffy. He squeezed it and said, "Will this become fragrant when you light it? Isn't this wood? It will burn after you light it." It’s burned out.”
"It can't be burned. This wood will only produce smoke. You cut it and leave this opening on each piece. There is agarwood on it. A piece of wood can be smoked for a day." Ji Huai pointed to the thin layer of agarwood and said to He said.
"Agarwood, are you going to sell this thing?" Thin Monkey asked.
Ji Huai: "Yeah."
"Don't tell me, some people in the city just love smoked stuff." Thin Monkey put the piece of wood away, "Thanks, remember to come to me to buy tickets next time, I will give you a cheaper price."
After saying that, he hurried to the black market to do business.
Ji Huai went to Huaqiao Supermarket and bought two cans of malted milk. After buying, he saw the colorful snacks on the shelf not far away. The pieces of chocolate wrapped in paper attracted his attention.
She is going to be a mother in early March. She is actually still a child. She is not even eighteen years old this year and has never eaten chocolate. She is a girl who will be happy when she sees candy.
He deliberately bought some more "overseas remittance coupons". After buying malted milk, he still had some left, and spent a few more dollars to buy her a few pieces of chocolate and a small pack of beef cubes.
Originally, I was thinking of buying some pastries, maltose, and biscuits, but I decided to forget it and just do it little by little. I still have to buy New Year goods with the money I have.
After leaving the overseas Chinese store, he went to where Feng Dafeng sold meat.
The other party is skillfully cutting the pork, passing it through with a bamboo skewer, and then weighing it. Ji Huai set up a stall not far from him, took out the agarwood from the basket and placed it in front of him.
It's the New Year, and farmers in the countryside want to bring something to sell. When they make money, they go to buy some New Year goods. Everyone sells vegetables or meat, or eggs and hens, and some people sell backpacks or bamboo baskets. Everyone. When they saw Ji Huai selling a pile of wood, they were all dumbfounded.
"Young man, does anyone buy what you are selling?" The old man selling tofu next to him looked at his wood and was amused.
"Isn't this wood? Can wood still be sold?" The aunt opposite also laughed.
Ji Huai was not annoyed and explained seriously, "This is not ordinary wood, this is white wood. Look, the above..."
Feng Dafeng was far away and couldn't hear clearly what he was saying, but judging from the reactions of the people around him, most of them were looking at the joke. Seeing this, his expression also calmed down a lot.
To be honest, he felt that the wood could not be sold, but the wood could be sold for money. Isn't this funny
But thinking about it carefully, Ji Huai took agarwood from the white wood last time and sold it for ten yuan. Since then, he has not dared to talk nonsense.
Scholars know a lot, how embarrassing would it be if he was wrong? Might as well be silent.
As the Chinese New Year approached, pork sold out quickly. He sold dozens of kilograms of pork. Seeing that Ji Huai didn't sell a single piece of wood, he couldn't help but become anxious.
That thing has been in the sun for half a month, and you still have to climb a tree to cut it, even if you sell it for a few cents.
"I want two pounds of ribs." A female worker wearing work clothes came to Feng Dafeng.
"How about this section?" Feng Dafeng recovered his thoughts, holding a knife in one hand and lifting a section of ribs with the other.
"I want that piece." The female worker pointed to the piece next to him.
Feng Dafeng: "Okay."
With the knife raised and lowered, he chopped off the ribs that the other party wanted, tied them with bamboo skewers, and handed them to the other party after collecting the money. Without the guests, he looked in Ji Huai's direction again.
The female worker also walked that way. When she passed Ji Huai's stall, she felt strange. She looked at the wood and asked, "What are you selling?"
"Agarwood." Ji Huai replied immediately and picked up a piece, "There is agarwood that has not been removed. It can be used as incense if you light it."
"I know agarwood, and I also know how to use agarwood for incense. You wood..." The female worker knelt down and stood up, "How long can one piece of wood be used for incense?"
"Just this piece, it will be fine for one night." Ji Huai picked out the smallest piece and showed her the thin layer of agarwood on it, "You can cut it into small pieces. This wood will not catch fire. Even if there is a little smoke, agarwood can also Helps you sleep and purifies the air.”
Female worker: "My mother buys agarwood and smokes it every year. I've never seen the wood before. How much does it cost per piece?"
"This one is ten cents, and this one is two cents." Ji Huai gave her two pieces, one large and one small.
"I want two big ones, and I'll give one to my mother as well. Can I sell the two-yuan Sanmao?" The female worker was bargaining.
Their wages are dozens of yuan a month, and they really don't value a few cents. Although the wood is not valuable, they don't go to the mountains to cut it themselves.
"Okay." Ji Huai didn't argue and immediately gave her two large pieces, and specially selected two pieces with more agarwood. The female worker paid readily.
The uncle next to him was dumbfounded. Although he only sold it for 30 cents, which was not as good as the tofu he had sold several times, it was wood and cost nothing, so it was a net profit.
After selling for two yuan at once, more and more people suddenly came to inquire. Some were curious, and some knew about it and came to ask about the price.
Ji Huai was extremely patient and took the trouble to explain that if he thought it was expensive, he would cut it into smaller pieces before selling them. If you think it’s more than a dime, cut it up and sell it for five cents.
Everyone knows that agarwood is a good thing. If you can buy it for five cents and smoke it, many people are willing to do so.
A retired man came forward. He seemed to know a lot about goods. He knelt down to pick and choose the largest piece. "How much does this cost?"
Ji Huai: "Uncle, this one costs thirty cents. This piece contains the most agarwood."
"This piece is only worth twenty cents at most. I'll choose another one, thirty cents and two cents." The uncle didn't talk nonsense to him, picked it up, and muttered, "Compared to agarwood, this wood is good for lighting. It's good for celebrating the New Year." I always like a little bit.”
"Yes, but most people don't order it. Only those with good taste order it. It smells good." Ji Huai praised him.
Hearing this, the uncle calmly raised his head and raised his chest, "My family orders it every year, even during festivals. I love the smell. You are right. Very few people order this. The building I live in is also My family can order a little.”
"You need money to buy this. Even though it's only one or two cents, many people are reluctant to part with it." Ji Huai continued to praise him.
"What you sell is also cheap. I'll choose two more and give you fifty cents." The uncle was so flattered by him that he naturally wanted to buy more. A little more would make him look different from others.
"Okay, you choose, and I'll give you a small piece." Ji Huai was also generous.
The uncle and old lady next to him watched helplessly as he sold half of the wood. They even counted the money he sold.
A total of two yuan and two were sold, and the two yuan and twenty costs were zero. Sometimes they wouldn't be able to make this money even if they sat here for a day, and they would still lose money if they couldn't sell it.
"Why do city people like to buy wood? Don't they have nothing to do when they are full? What kind of wood do you have? What are these?" The tofu seller was greedy and wanted to make money.
Ji Huai didn't hide it, "This is white wood, and the one above is agarwood. We need to find such wood first, and then..."
He didn't hide it at all, and even shared it in detail, teaching the uncles and aunts how to find agarwood trees and how to find such wood.
The reason why Ji Huai is so selfless is that it is usually difficult to sell this thing. Only during the New Year, people in the city will buy a few yuan.
The uncles and aunties listened eagerly and became interested in the pieces of wood. They wanted to take them back and order some. The last few pieces of wood were given to the uncles and aunties.
Of course they won't buy it with money, but they can trade things for it.
When Feng Dafeng sold out the pork, Ji Huai also sold out the wood. He also exchanged the wood for a piece of tofu, a sausage, a little dried fish, and a little peanut oil...