Chaoyang Village is adjacent to a large river to the north, which is both wide and long.
During the slack season, young boys and men who lack entertainment like to splash around in the water.
Compare who has better swimming skills, who can hold their breath longer, and who can float farther.
If you are lucky, you may even be able to catch some fish and shrimp to satisfy your hunger.
After eating grass for half a month and with his face almost turning green, Tian Mi also found an opportunity to go into the water.
“Crash!”
In a place where few people go, the clear blue waves break the tranquility and splash crystal clear water.
Tian Mi broke out of the water, raised his hand to wipe the water stains on his face, then, soaked all over, he walked up the mottled stone steps, leaving a trail of wet footprints.
He threw the struggling black fish in his hand into the basket, shook off the water droplets on his clothes, and then sat down on a stone to take a rest.
The sky is clear blue without a single cloud, so clean and pure that there is not even a speck of floating fluff.
This is S Province, a rice and fish village between the north and the south. Even in late October, the midday sun is still scorching hot.
After wringing and drying in the sun for about ten minutes, most of my body was dry.
Taking off the unknown large leaf that was covering her head to block the sun, Tian Mi used her fingers to braid her long, thick black hair into two pigtails that hung in front of her.
He looked down at himself again to make sure there was nothing out of place before picking up the basket and walking towards the village along the winding loess road.
After walking for about ten minutes, I saw my familiar yet unfamiliar home from afar.
The Tian family's conditions were not bad, as their house was a rare brick and tile house in the village. However, at this moment, in front of the south-facing gable-roofed tile house, a thin girl was looking around.
The distance was quite far, and Tian Mi could only confirm that it was her third sister Tian Laidi, but she couldn't see the expression on her face clearly.
But none of this mattered, because the little girl had already seen him and was jogging towards him.
Seeing this, Tian Mi seemed to realize something and stopped to wait.
It is miraculous that because of a plane crash, Tian Mi, who had the same name and surname and lived a wealthy life, traveled from the prosperous afterlife to the impoverished rural area of 1971.
It only took half a month for me to go from being at a loss in the beginning to being able to handle it with ease now.
All I can say is that humans have a very strong ability to adapt.
"Second sister, the old aunt is here again!" Tian Lai Di is 16 years old this year. She has a sallow complexion, delicate features, thin arms and legs, and looks no more than thirteen years old.
As I recall, the girl was born prematurely, and the situation was difficult, so it was difficult for her to get enough to eat, let alone meat or supplements that could regulate her body.
"When did you come?" Tian Mi handed the basket in his hand to the little girl, pushed aside the shepherd's purse on the top, revealing the black fish weighing about three pounds underneath.
"Fish?" A look of surprise appeared on Tian Lai Di's skinny face. Her second sister had caught fish for three consecutive days.
"Keep your voice down. Hide first." Tian Mi glared at the little girl.
"Yeah, I understand, I understand! By the way, second sister, shall I go to Aunt Lian's house to exchange for a piece of tofu? How about making fish soup in the evening?" Tian Laidi covered the shepherd's purse again, swallowed her saliva, and asked the chef happily.
"Okay!" It's also good to make fish soup. The whole family can drink fish soup to fill themselves up and it's nutritious.
After saying this, Tian Mi looked at the sky again and reminded, "Go later. Aunt Lian should be taking a nap right now."
The busy farming season has just ended, and the villagers, who have worked hard for over half a month, have a rare chance to rest.
The little girl nodded her head, moved her mouth towards the main room, wrinkled her nose in disgust, then ran to the kitchen with the basket in her arms.
Tian Mi was amused. She curled her lips and walked towards the main room while letting her half-dry long hair loose.
"Brother, if you ask me, you are pampering Miss Mi too much. Marriage is not something a little girl can decide. What's wrong with Liu Xiangdong? He's good-looking and comes from one of the most respectable families in town. Not to mention that his father is the head of the Grain Administration, he himself, at a young age, has found a purchasing job in the supply and marketing cooperative. If he hadn't been attracted by Miss Mi's appearance, I would have wanted to marry Chunxiu to him." As she spoke, the woman made two "tsk tsk!" sounds, expressing her genuine envy and jealousy.
Tian Mi raised her lips and showed a sarcastic smile. She was not in a hurry to go into the house. She leaned under the eaves and slowly combed her waist-length hair.
"It's a good family. Don't worry. I'll talk to the second girl when she comes back."
"What are you still talking about? I think Mi girl has read too many books and has become too ambitious. What's the use of being a high school student if she can't find a job? She's destined to be a farmer. How can she live in a family like the Liu family? It's her blessing that he likes Mi girl. As long as you, as her father, accept her as a son-in-law, I will send someone to her house tomorrow." Thinking of the great unity promised by Liu Xiangdong, Tian Xiaoyan's heart was burning, and her tone unconsciously became anxious. That was ten dollars.
Of course, the most important thing is not the money, but to be able to connect with the Liu family so that she can find a decent job for her precious son in the future. She is not one of those short-sighted old women.
"How can you do things like this? You are shameless, but I still need you and there is no rush. You go back first. Also, what kind of things are you talking about? Be careful not to be paraded through the streets with a sign hanging over your head. What's wrong with farming? The working people are the most glorious!" Tian Hongxing slammed the table and glared at his unruly sister. He had been a public security officer for nearly twenty years. Even though the public security officers in that era were not as popular as the supply and marketing cooperatives, they were still paid by the state and were very dignified.
In Tian Xiaoyan's generation, the old man and the old lady gave birth to eight children, and this is the only brother. The sisters in the family are afraid of him, and when he glared at them, they immediately lowered their heads and kept silent.
"Isn't this all for big brother's own good? If this marriage goes through, Xiangyang won't have to worry about finding a decent job in the future, right?" Tian Xiaoyan was depressed for a few seconds, but she didn't give up. Her eyes rolled around and she opened her mouth to come up with another idea.
As for Xiangyang, the child is only 10 years old and there is no need for him to work for the time being, but doesn’t he have her aunt to rely on
Her son Youfu is 18 years old this year, which is just the right age. They are all relatives, so it’s okay for him to help out for ten or eight years.
The air was filled with smoke, and Tian Hongxing squinted his eyes. He didn't know what his sister was thinking, but he had to admit that his sister's words made him feel a little moved.
In his lifetime, his offspring were not much better than his father's, with only two boys in total. Naturally, he was reluctant to let them dig for food in the fields like the girls.
It's just that work is hard now.
Even when he retires, there will only be enough work for one son to take over.
People are biased. Tian Hongxing likes his clever youngest son the most and is thinking that after another ten or eight years, when he retires, he will let his youngest son Xiangyang take over.
But his wife at home loves her eldest son and makes trouble with him every day. She wishes he could retire now so that her eldest son can have a decent job.
Tian Hongxing was naturally unwilling to do so, and it was not entirely for his youngest son. After all, he was only fifty years old and could still work for another ten years.
Is it the same to get a salary by yourself or to ask your son for money
If the second girl follows the boy from the Liu family, it would indeed be a good place to go.
Even if he is only given a temporary job in the future, it will be a honor for the eldest son.
Tian Hongxing tried to figure out the connection, but he didn't show it on his face. He had to ask his daughter about this matter. Although he valued boys over girls, he was not the kind of person who would sell his daughter for fame and fortune.
Thinking of this, and meeting his sister's eager eyes, Tian Hongxing snorted coldly: "I told you, this matter is not urgent. If it really succeeds, you will also benefit from it. Don't think I don't know your little thoughts. Go back quickly."
Tian Xiaoyan felt embarrassed and a little ashamed, but she didn't dare to challenge her eldest brother's authority. She snorted and walked out.
I didn't expect to run into my niece Tian Mi as soon as I stepped out of the door.
I don't know how this girl grows up. Among the six children in my eldest brother's family, she is the tallest.
My eldest brother was also a famous handsome man when he was young. Even at this age, there are still those shameless old women throwing themselves at him.
But none of them are as pretty as Mi Yatou, who is so pretty that it’s a bit eye-catching.
In operas, it is said that a person with eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as a picture, skin as white as snow, and jade sculpture-like looks like this, right? Especially when she smiles, she can sweeten people's hearts, and she doesn't look like a country girl at all.
Tian Xiaoyan didn't understand any more flowery words. Anyway, she had traveled all over the county and had never seen anyone prettier. Especially in the past half month, no one knew what magic elixir the dead girl had taken, and her original rustic look was gone. If you didn't know, you would have thought she was some young lady. No wonder she was dazzled by Liu Xiangdong's good conditions the first time she saw him.
"Mi girl went down to the river? I'm not saying anything bad about you, aunt. You are already 20 years old and are about to get married. Girls should pay attention to their reputation." Tian Xiaoyan was not at all embarrassed about being caught saying bad things about others. Her eyes moved around her niece, and then she thought of the dead girl at home. In contrast, she sourly put on the style of an elder and scolded her in a tone.
"Seventh aunt, I seemed to see Chunxiu carrying a basket of vegetables and going to the educated youth site just now." Tian Mi did not move her brows, but just spoke with a distant smile about what she had just seen.
Chunxiu is the eldest daughter of Seventh Aunt's family. She is the same age as Tian Mi. Although they are cousins, they have never gotten along well since childhood. One of them is determined to marry Sun Jun, an educated youth from Suzhou.
"What? You damn girl! I'm going to break her legs." Tian Xiaoyan jumped three feet high. She didn't care about anything else and rushed to the educated youth point in a hurry. But when she reached the intersection, she did not forget to bend down and pick a few radishes on the roadside.
Rural land is valuable, so every corner must be utilized. The small piece of radish field at the intersection belongs to the Tian family.
Even though he was used to Seventh Aunt's nature of taking advantage of others, the scene before him still made Tian Mi uncontrollably twitch his lips.
"Mi girl is back?" Tian Hongxing's voice came from inside the house.
Tian Mi came back to his senses, walked into the house, took out a box of Grand Canal cigarettes from his pocket and handed it to the old man.
Tian Hongxing choked on the cigarette and stared at the unopened cigarettes on the table: "Where did you get this?" This stuff is 3.3 cents a pack, and Mi Yatou only has a few cents on her at most.
"I caught two black fish, and I traded the big one with Uncle Ergen for cigarettes." Tian Mi sat at the table, picked up the half-worn teapot, poured himself a glass of water, and drank a large bowl of water to quench his thirst.
"Mi girl is still filial." After understanding the whole story, Tian Hongxing smiled and sighed. He raised six children, and except for the eldest child who was married, this was the first time that a child bought something for him.
Of all his daughters, he loves the second daughter the most. However, "You'd better not fish too much. The river is too deep. It's easy to get into trouble."
Tian Mi chuckled: "I know."
"As for you, forget it. You're grown up now, so dad won't nag me anymore. But what do you think about getting married? Your aunt has been coming to our house every day for the past half month. I think the kid from the Liu family is very sincere, and his conditions are good. Why don't you just agree?" While speaking, Tian Hongxing took out another whole cigarette from the cigarette box.
His daughter bought him some cigarettes, so he had more in stock. He was generous for once, unlike before when he would only smoke half a cigarette every few days to satisfy his craving.
He tapped the filter tip on the table, put it in his mouth, and took a few puffs of the remaining sparks from the previous cigarette.
Sure enough, the tobacco is more compact and tastes better. After smoking a whole stick, I feel like a god.
(End of this chapter)