Although Chen Xuan knew the Xu family in her previous life, she was dull and unpleasant, and kept everything to herself. In addition, her heart was with Wei Nian in her previous life, so she suffered a lot and wasted her time. Now that she has come back and let go of Wei Nian, Chen Xuan finds that many things around her are worth thinking about.
For the first time in her two lives, Chen Xuan discovered that there were families like the Xu family in the world. They were so poor that they had to eat soybean paste, pickled vegetables and steamed buns, but they still wanted to send their children to school. Moreover, not only boys went to school, but girls also went to school.
Such a family is called a scholarly family.
A family of scholars.
Chen Xuan chewed the food silently twice between her lips and teeth, feeling an indescribable feeling in her heart.
Chen Xuan was more attentive in cleaning up the west wing for Wei Nian. She even cleaned the old desk that the Wei family used only to settle accounts. Chen Xuan cleaned it over and over again until it was as shiny as a mirror. She also cleaned the curtains and the cushions on the chairs. When Mrs. Wei saw her clean the seams between the floor tiles in the west wing until they were spotless, she muttered, "You really care about A-Nian's affairs."
In fact, Chen Xuan didn't care about Wei Nian's affairs. She just felt that studying was a very important thing.
Although Wei Yin said that he didn't know many words, he could help Old Lady Wei keep accounts. Sister-in-law Li also learned to read at her parents' home, so she was the one who bought vegetables on weekdays. Chen Xuan didn't envy her sister-in-law's job, she just felt that learning to read was really a very useful thing.
Unlike her, she didn't recognize a single word.
As Wei Yin said, people like this are now called blind.
Blind with open eyes.
On New Year's Eve, the neighboring Xu family sent the couplets written by the master of the Xu family. Old Mrs. Wei asked her two grandsons Wei Jie and Wei Ming to post them on the door, and Wei Yun followed her brothers to post the couplets. Wei Yin went to the west room to cut red paper. Chen Xuan brought the charcoal basin to her and poured her a bowl of hot tea, saying, "There is no fire in the west room, it's very cold, it's the same when the old lady is cutting in the room."
"I never thought about the west annex before. Second sister-in-law, you have tidied it up so well. It is spacious here. There are too many things in mom's room, and it is too crowded, so I came here to cut it." Wei Yin spread the red paper neatly. Chen Xuan helped her align it and asked casually, "What are you cutting this red paper for?"
Wei Yin said, "Make red envelopes. It's Chinese New Year. We are the elders. Ajie and the others will pay New Year's greetings on the first day of the new year."
Chen Xuan felt a little flustered, and then her face felt a little hot, and then she heard Wei Yin say, "Second sister-in-law, let me help you do it."
Chen Xuan hurriedly responded, but she was worried to death. How could she have forgotten about this? Yes, tomorrow is the first day of the Chinese New Year. The children will pay New Year's greetings, and the elders will give New Year's money!
However, when she got married, in addition to these dowries, her aunt did not give her any more money. What should she do with the red envelopes for her nephews and nieces? In the previous life, the previous life... In the previous life, the first New Year in the Wei family, she had just entered the Wei family. Wei Nian was not happy, and the mother-in-law was tricky. In addition, everyone was busy during the New Year, and no one reminded her, and she herself did not expect it. On the morning of the first day of the New Year that year, Chen Xuan was so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl into the cracks of the ground. Later, in the more than ten New Years in the Wei family, she still had no money, and she made new clothes and new shoes for her nephews and nieces.
What should I do
It’s too late to make clothes and shoes now.
Alas, even if she had time to make clothes, shoes and socks now, she didn't have the fabric to make clothes, shoes and socks for her nephews and nieces.
Chen Xuan was so worried that she barely ate a few bites of the New Year's Eve dinner filled with chicken, fish and meat.
Fortunately, Mrs. Wei has always required her daughter-in-law to work more and eat less. Seeing that Chen Xuan was restrained in eating, Mrs. Wei was very satisfied.
Chen Xuan was very worried and wanted to go back to the house as soon as possible to think of a solution. However, it was New Year's Eve and she had to stay up all night. Old Mrs. Wei was busy playing cards. Although Chen Xuan didn't know how to play cards, she was kept by Old Mrs. Wei to serve her and add tea, clean the charcoal basin, and also sew the soles for Old Mrs. Wei's shoes, which she would wear next spring.
Chen Xuan lowered her head and sewed the soles of her shoes, worrying all the way until the end of the New Year. At twelve o'clock, the men of the Wei family set off firecrackers in the yard, which represented "promotion", and the old lady Wei's card game was over, and everyone went back to their rooms.
Chen Xuan followed Wei Nian back to the house. After they washed up, Wei Nian covered his head with the quilt and went to sleep. On New Year's Eve, the lights in the house were on, and the lights in the yard were also on. The whole city of Beijing was immersed in the joy of the New Year. Listening to the sound of firecrackers outside the window, Chen Xuan finally made up her mind.
Chen Xuan looked at Wei Nian, who had his head covered, and twisted his hands together for a long time before saying, "Brother Anian, can I borrow one dollar and fifty cents from you?"
Wei Nian poked his head out when he heard Chen Xuan's words. He rested his head on his arms, his face white and beautiful, making the rustic quilt with mandarin ducks playing in the water look less gaudy. Wei Nian was curious, "What do you want to do with the money?" Chen Xuan actually asked him to borrow money during the New Year.
Chen Xuan blushed because of her poverty. She always liked Wei Nian's beauty, but at this moment, she didn't even bother to look at Wei Nian. She lowered her head and whispered, "Tomorrow is the first day of the Chinese New Year. This afternoon, when Ah Yin and I were making red envelopes, I just remembered that we need to prepare New Year's money for the children. I don't have any money, so I thought, let me lend you 1.5 yuan first, 50 cents for each child, and I will pay you back when I find a way to make money in the future. Is that okay?" Because the matter was a bit embarrassing, Chen Xuan simply said out all her annoyance as soon as she opened her mouth. She never wanted to repeat the shame and embarrassment of having nothing in her hands when the children in her previous life wished her a happy new year.
Wei Nian felt like laughing but helpless when he heard this. He stood up and said, "Just take the wallet from the inner pocket of my coat in the closet. Dad gives me a salary every month. Although it's not much, I put it in there for pocket money. You saw me putting the money in there a few days ago. You didn't worry about it all night."
When Chen Xuan saw that Wei Nian was willing to lend her money, she was very happy and grateful to Wei Nian. She thought that she had to say something that Wei Nian would like to hear to make him happy. Chen Xuan said, "You also know that we will separate sooner or later. Although I have seen you, it is not useful. Brother Nian, I am eating and living in your house now, which is a great favor. Even this money is borrowed by me. When I think of a job that makes money, I will pay you back when I make money."
Chen Xuan was so polite that Wei Nian felt a little embarrassed. He just didn't want this marriage. Chen Xuan was sensible about marriage, so Wei Nian felt that Chen Xuan was a good person. Hearing Chen Xuan say this, Wei Nian smiled, "There's no need to be like this. Even if we don't get married, we are still relatives." Yes, the Wei and Chen families were originally distant relatives.
Chen Xuan smiled, went to the closet to take out Wei Nian's wallet and put it on the small kang table, then took out the red envelopes that were freshly made in the afternoon, took out three 50-cent notes and put one in each red envelope. Wei Nian reminded Chen Xuan, "If you put two more red envelopes, the elder sister will be back with A Feng and A Yu on the second day of the New Year."
Chen Xuan thought that she had borrowed the money from Wei Nian and she would have to pay it back in the future. She had a bad relationship with her elder sister-in-law, so why would she spend the money? Chen Xuan said, "Eldest sister also knows that I came from the countryside and don't have much money."
"Don't be like this. If you don't give her child New Year's money, she will eat you up! I don't know how our mother will complain." Wei Nian quickly took out two fifty-cent bills from his wallet and gave them to Chen Xuan, saying to her, "Put two more in it, and think of it as buying some peace and quiet."
Chen Xuan said it in advance, "Then this is yours, but I didn't borrow it."
Wei Nian suppressed his laughter and said, "Chengcheng, it's mine. It's mine."
Chen Xuan, however, had no red envelopes left, so she put the two bills away and said, "Just give it to me when the time comes. I don't have any red envelopes left."
Wei Nian didn't care. He guessed that as long as his elder sister saw the money, she wouldn't care whether it was in a red envelope or not.
After putting away the red envelope, Chen Xuan put the wallet back into the inner pocket of Wei Nian's coat in the closet. Thinking that although it was borrowed money, at least she would be able to get by tomorrow, Chen Xuan finally felt relieved and slept soundly.
The next day, the children paid New Year's greetings and the elders gave out red envelopes smoothly. However, after the red envelopes were given out, how could Wei Nian pay back the 1.5 yuan he owed? Chen Xuan found that she felt very embarrassed and embarrassed when she borrowed money. However, this way of making money was more than a hundred times more difficult than borrowing money.
The only consolation for Chen Xuan was that Wei Nian had always been generous and did not urge her to pay back the money.
But such a huge sum of money weighed heavily on Chen Xuan's mind. Chen Xuan was an honest man, and if an honest man borrowed money from others, it would be a big deal on the same day.
Chen Xuan has never forgotten it for a single day.
So, starting from the first day of the Lunar New Year, Chen Xuan began to worry about repaying the money.