Goldfield
Chapter 66 – Family Mother
Madam Liu replied shyly, Little “Han, there is not much to do here. With Aunt Zhou here to help, you really don't need to help us.. ”.
“Auntie, your wrong words made me an outsider. I consider Xiaocao and Shitou as close to me as possible as siblings. We are all one family, so don't make it a separate family. In the future if anything comes up, please talk about it! ”
Little Shitou was very happy and a wide smile appeared on her face, “Sister Han, in the future our two families will live closer, so coming and going will be much easier! I used to eat your family's food all the time, but from now on you should come and taste my second brother's skills! My second brother was an excellent cook; he even made peanut flour noodles taste better than wheat flour noodles! ”
“Good! Then in the future my stomach will be very lucky! ” Zhao Han raised his head to look at Xiaocao's back for a moment and then bent down again to mow the weeds.
Perhaps it was because the family branch had split, but Little Shitou finally showed her side of life as a child. He chatted non-stop but that did not delay his work. The little scythe in his hand continued to light up as it swung.
The little egg deer next to her seemed to have also been infected by her joyous mood. He jumped through the bushes and would occasionally lower his head to cut the plants and give them like treasure to Xiaocao, as if he were trying to ask for praise and gifts.
On the other hand, Madam Liu and Madam Fang were also busy. Both work while talking.
Upon seeing the shabby old house, Madam Fang couldn't help but say, “The mother of the Yu family is truly great! Brother Dahai earned so much money for the family but they only gave you two taels. What you can do with two taels, it is not even enough to fix the house! Brother Muyun, if you don't have enough money, please let me know. We don't have much in the house but we can definitely spend some taels worth. The weather is still cold right now, so it doesn't matter what you have to fix the house. ”
Liu Muyun was so touched by his words that tears trickled down. He pulled out more weed to hide his emotions and replied calmly, “Thank you in advance, wife Danian ..”
“What are you thanking me for? In the future, we will be neighbors. Relatives are much less frequently used than close neighbors. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know! ” Mistress Fang quickly swung the scythe to the ground to cut the weeds. At first glance, one could say she was a hardworking woman.
The family on the west side opened the gate in their backyard and let the duck herd into the pond behind the residence. When the guy saw there was activity here, he came to take a look and said, “Hey! Wife Bawdy! You guys really moved? Geez, Uncle Yu and Aunt Yu are completely heartless. How can anyone stay in this shabby old house. ”.
Yu Xiaocao raised his head and looked at a woman with high cheekbones and thin lips. Why did the more he thought about it, the more he felt that the woman's words seemed to imply that he was enjoying their bad state?
“Don't give him any attention! If you remember the words of Madam Mao, you will actually die from anger. Let's just say it's a sparrow and you'll be fine. ” The Zhou Family and the Qian Family are the only two neighbors within a kilometer of the old residence. The Zhou family raised chickens, and the Qian Family raised ducks. The live chicken and chicken egg market is definitely better than the duck demand. The Qian Family's daughter-in-law, Madam Mao, also had a sharp tongue and a big mouth, and every time she saw Madam Fang she simply said sharp words.
At the beginning, Madam Fang would also have a little quarrel with her. Later, after the two families agreed, she knew that Madam Mao did not really have any personality problems other than her ability to make someone hate her once she opened her mouth. Most of the women and girls in the village avoided him because of that. Only Madam Fang did not let it bother her too much in an attempt to keep the peace between the neighbors.
Madam Mao apparently also realized that what she said earlier did not sound too good, so she hurriedly interjected, “If you need someone to help you fix the house, come to my house and ask. My husband may not have other skills but he is strong. In the future we will be neighbors, so it is appropriate that we help each other. Don't stop your work because of me, I have to go to the dock to see if there are fish for sale. I need to buy one for my son, Wen’er, to nourish his body .. ”
Madam Fang calmly commented, “The oldest son Madam Mao attended school in the city and it is said that she did quite well. He would brag about her at every chance he could get. Like today, Qian Wen came home today to rest and she had to talk about it. ”
“I know, I know! Brother Qian Wen is truly outstanding, and he even ranks first on the final exam! ” Little Shitou interjected as she followed Zhao Han like a small tail, wandering around happily.
Lady Liu watched her son with more cheer and smiled gently, “All parents appreciate their children. In the eyes of a mother, their own child is always the best. ”
Madam Fang thought for a moment then smiled, “That's right, that's right! Although my son, Hua’er, has no scientific talent, but since childhood he has helped his father peddle items on the streets. He doesn't think it's hard work and enjoys it. We have about a hundred or so chickens at home, but with my two daughters at home, I hardly need to ask and they will take care of them. ”.
Madam Liu glanced at her two daughters who were both cleaning weeds. His eyes showed a faint light of happiness and he said, “Our children are all sensitive and hardworking ..”
Yu Xiaocao turned his head and grinned, “Mother, Auntie Zhou, you should speak more gently! If people hear this conversation, they will all think you two like to give fake compliments! ”
Madam Liu and Madam Fang both laughed and looked at her. Madam Fang replied, “Setting family is a good thing. Xiaocao's personality became more lively; he even made fun of us. ”
“It will be better! Good things will happen to good people, Brother Dahai's feet will definitely heal! ” Mistress Fang has also heard about the wound on Yu Hai's leg and immediately comforted Madam Liu.
“Second Sister, Second Sister! Lookie! Brother Xiaowu and I found some wild pheasant eggs in the forest, there are three in total! ” Later, Eldest Brother can boil it, then Father, Mother, and Second Brother can each eat one! ”
Just as everyone was about to finish cleaning the weeds from the front and back yard, Little Shitou, who went out with the next door neighbor, Qian Wu, returned. No one knew where they were going, but Little Shitou still had leaves and grass in her hair as she held the bird egg in her hand with a wide smile on her face.
The second daughter of the Zhou Family, Shanhu, deliberately teased her, “You want your eldest sister to help cook the egg, but you didn't give her a share. Little Shitou, aren't you afraid of Xiaolian accusing you of bias? ”
Little Shitou glanced at Xiaolian, and happily replied, “The female brother will not do that! Father was injured while the bodies of Mother and Second Brother were weak. If Oldest Brother had a good meal to eat, he would also give it to them first. ”
Madam Fang rubbed the little man's head and smiled, “Adik Muyun, your son is very sensitive. People like us, ah, we don't need to envy others, we just need to live our own lives to the fullest. ”
No one wants to monopolize all three pheasant eggs. Therefore, Xiaocao proposed to use it to make egg soup. Each family member of five happily drank a bowl of soup.
Around lunch, Xiaocao's maternal grandmother, three uncles, and aunt came with a borrowed ox cart. The wagon was full of household items that would be used in this new home. The biggest items are tables and benches, the smaller items are pots, bowls, spoons and basins. Some of them are new and some are used.
When Yu Hai was first injured, Grandma Liu came to see them and even left two taels for her daughter to give to her grandchildren to buy food to eat. Immediately after the Liu Family left, the two taels were confiscated by Madam Zhang who said that she had to bring them to pay for Yu Hai's medical expenses.
Xiaocao's maternal grandmother, Lady Yao, knew that the skin of her daughter and granddaughter had improved greatly, and felt the worry subside in her heart. He hugged Shitou tightly and spoke to Madam Liu in a slightly choked voice, “Good to part, good to part as well! At least in the future you no longer need to be your mother-in-law's boxing samsak. ”
Madam Liu wiped the corner of her eyes and smiled, “Yes, that's right. Although our future may be a little more difficult, it is worth being the one in charge of the household. I don't have to think about other people's moods or worry about my children being beaten and scolded. Living in trouble will still be sweet. ”
Madam Liu's mother's family lived on the other side of the mountain, and they only had four plots of dry land to plant. So, they also did not have a very comfortable life. Lady Liu has two older brothers and one younger brother. The eldest, Liu Pei, had a strong and muscular body. During the off season, he often went out to take temporary jobs. His wife, Mrs Han, usually goes to the dock to sell things and can often earn a little money to subsidize the income at home.
The Eldest Uncle's family only had two daughters. The eldest was named Liu Feiying and was fourteen years old. She was already engaged and only waited until she reached the age of marriage, fifteen, before she got married. Their second daughter, Liu Feiyan, was the same age as Xiaocao's eldest brother, Yu Hang. The two families even joked about getting them married in the future.
Second Uncle, Liu Han, was an honest and hardworking man. He was an expert in planting, and some of the fields they had were managed by him and Cao's maternal grandfather’er. The output of this field is somewhat better than that of others. Although Second Aunt, Lady Hu, was a little selfish, she had no other glaring problems. She had given birth to two sons and a daughter, so she felt that she was superior to the Eldest Aunt, who did not have a son.
Third Uncle, Liu Hao, was the youngest in the family and it could be said that Madam Liu had completed half of her parenting. Therefore, he was the closest to his older sister. Last year, he married Mrs Bian, and they have a son who is not even a year old. Liu Hao had apprenticed to a village carpenter and studied carpentry. Because of this, he often went out looking for carpentry jobs to make money. Third Aunt, Mrs Bian, was an embroider and often sold her work every month.
The Liu family did not split its branch, and its three sons were all filial and respectful. All the money they made was given to their mother, Madam Yao, to keep. However, Madam Yao was not like the stingy Madam Zhang. In addition to spending money on family food and clothing, from time to time, he would also give shopping money to his son-in-law. The Liu family had few breadwinners but many mouths to feed, so they did not have much income. Thus, they cannot save a lot of money year after year.
The night before, Lady Yao heard that her daughter and daughter-in-law had separated from the family. Lady Liu has many small children and a wounded husband. In addition, their branches were only given three plots of sandy soil and an old house was unloaded with three rooms. With her daughter having poor resources, Madam Yao could not keep quiet. This morning, at dawn, he had packed household items, such as bedding and utensils, and borrowed a ox cart to rush there.
The Liu family lived in Xishan Village and the West Mountain was between Xishan Village and Dongshan village. Crossing the forest on foot in the mountains usually only takes an hour. However, carrying ox carts would need to pass through the area on different roads, which took twice as long as the mountain trails.
Before the sun rose, Lady Yao and her son and daughter-in-law left the house to go to her daughter's new home. They only arrived during the day and even had to eat a dry breakfast ration on the way.
When she saw that the roof of the old house was about to collapse, Madam Yao felt angry and depressed. Their in-laws are too much! They almost let her daughter and daughter-in-law go with barely any clothes on their backs. Having a stepmother really means having a stepfather! Madam Yao was also very familiar with Madam Zhang's shrewd and cunning personality. Even if he were to face the old woman, it would be useless.
He took out a embroidery pouch protruding from his pocket and put it into Madam Liu's hand and said in a voice choked with emotion, “Yunzi, the pouch contains ten taels in it. Take and use to repair the house. The earlier you move, the better, so you can avoid the hostility of others. As for those three plots of land, don't worry. This past year, we have more sweet potato seedlings than before, so during spring I can have your brother come and help you plant some. ”.