For a long time, Zhong'er and Xingzi have been watching out for Jing'er's unusual behavior. No matter day or night, as long as she has free time, Jing'er always runs to the apricot grove outside the village.

At the beginning, the two thought that Jing'er was going to catch cicadas or something, so that they could take them back and burn them, or fry them to relieve the family's hunger. However, I ran out again and again, but I didn't even see the hairy wings of a cicada. A few times, the two of them wanted to follow Jing'er like leper dogs, but they were kicked back by Jing'er several times in succession. Of course, the two of them were not convinced, saying that you can go wild outside, why can't we go. Moreover, the two of them were full of curiosity about Jing'er's mysterious actions, and they both agreed to follow him to see what kind of ghost he was doing.

Finally, on a twilight evening, just as the villagers were about to prepare dinner, Jing'er returned home. He dropped his hoe, turned his head and went out of the house. The two of them followed Jing'er from a distance, sneakily out of the village, and came to the small river in the west of the village.

The two of them were staring closely, but when they arrived at the river, they were covered by the dense woods on the bank, and they immediately disappeared from Jing'er. The two of them did not dare to shout, so they had to search quietly around the riverbank. The two of them searched along the riverbank separately, Zhong Er was responsible for looking downstream, and Xing Tsai was responsible for searching upstream. Whoever finds out first will immediately come back and inform the other party.

After about a meal, Xingzai ran back in a panic. He found Zhong'er and said to see it, find it, find it, on the big apricot tree with a crooked neck on the river, go and see it.

The big apricot tree with a crooked neck that Xingzi said was the big apricot tree that Mao Xiang abandoned by Maosheng's father and buried with apricot fruits after he was born. After all these years, the apricot tree is still flourishing and living a delicious life.

Zhong Er immediately followed behind Xingzai, bent all the way, toe-toe, and quietly approached the crooked-necked apricot tree. They clearly saw that Jing'er and Ye'er were sitting on the tall and thick branches, under the cover of the impermeable branches and leaves around them, hugging each other, and seemed to be kissing each other very intently.

This is a very common problem in the eyes of contemporary people, but it was a rather serious problem in the eyes of people at the time. Zhong'er was visibly frightened. He grabbed the apricot boy and desperately escaped from the damn river and the damn crooked-necked apricot tree.

On the way back, Zhong'er sternly warned Xingzi that he would never dare to leak the scene he saw tonight to anyone, including his father and mother. Otherwise, Jing'er and Ye'er will die, and the consequences will be unimaginable.

Xingzi nodded ignorantly and said, if I tell this matter, I will be the yellow dog in our family, and the lame stupid dog in Bangwa's family. Then, he said again, the red scarf on Ye'er's shoulder is really beautiful, like a fire in the stove, red and red.

- What a red scarf, what a red scarf. I didn't see it.

- There is a piece, just around Ye'er's neck, and it looks like a bride.

- You make up words, you lie. No, just no.

- Yes, there is.

…………

The two of them blushed and quarreled on the road. Xingzi was in a hurry, so he tore off a handful of half-ripe apricot fruit and hit Zhong'er in the face. Immediately, the two fought and rolled together. Xingzi is smaller than Zhong'er, and his strength is weak, and of course it is Xingzi who suffers.

After the fight, the two of them didn't forget to wash the stains on their faces with water, and then dragged the wrinkled clothes to smooth out, before pretending to be safe and sound, and returned home one after another. When Jing'er also returned home, Maosheng had dinner.

During the meal, Xingzi couldn't help but sue Zhong'er, saying that Zhong'er beat him. Mao Sheng didn't say a word, touched the broom lump behind the door, and slapped the two of them on their buttocks. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the broom pimple is lighter when it falls on Zhong'er's buttocks, and it is much heavier when it falls on Xingzi's buttocks.

It seems that the apricot boy was hurt. He touched his sore buttocks with one hand, wiped his tears with the other, and argued in a choked voice that Ye'er had a red scarf around his neck. If you don't believe me, ask my eldest brother. He and Ye'er are the closest.

The xylophone fox looked suspiciously at Jing'er, who was bored eating, and asked, Are you with Ye'er?

- No, no, Apricot is talking nonsense.

Jing'er's face was flushed, and she squeaked and avoided the probing eyes of the xylophone.

- Why not, I saw you and Ye'er sitting on that crooked-necked apricot tree and kissing each other.

In order to confess himself, Xingzi actually forgot Zhong'er's warning.

No one was wary, and Maosheng would slam the chopsticks in his hand towards Jing'er. The two chopsticks jumped happily on Jing'er's head, and then bounced back to the dining table, knocking the dishes on the table with a clanging sound. Jing'er hurriedly got up, stepped into the courtyard, and fled.

Maosheng trembled and pointed at Jing'er's back and scolded, Jing'er, Jing'er, you little rabbit cub, how dare you do such a thing, it's immoral.

Xylophone stood on the floor of the house, thinking about something on his mind, deaf to Maosheng's words.

Mao Sheng scolded the empty yard for a long time, feeling bored. When he turned around and saw that Xylophone looked like he didn't care about himself, he didn't get angry. Mao Sheng, who was dizzy, actually vented his anger on the xylophone. I think she raised a cub who is not angry, and she did such a cheap thing, and the crowd couldn't raise her head.

Xylophone "snorted" and replied, what kind of cheapness, isn't it just to talk about an object. Don't talk about the object, can I talk to you, can I have this family? If you can't raise your head, you raise a large group of singles and raise your head, it's really confused.

- Am I confused?

The green tendons on Maosheng's forehead burst out, and a purple-red halo appeared on his face and neck. He hated and said, I think you are an old fool. These two cubs are lonely and widowed, in the barren mountains and wilderness, if you make something embarrassing, look at where your old face is placed on the human face field.

The xylophone was also said to be on fire. She replied casually, where to put it, it was still on her head. I can't manage my own affairs well, but I can manage my idle affairs leniently. If you have the ability, you can take the money and marry Jing'er's daughter-in-law seriously, so as not to let Jing'er do this sneaky thing in a hurry.

- I don't have the ability, you have the ability. You are a member of the party and a cadre. You're looking for money.

…………

So, around the word "money", the two quarreled fiercely for the first time. The two of them quarreled until midnight.

For a few days after that, Mao Sheng and Xylophone were angry and didn't speak to each other. During this period, there are words that must be said, all of which are passed on by Zhong'er and Xingzai.

Mao Sheng was really moved. He saw that Tian'er's face was gloomy, and he was silent and silent. Xylophone wasn't necessarily angry. She is still in the village and exercising the power of the village cadre.

During this period, Lanxiang always ran to Maosheng's house every now and then. As soon as I got into the pot house, I chirped with the xylophone for most of the day.

Finally, one day after dinner, Lan Xiang slipped into the courtyard of Maosheng's house.

As soon as she entered the door, she said dejectedly, Huang Li, completely Huang Li. His aunt, it's not that I don't help. These days, when you leave his house, you go to your door, and when you leave your door, you go to his door. The leg was broken, the tooth was smoothed, and the aunt was so good that he was alive, but who knows, the sour apricot just didn't speak. No matter what you say about three thousand, he just won't be angry.

Then, she said indignantly, bah, what kind of immortal are you when Ye'er. Look like that, it's pleasing to the eye when you look at it roughly, but if you look closely, there is no top-notch place for the eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth. Look at our Jing'er, you have to be good-looking, you have to have a figure, you have to have a job, you have to work, and ten or a hundred leaves can't resist it. Again...... Jing'er, aren't we a little poorer now? Work hard in the future, save enough money, your aunt, I have to find you a handsome girl who is one in a hundred......

At this point, the whole family understood. In the past few days, Xylophone has been quietly going to Ye'er's house to tell Jing'er about matchmaking. Perhaps from Maosheng's anxious actions, or from the group consensus faced by Xinghua Village, Muqin finally realized the urgency of Jing'er's marriage. If you don't rush to book the next person at a young age, when the age is up, I'm afraid I won't even be able to catch a little bit of a girl's hair. So, in her spare time, she paid attention to finding a candidate for a daughter-in-law. However, looking at it, no girl has been able to get into her eyes.

Chun'er, the eldest daughter of the Lanxiang family, has already decided on the master half a year ago, and she is a family surnamed Guo in Beishan Village, and the matchmaker is actually made by the sour jujube mother-in-law. Sixi's family has a daughter. Sixi's daughter-in-law Osmanthus had already released her words, saying that she was determined to send all her daughters to find her mother-in-law's house outside the mountain. When the daughters were married, she didn't want to suffer in this poor mountain nest, so she followed the daughters to settle down outside the mountain with Sixi.

Later, the more the xylophone looked at Ye'er, the more pleasing it became. Jing'er and she both grew up together, went to school in the commune together, and stood up to substitute for a summer vacation class when there was a teacher crisis in the village elementary school. It can be seen that the two of them can talk about going together. Ye'er's temperament is gentle and gentle, and she is also quiet and decent, which is really a good match. Especially a few days ago, Xingzi pierced the layer of window paper between the two of them, which strengthened the confidence of the xylophone.

She secretly told Lan Xiang her thoughts and asked her to try the matchmaker. Of course, Lan Xiang took this matter to heart, and worked as hard as her own business. However, after several twists and turns, it was finally the word "poor", which made this good thing yellow.

Ren Lanxiang spat and said for a long time, and only then did Muqin send her out of the door with kind words. Before going out, Lan Xiang took out a red gauze scarf from her arms and handed it to the xylophone. She said that it was given to Ye'er by Jing'er and returned it.

Back in the house, the xylophone sat quietly on the edge of the bed. Mao Sheng was busy inside and outside the house, with a gloating look on his face. In the twenty years that the two have lived together, the xylophone looks frustrated for the first time. He thought that the failure of the xylophone this time was completely a due reward for the quarrel between the two a few days ago.

Of course, Xylophone knew Maosheng's thoughts, and secretly laughed at his careful eyes. Just now, he was anxious about Jing'er's object, but when he turned around, he was competing with himself about Jing'er's matter. She ignored him and stared at the red scarf in her hand alone, thinking about her own thoughts.

That night, Muqin came to the West Courtyard with a red scarf and dragged Jing'er, who was crying and mourning, from the bed. She asked, is this what you gave Ye'er?

- Yes, I sent it, what's the matter?

- Where did you get it?

- I bought it.

- What kind of money?

Jing'er was annoyed. For the first time, he shouted viciously at the xylophone, one is not stealing, and the other is not robbing. It's the money I smuggled the not-so-ripe apricots into town and sold them. What's wrong, it's a violation of the king's law. You let the police arrest me. I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid of anything.

The xylophone laughed with a "flutter". She said, "Okay Jing'er, my mother doesn't dislike you." My mother wanted to ask, can this apricot be sold for money?

- Why can't you sell it, and the people in the town are rushing to buy it?

- Catch up with Ming'er, you can also take me to sell it back.

- Go, you are a member of the party. If you dare to do something illegal, the devil will believe it.

——How is it illegal to help the people in our village find a way to eat? Let's go quietly, but don't make a noise.

Jing'er nodded apprehensively.

The next day, Xylophone took a day off with Sour Xing and went to town sneakily with Jing'er. When it was dark, the two returned home.

Xylophone's face was happy. Zhang Zhang ate dinner in a row, put down his rice bowl and went to the door.