The next day, Mrs. Xia saw her sister-in-law fiddling with the fruits and snacks used for sacrifice in the hall. He leaned over and deliberately sighed deeply: "Alas!"

The sister-in-law listened and said curiously: "Yo! Grandmother, it's almost the New Year, what makes you worry like this." ”

When Mrs. Xia saw that she had answered, she said earnestly: "It's not your big house yet! Alas, I don't know what's going on, but I don't like your mother-in-law." You see, in the early years, I said that I should let my eldest brother study. It's better for her to let him farm. ”

The sister-in-law looked unhappy and said dryly: "Someone has to plant the land at home." Besides, Xianggong is not the material for reading. ”

"It's too late to say whether the continuation is the material for reading. But Ruhai is the eldest grandson of our long house, and that is an example of their generation. If you want me to say, you can't delay like your big brother anymore. ”

After that, he asked with some curiosity: "Ruhai is okay with schoolwork, right? It's not as good as the seventh brother, but it's not inferior to the sixth brother and the eighth brother, right?"

He didn't wait for her to answer, but shook his head and said, "Alas, look at how you came up with such an idea." let his son go to the test for fame, but let his nephew guard the retreat for him. Look at it, look at it, alas!" Mrs. Xia shook her hand, hung her head and walked away slowly.

The sister-in-law was upset by the old lady's long sigh. When he came out, he saw his son, and hurriedly pulled Ruhai into the room.

"It's not okay to mess up my heart, it's a good thing for the fifth uncle to let you go to the county to do a bookstore, but I always feel that this matter has delayed your future. The sister-in-law rubbed her hands and fidgeted in a hurry.

Ruhai was overjoyed, and it was really right to find the wife. Ruhai has heard from her grandmother since she was a child that Xiao Xia's mother-in-law is eccentric, pressing their big house and not letting them get up.

I didn't expect the fifth uncle to take the imperial examination this time, so I wanted him to be the secretary of the office. Ruhai was quite unconvinced in his heart, and it was good for him to study by himself, so why couldn't he take the road of the imperial examination? I wanted to make a wedding dress for the fifth uncle? If the fifth uncle couldn't go through the imperial examination, would the position in this book office be returned to him, or should it not be returned to him?

Ruhai settled down: "Mother, since the fifth uncle knows that the imperial examination is better than the book, it is naturally more promising." I have been studying since I was a child, although I am not as good as Uncle Seven, but in our Xia family, there is no child next to me who can be better than me. But this is not his boasting.

Sister-in-law Xia sat on the edge of the bed and pondered, if the fifth uncle came back in the future and wanted a seat for this book, they would not be able to give it, and there was a mother-in-law on top of her. At that time, if Ruhai wanted to take the road of the imperial examination, he would be old. What should I do?

That night, I heard the eldest brother and sister-in-law arguing in the room.

After arguing for two or three days, Xiao Xia's mother-in-law also knew one or two. called the sister-in-law to the room: "Since you don't want to go to the county government to do things, just tell me." The palms and backs of my hands are full of meat, and I can't just take care of the fifth brother. ”

The sister-in-law hurriedly said, "Mother loves us. I"

Xiao Xia Pozi smiled, stroked the corner of the table and said slowly: "It's also a little bit of selfishness, you have been busy and hard for your family all these years, and you want to pick some peaches first." There are so many sons and grandchildren in our family, only I am afraid that the children will have nothing to do, but there is no need to worry about no one taking on an errand. ”

He also said: "As the eldest sister-in-law in the past few years, you have been in charge of the Xia family, and you have merit and hard work. These are things that I care about you. "Sister-in-law Xia's face was red and white for a while.

He asked again: "If you don't go to the county, you can think about the future." ”

The sister-in-law came back to her senses at this time, moved her lips, and said softly after half a sound: "Ruhai is also good at studying, and I plan to continue to take the exam." ”

Xiao Xia smiled: "This is also excellent. As long as the children have serious things to do, they don't have to do anything. ”

He asked again: "But have you asked Ruhai? Rushan is not small, do you have any plans?"

The sister-in-law's heart that she had just put down was raised again, "I asked, the child himself also wants to try it, and the family now has the conditions, and it is not bad for that money." Like a mountain, like a mountain, he naturally followed his brother. ”

Xiao Xia Pozi smiled when she heard this, and nodded again: "Brothers in battle, fathers and sons in battle." It's great that their brothers are willing to help each other. ”

In this way, he comforted Sister-in-law Xia a few more words, and asked a few more words about how the New Year's gift from the second brother and Xue Yu's grandmother's family was returned, and let the sister-in-law go by herself.

When the fifth brother was about to return to the county, Xiao Xia's mother-in-law said to her sister-in-law: "It's settled, I have asked the third uncle, the third aunt and Ruju, and in two or three years, Ruju will study with the fifth brother after taking the Xiucai exam." ”

The sister-in-law listened to the news blankly, half speechless.

The third sister-in-law was so happy that she laughed from morning to night. But he said to his sister-in-law: "Sister-in-law, you are really blessed, just wait for your son to ask for your fate." ”

The sister-in-law was angry and hateful in her heart, but she couldn't.

Xiaoyu looked at it coldly, and couldn't help but say to Xiao Xia's mother-in-law: "One, it's stupid." One, it's a spoiler. Mother, why did you marry such two daughters-in-law in the first place? ”

Xiao Xia Pozi said angrily: "Don't talk nonsense. Although your sister-in-law is stupid, her heart is not bad. Don't look at her squeezing your second brother away back then. In the most bitter years, she ate gruel, and the food she served to your second brother was dry rice. ”

"As for your third sister-in-law, it was your third brother who climbed high at the beginning. How many people are begging, the abacus is good, and the goods are understandable. In the wine shop, none of those three-class customers can take advantage of her. ”

Xiaoyu listened thoughtfully. He hugged Xiao Xia and asked, "Mother, whose family is the sixth sister-in-law?" Can we rob someone else's house?"

Xiao Xia looked at her with a smile. When the days are good, you can do your best to marry a daughter-in-law.

Xiaoyu ran to the fourth brother again, borrowed a whetstone, threw off his arms and began to sharpen his sword.

The fourth brother shook his head on the side.

But it was a brass hairpin given to her by the second brother during the New Year, made into the shape of a sword. It's not worth a few dollars, but Xiaoyu doesn't like it, so I'll come over and grind it if it's okay.

The fourth sister-in-law asked her: "You sharpened this hairpin so sharp, turned back and inserted it into your hair, and you didn't become a little bald man." ”

When Xiaoyu heard this, he didn't dare to sharpen the blades on both sides anymore, only sharpening the sharpness. If you're fine, use it as a dart to shoot at the wall.

Old Xia Pozi likes to eat soft things when she is old, and the fifth brother got her a few loaches from the restaurant in the county town and stewed tofu. Xiaoyu snatched this obedient job and sent it to Mrs. Xia.

Old Xia said: "Your mother has been in a bad mood these days, so don't make her angry." ”

Xiaoyu smiled secretly in her heart, but said on her lips: "No, there have been a lot of things in the past few days." He snorted at the eldest sister-in-law and the third sister-in-law's room, "Those two are also not worry-free." My mother also said, this daughter-in-law, she really has to be a mother-in-law to know the hard work of this mother-in-law. ”

Old Xia Pozi listened, pursed her mouth with few teeth.

Xiaoyu sighed angrily again: "I regret it." If they had listened to you, where would there be such a thing? Alas, how else to say: there is an old man in the family, if there is a treasure. ”

Mrs. Xia became more and more happy when she heard this, and looked out the window again to see that there was no one, and then she touched the kang cabinet. The lock on it was opened, and a small box was carefully taken out of it. He also opened the small lock on the small box, and there were many gold and silver ornaments in it. There are a few gold bracelets, gold rings, and gold earrings that look good, and I think they have been in the past few years, and the second brother and the fifth brother have honored her.

The old lady rubbed it for a while, and then put the largest gold bracelet on Xiaoyu's wrist. made Xiaoyu cry and laugh, the gold bracelet was too thick, how could Xiaoyu's small arm be able to hold it, and it kept falling down.

Xiaoyu took it in her hand and played with the sun for a while, and then reluctantly returned it to her grandmother: "Grandmother, you have a lot of good things." But you have to keep it for me, and you must add makeup to me when you get married. After thinking about it, I still couldn't believe it, and used the copper hairpin to engrave --- light rain on the inside of the bracelet. Only then did I feel relieved to return it to my grandmother.

provoked the old Xia Pozi to point her forehead: "You little goblin." ”

Xiaoyu also smiled, rummaged through the box for a while, picked out a small silver earring, and looked at it for some years.

Old Xia was quite distressed when she saw it, but she was a little happy, and Xiaoyu knew that she had chosen the right one.

The old lady hesitated for a while, and then said ruthlessly: "You have to keep it carefully, don't lose it." After saying that, he looked at it nostalgically for a while, and Fang brought it to Xiaoyu.

On the second day, Xia Xiucai was taken aback and reprimanded: "Why did you ask the old lady for the things at the bottom of the box." ”

He turned his head to look at Mrs. Xia again: "Mother, this is your dowry." ”

Xiaoyu immediately turned her head and looked at her grandmother weakly, and Mrs. Xia blinked knowingly, signaling Xiaoyu not to be afraid. Both grandparents and grandchildren smiled at Xia Xiucai with tacit understanding.

Xia Xiucai saw it, so he gave up.

In February, the Xia family's long-awaited county test was finally unveiled. Sure enough, several children from the Xia family passed the Tongsheng exam very easily. In April, the seventh brother also lived up to expectations and came back with the head of the case. The firecrackers of the Xia family are endless, and there is an endless stream of people congratulating in the village. Sister-in-law Xia's somewhat shaken fame heart was firm again.

Xiao Xia's mother-in-law discussed with Xia Xiucai and wanted to send the sixth brother, seventh brother and Ruhai to the academy in the house. There are all talents from various counties, and there are teachers who are proficient in the imperial examinations, which is of great benefit to their homework.

The sixth brother practiced with the Wang brothers and the Zhao brothers in the lake. Xiaoyu took a teapot and teacup from home, and carried a few handfuls of tea leaves. Everyone replaced wine with tea, composed poems and danced "swords". Although it was a little sad, it was also a lot of fun.

In the afternoon, the group walked back in a noisy manner.

Walking quickly to the entrance of the village, I saw the children and villagers in the village running away from a distance, and a leprosy dog was chasing after me with saliva dripping and drooling. Some villagers passed by and shouted, "Run, run, I don't know where the mad dog is coming." Just bit the third brother of the Wang family. ”

The sixth brother hurriedly picked up the light rain and ran out. In the end, Xiaoyu has grown up a lot, how the sixth brother ran fast with her on her back, and fell behind everyone after a while. In a panic, he followed others into a rugged path, and before he could go far, he tripped over a rock, and the brother and sister both rolled on the ground.

When the mad dog saw that someone had fallen, he immediately abandoned everyone and pounced on the sixth brother and Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu caught a glimpse of the side, not knowing who dropped the firewood knife on the ground. Hurriedly crawled over and held it in his hand, and when he heard the wind behind him, he turned around and slashed at the mad dog, and slashed at the shoulder of the mad dog.

didn't want the firewood knife to be embedded in the dog's bones, Xiaoyu's strength was too small, and he couldn't hold it anymore, so he had to get rid of the knife. The mad dog fell to the ground diagonally, rolled and stood up, and finally his shoulder was hit, and his left leg could only be faintly touched to the ground. At this time, he stared at blood-red eyes, and gasped for breath. A dog's head swayed from side to side, as if measuring which one to attack first.