Chapter 11 The Huo Family

After giving his three children school, Yuan Anping felt that he would definitely not be at peace today. So I didn't go to the bed, but prepared some miscellaneous noodles, planning to try to eat cakes. And during the period, more than a dozen children were examined, except for one child who was too young, less than five years old, and the rest were accepted one by one. This act of giving off the child does not end until late in the evening.

After eating the multigrain cakes with different shapes, Yuan An lay down in the quilt and remembered what Li Zi said during the day. Huo Xiaohan's family has also been moldy for eight lifetimes, and he has to think of ways to help each other, but first he has to be able to see people. "I don't know if he'll be able to eat enough these days. I don't know if Li Zi can quietly pass the word on. ”

Yuan Anping wanted to see Huo Xiaohan, but he didn't see him come to him, and he didn't know if it would cause him trouble if he rushed over. So he asked Li Zi to secretly send him a message, asking him to come to him, thinking of getting him some more food.

The next day, Yuan Anping got up early and got up at dawn.

When he was just making breakfast, he heard a knock on the door, and he thought it was someone who had come to see off the child, and he thought to himself that it was too early. As a result, when he opened the door, he saw that it was Huo Xiaohan, who was still carrying a rag in his hand, and it seemed that there was a machete and rope inside.

Yuan Anping immediately smiled on his face, and said enthusiastically: "You are here, come in, come in." Without waiting for Huo Xiaohan's reaction, he pulled the person into the courtyard and closed the gate with his hand.

He looked at Huo Xiaohan, his face was still very pale, and he was still wearing so little.

Huo Xiaohan noticed that he was looking at himself, and lowered his head slightly, "Li Zisue sù I want to see me, so I ......"

Yuan Anping took Huo Xiaohan's hand and walked to the hall, "Let's go into the house first, don't blow the wind in the yard." Have you eaten? Even if you do, you will eat some more with me. ”

Huo Xiaohan felt a little embarrassed when he was holding his hand, but because Yuan Anping's hand was too warm, he was reluctant to break away. After entering the house, I felt a sudden warmth.

Yuan Anping asked Huo Xiaohan to sit down, then turned around to serve the meal, and seeing that Huo Xiaohan didn't pay attention to him, he took out two bowls of chicken soup in the space.

Huo Xiaohan, who was sitting on the side with some apprehension, was attracted by the words on the wall, thinking that the child who could learn calligraphy with Yuan Anping was really happy. Then I suddenly smelled a tempting fragrance, and my stomach screamed uncontrollably. He was so ashamed that he quickly lowered his head.

Yuan Anping pretended not to hear, put the chicken soup on the table, took him two more multigrain cakes, and then stuffed the chopsticks and cakes into his hands, "Eat quickly." After speaking, he drank first, but he paid attention to Huo Xiaohan out of the corner of his eye, and saw that he drank the soup slowly, and then he relieved himself.

Huo Xiaohan ate very slowly, Yuan Anping drank all the bowl of chicken soup, and he hadn't drunk much.

Yuan Anping took a look and found that he was reluctant to eat, so he hurriedly urged him, "Xiao Han, you have to drink faster, if this soup is cold, it won't taste good." ”

Huo Xiaohan raised his head, his eyes were red, "It's delicious when it's cold, I've never drunk such a delicious chicken soup." ”

Yuan Anping took pity on him even more, lowered his voice and said, "Xiao Han, drink it while it's hot, it's good for your health." ”

Huo Xiaohan did it obediently, he was reluctant to eat too much, he hadn't eaten much, and the food was very precious to him. Just like the bread in his hand, he always wants to eat less, so he can save it for the next meal.

Yuan Anping watched Huo Xiaohan finish eating, and saw that he really couldn't eat, and looked at the cake in his hand with reluctance, and smiled. Then he got up and wrapped him three cakes, as well as two eggs, "You take it and eat it, although it is not good to eat cold, but it is better than being hungry." ”

Huo Xiaohan shook his head again and again when he saw something, "I don't want it, you can keep it for yourself." I...... I'll just take this cake that I've left. ”

Yuan Anping couldn't tolerate him refusal, and directly stuffed things to him, "Take it, I have a lot to eat now." You also know about my students, I won't be short of food in the future. Remember, come to me when you're hungry in the future, don't resist. ”

Huo Xiaohan didn't say anything, he wouldn't do that.

Seeing his reaction like this, Yuan Anping said, "Listen to me obediently, your mother will not give you food in the future, you must find a way to come to me, you know?

Huo Xiaohan nodded slightly.

Yuan Anping said: "I know that you must go up the mountain to chop wood, and I will accompany you." ”

Huo Xiaohan hurriedly stopped, "Don't accompany me, it's not good to be seen." If my mother found out, she would have asked you for something. Moreover, they are thinking about how to make you rich and rich, and they don't want to produce anything good. ”

Yuan Anping was speechless for a while, "Your family, one by one...... You're really unlucky enough to be in such a family. ”

Huo Xiaohan pursed his lips, "It's just that my life is not good." ”

Yuan Anping cut off, "What bullshit is not good, you can only blame your family for being too poisonous." There are many women in this world who have difficult births, and I haven't seen anyone like your mother who desperately said that the child would kill her parents. ”

Huo Xiaohan didn't know what to say, he felt that what Anping said was right, but he had been scolded by his parents and family, and he himself believed it a little.

Huo Xiaohan said: "Actually, my second sister-in-law is quite good to me. ”

Yuan Anping obviously didn't believe it, "How can she be nice to you." ”

Huo Xiaohan, "She didn't scold me, she didn't beat me, and sometimes she helped me do some work." In fact, the second sister-in-law is also a poor person, because she only gave birth to Qingqing, she has never been liked by her mother, and she was complained by the second brother. ”

Yuan Anping sighed, "It's because she's not your family." ”

Huo Xiaohan knew too well the temperament of his family, so he had nothing to say, "I have to go to chop wood, don't go with me." ”

Yuan Anping glanced at his hand, "You wait a minute. Then he went into the bedroom and took out the frostbite cream he had prepared, and the plaster was packed in a small bamboo tube, which he still asked Li Zi for. He also cut a decent piece of clothing from the original owner, made several pieces of cloth, and he came out with something, "There are some plasters in this bamboo tube, which are used to treat frostbite, and these cloths are wrapped in cloth when you apply the plaster." However, you still need to wash these cloths carefully. Without waiting for him to refuse, he stuffed him into the rag bag he had brought, and then instructed, "Remember to apply the medicine." Also, if you're hungry in the future, come to me, don't carry it. ”

Being cared for by others, Huo Xiaohan was very warm-hearted, and he couldn't help but have a smile on his face, and said yes with a smile.

Huo Xiaohan worked all day and was very tired, but he was very happy in his heart. In the evening, the rest of the family ate in the hall, while he ate in the kitchen with his second sister-in-law and Qingqing. They were given three small breads, and porridge so thin that you could see the bottom of the bowl, and a small half bowl of turnips, most of which was water. Even so, he was so hungry in the past that he was like eating the delicious food of the world, but he couldn't eat enough at all, and he was all carried by drinking water.

Huo Xiaohan saw that the second sister-in-law broke some of the cakes for Qingqing, he lowered his head and drank the porridge, thinking about whether to take out the cakes. Yuan Anping gave him three cakes and two eggs, and now there are two cakes and one egg left. Although he was willing to give the eggs to Qingqing to eat, the egg smell was too obvious, and he was afraid of being smelled. He thought about it, but still took out a cake, "Sister-in-law, this is for you." "The cakes made by Yuan Anping are not as thin as his family, although the cakes given by Yuan Anping look ugly, they are big enough and thick enough.

Yuanshi was surprised to see the cake Huo Xiaohan took out, and quickly looked back at the outside of the kitchen, found that there was no one, and then lowered his voice and asked, "Where did you come from?" Their food was picked tightly by her mother-in-law, and there was no door to eat it secretly.

Huo Xiaohan let her take it and eat it, and replied in a low voice, "This is given to me by someone else." ”

Yuan broke half of the cake and gave it to Huo Xiaohan, and then told his daughter, "Qingqing, don't tell anyone that you know?"

Qingqing nodded obediently, she wouldn't sue anyone, otherwise her mother and uncle would definitely be beaten.

Yuan broke the cake, soaked it in hot water, gave some to his daughter, and ate it quickly, worrying about who would come to the kitchen.

Huo Xiaohan also ate quickly, and the three of them finished eating the cake before they put their minds at ease.

Yuan Shi felt that it was really comfortable to eat enough, and then asked Huo Xiaohan in a low voice: "Xiaohan, who gave you this cake, I seem to have added a lot of white noodles to it." Isn't someone taking a fancy to you?"

Huo Xiaohan hurriedly shook his head, his face was a little red, he lowered his head and whispered, "It's not like that, he just pitied me." ”

Yuan sighed in his heart when he saw him like this, both of them were people with a hard life. She didn't have a good life when she was a child, and it was even more sad to come to this house because she couldn't have a birthday. But in comparison, the life of his little uncle is more bitter.

In the hall here, they were talking about Yuan Anping's acceptance of people to learn calligraphy.

Huo Xiasheng took a chopstick dish and put it in the bowl, "I heard that Yuan Anping accepted more than a dozen children today, and I inquired that Yuan Anping has accepted twenty-four children." The women who married out in our village, they heard the news, and some of them also sent their children, and Yuan Anping accepted most of them. You said that this Yuan Anping is also true, just teach the children in our village, how can we even accept those from other villages. ”

Huo Yangsheng snorted, "What can it be, it's not because I want to collect more things." You don't know that Li Mo and a few of them disliked Yuan Anping, saying that he was not able to measure himself, misled people's children, and was not worthy of learning the words of a sage. Anyway, there are a bunch of them, and they are very disgusted. As she spoke, she turned her head to look at her mother, "Mother, when do you say we will send Fugui over?"

Liu wiped his mouth, "Don't worry, didn't he say five days." I'll go and ask what everyone has sent, and then we'll sum it up, so we can't let him take too much advantage. ”

Huo Yangsheng felt that the idea was good, and raised his hand to clip chopsticks and dishes for his son, but saw Huo Fugui with a disgusted look, "I am tired of eating radishes every day." Then he looked at his grandmother with a sweet smile, "Grandma, give me a scrambled egg next time." ”

Huo Ronghua, who was being taken care of to eat on the side, also shouted to eat eggs. Han also helped and said, "Mother, if you don't make two eggs for these two children, they haven't been fishy for a long time." And Fugui has to learn to write, eat better, will be smarter, learn better; Ronghua, this child is too young, you see this little face thin, I feel sorry to death. Han thought to herself, if she made it for her son, she could also take a bite by the way, and she wanted to eat eggs very much.

Huo Xiangxiang, who was particular about eating and sleeping silently, snorted in her heart when she heard her sister-in-law's words, but she also said to the mother sitting next to her with a smile on her face, "Mother, I also want to eat eggs." I always eat radishes these days, and my face is not as good as it used to be. In fact, this family, except for her two nephews, is the most ruddy in her face.

Huo Xiasheng, who was poking chopsticks in the bowl with chopsticks, said: "I don't care how much you want, anyway, as long as you eat eggs, you must have my share." Huo Yangsheng didn't say anything, anyway, as long as he did it, he would definitely be able to eat it. As for Huo Dayu, he didn't say anything, but the difference was that he didn't have the right to speak. As for the so-called head of the family, Huo Laohei, he never expressed his opinion.

Seeing that it was his favorite little son, his precious daughter, and his lovely little grandson who were talking, Liu Shi decided that scrambled eggs was too extravagant, "Okay, scrambled three eggs tomorrow." ”

Huo Xiasheng felt that it was too little when he heard it, "Fry two more, how can three be enough to eat." Mother, I know you've saved thirty-eight eggs. ”

Liu scolded with a smile: "You son of a loser, it's really easy for your mother to save those eggs, at most four scrambled." ”

Huo Xiasheng saw that this was his mother's limit, so he didn't say anything more. Thinking about being able to eat eggs tomorrow, the family is happy.

This room was full of joy, and Huo Xiaohan, who was still busy with all kinds of work after eating in the kitchen, heard someone calling him when it was just getting dark, when he was brushing pots and washing dishes.

Yuan, "Like a kid from the Li family, you go out and see what he's looking for you." ”

Huo Xiaohan wondered if it would be Yuan Anping who asked Li Zi to pass a message to him, so he went out with great anticipation.

Huo Xiaohan went out and found Li Zi standing far away from his door waiting for him, so he trotted over happily.

Huo Xiaohan asked with some expectation: "What are you looking for me?"

Li Zi glanced at Huo Xiaohan, thinking that Yuan Anping would really find him a job. But who let the other party be his husband, and he had bullied Huo Xiaohan before, so if he helped him, he would compensate him.

Li Zisai gave him a small bag of things, directly indicating his intention, and he whispered: "This is what Brother Anping asked me to give you." That's right, Brother Anping asked me to bring you some food every night. Isn't the toilet close to our two houses, and when it gets dark, I'll put a cuckoo in our yard, and you can excuse yourself to go to the toilet, and I'll give you the food at that time. ”

Huo Xiaohan hesitated, "Otherwise, if you sue Yuan Anping, don't send me food." ”

Li Zi said impatiently: "Why are you so troublesome, what a good thing it is for someone to bring you food, it's really stupid for you to refuse." Don't worry, Brother Anping has received a lot of things in the past two days, those people have sent him any eggs and white noodles in order to send their children to learn calligraphy, and he also received two chickens, not to mention any miscellaneous food. Rest assured, he has enough to eat. That's it, I'm leaving. So saying, he ran into his house.

Huo Xiaohan was stunned for a while, Yuan Anping was too good to him, and he couldn't bear it.

When Yuan saw him coming back, he was a little absent-minded, so he asked, "Li Zi bullied you again?"

Huo Xiaohan shook his head, "No." He came to me...... It was to ask me where I usually collect firewood. ”

Huo Xiaohan's room was in the utility room, and on a hardboard bed that only could accommodate him, there was a quilt with many patches.

At night, he put down the hot water he had secretly taken. He closed the door from the inside, and carefully washed his hands and feet by the light of a young man at the base of the wall of the room. took out the bamboo tube and stared at it for a while, carefully applied a thin layer to the frostbite of his hands and feet, and after rubbing it constantly, he wrapped his hands and feet with the clean strips of cloth he had saved. He took the quilt and draped it over his body, and took out the small bag of things that Li Zi had given him from his arms. It was wrapped in paper paper, and when he opened it, it turned out to be sugar. There was a small amount of half a catty of white sugar, and Huo Xiaohan cried in a low voice after looking at it. After crying, he wiped away his tears, took out the egg in his arms, and put it on the fire. Hold the mattress and bake it next to the fire.

After the fire was extinguished, Huo Xiaohan lay on the bed, peeled the hot eggs, dipped them in some sugar and ate them. He felt that it was his blessing that someone was good to him, and he should not live up to Yuan Anping's kindness. Finally, he carefully wrapped the sugar and stuffed it into the pocket of his underwear. In order to hide some food, he always secretly sewed some pockets into his clothes, which are just right for now.