After Granny Xiang said this, she patted Qin Jiu's hand. I took a few greens from the basket and washed them carefully in a copper basin.

Qin Jiu squatted down and took the dish from Granny Xiang's hand, afraid that she would obstruct it again, so she preemptively said: "Mother-in-law, I'm a little hungry, you are considerate and considerate of my stomach, let me help me a little, we can eat earlier." ”

Granny Xiang couldn't refuse this, so she had to take a small stool next to her and stuff it under Qin Jiu's buttocks, "Miss, sit down, it's tiring to squat, be careful not to stain your skirt." ”

Qin Jiu saw that Granny Xiang responded, and she was silently relieved in her heart, she didn't have to think about working, but she just felt that she wanted to watch a white-haired old man busy with his eyes, and then he sat aside and stared, and she really felt a little sorry in her heart.

She sat down on the stool, which was made at a very high level, which made it easier to wash the vegetables without making her legs bend uncomfortably.

Qin Jiu pondered that he would ask Danzhu to go to the market to buy one for himself and bring it back to Wufu Mountain, so that it would save trouble next time he washed vegetables.

"Mother-in-law, where did you buy this stool?"

Granny Xiang was putting the washed rice into the pot, and when she heard Qin Jiu ask, she didn't bother to look back, "I don't know, the things in this house are all purchased by the young lady nine times out of ten." That stool was also bought for me last time when the young lady saw that it was inconvenient for me to wash vegetables, so you can ask her when you go back. ”

Qin Jiu nodded and replied casually, "Your young lady is really good to you." ”

Granny Xiang was busy with the work in her hands, and when she heard Qin Jiu's words, her eyes turned into a slit with a smile, and she responded seriously, "That's right, my young lady is the best person I have ever met." ”

"Mother-in-law, then why did you live with Sister Tsing Yi at that time?" Qin Jiu carefully examined the vegetable leaves in his hand, couldn't hold back his curiosity, and asked the question he had always wanted to ask.

Granny Xiang paused with her hand adding firewood to the stove, "Miss wants to hear this?" ”

"Well, I'm a little curious, but if my mother-in-law is embarrassed, she won't say anything. Don't always call me Miss, it sounds weird, you call me Xiao Jiu, the people on the mountain call me that. Qin Jiu raised his head and said with a smile.

"There's nothing to say about not being embarrassed, it's all about some Chen sesame seeds and rotten grains, if Miss Xiaojiu is not annoying, then I'll talk about it." Granny Xiang listened to Qin Jiu's words and called her Xiao Jiu, but a young lady was added to the back, which sounded more tongue-twisting.

Qin Jiu was a little helpless, put the washed vegetables in his hand in the basket on the side, and pricked up his ears to listen to the story of Granny Xiang.

The kitchen was shady, and I felt a little cold when I first came in. This ignited a fire in the hearth, but it removed much of the cold air.

The firewood kept crackling between the stoves, and the voice of the incense lady was sandwiched in it, and it came faintly.

"That's 50 years, I was originally a person from Wujia Village outside the city, my father and mother went early, and after the year of the year, I was managed by my brother and sister-in-law, and I planned to talk about family affairs.

At that time, there was a young man named Wu Cai in the east of the village, and he found a matchmaker to come to my house to propose marriage. My brother and sister-in-law saw that he was diligent and honest, and read some more books, so they agreed.

After a year of marriage at home, I officially married him. Although my brother and sister-in-law are not from a good family, they are also very sincere to me. I bought me a lot of dowry, saying that I would not let my in-laws look down on me. ”

When Qin Jiu heard this, he said with some envy, "Mother-in-law's brother and sister-in-law are really good people. ”

Granny Xiang glanced at her, probably because she thought of her family, her eyebrows and eyes were full of soft smiles, and the whole person sat by the fire, full of warmth.

"Yes, my brother is much older than me, and he has always treated me kindly. After my father and mother left, they treated me like a father.

At that time, I was still young, and my brother had previously said a family matter, and other girls disliked me as a drag oil bottle. My brother heard it behind his back, and the next day he went to return his relatives. said that even if I don't marry a wife for the rest of my life, I have to find someone who is good to me.

Fortunately, he later met his sister-in-law, who was the daughter of a village butcher, and because she had gained weight, no one had come to the door to propose marriage.

My brother was always afraid that I wouldn't be able to eat well, but the family didn't have any extra money. At the beginning of every month, he would go to the butcher to buy some unwanted bones, and come back to make soup for me to drink.

My sister-in-law is kind-hearted and knows that our family is not good, so she always secretly stuffs a few taels of meat in her brother's basket. ”

When Granny Xiang said this, she straightened up, took the vegetables that Qin Jiu had washed, and put them on the cutting board.

"Miss Xiaojiu, come to the fireside to bake your hands, there's nothing to wash."

Qin Jiu poured the water in the copper basin according to his words, moved a stool and sat in front of the stove, added a few sticks of firewood to it, and looked at his mother-in-law a little anxiously, "What about after that?" ”

Granny Xiang raised the knife in her hand, cut and arranged the vegetables in order, and the movements of her hands did not stop, and the words on her lips did not stop.

"Later, the young lady may not like to listen to it. The countrymen don't pay much attention to getting married, that is, they set a few tables of wine, and then disperse after eating.

On the night of marriage, I sent my brother and sister-in-law away, and there is a custom in the countryside that the bride's hands should not be wet, and that it is the hardships that will be lived in the future.

But Wu Cai's mother has a problem with her legs and feet, and if there are any concubines and sisters-in-law at home, I have never believed in these, so I helped clean it up. ”

Qin Jiu felt a little strange when she heard Granny Xiang's words, why didn't she care that the person she married was called her husband, she was so alienated. Could it be that the family did something to be sorry for her? What Granny Xiang said next really fulfilled Qin Jiu's conjecture.

Before the dishes were finished, a group of people came to the yard. The group of people carried torches, and they were fierce, and when they entered the courtyard, they drew knives and smashed things. shouted for Wu Dagui to come out and return the silver.

Wu Dagui is the name of Wu Cai's father, where have I seen this posture, I was so frightened that my legs were weak, and I leaned on the table to stand firm.

The father and son, who had eaten some wine in the house, got up because of the movement in the courtyard.

When I saw the two of them come out, my heart was a little settled, and I thought that if there was any misunderstanding to be solved, if I really owed someone money, I would take some out of the dowry and pay them back.

Who knew that as soon as Wu Dagui went out, he knelt down in fright when he saw this group of people, and kept kowtowing to let them let him go.

I had the courage to ask how much money I owed them, but I couldn't do it, so I asked my brother and sister-in-law to borrow some.

The man took out an IOU and read it in public, saying that Wu Dagui owed them a thousand taels of silver for gambling on the bank.

Although I can't read, but the IOU is clearly pressed with a red handprint, and Wu Dagui is scared like that, this thing is true nine times out of ten.

I suddenly felt that the sky had fallen, a thousand taels of silver, and the Zhuang family had never seen so much silver in their lives.