The longer he came to this era, the clearer Qiu Chen knew - this era was an era of scarcity of materials.

In modern times, not to mention that no one wants old clothes when they are eliminated, they are furniture and household appliances, which are broken, or even not bad at all, just because they are outdated, they will be eliminated and thrown away as garbage. Here, there is no waste of this at all.

She has personally experienced incredible poverty, and she has seen too much poverty and suffering with her own eyes, not to mention that not a single grain of food will be wasted, even old clothes, and she has really seen 'the new three years, the old three years sewing and mending for another three years', and even after sewing, it will continue to be tattered for a few years...... Even those from slightly better families will cut tattered old clothes into pieces of cloth and turn them into raw materials for sewing shoes and socks.

Therefore, there is no such thing as donating old clothes, unless there are large wealthy families, no one has old clothes that can be donated after being replaced.

And, because the emergency relief does not help the poor, too many poor people do not have enough food and clothing, she can't take care of that much, and her own family does not have so much food to take out for relief, what she can do is to let these women, old people and children come to dig water chestnuts in disguise, so as to pay as much as possible to pay a part of water chestnuts as a reward to supplement their rations. Although the work of digging water chestnuts is colder and more tiring, it does not require much strength, and it can be done regardless of the old and weak, and the labor efficiency will not be lower than that of young and strong laborers.

Rushing to Zhuangzi, Qiu Chen got out of the car and entered the house, and Zhou came back from the chicken shed and duck shed when he heard the news.

Zhou, who was dressed in coarse cloth clothes, was wearing short cotton clothes and pants, and had an apron tied around his waist, and the apron was stained with some dirt, and he greeted Qiu Chen from afar: "Why are you here?" Don't talk about it in advance...... Hey, don't come here, I'm dirty, sit down, I'll wash and change my clothes and talk to you. ”

As he spoke, Zhou went into the clean room to wash up.

Qingxing smiled beside her: "It seems that my uncle's wife is really happy to be tired, and she is a little windy." ”

Qiu Chen glanced at her, smiled and shook his head, but did not speak. She reminded Zhou more than once that her more important thing was to manage those subordinates and hired workers, but Zhou always preferred to do it herself...... Just like this matter of feeding chickens and ducks, it is enough for her to manage the feed distribution of chickens and ducks, medicine and epidemic prevention, and where she needs to go in person. However, these are small things, as long as nothing happens to the big things, she will not force the Zhou family to abandon the habit of many years.

After a while, Zhou had already changed into a muslin jacket and skirt, combed his hair again, washed his hands and face, but he didn't wear any jewelry, and his clothes were just clean, revealing a simple and capable taste from the inside out.

Walking in and sitting next to Qiu Chen on the edge of the kang, Zhou smiled and said, "When did you enter the city?" Is home okay? ”

"It's all good." Qiu Chen nodded with a smile, answered, and changed the topic, "Are those people okay here?" I think there are a lot of old people and children......"

After all, Nanmarsh Lake was handed over to Yang Shuyong and Zhou's to take care of, she didn't discuss the eldest brother and sister-in-law this time, and she stuffed a group of old and weak women and children over, and she was afraid that the eldest brother and sister-in-law would not be happy but embarrassed to say it, after all, there is no place to recruit workers to recruit old and weak women and children, even if the labor efficiency of old and weak women and children is not low......

At the mention of those people, the smile on Zhou's face faded, and he sighed heavily before speaking, and said, "You don't have to worry, those people ...... Although most of them are old people and children, because of the two water chestnuts, they all work hard...... We also did the work of digging water chestnuts years ago, a young and strong laborer only digs forty or fifty catties a day, although it was difficult to dig in the cold at that time, but not as much as they dug, an old woman, a sixty old woman can dig more than forty catties, and an eight-year-old child can dig seventy catties...... At first, I was afraid that those people would be hungry and would bring disaster to the water chestnuts in the field, but I secretly followed them and saw that none of them were harmed or eaten, not because they were not hungry, but because they were reluctant to eat...... Later, I learned that there are still hungry people at home who can't crawl and are waiting for them to bring things home to save their lives! ”

As he spoke, Zhou couldn't help but redden, pulled his sleeve and wiped the corners of his eyes, choked and slowed down for a while, before he continued: "You can rest assured, let's give them this job, and give them 20%, they all know how to be grateful, and on the first day, they kowtowed to me together...... The children, the wives and old men in their fifties and sixties, all kowtow to me...... Alas, think about it, for us it's just a few catties of water chestnuts, which can't be sold for much money, but for them it's life-saving food! Alas......"

Qiu Chen was also full of heaviness when he heard what Zhou said, but he also felt a little relieved.

Her eldest brother and sister-in-law did not disappoint her, at least for the time being, they were still simple and kind, willing to give part of their labor income to help those who were more poor. She originally planned that if Yang Shuyong Zhou's family had any objections, she would take the initiative to ask that this part of the hiring fee be classified under her own part of the profits, but at this time, seeing Zhou's like this, she thought about it and swallowed her previous plan.

She still doesn't want to say the kind of words that are too utilitarian, people in this era are far less sober than modern people's sense of terms, too utilitarian and clear, maybe it will hurt the relationship between brothers and sisters. Of course, Qiu Chen will also remember this and erase it in other things, so that his brother and sister-in-law will not really suffer.

After saying this, Qiu Chen breathed a sigh of relief slightly, and said a little relying: "I came from the city temporarily, and I haven't had lunch yet,...... Sister-in-law, let's see if there is anything to eat? If there is a ready-made one, use the ready-made, if there is no ready-made, just make a simple one, I am also a cushion. ”

Hearing this, Zhou hurriedly jumped off the kang and counted as he walked out: "It's such an adult, why don't you know how to take care of yourself...... I know the way, I know the way, you wait, you will get it in a while. ”

Before he finished speaking, the man had already run out of the city in a hurry.

Qiu Chen smiled, asked Chunxiang to come out with him, washed his face with cold water, and then took off the jewelry he wore outside, except for his coat, and only sat on the kang with a close-fitting jacket. Zhou Shi also followed and turned back, coming in with a plate of xiaolongbao and a bowl of soup in his hand, and when he saw Qiu Chen's casual and lazy appearance, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile: "The way it looks at this time is like when you were a girl...... Try it, just under the kitchen steamed steamed buns, I steamed some steamed buns according to your method, put water chestnuts and dices, can you taste it? ”

Putting the plate on the kang table, Zhou turned his face to Qingxing Chunxiang and said, "I also left you buns in the kitchen, so go and eat!" ”

Qingxing and Chunxiang smiled and looked back at Qiu Chen, Qiu Chen waved his hand and said with a smile: "Hurry up and go, I'll talk to my sister-in-law, I don't need you to serve!" ”

Qingxing and Chunxiang bent their knees, smiled and went down to eat.

Zhou gave Qiu Chen a bun and said with a smile: "You can eat it with confidence, and I also sent it to the person who followed the car." ”

Qiu Chen smiled and lowered his head to eat. After eating a small bun, he swallowed it clean, nodded with a smile: "The meatballs are fragrant and chewy, and the water chestnuts are just the right size, crispy and sweet...... Sister-in-law's craftsmanship is still so good......"

As he spoke, he pointed to the soup in the bowl and said, "This is ...... Purple cabbage and egg drop soup? ”

Zhou pursed his lips and nodded with a smile: "Didn't you say that shepherd's cabbage is the freshest?" This was just dug in the morning, and it got a small handful. After three or five days, the shepherd's cabbage will be bigger, and when the time comes, you will come over and give you the shepherd's cabbage dumplings to eat. ”

Qiu Chen ate the buns and nodded again and again.

After lunch, Qiu Chen rested for a while, asked for a coarse cloth dress from Zhou, carried a basket, and didn't use Qingxing Chunxiang to follow, only let Zhou accompany him and went to the lake beach.

The lake beach that had just thawed was particularly muddy, Qiu Chen simply pulled up his trouser legs, tied them with a handkerchief, and then stepped on the mud and walked in.

The shoes were wet, and the cotton socks were also wet to the ankles, and the soles of the feet were cold and cold, making the whole person feel cold quickly.

Qiu Chen looked down at his feet covered with mud and water, frowned and sighed: "We are dressed thickly, and it is not cold even if our feet are wet, those old people and children...... Alas! ”

Zhou also moved his feet, and said with the same emotion: "This is how things are in the world, don't talk about you, even I have never suffered this kind of suffering......"

The sister-in-law just sighed in a low voice and continued to walk inside. Soon I found an undug place near the group, and when I went down with a shovel, I heard a crisp click...... Qiu Chen's movements froze, Zhou shook his head with a smile, and said in a low voice, "You dug it up...... In this way, do you see such dry seedlings? Shovel ...... from the side"

The leaves of water chestnuts were already packed in silk strips, and after drying up, after a winter of consumption, there was not much left, and they were still stuck in the mud, Qiu Chen lowered his head and tried to identify them, and it took a while to learn to identify the location of water chestnuts, and then dig down, and she didn't shovel the water chestnuts again, but her turtle speed, even she felt that she was blushing.

The sister-in-law dug for a while, and gradually moved closer to the crowd.

It's just that Qiu Chen soon saw that an old man and a child she was trying to approach glanced at her, then stood up with difficulty, and walked away with half a bag of water chestnuts......

Qiu Chen was stunned for a moment, looked at himself blankly, and then looked at Zhou.

Zhou sighed and said in a low voice: "There are no patches on our clothes......"

Qiu Chen looked down and couldn't help but be surprised. Although she and Zhou wore the most simple coarse cloth clothes, they were still too good compared to the ragged clothes on those old people and children...... There is no patch not to say, and there is no dirt,...... It's so clean!

Those people judged that they were not of the same kind, but subconsciously did not provoke, but only avoided them so as not to cause trouble.

Qiu Chen sweated for a while, and simply didn't take any roundabout policies, just carried the basket to the seven or eight-year-old boy who was alone, and didn't follow the adults around, took out a boiled egg from his arms, shook it in front of the child's eyes, and said with a smile: "Auntie doesn't know how to dig water chestnuts, you teach your aunt to dig water chestnuts, I'll give you eggs to eat, okay?" ”

The child's dark eyes were fixed on the egg, and he subconsciously swallowed his saliva before nodding hesitantly.

Qiu Chen handed the egg to the child, the child held the egg with a pair of small hands that were frozen red and stained with muddy water, and looked at it with care, just when Qiu Chen hesitated to let the child wash his hands and eat it, the child reluctantly stuffed the egg into his arms, and pressed it with his hand when it was finished, and then showed a happy smile.

Stunned, Qiu Chen asked, "Why don't you eat it?" Don't you love eggs? ”

The child looked at Qiu Chen a little strangely, shook his head and said, "Keep it for my sister...... Well, there is only one, and I can only keep my brother from seeing it. ”

The smile on Qiu Chen's face froze, looking at the child's black, thin and cracked little face and the little hands that may be full of frostbite under the red and swollen muddy water, his eye sockets were hot, and tears almost welled up.

Blinking his eyes, Qiu Chen struggled to put up a smile again: "You teach me well, teach me to dig water chestnuts, and I'll give you another egg, okay?" That way, your younger siblings will have eggs to eat. ”

The child's face was full of joy, and such a bright smile made the spring sun in the sky inferior. nodded vigorously, then lowered his head, pointed to the dead leaves of water chestnuts on the ground, and taught Qiu Chenlai.

The child taught very seriously, and Qiu Chen, a fake student, was also very involved in learning, and soon, Qiu Chen was able to dig out the water chestnuts completely.

"Is that so? Look, this one is so big! Qiu Chen dug out a water chestnut bigger than an egg, and couldn't help but cheer.

The child turned his head to look at the water chestnut in Qiu Chen's hand and nodded: "This is very sweet!" ”

Qiu Chen smiled and nodded, took out another egg from his arms, and handed it to the child's little hand, "You teach very quickly, give you another egg......"

The child grinned brightly, wiped the mud that Qiu Chen had stained on the eggs on his body, and put the eggs into his arms very carefully.

"What's your name?" After getting along for a while, the two of them became more familiar, and Qiu Chen began to dig water chestnuts and talk.

"My name is Chunsheng, and my mother said that I was born in March of Spring...... My brother's name is Donglai, my sister's name is Yu'er, my mother said, my brother came in winter, and it was raining heavily when my sister was born...... "I got two eggs, obviously Chunsheng was very happy, and then there were more words." It's just that, as he spoke, the little guy's voice gradually lowered, and the little face with a bright smile also sank again.

Qiu Chen looked at his appearance, and then thought that there was not even an adult around him, so he wondered in his heart, is his parents gone?

was thinking about how to continue to ask, Chunsheng lowered his head, his subordinates quickly dug water chestnuts, and said in a low voice: "My father died of the epidemic last year, and my mother also remarried...... I'm the only one left at home......

Qiu Chen raised his eyebrows, he was very surprised that this was the case, he swallowed his saliva, but he didn't have much disgust for Chunshengniang, who didn't care whether her children lived or died. In this case, maybe the woman is just trying to survive...... Although, she would never think that it was right for that woman to abandon her three children.

After a moment of silence, Qiu Chen finally found his voice and said in a low voice: "Chunsheng, have you spent this winter with your younger brothers and sisters?" ”

Chunsheng nodded gloomily, and shook his head again: "My mother came back to see us and sent us two bags of noodles...... If you don't let two bags of noodles, my younger siblings and I ...... Maybe I'll starve to death! ”

Qiu Chen was stunned. The little disapproval of Chun Shengniang's abandonment of the child just now is gone, and the woman can't support her child, so she uses the method of remarriage in exchange for two bags of noodles?

Such an approach...... Qiu Chen was unable to describe his feelings except for surprise and surprise.

It's like she once watched a TV series about a mother who worked as a prostitute for her children and used the money from selling her body to support herself and her children...... At that time, she still felt that the plot was particularly bloody, and at this time, listening to Chunsheng not have the slightest resentment, but told her mother that she missed her mother infinitely, she no longer felt bloody.

Chunsheng's mother was unable to support her three children, so she remarried in exchange for food to help her children survive hunger...... She could not criticize such an approach in any way.

After a moment of silence, Qiu Chen tried to ask, "You can dig water chestnuts now, but what should you do when you finish digging water chestnuts?" Your brother and sister are still very young, aren't they? ”

Chunsheng's expression became more and more gloomy, and he lowered his head and whispered: "I, I will dig wild vegetables......"

Qiu Chen looked back at Zhou's and saw her nodding, so he said in a low voice: "I know the people on this Zhuangzi, I heard that they recruit children like you...... Herding sheep, will you herd sheep? If you can, I'll help you tell you that if you come to herd sheep, you can earn money to support your younger brothers and sisters. ”

"I will, I will! Before the epidemic, my father bought a sheep and came back to feed my sister, and I went to herd the sheep...... It's a pity, when my father died, my mother sold the sheep and replaced it for a ...... for us to eat" Chunsheng said this, raised his hand to hold Qiu Chen's basket, looked at Qiu Chen and said, "Auntie, you can help me talk about it, I will herd sheep, I will work hard, and I will not be lazy......"

Qiu Chen raised his hand, touched the child's unkempt hair, and nodded: "Let's go, I'll take you back to talk about it...... If Zhuangzi answers that you should be used, let's ask again if we can take your younger brothers and sisters over, and when the time comes, you can also take care of your younger brothers and sisters by herding sheep. ”

Chunsheng's face was full of joy, and he nodded again and again: "Well, well, I know it!" ”

As he spoke, Qiu Chen took Chunsheng's little hand and stood up, Chunsheng had been squatting for a long time, his legs and feet were numb, and he almost fell into the mud with one step. Qiu Chen still reached out to support him, and then took the small half-pocket water chestnut dug by Chunsheng and carried it on his shoulder. Her own basket was naturally carried by Zhou.

When Chunsheng's legs and feet eased slightly, Qiu Chen led the child and was about to leave, when an old lady with gray and unkempt hair next to him rushed over tremblingly and stopped in front of Qiu Chen: "Where are you taking this child?" ”

Chunsheng said to the old lady with a happy face: "Grandma, this aunt is going to take me to Zhuangzi, she said that she can take me to Zhuangzi to talk about it, and let me herd sheep on Zhuangzi...... Grandma, if I can come and herd the sheep, Winter and Rain won't have to go hungry anymore......"

But the old lady refused to relax at all, staring at Qiu Chen and the Zhou family behind her suspiciously, reaching out to pull Chunsheng over, while saying: "Don't be my wife and a baby of a few years old, let you coax you, you are going to kidnap and sell the baby, right?" I advise you not to think about it, my wife promised his mother to take a good look at the baby, and she will never let you abduct the child......"

I kindly wanted to save Chunsheng, but I didn't expect to be treated as a kidnapper with a child.

Qiu Chen cried and laughed: "I really know the people in the village......

Subconsciously defended, and after seeing clearly the non-negligible suspicion in the old lady's eyes, Qiu Chen simply stopped defending with a wry smile, but said with a smile: "Old lady, if you don't believe it, follow me to have a look...... Well, don't worry, it's just that Zhuangzi, it's not far away, and it won't delay you digging water chestnuts! ”

In this conversation between the old lady and Qiu Chen, many of the people who were lowering their heads and focusing on digging water chestnuts just now also raised their heads and noticed this, and at this moment, another old lady and a woman in her thirties came over. Silently stood beside the old lady.

Yes, this is to prevent yourself from playing a black hand on the lone old lady!

Helpless, Qiu Chen had no choice but to hand over Chunsheng to the old lady for the time being, and even the half bag of water chestnuts in his hand was picked up by the woman in her thirties and carried on her back.

When they arrived at the Zhuangzi, the people in the village saluted and greeted Zhou and Qiu Chen, and Qiu Chen no longer confessed anything to the old lady at this time, but only handed the old lady to Qingxing and Chunxiang, who came out from afar: "You take this child and the old lady to wash their hands, take some hot things for them to eat, and bring them over to see me when they are finished!" ”

Chunxiang promised to go with a few stunned people, and Qingxing served Qiu Chen to freshen up and change into her clean clothes. Zhou also changed his clothes, but he only cared about pressing Qiu Chen to the kang and covering his legs and feet with the quilt: "Hurry up and cover it, don't get frostbitten......"

As he spoke, he hurriedly ran out of the kang again, and brought a pot of brown sugar ginger jujube tea for a while, and then he also went to the kang and drank tea with Qiu Chen to keep warm.