Chapter 276: Another year

Sending Yun Jichen away, the first thing Qiu Chen did was to make people hungry for a basket of sand and soil, put potatoes, that is, potatoes, in it, bury it with sand, and put it in the back cover room. Covered with sand, the potatoes will not shrink, and they are placed in the back cover room because the house is cold, and because it is next to the main house, there will be some temperature, so as not to freeze. French fries and potato chips, Qiu Chen didn't treat them very well before, he hadn't eaten them for more than two years, but he thought about them a little when he saw them again. There are also shredded potatoes and stewed potatoes, and there are many potatoes, which can also be used to extract starch to make vermicelli, flour skin, cold powder, and cold skin...... It's drooling just thinking about it.

As for the corn, she carefully placed it in the cabinet where the seeds were stored. There are watermelon seeds, pepper seeds, and tomato seeds that I haven't eaten this year. Looking at the small bags of seeds, Qiu Chen felt the beauty bubbling in his heart, next year, there will be so many fresh fruits and vegetables at home.

Yun Jichen, who was sitting in the carriage and walking towards Qingshui Town, did not have much joy on his face.

At lunchtime at Lin's house, he drank two cups, his head was slightly dizzy, but his brain was extremely clear. He and Liao Wenqing have only been really close for more than a year, but the two get along happily and cooperate smoothly, and they really feel that Liao Wenqing is his brother. Seeing Liao Wenqing like that, he was really a little unbearable and a little distressed. Furthermore, he naturally thought that their soap-making business was the cooperation of Liao, Yun and Lin, and before, the reason why he was happy to see Liao Wenqing working hard to marry Lin Niangzi was also because he thought that the cooperation between the three would be smoother. But now, seeing Liao Wenqing's state, I am afraid that the matter of marrying Lin Niangzi will be shelved, if Lin Niangzi remarries someone else, will it affect future cooperation?

Thinking like this, Yun Jichen couldn't help but think of the two masters in the capital, those two were very interested in the Lin family, is there some possibility? If Lin Niangzi marries one of them, can she really cooperate with him with the powerful position of those two? Will you want to monopolize the soap business? Before, the reason why Lin Niangzi cooperated with them was nothing more than because of the connections and manpower of the Yun and Liao families, if Lin Niangzi married one of the two, this network and manpower would be much stronger than the Yun and Liao families.

Lin Xu was delayed for a few days because he wanted to go to the mansions to give New Year's gifts, so he simply waited until the mansion had a big vacation, and then packed up his things, leaving the two members of the Shunzi family and Baoliang to take care of the house, and then he turned back to Liujiaao.

When he returned home, he saw the second elder of the Yang family, the eldest sister-in-law of the Yang family, the second brother and the second sister-in-law, and Qiu Chen took him to freshen up and change his clothes, and then turned to the west courtyard to ask Mrs. Lin for peace. When he arrived at the Lin family, he inevitably talked about Lin Xianniang again, and Lin Xu had just learned about the Tao not long ago, and he blamed himself when he talked to Mrs. Lin this time. At that time, the fifth sister went home, and he should have escorted it back. Mrs. Lin sighed, but she was inevitably sad.

After talking about these trivial matters, Mrs. Lin asked Lin Xu to take the housekeeper to Zhuangzi to have a look. Although this year's disaster year, the villagers on the Zhuangzi followed Qiu Chen's Zhuangzi, and also planted summer vegetables, autumn vegetables and winter vegetables, which were also purchased by the Lin family. Mrs. Lin asked Lin Xu to take a look, which was nothing more than an attitude that this home belonged to Lin Xu, and Lin Xu would have to bear it in the future.

After entering the wax moon, the flavor of the New Year is like a day by day. Especially after Laba, Qiu Chen felt that there were things to do every day, and these things, without exception, were all to prepare for the New Year.

What Qiu Chen didn't expect was that on the tenth day of the lunar month, the old man Yang Liancheng once again proposed to return to Yang's shop. Qiu Chen was very surprised, he was still trying to persuade him, but he was stopped by Liu.

Liu Shi held Qiu Chen's hand, almost subconsciously rubbed Qiu Chen's fingers and said, "Girl, don't persuade me, it's not easy for your father to agree to live here for a while...... Our family name is Yang! Not to mention that now in the girl's house, even if it is 1,800 miles away, as long as there is one who can do it, I have to rush home for the New Year...... The Chinese New Year is not another time, if you want to ask the tablet to worship the ancestors, you can't let the ancestral tablet of the Yang family enter the door of the Lin family......"

After Liu's words, Qiu Chen no longer insisted, although he was reluctant to let go of the second elder, although he didn't understand the matter of worshipping ancestors, he still reluctantly agreed.

Before, Qiu Chen never thought that the second elder of the Yang family would order him to go home, so he prepared a copy of the New Year's things, but now that it was suddenly like this, Qiu Chen had to break out more than half of the New Year's materials prepared by his own family and bring them to the second elder of the Yang family. Fortunately, the new clothes for the New Year have been prepared, and Qiu Chen has also brought them to the second elder of the Yang family and the Zhao family.

Liu told Qiu Chen that when he went home this time, he only took Zhao and Junli because he also went to school, so he didn't take him back this time, and after the twentieth month of the lunar month, there was a holiday in the school, and then Yang Shumeng took the children home together.

Suddenly, early in the morning of the eleventh day of the lunar month, the Zhou family took the Qingjiang family, and asked Zhao Jiu to bring two mothers-in-law and two servants to escort them, and brought all kinds of household goods back to the Yang family's shop.

The family's house has not been inhabited for several months, not to mention the cold, there must have been dust, and the Zhou family took the Qingjiang family and these people back in advance, so as to clean the house. Although it is not yet the 23rd day of the lunar month, it is not bad for these days, paste the wallpaper, hang the ceiling, and then replace the new curtain bedding with it, and wait for the second old man to go back, you can comfortably place it directly.

As for the Qingjiang family, Qiu Chen arranged another task and asked her to go to Nannuma Lake after placing the second elder in the Yang family's shop. Qingjiang is in Nannuma Lake, let the Qingjiang family go over, let the two get together, and the Qingjiang family will also accompany Qingjiang for the New Year. In addition, during the New Year, Yang Shuyong and Zhou's family have to go home for the New Year, and there are two members of the Qingjiang family watching on the side of Nannuma Lake, which is also reassuring.

Qiu Chen took a few girls and mothers-in-law to be busy for two days, and in the early morning of the thirteenth day of the lunar month, he sent the two elders of the Yang family to the car. Yuhe went back with the second elder of the Yang family. Although Yuhe's deed was not given to Liu, it is clear that Yuhe has already given it to Liu, and she will not be allowed to return to him.

Before leaving, Qiu Chen discussed with the two elders of the Yang family and said that he would pick them up after the New Year. Yang Liancheng was noncommittal, and Liu smiled and comforted Qiu Chen: "In the spring of next year, your second sister-in-law will be confined...... We'll see when the time comes. ”

As soon as he heard this, Qiu Chen knew that after the old man, he probably didn't plan to stay for a long time, and he would inevitably be disappointed. But she also understands that in this era, childless old people don't like to go to their daughter's house to live...... What's more, the Yang family is still full of children and grandchildren!

The second elder lives here with her, although she is dedicated, the second elder is inevitably a little unsteady and uncomfortable...... The stubbornness of traditional ideas and concepts is often beyond the imagination of the parties themselves.

Whether it's sentimental or lost, life has to go on, the Spring Festival is approaching, all kinds of things are pressing, Qiu Chen doesn't have much time and energy to be sentimental and lost.

Seeing off the second elder of the Yang family is already half a month and a half. Previously, Yun Jichen sent the soap-making dividends in the second half of the year, and the Guo family also sent his mother-in-law to send a New Year's gift, and at the same time, there was also a housekeeper in charge of the two cooperative businesses. Although he experienced a plague during the period, and Guo Jingquan, the old man of Guo, was also trapped in the epidemic area for several months, the drug business cooperated by the Guo family and Qiu Chen had little impact, and the dividends brought to Qiu Chen were also very objective.

After that, several families from the Tang family and the Wu family came to give New Year's gifts, and Qiu Chen also met people and said a few words of greetings.

In a blink of an eye, he entered the twentieth month of Layue, and Zhao Jiu returned to Liujiaao with the people who went to Yang's shop to clean up. At this time, the local people in Anping County who came and went with each other also came to give New Year's gifts, and Qiu Chen threw his hands and handed them over to Chen and Zhao Jiu for reception. Qiu Chen watched his family prepare New Year's gifts for several gentlemen.

There were four gentlemen in the private school before, and after the two gentlemen who invited Lin Xianniang also came, there were five gentlemen in the private school. There are many gentlemen, and the subjects have also been assigned, some teach primary enlightenment, and some teach more advanced classics and history, plus two painting masters, one landscape, one flower and bird. Liu Jiaao's private school is already very strong in terms of teachers.

The teaching conditions are good, not only the children of Liujiaao are concentrated here, but even the children from the surrounding villages of Beigao Village and Wangjiamiaozi have also come to study one after another.

There are more children and more gentlemen, and the original small yard looks cramped as soon as you enter it. Qiu Chen pondered that when the spring began after the year, he would expand the playground in the east, expand the school a little, and then prepare special housing for the gentlemen, and build it into an independent courtyard where the Daxing family lived. In this way, the obvious land is not enough, so Qiu Chen took advantage of the New Year's gift to the village a year ago, and said about it.

Brother Quan of Liu Yugui's family has signed a deed with the Lin family, and now he is a master in the soap-making workshop in the capital, and he can't help but take the high monthly money, and there will be dividends at the end of the year. Moreover, the Lin family did not publicize the deed, but the two families knew it in private. There is also the business of the Liu family to buy various kinds of medicinal materials in the surrounding villages, and they also earn a lot of silver in a year. It can be said that the Liu family followed the Lin family and Qiu Chen, and the days were really prosperous, and after the New Year, Liu Manyin planned to build a new house in the west of the village. Old man Liu Yugui is now well-fed and well-dressed, everything is going well, his complexion is ruddy, full of temperament, and he seems to be getting younger and younger.

The relationship between the two families is very close, and the expansion of the school that Qiu Chen said is also the foundation of the long-term development of a village, and it is a good thing to truly benefit the villagers and accumulate fame and virtue.

Qiu Chen naturally had no objection to such an arrangement. She doesn't want to be famous, and she doesn't care who comes forward.

On the twentieth day of the lunar month, the school was on holiday, and Pan Jiaqing and Mr. Yuan's family were here and did not leave. Mr. Ding and several gentlemen who came after him were going home for the New Year. Qiu Chen asked everyone to prepare a generous gift, and sent a carriage to send them back.

On the twenty-first day of the lunar month, the children have been looking forward to the long-awaited ice fishing, although there are a few less Qin Yi and Qin Xiao this year, but there are old man Mu, Junwen Junshu Chengzi and a few older children, after a year of exercise, the body is not a little bit stronger, and you can also take the net to catch fish. Moreover, this year there was a lot of rain, and the fish also grew very well, and at the end of the day, the harvest was quite abundant.

On the twenty-second day of the lunar month, Qiu Chen sent Yang Shumeng back to Yang's shop with a few Junwen brothers.

Zhao is pregnant, and the eldest brother and sister-in-law have to take care of the Nannuma Lake, so let the second brother go back with the children as soon as possible, and take care of the elderly and pregnant women at home.

The second brother left with the children, and Junwen and several of his little servants also followed, and the house was much quieter all of a sudden.

After Qiu Chen accompanied Afu Aman for a day, Qin Li and Qin Yong proposed to go to the mountain to hunt again. Qiu Chen didn't refuse this time, and took Ah Fu Aman to follow, and the old man Mu naturally wouldn't leave such a lively scene, and he also followed up, but the old man's vision was high, and he was not interested in the common hare and pheasant, and he didn't treat the yellow sheep roe deer very much. said that it was the New Year, and made a sable to make a scarf for his little disciple as a gift. It's a pity that although there are many wild animals here, but I have never seen sables, and after the last, when the group was busy making lunch, the old man left once, and brought back a litter of small foxes, and it is a very rare fire fox, which is full of joy and no eyes. Of course, you don't have to think about fox skin, it's rare to be full of it, and you don't let go of it when you hold it in your arms, so you naturally take it home and raise it. It's not good to be depressed about the ingots and oranges that were favored before.

The twenty-third sacrifice to the god of the stove began, and the flavor of the year became stronger and stronger.

Qiu Chen followed him up the mountain, but he didn't follow again, and the two children followed Qin Li and Qin Yong but ran up the mountain almost every day. Until the twenty-sixth day of the lunar month, the Lin family broke the ice again to fish, this time the amount of fishing was still not much, and they kept their own food, and the other was a New Year's gift to the old people in the village.

Twenty-six, the workshop issued monthly money, year-end rewards, and New Year's goods, so there was a holiday. Because the soap sales are too good, the workshop does not have a long holiday, and it starts working on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.

On the twenty-seventh, Qiu Chen threw the affairs of the family to the Chen family and the Daxing family, took the children, and was escorted by Qin Li and Qin Yong, and the old man Mu automatically and spontaneously followed, and the group set off and went straight to Nannuma Lake.

This is the first year of fish farming, but Lake Nannuma itself has been a lake for many years, and there are many fish. Qiu Chen thought about trying to catch a winter. Such a big lake is not a small pond in front of the door, it is not possible to dig an ice hole to catch fish, Qiu Chen also thought about the next net. Fortunately, Qin Li and Qin Yong spent the winter fishing when they were in the north, and they were not afraid that their skills would not be up to standard.

In order to hurry, Qiu Chen and the others all rode horses. Afu Aman was led by Qin Li and Qin Yong. The group arrived at Nanmarsh Lake at the beginning of noon. Junwen Junshu and these children were already waiting in Nanmara Lake, and as soon as Afu Aman arrived, he didn't bother to enter the house, so he was dragged by Junyan Junzhang and ran to the lake to skate.

After lunch, Qin Li and Qin Yong went to the ice to wipe the position of the net. There are many things to do in winter fishing, one of the most important is to find the right place to put the net, otherwise it will affect the harvest and may even get little if you miss the fish.

Old Man Mu seemed to be a little disdainful, and went to sleep in the guest room prepared for them by the Zhou family.

I rested very early at night, got up at midnight the next day, ate a hot meal, and went straight to the ice.

When he arrived on the ice, Old Man Mu suddenly proposed to divide into two teams with Qin Li and Qin Yong, each responsible for a net, to see who caught more fish. Qin Li and Qin Yong are both young people, Tu Lehe, and they are also competitive, so they immediately agreed. However, Qin Li approached Old Man Mu with a smile and said a few words, Qiu Chen didn't hear what Qin Li said from a distance, he saw Old Man Mu snort, gave Qin Li a roll of his eyes, and led a dozen people to the depths of the lake.

Qin Li walked back with a smile, and Zeng Da Niu asked, "Brother Li, what did you say to the old man?" ”

Qin Li touched his nose, looked at Qiu Chen, who was also looking at him with a smile, and said in a low voice: "I want to tell the old man that you can't use poison...... If poison is used, the fish in this lake will not be other than others! ”

The smile on Zeng Daniu's face froze, and Qiu Chen's expression instantly froze. I don't know if Old Man Mu was too kind, she didn't feel the slightest pressure. Hearing Qin Li say this, she remembered that Old Man Mu's reputation in the rivers and lakes is not very right, it is said that he is a character who is both good and evil, and his behavior is the most casual, this time Qin Li thought of it, otherwise the old man would be competitive and sprinkle a handful of poison into the lake, and her Nanmarg Lake would be finished.

The fishing process was a bit tortuous, but fortunately, the result was quite satisfying. Qin Li and Qin Yong caught more than 200 big fish in one net, because the mesh used was large, and the fish caught weighed six or seven catties at the least. What everyone didn't expect was that Old Man Mu actually gained more, dragging back nearly four hundred big fish, and at this moment, Qin Li and Qin Yong were convinced.

Because of the early start, it is not too late to finish fishing. When Qiu Chen and the others returned to Zhuangzi, they stewed in a big pot of freshly caught fish, ate a hot and delicious fish pot, loaded the car, and Qiu Chen and Afu Aman returned to Liujiaao with the two carts of fish they had harvested.

When I rushed back to Liujiaao, it was already the end of the night, and after a tiring day, the group washed and fell asleep. The weather is cold, and the fish has long been frozen into ice fish, which is still placed in the car and pulled directly to the backyard to be placed.

The next day, Zhao Jiu and Daxing took people to divide the fish into many portions, plus the rice noodles and cotton clothes that had been prepared before, and sent them to the elderly over 50 years old in the village.

Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, the blink of an eye is Chinese New Year's Eve.

Every family no longer goes out and walks around, and they are at home to celebrate the New Year and have a reunion dinner.

Because of Lin Xianniang's departure, Qiu Chen did not stay with Lin Xu this year, but let Lin Xu go to the West Courtyard to accompany the old lady for the New Year.

Qiu Chen and Afu Aman were left in the family, Qiu Chen simply sent the servants who had a family and a business back to reunite, and she took Qin Yong, Qin Li, Old Man Mu, and Chen and other servants who had no family business to gather in the main house for the New Year.

Fortunately, there are also four people Qin Li and Qin Yong, as well as the old naughty boy Old Man Mu, early in the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve, Qin Li and Qin Yong brought Afu Aman to paste money on the door frame of the lintel inside and out, paste couplets, paste door gods, and hang lanterns. Old man Mu also followed with his hands behind his back, not making a move, but always shouting which one was crooked, and which couplet was high and low...... Afu Aman and the little girls gathered together and watched the excitement noisily.

Qiu Chen took Yuegui and other girls to paste window flowers on the windows. Chen went to the big kitchen and was busy for the most important Chinese New Year's Eve meal of the year.

At the beginning of twilight, the village was filled with the sound of firecrackers. At first, there were one or two sparse people, and soon the sound of firecrackers became one. This year, the villagers of Liujiaao either went to the Lin family to work, or went up the mountain to collect medicine, that is, the autumn and winter vegetables planted in the field, because the Lin family opened up the purchase, and also got a lot of money, this year can be said to be the most abundant and rich New Year in many people's memory. When the days are better and the heart is happy, it is natural to show this joy, and firecrackers are undoubtedly the medium that can most directly reflect this joy. Therefore, the sound of firecrackers in Liujiaao during the Chinese New Year this year is louder than in previous years, and it lasts much longer.

In addition to clothes, the Lin family also bought many firecrackers and fireworks. Qiu Chen also learned after listening to Daxing's inquiry that there are already many varieties of fireworks in this era, and the best of them is the box flower, which is set off on the ground, which is somewhat like the fireworks of later generations; There are also barrel flowers, which can be set off hand-held or fixed, and they are also the main fireworks varieties in later generations. I bought a lot of fireworks for both kinds, but the one didn't look good until it was set off at night.

Qiu Chen took Ah Fu and Ah Man to stand in the gate hole, Qiu Chen covered Ah Man's ears, and Chen covered Ah Fu's ears, watching Qin Li and Qin Yong set off more than ten sets of firecrackers outside the gate.

After the firecrackers were set, the food and drinks in the house were also arranged.

In order to be lively, Qiu Chen gathered the whole family in the main room of the courtyard to celebrate the New Year. Qiu Chen took his two children and Old Man Mu in the Xili, and Qin Li, Qin Yong and Chen accompanied each other under the kang. The other mothers-in-law and girls were in the west room, and the servants and servants set up a large table in the lobby.

After drinking two glasses of wine and eating almost, Old Man Mu felt that the house was too stuffy, so he took Afu Aman and Qin Li and Qin Yong to the outhouse to join in the fun. In the Xili room, there were only two people left with the Chen family to accompany Qiu Chen.

Qiu Chen leaned on the pillow and silently looked out the window through the small piece of glass on the window.

Brand new red lanterns were hung in the courtyard, and the cold wind of Chinese New Year's Eve blew through, and the red lanterns swayed, making the courtyard scene shrouded in a warm halo seem to be shaky and unreal.

In this era, it is already the second Chinese New Year.

Last year, with Qin Zheng here, she and him were also in this room, talking, and passed without feeling anything. She didn't seem to say a lot that night, and she didn't seem to say many special things, and she didn't seem to remember what she said, but she didn't feel this kind of emptiness or ...... at that time Deserted!

The outhouse, whether it was a maid or a servant, drank the wine, Qiu Chen let go again, let everyone be lively and happy during the New Year, these people also let go, noisy and shouting, talking and laughing were extremely lively, as if the outhouse and the western room were full of people, and they couldn't hold it.

In the Xili room separated by a wall, although he was accompanied by the Chen family, Qiu Chen felt uncomfortable empty, and it was so cold that people wanted to curl up. In fact, the fire kang and fire wall in the house were burning very hot, and she was just wearing a pair of jackets. Actually, it's not cold, it's the loneliness that flows out of the heart.

"Mother, let's go with fireworks!" Aman's little face was red and fluttered like a big apple, and he grabbed the edge of the kang with his small hands and was about to climb up the kang.

Qiu Chen shook his head, woke up, and laughed secretly in his heart, when did he learn to be a science student, and he learned to be sad and sad.

Although he has changed to an era of backward productivity, although he has left his favorite laboratory and research, in this world, he has children, daughters, and a large family of relatives...... In addition, her career is also a small success, there are workshops and fertile fields, and it is not worse than modern times, what is she not satisfied with, why did she suddenly sigh?

Well, it's all infected by the lively festive atmosphere of tonight's reunion...... Every festive season, she misses her relatives, so she also makes a fool!

"Let's go, let the flowers go!" Qiu Chen came to his senses and cheered up. Chen looked at Qiu Chen and changed his color, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly brought up the cotton clothes and cloak he wanted to wear, and waited for Qiu Chen to wear them. Chunxiang and Yuegui came in and waited for Aman to wrap his big fur cloak, and Qiu Chen took Aman's little hand and walked out of the door together.

The servants and maids had already dispersed, and the servants carried the fireworks outside the gate and laid them out on the ice of the pond, while the maids and ladies were thickly wrapped and stood under the gates and eaves waiting to watch.

Qiu Chen came out with Ah Man's little hand, and saw Ah Fu also following Qin Li and Qin Yong to place the box of flowers. Without waiting for Ah Man to stand firm, he broke free of Qiu Chen's hand, ran out of the city on his feet, and took a bucket flower from Ah Fu and held it in his hand.

"Man'er, you are still ......" Seeing that the little girl was holding a bucket of flowers almost as high as her to set off, Qiu Chen was naturally worried, and he wanted to stop it completely subconsciously.

Qin Li turned around and smiled at Qiu Chen, revealing two rows of white teeth: "Madam, don't worry, I'll hold Man'er and let it go!" ”

The little girl Man'er didn't notice her mother's concern and worry at all, she smiled like a flower with an apple face, waved the bucket of flowers in her hand towards Qiu Chen, and shouted loudly: "Mother, you look, Man'er will show you flowers!" ”

At this point, it was useless for Qiu Chen to stop it, since Qin Li was watching, she simply pressed it, nodded, and gave Man'er an encouraging smile: "Okay, mother is waiting to see Man'er and her brother release flowers!" ”

Although the village households are better off and more prosperous, no one is willing to spend a lot of money on fireworks. In this era, fireworks can definitely be called a luxury, a bucket costs one or two silver, a box costs at least three taels of silver, and better, such as those purchased by the Lin family, each box costs five taels of silver. Five taels of silver is enough for a five-person family to live a prosperous and prosperous year!

The children in the village had long heard that the Lin family had purchased fireworks, and the adults were secretly looking forward to this grand spectacle. Yes, when the Lin family came out, there were already a lot of children gathered outside the gate, and as soon as the bucket flowers and box flowers were moved out, those adults didn't know where to hide, and they also rushed over as quickly as possible, and they all stood on the bank of the pond next to each other, only flashing out the direction of the doors of the east and west courtyards of the Lin family, talking and laughing, looking forward to the lighting of the fireworks.