In April, even if the spring ploughing was busy, every household was idle, some villagers in Lijia Village went to the county seat to find work, so as to supplement some households, and even some women went to the city to help the rich families do laundry and do some needlework to make money.

Situ Yan was not idle, the last time she came back from the market, she asked the village to help find someone to build a pigsty and chicken coop, and also built a livestock shed, the weather is getting hotter and hotter, and the mule can't be kept in the utility room.

I also asked Aunt Fu to help buy ten eggs and two little piglets, and these days in addition to digging herbs and cutting pigweed, I am learning to hatch chicks at home. I followed Aunt Fu for a few days, and then I took the eggs back and tried to hatch them myself, while burning the kang to control the temperature, but also to pay attention to the humidity, and to turn the eggs, I was busy for more than ten days, and when Aunt Fu came to see again, none of the chickens were alive, and the whole fetus was dead.

"Girl, you can see everything on weekdays, what's wrong with this time?"

"Auntie, it's too difficult to hatch chicks, I can't even sleep well at night these days, but I still killed the chicks."

"If it's so easy to hatch, that chick won't be able to sell for 10 yuan a piece, fortunately, you didn't try much this time, otherwise it's a pity."

"Auntie, I really can't do it this time, or you can help me buy 15 chickens, I can't afford this crime. If it hatches, I am not afraid of the hard work, but I am afraid of working in vain. ”

"I persuaded you at the beginning, but you didn't listen, you had to try, this time you are dead?"

"I don't think that if I can succeed, I will teach my brothers, if I am not there one day, my brothers will have many skills to survive."

"You, you can't get enough of it. Is it that your brother has a letter from there again, and he is going to pick you up? ”

"No, it's always good to have more ways to make money at home, and my eldest brother will become a relative in the future, and this craft can also be taught to my sister-in-law, but unfortunately I really took it this time, and I really can't do this job."

"You are a girl, you talk about marriage all day long, so you are not afraid that you will not be able to get married?"

"What's the way, we don't have an elder in our family, if I don't care anymore, when will the eldest brother be able to marry, and I'm still waiting to be an aunt."

"You just toss, just a few people have a good temperament, and you can mess around."

"My brothers are in pain. Auntie, I'll ask you for help. ”

"Okay, this matter will be done for you tomorrow, you can wait at home, I still have something to do at home, so I'll go back first." After sending Aunt Fu away, Situ Yan broke the hatched eggs and fed them all to the fish. When Li Dalang came back in the evening, Situ Yan told Li Dalang and the others about the matter, and laughed so much that they didn't straighten up their waists while lying on the kang for a long time.

"Little Wu, it turns out that there are also things you don't know, and I can't bother you with anything."

"I originally thought that Xiao Wu could do anything, but now I feel that I am not so stupid." Looking at the brothers who fell on the kang with a smile, Situ Yan couldn't cry or laugh, she was not a robot, she could do anything. "Laugh, laugh, I still have a lot of things that I won't do, you guys laugh."

"Alright, don't laugh." Li Dalang suppressed a smile and forced a serious expression. The more he was like this, the louder Erlang laughed, and finally even Situ Yan fell on the kang with laughter. When it was time to read in the evening, Situ Yan reasoned with a few people, "Brothers, I used to think that I knew everything and knew everything, but no matter how hard I tried these days, I couldn't hatch chicks." In fact, no matter how strong a person is, there are things he can't do and won't do. ”

A few people also felt that it made sense, Situ Yan saw that a few people understood it, and also wanted them to understand that people's hearts are sinister and things are changing, so she went on to say a few more words, "In the future, we may have no choice but to do something that we can't help ourselves, even if we know that it is wrong, we must do it with a clear conscience; Sometimes you know it's right, but if you do it and it will cause harm to your family, you can't do it. ”

"Little Five, I don't understand?" The more Erlang listened, the more confused he became, even San Lang shook his head, Situ Yan sighed, and it was no wonder that the four of them couldn't understand, if they hadn't experienced it personally, they just heard about it, how could they understand, "Brothers, as long as you remember, don't do things that hurt your relatives, don't do things that violate your conscience, and if you have to do it, you'd rather hurt yourself than hurt the people you care about the most." Even if you die, you can be at peace. ”

"I understand this, I want to die, and I won't hurt my eldest brother, younger brother and little five." Li Erlang's words were followed by several people nodding.

Situ Yan laughed at herself, she was too anxious, she talked about this too early, and how could a few people understand. smiled, and the matter was over.

Early the next morning, Situ Yan first fed pigs, mules and fish, filled the paddy fields with some water, and looked at the emergence of seedlings on the dry land. I cut some pigweed first, and dug up some herbs and wild vegetables, and then I went home with the basket on my back, just in time to see Aunt Fu waiting at the gate of the courtyard.

"Auntie, wait a minute! I just entered the mountain and delayed my efforts! Situ Yan opened the door and let people into the house.

"It's nothing, I just arrived, it's almost noon, and I know that you will come back to cook for Da Lang." Aunt Fu came by looking at the hour.

"Look at the chicks in this cage, there are fifteen in total, and there are about 11 or 2 females."

"It's fun." Situ Yan looked very fond of it, "Auntie, you are really interested, you can see the male and female at such a young age?" ”

"What is this, you can see it after watching it for a long time. This chick is not easy to raise, such a big one can't just feed the vegetable leaves, but also feed some food. When the hair is gone, it will be easy to raise it when it is bigger. Aunt Fu was afraid that Situ Yan would not be able to raise it well, so she was not at ease after telling her again and again, "Or, I will raise it for you, and I will send it to you when I am older?" ”

"There are a lot of things in my aunt's family, how can I bother my aunt, I try to raise it, besides, there are still big brothers at home, this hatching chicks can't work, it should still work, can't you raise it and die?"

"You girl is talking nonsense, you can toss!" Aunt Fu smiled and took Situ Yan's hand, she knew that this girl didn't want to cause her trouble.

"Auntie, I really have something to trouble Auntie, I have some cloth here, and I want to make some 'incense pieces'."

"What is a 'incense piece'? I've never heard of it, so I'm afraid I won't be able to do it well? ”

"This incense piece is similar to a purse, but there are some dried flowers and spices in it, I have a look here, auntie, wait a minute, I'll go get it." Situ Yan entered the east room and took out an "incense piece" sewn a few days ago from the ring. Then I went back to the hall, showed it to Aunt Fu'er, and told her how to sew and what patterns to embroider.

"A few days ago, I saw that my aunt has been busy, so I didn't dare to come to the door, now my aunt is free, can you push me, these are the same as before to give ten wages, auntie look good?"

"You, it's obvious that you are helping your aunt make money, and you still owe your aunt, I understand, don't worry, girl, I will do a good job for you."

"Okay, this matter is decided, if there is anything that my aunt doesn't understand, I'll be at home after noon." The two settled the matter, and Situ Yan went to invite Aunt Niu and the fourth aunt again, "The aunts are tired these days, why have they lost weight." ”

"There are few people in the family, how can you do it if you don't help, but you, girl, why have you lost weight these days, I haven't seen any weight loss when I look at Da Lang?"

"Auntie, I'm not thin, I'm getting taller." The three of them chatted for a while, and Situ Yan said what she meant by inviting the two of them, "I haven't beaten this girl, and I don't know if I can do it?" The fourth aunt was a little hesitant, she wanted to make money, but she was afraid that she would do her job badly.

"This is simple, and my aunt will be able to practice it. I'll teach my aunts to tie a 'peace knot' first. Situ Yan took out the rope and taught the two to tie the "peace knot".

The two of them have been learning for an hour, and the method is clear, but it can be made up a little loosely, and it is not possible to sell it.

"Aunts, don't worry, you see this thing is not difficult to learn, just practice more. This line is matched by me, and the aunts are good at making a 5 salary? ”

"Girl, my aunt wishes she could make a living and make some money, but I really don't have any bottom in my heart, why don't I take it back and try it, if I can do it, I will do it, if not, you will find someone else?" The fourth aunt is still a little hesitant, and she feels that it is a pity, if she misses this good thing, she doesn't know when she will be able to make money. Aunt Niu also nodded, and she also said the same thing in her heart.

Situ Yan thinks it's okay, it's a big deal to find some other livelihoods for the aunts, how can I help them earn more money, Shanwazi will also go out this year, if he doesn't make some money, I'm really afraid that he won't be able to survive at that time.

Situ Yan told the two of them again about what they were paying attention to, and then sent them out. Aunt Niu and the fourth aunt chatted while walking, "I thought that this girl didn't plan to make a living before the winter, but I didn't expect this work to come just after this farm work." ”

"She's afraid that we were busy a few days ago, so we can't wait until this time."

"It's okay now, I can also make more money for the mountain baby, if I can bring my girl Cao'er back, it will be even better."

"You can still save the money, the light in my hand is not enough to give the dog and his father medicine, and the dog will also perform the crown salute next year, and I don't know what to do then?"

Each family had troubles, and the two sighed with emotion, so they went home to talk. A few days later, Aunt Fu also learned that Situ Yan was asking Aunt Niu and the fourth aunt for help, so she chatted with the two of them, "With this livelihood, the life of these two families can be better." I watched Li Aniu and Li Si go into the city again to carry the work. ”

"I don't know what it is like this year, this summer has passed so many days, only a light rain, if the drought continues, I'm afraid that I can't even stutter in the field, and I have to pay taxes to save winter grain, and the days are getting more and more difficult."

"If there is a drought in that field, will the government be exempted?"

"Three years ago, there was a great drought, and not even a grain of grain came out of the field, and the government did not collect taxes according to it, so it was inevitable."

"Hey, what kind of life do you say this is going on? If it weren't for the help of the girl, even our life would not be easy! "It's not just these three families in the village who sigh, which one is tightening their belts to make a living. Only Situ Yan, who has always been optimistic and has a money-making mind, can these days become more and more nourishing.