At the beginning of winter, the weather is fine and I don't feel cold, if the weather is not beautiful, it is a gust of winter rain and a chill.

Xiao Yu woke up in a daze and found that it was a little dark outside, and the unstoppable coolness blew in through the crack in the window, but it was raining, and it was cold at the end of the year.

It's just a short nap at noon, and the sky changes, Xiao Yu lifted the quilt, put on the clothes at the head of the bed, and rummaged through the cabinet for the thickened caftan brown that he wore in winter.

Some time ago, Xiao Pei began to sew winter clothes for several people. However, in the past few days, because Xiao Yucheng went to the city guards, it was rare to go home, so he naturally had to rush to control him first, and the two sisters only made one each.

"It's better to go straight to the city and cut a few ready-to-wear garments."

When he opened the door, the cold wind suddenly blew in his face, Xiao Yu couldn't help but wrinkle his eyebrows and wrap the clothes on his body tightly. A cloud of fluffy snow pounced and rolled and rubbed at her feet.

Xiao Yu scooped up the snow ball and teasingly pulled its little ears.

This puppy is weak and well-behaved, seemingly harmless, but extremely alert and agile, intelligent, obedient and clever, which is not comparable to ordinary domestic dogs.

"Woke up?"

Xiao Pei wore a large-sleeved cloak with dark purple and dark patterns, a plain brocade skirt underneath, and walked from the cloister with a red embroidered white plum coat in his hand.

"Hmm." Xiao Yu put down the snow ball, let it run around and jump around, and stepped forward.

Xiao Pei unfolded the skirt on Xiao Yu and compared it, and handed it to her: "Newly made, try to see if it fits." ”

Xiao Yu shook his head and didn't answer: "There is not much fabric here, Sister, you have few clothes, just relax the skirt and wear it yourself." I'll go into the city and buy some thick fabrics, clothes, shoes, socks and bedding later, otherwise how will I spend this winter? ”

"Okay then." Xiao Pei knew his temperament, and he didn't persuade deeply, "I'm not in a hurry to buy things, it's afternoon now, and it's raining again, so it's better to go tomorrow." ”

Xiao Yu thought about it and felt that it was right, so he nodded and said, "Sister said yes." ”

In fact, some time ago, the Xiao family began to stock up on things for the winter, only most of them were grain, dried meat and firewood, clothes and bedding were not added, or the cold and hard quilts last year, with today's conditions, it is time to change them.

The climate in the south is warm and humid, so you can still eat fresh vegetables in winter.

It was raining today, and Xiao Pei didn't go to the field, so he pulled a few white sunflowers and radishes from the vegetable field next to the house to eat at night. The ground is wet, and stepping on it is a foot of mud.

Xiao Yu sighed: "This day flies so fast, there are still two months to reach the end of the year." ”

Xiao Pei thought so.

Uncle Zhou Qi's family recently bought a new mule and a cart, and the next day Xiao Yu got up early and rushed to the city with Uncle Zhou Qi, and went to the General's Mansion first.

Ling Yi has a large number of people and horses, dozens of generals and generals, and most of their families live in Zhennan Lane near Nanying and General Lane next to the General's Mansion. Xiao Yucheng is still a pawn, he doesn't have a house, he usually lives in the barracks, and occasionally goes to Hao Jun's place to stay for one night when he is resting.

Xiao Yu was thinking of trying his luck. Coincidentally, Xiao Yucheng and Hao Jun were resting on this day, and they were about to go back to Niujiao Village together, when Xiao Yu and Uncle Zhou Qi arrived, so they went shopping together.

bought a lot of good fabrics, and made a few sets of winter clothes for the three sisters and brothers and Hao Jun, and Xiao Yu also bought a few soft silk quilts. Nowadays, there is no quilt, this silk quilt is very expensive, fortunately, this year I saved a lot of money by selling cold powder sour bamboo shoots and bamboo herring, although I used some to build a house, there are still a lot of left.

In addition, Xiao Yu also bought several stoves of different sizes and two flat-bottomed iron pots, stacks of dishes, as well as oil, salt, various spices, white flour, dried fruits, sugar and lotus seeds, etc., bought Xiao Pei all kinds of silk threads, bows, arrows, pens and ink, and filled the mule carts hired by others.

When they got home, Hao Jun and Xiao Yucheng moved their things home, Xiao Pei looked at such a pile, and couldn't help but widen his eyes and said, "You just bought a stove, why did you buy two iron pots?" ”

Xiao Yu took the deerskin boots and handed them to Xiao Pei, explaining: "Eat hot pot when it's colder." ”

At that time, people had already begun to eat hot pot, but it was not as popular as in later generations. But this is Xiao Yu's favorite cooking method in winter, and now that there are conditions, of course, you must prepare early. Imagine, when the cold wind is cold, the family surrounds the warm stove, with a steaming hot pot on the top, and various delicacies and sauces such as fish fillets and mutton next to it.

Xiao Pei had seen hot pot, but he had never tried it himself, and he was a little expectant when he heard it.

At the end of the year, the farmer was busy for more than half a year and finally put the harvest into the warehouse, and the people were also idle, so they began to plan well for the coming year.

The Xiao family is no exception.

Xiao Yu took advantage of Xiao Yucheng's presence and said at lunch: "It's November now, and many things to do may have to wait until next year, but you must always take precautions." What advice do Yucheng and Sister A? ”

Xiao Pei should have also thought about this problem, and said: "Fairy grass jelly and sour bamboo shoots continue to be made, and you can buy more fields with money, and your own family is not well versed in farming, so you simply lease it out, and the vegetables will be planted on the land next to the house." If I have some free time, I think I can build a chicken coop with fish and shrimp to feed and hire people to raise some chickens and ducks in batches. ”

Xiao Yu nodded: "Sister A's idea is good. ”

"I'm not at home, won't you two work too hard?" Xiao Yucheng said, "It's better to rent out the fields, rent a small shop in General Lane in the city to sell some groceries, make some fairy grass jelly, and go back to the village in summer and autumn to make sour bamboo shoots with Uncle Qi's house, and the family will also take care of it." ”

"Rent a shop in the city? This can also be considered. ”

"yes." Hao Jun's eyebrows fluttered and echoed loudly, "Come back in autumn to pick fruits and make wine." ”

Although Xiao Pei wanted to be closer to Xiao Yucheng, he still shook his head and said, "I'm used to living in the countryside, and I don't want to go to the county town." ”

In fact, Xiao Yu prefers to stay in the countryside than Xiao Pei. Nowadays, as long as there is money in the village, the living conditions are no worse than in the city, it is not so convenient to just buy things, and there are also merchants who go from house to house. She can pick wild vegetables and snails in the field in her spare time, go up the mountain to collect medicine, hunt and pick wild fruits, and go into the water to catch fish and shrimp, how comfortable and comfortable.

Both of them said that they wanted to stay in the village, but Xiao Yucheng did not persuade them again.

Xiao Yu said: "The perennial waterlogged barren field at the edge of the village seems to be quite fertile, so I think I can buy it cheaply and dig a lotus pond to plant lotus roots." My family has planted it before and has some experience. It's just that I still have to look for good lotus root seeds, and I don't know where to buy them in Yong'an County. ”

Nowadays, there are relatively few people who grow lotus roots, and the quality is uneven, so the delicious lotus root is quite expensive. If you can really grow a lotus root of good quality, it is also a way to make money.

Hao Jun said: "There is a lotus root in the General's Mansion, and if you ask the steward, you will be able to find a good lotus root." ”

Xiao Yu entrusted this matter to Hao Jun, only to wait until he found a good lotus root seed to buy the wasteland, and then hire someone to dig the lotus pond in winter.

In the afternoon, the sky was clear, Xiao Yu and Xiao Yucheng went to catch the fish and shrimp that fed the chickens and came back, and went to take care of their own medicine garden, Xiao Pei still sewed winter clothes, Xiao Yucheng and Hao Jun slaughtered a few rabbits, one ate at night, and the rest was pickled and smoked and kept for the two sisters to eat on weekdays.

Xiao Yu cleaned the grass in the medicine field, and went to the firewood room behind the house to pick up dry firewood.