The second day was a sunny day, and the water was still dripping into ice outside, but it still couldn't resist the mood of Chen Xuejiao's family going to Xuzhou Mansion to do New Year's goods.

Fortunately, there was no wind outside, so the temperature was a little higher than last night.

Chen Xuejiao's family had a simple breakfast, hot chicken soup, painful meat buns, and thick millet porridge. The chicken is the fat hen sent by Mrs. Li, the pot is under the clear water, the soup is so thick that the whole chicken is taken out, the chicken is cut off, torn into thin shreds, mixed with spinach, green onions, minced ginger, garlic paste, and finally sprinkled with sesame seeds, the light spinach with the mellow aroma of the chicken, very appetizing, just served on the table, it was eaten.

Li took two large buns, scooped a large bowl of chicken soup, and handed them to the stone. Although the family does not follow that rule, but Shi is a person who keeps his duty, and there are Xueru, Xuejiao, and Jinghao girls sitting on the table, so he does not eat at the table, and eats in the stove every time.

After a long time, everyone got used to it.

At first, Li was still uneasy, Xue Jiao said to her: "Let's live better and better in the future, there will definitely be many people at home, it is impossible for everyone to let everyone eat at the table, compassion is compassion, but rules are rules, this can't be wrong." ”

After Laba, the private school was on vacation.

Qi Ping and Qi An don't have to go to school, so it is always a beautiful thing for everyone to go to Xuzhou Mansion together.

During the meal, everyone discussed the streets and New Year's goods of Xuzhou Mansion, and said that the streets and alleys were full of people, eating, and juggling, and everyone couldn't sit still, and they couldn't wait to fly over immediately. Li deliberately lowered his face. Intimidate everyone not to take everyone to Xuzhou Mansion if they don't eat well.

Chen Xuejiao looked at each other and smiled, they understood Li's hard work. I want them to eat more. Going to Xuzhou Mansion is not as strong as going to Baitu Town, so strong, a few steps away, to Xuzhou Mansion is a long way to go, plus there is snow on the road, the weather is cold, I really don't know how early or late to arrive. If you don't fill your stomach, you can bear it.

As soon as the chopsticks were put down, the carriage hired by the town arrived at the door.

The things I wanted to bring were ready last night. Actually, I didn't have much to bring, just a few clothes and toiletries. I'm afraid that I will be thirsty and hungry on the road, not to mention water. Chen Xuejiao boiled two large pots of water early. Poured into a thermos flask, one was placed in the carriage where the female dependents were sitting, and the other was placed in the carriage where Chen Xiucai was sitting. Li specially prepared a large bag of food, rose cake, honey three knives, croissant honey, oranges, apples, melon seeds, and specially baked more butter cakes in the morning, and also brought them, and the pork was cut into domino-sized squares and oiled. Steam in a casserole and bring it with you. It's best eaten in butter cakes.

The embroidered portrait of the grandmother of Dingfu was rolled up with a scroll, and the outside was specially covered with a layer of thick paper to prevent moisture, and she quietly held it in her arms and got into the carriage.

Li prepared two quilts in advance, put them in the carriage, each holding a soup woman in his hand, and the carriage was covered with a thick felt blanket, which was impermeable to the wind, not cold at all, but very warm.

Chen Xuejiao specially prepared a small pillow for Chen Xueru, and tied it to her stomach.

The family got into the carriage with a lively bang.

Chen Qiping made a fuss about sitting with Chen Xuejiao, because Chen Xuejiao brought the "Ninety-Nine Chilling Picture" into the carriage, and Qi Ping wanted to copy it with Xuejiao. was driven to the back carriage by the Li family, Chen Qiping was unwilling, so Chen Xuejiao coaxed him: "The carriage in front is all in the girl's house, you are a man who wants to sit in the back carriage with your father and brother." If you are obedient, you can buy three things you like when you get to Xuzhou Mansion. ”

Chen Qiping's big eyes rolled: "Then can I sit outside?" ”

As soon as Li wanted to stop him, Chen Xuejiao handed Li a comforting look, smiled and said to Qi Ping: "Of course! It's just that you can't sit for too long, and you'll go in after a while. ”

Qi Ping cheered and went to the carriage behind him, and sat down in front of the carriage next to the stone.

Li was worried, Chen Xuejiao pointed to the thick cotton jacket on Qi Ping's body and said: "Mother, it's okay, there is no wind today, Qi Ping is wearing a thick one, three layers inside and three layers outside, and he is still wearing a thick hat on his head, so he can't freeze." ”

Li got out of the carriage, walked to Qi Ping's side, gave a few words, and returned to Chen Xuejiao's carriage.

Chen Xuejiao and Chen Xueru were crowded in the carriage quietly, just like three juxtaposed flowers.

Because the carriage is all cushioned, even after sitting for a long time, the hands and feet will not be numb. Chen Xuejiao opened the curtain of the carriage from time to time, and the white snow outside was shining, shining in the sun.

After looking at it for a while, Chen Xuejiao took out the "Ninety-Nine Chilling Picture" and lit it. The custom of Xuzhou Mansion is to draw the "Ninety-Nine Chilling Picture" on the day of the winter solstice, which is a plum blossom picture, painting a plum blossom. There are eighty-one petals on it, representing ninety-nine eighty-one days. Dye a petal with a pen every day that passes. After the ninety-nine eighty-one days, more than eighty-one petals have been dyed, and spring has arrived, so it is called "ninety-nine cold map".

Chen Xuejiao's picture of 99 cold is different, it is embroidered by Jinghao and Xueru on cotton cloth, and the plum blossoms are embroidered vividly, Xuejiao likes it when she sees it, and paints one every day. In a quiet and beautiful winter, hiding in a warm house, a plum blossom on the picture, and quietly waiting for spring to return to the earth, it is indeed a wonderful thing.

Jing Hao and Xue Ru turned their heads sideways to look at Xue Jiao Dianmei, and sang the ninety-nine song in their mouths: "Nineteen twenty-nine, I don't make a move when we meet; 3927 Fence Blowing Fence; Forty-nine thirty-six, sleeping at night is like sleeping in the open; Five-nine-forty-five, the sun opens the door; Sixty-nine fifty-four, poor children fight for spirit; Seventy-nine sixty-three, Buna bears the burden; Eighty-nine seventy-two, cats and dogs seek the shade; Ninety-nine eighty-one, the plough and rake came out together. ”

Li Shi smiled and said, "Your current counting nine songs are different from what we sang back then!" ”

"How did my mother sing at that time?" Chen Xuejiao hugged Li's arm and was coquettish.

Li Shi brushed his hair and cleared his throat: "1929, don't make a move; Three-nine-forty-nine, walk on ice; Five-nine-sixty-nine, look at the willows along the river; Seventy-nine rivers open, eighty-nine geese come; Ninety-nine plus nineteen, ploughing cattle everywhere. ”

"My mother sings so beautifully." As soon as Li's words fell, Chen Xuejiao clapped her hands in admiration

"What's so good to listen to." A shy smile appeared on Lee's face. After thinking about it for a while, he said, "At that time, I was also your age, and I often joked with the sisters in our village. Hide in the house in winter and light plum blossoms......"

“…… We lived in the mountains, and had more fun than the plains by the river, and all year round, whenever we were happy, the young girls of the village would gather together to sing, and my voice was the best in our village at that time, and many people loved to sing with me......"

Lee fell into deep thought. There was a blush on his face.

Li has never told Chen Xuejiao about these things, so I really didn't expect it. Li, who has always been busy in the field stove, has also had his youth and shining and moving memories. Singing under the moon, counting nine cold plums. What a playful boudoir scene.

Now. Lee, who is already a mother of four, recalls the old days with a radiant glow in her eyes.

Chen Xuejiao was silent suddenly.

The Li family is in good condition, it is rich in the countryside, the Li family is the only girl in the family, and the Li family does not have a patriarchal view, and the Li family is the most favored in the family.

is such a much-loved girl who got married. collected the squeamishness in the boudoir and swallowed it in the hands of his stepmother. Not counting the children who died in front of her, she became a mother of four children, although because of her forbearance, Mrs. Chen intensified her oppression of the big house, but as a mother, Li did fulfill her responsibilities as a mother.

"Some of my sisters are married, some are very hard, and some are very happy. One of my best sisters, who was poor and was treated as a child daughter-in-law, went to Yingchuan's mother-in-law's house at the age of ten, and I never saw her again. When I was a child, we sang together, and her singing was no worse than mine, and I heard that she was sick and died last year, alas, life is so impermanent, and it's boring to think about it. ”

When Li talked about his former sisters, a tear appeared in his eyes, and he raised his head and gently wiped them away with his hand.

Chen Xuejiao, Chen Xueru, and Jing Hao looked at each other, and their hearts were mixed.

"Mother." Chen Xuejiao gently called Li, "You can't say that life is boring, you still have us." ”

Li wiped away his tears, the corners of his eyes were red, he smiled, and said with annoyance: "Look at what I said, this is a big New Year!" Alas, that is, I still have you. Although our family used to be very poor, and we couldn't eat or dress well, but my mother's backbone was hard, why, my mother had four of you, and she was sensible when she was a child, and she didn't let me cāo heart. Now that you're older, our family is having a better time, how can it be boring. ”

Chen Xuejiao smiled, Li Shi was telling the truth, and those sentimental words just now were just her touching the scene.

But to be honest, after listening to Li's words, Chen Xuejiao also felt a little sad in her heart.

They will also get married, become wives, and become mothers, this era is not like modern times, the transportation is convenient, and they can meet if they want to meet. In this era, once a girl gets married, in addition to traffic factors, there is also a fact that they are in-laws' family from now on, everything is important to the in-laws' family, to the husband, and if they have children, they will focus on their children.

Although this era is like this, Chen Xuejiao thinks that there is still something different in the end. For example, those women who are self-reliant, those who strive for it within the scope of religion, can still want to do what they do.

Thinking of this, Chen Xuejiao raised her arm and rubbed her forehead.

"Mother, where have we gone here?" Chen Xuejiao changed the subject.

"I'll see." Li Shi lifted the curtain, turned around after a while and said, "It's white and vast all around, I don't know where I'm going, I've been walking for so long, I'm hungry, let's have some food, it's still hot." ”

Li rolled the pancakes he brought, handed them to the three girls, rolled one himself, and made a cup of hot tea for Xue Ru and handed it over: "My stomach hurts." ”

Chen Xueru shook her head, and Li was relieved.

The coachman outside brought his own dry food, gnawed in the wind, Li Shi took a look, and then made two portions of meat patties and hot tea and handed them to the coachman, the two coachmen were pouring the cold wind to eat dry buns, and took Li's cakes and hot tea, not to mention how hot it was in his heart.

The owner of the house was kind, and the coachman worked harder and harder to take the plain road.

After filling his stomach and eating a few more fruits, Li asked Chen Xuejiao to take a few rests, especially Chen Xueru, who wanted to rest even more.

I got up early today, and I was really tired of hurrying like this.

Fortunately, the carriage was spacious and warm, so Chen Xuejiao took off her coat, covered it on the quilt, stretched out her legs, and leaned on each other to sleep.

Li saw that several children were asleep, and he was also confused for a while.

Chen Xuejiao was awakened by a noisy sound, raised her head and opened the curtain to see that there were many shops on the surrounding streets, and the sound of selling continued.

It's already in Xuzhou.

Chen Xueru and Jinghao woke up one after another, and everyone crowded at the door of the carriage curtain to look out together.

Sure enough, it is a mansion, and its style and demeanor are different. Although it was already mid-afternoon, there were still people outside, and there were candy sellers, lanterns, and New Year's paintings, and the whole street was there, and it was impossible to see it at all.

Usually, a curfew is imposed in Xuzhou Prefecture after the end of the year, but after Laba, it lasts until the Lantern Festival, when the curfew is lifted, and the whole street is lit up all night, and some shops are open all night.

So Chen Xuejiao and they are not in a hurry to buy things first, they have to find a place to live at this time, and it will take a day to return to Maoshan Village, they don't want to rush back like that, and they want to visit Xuzhou Mansion before the year.

Chen Xiucai got out of the carriage and said a few words to the coachman, and the coachman drove Chen Xuejiao and them all the way to Gulou Street, where they stopped in front of an inn on Gulou Street.

Chen Xiucai took Qi Ping and Qi An off the carriage and walked into the inn, after a cup of tea, Qi An and Qi Ping came out of the inn, walked to Chen Xuejiao's carriage and said, "Let's live here today, Dad has booked two rooms." ”

Li took Xue Jiao and a few people out of the carriage, and took out the quilt and package on the carriage.

The room is on the second floor, the two rooms are connected together, there is everything in it, and Xiao Er has already sent boiling water.

Chen Xuejiao washed her face with boiling water, cleaned her face, and drank tea.

The shopkeeper came up and asked what to eat, Chen Xuejiao discussed it a few times, and wanted to go to the street to eat some snacks instead of eating in the inn.

After some discussion, we decided to go shopping today to learn about the New Year's goods, and go to Dingfu early tomorrow morning to send portraits.

After a short rest, everyone walked out of the inn and walked along Gulou Street.

Gulou Street is the most prosperous place in the whole city, and all the New Year's goods can be bought here. At this time, although it was past lunch and it was still far from dinner, those food shops were still full of customers. The seller of steamed dumplings was uncovering the cage, and the fragrance came out with the white smoke, and the chubby shopkeeper shouted at Chen Xuejiao through the white smoke: "Made inside, steamed dumplings just out of the pot, shrimp filling, pork filling, guest officer, do you want to come to three cages?" ”

Others are okay, but Chen Qiping was already hungry, so he pulled La Xuejiao's sleeve and pointed at it: "Second sister, you said, I can buy what I like, I want to eat steamed dumplings." (To be continued......)