The southeast side of Da Li Zhuang is Guan Zhuang, and Xi Yunhong, whom Li Dalong liked when he was sixteen years old, married Guan Dabao, the butcher of Guan Zhuang.

Most pig farmers will choose to kill pigs for happy events or Chinese New Year's holidays, and give pigs into the water - that is, pigs' internal organs, hooves and tails - to the pig killers as wages.

In addition to keeping pork for their own use, pig farmers distribute it to relatives, friends and neighbors. Only those who are worried about not being able to collect the money for pork will sell the meat to the pig killer at a low price, so that the pig killer can make a little more difference.

In these years, the farmers in Zhuangzi could not even eat enough, and there were fewer and fewer pig raisers, only a very small number of people would sell their adult pigs to pig killers, and the number of people who could afford pork was even more pitiful.

Therefore, the housekeeper usually survives hunger or semi-starvation, and only when Guan Dabao occasionally has a business and takes back the pig into the water, the family can live a good life for a day or two.

Guan Dabao married Xi Yunhong, so naturally changed her name to Guan Xi according to local customs.

They gave birth to a girl, and Guan Dabao named her Guan Xiaoya - there were too many girls called "girl" at that time.

Seeing that Guan Xi's took out the old textbooks in the private school as soon as he was free, Guan Dabao was very annoyed, so he rented two acres of land from the landlord of the village for her to plant.

A year's harvest is not enough for half a year's ration, except for the rent, but without this food, I am afraid that the housekeeper will not even be able to sustain himself from hunger.

In the spring, when the greens are scarce, you can see women and children picking wild vegetables everywhere on the edge of the fields.

Guan Xiaoya is eight years old, and like the girls next door, she often carries a willow basket and picks wild vegetables with their mother.

The early spring is beautiful, although the buds on the branches are just rising, and the water of the Wujiao River is still a little chilly, but the breeze is light, and it is very warm and pleasant.

The plants on the banks of the Wujia River are as if they have been washed, bright and bright, green, red, white and yellow flowers are dotted in between.

The girls of the peasant family, as soon as they arrived in the fields, were full of vitality. While digging wild vegetables, they sang the nursery rhyme "Wild Vegetable Song":

"The shepherd's cabbage is fragrant, and the cattail's cabbage is oily. The bamboo basket is full, and you can go home happy. The firewood in the stove is vigorous, and the wild vegetables in the pot are fragrant. There is no oil to sprinkle salt, and you can eat with a bright mouth. ”

When it was almost noon, Guan Xiaoya went home with a basket full of Yelai, walked to the big stone mill at the east end of Hekou Street, and happened to meet the Li family's private school after school.

Li Detong held a branch in his hand, rode under his crotch, and played a game of riding a big horse. He approached Guan Xiaoya and reached out to grab her braid: "This braid is so silky, it's good to make me a horse whip!"

Guan Xiaoya's hair was grabbed, and she cried out in pain.

"Hey! I'm still crying, I'm mourning! Go home and cut off the braids and give them to the little master to play with, and I'll give you a piece of the ocean! Do you hear that?" Li Detong put down the braids of the little girl and said.

"You are not allowed to bully people! Why do people cut their braids for you to play with?" asked Li Dejin, who was playing on the side.

"Hey, I've eaten the gall of a leopard, dare to mind my business!" Li Detong raised his hand and called Li Dejin.

Lee Dekin deftly dodged the fist.

Li Detong exerted too much force, his fist was dodged by Li Dejin, he couldn't stop under his feet, and he was pushed by Shen Zhaoyin, his body staggered, and he fell into a, and his mouth hit the stone on the road.

"Ouch, my teeth ......" Li Detong covered his face and rolled on the ground.

"Little Dejin, it's time to eat!" Li Dalong shouted at the gate of the courtyard.

"Second master, little Dejin made me fall, my front teeth ...... Bleeding. Li Detong cried and said.

"What did you say?" Li Dalong said as he walked over and pulled Li Detong up, "You are three years older than him, how did you fall down by him?"

"It's not Li Dejin, it's me who pushed it!" Shen Zhaoyin said.

"There are poultry in the field, and there is no blame. The eldest son is handsome, the disciple is a corpse, and he is a murderer. Li Dejin took his back and took charge of the "Book of Changes" taught to him by Erlin.

"What do you mean by that?" Li Dalong turned his face and asked Li Dejin.

"I don't know, hehehe...... Uncle Guan taught me. Li Dejin said with a smile.

Li Detong got up from the ground, pointed at Shen Zhaoyin angrily and said, "I'm telling you, you don't want to eat at my house again!"

"Don't you go!" Li Dalong shouted, "Your mother told you to have lunch at my house at noon!"

"I had a toothache. I'm not going to study!" Li Detong said without replying.

"You've said several times that you can't go to school. Speak inappropriately, butt as mouth!" Li Dejin said with a smile.

"You're so nice!" Guan Xiaoya said to Li Dejin with a smile.

"I, I'm ......" Li Dejin blushed and couldn't speak.

At this time, Guan Xishi came over, took Guan Xiaoya's hand and said, "Why don't you go home yet? Don't talk casually! Don't be ashamed!"

"Xi Yunhong, is it you! Is she your daughter?" asked Li Dalong.

"Yes. Mr. Lee. Guan Xishi said, "My name is no longer Xi Yunhong, my name is Guan Xi." ”

......

Li Dalong walked on the embankment of the Wujiao River and looked into the distance, the houses of Guan Zhuang were draped in the glow of the setting sun, scattered like chess pieces on the gentle field, and the curling smoke blended with the afterglow of the setting sun and rose into the air.

At the well platform at the entrance of the village, Li Dalong found Guan Xi's mother and daughter. Because Shen Zhaoyin didn't have lunch at his house and didn't come to school in the afternoon, he said that he came to ask about the specific situation of the fight between Li Dejin and Shen Zhaoyin, and in essence, he wanted to meet Guan Xi.

Seeing Guan Xiaoya's smart and clever appearance, Li Dalong wanted to mobilize her to go to school, so he asked, "How did the grass on the side of the road come from?"

"Mother Mu said that it was a fairy from the sky who came down to earth and stepped on it with her feet. The fairy kept running and jumping on the ground, trampling through the clothes of the earth, and the grass sneaked out. Guan Xiaoya replied.

"Wonderful!" Li Dalong praised, and then asked, "Then why are the flowers red?"

"Mother Mu said that it was the spring breeze blowing red. Guan Xiaoya replied excitedly, and then said, "Mother Mu studied in a private school, so she often told me stories. She also said, "That private school gentleman is good!"

"Well, that's good!" Li Dalong gave a thumbs up, and then asked, "Where did the green come from?"

"Well," Guan Xiaoya said after thinking for a while, "I don't know." Ask Mom, she knows everything. ”

"Silly girl, you are talking nonsense again!" Guan Xi pretended to be angry, and then said to Li Dalong, "Mr. Li, if you have nothing else to do, we will go home." ”

"Well," said Li Dalong hurriedly, "please wait a little longer! I have one more important thing to say." ”

"What's the matter?" asked Guan Xi.

"Of course, it's to let your daughter go to school!" Mr. Lee said.

"Alas......" Guan Xi sighed and said, "What's the use of a girl studying!"

Now that the Republic of China advocates equality between men and women, girls should also study and learn culture. Li Dalong said excitedly.

"It's useless for you to tell me this, you have to tell our master. Guan Xi said helplessly.

"Okay then! I asked Shopkeeper Shen to persuade Guan Dabao that they had something to say when they were businessmen. You mother and daughter should try your best to fight for it!" Li Dalong said.

"Shopkeeper Shen?" asked Guan Xi.

"Shen Yunshan!" replied Li Dalong.

"Hehehehe......" Guan Xi couldn't help laughing, and hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand.

Seeing that Li Dalong was staring at him, Xi Yunhong said: "It is said that Xiucai does not go out, and knows everything about the world." I don't think so. What else are you mentioning Shopkeeper Shen, he is now the mayor of the town!"

"Mayor?" Li Dalong was stunned, "He's a gambler......