Gao Xiucai put on his clothes again, kicked and pulled his shoes and walked out when he got off the kang, and his wife scolded him fiercely when he saw it: "I'm a lot older, I'm still so sloppy and sloppy, it's so cold outside, put on my clothes and then give me out!" ”

After a good meal, Gao Xiucai hurriedly buttoned the knots on the cotton clothes, squatted down and put on the shoes carefully, then pushed the door open, answered the door, and walked over.

When he opened the door, it was the little shopkeeper of the tea shop, so he asked, "Little shopkeeper, why are you looking for me so late?" ”

The wind in the past two days is a little naughty, there is no wind during the day, and it blows all night at night, the weather is cold, and it will freeze and be firm after a while.

At night, I couldn't stay outside, three or five hundred paces away, and the wind blew my whole body cold.

The dog hurriedly said: "Gao Xiucai, the kid has something to discuss with you!" ”

Gao Xiucai was also cold, so he opened the door and let the two of them into the house to talk.

Follow him into the courtyard, on the north side are three main houses, which are made of adobe bricks, which look a little old, and the east side of the courtyard is a kitchen for cooking with fire, and on the west side of the courtyard is covered with a low chicken coop, and there are only one male, two females and three chickens in it.

Looking at the next few nests, it seemed that there were some ducks, and he couldn't see clearly at night, so he hurriedly followed into the middle hall room.

The atrium is used for entertaining guests, with a cabinet on the north side and a square table in the middle.

There is a thick cotton curtain hanging at the entrance of the east house, presumably where the two of them sleep, and I don't know what the thick curtain is used for when I see that the west house is also hung with thick curtains.

beckoned the two of them to sit down, Gao Xiucai took the two tea bowls and brought the hot water over, and said to the dog: "What's the matter with the little shopkeeper?" I came here in such a hurry! ”

The dog was about to speak, when he suddenly heard a cough from the east house, and when he saw that Gao Xiucai apologized, he turned around and went into the house.

From the crack in the curtain of the door that was lifted and lowered, I saw an old woman with silver hair leaning on the kang head and coughing.

Just as he was about to frown, he suddenly remembered that someone had told the dog that Gao Xiucai's wife was a paralyzed person, and it became clear.

Looking up, there are several wall skins that have fallen off, except for a few landscape paintings hanging on the cabinet, there are no other ornaments, well, and my own family is poor.

Sighing, he picked up the tea bowl and drank it slowly, and waited for a while before he came out, and said to the dog apologetically: "The old woman is a little uncomfortable, so the little shopkeeper has been waiting for a long time, is there anything wrong with the two of you looking for me?" ”

The dog coughed and said, "Gao Xiucai, I have a job to talk to you about!" ”

Gao Xiucai was stunned and said, "Write couplets? ”

The dog smiled and nodded: "Yes, but this time the couplet is a little different!" ”

Gao Xiucai thought secretly, last time I helped him write hundreds of tosses for a long time, and he was too late to go home, and he was scolded by his wife, and he didn't want to help when he heard him say this today, and he didn't need anything else to help him write last time.

immediately excused himself: "The little shopkeeper should go and ask others, the old man still has to take care of his sick mother-in-law at home, and he can't run over to help you write couplets!" ”

The dog said in his heart, he spoke so simply, he was really a straight gut.

Originally, the last time I wrote a couplet, Gou'er planned to give him the start of work, who knew that he promised to be happy and didn't mention it again, this time when he came to find someone, he had to say it quickly.

At the moment, he hugged his fist and said: "Gao Xiucai, you speak happily, the boy is also happy, a pair of couplets pay a penny, a total of 300 pairs, of which the big one should write 200 pairs, and the other large couplet with gold dust needs 15 pairs, and some guests have already ordered to write 20 pairs of content, the latter two you offer?" By the way, I'll have it early tomorrow morning! ”

This Gao Xiucai was originally relying on some writing and arithmetic work to mix some copper coins, and when he heard that the dog was going to pay the salary, his reluctant expression immediately changed to a smile and said: "That's excellent, if the gold powder, ink and red paper are still provided by you, the golden couplet is, well......"

Seeing where he was thinking about the price with his forehead, the dog didn't interrupt, and slowly waited for him with a small sip of water.

After drinking a bowl of water, he didn't see him say it, the dog couldn't wait, and he had to prepare things when he went back in a while, so he urged and asked, "What's wrong Gao Xiucai, you haven't wanted to bid yet?" ”

Gao Xiucai sneered: "I heard that your big couplet sells ten wen, this golden couplet is estimated to be not cheap, I also have to work hard to write this, and I have to stay up late to write, I want to ......"

A handful of people with a red face really couldn't bear to look at it directly, so the dog said: "It's okay, you can rest assured, it's a big deal, let's discuss it again!" ”

Hearing what the dog said, this Gao Xiucai tried to say: "How do you think this golden couplet needs ten wen?" ”

I was afraid that the dog would be unhappy, so I hurriedly said: "The couplets in the back only cost two pennies!" ”

Ten Wen and fifteen pairs have a total of one hundred and fifty Wen, plus all of them are a total of four hundred and ninety Wen, well, a lot but I earn more, and I immediately hugged my fist and said: "The kid bothered you for a long time last time, this time I am happy, a total of five hundred Wenyuan, do you see if it works!" ”

Gao Xiucai hurriedly nodded and said, "Okay, okay!" ”

The dog arched his hand and said: "Then let's just say it, the kid will go and send the things in a while, fortunately, Gao Xiucai will hurry up to write it tonight, and the golden couplet must be written better!" ”

Gao Xiucai also hurriedly replied: "Don't worry, I will write carefully, it is best to prepare more red paper, so as not to make mistakes!" ”

The dog nodded and got up, and told him again to send the things over in a while, and he would come to pick them up tomorrow morning, and when he said that there was no problem, he would not miss the time, so they said goodbye to him and went back to the tea shop.

As soon as he entered the house, the three of them were in full swing where to cut the red paper, and when they saw that the dog was back, Liu Hong quickly raised his head and said, "Brother Dog, we haven't done it yet!" ”

The dog waved his hand and said, "It's okay, when will it be done!" ”

With the addition of the two main forces, the speed has suddenly doubled, but it has also been busy for more than half an hour.

When everything was ready, the dog carefully rolled up the blank red paper, put it in the back basket, wrapped up the brush, ink, gold dust and other scattered things and put them in the bamboo box and carried them by hand, and the five of them extinguished the stove, locked the door and went out of the house together.

As soon as the shed is extinguished, it will become cold in an instant, and a few people don't have a quilt or anything else that can keep them warm, so don't freeze and get sick if you sleep overnight.

So no matter how late they are busy these days, a few people have to go back, and there used to be soldiers who patrolled the night, but now it is even more convenient.

I went to Gao Xiucai's house first and told him that he had prepared a lot of blank paper, so those couplets must be written, especially the golden ones, and there must be no mistakes, and he will come and pick them up tomorrow, and if there is nothing wrong after reading, he will settle his wages to him.

With his repeated assurances, the dogs went home together.

A few of them lived in Xicheng and lived in Nancheng by themselves, and after walking together for a while, the dog left the four of them and rushed back by himself.

There are moons and stars hanging in the night sky, so it's not too dark on the road, but the cold is a little unbearable, so the dog bends his neck and walks quickly.

A watch drum has been knocked for a long time, if it is in the summer, this point can still meet some people on the road, but now it is winter, after walking for a long time, there is still only one dog, turn the corner and pass by a small courtyard, see that the house is still lit light, through the shadow on the window paper, it can be seen that it is a woman biting the line with her teeth.

The Chinese New Year is coming soon, so I guess I'm sewing new clothes for the people at home! Listening to the sound of children playing in the house, the dog's heart was full of envy.

I remembered that every time I used to celebrate the New Year, my father and mother were like this, guarding under an oil lamp, and the family talked and laughed.

With the moonlight, the dog finally arrived home, and looked up at the small courtyard of the Ba family, which was full of black holes.

Oh, by the way, today's Bajia courtyard has been renamed Zhaojia courtyard, and you can get a small courtyard for nothing! For this surprise, the dog was excited for a long time.

and deliberately set up a table of wine, back to invite Liu Tou and Zhao Zhutou, if there is no help from them, the dog does not have this ability, although this small courtyard is not big, but to buy it will need no less than ten silver dollars!

It was dark, but when I heard that a few people inside were still making noise, I knew that they hadn't slept yet.

Some people say that there were no electric lights in ancient times, but there will always be candles! Why not order it? I'm going to popularize it for you.

At that time, candles were lit only by rich families, and only vegetable oil lamps were lit by poor families.

As for the dog's house, of course, it's a vegetable oil lamp! Even the vegetable oil lamps are only allowed to be lit when there is something important, and if there is nothing important, the dogs tell them not to light the lamp at night.

The province is a text, and it is the basic practice of the poor people of the lower classes to live their lives.

Shout Dasha opened the door, the dog didn't light the lamp, groped into the east room, took off his clothes and shoes on the kang, always felt a little crowded today, the dog tilted his head to look at the kang, hazy always felt that there was an extra head.

Just as he was about to ask, he saw the man shout, which frightened the dog.

"Cao Abao, why did you sneak here! Aren't you afraid that your sister-in-law will shed tears and let your grandma beat you again? ”

Cao Bao'er laughed and said, "How can a big husband be bound by a little woman? ”

Dog: Hehehe!

"You have a backbone, you wait, I will tell Grandma Cao tomorrow about you."

Cao Bao'er hurriedly said: "Don't, I'll just say that!" ”

Hum!

"Didn't you make a fuss when you came over?" The dog asked.

The dog on the side preemptively said: "He secretly ran over while Ah Ru was asleep, and he was as timid as a mouse." ”

"Nonsense, you're like a mouse," Cao Abao argued urgently.

"You are you, you are you" The dog is not far behind.

Then the two of them clinked, and the three Dasha on the side applauded and coaxed.

Watching them get more and more jubilant, and remembering that they would have to get up early tomorrow morning to work, they enthusiastically slapped them, and the world instantly calmed down.

Tomorrow is the last day of the market, if you grasp it tightly, a few people's new clothes for the New Year will be on the ground, and when you wake up tomorrow, you must come up with a good trick.

Today is a really busy day, the dog has long been sleepy, and after lying down for a while, he fell asleep deeply.

In the dream, he still laughed from time to time, probably some kind of dream.