Jiang Shang saw her running left and right, looking for the fence gate, and the previous tired color was swept away, and he couldn't help laughing: "The entrance is in the courtyard!" ”

"Father-in-law, who planted these?" Xiaoguo said excitedly.

"I don't know, this is what I found this morning, wandering around here! Seeing that the appearance is somewhat familiar with the dried chili peppers in your bag, I think it should be, so I will take you over to take a look! Jiang Shangdao.

"Father-in-law, you are amazing! Long live the morning walk! Xiaoguo cheered.

Jiang Shang looked at her like a child, jumping and jumping, shaking his head, and following her with a smile.

Along the fence wall, turning the corner, you will see an unusually neat alley.

Xiaoguo walked towards the only wooden door.

She raised her hand on the wooden door and knocked lightly a few times: "In Xia Jiang, I took the liberty to visit, may I ask if anyone is at home?" ”

No one in the courtyard answered.

Xiaoguo increased the force on his hand a little, and said loudly, "Is anyone there?" ”

Finally, there was a sound of slow footsteps coming from the other side of the door.

In Xiaoguo's eager gaze, the wooden door opened with a "creak".

An old lady with gray hair poked her head out: "Who are you looking for?" ”

Xiaoguo hurriedly said: "Good mother-in-law! Ma passed by here and saw that the lanterns in the fence were bearing good fruit, so he came to ask if he could buy them! ”

"That's it, it's not for sale!" The mother-in-law said decisively, and after she finished speaking, she wanted to close the wooden door again.

"Wait, mother-in-law!" Xiaoguo hurriedly grabbed the wooden door and pleaded, "Mother-in-law, let's discuss it." It's okay to sell a part, and the price is easy to say! ”

The old lady glanced at her and sighed, "Well, come in and talk again!" ”

Xiaoguo secretly gave Jiang Shang a victorious look, and walked into the courtyard behind the old lady.

The courtyard is also very clean, the wall is crawling with roses, there are bunches of beans against the wall, and on the other side are two rows of cucumbers crawling symmetrically!

A bunch of leeks are planted on the left wall, and some flowers such as the moon season are planted around according to the most pleasing arrangement around the wall, these kinds of flowers and plants make people not feel messy at all, but have an amazing sense of layered beauty!

A jujube tree was planted in the middle of the courtyard, and the branches were full of red jujubes.

Under the tree were a dilapidated wooden table and two wooden chairs, all of which had been wiped clean.

"Poor and poor house, I am smiling when I see you!" The mother-in-law said, but her expression was not half humble.

Xiaoguo praised: "It's so beautiful, it's a neat yard!" In the future, I will also find a secluded place and decorate like my mother-in-law! ”

Seeing that Xiaoguo's face really had only admiration, without a trace of contempt, the old lady felt a lot more good in her heart, and her tone was naturally much more polite.

"Master, little boy, please sit down and rest!"

After she had finished speaking, she walked into the room tremblingly, and after a while, came out with a teapot.

Xiaoguo hurriedly got up, then came over and helped her get the teacup.

"Mother-in-law, did you grow these lantern fruits?" Xiaoguo waited until she was done with her work before asking.

The mother-in-law shook her head and said, "At my age, how dare I touch these works, it was planted by my grandson!" ”

"I see, where is your grandson now?" Xiaoguo asked.

"He's working in a restaurant," said the old lady, glancing up at the sun, "and it's time to come back at this hour!" ”

Before she could finish speaking, she heard the sound of the door being slammed.

"Mother-in-law, the time and place of this year's meal competition have been decided!"

A young man dressed in coarse cloth clothes, carrying a food box in his hand, rushed in.

When he saw Xiaoguo and the others, the expression on his face froze, and he climbed into a shy color.

The old lady greeted her early and asked, "Ze'er, what kind of competition are you talking about?" ”

"Mother-in-law, it's a meal contest! I'm going to have to find a way to get involved! The boy whispered.

The old lady's body stiffened, and said: "Good boy, if you have this heart, it will become, if your father knows under Jiuquan, he will not want to see you go on adventures again!" Ze'er, listen to her mother-in-law's advice and continue the bloodline of the Sima family, which is great filial piety! ”

The young man wanted to argue, but Yu Guang swept to Xiaoguo and the others, swallowed the words, and asked again: "Mother-in-law, who are these two?" ”

Only then did the old lady remember that there were outsiders present.

She said to Xiaoguo and them, "Let the two of you laugh!" This is my grandson Mingze! Ze'er, come, I've seen two nobles! ”

Xiaoguo hugged his fists and said: "Brother Mingze! Ginger in the dismount! ”

Sima Mingze hurriedly returned the salute.

"My father-in-law and I liked the lantern fruit planted by our little brother very much, so we took the liberty to come to the door to disturb us! I want to ask the little brother, can I cut some love and share it with the next, the price is good to discuss! ”

A trace of confusion flashed on Sima Mingze's face, and he gritted his teeth for a while and said, "If it was before, Gongzi begged for these lantern fruits, I would never have sold them!" Right now, if Gongzi can give one or two pieces of silver, don't say these lantern fruits, the entire vegetable garden can be owned by Gongzi! ”

A tael of silver?

Old Madam Sima gasped and reproached: "Ze'er, are you messing up your mind? ”

Sima Mingze's face was flushed, but he insisted: "One or two silvers, no less!" ”

"Good! One or two poop one or two! The lantern fruit is mine, and the garden is gone! Xiaoguo said briskly.

At this moment, both grandparents and grandchildren were stunned.

Xiaoguo took out a piece of broken silver from his bosom: "I have to bother the little brother to help and pick the fruit together, these are considered honorariums!" ”

Mrs. Ma already felt that her grandson's asking price was too high, and she had cheated others, and when she saw that Xiaoguo had contributed another part of the money, she felt more and more uneasy.

It was already afternoon, and it was expected that Xiaoguo and the two had not yet eaten lunch, so they insisted on entertaining them and eating together at home.

The pungent smell of chili peppers was too great, and Jiang Shang stayed in the courtyard at Xiaoguo's strong request to help his mother-in-law choose vegetables.

Xiaoguo himself followed Sima Mingze to the fence garden.

Sima Mingze saw that Xiaoguo was generous, and between his words and deeds, he did not have the arrogance of a rich child at all, and his heart gradually developed respect.

When the picked peppers filled the bamboo basket, he blushed and stammered: "Ma Gongzi, if I am not in a hurry to use the money, it will be okay to give you these lantern fruits!" ”

"I know!" Xiaoguo winked at him slyly, "You want to go to that competition behind your mother-in-law's back, don't you?" ”

"You, how do you know?" Sima Mingze was surprised.

Xiaoguo smiled: "The people in this courtyard are afraid that they will all guess your thoughts." ”

"Does my mother-in-law also know that I sold my mother's favorite lantern fruit to make up for the travel expenses?" Sima Mingze muttered to himself.

"It turns out that you planted so many lantern fruits because your mother likes it, so if you sell them all like this, will she be angry and scold you?" Xiaoguo quipped.

The peppers in the fence were only green and leafy, and the fruit had been plucked.

"She won't scold me, because she died ten years ago!"

Xiaoguo grabbed a handful of bright red peppers and played with them at her fingertips, and then heard Sima Mingze say this.

Her fingers stiffened, and she said apologetically: "I'm sorry, little brother Sima, I didn't know that your mother had passed away!" ”

"It doesn't matter, it's been ten years, I'm used to it!" Sima Mingze smiled lightly.

The two carried the bamboo basket into the courtyard and walked to the well.

Sima Mingze fetched some water, poured it into the basin, and served it to Xiaoguo: "Wash your hands, be careful not to touch your eyes for the past two days!" ”

Xiaoguo thanked him, washed his palms carefully, and sighed: "I don't know, what kind of relationship does your family have with this meal competition!" It's just that if you go far away, who will take care of your mother-in-law? ”

Sima Mingze said: "I have already thought about it, half of the silver I got from you will be left with my mother-in-law, which is enough for her to spend for a year!" For the rest of the money, I will keep part of it as travel expenses, and the remaining part will be handed over to the eldest brother next door, and ask him to help take care of my mother-in-law during my absence! ”

"You've thought it through!" Small fruit road.

When Sima Mingze heard this, his face turned red again.

Seeing this, Xiaoguo couldn't help but think of another teenager who had stepped forward to defend her, and couldn't help but feel more and more cordial, and sighed: "You like to blush so much, but you look like a friend of mine!" ”

Without waiting for Sima Mingze to ask, he saw Jiang Shang and Mrs. Sima, each carrying a few bamboo baskets with some vegetables in them, and walked over.

"Ze'er, draw some more water and wash the vegetables!" Old Madam Sima said.

Sima Mingze responded happily and quickly brought two buckets of water from the well.

"Mother-in-law, father-in-law, you two can sit down and rest for a while! Leave the rest to me and Zeming! "Little fruit road.

Old Madam Sima looked Xiaoguo up and down, and sighed at Jiang Shang: "Little brother, you have raised a good child!" My family Ze'er, since I was a child, wandered around with me, without a playmate, and when we settled here, he also passed the naughty age and grew directly into an adult! This kid seems to have a gentle temper, but he is very stubborn in his bones, and he refuses to make friends, and hides everything in his heart. I never thought that today I was with Ma Xiaogongzi, I saw the right eye and opened my heart! It's no wonder that a talent like Ma Xiaogongzi, who doesn't have admiration and closeness when he sees it! ”

Xiaoguo smiled: "Mother-in-law, you have won the prize!" To tell you the truth, I met Zeming's little brother, and I feel that I have known each other for a long time, and I don't feel strange at all! ”

Jiang Shang traveled south and north to know countless people, and through talking with the old man Sima, he knew that the other party was an old man of extremely high character, and he was impressed by the other party's handling standards and extraordinary conversation, and he had the intention of making friends.

So he said with a smile: "This is, fate, just like you at first sight!" ”

Next, Xiaoguo followed Zeming into the kitchen, and Xiaoguo had the heart to see his craftsmanship, so he automatically started and let him show the cooking stove.

What amazed Xiaoguo appeared!

Sima Mingze cooks with a lot of style, and on the premise of no teacher, he tries to put in chili peppers when cooking.

Moreover, judging from the two points of color and fragrance alone, his cooking skills are several times higher than those of the imperial chef in the palace!

You must know that the reason why Xiaoguo dares to use chili peppers as cooking condiments depends on the culinary heritage of the previous world!

Sima Mingze saw her eyes widen, staring at the chili peppers he threw into the soup, and explained: "Don't worry, this lantern fruit won't hurt people!" ”

Xiao Guo knew that he had misunderstood, and regardless of the explanation, he only said urgently: "Mingze, how did you think of using lantern fruit as cooking ingredients?" ”

Sima Mingze's eyes darkened, and he said in a low voice: "It was my father who taught me!" He also lost his life because of this lantern fruit! ”