The lunch was very rich, and when several elders heard that Zhang Shuqiu was coming back, they all took out the dishes that they were usually reluctant to eat. As soon as several elders answered Zhang Shuqiu's call, they divided the work, and the family cooked three or four dishes, and when everyone gathered in the courtyard where the eldest uncle lived, the big round table in the hall was already full.

The eldest aunt brought a plate of braised soft-shelled turtle to the table: "Xiaoqiu, this is what your uncle caught during the Mid-Autumn Festival, I heard that you are coming back, so let me raise it, you look at your thinness, this face is not good, you can eat more." ”

The fourth aunt brought a bowl of chicken soup up, the yellow soup noodles, the heat was fragrant: "Quickly give this chicken soup to Xiaoqiu and the two of them a bowl, the fourth aunt can't cook, this is the hen that your fourth uncle killed when he heard that you came back, simmered in a jar, I tasted it, it was very ......fresh."

Ning Ye couldn't help but feel a little worried when he saw that Zhang Shuqiu was being held by the elders in this room like the stars, and even brought his bowl and plate full of vegetables. What's more, on this table, the wine is not a cup, but a bowl. The elders frequently advised him to drink, but Zhang Shuqiu didn't stop him, just watched him drink with a smile while eating.

As soon as the wine was drunk, the elders' chatterbox was also opened: "Xiao Ning, uncle toasts you, what year are you?" ”

"Uncle, I'm three years older than Xiaoqiu."

"The age is right, you're not too young, everyone in the city got married late, and you were all busy with work before?" The fourth aunt smiled and picked up the wine bowl again.

The fourth uncle touched the fourth aunt, also picked up the cup and asked, "Xiao Ning, what do you do?" ”

"Fourth uncle, I'm a civil servant."

"Civil servant, good civil servant, the first time you come back, you should drink a little deeper." The fourth uncle said with a wine bowl.

"Eh, okay, fourth uncle, sit down." Ning Ye only felt that the wine was down his throat, and it was hot and spicy.

As soon as the fourth uncle sat down, the eighth uncle stood up with the bowl again: "You can't persuade you to drink like this, people are the first to come back, don't scare him." Xiaoqiu, in the afternoon, several of your aunts and uncles have come from the county, and a few brothers and sisters-in-law have also returned, and the evening will be more lively. Come, Xiao Ning, let's take a sip, the eighth uncle will help you in the evening, those uncles are a little difficult. ”

Ning Ye looked at the eighth uncle who came in before the meal, he looked younger than the other uncles, he should have studied and worked, he hurriedly stood up and picked up the bowl and said, "Thank you, eighth uncle, you can mention it more in the evening." ”

Zhang Shuqiu winked beside him and smiled: "Not only do you need my eighth uncle to mention it at night, but you will need him to mention it in the future." ”

The eighth uncle saw that there was something in Zhang Shuqiu's words, and asked with a smile: "Xiaoqiu, don't talk about two words in the family, just say something if you have something." ”

Seeing Ning Ye looking at her in confusion, Zhang Shuqiu shrugged and said, "My eighth uncle is the secretary of the township. ”

The eighth uncle raised the wine bowl and said: "Drink this wine first, what secretary is not a secretary, I, a sesame official, dare not mention it at all in front of you powerful juniors." Xiao Ning, where do you work? I think you're at your age, and you should be on the way to your career......"

Ning Ye naturally knew that the eighth uncle said that he wanted him to drink less, and the meaning in that sentence was that he didn't perform well at noon, but he would just walk and see at night, and he hurriedly took a big sip and said: "I am going to be transferred to Yundong to work soon, and I really want to ask the eighth uncle for more guidance when the time comes." ”

The eighth uncle was also a smart man, and when he heard this, he asked, "Where were you originally?" ”

"I was originally in the capital, and the order should have been sent to the province, so I will report next week." Ning Ye replied honestly.

Ning Ye thought that the eighth uncle would continue to ask him about his work, but the eighth uncle turned a corner and said: "Xiao Ning, you eat some food quickly, although this wine is not a head, it is also very powerful." How did you and our family Xiaoqiu meet? ”

"Xiaoqiu and I are high school classmates, I am two years older than her, and my cousin Li Yun and I are high school classmates, and we lived together for several years when we were studying abroad." The eighth uncle's question made Ning Ye can't help but warm up for Zhang Shuqiu. His identity was already clear in front of the eighth uncle, but he didn't care about these, he only cared about Ning Ye's thoughts about Zhang Shuqiu. Ning Ye was afraid of misunderstanding, so he naturally answered in great detail.

The eighth uncle looked at Xiaoqiu, as if he wanted to find an answer from her, Zhang Shuqiu nodded with a smile and said, "Eighth uncle, my aunt and uncle are very familiar with him, and they also know his parents. ”

The eighth aunt played a round next to her and said: "They all know the roots, how good, Xiao Ning, you eat more vegetables." Xiaoqiu, her eighth uncle, is so upright and temperamental, ask a few more words, don't go to your heart. ”

"I couldn't have drunk today, but when Xiaoqiu came back, I was so happy that I simply took half a day off. I drank this bowl of wine and said something drunk.

My Xiaoqiu, we value it, although she is not short of money in her career now, but her marriage is a disease in the hearts of those of us who are elders. My third aunt, treat us children and nephews like their own children, and our Wang family, if it weren't for the third aunt, we wouldn't be so complete.

Xiaoqiu's mother, we won't mention it, Xiaoqiu is very pitiful, when she was young, we didn't help much. When she grows up and has achievements, our children and nephews still rely on her to help, and I sometimes feel that she is the same as when the third aunt was there. If she doesn't have a good life, we people won't dare to go down to the ground to see my third aunt when she dies......" The eighth uncle himself said while wiping his tears, which made the eldest uncle and the fourth uncle also excited, and the circles under his eyes were also red......

The eldest aunt and the fourth aunt sat aside, and they simply lifted their aprons to wipe their tears, and the eighth aunt married in later, and her emotions were not so excited, and she smiled and pulled the eighth uncle and said: "It's obviously a happy thing, but you can say it, look at ......"

The eldest aunt's voice was a little hoarse and said: "Hey, Xiaoqiu, you came back alone every year in the past, you were lonely, we didn't dare to say these words, when you went back, your uncle would be bored for several days, and the brothers sat together smoking and drinking, and if they drank too much, they sat at the door of the ancestral hall and wiped their tears, and they didn't dare to go in......"

Where could Zhang Shuqiu hear these words, the hot currents in his heart rushed upward, and tears fell involuntarily......

Ning Ye looked at this scene and seemed to understand a little, they didn't care who he was at all, all they cared about was whether he could be good to Zhang Shuqiu.

Ning Ye saw that everyone's mood was a little calmer, so he picked up the wine bowl in front of him, stood up and said, "The elders don't know, I have been chasing Xiaoqiu for more than ten years, and she is finally willing to nod, I am reluctant to wronged her at all." In the future, I will definitely be good to her for the rest of my life, and the elders please rest assured that I have dried this bowl of wine. ”

The eighth uncle wiped his big hand on his face, squeezed the wetness off his eyes, picked up the wine bowl, dried it in one gulp, put the wine bowl on the table and said, "You are coming to Yundong, Xiaoqiu is abroad all the year round, how are you two going to live?" ”

Zhang Shuqiu moved his lips and was about to answer, when Ning Ye pulled her, looked directly at the eighth uncle and replied, "Eighth uncle, and all the elders, please rest assured, no matter where Xiaoqiu goes, I will follow her." ”

The eighth uncle's eyes flashed: "I see that you are so magnificent, and the family should not be simple, let you give up your career for Xiaoqiu, will your parents agree?" ”

Ning Ye smiled calmly: "My job is also my own choice, as long as the elders in the family are honest and follow the right path, they don't say what they have to do with me." Although I may not have Xiaoqiu's professional achievements, I certainly won't hold her back. ”

Zhang Shuqiu was a little amused, looked at Ning Ye, and took his words: "Eighth uncle, don't worry, I'm ready to retire, and I won't go abroad for a while." ”

When the eighth uncle heard this, he turned his face and said, "You are young, and it is the time to do business, what are you talking about." Don't forget, how did the third aunt teach you, a girl's family, no matter how good the person you marry, you must have a foundation for your own life. ”

Zhang Shuqiu originally wanted to relieve Ning Ye, but he didn't expect to be told by the eighth uncle that he couldn't cry or laugh, so he had to nod hurriedly and said: "I know, I know, I'm just a little tired, I don't want to run around anymore, and I live in a hotel every day." There are so many things to do, and I have opened a translation company in Jiangcheng with a few friends, and the focus of my career in the future will be shifted to this. ”

The eldest uncle pulled the eighth uncle and said, "Xiaoqiu, this idea is good, Xiaoba, don't stop you." Shuming said that a few of them said that they and a few of them were tied together, and the money they made together was not as much as Xiaoqiu. She should rest if she wants to rest, and she should have married as soon as possible and have a child, what is more important than this in front of her. ”

"Big brother, you said it easily, what about doing business, you can let it go? You don't know how fast the development is outside, and if you don't come up in two years, no matter how powerful it is, it will be yellow......"

"If it's yellow, it's yellow, what's the business, it's not all for life, now there is no home at home, children have no children, what's the use of making so much money......"

Seeing that the eldest uncle successfully attracted the firepower of the eighth uncle, the elders had different opinions, and they were all worried about her, Zhang Shuqiu and Ning Ye glanced at each other, and she could only shake her head helplessly and smile bitterly, letting them quarrel by themselves.

In the end, the eighth uncle slapped the table, pointed at Ning Ye and said, "Xiao Ning, County Magistrate Ning, tell me, do you want to tie Xiao Qiu to this mountain......

When everyone heard this, they all quieted down, looked at Ning Ye, the eighth aunt's face changed twice, and immediately smiled: "This is a rare joy, drunk, you don't care about him, don't care about him." ”

"I'm not drunk, you ask him, isn't it, our Xiaoqiu, a promising child, this is a broken county, Xiaoqiu is here, can't do it......" The eighth uncle's tongue was a little big, but he still insisted on speaking.

The eldest aunt looked at the eighth uncle's trouble, shook her head with a smile and said, "If you want me to talk about you, it is estimated that you will come back at night, Xiaoqiu is worried if she doesn't marry you, and she is worried about marrying." Xiaoqiu is a smart child, if you want to worry about salty radishes, she will take care of it herself. Okay, okay, just drink so much at noon, Xiaoqiu, you are also tired, take Xiao Ning to rest later. ”

The eldest aunt drove Zhang Shuqiu and Ning Ye away first, and let their brothers continue to make trouble.

Ning Ye didn't feel it at first, as soon as the wind blew in the middle of the tunnel, he couldn't help but feel a little up, took Zhang Shuqiu's hand, and said dizzily: "Xiaoqiu, you don't tell me in advance, your Wang family's mansion is simply a tiger's den in Longtan, what can I do at night......"

Zhang Shuqiu couldn't help laughing and said: "What is there to say about this, I can't come back if I can drink it." But my aunts are more difficult to deal with than my uncles. ”

"How many uncles and aunts do you have, tell me first, I'm so prepared."

"They're going to pour your heart into you, and you won't be ready for any number of them. This village is full of uncles and aunts who have all married out, and my grandmother does not let me marry in Wufu, nor does she allow me to recruit a son-in-law. If you talk about the branches, there are 12 uncles and 9 aunts. Uncle Nine is outside, and it is rare to come back once a year, if it is not for the New Year, or for the Qingming Festival. The second and third uncles are outside, helping to bring their grandchildren, and they will not come back. Zhang Shuqiu replied with a smile.

"My God, how can Li Yun say that you are like an orphan, only your father's family, not your mother's family." Ning Ye couldn't help but smack his tongue.

"What does he know, he doesn't even know how many uncles our Zhang family has, I'm afraid. It's their Li family's business, you ask him, do you understand? Zhang Shuqiu pouted.

"Such a big family, now, there are not many people who can still be so close." Ning Ye sighed.

"Well, there is a reason for this, my ancestors have moved here for hundreds of years, and it was originally to avoid disaster. They all have the same surname, a head of the family, and later came here to multiply and prosper, so that this village was born. Zhang Shuqiu explained.

"You're so young, how can you figure it out so clearly?"

"My grandmother taught me, my grandmother said that you must recognize and recognize people in advance when you are in charge of the family, that is, you are not a family, and the family is related by blood, so you can't meet each other as if you don't know each other. Our family tree is very detailed, even if we moved overseas, we are all connected. Zhang Shuqiu said with a smile.

"Why do you only hear you talk about your grandmother, and never hear you mention your grandfather?"

Zhang Shuqiu carried Ning Ye into the courtyard of Wujin, and helped him half-leaning on the wooden couch in the small study: "You lean on for a while, I'll go get you some sobering soup." ”

Ning Ye pulled Zhang Shuqiu and said, "Don't, I want you, it's better if I don't wake up, see if I can escape at night." ”

"Haha, I'll just send you back to Jiangcheng in a car, so that our family can eat you in this Longtan tiger's den." Zhang Shuqiu patted Ning Ye and said.

Ning Ye blinked and calculated: "That's not good, if you don't enter the tiger's den and get the tiger, I'll put my heart sideways, and let them get drunk once, you should let me go in the future, right?" ”

"You know, when my dad used to come, he didn't stay awake all night. Forget it, don't talk about it, I'm afraid it will scare you. Zhang Shuqiu said with a smile.

"Tell me about your grandfather, you haven't said it yet." Ning Ye went back to the topic just now.

Zhang Shuqiu's eyes darkened, and he groaned: "My grandfather, how can I say it, I don't have any impression. Judging from the mouths of the elders, my mother and my grandfather have similar personalities, that is, they only care about themselves. At that time, the Wang family was very difficult, my grandfather went out alone to find a job, and the family relied on my grandmother to support, and later, later he was ...... outside."

Ning Ye paused when he saw Zhang Shuqiu say this, and his mind changed and said, "Can you make me a cup of tea, it should be stronger." ”