The two family marriages were set, the cave gradually took shape, and there were no other important things before the year. The year-end assessment has passed, and because of the cave incident, the two current adults of Song County, Yu County, have added a sum of political achievements, and they will also be promoted to other places, and they have already set out a few days ago.

Although Qi You Zhixing officially took office at the end of the year, he is also the parent official relied on by the villagers of the two counties at this moment, and the two of them took advantage of the previous year to inspect the caves of the two counties, and they don't often go out.

The whole town is filled with the atmosphere of the New Year, hanging firecrackers, pasting window flowers, and children running around asking for sugar chestnuts to eat.

After putting a burst of sweet potato syrup to ward off the cold and warm the stomach, the shop in the spring return is also ready to close its doors to welcome the New Year.

Soon, the first snow of the year arrived.

The snow fell so hard that it pressed the roof thickly, because there was an ice cellar at home this year, and I wanted to save some ice while the first snow was coming. It just so happens that there are a few large jars at home, which are not commonly used on weekdays, and they can be filled with things when they are washed.

Although it was a cold day, Chungui opened his mouth, and a few people in the family naturally agreed, Geng Rong Liuren helped to scrub the water tank, and Qi You and Zhixing washed a few large wooden planks according to Chungui's instructions.

Cai's big belly and a few children were baked on the stove in the main hall, and Chun Gui wanted to help but was also rejected by Qi You, so he had to watch a few people work in the yard while roasting the fire.

Geng Rong finished cleaning the two water tanks, looked at the two future officials in front of him squatting and brushing the wooden boards, and couldn't help but joke with Liu Ren: "Look at the two adults in our family, they are majestic outside, I can listen to those stall owners praise them when I go out to buy vegetables, and even give me free vegetable money and add radishes and some vegetables, but as soon as our sister Chun speaks, she still has to obediently brush the wooden boards." ”

Liu Ren couldn't help but laugh when he heard it so steadily.

"That's because they respect Sister Chun, don't you see the same with us!"

Geng Rong was old-fashioned: "Brother Zhixing is naturally respectful, but let's Brother Qi You......"

He shook his head pretendedly: "People like us who don't have a girl's family in our hearts don't understand." ”

Liu Ren thought for a moment and even nodded.

The two of them did not avoid people when they talked like this, and even the few who were cooking the fire in the main hall could hear it clearly.

Spring return has long been reddened to the root of the ear. "This Ah Rong, I've been playing with Zhiping for a long time, and my temperament has also been taken away by Zhiping!"

At this moment, Zhiping, who was hiding at Zhimin and watching her embroider clothes, couldn't help but pout.

Cai smiled: "Ouch, what are we doing again!" You are a lady to be married, and Ah Rong is not allowed to make jokes! I think he is quite right, on such a cold day, we Qi You started an errand without saying a word, it can be seen that I feel sorry for you! ”

Zhiping snorted: "I'm going to do it too, my sister-in-law is still stopping me!" ”

"Little Ancestor, what kind of mess are you wrapped in? On a cold day, don't call if you are sick again! ”

As Cai spoke, he looked at the clothes on the children again, and saw that they were all tightly wrapped, so he turned around and said: "Look at these few, we are still helping the family do things every day at our age, even when Qi You Zhixing was like this, now that they have such a good life, the children only have to study peacefully, there is no shortage of clothes, charcoal, and money." When this child comes out of my belly, I'm afraid I'm going to spoil it endlessly! ”

"Speaking of which, a few nights ago, the one in our family secretly hid the silver, saying that he would leave one or two copper plates at the moment and buy candy for this child to eat in the future." Cai stroked his belly, which was already bigger, shook his head and smiled.

Since she became pregnant with a child, Cai's temperament has become more and more gentle day by day, but she has never seen her lose her temper again.

She was also gentle, but after living with orphans and widows over the years, she became a little more spicy, but now that her life is stable and her husband loves her, she naturally puts away her wild nature.

Chungui couldn't help touching her stomach and said softly: "Sister Cai is blessed."

"You're so blessed! When you have a child, according to Qi You's care for you, I'm afraid that you will spoil the child to heaven! Cai smiled and gestured out the door.

I saw Qi You quietly watching Chungui caressing Cai's belly, and his eyes were gentle.

Chungui turned his head, and the two looked at each other and smiled, as if they had great hopes for the days to come.

After the water tank was cleaned, several people filled it with water, and used the wooden boards washed by Qi You and Zhixing to make baffles, and inserted them in the water tank and divided them into three parts.

After the processing was completed, several people were almost red from the cold, and on the kitchen side, Aunt Wang had already boiled a pot of hot water and poured it into the basin.

I just touched the ice, and I didn't dare to put my hand directly into the hot water, so I used the heat above to bake, and after a while, the cold in my hand was dispelled, and the water was a little colder, so I soaked my hand in the basin just right.

Chun Gui took the dry cloth again, and divided it one by one.

I am afraid that this kind of weather will last for a few days, and it is close to the New Year, and the cave was given a holiday yesterday, and a shed was temporarily built to shield from the wind and snow. is the aunt Wang invited by the family, and after today, she will settle her salary and go home to prepare for the New Year. There is only one Li Zhicun left with two days of work, and if the snow stops tomorrow, it will be done.

The family discussed what to prepare for the New Year, because there is more Guo family this year, although Guo Ruyi has not passed the door, but the New Year should also be walked.

It is inconvenient to run around in the spring to be married, and Cai's belly is big, thinking about it, and then Qi You and Zhixing will take a few children to visit the New Year.

Speaking of the Guo family, Zhixing remembered something: "A few days ago, Ruyi brought a message that the two brothers of the Chu family were going to come back from Kyoto a few years ago. ”

The Chu brothers have now also raised a group of people in Kyoto, all of whom are good at making hand-painted porcelain, saying that they want to bring them down together.

Qi You nodded when he heard this: "I was going to urge it, but I didn't expect the action to be quite fast." ”

In these two counties, only Chungui has this craft, hand-painted porcelain is not an ordinary thing, those who can paint may not be able to sketch on porcelain, and those who can paint on porcelain may not be able to draw well. But Chun Gui is about to get married, and it's not good to go out for these few trips, and in his selfish heart, Qi You is not happy to let her go into the cave again to suffer that sin.

But the Chu brothers are good as soon as they come, they are used to this craft, whether they bring people or re-train a batch, it is convenient.

"I'm about to leave in the past two days, and I'm coming back for the New Year." Zhixing smiled again: "Zhou Han is afraid that he will be too worried in Kyoto." ”

"I wrote from a few days ago that the sweets in Kyoto are not as good as my sister-in-law's own handmade, so I think about it every day. Although he didn't complain, I saw that he was a little uneasy between the lines. ”

Due to the year-end assessment, there was a shortage of manpower, so some of the people who were to be appointed were directly pulled over, and Zhou Han was appointed two earlier than Qi You, and he must have been suffocated for more than a month.

Chungui smiled and took away the dry cloth wiped in the hands of several people: "He has been depressed in Kyoto for a long time, he just doesn't want to be restrained, and he doesn't have many friends. If you two have time to write and talk to him, it will be good for a long time. ”

Saying that, she couldn't help but sigh: "Now that the three of you are separated by a south and a north, I am afraid that the number of times you will get together in the future can be counted." ”

She still remembered that when she left in early autumn, Zhou Han was depressed for a few days, and she thought that she was really reluctant to go to this place.

Qi You was silent for a moment and nodded: "Sister Chun is right. ”

Zhou Han's family is in Kyoto, and according to Zhou's father's arrangement, he entered the ministry, and the heavy responsibility on his shoulders is even heavier, there are times to complain about in the first few years, and in the next few years, when the older generation of the Zhou family retreats one by one, it is time for Zhou Han's generation to support the lintel of honor and disgrace.

He didn't say these words, and Chungui understood it in his heart.

The joy of the little time passed, and what came to me was the heavy responsibility that had to be shouldered.

Zhou Han is like this, and so is he and Zhixing. Zhou Han is responsible for the entire family business, and he and Zhixing are the livelihood and prosperity of the people of these two counties.

Qi You raised his eyes and looked at Chun Gui, who was putting away the dry cloth and walking towards the kitchen.

Luckily, he already had someone to support each other on the way forward.

……

After one night, the snow was getting heavier and heavier, and before dawn, I woke up in the spring, and I put on my clothes and pushed the window to see, and the wind outside the house was blowing fiercely, blowing on my face and freezing people.

She was so cold that her sleepiness disappeared completely, so she simply turned around and added a few clothes, not planning to sleep.

Yesterday, Aunt Wang had settled her wages and returned home, and there were things in the kitchen that she had intended to prepare two days ago, chicken, duck, fish, meat, and all kinds of vegetables were complete.

Speaking of having Aunt Wang, she went into the kitchen to cook for her family very rarely.

She couldn't sleep today, she looked at the kitchen, thought about it, and kneaded the dough and rolled out the dough as before, mixed with meat filling, vegetarian filling, and after a while, she wrapped a drawer of wonton dumplings.

Water is boiling in one pot, and oil is being fried in the other.

After finishing the kitchen work, I tightened my clothes and went to the yard to look at a few water tanks, knocked on them, and sure enough, there was thick ice!

The current day is smooth and happy, a large jar of ice cubes, and a pot of wontons make her happy.

When everyone got up one after another, the kitchen was already full of incense.

Qi You was looking left and right at Xun Chungui, when he heard her shouting at the other end of the kitchen: "Come and help serve the bowl!" ”

In the early morning, the wind and snow were a little lighter, but it was also a cold one, and Qi You saw two steaming cauldrons in the kitchen at a glance, and Chun Gui who was standing in front of the pot and stirring the bottom of the pot.

There is only one door and one window in the kitchen, and the windows are not very tight, and at this moment, there are still a few traces of cold wind pouring in, and it can't help but shiver when it blows on the body, Qi You frowned slightly, stepped forward and stroked Chungui's hand, and it was really slightly cold.

"Why did you wake up so early? I didn't sleep well yesterday, but the wind poured in? ”

Chungui smiled and shook his hand back: "My house is tight, but I couldn't sleep this morning, so I got up and made breakfast when I thought about it." ”

Qi You pursed the corners of his lips, as if he disagreed, let go and picked up a few strips of cloth on the small table, turned around and blocked a few gaps in the window: "Even if you get up to cook, you should close the window, I'm afraid this snow will have to go down for a while." ”

Chungui turned his head to see him meticulously checking the window door, and couldn't help but bend the corners of his mouth, and then put out all the breakfast in the pot.

The family sat around for a hot breakfast and gossip about the town.

After eating, I looked outside, the snow was big and small, but it never stopped, Li Zhicun was going to go to a foreigner's house to do the last two days of work today, and when he saw this huge snow, he had the intention of retreating.

Seeing this, Geng Rong actually put on his boots and walked to the door, so frightened that Chun Gui hurriedly shouted: "Ah Rong! What do you do! ”

Geng Rong smiled and turned his head: "It's okay, Sister Chun!" I'll see if the road out there is still going on! ”

As he spoke, he pushed open the door, and several people in the house looked out of the door, and at this look, they saw that the whole street was white, and Geng Rong poked down, not reaching his ankles.

Cai hurriedly said: "With such a heavy snowfall, don't go out, that person also knows the difficulty of walking." ”

Chungui also nodded: "Sister Cai is right, the roofs are all thick, not to mention that the snow is still falling, if it is an unreliable house, I am afraid that it will fall in a short time, Brother Li should stay at home, and make plans when the snow stops." ”

The two of them originally persuaded Li Zhicun to stay, but they didn't want Zhixing and Qi You on the side to frown when they heard this.

Geng Rong came back again, and Chun Gui took a strip of dry cloth and patted the snow on his body.

In just one trip back and forth, a thin layer fell on this shoulder.

Qi You looked at the thin snow on Geng Rong's body, and then looked outside, and stepped on it a few centimeters, and the footprints were deeply trapped inside.

He was silent for a moment, and then suddenly said:

"Sister Chun, how long does this snow take to fall?"

Chungui frowned slightly and shook his head: "I look at this posture, if I don't say anything, I have to tomorrow." "Fortunately, they have everything they have prepared.

Tomorrow......

Qi You's expression on his face became more and more severe: "I'm afraid it's a disaster!" ”

One sentence made everyone panic,

Chungui hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Before Qi You could reply, he suddenly took a few steps without putting on his boots, and looked in the direction of the outskirts of the town from a distance, and sure enough, it was heavy snow white.

When he came back, the snow on his body was a layer thicker than Geng Rong's just now, which showed that the snow was getting bigger and bigger.

Chungui saw that his feet were also wet, and he couldn't help but hurriedly say: "Why did you go out all of a sudden, go and change your shoes!" ”

But Qi You clasped her hand, and his face was extremely serious: "Sister Chun, Zhixing and I have to go to the outskirts of the town." ”

Without waiting for the spring to return, he said directly: "The previous group of displaced people are still settled in the suburbs of the town and adjacent to the official road, most of them are slab houses and thatched huts. ”

The words made everyone's hearts tremble.

In such a freezing and snowy place, you have to worry about collapsing in the house, and the outside of the house is not protected from freezing, both inside and outside, there is great danger.

Chungui hurriedly looked at Zhixing, only to see that he also nodded with a restrained expression.

However, before she could react, there was a sharp knock on the door.

"Master Cheng, is Lord Liu at home! Master Cheng and Lord Liu can be at home! ”

Qi You's expression froze.

Geng Rong didn't take off his boots, and hurriedly stumbled over and opened the door, as soon as he opened it, sure enough, a group of poor men in official uniforms were standing outside the door with an umbrella full of snow, and they were shouting in a hurry.

Geng Rong hurriedly said: "I'm here!" Both adults are here! ”

The crowd did not come in, but shouted outside the door, "Two adults! That place on the outskirts of town won't last long! ”