The weather is slowly getting colder. The north wind swept the land with a cold snap. The grass by the roadside withered and yellowed, the leaves of the trees fell down, and the birds and finches that could not find food were crying desolate in the air.

On this day, it snowed for the first time since the beginning of winter. Yao Hei'er's carriage creaked as it walked on the frozen snow. She was wrapped in a newly purchased sheepskin coat, still shivering from the cold.

The Yao family was also shrouded in a biting cold. At that time, when I moved out of the Du family, it was still summer, and Du Xin was very urgent, and the fur and cotton clothes in winter were not around, Yao Heier and Zhong Cuiling, because they were too sad, couldn't think about it for so long, so they only brought summer clothes out.

It cost a lot of silver to buy the family's winter clothes, which is almost equal to Yao Hei'er's monthly income. The weather is cold, and there is more firewood to be burned at home, so I can't expect Qiong'er to pick it up alone, she is still too young to pick it up at all. Zhong Cuiling also tied Jiu'er to her back, pulled Pei'er, and went to collect firewood together.

Three-year-old Pei'er scratched her hand from a tree branch, and she cried; Jiu'er on her back was also cold and uncomfortable, and when she saw her sister crying, she also cried together. Zhong Cuiling coaxed this, coaxed that, and after a while, she didn't pick up a few firewoods at all.

The other children who collected firewood had all gone back, and at this time, in the dead woods, only Zhong Cuiling and Qiong'er, Pei'er, Tie Zhu, and Jiu'er on Cuiling's back were left. The reason why Tie Zhu didn't go back was actually just to help Qiong'er pick up more.

Qiong'er said sensibly: "Aunt Zhong, you take your sisters home, and wait for me to pick up some more before going back." ”

Tie Zhu wiped a handful of frozen snot bubbles, and hurriedly said: "Aunt Zhong, I will help Sister Qiong'er pick it up together, anyway, at home, there is firewood from my father from the mountain." ”

The firewood that the single gourd knocked down from the mountains is to be exchanged for money, which is the only economic income of the single family. How could Zhong Cuiling not know? Zhong Cuiling sighed, wiped away her tears for Pei'er, and sighed: "My second miss, when will you be as sensible as your sister?" ”

The sound of horses' hooves "clicking" was heard in the distance, Pei'er immediately stopped crying, wiped her eyes with dirty cuffs, and said excitedly: "Mother, it's my mother who is back!" ”

Zhong Cuiling hurriedly stopped: "Pei'er, you can't wipe your tears with your sleeve, you have to use a handkerchief." "But it's too late.

Tie Zhu smiled honestly: "Aunt Zhong, we are all like this. ”

Zhong Cuiling smiled helplessly, took out a handkerchief, wiped the cuffs for Pei'er, and heard Yao Hei'er shouting at this side on the path into the village: "Cuiling, Qiong'er, Pei'er, Tiezhu, go home!" ”

Pei'er was like an off-string arrow, the first to rush to Yao Hei'er's car. Yao Hei'er bent down, carried Pei'er to the car, and took out a hot lotus leaf bag from her arms, opened it, and there were several warm buns inside, exuding an attractive aroma, Pei'er reached out and took one, and immediately stuffed it into her mouth.

Yao Hei'er smiled: "My little gluttonous cat, look at your hands, you can wait for your mother to wipe your hands before eating!" ”

The bun in Pei'er's hand had turned into a crescent moon, and Zhong Cuiling pulled Qiong'er and Tiezhu and walked over.

Yao Hei'er took the firewood in the hands of Qiong'er and Tiezhu, put it away, and was about to carry them into the car, Qiong'er took a step back and said, "Mother, wait for me and Brother Tiezhu to pick up two more bundles of firewood, and then go back." ”

Yao Hei'er's heart was sour, but she said with a smile on her face: "I won't pick it up today, my mother will buy charcoal and come back, go home and warm up!" ”

The cheapest charcoal in two baskets cost Yao Hei'er a tael of silver, and she needed to sell thirty pottery urns, or fifteen hare skins, or ten pieces of coarse cloth, to earn it back.

Yao Hei'er found that her accounts were getting more and more fine. However, when she returned home two days ago, Cuiling and her three children were trembling in the room, like invisible needles, piercing her heart. The hands of a family of five were all frozen open, especially Qiong'er. The cut on her hand that was cut by a branch was getting harder and harder to heal because of the cold weather.

It's important to save money, and it's just as important to make life a little better for your daughters. Yao Hei'er distributed the buns to the few people sitting in the car, raised the horsewhip, the carriage threshold, the horse's hooves clattered, and ran towards the gray-tiled and white-walled house.

Today, in addition to two baskets of charcoal, Yao Hei'er brought back a large piece of pork, a few Chinese cabbage, tofu, rice, white noodles, etc.

Back at home, everyone worked together, Tie Zhu and Qiong'er lit the fire, Yao Hei'er and Zhong Cuiling washed vegetables and cooked, and Pei'er was responsible for taking care of Jiu'er. After a while, a pot of fragrant stews and a pot of white rice, steaming hot, were placed on the table.

In the room, a red charcoal basin has been placed, like the warm sun of spring, dispelling the coldness in the room, making everyone's faces ripple with smiles.

When Mrs. Shan came to call Tiezhu home for dinner, she saw her grandson holding a bowl of rice and eating it with relish, so she had to smile and say, "This child, we can't help but eat at your house for three days and two ends." ”

Yao Hei'er was already busy filling a bowl of rice, handing it to Mrs. Shan, pressing Mrs. Shan on the stool again, and said with a smile: "Auntie, we are like a family now, what are you talking about?" But there is one thing to discuss with you, there is firewood on the mountain behind us, why no one burns charcoal to sell it? If you burn firewood into charcoal, wouldn't it be several times more expensive? ”

Mrs. Shan held the rice bowl stuffed by Yao Hei'er in her hand and said with a smile: "The food cooked at home is getting more and more fragrant." I came to call the iron pillar home, and I came to eat too. Why don't you burn charcoal here? How not? He sighed softly and said: "A few years ago, when the old man of our family was still alive, he burned charcoal in the mountains, at that time our father of the iron pillar was only a few years old, at that time the emperor had just sat down in the imperial court, and the palace was to be built, the house of civil and military officials was to be built, the mansion was to be built, and the shops and shops were built on the streets. ”

Yao Hei'er couldn't help but feel ashamed in her heart, the Yao family back then must have been the home of the eunuch who wanted to build a mansion, and the spacious and comfortable mansion in her own home may have been built by seizing the wood that ordinary mountain people relied on for their survival.

Mrs. Shan didn't notice the look of shame on Yao Hei'er's face, and said: "Seeing that the weather was cold that year, Tiezhu's grandfather finally found some decent firewood, stayed up for a few days and nights, and burned out a cellar of good charcoal, I was also happy in my heart, as long as this cellar of charcoal was sold, our family would have food and clothing for the winter." Who knew that when Grandpa Tiezhu was loading the charcoal into the car, a few officials suddenly came, saying how much tax and silver should our family pay, and if we can't take it out, we will use this charcoal to offset the account. I couldn't help but say, I pulled the cart of charcoal and left. Grandpa Tiezhu was so angry that he didn't come up in one breath, and when he came home, he got seriously ill, and I didn't have the money to buy medicine for him, so I ...... and let out a long sigh.

Zhong Cuiling hurriedly said: "Auntie, is this matter so settled, why don't you sue?" ”

Mrs. Shan sighed and said, "We are just ordinary people in the mountains, how can we help but get an official errand?" I heard that those officials who pulled our charcoal were originally sent by the county lord, just because there was a new lady in the family of the general who protected the country, and he wanted a lot of charcoal for heating, and the wood of that year was used to repair the palace and mansion, and the best charcoal was the most scarce. ”

Yao Hei'er's face turned purple at once, and Zhong Cuiling's face also showed shame, and she hurriedly changed her words and said, "Auntie, the rice is cold, you old man eat quickly." ”

Mrs. Shan wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said with a smile: "But, what did I say about these things about Chen sesame and rotten grain." Girl, you should hurry up and eat, I've been running outside every day for the past few months, and it's almost the same as a man. If only my son had the strength of yours! ”

Bi Pei'er said beside her: "Grandma Shan, my grandfather was originally ......"

Zhong Cuiling hurriedly stuffed a piece of meat into Pei'er's mouth and said, "Pei'er, this piece of meat is the most tender, give it to you." ”

Yao Hei'er picked up the bowl, picked up all the meat in the bowl and gave it to Mrs. Shan, and said, "Auntie, since you used to burn charcoal at home, do you remember how to burn it?" ”

Mrs. Shan didn't expect what Pei'er was going to say at all, and when she heard Yao Hei'er's question, she hurriedly said, "Why don't you know?" Although I am a woman's family, we are poor, where can we compare with the noble ladies of all families? I used to burn charcoal with Grandpa Tiezhu. In the past, my old man used to say that if it weren't for me, he wouldn't have been able to burn such good charcoal. As long as the charcoal cellar is built well, it is very easy. It's been more than 20 years, and the wood in the mountains has grown up again, so if it is used for charcoal, it is the most suitable. It's just that there is no charcoal cellar, and if you want to rebuild one, I'm afraid it will cost a lot of silver. ”

Yao Hei'er hurriedly said: "That is the case, Ming'er and I will pay for it, auntie, you teach the big brother of the gourd to contribute, our two families build a charcoal farm, make money, and our two families will share it equally, how about it?" ”

Mrs. Shan immediately said happily: "Is it true? If so, it is much better than cutting wood and planting the land. But since you are the one who paid the money, how can I divide the interest with you equally? As long as it's enough for our family to chew, it's enough. I'll just say, since your family came, our days have been much better. Tiezhu can also eat some good food in three days-" pinched Tiezhu's cheek and said with a smile: "Look, this kid also has meat on his face." ”

Tie Zhu turned his head dissatisfied, pulled his cheek out of his grandmother's hand, and grimaced at his grandmother again, and continued to bury his head in eating.