Peach Blossom and Shanzi ate their chin with soup, Pucao pulled his sleeves to wipe them clean, picked out the two bones in the pot, dug the bone marrow and fed it to their mouths first, and then let them each hold a piece and gnaw it.

Chunni sighed when she saw it, and couldn't help asking, "What are your family going to do in the future, the three hundred catties of bud grain have paid taxes and grain, but there is not half a grain left, what are you going to eat this winter?" ”

It was related to the problem of fullness in the future, and the whole family raised their heads to look at Pucao, who had already planned, slowly ate the last piece of tofu, wiped his mouth, and then smiled, "Isn't it possible to replace the annual tax and grain with money?" There are still one or two pieces of silver at home, which is enough for two acres of land to pay taxes, just enough to leave the bud grain for rations. ”

Chunni thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, "This will work, but you won't have any money to spend in the future." ”

Zhang Guier had already remembered the one or two silvers, and he couldn't sleep last night, so he thought about adding some paper and pencil first, and he could go to the school to read for two months, after all, he had already left a lot of homework in the month of the family accident.

At this time, when he heard that Pucao was going to use the rest of the money to pay taxes, his face immediately darkened, and he retorted loudly, "No, you promised to let me go back to the school to study, what will I use to buy paper and pens and pay for the food tax?" ”

Pu Cao has always looked down on the second child of the Zhang family, in addition to the original memory of the resentment left behind by this kid when she was beaten and scolded, but mainly because he was too selfish, but after learning a few bullshit articles, he asked himself to be a sage with some etiquette rules, and he didn't resist when Uncle Zhang's family bullied him like that, for fear that he would be disrespected by his elders. Of course, if he is alone, he deserves to be tossed to death, and he has nothing to do with others.

But there are also peach blossoms who suffer with him, peach blossoms, who are only seven years old, are also hungry, and are also bullied by the children of the Zhang family, he can turn a blind eye and don't think about his sister at all, which is really hateful.

Today, he put his reading before the family was full, which made Pu Cao even more annoyed, staring at him, although he never spoke, but that look had whipped him countless times.

Zhang Gui'er felt weak in her heart, but she still stiffened her neck and said, "You promised in front of the elders in Lizheng, you can't break your word!" I am the only male in the Zhang family, and the Zhang family will rely on me to shine on the lintel in the future, you..."

"Bang dang!" Pu Cao put down the pottery bowl in his hand and sneered, "What's wrong with me? Do you want to say that you are the only male in the Zhang family, and I want to respect you and put you first in everything? You don't look in the mirror to see if you have a look that I admire? As the only male member of the Zhang family, what are you doing when your sister is hungry and beaten and scolded? Not to mention protecting the girl from bullying, isn't it what the Zhang family man should do?

These aside, do you think that you are a man of the Zhang family, everyone in the Zhang family, and all the money should be available to you, so you, a man, should you also do something for the Zhang family?

Think about it yourself, what have you done for this family? Sell grain or redeem the house, what kind of work do you contribute, even if you go to Zhang Er's house to ask for things, you are beaten and bruised and swollen back, you are a waste, if you are not honest and be a man with your tail between your legs, you dare to speak out and let the family starve for you to study? Don't you feel hot on your face, don't you feel weak in your heart? ”

Zhang Gui'er was scolded by Pu Cao so scolding her head and face, she was so angry that she was about to faint, and she wanted to refute it, but she was really at a loss, and finally she could only tremble her lips and say, "You... Wicked woman, you promise... Promised Uncle Lizheng that he would send me to study..."

"Yes, I agreed." Pu Cao deserved to be happy, but unfortunately he said, "But I didn't say when I will send you to the school, even if I send you there in ten or eight years, no one can say that I don't keep my promise, I'm a weak woman, I can redeem the house, and I can keep your big and small snacks from starving, I am already capable!" It's you, a dignified seven-foot man, who wants to let his sister and widow go hungry for you to go to the school to study, so that everyone should laugh at it. ”

How is Zhang Guier the opponent of Pu Cao's knife mouth, he couldn't find a refutation after searching his intestines for a long time, and in the end, he didn't know if it was to cover up his shame or he was really angry, and he fell to the ground without a sound.

Peach Blossom screamed and pounced, crying, "Second brother, second brother..."

Chunni also panicked, put down the pottery bowl and came to Pu Cao's side, and complained in a low voice, "Why are you so troubled, even if it's such a truth, you have to talk to him well." ”

When Pu Cao looked at the little feet of the peach blossom and accidentally stepped on the wrong place, Zhang Gui'er frowned in pain, couldn't help sneering, and responded, "Some people are just selfish and selfish, if they knock from time to time, they will go to the house to uncover the tiles, I don't want to work hard to support the family, and finally raise an uncle." ”

Chunni saw that she couldn't be persuaded to move, so she shouted Liu Housheng to quickly carry Zhang Guier up and send her back to the room, Peach Blossom wanted to follow, but was called to her by Pucao, the little girl had tears in her eyes, and she looked timid, obviously feeling sorry for her brother.

Pu Cao sighed, pulled her into her arms and wiped her tears for her, before saying, "Don't worry, your second brother is pretending to faint, just keep him when you eat at night." ”

The little girl didn't believe it, but she didn't dare not listen, so she just whispered, "Well." ”

Pu Cao has always liked this child very sensible and smart, and she didn't want her to be separated from her because of the selfish Zhang Guier, so she thought about it and told her about it patiently.

"Peach Blossom, sister-in-law quarreled with your second brother today for his own good. In the past, the family didn't have to worry about food and clothing, and it was okay for him to think about everything, but now our family has sold the bud valley and barely found the house to ensure that he will not be frozen to death in the winter, but he actually wants to make the whole family hungry for his own study, which is too selfish.

If you think about the heavy snow in winter, there is no wild vegetables to dig up, if you hand over the bud valley and buy him pen and ink with silver, my family will probably starve to death, and you have been hungry, you know that it tastes unpleasant. Besides, it's not that my sister-in-law doesn't send your second brother to study, but now the family is too poor, and when my sister-in-law earns more money and the spring flowers bloom, I may be able to send your second brother to study, but it's just two or three months later than now. ”

"Really? Does my sister-in-law really want to send my second brother to study? Peach Blossom's surprised big eyes lit up, and she happily hugged Pucao's neck, for fear that she had heard it wrong. Although when her mother was alive, she was not as loved as her second brother as she was, but after all, it was her mother, how could she not miss it, so in her careful thoughts, her mother's hope that the second brother would take the top prize became her wish.

Pu Cao was helpless, and after talking for a long time, the last promise was not as effective, but she couldn't be too demanding of a seven-year-old child, so she nodded and said, "When sister-in-law speaks, it doesn't count, don't worry, sister-in-law still has to earn money to prepare a dowry for you." ”

The peasant children were sensible early, and the seven-year-old daughter had already learned the meaning of the dowry in the chatter of the women on weekdays, and understood that it was to be taken to her in-law's house with her after marriage. Peach Blossom blushed, waved her little hand and said, "I don't want it, keep it for the two of you to read." ”

Who doesn't like such a sensible child, not only Pucao, but also Chunni on the side couldn't help but hug her and kiss her fiercely, praising her, "I will also give birth to a little girl in the future, that is, I am more intimate than a male baby." ”

Shanzi, who was squatting on the side, was jealous, hurriedly came to Pu Cao's side, hugged her arm tightly, Pu Cao patted him on the head, and said with a smile, "It's okay for a male baby, a male baby grows up to protect her sisters, and she will stand up for the door." ”

Shanzi laughed at this time, his little face was full of pride, "I grew up to learn martial arts, whoever bullied my sister-in-law and Peach Blossom, I would beat him." ”

Pu Cao stretched out his hand and tapped his head and was about to speak, but suddenly remembered something that had been neglected, so he asked, "Shanzi, um... Where are you from? Do you have any relatives at home? ”

Shanzi's little face, which was originally smiling brightly, immediately became white like the thin snow in winter, and his little hand loosened the sleeve of Pucao, held it tightly in one place, and whispered, "I... I forgot..."

"Forgot?" Pu Cao frowned, obviously seeing that the child didn't forget, but refused to tell the truth, but she didn't want to force him, reached out and took him into her arms and patted him, comforting, "Forget it, forget it, I'm also here alone, you will live with your sister as a companion in the future, and your sister will provide you with education and marry your daughter-in-law." ”

Shanzi's small body stiffened for a long time, and finally reached out and hugged Pucao's neck and sobbed quietly, everyone guessed that the child must have remembered something bad, and they were silent for a while...

That night, Pu Cao took Peach Blossom to Lizheng's house and sent nine coins of silver, asking him to pay the family's grain tax tomorrow, and finally asked to go into the city with the car to do business.

At this time of year, after the autumn harvest is over, the mothers-in-law of all families have to take the opportunity to send food to the city to visit and open their eyes, so Lizheng is not embarrassed and happily responds.

Mrs. Lizheng loves peach blossoms very much, and has been holding her in her arms when she speaks, and also found a red velvet rope to tie her braids, and said that the two youngest sons in the family were sent back from their parents' house in a few days, and then called peach blossoms to play at home.

Early in the morning of the second day, Pu Cao went to Chunni's house to borrow a clean and decent dress, Chunni naturally wanted to ask a few words, and when she heard that she was going to the city, she was itching to go with her.

So he took a set of indigo semi-new dresses and threw them into Pucao's hands, and hurried to find his man.

Liu Housheng felt sorry for his daughter-in-law who had been pitifully detained by her mother in previous years, and she was wronged when she split up this year, so she naturally agreed.

Xu is peach blossom secretly gave his brother a reassuring pill last night, after Zhang Guier got up early, although his face was still not good, he did not contradict the grass again, and even honestly went to the Chen family in the west courtyard to borrow a bud Gu Chuanzi back, took the peach blossom and Shanzi to peel the bud grains, and prepared to dry and grind the noodles to make a family rations.