Soon, the winter solstice is approaching.

The winter solstice, commonly known as the "Winter Festival", "Long Solstice Festival" or "Ya Sui", is an important solar term in the lunar calendar, and people generally hold banquets and worship their ancestors on this day.

In this part of Zhangde Mansion, dumplings are eaten on the winter solstice.

Of course, ordinary people like to eat meat filling, pork and mutton are the most common, the richer ones have more fat and less vegetables, and the poorer ones also have to add a little meat to the vegetable filling.

Big families are used to eating big fish and meat, but of course they still like to eat something fresh. There are very few vegetables in winter, except for radish and cabbage, which is bean sprouts, Xie Xuan calculated, and the leeks and garlic in the basement just took the opportunity to go on the market.

Hui Niang and his wife moved back after the house was dried, and Qiu Niang and his wife also went back after helping the Xie family plant vegetables, and then Xie Qingshan, father and son and the Lin family were left to work, Xie Wang's family still had to take care of Xie Xuan, and Xie Zhiyuan and Xie Zhicheng went to school.

When Qiu Niang and his wife left, Xie Wang and Xie Qingshan gave another ten taels, and Zhou An and Zhou Quan's wages added up to three taels, and a total of thirteen taels of silver was enough, so they could go back and buy the things they needed to use in the tofu workshop.

Zhou An repeatedly promised that he would definitely repay the money in the future.

Xie Qingshan repeatedly said that they should buy things well and wait until they earned the money.

Xie Wang's originally thought that they didn't need to repay the money, but Xie Qingshan was afraid that the two sons-in-law would see that the money was easy to come by, so they would be slack and dependent, so they only said that it was lent to them, so as to urge them to improve.

Of course, this money Xie Qingshan is not ready to come back.

Xie Wang sighed: "It's still Qiu Niang's son-in-law who is sensible, although he is young, he is old and serious, and he is also obedient to Qiu Niang." Qiu Niang's temperament was babbling, and when she met Zhou An, she slowly quieted down. Sure enough, it was a radish and a pit, and the two of them had come together! ”

Xie Qingshan also smiled: "Zhou An and Zhouquan brothers are sensible, they are willing to work hard, they don't compete with others, and they never compete with others to do less and do more." Although the family has been dragged down by his father for several years, as long as he is willing to work, what can't he do? We married Qiu Niang right at the beginning!"

From Qiu Niang to Hui Niang, Xie Wang sighed: "Hui Niang's son-in-law is a stone mill - when others push it, he will move, if you don't push it, he has been dumbfounded, like a piece of wood, and he is too honest." Hui Niang will have to worry about it in the future......"

"Indeed, our family gave him ten taels of silver to build a house, and he didn't even know a kind word. If Hui Niang hadn't taken the initiative to mention it, he would still be dumbfounded and take everything for granted! Xie Qingshan frowned and said: "Where am I willing to pay back this money from my daughter, I just can't see how much he is stunned, and how much Hui Niang has suffered......

The old couple didn't talk in their spare time, and they didn't tell anyone else.

Sure enough, on the day of the winter solstice, Xie Qingshan got up, he wanted to drive a carriage to cut leeks and garlic on Zhuangzi, and deliver them to the back kitchen of the restaurant and several large households with his two sons.

Both Xie Pingtian and Xie Ping'an lived on Zhuangzi in case of further theft.

Xie Xuan was drowsy, and there was a creak outside, the sound of the door being pushed open.

The rooster in the backyard was probably woken up, and the rooster crowed twice in a low voice, as if shouting great reluctance.

Xie Xuan was also woken up, she had already despaired of the soundproofing effect of the stone and mud walls, she slept softly, and the slightest sound could wake her up.

The window was pasted with three layers of thick window paper, the room was pitch black, and he couldn't see his five fingers, Xie Xuan covered his head with a quilt, thinking that he didn't hear anything.

Outside, Xie Wang and Lin lowered their voices and spoke:

"Mother, you sleep for a while, I'll go to Zhuangzi with my father!" Lin said.

"I'm a little worried, today's winter solstice, the kitchens of eight restaurants and several large households will be a thousand catties in total, and the four of you don't know if you can finish cutting ......it," Xie Wang said with some concern.

"Why can't you finish it? A thousand catties is only half an acre of land, and we can cut it in less than two hours! Lin smiled and said, "Mother, you can sleep well at home, just take care of Xuanxuan and Zhiyuan Zhicheng!" ”

After a while, I heard Xie Qingshan leading the horse out of the livestock shed in the backyard, the horse's hooves stepping on the frozen hard ground, and the sound of "clicking" was very crisp.

In a series of snorts from the horse, Xie Xuan hurriedly put on a cotton jacket, put on a cotton hat made by Xie Wang, and went out with his neck bent.

"Grandpa, big girl, I'll go too!" Xie Xuan shouted.

Xie Qingshan squinted his eyes, and saw Xie Xuan coming out of the west ear room in the dark shadow, and couldn't help but say: "Xuanxuan, it's early this day, you sleep a little longer, your uncle and I can finish it!" ”

"I'll go too, and I'll be able to count you when the time comes!" Xie Xuan shivered in the cold wind, "I'll make up for sleep when I come back!" ”

"Alas-" Hearing Xie Xuan's words, Xie Qingshan sighed and asked Xie Wang to bring Xie Xuan a bed to cover the road.

Except for Xie Xuan and Zhiyuan Zhicheng, the Xie family is illiterate, although they can also draw and count on paper, but they are definitely not as fast and accurate as Xie Xuan's calculations, and they may have to delay time.

Xie Wang hurriedly went to the house and took a thick old quilt and put it in the car, Lin hugged Xie Xuan, the two surrounded the quilt, Xie Qingshan drove the horse with a horsewhip, and rushed towards Zhuangzi with a slight starlight.

The carriage was swaying, Xie Xuan nested in Lin's warm arms, and there was a thick quilt outside, after all, her small body could not be compared with adults, she couldn't hold on and fell asleep again.

When I woke up again, I had already arrived at Zhuangzi, and when I entered the basement house, Xie Pingtian and Xie Ping'an had already cut several baskets and put them on the open space.

It was very warm in the basement, about 20 degrees, Xie Pingtian and Xie Ping'an wore jackets and dried for a while, sweat oozing from their foreheads.

"Uncle, when did you get up and work? Why did you cut so much? Xie Xuan counted them, there were nine baskets of leeks and garlic, and couldn't help laughing.

"Hehe, we know that we have to get up early today, and we haven't slept all night, for fear that we will oversleep and miss the hour!" Xie Ping'an smiled and said, "Xuanxuan, you little lazy cat, don't you like to sleep laziest?" Why did you come here too? ”

"I'm afraid you're not good at counting, so I'm here to oversee you!" Xie Xuan said with a smile.

Xie Qingshan and Lin entered the basement house, felt the warm and humid air, and also took off the big cotton jacket outside, and joined the ranks of cutting leeks and garlic.

"Look at this young seedling of Huang Yangyang, how gratifying!" Xie Qingshan said as he cut, his smiling face wrinkled, "Who has eaten such a good dish in winter before?" Later, when we go back, we will also cut half a basket and go back to make dumplings to eat! ”

"Pea sprouts are also delicious, if it weren't for Xuanxuan to say, who knew that pea sprouts could still be eaten like this?" Lin also smiled and said, "Scrambled with an egg, the taste is crispy and fresh, it is a good dish!" No wonder it can be sold for about the same price as garlic and leek. ”

Xie Pingtian stood up and straightened his waist, looking at the vegetables in the candlelight, the color was tender yellow, as lush and dense as spring wheat seedlings, and he couldn't help but crack his mouth and laugh: "Only such a day is called a rush!" ”