He and Yang were muttering about their children's family affairs in the kitchen, and in the courtyard outside, Zhang Dazhuan talked to Zheng Changhe about it. However, in the end, men are not as verbose as mothers-in-law - there are a lot of some and there are no - their conversation is simple and direct.

Zhang Dazhuan saw that the four juniors went to the backyard, Zhang Huai walked beside the chrysanthemum, looking intoxicated and satisfied, obviously moving over and next to the chrysanthemum made him happy, he raised his head and asked Zheng Changhe: "Is it good to marry next year?" ”

Zheng Changhe thought for a moment, nodded and said, "Cheng!" ”

Zhang Dazhuan opened his mouth and smiled, and asked again: "When will you get married?" ”

Zheng Changhe immediately glared at him and said, "I'll raise it for another two years - my daughter is still young." What are you anxious about? Two sons, are you afraid that you won't have grandchildren to hug? I'm just one of Aoki's sons, haven't I been married yet! ”

Seeing that he looked like he was afraid of someone robbing his daughter, Zhang Dazhuan shook his head and smiled: "I just asked, and I didn't say that I must get married immediately." The chrysanthemum is a little smaller.

You are also like digging your heart and lungs, your daughter is married, you can't see it all day long, and it's not that you can't see it from dozens of miles away. ”

They all know it in their hearts, and the chrysanthemum is not young, but it has not grown yet, and I am afraid that it will take two more years to get married.

Zheng Changhe thinks about it, he doesn't have to worry about not seeing his daughter at all, just change the room to live.

The two of them decided this matter in a few words, and then talked about other things, the most important of which was the late rice that was about to be harvested.

Zhang Dazhuan said with a smile: "You don't have to be so anxious about this late rice, anyway, you don't need to complete the field after cutting." Besides, I only have three acres of land, and I can help you when the harvest is over. ”

Zheng Changhe said with a smile: "Don't worry, why are you in a hurry to harvest rice?" If I were asked to harvest rice every day, I would be glad to do so. This season's late rice is harvested, and the family has to harvest a lot of extra grain. Hehe, it's fun to think about, we've never confiscated so much rice. ”

Zhang Daxuan will smile heartily when he sees his happy appearance, who doesn't want to collect more grain? When I was a child, the memory of being hungry was especially profound, and I couldn't forget it.

He asked, "If you take back this late rice, you must not be able to eat it, do you plan to sell it?" ”

Zheng Changhe shook his head and said, "I'm afraid that the babies don't want to sell miles—Aoki and Chrysanthemum both said that they should keep more food at home, so that their hearts can be at ease." If I think about it, I am not in a hurry to use the money now, if I still pay taxes on grain as usual, sell what I sell, and there is not much rice left in the family and live on corn, it would be too unseemly. ”

He is a simple person, even if Chrysanthemum and Aoki earn a lot of money, he doesn't think he can spend it casually, so he doesn't say "no shortage of money", but "don't rush to use money", in his heart, only the money he gets from farming and raising pigs is spent. It's not that the money the babies earn is not good, it's just that he always thinks that the money is better left for the babies to buy a family business.

Not everyone thinks the same as he thinks, for example, if Liu Erniang gets so much money, I am afraid that the whole village will know about it; If it was a flower woman, it would definitely be a gluttonous meal to buy all day long; However, Zhang Dazhuo, Huang Da Yanzi, Zhou Xiaozi, and Liu Fatzi will definitely be the same as Zheng Changhe - working tirelessly as usual.

Zhang Dazhuan sighed and said with emotion: "That's it." It's not that we don't want to endure hardship - I didn't come here to eat wild vegetables when I was a child - but I don't want the babies to be like us anymore, busy all year round, and they can't even eat white flour and white rice, and they are now growing up. It's also stained with the light of your home, and this day is getting better and better, at least the white rice is eaten every day. ”

He pointed to the good venison and smiled, "If this is usual, where can you eat it yourself?" It's nice to be able to leave a pound behind. ”

The two laughed as they spoke, very satisfied and happy.

The divided venison was packed in large and small baskets and baskets, and some only had a small piece, almost a catty, which was given to Zhou Xiaozi and Li Changming's family. This family and friend neighbor also have to be separated from each other, but being able to send a piece of meat over means that it is different from ordinary villagers.

Of course, the Zheng family has a large share, almost more than Huaizi's uncle. It's not that the Zhang family doesn't take their relatives seriously, this is the best interpretation of "distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors". Zhang Dazhuan and Zheng Changhe are far closer than these relatives, and they never say a word to help each other on weekdays, so they naturally have to be treated differently.

Zheng Changhe didn't shirk either, and asked with a smile: "Will you send it to the third brother tonight?" ”

Zhang Dazhuan smiled: "Send it." and the Liu family, too, send some - let the fat man Liu drink. When he built the house, he also gave me a lot of fish, plus your family, I didn't buy fish for the banquet, and I saved a lot of miles. ”

Zheng Changhe nodded and said, "Fat Liu is a good person. After a pause, he said: "The sons are also promising, and the little girl is also likable." ”

Zhang Dazhuan laughed loudly: "I'm not convinced—how can this guy be so good?" gave birth to four sons, and added an old daughter. It's all good. If people have such sons, there will always be one or two unsuccessful—ˉ—ten fingers are long and short—this is also common sense, and this old guy is a good blessing. ”

Zheng Changhe saw him with an envious look, and said with a smile: "You are angry that he has many children and is blessed now, and you have forgotten the hardships he endured at the beginning?" So many babies, like cut leeks, grow up stubble, all of them are with him to eat, worried about what he is like, or how can his Sanshun be so able to fish and touch fish - it's not that there is nothing to eat, so he has to drill in the fields and rivers at a young age. Liu Fatzi also has no choice, so he can't care so much, so he can only let him roll in the water at a little age. But if you think about my Aoki and your Huaizi, the old man is reluctant to let them go into the water, for fear of a mistake. Aren't we all as poor as our family? But just such a lone seedling, it is natural to look at it more expensive. ”

Zhang Dazhuan nodded and said with emotion: "Fat Liu has suffered a lot. Fortunately, our poor people's babies are taking care of the day, just like feeding piglets, pulling and pulling have grown up, and they are all strong, and there is no disease or disaster. ”

Zheng Changhe sighed and said: "It's okay to be hungry for one or two meals, but if you get sick, it will kill you." No one can afford to toss like this. He obviously remembered the situation when he broke his leg that year, and now he is afraid that if he can't stand up, then their mother and wife will have to suffer a lot.

After laughing for a while, they listened to the kitchen call for dinner, and the two cleaned up and went into the house together.

Chrysanthemum didn't know that her father and mother had already discussed her family affairs, and she was still visiting the Zhang family's new house.

After turning around, I heard a call for dinner outside, so everyone came out with a smile on their faces to help serve the food and set the dishes and chopsticks, in order to taste the venison earlier.

I don't know if it's a mental effect - scarcity is expensive - Chrysanthemum thinks Aunt Zhang's braised venison is very delicious. She looked at the steaming venison stewed in the casserole, with the aroma of green garlic and the smell of radish, and her appetite was so stimulating that she ate a lot of meat, regardless of whether she could digest it at night.

He was very happy and kept helping the chrysanthemums and vegetables; Yang is even happier - eating more is better, and eating more can make her as mellow as Liu Xiaomei.

Chrysanthemum didn't know that they both had the purpose of feeding themselves fat, so they just let go of their bellies and ate their fill, and Zhang Huai smiled happily when she saw it, thinking that tonight's meal was really fragrant.

Zhang Dazhuan and Zheng Changhe laughed while drinking: "Huaizi, I'll give this meat to my uncles tomorrow morning - I'll pack it all." This meat should be eaten fresh, and it is not good to leave it for a long time. ”

Zhang Huai hurriedly nodded in agreement.

He said with a smile: "For the third brother and the Liu family, send it in the evening, and save Ming'er any more trouble." ”

Zhang Dazhuan took a sip of wine and nodded, "I'll send it in a while." ”

After the meal, it was already the middle of the moon outside, and the cold moonlight sprinkled on the grass with silver frost, and it was a miserable white. Aoki came out of Zhang's house with a well-fed and hot family carrying venison, and was invaded by the coolness of late autumn, and couldn't help but shiver.

Yang hurriedly asked Chrysanthemum, "Is it cold?" ”

Chrysanthemum smiled: "It's good to eat a belly of meat, I can always take care of something!" ”

Zheng Changhe laughed when he heard this, and said to Chrysanthemum: "Let's burn some Ming'er too." Your Uncle Zhang has put a lot of venison on it, so you have to eat it while it's fresh.

Yang nodded and said, "This is a rare thing, Uncle Zhang gave it away, if you like to eat it, you can burn more to satisfy your cravings." ”

Chrysanthemum said: "I'm afraid I can't finish eating, I have to pickle a piece, just cut rice and eat it." ”

When it came to cutting rice, Zheng Changhe was happy, and hurriedly said to Aoki that he would scoop out the sickle and sharpen it, and the rice threshing machine should also be carefully inspected, and the rice basket should also be checked - see if there is any broken place to be repaired, and nag all the way into the yard.

So, the family gossiped under the lamp again, and talked about harvesting rice while eating and drinking. Chrysanthemum and Yang were doing needlework, and Aoki and Zheng Changhe carefully inspected and repaired the rice basket, so as not to make mistakes in these families when they were busy.

Within two days, the late rice harvest began. In the past, everyone started a year off at home, but this year it will be a few more busy days.

When the late rice was harvested in the warehouse, the whole family, although they were half exhausted, laughed from ear to ear - this was the extra harvest in the field this year. With so much rice at home, my heart is extremely steady and stable, and all my previous hard work has been rewarded.

Chrysanthemum looked at her father's smiling face and didn't know how to speak.

She knew that the blueprints of the rice threshing machine were sold for two thousand taels of silver, and Zheng Changhe was in awe in his heart, but he didn't have any experience and feelings; However, the rice recovered from the first crop of late rice made him ecstatic, and he sincerely felt that it was the result of his own labor, and that his excitement could not be compared with that of two thousand taels of silver—much more real and accurate.

But although Chrysanthemum also enjoys the process of life, she also pays attention to the results.

She felt that if there was not enough food at home to eat, she would not buy it, and she would also have to grow a variety of late rice, which she could accept; But now that the family has no enough food, and if she has to drag it to sell it for money, then she feels that it is not cost-effective to grow rice and sell it for money compared to feeding pigs, growing vegetables and even raising fish for money, she feels that this kind of rice is too tiring, or too rushed. If it goes on like this for a long time, it will definitely not work, or recruit long-term workers and become a big landlord at home; Either they can plant a few acres less land to ensure that their families have enough food and surplus food, and they still have to rely on other ways to earn money.