At Qiuyu's insistence, Zifu, Zilu, and Ziqing still went out in a hurry, Ziqing didn't want to go, it was too far, and it was really unbearable just by walking, Zifu coaxed her and said: "Good sister, go, or my brother is boring, aren't you afraid of crossing the single-plank bridge?" Brother carries you. ”

Zilu also persuaded on the side: "If my sister can't walk, my second brother will pull you." ”

In the past two years, the conditions at home have been good, and Zifu's height has also increased a lot, so it is still okay to walk with Ziqing on his back. Zishou didn't let him go, he was still too young, saying that he was six years old, but he was less than four and a half years old, and Shen was not at ease. When I arrived at the old house, in addition to Ziping, there were also three Mao and Gui Ying of the Yan family, a total of nine people, and they went out in a mighty way.

I don't know how long I walked, Ziqing really couldn't walk on the way up the mountain, Zifu took a stick and dragged her in front, Zilu also pushed her from behind from time to time, and when she went down the mountain, she trotted all the way, passing through the village at the foot of the mountain, several people got lost, I don't know which direction to go, and complained to each other for a long time, the spearhead is pointed at Qiuyu, who called her an elder.

Zifu and Da Mao asked someone for a long time and didn't understand, Ziqing felt that it was not far to reach the single-plank bridge, so she asked an old woman basking in the sun on the side of the road: "Mother-in-law, we are going to Qiao Village, there is a river not far from here, the water is very deep, and it is a single-plank bridge." ”

As soon as he said that this person understood, he pointed out, and several people came to the single-plank bridge, Da Mao, Ermao, and Sanmao slipped over, and then deliberately jumped on the bridge, making the bridge tremble, scared Ziping and crying, and was scolded by Qiu Yu before giving up, but fortunately, Zifu carried Ziqing and Zilu at the end.

When I arrived at Qiao Village, I saw Xia Yu looking at the door from a distance, wearing the red cotton jacket she made when she got married, her house was basically counted at the head of the village, Ziqing saw that there was a green couplet on the courtyard door, and her father-in-law left last year without surviving the autumn. No wonder the second aunt didn't come to the door for the New Year.

Everyone came in and said, "Congratulations on the New Year." Xia Yu gave each person a penny as New Year's money, the tea bowl was placed on the table, and the guests made tea when they entered the door, Xia Yu brought out a basket of dried fruit refreshments, everyone sat and ate some tea, and before the stomach could digest it, Xia Yu took the tea bowl and took out ten small dishes from the steamer and put them on the table. Each plate is a delicate meat dish. There are preserved chicken, preserved duck, preserved pork tongue, preserved pork kidney, preserved pork, preserved beef, and two dishes of braised vegetables, pig's head and pig's tail, and finally a plate of salted eggs and salted duck eggs, the number of samples is very complete, but the amount of each plate is very small.

Ziqing estimated that she had done everything she could. Anyway, at least it's much better than the aunt's house, listen to the aunt and the mother talk. It's been more than ten years, and my aunt's family has really never eaten a meal that doesn't cost money.

Because there are no adults, there is no wine. One person served a bowl of noodle soup, and each person lay a poached egg, and the three hairs arrived on the table, still with that virtue, and stuffed the meat and vegetables into their mouths one by one. Qiu Yu looked distressed, and said vigorously: "Eat less, eat less, that's what your aunt used to entertain guests, you have eaten it all, what will your aunt's family take to entertain guests again?" ”

My aunt said honestly on the side: "Eat, eat, you eat, you eat it." ”

"That's it, my aunt didn't say anything, and it wasn't your family's food." Da Mao glanced at his aunt very dissatisfied.

"It's a shame to come out with you, it's like I've never seen anything to eat in my eight lifetimes, and I'll never take you out next time." Qiu Yu shouted angrily.

After getting off the table, Xia Yu said: "You will be idle, why don't you go to the ancestral hall at the entrance of the village to play, there are many people there, some play games, and some play money." ”

Ermao was about to go out as soon as he heard it, but Qiu Yu couldn't stop it, and he didn't feel at ease, so he also said that he would go over and see the excitement, and everyone came out.

Ziqing saw that the ancestral hall of Qiao Village was much larger than their Zeng family, the door was closed, there was a large open space in front of the door, like a small square, three in a bunch, five in a group, some playing chess, some playing money, some doing needlework, some chatting, and those serving bowls to eat, some watching the excitement, some applauding, more concentrated than Ziqing and their Dongtang Village, Xia Yu said that it was because Qiao Village had one surname, unlike Dongtang where there were five or six surnames, and people's hearts would definitely be scattered.

Ermao snatched the copper plate of Sanmao and Gui Ying, and ran to see the moneymaker, Ziqing saw the villagers looking at them, and asked in a low voice whose relatives it was, and Zifu Zilu was still wearing a square scarf and a robe, and it could be seen at a glance that he was a scholar, and the new clothes of the three brothers and sisters were also very eye-catching, Ziqing had a set of delicate peach printed cotton jackets and cotton skirts, combed two bags of buns, Zifu and Zilu were wearing purple cotton robes, Xia Yu came out and saw the envious eyes of the villagers, and he was very proud.

Dinner is still relatively rich, with large plates, eight kinds of dishes, not long after dinner, Zhou Tianqing burned a fire with an old tree root in the hall, his eldest brother lit the three lanterns, and asked if anyone played dominoes?

Qiu Yu hurriedly said: "It's all children, no need." Ziqing was a little curious and wanted to see it, but unfortunately she couldn't say it.

Everyone sat and chatted around the fire, Xia Yu sat on the side with a pot of boiling water, Zhou Tianqing made a cup of tea for everyone, brought out dried fruit snacks, and buried a few potatoes in the fire, everyone talked and laughed, drank tea, and ate roasted potatoes.

Xia Yu and Qiu Yu talked about housework, told Qiu Yu that today's cured meat was pickled by herself, the chickens and ducks were all raised by herself, and she also raised a pig, and said that this year's harvest, the rice yield has been greatly reduced, and it is less than the usual thirty percent, and she has planted a lot of potatoes, peanuts and other things, and the days will be over.

Ziqing was a little sad when she heard this, the second aunt and sister-in-law were at home, and the grandmother was reluctant to let them move even a finger, and now the firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea, which one does not need to worry about doing it herself. Thinking of my mother, I must have been the same with my grandmother when I was a child, my grandfather was alive when the family conditions were not bad, and after getting married, not only did I have to do a lot of housework, but I also couldn't eat enough and wear badly.

Ziqing heard her sister-in-law complain that when her mother first got married, she still disliked the rough food of her grandmother's family, which was difficult to swallow, so she was not treated by her grandmother and thought she was squeamish. Later, it took a long time to grind into this.

Ziqing thought at this moment that she must earn a family business so that her future life can be guaranteed, otherwise, she will not be willing to live a life like them in any way.

Just thinking about it, I don't know what time it is, my aunt got up again to make a supper, and the supper is a bowl of wine stuffed with small rice balls per person. Ziqing counted, and has eaten five meals since she entered the door, no wonder the customs of this village are hospitable and courteous.

Sleeping at night is naturally separate for men and women, Zifu got up in the morning and got dressed, and found that the six copper plates in his pocket were missing, he asked Zilu: "Xiao Er, see if your copper plates are still there?" Zilu saw that it was gone, Zifu was angry, so he went to look through Ermao's pocket, and Ermao shouted confidently: "Why turn over mine, I can't have money?" Aren't you bullying? ”

Sanmao was still younger and asked, "Second brother, where did you get the money?" You robbed me and my sister yesterday, you robbed us if you had the money, and you also robbed the two copper plates given by your grandmother. ”

When Ziqing heard this, she dared to treat her differently, her family was given a copper plate, and she hurriedly shouted: "Grandma only gave us one penny, why do you have two?" Grandma still likes you more. "Ziqing is not afraid of chaos.

Qiu Yu saw that everyone was making trouble, and she was annoyed, so she scolded Ermao a few words, and then scolded Sanmao, and Sanmao replied inexplicably: "What are you scolding me for?" Didn't I steal it? ”

Xia Yu heard the movement, came in and asked Zifu how much Wen he had lost, and wanted to replenish Zifu, Zifu hurriedly said: "Second aunt, no need, I'm not worried about these few dollars, I'm worried that Ermao won't learn well." ”

The matter was finally over, and when he returned home in the afternoon, Zifu was very angry and told Zeng Ruixiang and Shen about it, neither of them squeaked, Zeng Ruixiang didn't know what to say, and Shen saw that Zeng Ruixiang was embarrassed to say ugly things.

The next day, he invited Chunyu and his family to come over for dinner, Zifu put away all the valuable small objects in each house and put them in the study, and locked the study. Many years later, Ziqing's family has maintained this habit. (To be continued)