Hu Shi entered the door and saw Ziqing crooked on the kang, holding a piece of clothing in his hand and roasting it on the fire basket, and said with a smile: "Brother and sister, this stove is small and exquisite, and it is convenient to carry it anywhere." ”

"No, our old people over there love to use this, and I also want it to be convenient to go out. The two sisters-in-law go to the kang and sit, do you have anything to do with me? ”

"Where is there anything serious, the two of us are just here to talk to my brother and sister, my brother and sister are coming to the house for the first time, don't be restrained, what you want to eat, what you want, what you want to do, just open your mouth, don't go outside, although we meet for the first time, but after all, we are all a family." After Hu finished speaking, he sat cross-legged on the kang, and Ma also sat down on the edge of the kang.

"Thank you, sisters-in-law. It's better to say that it's cold and snowy, but it's really cold, and it would be nice if this room could be warmer. Ziqing said.

"That's easy to say, I'll ask your second brother to help you heat the kang in a while. This house is not very inhabited, and it will not be warm for a while, and it is a partial house, which is a little worse. Ma said.

Ziqing listened and thanked him. Hu Shi hurriedly said: "It's not restrictive, brother and sister, don't thank you for coming and going, it's weird to be tired when you listen to it." I don't know where my brother and sister are from? What does it do at home? ”

"My family is in a small village in the south, and my family also farms."

"Oh, looking at the faces of my younger siblings doesn't look like they're suffering, but they talk and act like they're from a big family. Look at this skin, it's supple and supple. After Hu finished speaking, he specially took Ziqing's hand and took a closer look. Look at this finger, it's not a farm worker. Ten fingers, like peeled green onions, are really beautiful. It's like us, like the burnt stick, there is no comparison. ”

Ziqing's hands have been busy making wedding dresses this year, and the affairs of the back mountain have been handed over to Ziyu, the heavy work of the family. The farm work is all done by hired people, so this year, Ziqing's hands are well maintained, and his fingers are slender. Lin Kangping likes to grab and play when he has nothing to do.

"What has the third brother been doing outside all these years? Got rich, right? At first glance, you are pampered, and the third brother sees that you don't like to eat pasta, and you buy two bags of rice. Look at the silver bracelet you gave to Hongxia, it's not more than half a tael of silver, tsk, look at you to wash some clothes, the third brother is still afraid that you will freeze, and I want hot water, it really hurts you. Ma said.

"It's nothing, we usually grow rice over there, and I'm used to eating rice. Kang Ping is also a fool, so he has something to eat. Ziqing said.

"Are you going to come back in the future? Want me to say. It's better to be outside, and it's good to pull these acres of land at home, and it's good to barely be able to eat a full stomach. There are plenty of opportunities to make a lot of money out there. Or, the third brother can raise you? Ma said.

Ziqing finally understood the intention of the two and smiled. said: "We settled down in the south, and also put a few acres of land, this time I came back to worship my parents-in-law, and second, to take me to know my family, after all." Uncle and aunt are Kangping's closest people. ”

Hu and Ma looked at each other and smiled, and were about to say something, Lin Kangping came in, carried a basket, and said that he wanted to take Ziqing out, Ziqing put on a thick cotton coat, and then put on a sheepskin coat, Lin Kangping held her hand, thought about it, and stuffed the small hand stove into her hand, and took her out through a poplar forest to the cemetery outside the village.

Ziqing found that the tombs in the north were all mounds like steamed buns, and a lonely stone slab was engraved with a name, Lin Kangping led Ziqing to kneel, put on the offerings, kowtowed three heads, let Ziqing stand up first, knelt down and said: "Father, mother, I am Kangping, my son is not filial, I haven't come to see you for so long." My son will burn you more paper money this time, and you should not be reluctant to spend it. Now that I have married my daughter-in-law, I have brought my daughter-in-law to see you. The ground was cold, so I asked my daughter-in-law to get up first. Don't blame her, she is very good to her son, her son likes her very much, and she is the one who wants to accompany her son all the way. ”

Ziqing knelt down again when she saw the busyness, and said: "Dad, mother, don't worry, I will take good care of Brother Ping, and you will also bless him with health and safety for the rest of his life, no illness or disaster." In the past, Ziqing had always scoffed at the words of ghosts and gods, but now that she came to this world inexplicably, she can only say that there is still a power in the underworld that is unknown to humans, and Ziqing's heart is full of awe of this power.

Lin Kangping hurriedly helped Ziqing up and said, "Qing'er, don't kneel on the ground, freeze carefully, you forgot that your body is not clean and you can't catch a cold." My father and mother have already seen you, and they must be happy, they will not blame you, what I like, they must like too. Let's go back. See them next time. ”

When the two returned home, the family was waiting for them to eat, and Yu knew that they were going to the grave, so he was a little unhappy, but he didn't dare to make a fuss, just muttered a few words, and Lin Kangping didn't pay attention to it.

Dinner was eaten on the kang, one end of the kang table, men and women were separated, sitting cross-legged, Ziqing had to sit partially, the staple food was rice, two large pots of sauerkraut were boiled with bones, one pot on one side, it smelled quite appetizing, and it didn't taste bad, Ziqing drank two bowls of sauerkraut soup, and the whole body was hot. There are many people in the family, and the speed of eating is very fast, and if it is a little slower, the dishes will bottom out.

Ma Shi slurred vegetable soup into his mouth, and said indistinctly: "It's fragrant, it's really fragrant, haven't you eaten enough?" Mother, let's stew two more pots tomorrow. I saw that the food of the three brothers and sisters was also very fragrant. ”

"The incense can't stop your mouth yet, tomorrow's big gathering, your father and I are going to buy things for the New Year, you and your sister-in-law grind the tofu at home, don't forget to soak the beans in a while."

After Yu finished speaking, he said to Ziqing: "The third daughter-in-law, you are from the south, let's go to catch up with our big set in the north tomorrow and see what you want to buy?" Let the third child accompany you. There are two aunts at home, so you should also take a walk, so that you can come back easily. There is also the third eldest sister, who is also married in the village near the left, you don't know the way, let the fourth child accompany you on a trip. ”

Ziqing nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes, it's just tomorrow's big gathering, let's buy something to see." If there is something we don't understand, something we can't think of for a while, the eldest mother teaches us. ”

Back in the house, Ziqing learned that Lin Kangping didn't remember the two aunts either, he hadn't seen them since he was sold, and he didn't know what the situation was now. Ziqing put a few taels of silver and a few silver bills in her purse in case she needed it.

The next day, the genius was bright, Yu was calling outside, Ziqing got up in a daze, last night's big kang was hot, Ziqing slept very sweetly, after going out for so long, he just slept peacefully last night, but unfortunately he was woken up so early, Ziqing muttered to himself while washing with his eyes closed. Lin Kangping smiled and helped her put on her clothes.

The market is in the town ten miles away, Lin Yaozu and Lin Kangyong each picked a pair of baskets, Yu was carrying a basket of eggs, Lin Hongxia was also carrying a basket of eggs to follow, Ziqing happened to inquire with Lin Hongxia about the situation of the two aunts' families, and learned that the conditions of the two aunts' homes were average, and there was not much land at home, so they could barely eat enough. Her sister married a slightly stronger family, had just split up and had two children.

Walking and walking, Ziqing couldn't keep up with their pace, plus she had something on her body, how could it be a little inconvenient, her back hurt, Lin Kangping didn't say a word when she saw it, and immediately wanted to carry her, Ziqing saw that there were too many people coming and going around, and she really couldn't wipe off her face. Lin Kangping had no choice but to let them go first and stopped an ox cart for Ziqing.

From a distance, I saw the figures of people, shouting, shouting, carrying burdens, driving cars, pushing wheelbarrows, feeling that it was bigger than the bazaar at the entrance of Ziqing's old house, and there were more people. Ziqing has observed, and found that the villages in the north are generally larger than those in the south, and the population is more concentrated, unlike in the south, in some mountains, one or two families have also become a village, and a small village can often be seen every few miles, Ziqing's Dongtang Village is not bad, there are more than 100 families.

Entering the market, Lin Kangping took Ziqing's hand and said that he was afraid that there would be too many people and Ziqing would not find his way home. Ziqing looked all the way over, there were naturally no green vegetables, the most were cabbage and radish, and occasionally one or two potatoes could be seen, it seems that there is still no large-scale promotion here. There is corn, not to mention, Ziqing really found one or two that sell sweet potatoes. After turning to the green vegetable area, the two of them went to the aquatic area, there is no live fish, there is frozen fish, it is not cheap, it costs 18 wen a catty, which is more expensive than pork. The two of them turned around a lot, and saw the window flower seller, the on-site paper-cutting, Ziqing squatted aside and watched for a long time, it was amazing, there was no need to ponder the manuscript, the scissors clicked a few times at will, opened it and took a look, the small animals were vivid, Ziqing spent twenty dollars to pick a few, and finally Lin Kangping dragged her away.

The two finally found a cloth seller, and they had discussed it on the way, or they sent something practical to each family, so naturally it was the first choice to wear and eat. Ziqing bought a piece of flower cloth and blue-gray cotton cloth for each of the three aunts and grandmothers, so that almost all children and adults can use it. After thinking about it, Ziqing also bought a flower cloth, a blue cloth, and a few flowers for several children of the Lin family, after all, it was a New Year, and it was the first one, and he couldn't express it without a little bit, but now the big kang in the house is burning very warm, and it is convenient for him to be with others.

Lin Kangping took Ziqing to buy a few more snacks and bought a whole slaughtered pig, seeing Ziqing's surprise, Lin Kangping said: "Don't you still want to see your relatives?" I plan to go back to the family to share a pork leg, and keep the rest for myself to eat, and there is still more than half a month, and it can't be broken if it is thrown in the snow. It's not like the south, the food can be kept outside for a long time, and besides, according to my aunt, it's unlikely that there will be meat to eat at home every day, so you can't be too wronged. ”

Lin Kangping hired a donkey cart to pull things, and went to buy a few fish, walnuts, jujubes and other snacks, and then found Yu's and them. (To be continued)