She didn't shirk and went out with her two sisters.

When the three of them almost walked to the academy, they saw two people coming from the other side, but they were the mother and son of the Xu family.

When Xie saw the three of them, he greeted them very affectionately: "Hey, what a coincidence, we are planning to go to your house to pay New Year's greetings." ”

When Xu Chengyuan saw Du Fangfei, his face turned red, and he didn't seem to know where to put his hands and feet, he was very uncomfortable, but he still pretended to be calm on the surface, but his eyes glanced at Du Fangfei from time to time.

Seeing him like this, Du Jinning's heart moved, and he turned his head to glance at his eldest sister, but saw Du Fangfei's face as usual, and said to Xie Shi with a calm smile: "My mother is at home, let's send Brother Ning back to my grandfather's house to pay New Year's greetings." ”

"Are you going to go together?" Xie asked.

"No, send it to the front and get in the car, and we'll turn around." Du Fangfei said, "Aunt Xu, let's go over first, we will have to go back for a while." ”

After the academy is the main road, where cars come and go, it is more convenient to hire a mule cart, and it does not take much time to go back and forth. Xie wanted to wait for them to leave together, but looking at her son's uncomfortable expression, she was worried about revealing her stuffing, so she smiled and said to Du Fangfei: "Okay, then you take your time, let's go first." As he spoke, he pulled Xu Chengyuan to Zhuangzi.

When the mother and son walked away, Du Fangling wondered: "Why did they come here today to pay New Year's greetings?" ”

According to the customs of this place, New Year's greetings are also particular, the first year of the new year is for the younger generation to pay New Year's greetings to their relatives and elders; In the second year of junior high school, it will be a New Year's greeting to outsiders. This Xie and Xu Chengyuan, for the Du family, they are real outsiders, at most, because the dried tofu business cooperates relatively happily, and they can't even talk about being related to each other, and they are still equals, so Du Fangling will have this question.

"It's always good to be polite." Du Fangfei has a gentle temperament and is unwilling to criticize others, so he only said this sentence and stopped mentioning the Xu family.

Du Jinning looked at it coldly, and always felt that his eldest sister didn't take a fancy to Xu Chengyuan at all, otherwise it wouldn't be so natural to talk about the Xu family. She suddenly felt that something was wrong with this family affair.

Although Xu Chengyuan is not very handsome, he is still quite handsome. Thin and tall, with a gentle temperament, and the addition of the name of a talented person in the academy, it stands to reason that Du Fangfei should have a little reaction when he sees him. But judging from the situation just now, she didn't think about it at all.

When he stopped the mule cart at the intersection, Du Fangfei was not at ease, and said to Du Jinning: "Or, I'll go with you, right?" ”

"No, you don't." Du Jin would rather not want Du Fangfei to go back together to face those who are unwilling to face it, "I am a man, I need to go to pay New Year's greetings, and you have no regulations to go, why bother to be uncomfortable?" ”

Du Fangling didn't want to go back, so she persuaded Du Fangfei: "Yes, eldest sister, you better not go and make trouble." lest the second uncle see you and strike at you. ”

"I'll be fine, don't worry. I will go to my uncle and grandfather first, and then let my fourth uncle accompany me to my grandfather's house. When I came out of my grandfather's place, I would go to Lizheng's place. Anyway, they don't dare to do anything to me. ”

Du Fangfei had to nod, put the things on the car, and watched the mule cart leave, and then returned to Zhuangzi.

At the end of the Du family's big house, Du Yinsheng got up early in the morning and walked around the courtyard and gate, and from time to time he went out to take a look in the direction of the village, which provoked the nine-year-old Du Fangsu to pull her mother's clothes and ask: "Mother, what's wrong with my grandfather?" ”

Zhang was afraid that his daughter's words would upset his mother-in-law, so he quickly took a sugar ring and stuffed it to Du Fangsu: "What do you care about so many children?" Come, get a sugar ring and take my brother to the yard to play. ”

Montessori glanced at her with disgust: "What are you doing on a cold day, what are you going to do when you drive the child out?" Also called Du Fangsu, "Don't go to the courtyard, stay in the house, the house is warm." ”

Today is the first day of the new year, and I can't take a needle and thread, and the Lizhang clan who will return to my parents' house tomorrow is also ready. Sitting by the brazier with nothing to do, she couldn't help but say to Montessori: "Mother, you say, is this Brother Ning not coming?" It's past noon, and no matter how far we go, it's time to get there. He has no other relatives to leave except for the two of us, and if he wants to come, he will not delay until this time. ”

Looking at the old man's expectant eyes, and seeing him go out to blow the wind, Montessori, who originally had no opinion on Du Jinning, also complained.

She roasted Du Jinfu's wet clothes on the fire cage, and said lightly: "If you don't come, you won't come, our family doesn't want to climb him or anything." If he doesn't come today, your father will die in the future, but it will save trouble. ”

Speaking of this, she turned her head to Du Jinfu and said, "Brother Fu, go, call your grandfather back, and say that you want to read and write." ”

Du Jinfu, who was only five years old, ran out in a hurry.

After a while, the grandfather and grandson walked in hand in hand.

Montessori glanced at Du Yinsheng and said angrily: "Come over and bake the fire first to warm up." He turned his head and instructed Du Fangsu, "Pour your grandfather a cup of hot ginger tea." ”

According to local customs, ginger sugar tea is boiled on the first day of the Lunar New Year, which is to herald the sweetness of the new year, and to ward off the cold. It is also very handy to have guests to entertain guests.

The old couple has been a lifelong couple, although Montessori complained that Du Yinsheng went outside to blow the cold wind and abuse his body because he was born with no conscience, but he still couldn't bear to be emotionally lost, and comforted his old man and said, "Don't be too disappointed." If there is no family next door, Ning Ge'er is designated to come. You are good to him, how can he not remember it? Isn't there his wolf-hearted grandfather, grandmother, and second uncle now? How could he come? Leaving here, he wished he would never come back for the rest of his life. ”

Du Yinsheng also knew this reason, but he was unhappy after all.

"This is his roots, his surname is Du, and he went out of our Peach Blossom Village. Although they said that they were not good to him, they were not to the point of hatred, right? Why don't you come back? ”

For the sake of succession, the Zhang family has never liked Du Jinning very much. At this time, he couldn't help but interject: "I'm afraid that I climbed a high branch, so I forgot about it, right?" ”

Du Yunchang was coming from the study. Hearing his daughter-in-law's words, he immediately reprimanded with a straight face; "What nonsense? Is Brother Ning like that? ”

Zhang was not afraid of him, and was about to refute when he opened his mouth when he heard a voice outside: "Uncle Grandfather, Jinning is back to pay you a New Year's greeting." Immediately afterwards, a thin figure wearing a stone blue muslin cotton robe walked into the courtyard, who else could it be if it wasn't Du Jinning?

Du Yinsheng's lips trembled, and he stood up with a "poof", almost spilling the ginger tea in his hand. Montessori quickly got up and took the cup from his hand.

"Brother Ning." Du Yinsheng stepped forward to greet him, "You're back?" ”