The Liu family is really poor.

The Liu family has a total of three uncles, gave birth to more than a dozen children, and the whole family of nearly 20 people is crammed into three thatched houses.

Lanzi enthusiastically moved out of the bench to the courtyard for the two brothers and sisters to sit, and then went to pour water.

Zhou Xiaoran has a good impression of this girl, lively and cheerful, warm and thoughtful.

The people of the Liu family have all returned from the field.

"Hey, the harvest in the field is not good, and there is not much food to be distributed, so the family has not eaten the last meal."

"No, did you receive the letter you sent to your father last time? Why haven't you ever replied? ”

"Although your mother is gone, we are your uncles, and the broken bones are still connected to the tendons."

"You haven't come to see your uncles for several years, why did you finally come here and bring so many things? How can you eat enough, your cousins are all old and haven't married a daughter-in-law yet, but you haven't saved enough money! ”

Zhou Xiaoguang immediately regretted it, he still shouldn't have come!

Zhou Xiaoran was also surprised, this is too natural, let's just say that Zhou Xiaoguang's mother has been dead for so many years, and the Zhou family receives letters from the Liu family almost every year, and the relationship is for food.

"Isn't this just the letter I came, now the whole country is in short supply, our family's food is also rationed, there is not much, every time the food sent back is our family from the mouth." Zhou Xiaoguang explained helplessly.

"Your family? Xiaoguang, don't forget, half of the blood on your body belongs to the Liu family! The surname Chen has nothing to do with you, we are a family. ”

A woman with a sharp beak and monkey cheeks spoke, and after speaking, she glanced at Zhou Xiaoran intentionally or unintentionally.

Zhou Xiaoran also regretted it a little, he knew that he would have to find another way, this entry into the Liu family was completely a sheep's mouth.

"When your mother was still there, how good she was to her mother's family, now that she is gone, you and your sister will not come for a few years, and you can't even honor your uncle and order food, you are going to thunder and thunder!"

Isn't Zhou Xiaoguang's mother a child daughter-in-law? Are you so close to your mother's family?

Zhou Xiaoguang blushed and sneered for a while: "Okay, since we are a family, then I won't leave today, I will stay at my uncle's house, by the way, this is also the time for dinner, what are we going to eat at noon?" ”

Several uncles and aunts exchanged a few glances with each other, smiled awkwardly and did not speak, how much food does this young man have to eat! And the kang that was originally squeezed on the chest and back really can't squeeze in one person anymore. One of the uncles, who seemed to be the oldest, opened his mouth: "Ahem, you have also seen it, our family is such a big place, and there is not even a place to sleep, how can you be wronged here." Then he said to the sharp-beaked monkey's cheeks, "Otherwise, go cook some paste, and let your nephew eat it before leaving." Then he explained to Zhou Xiaoguang: "Usually our family only eats two meals, hey, there is no way, I really can't afford to eat." ”

Zhou Xiaoguang stopped his aunt who didn't plan to get up at all: "No need, we're not hungry, since we've seen it, my uncle and aunt are all fine, we should go back." ”

As he spoke, he pulled Zhou Xiaoran to get up.

"Let's go, you kid."

"I didn't even eat a meal at my uncle's house, and I made people laugh when I said it."

"Slow down on that road."

When he left, he still left another ten dollars.

Just as the two were about to leave the village, Lanzi panted and chased after them, handing over two washed sweet potatoes.

"I picked it up from the field, and you take it and eat it on the road."

Lanzi threw the sweet potato into the arms of the two, turned around and ran.

Looking at Lanzi's back, to be honest, Zhou Xiaoran was still a little moved, looking at the situation of the Liu family, she must not be able to eat enough, but this girl gave herself and her brother the food that was precious to her.

The two of them took the sweet potato on the road.

And Liu Lan, who was running, was also in an unprecedented mood, and she was slowly building hope.

Zhou Xiaoguang was relatively silent on the way back.

"Xiaoran, in the future, I don't want to take care of the Liu family."

"They all have hands and feet, and they can earn their own work, so why do they always reach out to others?"

"Mom...... I mean, my mom, I've never said anything about them, but why is this cheeky getting thicker and thicker. ”

"I'm embarrassed."

Zhou Xiaoran looked at the depressed Zhou Xiaoguang, and couldn't say anything, so he patted him on the shoulder to show comfort.

I heard that there are a lot of sand and gravel land in Tanjia Village, with little arable land, coupled with the special year, it is much sadder than other surrounding villages, and I don't know why the ancestors of Tanjia Village chose such a land, but this village has existed since the Ming Dynasty, maybe it was not like this at that time.

Anyway, this trip to Tanjia Village was quite complete for Zhou Xiaoran, although the grandparents looked tired and old, they were still in good health.

Returning to the Huaishu Brigade, Zhou Xiaoran began to plan to return to the city, and another incident happened during this period.

Zhou Xiaobing, who is twenty-three years old in the uncle's family, said that the object is from the Poplar Brigade, and it is said that he has a bit of a relationship with the commune secretary's family. Zhou Xiaobing's age is considered to be an older young man, and he is in a hurry to get married, but the woman said that she doesn't want other dowries, she wants 100 catties of fine grain, 100 catties of coarse grain, and 100 yuan.

This is completely a lion's mouth, needless to say, food is life these days, just talking about money, Zhou Xiaoran's parents' salaries add up, and they are only in their early 100s a month.

The Zhou family was not happy, but Zhou Xiaobing was fascinated by the girl, and he didn't let go of what he said, so he said angrily: "If I don't have money, I'll go to the Wang family to be a son-in-law." ”

Uncle Zhou and his family have to agree if they don't agree, just such a son.

Later, after some bargaining between the two sides, it was finally finalized, 20 catties of fine grain, 50 catties of coarse grain, and 50 yuan.

That's it, Uncle Zhou still can't take it out, no, Grandma Zhou said, "It just so happens that you are back, so we don't have to write a letter, Xiaoran, go back and tell your father that his eldest nephew is going to marry a daughter-in-law, and he, as the second uncle, must have full support." ”

Well, there is no part of Zhou Xiaoran to speak in this matter, she is also a mouthpiece.

"You tell the second uncle again, the kind of cloth I got back this time is more important, and I want to make a bragi." Zhou Xiaohong shouted, and then muttered dissatisfiedly: "Every time I give good things to my aunt, she is not our old Zhou family anymore." ”

"You little bunny! Who taught your six relatives not to recognize it! It's not easy for your aunt to be in the city, you don't say you want to help, but you still covet your aunt's little things. "Grandma Zhou has automatically divided the things she took home to her little daughter.

After speaking, he felt angry, and slapped Zhou Xiaohong a few times.

The eldest aunt hurriedly took her daughter over and retorted in a low voice: "Originally, my mother was too partial, and we Xiaohong didn't ask for more, so we can't wear a new dress?" After speaking, he was probably afraid of Grandma Zhou's slap, so he hurriedly took Zhou Xiaohong and walked away, ignoring Grandma Zhou's scolding.

Zhou Xiaoran had already run far away, lest the flames of war burn on him.

As for what Zhou Xiaohong said, she didn't pay attention to it at all, even if it was a defective fabric, it was not blown by a strong wind.

After returning to the provincial capital, Zhou Xiaoran seemed to have fulfilled a wish in his heart, although there are still many years before "those people" are rehabilitated, but there is always hope, isn't it.

As soon as he got home, Zhou Xiaoran conveyed Grandma Zhou's words to Zhou Zhipeng.

Zhou Zhipeng sighed after hearing this, and remained silent without speaking.

"How can our family have so much money, according to my mother's meaning, this dowry is all ours." Chen Yun is also worried, the salary of the two of them adds up to a lot, but they really can't save money, it costs at least one-fifth to send money and things to their hometown every month, their family of five has to eat and wear, and their three children have to go to school, not to mention that they spent a lot of money to build a house in their hometown last year, and now the eldest uncle's daughter-in-law wants them to pay all the dowry, where to find it?

In Zhou Xiaoran's opinion, Grandma Zhou is a sheep to work hard, Aunt Zhou won't talk about it, if there is anything good, send it as soon as possible, Uncle Zhou has no ability, the most important thing is to give her a pension, and she has to treat it well, there is only one Zhou Zhipeng left, who eats and supplies food and gets wages, and should subsidize his brothers and sisters.

It was not without resistance, when Grandma Zhou was clamoring to repair a new house, Zhou Zhipeng said that he couldn't take out so much money, and the family's earthen house could still live for a few years, and other people's families still couldn't eat enough, and it was not so necessary to repair the house, and he was willing to pay half of the cost. The final result was that Grandma Zhou went to the provincial capital with her burden, ran to the textile factory and cried, saying that her son was not filial, she ate and drank spicy food in the city, and left her mother in the countryside and ignored it.

Now that this matter is here, Zhou Xiaoran estimates that his family has to owe debts again.

"Mom and Dad, or discuss with grandma, our family will pay fifty yuan, and let them figure out the rest by themselves, we will send money back every month, over the years, grandma must have saved a lot, maybe more money than our family." Zhou Xiaoran proposed.

"It's not that you don't know your grandmother, if you were reasonable, it wouldn't be what it is now." Chen Yun frowned, and regretted it a little after speaking, glanced at Zhou Zhipeng, and found that he didn't care and was relieved.

"Don't tell her anything else, wasn't there a total of three rooms when the house was repaired, grandma said it herself, one uncle, one for you, but now she gave your one to Zhou Xiaobing to make a new house, what's going on, can you still move out after you live in it now, why don't you just say that the house can be given to Brother Xiaobing, but the money really can't be taken out so much, if you have to take the money, let my brother go back to live in your room and let Zhou Xiaobing move out."

Zhou Zhipeng shook his head again and again after hearing this, "No, no, isn't this threatening your grandmother, this can't be helped." "Zhou Zhipeng is a very filial person, what he often says is that it is not easy for his mother to pull the three of their brothers and sisters alone, he has been away all the year round since he was a teenager, and he should be more filial in money.

Chen Yun also glanced at Zhou Xiaoran reproachfully.

"Actually, we can put it another way, and offer to give the room to Zhou Xiaobing to live in, and we won't come back in the future, except for this room, we are willing to pay another fifty yuan, well, there is nothing else, our family is also ready to save money to marry a daughter-in-law, the telegram will be sent to the team, and the whole team will know about it at that time."

Zhou Xiaoran exclaimed, "Brother, are you going to marry a daughter-in-law?" ”

Zhou Xiaoguang said with a smile: "It's just talking, we can decide how long we are going to go." ”

Zhou Xiaojun, who had been silent, said angrily: "In our family, grandma hurts you the most, and now, she will definitely not persecute us anymore." ”

Zhou Xiaoran thought silently, he knew how to use his advantages.

Zhou Zhipeng listened to the discussion of the children, and only felt that his chest was stuffy and breathless, what is wrong with my mother, is it really so short of money? For the first time, he had questions about his mother's approach?

"I'll send the telegram, Dad, you can take the time to send the money." Zhou Xiaoguang said.

"Well, so be it." Zhou Zhipeng got up tired and ended this family meeting.

Zhou Xiaoran is very happy, this is a big progress, Dad Zhou finally began to find a way to shirk it.

But Zhou Xiaoran was happy too early.

Fifty yuan is not a small amount, there is still more than half a month before the next salary in the factory, and in the following period, the food of the Zhou family has dropped by at least two levels.

Eating miscellaneous grains and drinking porridge with clear soup and little water, Zhou Xiaoran thought of the piles of rice in the space......

I'm going to have to find a way to pour something out.