Early the next morning, the family got up, Xue Lao Er went to cut the bamboo, Xue Lao Boss was responsible for splitting into bamboo strips, weaving little by little, two hours later, two pairs were braided.

Song brought red tissue paper, boiled it into rice paste, and brushed it on the outside of the lantern with a bamboo brush.

Li Yumei and Ye Shu'er were responsible for carefully pasting the paper, which was thin, had to be slowly adhered to and placed on the tuyere to wait for it to dry.

Xue Zhi'an took the pen and ink and wrote couplets on the red paper.

The sun was already on the sun, and the old master was just about to open the courtyard gate, but he closed it again, turned his head back into the courtyard, looked at the cold and deserted house, and was bored, turned around and folded out of the house, and walked to the courtyard gate and opened it again.

After repeating this several times, he sat down at the stone table in the courtyard in a gloomy manner, his old face flushed slightly.

Thinking that he had lived for most of his life, now he actually felt entangled in rubbing a meal, he was afraid of disturbing the family reunion, and he felt that he was lonely when he didn't go, and after thinking for a while, he entered the house, and when he came out, he had a few more gifts in his hand, and he couldn't take them with his hands, so he went to Xue's house satisfied.

As soon as the door was opened, the family looked at each other.

Zhang noticed those gifts, snorted, and said dissatisfiedly: "The master taught my family to know peace, and it is not too late to be grateful, so asking you to come to dinner is to give us face, why do you still take so many courtesies?" ”

"Master, please." Xue Zhi'an put down his pen and stepped forward.

"Master." The rest said hello.

The old master's embarrassment dissipated, and he handed something to Zhang: "Happy New Year, hard work." ”

Zhang's hand hung in the air and blocked the salute back: "No, no, no, how can you use the master to break the bank." ”

"If you don't accept it, I'm too embarrassed to enter the door." The old master was sincere, and his steps moved backwards.

Seeing this, Zhang had no choice but to accept it.

The old master was relieved, and took a few things to give to the others: "Boss and second, these are boots, wear them to work warmly and not stuffy feet, I see that our feet are about the same, you try it, if it is not suitable, I will take the others." ”

The black boots looked much better than the cloth shoes on the feet of the two.

Xue Lao Xue and Xue Lao Er bowed and thanked him, took it with both hands, and began to try.

The old master gave Song and Li Yumei, and Xue Mingzhu each took a roll of cloth, and saw that the quality was not comparable to cheesecloth: "Make clothes for yourself." Then he took out the silver and gave it to each of the two children.

"It's too precious." Song was busy shirking.

Li Yumei also felt embarrassed, and pushed the silver in Xiaobao's hand to the old master.

"The heart I give to the children is not for you." The old master gave the boy the money.

The family didn't see it, but Ye Shuer knew that the gifts in everyone's hands were more than one or two pieces of silver.

After a few resignations, everyone accepted the gifts.

What came to Ye Shu'er was a stack of rice paper.

In this poor and remote area, no one uses rice paper, not because they can't afford it, but because no one sells it at all, and this paper is difficult to make, so only the rich and noble people have it all year round.

Ye Shu'er is much better at painting than on coarse paper.

"Thank you, Master."

Xue Zhi'an's eyes were dumbfounded, but he was gone, his eyes looked at the master expectantly, and he spread his hands: "What about mine?" ”

He was much closer to his master, and he would not be as polite as everyone else.

The old master shook his head and handed over a wooden box with helplessness.

Xue Zhi'an opened it, looked at the ink treasure inside, and was happy: "Thank you, Master!" "This is hidden by the master as a treasure, I didn't expect to give it to myself, it's great.

The family was happy, and the old master was also a little more at ease.

Zhang opened the wooden box in his hand, and it turned out to be a pearl necklace! This is also too precious, she wanted to refuse, but the old master spoke first: "It's useless for me to keep it." In the past, when I was in the capital, the students gave it away, and it was dusty. ”

With tears in his eyes, Zhang turned around and went back to the house.

Ye Shu'er didn't notice her mother when she looked at the family, and stepped up.

After entering the house, Zhang's tears kept falling, she couldn't help covering her mouth and whimpering: "It is my responsibility to raise children, but no one has ever said that I am hard for so many years, only when I am capable and capable...... When Zhi'an's father was alive, he never gave me jewelry. ”

For so many years, it was okay when no one mentioned it, but as soon as someone opened their mouths, Zhang's grievances came up.

Knowing that she cried with joy, Ye Shu'er breathed a sigh of relief: "Then we will buy it for my mother in the future." ”

"Or are you filial." Getting such a daughter-in-law, Zhang was very satisfied.

The two of them talked, put down their things and left the house.

The old master and Xue Zhi'an wrote couplets together, usually at this time, some people also prepared a thin gift to ask the old master to write, knowing that the old master came to Xue's house, so they came here one after another.

Xue Zhi'an was also writing, and the old master picked up Zhi'an's couplet and praised it with a smile: "It's worthy of being my student, it's not bad, what do you think?" ”

Let the people in the village evaluate.

The people in the village saw that although the handwriting was more immature than the master's, it was not bad, and they nodded their heads one after another.

The old master said: "I'm also old, it's time for the newcomer, Zhi'an, you come to write for the villagers." ”

Xue Zhi'an was eager to try, and seeing that the villagers were a little entangled, he said, "I don't want silver." ”

The folks nodded.

After a few busy hours, the sky was already dark, and the villagers went home with the written couplet, and the eggs in their hands and some small objects were left in the Xue family.

In the evening, a room of women was busy in the kitchen, and while the pen and ink were still confiscated, the old master taught the eldest girl and the little treasure to write again.

After eating, the master was still unsatisfied, and when he was thinking about what reason he would come tomorrow, Zhang spoke: "The master is not interested in celebrating the New Year alone, if you don't dislike it, you can spend it with us until the fifteenth, right?" ”

In the countryside, it is generally from the Chinese New Year to the Lantern Festival, and when it is half a month, every day is to eat, drink and have fun, which is the happiest time of the year.

The old master hesitated.

Xiao Bao's glutinous milk voice shouted, "The master taught me to write the names of my father and mother. ”

Li Yumei and Xue Lao Er were very moved.

The old master also agreed naturally.

At night, the heifer had a high fever, Ye Shuer put the heifer in the space, poured the medicine, and stared at it for two hours before it dispersed.

As soon as she left the space to lie down, she heard someone shouting from outside.

"Shu'er, there's a son looking for you." Song's voice was soft, but he also heard displeasure.

Looking for someone else's daughter-in-law in the middle of the night is really unacceptable.

Ye Shu'er lifted the quilt and got up, looking at Xue Zhi'an's cheeks that were red from drinking a little wine, and couldn't help but touch it, it was so soft.

"Daughter-in-law~" Xue Zhi'an woke up and put his hand on Ye Shu'er's hand.