Twenty-second

Lilac and her mother-in-law took the silver dollars they had shared and went back to Lilac Castle, and the mother-in-law cried for a while along the way. Lilac also secretly felt sad all the way, this time Qiusheng and their trip to Chongqing exhausted Qiusheng's savings for more than ten years, and also borrowed 200 silver dollars from his cousin-in-law He Er's young master's family, and negotiated a two-month period, and the profit was 20 silver dollars, and the 160 silver dollars they received were not enough to repay the principal. Thinking of Qiusheng alone in Chongqing, when he heard that two Japanese planes were still coming to bomb that place for three days, Lilac could no longer suppress the worry in his heart.

In the mountain road of Lilac Fort under Qitianling, there is no one where Lilac hugs her mother-in-law, and in this way, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law hug each other and cry, and the cry startles the birds in the mountains. After a long time, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law supported each other and cried all the way, and did not return home until dark.

The next day, my mother-in-law took Qiu Xiang and brought some gifts to my cousin's house, and my cousin's family was very enthusiastic, and my cousin-in-law's mother-in-law instructed the maid Liu Ma to get food.

During the meal, the mother-in-law couldn't help but talk about Qiusheng's experience sadly, and her cousin Yubi was also a little sad when she heard it, so she hurriedly comforted her aunt and cousin and daughter-in-law, saying that money and wealth are foreign things, as long as Qiusheng comes back in the future, why worry about life not getting better.

Cousin-in-law, Second Young Master He, also put down his chopsticks and said earnestly: "Auntie, brother and sister-in-law, don't cry, which family has taken a lot of trouble." Besides, the relatives reasoned, how much you have to pay back, and the rest of the money will be talked about when Qiusheng comes back. Don't talk about it, if you make a lot of money in the future, you can give ten yuan and eight yuan! ”

When the mother-in-law heard this, she hurriedly stopped crying and thanked: "Youjia, Yubi, you two have done a great favor, and when Brother Qiusheng comes back in the future, he will definitely call him to thank my sister and brother-in-law!" After the meal, Lilac returned the 170 silver dollars she brought to her cousin's family, and several of them were her mother-in-law's own money saved over the years. At this time, my cousin was a little unbearable, and when she went out, she secretly stuffed a silver dollar to her mother-in-law.

On the way back, the mother-in-law also said to Lilac: "Bi Mei still has to get a few taels of children, and it is not in vain that I made the shoes for her when she got married."

Nevertheless, the days will go on.

Two days later, Lilac moved out of the tools she had brought from her mother's house to be a palm maker, and went to the houses of each family with palm trees to collect some brown flakes, and then tied the brown rope at home.

The next day, the unfortunate Xia Sheng went home and looked at the old brother and sister-in-law who set up a brown cart in the yard to play the brown rope. When I returned to the house, I whispered to my mother-in-law: "Mom, the daughter-in-law of Qiusheng is really cheap, and she is too diligent to be idle.

When the mother-in-law heard this, she was anxious, so she hurriedly pulled Xia Sheng to the back room, slapped him on the head, and scolded in a whisper: "If you talk nonsense, be careful that I will break your braincase!" Xia Sheng was confused by his mother's filming, and shouted loudly: "Mom, what are you doing?" ...”

The mother-in-law was so anxious that she cried quietly, and when Xia Sheng saw that something was wrong, she stood there stunned for a while before asking, "Mom, what's wrong?" The mother-in-law stopped sobbing quietly, and whispered 1510 about the situation of Qiusheng. Xia Sheng didn't come back to his senses for a long time after hearing this, shrugged his head, and muttered, "Why did Qiusheng encounter such an unlucky thing?" Mom, don't worry, maybe my brother will come back in three days or five days, he is familiar with business, and he may be rich in a year or two. ”

The mother-in-law was a little relieved when she heard this, but she was still counting Xia Sheng in her mouth: "Cub, you have to be sensible from now on, do more things in the house diligently, don't take the risk of only drilling outside!" Also, your brother is not in the house, you don't recruit her, don't make her angry! ”

"You know, Mom, don't worry!" Xia Sheng responded.

Since then, Xia Sheng has been much more restrained, and he rarely wanders around, inside and outside the house, and in the field and soil, he is much more diligent. In addition to planting his own family, Xia Sheng also rented three acres of rice fields from the family of the nearby landlord Long Er, and his mother-in-law also helped with some farm work. Xia Sheng sometimes finishes work early and helps his brother and sister-in-law Lilac smoke brown silk, and the whole sanitation cleans up tools or something.

A few days later, Xu Zong came home again, and during dinner, Xu Zong said that from now on he would pick up the palm craftsman business again, and there was a big business called cloves to do things together. Not long after Xu Zong built a house, his family was still second to Qiusheng's family, and he owed more than 100 silver dollars. At this time, Wu Ying's firstborn son was half a year old, and he was pregnant with one in his belly, and he would be miserable in the future!

More than a month has passed, Qiusheng has not returned, and Xu Zongtuo's acquaintances have not heard from him when he asks around. Since then, Lilac has been busy making brown ropes during the day and helping her mother-in-law with some housework in the evening. The brown rope is put at home, and the neighbors in the neighborhood want to buy it, and the rest is sold in the market when they are in the market. After a long time, the surrounding villages all knew that there was a young daughter-in-law in Guijiawan, Lilac Fort, who was a palm craftsman, and the word of mouth slowly spread without worrying about business. Sometimes Xu Zong also took cloves out of the house, and the wages were much more expensive than those collected nearby, and the food and accommodation were all in the boss's house, and the expenses were much better than doing things nearby. It's just that Lilac is a woman, and it is too unsafe for the young daughter-in-law to go out alone to do things, except for Xu Zong to take her out, she usually picks up some palm workers nearby to do it.

Lilac looks outside the hospital every dusk, expecting Qiusheng to suddenly appear with a suitcase, but is disappointed every time. Sometimes Lilac also ran to the lilac tree at the mouth of Lilac Fort to look forward to it, and over time, Grandma Feng, who was serving tea, also knew about Qiusheng. She also sympathized with Lilac's suffering, left Lilac to drink tea a few times, and once comforted Lilac, saying that the old daughter-in-law of the Gui family, it is not a law for you to run two ends in three days, Gui Laoqi wants to come back, he will come back, others can't lose it, maybe one day he will make a lot of money and come back to you!

Lilac was depressed and thanked Grandma Feng for her kindness.

Under the lilac tree, she also made a wish, and once pulled two feet of red cloth from the market and wrapped it around the branch of the lilac tree, asking the tree god grandfather to bless the autumn life. No matter how busy you are, the one offered at home or the Guanyin Bodhisattva brought by your mother's family will be offered incense sooner or later.

Later, Lilac said that when she was young, she waited for her father by the waterwheel in her mother's house, married to Lilac Fort and waited for a man under the lilac tree, and she was destined to suffer so much.

In the days before the Chinese New Year, the Lilac family was anxiously looking forward to Qiusheng's return, and Xia Sheng ran to the castle to wait for more than an hour at noon. The mother-in-law didn't dare to ask more, and the family spent the New Year's dinner in a dull anger.

When worshipping the ancestors, the incense on the summer birth, the mother-in-law is still chattering, Qiusheng and his father, you have to help in the yin, bless Qiusheng to step on the red ground, meet nobles on the road, and be safe.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, Lilac lost sleep, remembered her mother, remembered her grandmother, remembered her uncle, and more thought of Qiusheng who was far away in Chongqing. I slept at dawn on the first day of the new year, and my mother-in-law woke up when I was about to tea.

On the second day of the first month, Yubi and Youjia went back to their younger brother Chunsheng's house to pay New Year's greetings, and the next morning they gave their aunt a New Year's greeting. Mother-in-law stayed for breakfast, and during the meal, Yubi asked about Qiusheng's situation by the way, and it seemed that she inadvertently mentioned that there was a good brother and a young master He was the new county magistrate in Longhui, and there was a money-making messenger who intended to let his younger brother do it, the capital was relatively large, and the money was a little difficult, and both of them were worried and didn't know how to do it.

Ding Xiang heard the meaning of the words, so she said: "Sister Bi, my family still owes you money, which makes it difficult for you and your brother-in-law, let's think of a way later." Yubi listened, and said as if she didn't care: "Sister-in-law, don't mention Na Ying in the New Year, you can do a favor if you can think of a way, but it's really not okay for your brother-in-law to find a way!" Alas, you and Qiusheng are both very capable, not like the two of them in Chunsheng, they are loose in their work, and they can't find some doorways, so they will come to my house in half a year and three months! If it weren't for Qiusheng's incident, we would still have to rely on you! ”

Yubi and his wife had breakfast and said goodbye and went back. At noon, Lilac also went back to her parents' house. The eldest brother is not there, and I heard Wu Ying say that he didn't come back for the Chinese New Year last year, and worked as a palm craftsman in Xinhua, Ningxiang to make money and pay off his debts. It's just that the twenty-eighth day of the month of Layue asked people to bring back ten oceans, and the debts owed by other people can not be repaid, and Master Liu and Wang Guangsheng of the tung oil shop on Meicheng West Street must pay it back. They dragged their families and pointed to that little money to survive, which was even more bitter than Xuzong's family!

Since the eighteenth day of the lunar month, several groups of people have come to collect debts, and on the 30th day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, they did not eat well at dinner, and they coped with the creditors who demanded the debts several times. The mother-in-law of Liu Yunda's family in his own village did not leave until the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, and the mean words did not care about the usual face. What do you say that your boss Cao is so majestic and decent, and when the village renovated the ancestral hall, he donated a lot of money to gain a decent reputation. Now I don't give the few hard-earned money I owe, it's too bullying.

Later, the lame father couldn't survive it, so he gritted his teeth and returned the only two silver dollars to her before leaving. When she left, she still said in a weird way, just give it early, Jade Shiye, you still point to this money to give birth to cubs?

After the woman left, her father was so angry that he collapsed on the recliner and didn't say a word for a long time.

Looking at Wu Ying, the sister-in-law who was busy cooking with her nephew on her back with a big belly, Lilac couldn't bear it and got busy by herself. During the meal, the second brother snorted with his head stuffy, and the cloves were bitter, and the eldest brother also gave him a family affair a year ago, which was the original Yao Wuqiang's daughter-in-law Hu Gui'e.

After Hu Gui'e concubineed Company Commander Yang, Company Commander Yang led the team away a few months later, and gave Hu Gui'e a few silver dollars when he left. Hu Gui'e was also content, knowing that they were a dewy couple and had no extravagant ideas, and when Company Commander Yang left, she also sent Company Commander Yang to the road outside the village regardless of her face.

At that time, Company Commander Yang was a little reluctant, so he asked the secretary to leave a bag of white rice for Hu Gui'e. He also said that Lao Tzu in this life is destined to have nothing to do with you, and I remember your affection for me. It's just that my head hangs on the crotch, and I have to risk tomorrow today, and I will meet you again in the next life, and we will be a real couple!

Looking at Company Commander Yang in the distance, Hu Gui'e wiped away her tears.

Later, Yao Wuqiang came back from prison, and his family disliked Hu Gui'e, beat or scolded, and said that as long as someone could afford the money he spent five silver dollars to buy her, he would sell it to whomever he wanted.

At that time, the eldest brother Qiusheng and they were busy with the business in Chongqing, and they were short of money, but they still told Liu Wuqiang that when they were busy with the business, they asked the second brother Hu Gui'e to be his brother and sister-in-law. When Yao Wuqiang saw that his eldest brother was rich, he asked for ten silver dollars, and finally bargained for eight silver dollars, and put a silver dollar as a deposit at that time.

Later, the eldest brother had an accident, so he came to the door to push the family business, and proposed that the deposit be refunded by half. When Yao Wuqiang saw Xu Zong say this, he shouted angrily in his stomach: "Your boss Cao is also a person who does great things, how can there be a refund of the deposit in the world, and I can't marry a wife, and now the village knows that I have to use it to marry the pillow person, and my reputation is stinky, and now you are not looking for you to get married, and you still come to the door to ask for a deposit, aren't you uncomfortable?!"

At that time, the eldest brother went back in disgrace. Although Hu Gui'e had a bad Women's Day, her heart was still kind, and she secretly found Wu Ying not long after, and returned the deposit given by her eldest brother to Wu Ying - that was the personal money that Commander Yang gave her when she left, and she didn't dare to take it out under Yao Wuqiang's beating and coercion.

Later, the eldest brother found out and asked the sister-in-law to send her some melons.

In November last year, Yao Wuqiang changed hands and married Hu Gui'e to a man in his forties named Hu Yousheng in Lilac Castle for the price of five silver dollars. I heard that the man's wife gave birth to six daughters, and only supported one of the eldest ones, and died when she gave birth to the seventh, and the man married Hu Gui'e and pointed to her to give birth to a son!

The next day Lilac returned home. She looked around the house, then went to the kitchen to find her mother-in-law and said, "Mom, now Brother Qiu doesn't know when she will come back, Sister Bi and they are also kind enough to help us, although she didn't ask for money that day, we still have to know." Mom, I want to discuss with you, when I got married, my eldest brother gave me these dowries, some of them are not necessary, it is better to find some people to sell them, and get together and return them to Sister Bi, do you think it's okay? ”

When the mother-in-law heard this, she put down the water scoop in her hand and began to cry, "Cub, our Gui family doesn't live with you, why do you need your dowry to ask me?!" It's just that Qiusheng will come back in the future, I don't know how to talk to him?! ”

Lilac hurriedly helped her mother-in-law, and said with a calm face: "Mom, don't cry, we are only temporarily embarrassed!" When Brother Qiu comes back, wouldn't it be the same to save money and get a new set in the future?! ”

The mother-in-law had mixed tastes, holding Lilac's hand and sobbing quietly.

On the eleventh day, Lilac went to the county seat to catch up with the market, sold some brown rope, and by the way, found the silversmith who had made the bracelet for her, and gave him the jewelry bracelet at a discount of six silver dollars.

On the afternoon of the twelfth, Lilac Tuo Xia Sheng asked the second master of the landowner, Long, to come to see the furniture or something, and the second master came with his doted second daughter. Except for some things that must be used for rough wood in the house, as long as the second master picks them up, they are sold to him.

It's just that the second master didn't give the carved washstand cloves that he liked, and said: "Second master, this washback was originally something from the old house in my mother's house, and it was later sold to Liu Sanye." When he got married, he kindly sent me as a dowry, and I wanted to keep it as a thought. ”

The second old man didn't mention it again when he heard it, but his second daughter fell in love with the bronze mirror that Uncle Lilac bought for her and asked for it. Lilac spent a lot of effort to persuade to no avail, and finally Lilac gave her a beautiful purse without counting the money to give her the job.

The second master looked at the good things and calculated the money, a total of eighteen silver dollars, and paid the money at that time, planning to move it tomorrow.

Ding Xiang thought about it, and said to Xia Sheng: "Brother, selling land, property, and ancestral business are all things to be sorry for the ancestors, so it is better to move in while it is dark, so as not to attract jokes."

Mother-in-law Xia Sheng also felt reasonable, and discussed this matter with the second master at that time. When the second master heard this, he tilted his head and thought about it, and said with a civilized stick in his hand: "It's okay, I have good intentions when you have difficulty buying your things, and I moved east and west in broad daylight, and those who chew their tongues will say that I rob while the fire is burning." Boss Gui, you go and call Gui Shunda's monkey cub, and the two of you move together in the dark! ”

That night, the lilacs were bright, and Xia Sheng and Shunda ran back and forth many times before they finished moving things.

When I was busy going to bed, I was already a child, and in the middle of the night, my mother-in-law's crying came from the next room, ", the thief came to the door, and the house was cleared!" Qiusheng and his father, you died in the underworld and came out to take care of things......"

It was night when Lilac also tossed and turned, and opened her eyes until dawn.

At noon the next day, Lilac and her mother-in-law went to Yubi's house with twenty-four silver dollars for the dowry and jewelry.

When Yubi took the silver dollar of the cloves, she said, "Hey, auntie, look at what you guys are doing." I'll just say that, you guys take it seriously! Come, come, come, Mother Liu is cooking, let's talk about it first. ”

After eating, he went home, and the six silver dollars he still owed said that he would pay it back when he saved up the money during the Chinese New Year.

Yubi said as soon as she heard it, it is not easy for you, it will be good to return us when the time comes, it is really not reluctant, Qiusheng is not in the house, sister-in-law, you have to take care of yourself.

On the way back, Lilac also told her mother-in-law that Sister Bi's family is still good, and my eldest brother's life in arrears is much more difficult than ours!

End of the twenty-first round