Today's flower picking went very smoothly, and it was also picked in March, Ruan Yimian was happy in her heart, even if she was a little tired, she was still smiling on her face.

However, the good mood did not last long - they met a "wrongdoer" on the way back.

This "enemy" is named "Cao Chunfeng", and he is the daughter-in-law of the village chief's cousin. Their family and the Ruan family don't have any deep hatred, but this Cao Chunfeng fell in love with Ruan Yiwen and wanted him to be his son-in-law.

Cao Chunfeng and her man opened a pork shop in the village, they have a lot of land, and they also bought cattle, which is one of the best in the village.

Her daughter Huo Qingqing was a little interesting to Ruan Yiwen, and Cao Chunfeng and her man also thought Ruan Yiwen was good.

Although the Ruan family is poorer, Ruan Yiwen is a scholar, and even if he does not have a big career in the future, he is much better than those farmers in the village to be a bookkeeper in the town.

Three years ago, when Ruan Yiwen was not yet admitted to Xiucai, Cao Chunfeng asked someone to come to the matchmaker, but Ruan Yiwen refused, so Lu Caimei refused on the excuse that her son wanted to start a business first and then start a family, and had no intention of marrying a wife for the time being.

But Cao Chunfeng refused to give up.

She had asked the matchmaker to inquire about the appropriate age offspring in the nearby seven miles and eight townships, but either their family looked down on other people's families, or other people's families looked down on their families, and in the end, she still thought Ruan Yiwen was the best.

At that time, Huo Qingqing was only fourteen years old, and Cao Chunfeng thought that it would be okay to wait any longer, so he waited for another two years. Just two years later, Ruan Yiwen was admitted to Xiucai, and Cao Chunfeng was even more satisfied with him.

This time, Cao Chunfeng was more "sincere", and she asked the matchmaker to reveal to the Ruan family that if this marriage could be completed, then their family was willing to give Huo Qingqing ten taels of silver as a dowry.

Most of the dowries of the girls in the village are a few hundred yuan, and there are a few tens of yuan, and one or two is considered the best kind. As soon as Cao Chunfeng's words were released, the matchmaker was also shocked, but he immediately reacted again - the Ruan family kid is a showman, and he is still a young man, the kind who can receive rice and be exempted from field tax, and these ten taels of silver are not lost.

Cao Chunfeng and the matchmaker are full of confidence this time, although Ruan Yiwen's conditions are good, but his family is poor, and he has a sick younger brother, among the people he can choose, Huo Qingqing's family is rich, and he is also good-looking, in the surrounding villages, it is difficult for Ruan Yiwen to find someone more outstanding than her.

Unexpectedly, the Ruan family refused this time, afraid that Cao Chunfeng would come again, Lu Caimei made her words clearer this time - Huo Qingqing is a good one, but Ruan Yiwen does not have that blessing.

After Cao Chunfeng received the reply, he was not happy. On the one hand, she felt that Ruan Yiwen and the Ruan family did not know the goods, so she lost her face; On the other hand, she felt that Lu Caimei had not made it clear in front of her, which delayed her daughter.

Later, the news of "Cao Chunfeng paid ten taels of dowry and still failed to take Ruan Yiwen as a son-in-law" was told by someone who said it more, and a few people in the village chewed their tongues behind their backs, laughing at Cao Chunfeng and Huo Qingqing, saying that no one wanted them to post upside down.

Huo Qingqing is a good girl, and she didn't blame the Ruan family for this, every time she saw Lu Caimei and Ruan Dexian, she still greeted her politely.

She is so sensible, Lu Caimei and Ruan Dexian feel a little guilty and feel sorry for her.

But Cao Chunfeng has always loved face, where can he stand this grievance?

Although the Ruan family helped cover it up, saying that there was no such thing at all, she still remembered the Ruan family, and when she saw the Ruan family again, she was yin and yang, and she didn't have a good face.

This time it was the same, she saw the pomegranate flowers in Ruan Yimian's bamboo basket with sharp eyes, and saw Lu Caimei still dragging firewood, so she shouted loudly: "Brother Mian'er's mother, why did you take Brother Mian'er up the mountain to pick pomegranate flowers?" You see he's tired, and his forehead is covered with sweat! The child is not in good health, so he has to take care of it at home! How can this be done? ”

Lu Caimei actually paid careful attention all the way, but when she heard Cao Chunfeng's words, she was so frightened that she quickly glanced at her son, seeing that his face was normal, and he only relaxed when he sweated.

"Mother, I'm fine." Ruan Yimian comforted his mother, and then looked sideways at Cao Chunfeng: "I'm worried about my aunt, I'm just a little weaker, and it's not important to do some light work." ”

"Ouch, how can it be okay! Didn't you fall by the river the last time you went to wash your clothes? Don't pass out again this time! Don't take your body seriously, you can't recover from every fall! Cao Chunfeng was concerned, but what he said was like a knife, and he poked Lu Caimei's heart every sentence.

She spoke very quickly, and without waiting for Lu Caimei and Ruan Yimian to speak, she pretended to sigh again: "Hey! What a beautiful scenery when Brother Mian'er was engaged to the Jiang family in front of him! Why are you eating pomegranate flowers again? This thing is unpalatable and unnutritious, and our pigs don't like to eat it! If you can't afford to eat, if you talk to me, can I not help? Not to mention anything else, a few bowls of rice, a few pieces of meat, our family can still afford it! ”

Although their family conditions are good, they have not reached the point of eating rice and meat every meal, and she said this purely to ridicule Lu Caimei.

was ridiculed again and again, and Lu Caimei was really angry. She rolled up her sleeves and was about to quarrel with Cao Chunfeng, but she heard her son open his mouth softly and softly.

"Auntie, are you telling the truth? I've been a bit hungry lately, I think you've got a good piece of it, so why don't you give it to our family? Ruan Yimian's eyes were shining, and she seemed to be a little embarrassed on her face, but the words she said made Cao Chunfeng stunned for a moment.

The sun is coming out in the west? Hasn't this Mian brother always been thin-faced? On weekdays, I will blush when I am teased by others, why are I so shameless today?!

Cao Chunfeng hid the meat in his hand behind him, and changed his tone with a turn of his eyes: "Ouch, it's really unfortunate, this meat was ordered by your second aunt when she came to my house last night, let me send it over today!" ”

Seeing that Lu Caimei's face turned red with anger, Cao Chunfeng was very happy: "It's also feng shui in turn!" In the past, when your family was beautiful, you could also help Brother Mian'er and his second uncle's family, but now their brother Orange can eat meat and buy rouge, and your Brother Mian'er doesn't even eat food! ”

"Since my aunt takes pity on me so much, when will you send me meat and rice?" Ruan Yimian said unhurriedly.

He looked gentle and gentle, looking at Cao Chunfeng with a smile, but Cao Chunfeng was a little frozen, and only after a while did he say angrily to Lu Caimei: "Your brother Mian'er is looking for someone to beg for meat like this, and you don't stop him, so you're not afraid that others will laugh at you?" ”

Lu Caimei also calmed down at this time, she clasped her hands to her chest and sneered: "Didn't you say that you were going to send rice and meat to our family?" What's the matter, you say a big thing and refuse to admit it? ”

"Mother, how can my aunt not admit it! She must not have time to send it to us, otherwise we will go to my aunt's house to get it later, and tell Uncle Huo what my aunt said, and Uncle Huo will definitely give us the meat. Ruan Yimian slowly and leisurely interface.

"You two are really welcome, even if your family can't afford to eat, then you go to Ruan Er's family, our family has nothing to do with you, why should we send you meat and rice?!"

Her man has more face than her, and she was provoked by Ruan Yimian, maybe she will really take meat to others, Cao Chunfeng was a little nervous, afraid that Ruan Yimian would really go to their house to get meat, "I still have to go and deliver meat to people, I'm very busy, I don't tell you, it doesn't make sense!" ”

After saying that, she didn't look back, and hurried away.

After she left, Lu Caimei looked at her son with a gratifying face: "Our brother Mian'er has really grown up, and he will crowd people!" ”

Ruan Yimian couldn't cry or laugh.

After the joke, Lu Caimei was a little worried again: "If you make her shameless like this, I'm afraid she will orchestrate you behind your back." ”

Ruan Yimian smiled: "I don't squeeze her, and she doesn't arrange me behind my back." ”

*

After going back, Ruan Yimian wanted to clean the tools used to make cotton rouge for later use, but was forced by his mother to go to the couch and lie down for a while.

When I went out this morning, I saw that the sun was good, and Lu Caimei took out the straw on several mattresses at home to dry, and she hadn't taken it back yet, but Ruan Yimian had a small couch in her house, and there was also a place to rest.

This small couch was specially made by Ruan Dexian for his son, although the wood used is not good, but it is very carefully polished, and some patterns are carved.

Ruan Yimian was lying on the couch, but she didn't feel sleepy. He has relied on others to support him for two lifetimes, and now for the first time, he is still a little excited.

Touching the pattern on the side of the wooden couch, he thought about it and had an idea again.

In the afternoon, Ruan Dexian came back, and the tools for making cotton rouge were ready, and Ruan Yimian could finally start making cotton rouge.

He poured the pomegranate flowers out of the bamboo basket, plucked the stamens and threw them away, selected the petals, removed those that were too light in color and had wormholes, and divided the remaining ones into two piles according to the shade of color, washed them separately, and put them in a cool place to dry.

Lu Caimei had already helped him clean the cotton cloth he bought, and it was hanging outside.

Waiting for the cotton cloth and petals to dry, Ruan Yimian and Lu Caimei could just free their hands to cut the oiled paper covered in rouge.

Lu Caimei is used to embroidery, and she is careful and skillful, Ruan Yimian said it briefly, and she understood, and helped him fold the oil paper into small envelopes.

When the sun was about to set, the cotton cloth and petals were dry.

Ruan Yimian put the petals into a stone bowl that had been cleaned in advance, added a little alum, crushed the petals finely with a mortar pestle, filtered the dregs with gauze, poured the flower juice into the prepared rouge tank, soaked the square cloth cut into the length of the little finger into the rouge tank, and after the cloth was completely soaked, it was sandwiched out with a clip to dry in the shade, and then put it back into the rouge tank to soak the flower juice, and so on five or six times, and the rouge was ready.

The cloth has to be dried repeatedly, which is a bit time-consuming, and when the cloth is dry, Ruan Yimian took a new petal to pound.

Lu Caimei went to cook after helping to cut the cotton cloth, and in the afternoon, Brother Orange was sent by her mother to send a small half bowl of spring bamboo shoots and roast meat, Lu Caimei fried a green vegetable again, steamed chestnut rice, and the meal was ready.

Ruan Yimian continued to make cotton rouge after eating, and when she was busy until night, she only made more than 30 sheets, and they were still hanging on the table, not all dry.

It costs money to light an oil lamp, and as soon as it got dark, Ruan Yimian didn't continue to do it.

Today, he and his mother went up the mountain to pick flowers and came back to make rouge and cook, Ruan Dexian went to the town to buy things and came back to work in the fields, the three of them were busy all day, and they were a little tired, so they rested early.