*

Han Ji stayed for two more days, and only boarded the boat and left after eating Shen Sui's roasted tail feast, he also had to go west to patrol the village, the fishermen were at home during the three months of the forbidden sea, which was very suitable for martial arts, and he wanted to supervise and encourage him.

After a rain, the temperature dropped a little, and the seaside was particularly cool, Haizhu carried a basket and a bucket, calling Dongzhu and Fengping, who came back from school, to go to the beach to catch the sea.

"I'll go too." Qi Laosan had been wandering around the house for a long time, so he almost had an excuse to go out. He went out of the alley and said to Haizhu: "I won't go to the sea with you, I'll change places, and you should be careful when you get to the beach." ”

Haizhu rolled her eyes, and when her third uncle walked away, she took Dongzhu and Fengping to follow quietly, these days he is very strange, sometimes he sits alone under the eaves and smirks, sometimes he has a sad face.

Bao Zhu is hiding.

Qi Laosan probably didn't expect to be followed by his nephews and nieces, he walked all the way fast, and he didn't feel the mud and fine sand thrown on his trouser legs.

After walking through the streets and alleys, and then walking down to the villages outside the town, stone houses are scattered and scattered, and many houses do not even have a courtyard wall.

Haizhu waited for Qi Laosan to walk to the door of a stone house with a bucket, she asked Dongzhu and Fengping to wait outside the village, she walked into the village empty-handed, and saw her third uncle stepping on a wooden ladder to repair the roof of the family, and the one holding the ladder was a thin girl, and she quietly felt out of the village after seeing this.

"How's it going?" Dongzhu asked excitedly, "Am I going to have a third aunt?" ”

Haizhu touched her chin and smiled, and said, "I guess it is." ”

"What does the third aunt look like?" Fengping asked.

"I don't see the face." Haizhu shook her head and explained that the two little ones went home and don't talk nonsense, "I'll ask the third uncle first in the evening, see what he thinks, he has come to the girl's house to work, and he won't leak anything at home." ”

The three of them found a nearby beach to dig seafood, the sea was windy, the clothes were hunting in the sea breeze, the clothes on their backs were bulging into a big bag, and the loose hair was slapped in the face and neck.

The oysters on the pier are often knocked, nothing big, there should be oysters sold here, and the oyster shells embedded in the reef are the size of palms. Haizhu took a shovel and pried along the side of the oyster shell, pried out the gap and inserted it into the tip of the shovel and smashed it with a stone, if she was lucky, the oyster shell was intact.

Dongzhu dug conch and seashells along the small bulge on the beach, the wet sand was cut open, and the conch immediately retracted the snail meat exposed outside the shell when she saw the wind, and she quickly pressed her hand, and the water rushed out of the snail meat.

There are big clams and small ones, the small ones are only as big as fingernails, buried in the sand and gravel are easy to be confused with the sand, Fengping digging clams is to shovel sand and put them in bamboo baskets, and then go to the puddle under the reef to wash the sand, and the sand and gravel wash away the rest is the clams.

A hairy crab with pitted craters like a reef hid in the mud and sand under the reef, Haizhu knelt up when she pryed the oysters, and quickly stood up with a pain in her knees, she used a shovel to pick up the sand, and the long pincer hairy crab went into the bucket.

"Dongzhu, Fengping, don't kneel on the sand, I was pierced by a hairy crab just now." Haizhu lifted her trouser leg, and there was a red spot on her knee, but there was no bleeding.

Feng Ping ran over to take a look, and exhaled twice.

Haizhu grinned, lowered her trouser leg and continued to pry the oysters.

Dongzhu dug up a mussel, the shell of which was the size of her two palms, and she lifted it up happily and said, "Guess if there are any pearls in this mussel!" ”

Feng Ping walked over to see it and asked her to open it on the spot.

"I'll do it, don't scratch your hands." Haizhu went over with a shovel.

The winter pearl wanted to open it by herself, and she smashed the mussel shell with a stone, and there was a large lump of mussel meat in the mussel shell, which was clean and had no pearls.

She sighed, tore the mussel meat and threw it into the bucket, "I fried a dish at night." ”

"Why are you all here? When I heard the voice from afar, it sounded familiar to me. Qi Laosan followed the sound and came over, making sure it was really them, he sighed in his heart, didn't dare to ask again, and said, "It's getting dark, let's go back." ”

Dongzhu let out a sneering laugh abruptly.

Qi Laosan's scalp was numb, and when Haizhu walked over to look at his empty bucket, he scratched his neck crampedly.

Haizhu smiled, carrying the bucket and running a few steps, "Let's go, go home." ”

"Hey!" Qi Laosan stretched out his hand to grab it, his mouth opened and closed, and he didn't say anything.

He hatefully followed Haizhu and wanted to beat her, if she hadn't taken the lead, the two little ones wouldn't have had the heart.

Haizhu sang "la-la-la-la-" in the sound of the waves, and Dongzhu followed Fengping and followed "la" in a procrastinating tone, only Qi Laosan, who glanced at them from time to time with his head stuffy.

It's almost time to get to Bluestone Lane, he finally couldn't hold it anymore, and opened his mouth with a "hey", "Are you guys following me?" ”

"Oh-" Haizhu laughed weirdly, "guess. ”

"I guess you're going to get beaten." Qi Laosan gritted his teeth and said.

"I'll go back and tell my grandmother, see who gets beaten. How many times have you been to someone's girl's house? Why don't you get it back? Don't you want to be responsible? Haizhu snorted coldly, "I'll use the money to buy a feather duster later, you wait to be smoked tonight." ”

"No, you don't understand ......"

"You don't understand, if I were that girl, I would knock you out, you go to work for others every day and you are not ready to marry her, what do you let the people in the village think of her?"

Qi Laosan was silent, rubbing his pants and pondering, he was almost at the door of the house, he asked Haizhu and them not to say, "I'll say it myself tomorrow morning, lest your milk can't sleep well at night." ”

Haizhu gestured to Dongzhu and Fengping, and the young lady and brother nodded obediently.

"I'm back, I'll be out looking for someone a little later." Grandma Qi is still waiting to cook, but the three mouths are not at home, and she doesn't know whether to cook porridge or powder.

"I'm going to cook, cook the noodles tonight, and the things I picked up from the sea are cooked and soaked in the sauce and poured on the flour to eat, just try the citron I bought before." Haizhu rolled up her sleeves and entered the kitchen.

Fengping went in to light the fire, and Dongzhu went to scoop water to wash the conch.

"Why is the bucket empty?" Grandma Qi asked.

"It's all in the bucket that Haizhu carried." Qi Lao lied without changing his colors.

Dongzhu laughed again, Qi Laosan glanced at her, walked over to help her brush the snail shell, and stared at her by the way.

When the water boils, pour the conch and clams first, and the oysters are boiled in the water a little and the shells are opened, and the hot water washes the oyster meat, and the two breaths are cooked. When boiling crabs, conch and clams can be removed by soaking them in cold water.

The others peeled the snail meat and washed the clam meat, Haizhu cut the citron and the green onion and garlic and ginger in the kitchen, the garlic was a lot, the green onion and ginger were mashed and soaked in water, and finally a scoop of cool boiling water poured these things into it, and she began to cook the powder.

"Sister, the snail meat and conch meat are cleaned." Dongzhu came in with a plate, "How do you make another mussel meat?" ”

"Forget, I'll cut two green onions and stir-fry a hot dish later." Haizhu took the clam meat and snail meat and poured it into the sauce, she tasted it, and added some vinegar to the sour taste.

The flour is boiled and soaked in cold water, and when the mussel meat is cut, the shell is opened to the hairy crab, which is a male crab, and the crab meat and crab paste are removed and soaked in the sauce together.

Lanterns were lit in the yard, mosquitoes came, and Grandma Qi took a basin and put it under the table to burn half-dry and half-wet mugwort to repel insects.

"It's time to eat." Haizhu shouted, "Each side has its own rice." ”

The rice noodles are poured with sour sauce, the noodles are covered with clam oyster meat, and a large snail meat is placed in each bowl.

The juice is sour, marinated with the sea-like smell of oysters and clam meat, and the flour is stained with juice and garlic, which is particularly appetizing in one bite. Even Qi Laosan, a preoccupied person, didn't eat less at all, and he walked around the yard in a daze after eating.

Chapter 97: Picking up fish after the rain

The creak of opening the door sounded next door, Qi Laosan, who had always slept soundly, was awakened by this slight movement, he opened his eyes and listened to the sound of walking and scooping water outside, sat up from the bed and sighed, put on a sleeveless shirt and pants and opened the door to go out, the sky was still slightly blue.

"Why did you wake up so early today? Don't get more sleep? Grandma Qi took the basin out and put it in the yard and asked, "What do you want for breakfast?" ”

"Anything, I don't pick." Qi Laosan scooped water from the bottom of the tank to wash his face and rinse his mouth, took off the brush hanging on the wall to brush the water tank, the clear water became turbid, he held the tank crooked down and poured out the sewage, and the last bit of residual water was stabbed with a bamboo brush a few times.

"I'm going to fetch water." He said.

"Oh, good."

No one was moving in the alley, only two or three opened their doors, and the old woman woke up early, and when she got up, she opened the door and swept the yard.

Mrs. Song came out with her clothes buttoned up and happened to see Qi Laosan pushing a wooden cart passing in front of the door, she walked out of the door quickly, and saw that there was no one walking in the alley, she cut her hair a little and went out to the middle of the alley.

"Old sister, you got up early." Mrs. Song stepped into the door of Qi's house, "Are you still sleeping?" ”

Grandma Qi said "hey", added a few more sticks of firewood to the stove, walked out of the kitchen and said, "People sleep less when they are old, and a few small ones are just when they are sleepy, so they should sleep more." She wondered how Mrs. Song came to the door early in the morning, the two families were not far away or close, and they had hardly crossed the door.

"I see that the third child of your family has gone to fetch water, he is a diligent person, and he is holding a boat to fish, and he is carrying bags and unloading, and he is still busy with restaurants and family work when he comes back, and he is one of the best diligent people in Qingshi Lane, and he is also a daughter-in-law and a baby when he marries a daughter-in-law."

Obedient and listening, Grandma Qi's heart suddenly brightened, this is to match the third child of his family as a matchmaker, I am afraid that the girl is a relative of Mrs. Song, she is not good to take the initiative to mention, for fear of being rejected and being tongued, so she took advantage of the early morning when there were few people to beat the side drum.

"Auntie, you sit down first, the water in the pot is boiling, I'll cook you a bowl of sugar water to drink." Grandma Qi's attitude became enthusiastic, she went back to the house and came out with a porcelain jar, scooped two spoonfuls of brown sugar into the bowl, and then knocked an egg, scooped two spoonfuls of boiling water and stirred while pouring, a bowl of sweet egg water was fine, and the red sugar water was floating with tender yellow frangipani. She took the bowl out, sat down and said: "My family is not young for the third year, and I also worry about his marriage every day, he calls you an aunt, please worry about it, if there is a suitable person to introduce us to us, they are all neighbors, you also know that our family is a kind person, the girl enters the door of my house, and she must be treated well." ”

"Yes, I know the people in your family, all the old and the young are kind, not the weird and stingy people." Mrs. Song drank brown sugar egg water, glanced around the yard, and said: "I really have a suitable person who wants to introduce one or two, I said that the old sister, don't laugh, I really see that the third child of your family is a simple, diligent and honest guy, so I want to be this matchmaker." ”

"That's not going to happen, the people who do matchmaking are kind-hearted, I don't know about others, I don't laugh."

"It's my maiden niece, who will be seventeen in a month, and a hard-working girl, and my niece can speak well, and is a clever ......."

Haizhu and Dongzhu huddled under the window and eavesdropped on her, she thought to herself that her third uncle was quite popular, and the peach blossoms would bloom two as soon as they bloomed.

Grandma Qi sent Mrs. Song out, repeatedly promised not to talk nonsense before the matter was completed, and when she entered the door, she smiled on her face, and even hummed a fishing tune when she lit the fire.

"Awake? The water is boiling, I scoop it into the bowl, and you two take it out and put it on the table to dry. When Grandma Qi saw her two granddaughters come out, she said, "Is it okay to boil egg porridge this morning?" Later, go to the street and buy two plates of rice cakes. ”

Haizhu nodded, "Okay, let Fengping buy it later." ”

She and Dongzhu braided each other's hair, washed their faces, washed their hands, rinsed their mouths, drank a bowl of warm water, and carried a bamboo basket and an iron rake to the beach to pry oysters.

The wet mud on the ground was blown by the wind overnight, the wet mud became dry and hard, and the feet were soft and soft. ”

"It's me and I'll choose what I like, I don't know how the third uncle will choose." I can see the sea, there is a thin morning mist on the vast sea, even if I can see this magnificent scene every morning, Haizhu is still fascinated and can't take his eyes off, and the turbidity that has sunk in his chest all night dissipates instantly, living in such a beautiful place, of course, you have to choose a favorite partner to live a good life.

"I'm going to marry a man I like in the future." There was no one on the beach, Dongzhu said loudly.

"Pry the oysters." Haizhu interrupted her fantasy, she was only a few years old, and she was still early to get married.

The oysters used to make the pancakes only need to pry off the oyster meat, and the iron rake will break the oyster shell, and the oyster meat will be peeled off and thrown into the bamboo basket.

When they arrived home, the alley was lively, and people selling firewood, water, and vegetables took turns knocking on the wooden door.

Qi Laosan had already returned, the water tank was full, he was busy cleaning his second brother, and then opened the window and went out directly with the commode.

"Third uncle—" Haizhu followed.

"I know, you go back." Qi Laosan's footsteps did not stop, carrying a commode and a shovel to avoid people.

Breakfast was served on the table, and Grandma Qi looked at her youngest son a few times and said, "Third child, after eating, let Haizhu take you to Buzhuang to make two new clothes, and buy a few feet of bright materials that the girl's family likes." ”

Haizhu bit the rice cake and looked at him, and Dongzhu also puffed up her neck expectantly and waited for him to speak.

"I heard what my second brother said, mother, you rejected Aunt Song's kindness, I have a girl I like." Qi Laosan spoke, he glanced at Haizhu, and said: "The material will be bought in a few days, if you have no opinion, we will find a matchmaker to choose a good day to propose." ”

The whole family laughed, and Grandma Qi put down the bowl and slapped him hard, "A few days ago, you told me that you don't have a girl you like, you can't hold it, right?" Tell me which girl's girl. ”

"Her family lives in Houya Village, and there is only one widow in the family, and she has a problem and can't speak." Qi Laosan has been hesitating about this, afraid that his mother will not accept it, but since he has spoken, he will not hide it.

The smile on Grandma Qi's face disappeared, Second Uncle Qi put down the dishes and chopsticks and stopped eating, Haizhu and Dongzhu were also silent, chewing rice cakes in their mouths and not speaking.

"What does it mean to not be able to speak?" Grandma Qi asked.

"When she was five years old, she burned out her throat and was dumb."

"What about the rest?" Second Uncle Qi asked.

"It's just that I can't speak, and everything else is not affected." Qi Laosan replied.

The courtyard fell silent, Chaoping looked left and right, and went to play in the sand when he was full, he didn't dare to interject.