Father's Land Mother's River

Chapter 104 Territory
Liu Zhixin went to work with a worker and lived at home for a week.There is less rain in spring and summer this year, and it is dry and hot in summer, and the new house dries out quickly.He bought back the wood, hired a carpenter, laid the floor for his son's two rooms, built two wardrobes, a desk and a bookshelf.

My son will go home soon after summer vacation, so we have to create a good writing environment for him.

The son didn't come home as scheduled, and he didn't know what he was busy with. He couldn't be dragged back by another girl, right?

At the beginning of spring, his son asked him to bring a publication to Li Hongxia, saying that he wanted her to read the novel "Fog" in it.He read it first, and only then did he realize that it was written about Li Hongxia, only one word in the name was changed.

He went to the worker's house and handed the publication to Li Hongxia. Li Hongxia cried for a long time holding the publication.

From then on, Li Hongxia often went to Fengjing to find him and inquired about her son's condition.He was a little uncertain whether his son helped Li Hongxia or harmed Li Hongxia.He somewhat regretted letting his son get acquainted with Li Hongxia, what was he doing provoking him for no reason.

Knowing that her son was about to go on summer vacation, Li Hongxia brought some dried octopus, which she caught from the sea, boiled and dried, and asked him to take it home for her son to taste.She also asked him to send a message back to her son, and she thanked him for not forgetting her, and she would no longer live in a daze.

Sometimes Liu Zhixin would persuade Li Hongxia to live a good life and forget about his restless son.

The son has a little reputation, but it doesn't make Liu Zhixin completely at ease.The incident of Gu Yu was a big blow to his son, and he wondered what kind of daughter-in-law his son would bring back for him in the future.

Sometimes I chat with Jiang Changling and ask her which one she likes.Jiang Changling never changed her mind. She likes Guan Xiaoyun the most. Who can catch up with her in terms of character, appearance, temperament, and family management?What's more, there are still two origins there.

Liu Zhixin laughed at her long hair but short knowledge, her son is getting farther and farther away, he and Guan Xiaoyun live together, can they have a common language?He had his eyes on someone, and on New Year's Day, his son brought Lao Yue's daughter home. Although he didn't say a few words, he felt that only the daughter was suitable for his son.

Jiang Changling curled her lips when she heard this: "That girl is educated and pretty, but her face is too cold, and such a daughter-in-law is not good. After talking about Guiqi, everything is meaningless and nothing to worry about. My son can do whatever he wants. Well, let's not count on ordering our daughter-in-law around."

Liu Zhixin comforted her: "You're right to think so, you think the girls nowadays are just like you."

Houses in the countryside can be like buildings in the city, with toilets at home; floors are laid under the kang edge, and there are earth heating in winter.Liu Zhixin's ingenious design made the family house an object of visit for the villagers, especially the women.

Early in the morning, a few young daughters-in-law from the village came to visit together, chatted and chatted while standing under the apricot tree on the street.

Liu Zhixin was watering the vegetable garden wearing a straw hat. Because of the film mulching technology, cucumbers, eggplants, kidney beans, peppers, and tomatoes were growing well, and they were in full bloom half a month in advance.He was thinking about how to build a plastic greenhouse after retirement to expand the scale of vegetable cultivation, and saw his son and Lao Yue's daughter coming back together from a distance.

Liu Zhixin turned off the water pump, washed his hands, went to the street and said to Jiang Changling, "I didn't see your son come back."

Jiang Changling wanted to go up to meet her son, but Liu Zhixin grabbed her.Seeing that both of them were carrying bags and arm in arm, he felt that something was going on.

Liu Xiaonan and Yue Xuelian stayed overnight at Yue Zifan's house.Yue Xuelian still slept in the inner room, while Liu Xiaonan and his Teacher Yue slept in the outer room.The old house was low and narrow, and the heat dissipated slowly. Yue Zifan was afraid of the cold but not the heat. The only table fan was given to Yue Xuelian, which was spinning hummingly in the back room.

Liu Xiaonan's body was sweating constantly, and she kept going outside to wipe her body with cold water.Going back to the house and lying down, Yue Zifan sat beside him and fanned him with a plantain fan: "It's natural to be cool when you are calm, just lie down and don't move, just fall asleep and you'll be fine."

How can I let the teacher fan herself? Liu Xiaonan reached out for the fan, but Yue Zifan refused: "I don't give you the fan for nothing, and Snow Lotus will be taken care of by you in the future. We as parents owe her the affection we owe her, and we have to rely on you to make up for it." give her."

Liu Xiaonan said, "If you can't do it, you and my dad will beat me together."

Yue Zifan asked in a low voice: "I have never dared to ask Xuelian how she broke up with that poet, do you know?"

Liu Xiaonan replied in a low voice: "That scumbag was secretly flirting with other women. I found out and beat him up. Blood came out of his nostrils, and his face was bruised and purple."

"He won't let it go, will he?"

"I was locked up in the police station. Fortunately, a policeman had read my novel. We chatted for most of the night and became friends. Later, Teacher Zhao from the Federation of Literary and Art Circles came forward to mediate and compensated for some medical expenses."

Yue Zifan laughed loudly: "Stinky boy, I really belong to you."

Yue Xuelian's voice came from the back room: "You two are not sleeping anymore?"

The teacher and the student looked at each other and smiled, and Yue Zifan shook his fan and said, "There is something I have thought about for a long time. In the past few years, you have made rapid progress and become famous, but in fact, it may not be a good thing for you. I don't know if you Have you realized that what you write is something that has been settled in the past, and your thinking has been solidified. A person’s life is long or short, but energy is limited. In just a few decades, you can It is already very good to accomplish one or two things. I am afraid that when you were young, you exhausted your energy and talents all your life, and in the end you are like those pots of hibiscus flowers in the yard, which only bloom for a while."

Liu Xiaonan's body turned cold: "I also feel that there are not many creative things. What advice does the teacher have?"

Yue Zifan said: "Slow down and appreciate the scenery you have seen along the way in life."

When Liu Xiaonan and Yue Xuelian were walking home on the ridge of the field and saw the slow flowing water in the ditch and the green seedlings, he said to Yue Xuelian with emotion: "I think your father's words are very reasonable. For a long novel, I won’t start writing lightly in the future. Try to do something else.”

Yue Xuelian asked puzzledly: "Apart from writing, what else do you want to do?"

Liu Xiaonan said: "Marrying a wife and having children is a major event in life."

Yue Xuelian said with a smile: "I didn't say that I must marry you. It's really cheeky to want to marry someone back when you first started dating."

Liu Xiaonan pointed to the courtyard door ahead and said, "Whether you admit it or not, you are about to face the critical eyes of your future parents-in-law and a bunch of sister-in-laws. They have been guessing what kind of wife I can bring back, you You have to be mentally prepared.”

Yue Xuelian said: "I'm a little nervous when you say that."

Liu Xiaonan jokingly said: "An ugly daughter-in-law will see her in-laws sooner or later, let alone once, university teachers should not show timidity in front of village women."

Walking closer, Liu Xiaonan first greeted the sisters-in-law in the village.With a smile on her face, Yue Xuelian stepped forward to greet Liu Zhixin and Jiang Changling: "Hello, Uncle and Auntie! This time, Xiaonan and I will come back together, and we will stay at home for a while, so we will cause trouble for Uncle and Auntie."

Liu Zhixin and Jiang Changling were still in a daze, but Liu Xiaonan added directly: "Xuelian is your future daughter-in-law."

Yue Xuelian took Jiang Changling's arm and called out affectionately alone: ​​"Auntie."

This call "auntie" made Jiang Changling's heart burst into joy, and she felt much more affectionate than when she came home last time, at least she had a smile on her face.Hastily introduced those big girls and daughter-in-laws to Yue Xuelian, this is so-and-so's sister-in-law, this is so-and-so's third sister-in-law, this is so-and-so's eldest niece Yue Xuelian greeted each other and remembered them carefully.

Liu Zhixin urged from the side: "The house has been cleaned up for you, you can visit the house first."

Walking slowly on the concrete path in the middle of the spacious yard, Yue Xuelian looked around and said with emotion: "The last time I came here, I lived in an old house. It has only been half a year, and everything has changed. The new house is so stylish."

Liu Xiaonan said: "If you still live in the old house, I won't let you live in my house."

"It's shabby or I'm afraid I won't get used to it."

"None of them, it's about a man's self-esteem."

Go up a dozen steps and enter the main room.Although it is still a traditional farmhouse style, there are grass stoves on both sides, but white tiles are pasted on the stove and walls, which is clean and bright.The two rooms in the east room are the parents' rooms with concrete floors, but the west room has red floors.

The two rooms in the West Room are Liu Xiaonan's exclusive rooms. The outside room is set up with heated kangs. The kangs are not covered with straw mats made of reeds, but are covered with floor leather that is impermeable to dust and easy to clean. On the ground stands a wardrobe with four doors.

There is another world in the room.There is no heated kang, only a fire wall is kept under the window, which is integrated with the window sill, and the window sill is extraordinarily spacious.A double bed is placed near the window, and a four-door wardrobe is also placed at the end of the bed.

There is a window in the west gable, and a large desk and a small bookshelf are placed under the window. Standing in front of the window, one can see the green rice fields outside.There is a door on the back gable, and inside is a concealed toilet, which is paved with wall tiles and floor tiles, and has all the necessary facilities.

After visiting around, Yue Xuelian occupied the inner room, opened the closet and put the things she carried inside, turned her back to Liu Xiaonan and said, "Go out for a while, I will change clothes."

Liu Xiaonan sat obliquely on the bed, supported her body with her arms and said to her, "I'm sure that no one has ever used the bathroom after it was built. Why don't you take the lead in using it?"

Yue Xuelian didn't turn her head back: "I'm sure that this bathroom wasn't built for me at the beginning. I'm the same outside. Children from common people's homes are not so delicate and noble."

Liu Xiaonan asked, "Do you know how animals define their territories?"

Yue Xuelian froze for a moment, thought of the implication, turned around and forced Liu Xiaonan out of the room, and closed the door.

After waiting for a while, Yue Xuelian changed into casual clothes and walked out of the room. Facing Liu Xiaonan's probing eyes, she waved her arms around the room and said domineeringly: "This is my sacred territory, no one is allowed to violate it at will, otherwise... I don't need to say more."

Liu Xiaonan deliberately sniffed her nose and said, "It's true, I smell a lioness."

Yue Xuelian shyly threw herself into Liu Xiaonan's arms.Liu Xiaonan's casualness often makes it difficult for her to adapt and resist.

At noon, Jiang Changling made noodles by hand, and Yue Xuelian followed Jiang Changling to learn how to roll noodles. Jiang Changling was happy to teach.

Knead the dough until soft, use a thick and long rolling pin to roll it into a uniform thickness of noodle cake, fold it repeatedly according to a certain width, and then cut it horizontally with a kitchen knife to become noodles with almost the same length, width and thickness.

When ordering noodles, Yue Xuelian wanted to learn how to make a fire, but Jiang Changling firmly refused. It was dirty and hot. How could she let her daughter-in-law, who is a university teacher, do rough work?Just let her stand aside and observe.

Shredded kidney beans and dried octopus are put in the noodle soup. The soup is delicious and the noodles are chewy. The family sits at the high table in the main room for lunch.Liu Xiaonan chewed the chewy dried octopus and asked his father, "Where did you get the dried octopus?"

Liu Zhixin said: "It was given to you by Li Hongxia. She knows that you love seafood. She set up a small stall in the town's market just like in your novel, specializing in seafood, and the income is not bad. Inspired by you, I will stop working hard and sell my life cheaply. I heard from her parents that she recently fell in love with a very kind young man, and she does not dislike her with a child, and she is expected to get married after autumn."

Liu Xiaonan said to Yue Xuelian: "Li Hongxia is the prototype of Li Qiuxia in "The Fog", and it can be regarded as a reward after suffering."

Yue Xuelian nodded and said, "I can guess, perhaps, this is the power of literature."

Jiang Changling asked: "Think about why I didn't come back with you? That child is very cute. I haven't seen her for a long time. I miss her a little bit."

Liu Xiaonan said to her mother: "Meng Xiangxiang has her own home and her own life. You, an aunt, have to put yourself in the right position, sitting in front of your future daughter-in-law, and praising another little girl." , what does Xue Lian think?"

Jiang Changling said: "Look at what you said, it seems that your mother is confused. I can tell the difference between a daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law, so it's fine."

Yue Xuelian said openly: "Xiao Nan likes to make a big fuss. Auntie is kind-hearted, and there is nothing wrong with caring about her daughter-in-law. Meng Xiangxiang is indeed a good student who is self-reliant and self-reliant. I believe she can find her own way."

There is an ambush before, and there are pursuers behind.Having said that, Yue Xuelian still felt an invisible pressure.In terms of life experience, appearance, and emotional foundation, she is not as good as Gu Yu; in terms of age, vivaciousness, and diligence, she is not as good as Meng Xiangxiang.Will Liu Xiaonan make secret comparisons?The thinking of the elderly is very different from that of the young, and it is still unknown whether they can get the approval and approval of their in-laws.

Liu Zhixin asked Yue Xuelian: "I believe your father will agree with the two of you. I don't know what your mother's attitude is?"

Liu Xiaonan said first: "I have met Aunt Lin, an amiable elder with excellent medical skills. Aunt Lin blesses us."

Yue Xuelian and Liu Xiaonan looked at each other, and said cheerfully: "My mother will know that Nan is Uncle Liu's son, and tell us a lot about the past, and let me say hello to uncle and aunt for her."

Liu Zhixin was very relieved: "You two just study writing with peace of mind, and we old guys will handle the rest."

While the two young men were taking a nap, Liu Zhixin rode his bicycle to Fuzhou City, and came back reeking of alcohol when it was getting dark.After entering the house, he announced loudly to Liu Xiaonan and Yue Xuelian: "Lao Yue and I have discussed it. After Xiaonan graduates from university in three years, I will hold a wedding for you immediately."

(End of this chapter)