20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 230
  After Jiang Chenghai's funeral, Jiang Xiaodao became more and more indifferent. He spent several days in the east room with Hu Xiaoyan, calculating the accounts of the Zhou and Bai families, and envisioning the future together.

Suddenly rich, the young couple planned to knock down and expand the house in the coming year, and build a two-story bungalow like the Bai family.

In the old house, young people come here from time to time, wanting to join Jiang and Hu.

Xu Ruqing was a little stimulated and rested every day; Guan Wei also moved back to Daxiguan and resumed his old business.

The New Year is approaching, and apart from buying new year's goods, it's rare for the days to be quiet.

Lao Qi was originally happy to eat and wait for death, but since his eldest brother left, he felt empty and panicked.

He used to live in this house with his eldest brother and fourth brother for more than ten years. Now he is the only one left. He sees the young people coming and going in the yard. Although he calls "Seventh Master" one after another, It made him feel even more alienated.

Brothers of the same generation are leaving one after another, and it is inevitable that they will feel discouraged and have a stronger intention to leave.

On the contrary, Xiaoxue's existence gave Gong Baonan a reason to be busy.

The little girl has a voracious appetite for movies, and every now and then she would ask Lao Qi to take her out to play.

Although Gong Baonan was reluctant, he had no choice but to take the blame on himself, so he had to bite the bullet and accompany Xiaoxue out.

…………

In the busy town of Xiaoxiguan, various vendors are vying to set up tents and stalls, and no one is willing to give in, hoping to block the entire road.

Those who sell firecrackers, those who sell vermicelli, those who sell pork, those who sell frozen skin...

The sound of hawking came and went, and pedestrians rubbed shoulders, stopped and looked around.

"We agreed! Just go for a walk, just look, don't buy!" Gongbao reminded as he walked south, "Do you hear me?"

"I heard it!" Xiaoxue tugged on Lao Qi's pants and answered quite simply.

However, after taking a few steps, the little girl regretted her decision. When she saw a clothing store, she stopped and asked, "Can you buy me some clothes?"

"What kind of clothes are you buying! I look like you are wearing clothes!" Gong Baonan said angrily, "Isn't your cotton-padded jacket quite good? It's not that good at all, so what are you buying!"

Xiaoxue pouted, kicked the pebbles on the road twice, and murmured: "My mother buys me new clothes every Chinese New Year."

"Tsk!"

Gong Baonan smacked his lips, unable to listen to this at all. Then he thought about it again and felt that Xiaoxue only had this red cotton-padded jacket on her body, and would have nothing to change into in the coming spring, so she secretly reached into her arms, touched the money, and lamented He said, "Let's go! Pick two items."

After visiting two clothing stores and buying an extra-large cotton-padded jacket and two separate clothes, the two of them returned to the street.

Gong Baonan put the change into his arms, patted it twice, and reiterated his position: "Okay, I bought the clothes, but I can't ask for them again this time, do you hear me?"

"Ang! I won't buy it!" Xiaoxue struggled to hold two pieces of unlined clothing and replied cheerfully.

"Bingtang haws! Ice~candied haws!"

Not far away, an old man in his fifties walked towards him, holding a straw pole covered with red hawthorns in his arms.

Bah!
  Gong Baonan's heart skipped a beat, and he looked down - it's over, it's over, the little girl has been spotted.

However, Xiaoxue did not clamor to buy it. She just stood there, pursed her lips, her eyes were like awls on the hawthorn fruit, and said loudly: "Look! Candied haws!"

Gong Baonan sneered in his heart - little girl, come on, follow me and never fall for the bait!
  "Yeah! I saw it, the candied haws, so red! Let's go!"

Xiaoxue's legs seemed to have roots and she couldn't move forward at all: "I was in the clothing store just now. Did that person give you change?"

"I found it, what happened?"

"Just enough to buy two bunches of candied haws, can you eat them?"

"Thank you, but I don't eat candied haws."

"Then you can give it to me. I have peanuts in my pocket that I can trade with you."

"I don't eat peanuts either!" Gong Baonan urged, "Let's go, let's not agree, we won't buy anything."

"I know." Xiaoxue still refused to move, "If you don't want to buy it, just watch it for a while!"

Gong Baonan sneered and said: "Okay, then you have a look! In short, I tell you, if you say you won't buy it, you won't buy it. You'd better give up on this idea as soon as possible!"

ten minutes later……

Xiaoxue held a bunch of candied haws in one hand, swung her arms left and right, and jumped around as she walked. From time to time, she would tilt her head and ask: "You really don't want to eat it? It's delicious!"

"Don't eat! Leave quickly!"

Gong Baonan angrily pushed Xiaoxue into a deserted alley.

The busy city of Xiaoxiguan is too dangerous, and the enemy is extremely cunning. It is not advisable to confront them head-on. You can only avoid their sharp edges!

Even after turning into a deserted alley, Gong Baonan still did not dare to take it lightly. He kept his eyes on all directions and his ears on all directions. Whenever he heard the slightest strange noise, he suspected that it was a bell or rattle in the hands of a salesman, so he immediately found another way. It was simply embarrassing. It is called a battle of wits and courage.

Not long after, it was lunch time. Gongbaonan led Xiaoxue, bypassing the busy city and heading straight to the north of the city.

After walking for less than a quarter of an hour, I arrived near a house. The door of the house was wide open, and I saw a woman wearing a blue floral cotton-padded jacket, nodding and bowing, exiting the house.

After a few words of conversation, the door of the house was closed.

The woman's shoulders sank and she looked a little disappointed. After hesitating for a moment, she finally turned around and left. She took two steps and looked up to see Gong Baonan and Xiaoxue. She subconsciously lowered her head to give way. Then she suddenly froze, as if she remembered something, and then He raised his head, his eyes brightened. "Ah! Brother, it's you!"

Xiaoxue tilted her head and looked at Gong Baonan.

Lao Qi was slightly startled, and looked at the woman who came towards her with a sideways face. After carefully identifying her for a long time, he finally remembered that this was Wang Sanquan's daughter-in-law, Li Shujuan.

When Gong Baonan met Li Shujuan for the first time, she still looked lively and lively, with an apron hanging around her waist and her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her eyes were watery, her cheeks were smiling, and her hair on her temples was sticking to her face. , and the complexion becomes clearer.

But in just over two years, this man has completely changed his appearance.

Needless to say, he looked haggard. His face was as pale as a vegetable, and he had lost weight. The water in his eyes had dried up at this time.

Not only that, the left half of Li Shujuan's face seemed to have been burned by the fire, the skin was wrinkled, and her appearance had long been disfigured.

"Ah, it's you." Gong Baonan replied uneasily.

Li Shujuan subconsciously turned her face to the side, took a step forward, and asked: "Brother, the last time you came to my house, you said something happened to Sanquan. Since then, you haven't seen him again. Do you know where he is now?"

"Ah? This..." Gong Baonan replied hesitantly, "Didn't I give you the letter last time?"

Li Shujuan lowered her eyes. Although she had expected it, she still couldn't hide her disappointment: "So, he is really dead? But why is he dead? Where is the body?"

Gong Baonan frowned and said against his will: "I don't know about that, I'm just a messenger."

"Do you two know each other?" Xiaoxue said unexpectedly.

"Eat your candied haws!" Gong Baonan scolded in a low voice.

Li Shujuan glanced at Xiaoxue, forced out a smile, and asked: "Brother, is this your daughter?"

"No, this is my ancestor."

Li Shujuan was stunned.

Gong Baonan quickly changed the subject and asked: "By the way, why are you here?"

Li Shujuan came to her senses and said, "Oh, I...I came here to find some work together, it's the Chinese New Year!"

"Yes, yes!" Gong Baonan laughed twice, "That... old lady is pretty good?"

Li Shujuan shook her head: "The old lady left the year before last. She fell ill after seeing the suicide note."

"Oh, so now -" Gong Baonan's eyes wandered, "are you still living there?"

"No, I'm all alone now. I can't live in such a big house. The rent is too expensive. Don't I want to find a long-term job? I'm celebrating the New Year, so I have to have a place to stay!"

"That's what happened! Then it's quite difficult for you to be alone!"

"It's not difficult!" Li Shujuan said with a strong smile, "There are people who are more difficult than me. Everyone has to live without it! However, it is indeed a bit difficult to find a job these days. Take your time, there will always be a way. of!"

In fact, whether it is better to find long-term workers is another question, but as the Chinese New Year is approaching, those wealthy families will inevitably hire short-term workers to help.

The reason why Li Shujuan ran into obstacles everywhere was because she was a widow and her appearance was disfigured, so she was disliked by others.

She answered no questions and told her whole situation. Although she didn't say it explicitly, her words clearly meant she was asking for help.

But Gong Baonan didn't know whether it was because he was kicked in the head or because he didn't wake up at all. He didn't hear the implication. He nodded blankly and said, "Yes, yes, then you go ahead and I'll leave." Got it!"

Li Shujuan's smile suddenly froze, but she could only smile and say, "Hey, okay, brother, please walk slowly."

Gong Baonan was already feeling guilty. When he heard the reply, he immediately turned away as if running for his life. After walking out for a few steps, he suddenly realized that something had been lost. When he looked down, Xiaoxue was nowhere to be seen.

"Xiaoxue, what are you looking at! Let's go!"

Xiaoxue stood in front of Li Shujuan and turned a deaf ear. While eating candied haws, she asked, "Auntie, can you braid something for me?"

"It's noon, why don't you braid your hair? I won't do it for you. You'll be fine!" Gong Baonan walked back quickly, "It's a day-to-day affair, let's go!"

Xiaoxue was dissatisfied: "You didn't make it up well for me, I can't even support it."

"Can't you just hold it up with your hands?"

Xiaoxue insisted not to leave, and Li Shujuan was caught in the middle. She didn't know what to do. After a few words, she finally got what she wanted.

Li Shujuan tied Xiaoxue's two pigtails skillfully.

The little snowman is small, but very particular. He won't let Li Shujuan work in vain, and insists on giving her half a bunch of candied haws. If she doesn't want the candied haws, she will be given peanuts. If she doesn't want peanuts, she will be given persimmons, which makes Li Shujuan very embarrassed.

In the end, Xiaoxue had no choice but to say: "Then I'll treat you to a restaurant. We're both hungry too."

"You invite me?" Gong Baonan sneered, "Where did you get the money?"

Xiaoxue turned around and walked to Lao Qi, and confidently stretched out her hand: "Lend it to me!"

----

Monthly ticket: 294/500
  Reward: 103700/120000
  Add more: 1
  Due: 7
  　The second update will be later, so let’s watch it tomorrow morning! Don't stay up late!

　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)