Yoshida Mii

Chapter 17 Persuasion
"Mother, will Da Mao and Er Mao support me? Da Mao will sell me for white noodles at noon today..." Dong Bao whispered, in the silent night, his slightly immature voice was full of indescribable pity mean.

Li's language was blocked, his nose was sore, and he subconsciously said: "Da Mao is still young and ignorant... When you grow up, you will know that those daughters-in-law who don't have a family brother to help them don't dare to say anything when they are wronged by their in-laws." " She didn't want her daughter to be wronged in this family, but how difficult it would be for a woman who didn't even have any brothers from her natal family.

In the darkness, Dong Bao's voice clearly reached Li Shi's ears, "Mother, you also have brothers from your mother's family. When you were wronged at home, why didn't you see uncle come to help you with a word?"

Mrs. Li is a weak and kind-hearted unlucky man. He is a phoenix man after marrying a scholar. If he can’t bear a son, he has no status in his in-law’s family. After being wronged and suffering, he can only swallow it in his own stomach. The year was not very good, and none of the children of the Song family made new clothes. Second Uncle Song and Second Aunt stopped Xiucai's father at the door. Daddy was overjoyed by the compliment, and immediately patted his chest to express that the children's New Year's clothes were wrapped by the uncle!
The money earned by Xiucai's father was handed over to Mrs. Huang. After boasting and making a promise, he went into the east room and asked Mrs. Li for money. The little Dong Bao, who was patching clothes, felt sore and miserable in his heart. For the first time, he couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to obey her husband anymore, so he hugged Dong Bao and gritted his teeth, saying, "I don't have any money, don't you give all the money you take home to your mother?" , They want to make new jackets for Da Mao and Er Mao, and go to ask their mother for money!"

She has a good temper and can bear it, but it doesn't mean she is a fool.Huang shi held tight to the money, and the second daughter-in-law couldn't get any money from Huang shi, so she turned her idea on Dong Bao's father.

"You are a disobedient, unvirtuous and disrespectful bitch!" The scholar became furious when he couldn't get the money, pointed at Mrs. Li and cursed, and then searched the east room for a long time. He remembered that the dowry brought by Mrs. Li contained some The silver hairpin was pawned and worth a tael of silver, but he couldn't find it, so he kicked the door and left in a rage.Mrs. Li thought that he didn't ask for any money, so let's forget about it. Who knew that in the evening, Song Xiucai would bring back a bag, go to the west wing room in the dark, call the second son, Song Yu, and hand the bag to Song Yu. .

In a few days, the children in the second room were all dressed in new jackets. When the new year came, among the children of the Song family, only Dong Bao was dressed in patched clothes. Li's heart had long been numb to death. In his eyes, Da Mao and Er Mao are the most important, and his face is also the most important, only she and Dong Bao are ignored.

After the Chinese New Year, Uncle Cheng from the grocery store in the village came to his house to find Song Xiucai and had a conversation. If he procrastinates and doesn't return it, the indecision of the folks in the village will make something ugly. He is a scholar, a scholar with a reputation, and he can't afford to lose face like this.

"You borrowed money? What are you borrowing money for?" Li Shi could guess why, but she still had a glimmer of hope, and didn't want to make her husband think so badly.

Song Xiucai looked a little unnatural, "Isn't it because Da Mao Ermao didn't have a new jacket to wear during the Chinese New Year? Mother is tight, so I went to ask Lao Cheng to borrow a tael of silver..." As he spoke, Song Xiucai felt confident again in front of his wife Insufficient to lose the face of a man, he immediately sternly stared and shouted: "Why do you care about so much, a woman! I can't even be the master of a tael of silver? Just bring the silver, and ask people to ask for debts all the time." At the door, is there light on your face?"

Seeing his father getting so angry and staring so frighteningly, the young Dong Bao hid in Li Shi's arms so frightened that he kept sobbing.

Mrs. Li lowered her head and went under the bed to take out a brick, took out a cloth bag covered with dust, and handed it to Song Xiucai. Song Xiucai opened the cloth bag, and there was a silver hairpin in it, weighing about one or two.

Satisfied, Song Xiucai coughed to ease his expression and tone, and said to Mrs. Li: "When the fund for sitting in the hall this spring is paid, I will definitely buy you a gold hairpin for my husband." After finishing speaking, he took the silver hairpin and went out. up.

Li Shi couldn't hold it any longer, and burst into tears holding Dong Bao in his arms.

When Mrs. Li found an opportunity to take Dong Bao to the elder brother's house in the town, she couldn't bear it anymore and complained to her brother and sister-in-law, tears streaming down her face. After hearing a few words from Song Xiucai, Dong Bao's uncle just sighed a few times, said a few words of comfort, and ordered Mrs. Zhu to pack a bag of brown sugar for Mrs. Li to take home, and said nothing else.

Dong Bao remembers clearly that Mrs. Li has an elder brother and an elder sister. Within half a year of Mrs. Li's marriage, Dong Bao's maternal grandfather and grandmother passed away one after another. Dong Bao's uncle sold the house and land and went to the town to sell groceries. The business of the shop is not bad, and the life is well-off. It is not good for Mrs. Li, but it is not too bad. Mrs. Li has been married to Tagouji for more than ten years. When visiting him in the town, he will also pack gifts like brown sugar snacks sold in the store for Li Shi to take back to her husband's house, and his face will be bright.

Dong Bao didn't want to sprinkle salt on Li Shi's heart. From Li Shi's point of view, no matter what outsiders think of her big brother, she always thinks it's good. If she has a brother from her mother's family, she will think about it, and she will have more confidence in her heart.But Dong Bao can't do anything about it. Li Shi is a traditional country woman who regards men as the sky. As a woman, she is used to inferiority and self-complaint. She knows that this world is cruel and difficult for women, and she always wants to find someone to rely on. , even if this dependence is only psychological.

After listening to Dong Bao's words, Mrs. Li was silent for a long time, and said in a hoarse voice, "You are becoming more and more disobedient, your uncle is an elder, can you arrange it randomly? Talk nonsense, mother I'm going to beat you up."

Mrs. Li was really angry.

Dong Bao quickly hugged Li Shi's arm. Her body is only ten years old. Li Shi is her only support in this world. If she doesn't want to be sold by the Song family for money and white noodles, she wants to live a life full of food and clothing. , she must let Li Shi stand on the united front with her, and the current Li Shi, it is obvious that there is nothing to say about loving her, but she is afraid of this family and the world, timid and cowardly, inferior and inferior I don't have the courage to leave this family, and I can't imagine that a woman can support the family independently.

For Li's temperament, Dongbao has no complaints, only sympathy, but changing a person's deep-rooted thoughts cannot be done overnight, Dongbao can only take it slowly and slowly.

Although it is not kind to think so, in Dongbao's view, Song Xiucai's death is actually a good thing for Dongbao and Li. In other words, with the characteristics of Song Xiucai's top phoenix man, Dongbao may change his destiny through marriage, but Li can only be trapped in the Song family for the rest of his life, serving as a cattle and a horse for the Song family.

"Mother, don't be angry." Dong Bao buried her face in Li Shi's shoulder, and said in a low voice, "It's my fault, I said the wrong thing."

Li's daughter is well-behaved and sensible, and Li Shi feels a lot better. At the same time, there is a surge of regret. She just spoke too strongly to her daughter. It's no wonder that Dongbao rejects Da Mao and Er Mao so much. The two boys of the Song family are indeed not reliable. People, like the second and second couple, are greedy and lazy.

Mrs. Li patted her daughter on the back and said softly: "Silly boy, why is mother angry with you? Don't think about these things. Go to bed early."

Dong Bao nodded, just about to close his eyes, when he suddenly remembered something, turned over and crawled out of the bed, found the jacket beside the bed in the dark, and took out half of the steamed stuffed bun from the sleeve. Steal it from her.

The night in early spring was very cold, and Dong Bao shivered back into bed again, broke off a piece of the cornbread and stuffed it into Li Shi's mouth.

Tasting the Wotou in his mouth, Li Shi was very surprised, and pushed away Dong Bao's hand that was stretched out to stuff the Wotou, "Why don't you eat it?" Li asked distressedly.

Dong Bao laughed, a pair of black grape-like eyes shining brightly in the darkness, "Brother Da Shi and Quan Zi heard milk swearing at people just now, they didn't give me enough food, so they told me to go out, and gave me scallion pancakes to eat, eat It’s delicious and full.” He patted his stomach as he spoke, to show that he was really full.

Mrs. Li worked for a whole day and was never free from morning to night. How could she be full with half a cornbread for dinner?Hungry for a long time, starved and sick, there is something going on, an orphan girl with no father and no mother, Dong Bao's fate is also worrying.

"Okay... Your Aunt Qiuxia's family are all good people..." Mrs. Li reached out to wipe the water from the corners of her eyes, she was useless, she didn't even have the ability to feed Dongbao, relying on the kindness of Dashi and Quanzi Relief.

"Mother, you eat cornbread, and you will be able to work when you are full." Dong Bao whispered, and broke another piece of cornbread into Li's mouth.After the steamed bun was cold, it was sticky and hard, and it was very difficult to chew, and it lost the sweet taste when it was warmed up. However, Mrs. Huang watched it during the meal, so she didn't eat too much, and there was no chance to reheat it at this meeting. After a while, I can only make do with letting Mrs. Li eat cold buns, which is better than going to bed hungry.

The house was shrouded in hazy moonlight, Li Shi's thin face was hidden in the shadows, Dong Bao carefully stuffed her nest, Li waved his hand, and said softly: "Mother is not hungry, you can eat too."

Dong Bao saw that Li's attitude was firm, so he broke off a small piece and stuffed it into his mouth. The mother and daughter nestled under the quilt and ate half of the cold nest. A sincere warmth.

There was only faint light in the adobe house. Dong Bao's eyes widened, but he could barely make out the outline of the baskets hanging from the beam. In this small, dark, damp and musty adobe house, Dong Bao Bao secretly clenched her fists and swore that she would lead her mother to live a stable and prosperous life without being bullied again!

(End of this chapter)