Peasant woman

Chapter 51

The pale little girl saw her younger brother returning the cloth bag to Xu Cao, and her complexion was a little bit nicer. She bent towards Xu Cao and said apologetically, "Sister-in-law, I'm really sorry, this is me. Brother, he...he didn't do it on purpose, can you...cough cough..."

Before the girl finished speaking, she was already coughing.

Seeing her coughing, the little thief turned pale with fright, hurried past Xu Cao, supported the little girl, and said incoherently in fright: "Sister, are you okay? Sister, I was wrong, I was wrong, and I dare not do it again."

As the little thief spoke, he suddenly turned his head to look at Xu Cao, his face was red and he looked a little scary.Xu Cao was taken aback, and subconsciously took a step back while holding the burden.

The little thief looked at Xu Cao, his lips trembled a few times, but he knelt down in front of Xu Cao, and said in a hoarse voice: "This sister-in-law, it's all my fault, please forgive me , It is because my elder sister is seriously ill that I went to steal your things. I know I was wrong, and I will not dare to do it again next time. Please don’t send me to the government, and don’t blame my elder sister, okay? "

Xu Cao had never been kneeled like this before, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she hurriedly said: "What are you doing, why don't you get up quickly."

"Then sister-in-law forgave me? Won't you send me to see an official?" The little thief looked up at Xu Cao, his face calmed down a bit.

The little girl next to him was also much better, panting and leaning against the edge of the door.The little girl was looking at Xu Cao with a miserable look on her face.

Xu Cao frowned, knowing what was going on, and said to the little thief: "Get up, I won't send you to the official."

She guessed that they were two siblings, probably her sister was sick, her family was poor, and she had no money for medical treatment, so she went out to grab things.

The little thief smiled when he heard this, thanked Xu Cao, and quickly got up.Seeing that she had nothing to do, Xu Cao prepared to leave with the burden in her arms.

After walking a few steps, Xu Cao noticed that the corner of her clothes was being pulled by someone, and when she turned her head, it was the little thief, looking at her pitifully.Xu Cao was taken aback and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Sister-in-law... sister-in-law, can you... can you buy me? Please, I am very capable and I can do everything. As long as you can pay for my sister's medical treatment, it will be fine, please. .”

Xu Cao looked at the little thief, then looked up at the little girl at the door, and suddenly felt a little moved.The condition of the family has improved, and she has discussed with Fugui that she plans to open up a few more acres of wasteland. She is looking to see if there are any paddy fields nearby and buy a few acres back.In this case, the couple will definitely not work, and they must hire someone.If this little boy is raised, he should be able to support a labor force.

"Brother!" The little girl at the door was a little nervous.

Xu Cao glanced at the little girl, and asked the little boy, "Does your family care about it?"

The little boy hurriedly said: "There are no adults in my family, only me and Sister, sister-in-law, you just buy me, you will definitely not suffer." Now he and Sister can't eat enough to wear clothes, and Sister is born again. He is sick, and there are no relatives in the family. In this way, there is only one dead end. Looking at the little sister-in-law, she seems to be a good person. If he can be bought, he and sister-in-law can survive.

The little girl next to her bit her lower lip and said nothing, she didn't seem to object very much.

Xu Cao thought for a while, then nodded in agreement.But she didn't intend to buy the little boy, she just planned to hire him with money.Xu Cao didn't say anything, and first took the little girl to see the doctor.The doctor said that the little girl was infected with the wind-cold, and prescribed medicine. The doctor told Xu Cao that the little girl was very weak.

Xu Cao nodded and said yes, knowing that the little girl must have eaten poorly so her body was weak, and she would be fine as long as she ate well.On the way back, Xu Cao learned that the little girl's name was Chen Xiaoxia, and the little boy's name was Chen Xiaoguang.

On the way back, Xu Cao told Chen Xiaoguang that he would not buy him, and that he could help with the work, taking care of food and housing, one hundred yuan a month when the farm work was busy, and fifty yuan a month when he was not busy on weekdays.

Chen Xiaoguang hurriedly thanked him, and seemed to want to kneel down to Xu Cao again.Chen Xiaoxia was also very moved, and told Xu Cao that she could do all kinds of work, such as cleaning up the housework and working in the fields, and hoped that Xu Cao could keep her.

Xu Cao also kept her here, and later learned that the place where the two children live is also rented. The two children came to this town with their parents and lived in the town for many years. Their parents passed away a few years ago. So, only the two of them were left, and the already poor life was even more unbearable. The two siblings often didn't have enough to eat, and with the monthly rent added, life couldn't go on at all.

The two siblings went back to pack their things, and followed Xu Cao back to the village.Fearing that Xiaoxia was too weak to walk, Xu Cao specially found a bullock cart to take them back.

After returning to the village, Xiaoxia and Xiaoguang were curious and looked around.

"Sister-in-law, where do you live? Have we arrived yet?" Seeing that Sister A is well and they have been taken in, Xiao Guang talked a lot.They talked to Xu Cao non-stop along the way.

Xu Cao smiled and said: "It's almost there, let's go quickly and help your sister."

Soon, I went home.Xiaoguang looked at several big rooms with only envy in his eyes.Even Xiaoxia was a little startled.

After opening the courtyard door, Xiao Bai started wandering around Xu Cao excitedly.From time to time, I ran to sniff Xiaoxia and Xiaoguang.Xu Cao kicked Xiao Bai, and laughed and cursed: "Go to the side yet."

There is no one at home, so Miao Miao stays at her mother's house.Xu Cao told Xiaoxia and Xiaoguang to stay at home, and went to bring Miao Miao back.By the way, I told you about Xiaoxia and Xiaoguang.Mrs. Li became furious when she heard that, and pointed at Xu Cao and said, "You damn girl, come back and discuss with us first if you don't come back. Your family is very rich? Do you still hire people? You also take care of food and shelter, everyone Yue returned the money, do you think you are stupid?"

Xu Cao hugged Miao Miao and said with a smile: "Mother, please listen to me first, Fugui and I plan to open up a few acres of wasteland, and see if there are any paddy fields nearby, and we will also buy two acres. The farm work must be too busy, so I hired someone. And I have a plan to make some food and sell it in the town when the farm work is not busy, but I haven't decided what to eat yet. I will definitely It will be very busy, I am not at home and no one is looking after the house, it is a good deal to invite two people back." She saw that there were a lot of helpers in the town, and most of them were buying food outside, and she wanted to think about something good Eat and get cheap food out.

After hearing Xu Cao's plan, Li Shi shut up, thought for a while and asked, "Is Fugui at home?"

Xu Cao shook her head.

When Li Shi heard this, her face changed, and she said angrily: "You silly girl, you are not afraid of leaving two people who don't know their roots in your house like this!"

Xu Cao is naturally not afraid, her Xiaobai is not an idler.

Mrs. Li told Erya and Sanya to keep an eye on the door, and then hurriedly followed Xu Cao back.

When she came to Xu Cao's house, Mrs. Li saw two thin children standing in the yard, both of them looked like eleven or twelve years old, with sallow skin, standing quietly in the yard.

Xu Cao introduced the two children to Mrs. Li, Mrs. Li seemed a little angry, and pulled Xu Cao aside and whispered, "What can you do with these two skinny monkeys? Don't you want them to be kept for nothing?" , You said why are you so stupid, I'm afraid they might not be as capable as Erya and Sanya."

Xu Cao smiled and didn't say anything, Li Shi said a few more words to her, and then left resentfully, gnashing her teeth when she left.

After Mrs. Li left, Xu Cao packed up a room for the two siblings to live in, and told Xiaoxia to rest first, and let Xiaoguang go to decoct the medicine first.

Miao Miao is very curious about Xiaoxia and Xiaoguang who just moved in, because Xiaoxia is still sick, Xu Cao is afraid that she will pass it on to Miao Miao, so she doesn't allow Miaomiao to see Xiaoxia.Miao Miao had no choice but to squat in the yard and stare longingly at Xiao Guang who was decocting the medicine.

"Brother, will you be part of our family from now on?" Miao Miao asked in a childish voice, resting her chin on her hands.

Xiaoguang glanced at Miaomiao blankly, a little confused, this little milk baby is Xu Cao's child, he asked Xu Cao to call her sister-in-law, and the baby baby asked him to call him brother, is it wrong for her generation?

"Brother, why don't you talk?" Miao Miao continued to ask.

Xiao Guang wondered: "Miss Miao Miao, I'm not your brother, why don't you call me little uncle?"

Xu Cao, who was busy in the kitchen, was happy, thinking that Xiaoguang was only three or four years younger than her, and Miao Miao really couldn't be called his brother, so she shouted in the kitchen: "Miao Miao, this is Uncle Xiaoguang , you can call him little uncle from now on, and the one inside can be called aunt."

"Mom, I remember."

Not long after, Fugui also came back, and was taken aback when he saw Xiaoguang. Xu Cao hurriedly explained, and Fugui then grinned and said, "This is good, so that you won't be tired in the future. When Xiaoan gets married, we should also We have started to work on land reclamation."

Xiao Guang stood at the side and uneasily called Big Brother. He originally wanted to call Mrs. Xu Cao, Mr. Rich, but Xu Cao refused to let him call him Big Brother and Sister-in-law.

Fugui smiled at Xiaoguang, didn't say anything, just handed the pheasant in his hand to Xu Cao, and said with a smile: "Cook this pheasant, and give them both a boost."

Xu Cao responded, scalded the feathers of the pheasant with boiling water, disemboweled the pheasant, cleaned it and chopped it into pieces.The pheasant was quite fat and weighed several catties. Xu Cao took some potatoes from the cellar and stewed them together with the pheasant.There was a large pot full of stewed pheasant and potatoes, some were sent to Father Yang, and some were sent to Mrs. Li, and there was still more than half of the pot left, which was enough for them to eat at night.

Dinner is steamed corn buns.

After Xiaoxia drank the medicine, Xu Cao asked Xiaoguang to give Xiaoxia a bowl full of stewed pheasant with potatoes and two corn buns.

Xiaoxia stared at the pile of chickens, she didn't know what to think, after a long time, she looked up at Xiaoguang, and said seriously: "Xiaoguang, now we meet a good man, in the future We have to work hard and be worthy of my sister-in-law and elder brother, do you know that?"

Xiaoguang nodded, "Sister, don't worry, I know that brother and sister-in-law are good people, if sister-in-law hadn't taken us in, we might have died on the street one day, I will definitely work hard in the future. "

Xiaoxia let Xiaoguang go out.

After dinner, Xiaoguang cleaned up the kitchen.

The next day, Xu Cao took the time to give Xiao An the bracelet and gold hairpin she bought. Xiao An held the bracelet and gold hairpin, looked at Xu Cao with teary eyes, and choked up, "Sister-in-law..."

"Accept it, we are about to get married, girls need some decent dowry, and this is what your elder brother meant."

Xiao An wiped away her tears and said: "Sister-in-law, you have already given me money, I can't accept this."

Xiaoan couldn't figure out why her mother didn't like such a good sister-in-law.If my mother can treat her elder brother and sister-in-law better, I'm afraid she will be very happy in the future, right?What a pity, why can't my mother see through it.

Xu Cao smiled and said: "Take it if you tell you to take it. This is what your elder brother means. He said that you will get married in the future, and you have to take care of everything by yourself. He can't help you. Your elder brother You are the only younger sister, if you don't accept her, he will feel uneasy."

Xiao An still hesitated, Xu Cao persuaded her a few more words, and then she accepted the jewelry.

When Mrs. Chen learned that Xu Cao was here to give jewelry to her daughter, she looked pretty.

Soon it was the day when Xiao An got married, Xu Cao got up in the middle of the night to help, and worked until the morning, followed by Shen Shi to the kitchen to cook some noodles, and each of them ate some, and brought a bowl to Xiao An , Let her eat something to pad her stomach, otherwise she won't be able to carry it in a day.

Next, he hurriedly went to the man's side to pick him up, Fugui, Xiaopeng, and Datong followed to see off their relatives.The woman had to set up a banquet, Xu Cao had been helping, and Xiao Guang also came to help, but Xiaoxia was not in good health, so Xu Cao didn't let her come.

Busy until noon, Xiaoguang sent Xiaoxia some food back.

It wasn't until the evening that I was busy.

A few days after Xiao An got married, Xu Cao first sent the wine made years ago to the restaurant in the town, and then sent some to Miss Ma's family.Unexpectedly, Miss Ma's family and the restaurant both liked the wine, and finally the wine made by Xu Cao was divided between the two.

Xu Cao kept a few jars for herself, and gave away the rest. Excluding the cost of the thirty jars of wine, Xu Cao earned almost 25 taels of silver.Her grapes are priced at one tael of silver per jar.Then Li Shi also sold her wine to the Ma family and the restaurant, making a net profit of almost 20 taels of silver.Holding the 20 taels of silver, Mrs. Li couldn't believe her eyes.

(End of this chapter)