Peasant woman

Chapter 52

"Mom, let's go back earlier. I'm a little worried because Miao Miao and Xiao Guang are here at home."

Mrs. Li responded, and carefully put the 20 taels of silver into her arms. Her heart was still beating violently, and she touched the place where the silver was placed with her hand. Only then did Mrs. Li feel more at ease, and smiled at Xu Cao. Said: "Big ya, let's go back quickly, hey, wait a minute, I'll go buy some honey fruits for the children and go back to satisfy their hunger."

With a huge sum of money in his hand, Mrs. Li was generous once in a while.

Xu Cao naturally hoped that Mrs. Li would be more generous to the children, so she happily followed Mrs. Li to buy things.Mrs. Li bought some dense fruits, pulled some cloth, and said with a smile: "It's time to make clothes for the children."

After buying something, the two went back.

After a busy day delivering wine, the sun had already set when they returned to the village. As soon as Xu Cao entered the door, she saw Xiaoxia hurrying out of the kitchen. Miao Miao sat quietly in the yard and watched Xiaoxia busy. In and out.

Seeing Xu Cao, Miao Miao got up and rushed towards Xu Cao with a smile, "Mother, you are back, Miao Miao misses you."

Xu Cao handed the dense fruit in her bosom to Miao Miao, and said with a smile, "Your grandmother bought it for you, take it and eat it."

"Grandma?" Miao Miao held the dense fruit wrapped in oil paper, raised her bright eyes and looked at Xu Cao, "Mother, grandma is so kind."

Xiaoxia who was busy in the kitchen ran out when she heard the voice, and called Xu Cao's sister-in-law.Xu Cao smiled and said, "Xiaoxia, are you alright?"

Xiaoxia hurriedly said: "Sister-in-law, after drinking the medicine for the past few days, I am much better, and I also have strength in my body."

Seeing that her face was not as pale as before, but a little rosy, Xu Cao nodded.Followed into the kitchen busy preparing dinner.

The brown rice porridge cooked by Xiaoxia, Fugui and Xiaoguang were reclaiming wasteland on the top of the mountain. Xu Cao was afraid that they would not be full when they came back, so he rolled a dozen pancakes with white flour and eggs.While she was busy, she told Xiaoxia who was next to her: "Xiaoxia, Fugui and Xiaoguang have been busy opening up wasteland these days. I'm afraid they won't have enough to eat, so I don't want to cook porridge at night. Steam some steamed buns and make some rice. Don’t save the eggs, they’re all fried, the cellar also needs cured fish and bacon, you can also stir-fry vegetables, don’t save, always get some delicious food to make them full, otherwise it won’t work if the stomach is short of oil and water .”

Xiaoxia blushed as she looked at the porridge in the pot and the pickles on the table.She had never had enough to eat before, and she developed this temperament, always saving, fearing that she would run out of food in the future.

Looking at Xu Cao who was busy with work, Xiaoxia lowered her head and whispered, "Sister-in-law, I will remember."

Xu Cao looked back and saw her embarrassed look, and said with a smile: "We are all living together now, and you and Xiao Guang both call me sister-in-law, so don't be restrained, just tell me if you have anything to say."

Xiaoxia hurriedly nodded, "Sister-in-law, I understand."

Then Xu Cao turned back and continued to work on pancakes, and asked Xiaoxia to go to the cellar to get some cured fish and bacon and came back. She fried a plate of cured fish, and fried the garlic sprouts that Xiaoxia brought back from the vegetable field with the bacon. A plate.

When dinner was ready, Fu Gui and Xiao Guang came back carrying a shovel and a hoe, their clothes drenched in sweat.Seeing this, Xu Cao and Xiaoxia hurriedly brought out two buckets of hot water, "Hurry up and go back to your house to take a shower and then go out to eat. Hey, everyone is busy planting corn at this time, and it will be ready in a few days." Well, ask someone to help open up wasteland, and you don't have to be so tired."

Fu Guien said, took the wooden barrel in Xu Cao's hand, grinned and said, "By the way, ask someone to dig a well in the yard, so it's easier to drink water."

Xiaoxia was still a little restrained when eating, but Xiaoguang ate with her stomach open.

The two of them were busy outside for a day, so they were naturally very tired. After dinner, Xiaoguang went back to his room to rest, and Xiaoxia helped clean up the kitchen.

It was already dark, and there was no entertainment in the village, Fugui and Xu Cao had a rest early, Fugui held Xu Cao in his arms and whispered to each other, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Through the moonlight shining in through the wooden window, Xu Cao turned her head and looked at the resolute face of the man next to her, feeling soft in her heart.She reached out to touch Fugui's face, pursed her lips and smiled, then closed her eyes and leaned into Fugui's arms.

In the past few days, people in the village have been busy planting corn. Hearing that Fugui's family is going to hire people to open up wasteland, all the villagers who have finished their farm work have come here.

The people in the village are all strong laborers. Xu Cao and Fugui paid high wages, so naturally more people came.In less than a month, ten acres of wasteland have been opened.

Ten mu of land was enough, but the paddy field Toli was looking for hadn't been found yet, and Fugui asked someone to dig a well in the front yard right after.

Counting the days, Xiaoguang and Xiaoxia have been here for a month. Xiaoxia usually helps with cooking, takes Miao Miao, and goes to the mountain to cut some pigweed.Xiaoguang was tired this month, so Xu Cao gave him [-] Wen and Xiaoxia [-] Wen.

Xiao Guang stared blankly at the six hundred Wen in his hand, raised his head and asked stupidly: "Sister-in-law, didn't you say that you got a hundred Wen when you were very busy? Why... why did you give so much?"

Xu Cao said with a smile: "I said that I only gave you a hundred cash because I asked you to help me with the farm work. Now it's tiring to open up wasteland. The six hundred cash is the money you deserve. You should save this money well, and it will be better in the future." Let’s build a house in the village, so that you can also have a place to stay.”

When Xiaoguang heard this, he laughed foolishly.On the other hand, Xiaoxia was a little uneasy, looked at the six hundred Wen in Xiaoguang's hand and said, "Sister-in-law, it's too much, you still care about our food, drink and shelter, it's really too much."

"Where is there too much?" Xu Cao said with a smile, "Look at how tired Xiaoguang has been this month, you can keep this money, save enough money to go out and build a house in the future, and then you can help me with work, I will pay you as well."

It's not that Xu Cao never thought about buying the two of them, it's just that when there was such an example in the village, someone said later that she made a lot of money and bought a girl or something.Moreover, she didn't think about asking someone to serve her, but she just wanted to ask two people to help her. After all, she and Fugui were the only ones in the family. If there were too many fields, it would be a bit overwhelming to raise two more pigs.Now with Xiaoguang and Xiaoxia, she doesn't have to work too hard all day long.

Xiaoxia just kept quiet and asked Xiaoguang to collect the money.As soon as Xu Cao left the room, Xiaoguang handed all the six hundred Wen to Xiaoxia, and said with a smile: "Sister, you take this money, and we can build two rooms by ourselves in a while." I went out to live in the thatched house."

"That's not true." Xiaoxia also smiled, "We should thank sister-in-law more."

"Well, sister, I know, I will work hard."

Xu Cao went to see the newly dug well after leaving the room. The well water inside was very clear. Xu Cao brought up a bucket of water, which was cold and very sweet to drink.

It's already June now, Xu Cao fetched a bucket of water and called Xiao Guang out, the two took Miao Miao to the field, Xiao Xia closed the courtyard door and went to cut pigweed between the hill and the field up.

After arriving in the field, the potatoes are almost ripe, they are gathered together, and they grow very well.

The ten acres of wasteland that has just been reclaimed, Xu Cao plans to wait until August to plant all the potatoes. Now Rudou has only started to be fully planted. Only his village will plant it. It will definitely not be enough by then. She can plant more. Make some money.

There are still two months to go, and the ten mu of land needs to be well fertilized and rested for two months, and the yield will be higher by then.

"Sister-in-law, is this the potato? I heard that a plate of potato shreds in the restaurant in the town costs hundreds of yuan, which is very expensive." Xiaoguang looked at the two acres of potatoes and clicked his tongue.

Xu Cao squatted down and began to pull weeds, and said with a smile, "Things are rare and expensive. After two years, these things will only be the rations of the poor, and they will never be sold at such a high price again."

Xiaoguang helped pull the grass all afternoon, and Xu Cao gave Xiaoguang how to grow potatoes, what to pay attention to, and how to treat potato lesions or worms.

"Sister-in-law, you know a lot. No wonder your potatoes grow better than others."

Xu Cao's family raises seedlings earlier than others, and pays more attention than others on weekdays. They are very diligent in weeding and watering. The yield of her two acres of land will definitely be higher than that of other families.

The two were busy in the field, and Miao Miao sat aside obediently, neither crying nor making noise, picking two wild flowers to play when bored.After weeding in the field for a long time, Xu Cao and Xiao Guang went to the mountain to cut pigweed in the afternoon. Erya and Sanya were not at home, so Miao Miao threw it to Shen.

After Xu Cao came home at night, he went to pick up Miao Miao. The third brother Yang Xiaotong saw Xu Cao, hesitant to speak.

Xu Cao thanked Mrs. Shen and said hello to the Yang family before she was ready to go back, but was stopped by Xiaotong, "Sister-in-law, is brother back yet?"

"Ah, third brother, your elder brother is probably coming back soon, did you have something to do with him?"

Yang Xiaotong seemed a little embarrassed. He glanced at the house on the east side, then looked at Xu Cao, gritted his teeth and said, "Sister-in-law, I have something to ask my brother, why don't I go back with you and wait for my brother now."

Xu Cao held Miao Miao and smiled and said, "That's good, he's probably coming back soon."

Just as she was talking, her mother-in-law, Mrs. Chen, suddenly rushed out of the room, pointed at Yang Xiaotong and scolded: "You damn child, don't you want a mother if you have a daughter-in-law? If you dare to borrow money from your elder brother today , I must break your legs!"

Yang Xiaotong didn't expect Mrs. Chen to come out, blushed and said angrily, "Mother!"

"Do you still know that I am your mother?" Chen was anxious, thinking that her favorite youngest son was about to be instigated by his daughter-in-law to move out, her heart ached, "Son, mother feels uncomfortable Ah, you said that you are moving out just because of a woman, so you don't want a mother, how can you be sorry for your mother?" Chen stared at Niu's room several times while playing the emotional card.

It was not easy for Xu Cao to interrupt, so she had to stand aside holding Miao Miao.

Yang Xiaotong was very embarrassed, "Mother, mother, I don't want to, but... But why do you treat Osmanthus fragrans like this? Osmanthus fragrans is still a baby, no matter what, you can't let her fall off the kang and ignore her. "

Xu Cao understood, no wonder Xiaotong planned to borrow money from Fugui.I'm afraid that this Chen family has done something superb again.

As soon as Xiao Tong said this, Niu in the room began to cry, very miserable.

When Mrs. Chen heard him talking about this, she stammered: "Son...Son, mother didn't do it on purpose. Mother didn't hear the cry of osmanthus, otherwise she would definitely go and have a look."

Mrs. Chen was just trying to defend herself. Little Osmanthus in the room burst into tears for some reason. Little Tong panicked and ran in. After a while, she hurried out again, ignoring the crying Mrs. Chen She said to Xu Cao who was standing next to her, "Sister-in-law, let's go now."

Xu Cao nodded, and the two walked out one after the other.

Xu Cao led Miao Miao to the front, and she couldn't ask any questions if Xiao Tong didn't speak.

After a while, Yang Xiaotong from behind sighed, and said: "Sister-in-law, to tell you the truth, I am looking for elder brother to ask you to borrow some money to build a house and go out. No matter what, it won’t make life difficult, who knows that mother is like this.” He paused, and then continued: “Yesterday, our family was not at home, and Meier and I went to town for business, only mother Watching Brother Jun and Osmanthus at home, Osmanthus is still young, and likes to sleep on weekdays, as long as mother goes in to see her every once in a while. Who knows that mother hasn't come into our house all day, when we go back, little osmanthus Weeping in the room almost died, when Mei Er and I entered the room, we saw Little Osmanthus lying on the ground, bleeding from his forehead, his face was ashen, if... If Mei Er and I go back later, Osmanthus... Osmanthus fragrans is afraid..."

Yang Xiaotong couldn't help it when he said this, he lowered his head and wiped his eyes, "Although I know that mother doesn't like girl dolls, but she is her granddaughter anyway, how can she be so cruel."

Xu Cao sighed, turned her head and comforted her, "Don't be angry anymore, third brother, it will be fine if you move out in the future, is the sweet-scented osmanthus okay now?"

She didn't know about it yet, otherwise she would have gone to visit Xiao Guihua a long time ago.However, thinking about it, how could they be willing to speak out about such a thing, otherwise the people in the village would have drowned Mrs. Chen with saliva.

Yang Xiaotong said: "Yesterday, I immediately went to the town with the sweet-scented osmanthus in my arms. Fortunately, I'm fine."

Xu Cao asked: "Didn't dad know about this?" With the way Mr. Yang is, it is impossible for such a thing to happen and the family will not be separated.

"Father found out about this after he came back last night, and said he was going to separate the family. As a result, mother was so troubled that she wanted to hang herself. Father went to the town in a fit of anger, and he hasn't come back yet."

Thinking of the mess at home, Yang Xiaotong felt a headache and couldn't figure out why his mother was like this.

Xu Cao sighed and stopped talking.

The two returned home, only Xiaoxia and Xiaoguang were there, Xiaoxia was busy cooking in the kitchen, came out to say hello to Xiaotong, and continued into the kitchen, Xiaoguang was carrying water into the kitchen.Not long after Fugui came back, the two entered the house, Xu Cao didn't ask anything, but went to help in the kitchen.

Soon, Fugui and Xiaotong came out of the room, Fugui went into the kitchen and explained that Xiaotong also had dinner here at night.Xu Cao hurriedly asked Xiaoguang to make two pieces of tofu and a few ounces of wine, then went to the backyard to pick some vegetables and came back, and added two more vegetables.Then stew the tofu with cabbage, cut a few pieces of bacon and stew it together, it is very fragrant.

Stewed cabbage with tofu and bacon is served in a small pot and eaten on the stove. The more the tofu is stewed, the more fragrant it will be.

The family sat together for dinner, and Xiao Tong's mood improved a lot.While eating, Niu came here with a small sweet-scented osmanthus in his arms.Seeing Xu Cao and the others eating and letting them go, Niu was a little embarrassed, and stood at the door and called big brother and sister-in-law.

"Have the third siblings eaten? If not, come and have some together." Xu Cao smiled.

Although there was a conflict with Niu Shi, since Niu Shi gave birth to Xiao Osmanthus, she has changed a lot, and Xu Cao is embarrassed to think about the awkward things in the past.

Niu Shi hugged the little sweet-scented osmanthus, swallowed her saliva, and said with a smile: "No need..."

Little Osmanthus fragrans had a white cloth wrapped around her forehead, and she seemed to be huddled listlessly in Niu's arms.He raised his head and took a look when he smelled the aroma of the food, and then regained his energy. He pushed back and forth in Niu's arms vigorously, humming and chirping.

"Come and eat." Fugui also spoke.

Xu Cao moved a small bench over, and Niu said thank you in a low voice, then sat down with Xiao Osmanthus in her arms.

Xu Cao stuffed Xiao Osmanthus with steamed soft white flour steamed buns, and handed Niu a pair of chopsticks, "Third brothers and sisters, eat quickly, Xiao Osmanthus is seven or eight months old now, this steamed bun is soft, she eats it Go ahead."

Niu smiled and said, "It's been eight and a half months, and I can say a few words."

"Give her some tofu, it's soft, she must like it."

"That's right, I'm usually dishonest when it's time to eat at home, and I have to eat some to be obedient." Speaking of his daughter, Niu's face was full of tenderness.

Seeing Niu like this, Xu Cao felt a little better.

After dinner, Fu Gui asked Xu Cao for five taels of silver and gave it to Yang Xiaotong.

(End of this chapter)