Notes on Leisurely Living in the Farm

Chapter 74

Mu Ran did what he said, took off the black gauze cicada wing hat, took off the drapey blue silk and satin official uniform, put on an ordinary robe, and tied his hair again.

"Mu Yu, come in and change your clothes."

The door opened with a creak, and Mu Yu ran in from the outside. The blue coarse cloth was buttoned up neatly, and his hair was stained with water.Mu Ran carried him to the bronze mirror, picked up the comb and combed him bit by bit.

"Brother, are we going to the Changsheng family?"

Mu Ran nodded: "You have to pay more attention later, don't be too casual."

Changsheng nodded hurriedly, with a dreamy sweet smile on his face all the time.The better he behaves, the better chance Erya will be his sister-in-law.With such a sister-in-law, he doesn't have to be disliked by his brothers and sister-in-law at a young age like his companions in Yunling Village.

"Actually, bro, I heard from Chang Sheng a few days ago that their family wanted to build a cellar to store vegetables and meat in winter, but it didn't work out for some reason."

"The cellar, we have it in our courtyard."

"Anyway, we don't need much. Brother, why don't you tell Sister Erya and lend it to Shen's family. Then every time Sister Erya comes to pick up food, I can see her."

Mu Ran put down the grate and took a red string to tie up his hair.

"Count your cleverness."

Mu Yu sticks out his tongue triumphantly. He just likes the beautiful Erya sister. He will definitely be very happy to see her every day.

Here, Mrs. Li directly rejected Chang Sheng's request to go out and have fun.

"There is no one on the street so early, and Mu Yu will come later, let's go out together after dinner."

Hearing Mu Yu, Chang Sheng's eyes widened: "Will Mu Yu come?"

"It will be there in a while. During the day, my mother asked someone to cut the beef. Tonight, we will eat it in the pot."

Yiyou was surprised: "Mother, is the pot ready?"

Li Shibai glanced at her: "You girl, I don't know what you're thinking about all day, the pot is done as you said, and it's hanging in the kitchen now, didn't you see it just now?"

"From home to now, I have never been in the kitchen at all. How could I see that my mother would arrange me."

"Okay, it's such a big event, and Mu Ran will come over later, you should think about what to say first."

Yiyou looked at the sky outside, and before the sun set, the moon had already risen as a phantom.And her mood is also like the sky, one side is sunny and the other side is dark.

"Let's go as usual, don't be overly friendly, and don't need to be unfamiliar with this matter."

Mrs. Li also wanted to come over, but her daughter said that Mu Ran had a favorite girl's house.This is the same as usual, if it doesn't work out, it won't be too embarrassing, and it won't be too late to get closer when it comes true.At the same time, it also saves unnecessary psychological pressure on Brother Ran.

"That's fine. You can tell me what you think."

Yi You's heart was in a mess, and when Li Shi asked her this, her face became hot.Fortunately, she doesn't like red faces, so she didn't get noticed.

"I've already reached the age of Ji, marrying someone is not marrying."

Knowing daughter Mo Ruomu, Li Shi was thoughtful: "If you want to get married, don't worry, go into the house and change clothes, how can you eat in this?"

As soon as Yiyou entered the bedroom, there was a knock on the door.Bi Tao ran out, looked outside through the crack of the door, and hurriedly pulled the latch.

"Mu Guanye, Mu Yu please come in quickly"

After finishing speaking, she shouted at the top of her voice, "Madam, Official Mu and Mu Yu are here."

When Mu Ran led Mu Yu across the threshold, Li Shi had already come out, and when she saw the two of them, she quickly raised a smile: "I was thinking of asking Bitao to call you to come and eat."

Seeing that she was not sullen, Mu Ran calmed down, "I offended you so much at noon today, Aunt Shen must not take it to heart."

Mrs. Li hesitated, he was so polite, was he planning to withdraw from the marriage or was it out of politeness?Looking at his new clothes, she was more inclined to the latter.If you don't want to count, and just put on the official uniform and put on the official authority, wouldn't it be beneficial to everything?
"I'm just going to discuss this matter with you, let's talk slowly while we eat."

Mu Ran took the opportunity to tell about the cellar, but Li didn't agree immediately, but the smile on his face was even stronger: "Mother Liu, cut up all the beef, let's have a good meal tonight."

In the time it took to say this, Yiyou also came out after changing her clothes.At the end of the day, the original complicated Lingyun bun was a bit messy, so she casually made a double snail.The waist-length black hair is divided into two strands, coiled above the ears, fastened by two blue ribbons, and flowed down smoothly along the earlobes.

Mrs. Li had already prepared clothes for her that were long-haired. Compared with the color of the ribbon, she chose a long skirt with water-blue shearling and trimming. After putting it on, the yellow halo of the figure in the bronze mirror faded away. There is a touch of charm between a girl and a little woman.

"Mother, Brother Mu, you are here too. Changsheng, come out quickly, Mu Yu is here to find you."

A group of people ran out of the hut on the left side of the main room, Chang Sheng took Mu Yu's hand, and the two of them walked all the way to his east room, chattering.

"Erya is going to make a pot of tea, we should also talk about it."

"kindness."

Mu Yu's heart hung up again, shouldn't ordinary daughters be shy and timid at this time?Yiyou is so generous, could it be that she has no meaning at all?Looking at her more and more beautiful face, he felt as if fifteen buckets were filled in his heart, and he was flustered.

It would be fine if he had never had hope, but now that he saw some signs of it, he never wanted to let it go.

"Don't be too busy, I'll be fine with plain water."

Yiyou had already heard Mrs. Li tell Mother Liu that she was depressed when she was in the room.Beef is different from pork. Dai Yue is a martial artist, horses are used for military purposes, and cattle and donkeys are responsible for farming.Therefore, the imperial court has a strict order that civilians are not allowed to slaughter cows and donkeys except for festivals.

Even on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival reunion, there are regulations on the number of cows allowed to be slaughtered in a county.Under such strict regulations, beef has naturally become a sky-high price, and there is still no market for it.

It is enough for her to treat her with a whole piece of beef, there is no need to be a daughter and run around, demeaning herself.

"The kitchen will be ready soon. When it's not so hot, we'll have dinner under the sweet-scented osmanthus tree."

Mrs. Li gave her a sideways glance: "Forget it, you brewed some sweet-scented osmanthus wine, which will come in handy."

Seeing the threat in Li Shi's eyes, Yiyou didn't dare to refute after all.Opening the warehouse, she resignedly opened the rice vat to drink wine.The pink sweet-scented osmanthus flower petals float on the rice and flow with the stirring of the spoon.

Thinking of Mu Ran's spiritual appearance, if he has a sweetheart, he should be frowning when he wakes up at this moment.But he was not only full of energy, but also freshened up. Obviously, he was in a good mood. Maybe she was thinking too much?

Squinting her eyes, she opened another vat, and the smell of alcohol came to her face.Throw away the previous sweet-scented osmanthus wine, and she puts all of this.

"Erya, tell them both to eat."

"Oh, I see."

With a rising tone, she walked to the two small doors holding the wine jar, and just heard Chang Sheng's words: "You are right, if my sister marries Brother Mu, then I can still see her every day."

Immediately, her face turned dark. She knew that Mu Yu was a human being, but she didn't expect him to be so smart that he would persuade Chang Sheng, who was clinging to her, in such a short while.

"I went out to eat, I didn't hear mother calling you."

The door opened, Mu Yu's expression was embarrassing, and when he crossed the threshold, he raised his lips and smiled at her.

Bai Baozi's face was red with red lips and white teeth, and his cuteness broke Yiyou's heart.Thinking of Mu Ran's majestic appearance after she had carefully dressed up just now, the only resistance left in her heart was defeated.

"Changsheng, let's sit next to each other."

Li Shi sat in the main seat, Mu Ran was next to her as the guest of honor, Chang Sheng and Mu Yu stood on the other side, and the only remaining seat was between the two brothers.

Seeing that Changsheng, who usually clings to her, is not moving at all, she has a headache.She underestimated Mu Yu, he not only persuaded Chang Sheng, but also made him turn against him, how can this be described as a human being?
"Erya, sit down. Bi Tao, serve three more bowls."

After Bi Tao finished serving, Yiyou casually ordered: "This Mid-Autumn Festival, whatever you want to eat, you can cook it yourself, no matter how much money you spend. Make it and eat it early, and have a good night's rest."

Bi Tao had long admired her as a young lady, and now she dared not refuse.

"Yes."

There were only five people left at the stone table, and there was a big pot squatting in the middle, with six dishes and one soup outside, the eight dishes meant to be auspicious.Yiyou looked at the ball of wax under the pot for a while, her flesh ached. Rich people usually use silver charcoal for their pots, but they can't buy silver charcoal.The charcoal was too smoky to serve, so I had to use this candle instead.

The wax is expensive, so she found another way, boil the meat until it is half-ripe, take it out, and use it when it is hot in the pot.

"Brother Ran, thanks to you standing up to save the siege today, Aunt Shen will respect you for the first glass of wine."

Yiyou also picked up the wine cup, and took a sip against her lips, a spicy smell came from her.After the spicy, it is mixed with sweet-scented osmanthus, and the aftertaste is endless.This mellow taste is all the more precious because of the spiciness.

"Is it good?" Chang Sheng asked curiously. Mu Ran drank a full glass, then dipped his chopsticks into the bottom of the bowl, and tapped his two little tongues.

The two immediately coughed, and Yiyou grabbed the plump hair: "Children of your age, you can't drink casually. If you drink too much, you may burn your stomach."

Changsheng hurriedly covered his stomach, and swore to the sky: "I will never drink until I grow up."

"En." Yiyou nodded: "Brother Mu, thank you very much, and I also offer you a toast."

Mu Ran's words were stuck in his throat, looking at the blush on her cheeks, he grabbed the luck bead around her neck: "You don't need to say thank you, I'm not going to hide it from you, this is my wish."

As soon as these words came out, the whole courtyard was silent.Yiyou couldn't believe it, was what he said true?Just when she was about to let go, her eyes saw the goose yellow handkerchief hidden in his arms again.Suspicion gradually returned, and she took a full drink.

"Don't say this in front of them, Brother Mu, no matter what, I'll toast you again."

After finishing speaking, she picked up the wine cup and winked at Mrs. Li, the tacit understanding between mother and daughter is usually invisible to others.

The sky was gradually getting dark, and the jar of wine was drained due to various trivial matters.

Mu Ran's tongue began to curl a bit: "Aunt Shen, there is really no need to do this, this matter is really voluntary."

After finishing speaking, he buried his head on the stone table and fell into a coma.

"Changsheng, Mu Yu, it's so lively outside, you take Mama Liu and Bitao, and go out to be lively."

Mu Yu hesitated a little, how could Changsheng think of anything else, so he pulled him and called someone to run outside.Soon there were only three people left in the courtyard. Mrs. Li took the pot and walked into the room silently.

Yiyou stretched out her hand lightly, and poked Mu Ran's hair. The latter grunted uncomfortably, turned his head and snored softly.

"Are you really drunk? So completely drunk?"

Yiyou smiled wryly, and took out the handkerchief from his arms bitterly, the jasmine fragrance was still strong.Putting it back into his hand, she applied a little peppermint ointment on her middle finger and dangled it around his nose.

"Brother Mu, wake up."

Mu Ran opened his sleepy eyes, only feeling that there are two Yiyous dangling in the world.

"Ah..."

The long-lost address was called out from his mouth, and Yiyou's heart rippled slightly: "Are you drunk?"

"I... I'm not drunk."

Drunk people usually like to say that they are not drunk, Yiyou feels confident.

She is not a patient person, and the guessing for more than ten days has already exhausted her.Now that God has given us a good opportunity, it is better to ask clearly once.

"Just now you said that the engagement is also your wish. Is this true or false?"

"Engagement? Hehe, Yiyou, you are really... pretty, Mu Yu likes you, and I... also like you."

The naive tone made Yiyou's heart ache.

"Idiot, you like me, why you hide when you look at me, you must be lying."

"I didn't lie to you, I never lied to you...Really." After that, he looked like he swore to the sky, but unfortunately the alcohol was too strong, and his arms were raised in the air and then dropped.

However, Yiyou saw the eye-catching goose-yellow handkerchief in his palm, and immediately, out of anger, she snatched it from his hand and dangled it in front of his eyes.

"You like me, so what is this?"

Mu Ran grabbed it, put it on his mouth and smelled it: "This is a hand, a soft hand, just like Erya's. Well, Erya, don't shake it, I'm dizzy."

Yiyou pulled it out of his hand: "Whose handkerchief is this?"

"What handkerchief?"

Yiyou was a little embarrassed to ask further, anyway, she liked him a little bit, now that she knew that he liked her, don't get to the bottom of these details.

But she was still awkward, she had never been able to hide things.

Shaking the handkerchief again, she said word by word: "This is the yellow handkerchief, do you see it clearly, you wear it close to your body every day!"

Mu Ran grabbed it and hid it in his bosom with a silly smile: "I secretly hid Erya's handkerchief, and never dared to tell her. Unfortunately, she forgot about it."

"what?"

As if struck by lightning, Yiyou hangs powerlessly on the stone table, knocking over a wine cup.

How could the handkerchief be hers?
She has used it many times, how could she not have any impression?

"mother."

When Mrs. Li ran out of the room upon hearing the words, she saw her daughter anxiously asking, "Mother, did you make such a handkerchief for me?"

After finishing speaking, she pulled out the veil from Mu Ran's arms and put it directly in Li's arms: "Why did he say that this square veil would be mine? I clearly have no impression."

Mrs. Li pulled it over, knocked on the moonlight, and then knocked off her head.

"Silly, this is yours!"

"Impossible. Ever since I overthrew the old lady with Aunt Liu's handkerchief, I have been very careful about keeping my personal belongings."

"Hey, when you fell into the water, not only did your temperament change, but you also couldn't remember many things before. Could it be that you forgot that this is the handkerchief you took to the pond to wash before, or that your mother embroidered it for you during the Chinese New Year?" of."

With Li's narration, the distant memory of the previous life came back again.It was at the beginning of this year that Mrs. Li saved a little extra money, and made her a new dress from quick cloth, and embroidered this square handkerchief with the remaining cloth.At that time, Mrs. Cheng gave her a silk handkerchief from the embroidery workshop, and she threw the cloth aside.

Looking at it now, the unique hemming of this dense formation was not made by Mrs. Li.She had clearly seen it before, but she never forgot about it.

"Isn't there still a padded jacket, where did the clothes go?"

"You burned for three days and three nights without waking up. Wang Daopo was brought to the ancestral house. Daopo read the scriptures for a long time and said that you were possessed by a water ghost. She cast a spell and burned the cotton-padded jacket. Water ghost."

Yiyou finally understood the ins and outs of the matter, smelling the strong fragrance of jasmine on the handkerchief, she was still puzzled: "Then where did the fragrance come from?"

"Mother doesn't know, you ask him!"

Turning his head to look at Mu Ran, he had already fallen asleep on his back.

"Forget it, don't bother him. Isn't the side of Changsheng's room still empty, let him sleep there first?"

Li Shi was a little hesitant, but thinking about the room between himself and his daughter, it would not be appropriate to keep such a big man.

"Okay, Er Ya will help you."

The two lifted his shoulders one from the left and the other from the right, Yiyou staggered.This person usually looked burly, but unexpectedly he was real.In her previous life, she also helped Chen Deren, and she didn't feel such a heavy weight at all.

"Right here, mother will cook him a bowl of hangover soup."

"Don't worry, I watched him drink a lot, and he won't be able to wake up in a while. The hangover soup is already smelly, and it's impossible to drink it when it's cold."

Mrs. Li always felt a little weird, but she complied when it sounded reasonable.

After the two of them closed the door and went out, Mu Ran, who was originally "drunk and sleepy", sat up straight, picked up his boots and smelled them, there was no smell at all.Compared with the bronze mirror, his hair is still neat, and he didn't leave a bad impression on his future mother-in-law.

The greasy touch in his hand was still there, and he was thinking about the few questions he had just asked a little bit coquettishly.

If he can't see that Yiyou is interested in him, then he will be really stupid.In fact, when the two of them worked together to persuade him to drink, he felt strange, so he pretended to be drunk.

Hold the veil in the palm of your hand, thinking about the box of jasmine fragrance that has never been given away at home.I still have to find a time to make it clear, but I can't let him see that I'm pretending to be drunk on purpose.

Lying down again, the wine was on his head, and the scent of sweet-scented osmanthus between his lips and teeth reminded him of his daughter's beautiful face.

After looking forward to it for several years, he can finally sleep peacefully tonight.

Mu Ran lay down, but Li Shi entered Yiyou's room.

"Since brother Ran has already said it, mother will go to discuss with him to find an official media these few days. The child has no parents, so we should be more scrupulous."

Yiyou was also a little shy at the moment: "Well, but let's not underestimate the price too much. Although Mu Ran is very good, the whole family of the Mu family is not a cheap lamp."

Mrs. Li sneered: "Those people with long hair and short knowledge, it's too late for them to regret it now."

"Mom, what's the point here."

"Most people in this world push the lows and push the highs. Although Mu Ran's father is impulsive, he has a good brain, and he has saved a lot of wealth in those years. He has no choice but to leave tea. He left a few years ago. Brother Ran has not reached the crown yet, so the funeral is left to the clan to handle.

Even so, the coffin sacrificial utensils and the tombs repaired by craftsmen are not allowed to use silver.The sister-in-law of the Mu family was already very sad and seriously ill. When she heard that a coffin was going to be tattooed with 50 taels of silver, she didn't come up in one breath.

The dead are the most important, and funerals must be done.Looking at the two orphans, the Mu family is even more unscrupulous.The 100 mu of dry land that his family tended very well was sold to the family at the price of [-] taels and [-] mu. The price of [-] taels was [-] taels. After the two games, there was no money left, and some money was owed to the family.Mu Ran was furious, and when the two elders were buried in peace, his eyes turned red, and the incident was known to all neighbors. "

Yiyou has heard about this incident to some extent, when Cheng raised his orchid finger, gloated at the Mu family's excitement, and at the same time scolded Mu Ran for his injustice.

"It's hard to be a patriarch. The people in the clan are kind enough to help, but they are pointed at their noses and scolded."

That's what she said at the time, but now that she thinks about it, she feels chills all over her body.Over the years, Da Yue has gradually calmed down, and the number of strong men has increased, and the fields have become more expensive every year.The dry land of the Mu family is cheap at ten taels of silver per mu.

"The coffin is really so expensive?"

Mrs. Li curled her lips and stretched out five fingers: "It's not bad to have this number. Yunquan Mountain is full of big pine trees that are hundreds of years old. Cutting down a tree can last a year for the coffin shop, and a few taels of money is just a little labor. .”

Calculating here and there, Mu Ran was defrauded of hundreds of taels of silver.Thinking of the shabby clothes he and Mu Yu wore when they first met, her heart ached.

She thought that the Shen family was the ultimate, but she never thought that all the crows in the world were as black.Without his parents and guardians, his life must be even more difficult.

"Mother, if he comes to ask for marriage, then let's not ask for too many gifts."

Mrs. Li looked at her in surprise: "I said it was a bit strange just now, Shen Fuxiang doesn't like to drink, why are you so clear about men?"

Of course, she has experienced it all, but Yiyou dare not mention those silly things with Chen Deren.

"He doesn't like to drink, and he never gets drunk, but Shen Fuhai likes to have a cup before and after meals."

"It's no wonder that girls are extroverted. Before I said anything, you have already started to care about him so much."

Yiyou curled her lips: "Why are our mothers so polite, don't mothers also hope so? Could it be that you are still pointing at my little things to subsidize longevity and marry a wife?"

"Little heartless, which of your sisters and brothers is the most rare, you still don't know? The mother is not one of those goddamn people. When she was born as a baby girl, she was thrown into the basin and drowned; or she gave birth to a baby. The family is a treasure, and if you sell all the girls, you have to provide him with delicious food and spicy food."

Noticing Li Shi's threatening hands on her waist, Yiyou hurriedly threw herself into her arms like a suckling swallow: "Mom, you're the best, you have a good rest, I'll make hangover soup."

Hangover soup is not difficult to cook, but Ke Yiyou has put his mind to it.

She knew that there was a secret recipe. Although it was a bit more troublesome, the soup was not as fishy as usual.

After cleaning up the stove, she flapped her fan and cooked it in the casserole bit by bit.After three times, a cup of soup is finally out of the pot.An hour later, the door creaked open, and Chang Sheng and Mu Yu ran in with a paper windmill.

"Your brother is drunk, Mu Yu is sleeping here tonight."

Mu Yu responded, Yiyou turned around and pushed open another door in the east chamber.Mu Ran was a light sleeper. Hearing her footsteps, he rubbed his temples and opened his eyes.

"Yiyou?"

"Brother Mu, drink some hangover soup."

I was worried that he would remember the drunkenness, but now that he looked normal, she felt relieved.After lighting the oil lamp, she put the bowl on the low table beside the Kang, while she sat on the other side.

A gust of wind blew, and the shadows of many lamps hit her face, making her pupils darker and brighter.

Waiting to see the beauty, it has a special charm.Mu Ran's heart was sweet, and his hands couldn't help trembling when carrying the bowl, Yiyou hurriedly took it.

"Brother Mu, is he still drunk?"

Rubbing his forehead, he was just about to shake his head, but he saw that the white porcelain spoon was connected with the slender hand, and there was nothing beautiful about it.

If he couldn't drink by himself, would she feed him with a spoon in her little hands?

(End of this chapter)