happy old days

Chapter 6

The father and two were talking in the room over there, and the brothers here were not so peaceful.

"Hey, tell me, your eldest brother hasn't found any position in Beijing in the past few years?" Tian Shi, the second daughter-in-law, pushed the second child next to him.

"No." The second child said in a daze.

"You wake up."

"What are you doing? It's been a tiring day." The second child frowned impatiently.

"I'm talking to you, look at your elder brother, what's in the two boxes you brought back?" The woman's eyes gleamed in the darkness.

"What do you care about so much? It's not for you."

"Oh, what do you say, we don't have a separate family, so why don't we have ours?"

"That's all right, all right, no matter what, it's all bought by the elder brother with his life, he earned it himself, even if the family is separated, we don't have any share, besides, do you dare to ask for it? Cut—" the second child said a little Said mockingly.

When the second daughter-in-law heard it, she thought of her uncle's black eyes that looked like bottomless pits, and she felt cold all over, and gave the second child a bitter look, "You were so frightened that your calves twisted, and you still blamed me."

The second child didn't refute after hearing it. There was no way he was already thirteen when his brother left. Since he was a child, his brother has been taking care of him. His father is not in good health, his mother is soft, and the family is full of kids. They are very skinny, and the children grew up under the fist of the elder brother.Originally, the elder brother had been away for six years, and the fear in his heart had faded away, but now seeing his elder brother look like this, his legs became weak, let alone him, even his two younger brothers were not afraid. Yes, who doesn't say that Yang Laosan's sick son gave birth to a few strong sons, that's it, the three brothers see the eldest brother as honestly as a mouse seeing a cat.

The talk in the third courtyard is about the same.

Jinniang was worried for two days, but no one in the family mentioned it anymore, so she let it go and laughed at herself suspiciously, but on the third day, Manniang came back with a big belly.

"Sister, why are you back?" Manniang was eight months pregnant.

"It's okay, your brother-in-law found a car to bring it back to me."

When Jinniang turned her head, she happened to watch her brother-in-law fix the car and walk into the yard.

"Manniang, why are you back?" Mrs. Wang wiped her hands. The family had cut some celery. She was pickling celery leaves when she heard the voices of the two daughters.

Seeing Mrs. Wang, Manniang said, "Didn't you hear that the boss of the Yang family is back? I came because I was thinking about it."

Wang glanced at Zhang Xi, then at her daughter, "What nonsense, is this your business?"

Manniang smiled, "It's okay, mother, he already knew, you don't remember, when Jinniang was just born, the youngest son of the Yang family came over, followed by a little one, it wasn't him. I just found out, our family Zhang Xi and the eldest son of the Yang family have known each other since they were young. It was only after he became a soldier that we lost contact. Otherwise, how would I know he is back."

Wang Shi was also stunned when she heard that, and looked at Zhang Xi, "What else is going on?"

Zhang Xi smiled, "That's right, mother, you don't remember that I came to my house when I was young." He didn't say in his heart that if he didn't come to his house, he wouldn't be able to remember Man Niang. It's a marriage.Although it was either seven or eight years old at that time, the memory is still there.

Wang Shi felt relieved, since she knew each other before, she probably really didn't care.

Look at Manniang's stomach, drag her to the house, enter the main room, and say to Jinniang, "Jinniang, go back to the house, don't you still have a purse to finish? Well, send them together tomorrow."

Jinniang knew that it was Wang who dismissed her, so she was no longer here, anyway, it was the same place for her.

"Then you should go back too. I can't do without you in the shop. I'm sleeping at home today, and I'll go to the fair with my brother tomorrow."

Zhang Xi nodded, "I have kept that car, it will be convenient for you to use tomorrow."

"Why are you in a hurry, let's go after dinner. It's not a fair today." Mrs. Wang hurriedly said goodbye.

"Okay, mother, let him go. Although it's not a market, there are a lot of people shopping. There are only a few shops on both sides of Kaoshan Street. If anyone needs anything, don't go to our store. " Manniang didn't even get up, she pulled Wang and said that there are quite a lot of people shopping in their small grocery store now, if it wasn't for sending him off, Zhang Xi would definitely guard the store.

Mrs. Wang laughed after hearing this, "It looks like you're making money?"

Manniang smiled, "It's better than farming."

Hearing what she said, Mrs. Wang will not stay.

Jinniang went back to her room, holding a purse in her hand, listening to the movement over there, hearing a few words from her sister and brother-in-law, she was also happy for them, it seemed that the relationship between the two was really good .It would be nice for her to be like her sister and brother-in-law when she gets married in the future.

Manniang and Mrs. Wang entered the house, sat down and said hurriedly, "Mother, when my guy came back yesterday, he told me that Yang Zhenhai was back. Did he come home?"

Mrs. Wang shook her head, "No, he just came back, so he can't go to his mother's grave to burn a few incense sticks. The elders of their clan also have to visit. I guess they won't be able to come this month." Hey——sighed "But with the relationship between our two families, we have to come anyway."

Manniang nodded, "No, I don't know how I got here these past few years, why didn't I send a letter home." After a moment of hesitation, Manniang said, "Mother, do you think he will propose to marry Jinniang?"

Jinniang's heart also raised over there.

"I'm also worried about this matter. The marriage was decided when the old man was around. At that time, the boy from the Yang family had just been born, and the old man said, marry our old girl from the Chen family to this boy. You were not born at that time, so there was no Exchanging a geng post, you were born later, you two are about the same age, just because Yang Zhenhai’s grandparents disappeared one after another, this marriage has never been settled, but the marriage contract can’t be changed anyway. It’s really hard to say now. If he It would be better if I didn’t join the army.”

"Mother, they don't really want our girl, do they?"

"Back then you were seventeen, and seeing that your age was over, your father went over to ask, thinking that if the eldest would not come, giving you to the second child of their family would be considered as your grandpa's wish. How can you imagine, The second child of their family likes a girl from the neighboring village, but he didn't agree. Your Uncle Yang let it go, and the two of you haven't really made up your mind. They can't delay you either. Your father originally intended to give Jinniang to their fourth child. He is only fifteen this year, and he was admitted as a scholar last year, which is quite good. Before I could tell, I found out that he was appointed to go out at the age of 40, and the appointment was the daughter of Mr. Private School. Tell me about it.”

"If the Yang family really came to mention it, I think your father's temper will be able to accept it. But there is too much age difference between the two of them." Thinking about it, Wang's head turned gray.

Manniang also got angry when she heard this, "Well, we actually don't know what Yang Zhenhai has become in the past few years. If he is really a caring person, he will live a good life. It may not be bad for Jinniang to marry him."

Mrs. Wang glared at her, "What do you say, your sister is not good at all. I can't find anything, I have to find someone who is eight years older. And you didn't see him. Listen to your brother, He has scars all over his face, and he is cold, and he smiles like a ghost. He is five feet six inches tall (about 186). He is tall and big, and he has been on the battlefield. He has a murderous look on his body. .Isn’t this pushing your sister into the fire pit?”

When Manniang heard this, she quickly apologized, "Mother, I'm jealous, didn't you and father still want to marry me to him? Although he has been gone for six years, how was he when he was a child, don't you know? I haven't met him a few times, but I always hear my brother talk about other things. Don't you and my father always say that he is a person who values ​​love and righteousness. You forgot and always told me that he is so good. Jinniang I am so much younger, almost brought up by me, I love her no less than you. How could I hurt her. "

Wang's complexion is better now, "Then you can't say that Jinniang will marry him."

Manniang sighed, "I know your mother's concerns, and I'm not persuading her to marry Jinniang to him. It's just that I always think that Jinniang's marriage should be settled earlier. Since Jinniang's illness Well, her temperament has changed. Although she doesn't say how cheerful she is, she is generous and gentle. She is getting better and better, almost every day. Now she hasn't grown up yet. Wait a few years, then I'm afraid the color can't cover it up. For a farmer like us, it's a disaster rather than a blessing." He frowned as he said.

"There is a girl in the village of my in-law's family. She is very good-looking, and she is also good at embroidery. She is only at home on weekdays, and she is not to be provoked or provoked. A wealthy family here was begged to be a concubine, and she never returned home. Her mother went to see her last month. She was a good girl, but only a handful of bones were left after torture. The man in his family also hated her, so he threw her in In a dilapidated house, no one cares about it. It’s not even as good as a servant.”

"My lady Jin, you also know that you can't just see everyone before you get married. If nothing else, the people in our village must have been thinking about it for a long time. If it wasn't for her young age, maybe all the relatives would come to the door .”

Mrs. Wang also remembered it when she heard it. Two days ago, her third aunt vaguely mentioned it once. It seemed that her mother and nephew were rumored to be a scholar. Although she didn't say it directly, she always said that the child was so good. of.Now that I think about it, I don't mean to say kiss.Her nephew is not too young, maybe eighteen.Thinking of this, he frowned even tighter.

"This is not the most important thing. Before Zhang Xi got the news, there was a letter from the capital that a general election would be held."

When Wang heard this, she was shocked, "Really? Are you sure? Didn't it stop?"

"Well, Zhang Xi heard from a cloth merchant in the capital. His news is quite accurate, probably close to ten. Shengshang is young and ambitious. Originally, there were only a few nobles in the palace because of the war. In the past two years, he settled down. Naturally, we have to choose. We have beautiful women in Lanzhou, and we have to go through every time we choose concubines from the holy ancestor. Although the ancestors taught that the emperor's concubine should be selected from the people, but mother, you see, which concubine in this palace is really a folk I'm afraid that I won't be able to enter the palace at that time, but will show my appearance and be watched by others."

Mrs. Wang was a little at a loss when she heard it, and after thinking about it, it wasn't because of the war that the selection of concubines stopped, but the country is already peaceful, and the selection of concubines may start again.Because they are adjacent to the Blue River, Fengshui is good, and there are some beauties here, so they have to search carefully for the selection of concubines.The most beautiful girls are admitted to the palace, but they are very few. More beautiful girls are chosen by officials and wealthy households to be wives and concubines. Farmers like them can't say no.

Manniang patted her mother's hand, "Actually, it's fine if someone is decent enough to mention it, but with Jinniang's temperament, you can't marry anyone, but with our family's conditions, if you marry high, it's not good for Jinniang." It must be a blessing. If we encounter that kind of thing, our family will not be able to stop it."

When Wang heard this, she became worried, "What's the matter?"

"I'm going to say this again. The eldest son of the Yang family was seen by his parents at the beginning, and his temper and temperament are well known. Although he has changed a bit in the past few years, he was fifteen years old when he left. , can’t change much, the nature will never change. And the more you go out and see a lot, the more knowledgeable you are, and you may be more sensible. The older you are, the more you love your daughter-in-law. The relationship between the Yang family and the Chen family , Mr. Yang can’t make things difficult for Niang Jin, right? She doesn’t have a mother-in-law either, and she’s the elder sister-in-law when she goes, and no one can get past her.” In fact, she’s seen it through the past two years of her marriage. Zhang Xi, like their family, is much better than other men in the village.It is also because of this that she has so much expectations for the eldest son of the Yang family, hoping to find someone who will love her, not like the men in the village, the eldest wife is like eating.Of course, this person still needs to be taken a good look at, because of the possible marriage contract, she hadn't met the young man of the Yang family a few times, and she didn't even remember when they met.All impressions are from what my parents said.Not accurate.

"Hearing what you said, this young man of the Yang family is not bad?"

"That's not what I said, I was just wondering, you and Dad have a good look at him when he comes over, and let Jinniang take a look at it, isn't it that you are disfigured, so you have to let Jinniang take a look, if you can live , then it’s easy to say, if Jinniang is scared at a glance, then she will refuse it. I think even if Father Yang has that kind of thought, he will not force it because of the relationship between the two families. I think Father Yang will definitely follow him when he comes this time Get up, why don't you leave a meal. Take this opportunity to find out about him. Let's do this quietly. Everyone knows about the relationship between the two families. No one knows about the marriage contract back then, and I'm married too. There is such a big age difference between the two of them, no one would think about it. Even if it doesn't work out, it won't affect Jinniang, of course, even if it doesn't work out, Jinniang's marriage should be settled early to avoid any mistakes." Regardless of whether the news is true or not Yes, I would rather believe what I have than believe what I don't have.She still remembers the general election back then. At that time, she was young, so she escaped. How many daughters went there with expectations, but how many came back? Most of them were regarded as concubines by the rich and powerful. What ability does the peasant family have? Rebuttal, she absolutely cannot let Jinniang be in such a situation.

"Really, I'm a bit confused when you say that. Hey, I've been worrying for the past two days. You don't know that your father has been bored for the past two days, and he still thinks about it. How many people in the Yang family and the Chen family Ten years of friendship, when your grandfather was seriously ill, your father and your uncles went out to do odd jobs and haven't come back yet, it was Yang Zhenhai's father who carried him back to the county town in the winter to save his life, because his father sat down on his legs When Yang Zhenhai was sick, when Yang Zhenhai was born, your great-grandfather pointed at him and said that he would promise his daughter to Yang Zhenhai. He died the next day, and this was his last words. I thought it would be over when Yang Zhenhai died. I think he's back again." Wang said while thinking about Yang Zhenhai's behavior in his heart.

Man Niang was a little surprised when she heard that, "Oh, Niang, just knowing that this marriage was arranged by my great-grandfather, I really don't know the reason behind it."

"That's right, your great-grandfather lived 78 years before he died. Within two years, your grandfather was gone. The old man mentioned this before he left. Does your father remember?"

"It's true. If it's like this, when he comes, mother must be careful. If not, you have to tell dad quickly, and don't let dad answer all of a sudden."

"En. I know." Wang nodded.

The two girls sat on the Kang and thought about it.Pa——Manniang patted the edge of the Kang.

"Why are you so surprised?" Wang Shi was startled.

"Mother, I suddenly remembered, what if Yang Zhenhai gets married?"

Mrs. Wang was also stunned when she heard this, they only thought that Yang Zhenhai would not be able to marry a wife, but could he not have been away for six years?The two women looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

(End of this chapter)