Ma Erniang's Splendid Pastoral

Chapter 49
Ma Min'er came out of the room, approached the partition wall, and said with a smile: "Aunt Guo, I'm sorry, my father wants to share some of this cloth with your family, but I really can't get it..."

"Oh, Er Niang, I have no other intentions, just to praise you for looking good, really!" Guo Li quickly waved her hand, and she shared all the food with her. For a farmer like her, whether she can wear it or not When people come, they only wear new clothes during the Chinese New Year. They just feel... well, they are from the capital city, so they are different from me after all.

"Thank you, Aunt Guo."

"Look at Erniang being polite, I... I'm going to cook." Mrs. Guo Li entered the room.

"I'm going to make breakfast too." Ma Min'er smiled at his father and whispered, "Women's affairs need to be resolved by women."

Ma Qifeng reached out and patted his daughter's head, "Don't be like seven aunts and eight wives."

"Hee hee, I'm going to make steamed buns."

As soon as he got out of the door, Ma Qifeng stopped standing on the porch to look at the scenery, and hurried into the house. With the remaining cloth, he made some handkerchiefs and sachets, "When the rain stops, take it to the embroidery workshop to sell. Exchange some coppers to buy food."

"Father, I'll help you manage the thread." Ma Saburo ran forward with his calf.

"No, Dad will come by himself."

Ma Sanlang pursed his lips: "But I want to help dad."

"You're a boy, don't do this."

"But Dad, you are also a man!"

Ma Qifeng paused, and said with a squinting smile: "After you marry your wife, your wife will need your help to manage the thread, so you can help!"

"Father, I got it. If Mother asked you to help, you will learn it, right?" Ma Sanlang raised his face and asked.

The smile on Ma Qifeng's face disappeared, and he nodded slightly.

"Father..." Seven-year-old Ma Sanlang remembered his mother and felt sad when he thought of his mother. He hugged his father's leg with both hands and leaned on his lap.

Alas, Ma Qifeng sighed secretly in his heart, lady, it would be great if you were by our side!

Ma Dalang stood at the door, facing the rainy day outside, mother, I miss you!

Ma Yue'er felt something, ran to her elder brother's leg, hugged his leg as well, put her small face against his leg, and looked quietly at the rainy day outside.

Ma Min'er was making breakfast in the small palm-sized kitchen, worrying about the poor ingredients, and didn't feel the changes in other people at all. After scooping a few times, I wanted to make more for a while, and wanted to save some for the next meal, and it took a while to mix the noodles.

After steaming the dough in the pot and sitting behind the stove to light the fire, Ma Miner had only one thought in her heart, that is to make money quickly and enrich the ingredients in the kitchen.

But in the year of catastrophe, this is easier said than done!
The second son of the Ma family concubine came back from Xing'an City disheartened, empty-handed, Mrs. Ma sent the driver away with a few silver hairpins, and the whole family sat downcast in the backyard of the yamen.

In the room, the old lady silently wiped away her tears, "Master, we can stop cooking."

Ma Chengzu closed his eyes and lay on the bamboo chair, his voice was very soft, "Then starve to death in Yunshui Town."

"No, I don't want to starve to death!" Ma Jiu jumped up from the threshold of the room, "I'll go find something to eat."

"Old Ninth, count me in." Ma Laowu followed suit and stood up.

"I'll go too..." Ma Qilang was also so hungry that he followed out.

……

Those who didn't want to starve to death followed one after another. Ma Qimeng, the eldest son of the Ma family, glanced at his motionless father, sighed, turned around and went out as well. Seeing that her husband had gone out, Mrs. Ma took the children out as well. .

After a while, only the old couple Ma Chengzu and his grandson Ma Yihui remained in the backyard of the yamen.

"Hui'er, why don't you go?"

"Grandma, where are you going?"

Mrs. Ma was stunned by her grandson's question, this child... didn't know what to say for a moment.

Ma Yihui seemed to know where they went in the silence of his grandmother, his young and smooth forehead wrinkled into Sichuan characters, "Grandmother..."

"Anyone can starve to death, but you can't!" Mrs. Ma's tears kept streaming down, and she couldn't stop.

"Grandma, what about the integrity of our royal family?"

"..." Mrs. Ma looked into the house, and Ma Chengzu opened his eyes and looked straight at the beams of the roof, as if he didn't hear the conversation between his grandfather and grandson.

The rain gradually stopped, but the dark clouds above the head did not dissipate. The little beggar Fu Xiaoyou took his grandfather to hide in the firewood house behind a certain courtyard. Seeing that the rain had stopped, the owner didn't say anything, and they were embarrassed to stay any longer. Out of the yard, into the street.

Grandfather was too old to walk, and he was sitting on a street corner. The little beggar was wandering in the street, looking for something to eat. Suddenly, he found the two from Ma's family running out of town, and hurried to Shen's carpenter's shop, " Uncle Shen...Uncle Shen...those two have gone to trouble your benefactor again."

Shen Hou'er was squatting at the door to eat breakfast, holding a water bowl in one hand, and rough bread in the other. Hearing what the little beggar said, he quickly stood up, stretched out his hand to stuff the cake into his mouth, and stared at him so hungry that he choked The little guy who spit, gave him the remaining morsel.

Fu Xiaoyou quickly took it over happily, turned around and ran to the corner of the street, broke half of the cake and gave it to Grandpa, "Grandpa, sit here, I'll watch the excitement." After speaking, he stuffed the other half of the cake into his mouth and ran away up.

"It's asking for trouble from its benefactor again, see if I can't beat you to death..." While Shen Hou'er was jumping, his daughter Zhi'er took back the water bowl in his hand, and he stepped onto the street yelling.

The shop next door saw him hurrying towards the entrance of the town, so they followed him.

When the heavy rain stopped, the sky was dark, but the air was moist, and people felt very comfortable. People walked to the street one after another, seeing the heat, and followed them unconsciously. It was mud, and people stopped walking.

Shen Hou'er looked at his feet, and then at the front, "Hey, why are there a group of people?"

"It seems that the Ma family members who are in the backyard of the yamen have all gone out."

"This is the rhythm of demolishing the house!" Shen Hou'er recited.

"Yes, Shenhou'er, do you still want to help your benefactor?"

Shen Hou'er scratched the back of his head, "I'll go and see what's going on?" After speaking, he rolled up his trousers, took off his cloth shoes, and followed the Ma family.

Other idlers, some followed curiously, some shook their heads and went home.

After another full meal, the five members of Ma Qifeng's family wiped their mouths in satisfaction, "Father, I wish I could eat this much every day from now on." Ma Sanlang said while rubbing his stomach.

The son has completely forgotten the life in the capital. Not only is he no longer picky about food, but he is also quite satisfied. Ma Qifeng reached out and touched his son's head, "As a father, you will be full."

When Ma Min'er heard this, her eyebrows twitched slightly. Could it be that father is going to find a job to earn money?

Looking outside, the heavy rain had stopped, Ma Qifeng said: "Da Lang, take your younger brothers and sisters, and dad will go to the county town to see if there is any work to do."

"Father..." Ma Dalang asked worriedly, "Is it Pingding County?"

"Yeah, I heard it's only a dozen or so miles away, so dad should go and come back early."

"Oh!" Ma Dalang was very worried, but there was nothing he could do.

Ma Min'er was also worried, besides worrying that it would be difficult for him to find a job, he also thought about the last time he gambled at Shen Hou'er's house. If he couldn't find a job, would his father go to gamble...

Before she could finish thinking, the simple fence gate was pushed open, and a group of Ma family burst into their miniature small courtyard, instantly crowding the small courtyard inside and out.

Household utensils, pots and pans were all turned around, and the neat cabin instantly became disorganized.

"What are you doing?" Ma Qifeng asked loudly, protecting the children.

"What are you doing?" Ma Jiuqiyun has already poured out all the rough noodles in the small kitchen, and filled a small ladle, "Ma Lao Liu, there is something to eat, you don't want everyone, you have the guts."

Ma Qifeng sneered and said, "Do you think of me if you have something to eat?"

"How old are you, I want to think of you."

"Then who are you, I want to think of you?" Ma Qifeng lost his former servant, and when the other party yelled, he yelled too.

(End of this chapter)