Ma Erniang's Splendid Pastoral

Chapter 72

Ma Chengzu raised his eyelids to look at his son, and continued to lower his eyelids without saying a word.

The two grandsons of the Ma family were sitting on the small desk writing the policy seriously, meticulously, as if no one was talking in the room.

"Father, are you not angry?" Ma Qimeng called again.

"Don't disturb Hui'er and Zhi'er's study."

"Father--"

"go out."

Ma Qimeng left the study in a huff, thinking about it unwillingly, he went to the office where his mother handles family affairs: "Mother—"

"Annoyed your father again?"

Ma Qimeng looked aggrieved: "Mother, the sixth child sent his son to the Pingding County Academy. I told my father, but he didn't even give me an expression. What do you think father thinks?"

Mrs. Ma raised her eyes: "Back then, when the emperor gave your father a dancer, he decided that Lao Liu would never be happy with your father for the rest of his life."

"Mother, it's common for dignitaries to give maikos to each other, why would father be so angry when the emperor gave them to each other?" Ma Qimeng was puzzled.

Mrs. Ma sneered, "The timing is not right."

"Why is it wrong?"

"When the emperor was in the prime of life, he was so beautiful. Your father gave admonishment and persuasion, but the emperor became furious. In a fit of rage, he gave your father a stunning dancer."

"It turns out to be like this." Ma Qimeng thought, among the brothers, the sixth child was born the best, but he was not liked by his father, so it turned out to be like this.

Mrs. Ma seemed to have thought of something, "The second mother of the old Liu's family, her eyebrows and eyes are almost the same as those of Mrs. Ping's, and she has a bewitching look."

Ma Qimeng smirked, "Otherwise she is so small, how could the little general from the Zhen Guo General's Mansion follow her behind?"

"Hmph! No matter how beautiful she is, what's the use? She's not a concubine."

"That's true." Ma Qimeng smiled, "Mother, I found out that the Pingding Junior General's Mansion is almost empty and there is no one there. It is not easy for us to go through the door. Why do we take the Little General's Mansion?"

Mrs. Ma said: "What's the hurry!"

Seeing his mother's determined expression, Ma Qimeng quickly asked, "Mom, do you have a connection?"

"There is only one grandson in the general's mansion, and the little general often doesn't go back to the mansion. Doesn't Madam Xia miss her grandson?" Madam Ma asked back.

"Yes!" Ma Qimeng suddenly realized, "It's still mother who is thoughtful."

"When Mrs. Xia comes to calm down, I'll go visit, won't it be all right?"

"Yes, mother is right."

In Ma’s Private School in Yunshui Town, Zhao Yuyan is sitting in the classroom, looking different. This difference is due to the difference in clothing, because the private school was built with money donated by rich gentry and businessmen, and the students sitting in it are almost all rich people. My son, their clothes are all incomparably luxurious, even Li Tingchang's grandson can't keep up, let alone Zhao Yuyan who was born as a commoner.

The second is different. When the teacher is not around, the other students are all smiling and playing around. Only Zhao Yuyan is studying seriously, as if the jokes around him have nothing to do with him.

Li Xunting felt that he was stuck between Zhao Yuyan and these wealthy children, and it was inappropriate to be left or right. He pursed his lips and thought about it, and approached Zhao Yuyan, "You seem to be reading the Analects every day?"

Hearing someone talking to him, the tone of the speech was different from those of the wealthy children, as if he meant to be friendly with him, he turned his head, "Yeah!"

"This is an elementary school book, you read it every day..."

"I like to read."

"Oh!" Li Xunting thought about it and asked, "It's been a month since the class started, can you understand Master Ma's class?"

"good."

"Ah, you...you can understand it?" Li Xunting was surprised. His homework was above average in the county school. He was struggling like this. This commoner who only read the Analects could understand it.

"Ah."

Li Xunting remained silent for a long time.

Could Zhao Yuyan be perfunctory Li Xunting?No, he did understand.No way, he who only reads the Analects of Confucius all day can really understand profound stereotyped essays?
There is no way, some people are talented in certain things, like Zhao Yuyan, plus he is willing to study, learning is really not a problem for him, and jealousy is useless.

Ma Dalang lived in the academy, Ma Qifeng and his daughter came out of the academy, feeling lost and empty in heart, one big and one small walked slowly on the boulevard outside the academy.

"Father, you have to get used to this kind of life." Ma Min'er comforted her.

"What can I do if I don't get used to it? I can't keep Dalang by my side, so how can he survive?"

"Father, you are right to think so."

"Alas..." Ma Qifeng sighed deeply, "Dalang Saburo has his own way to go, you and Yue'er are going to marry again when they are old, and in the end, there is only Yu dad."

"Father..." Ma Min'er didn't expect him to be so sad, "Father, are you 30 years old?"

Ma Qifeng, who was feeling sad, didn't expect his daughter to ask this question, "Yes, what's the matter?"

Ma Min'er patted her chin with her little hand, "Father, have you ever thought about marrying another one?"

Ma Qifeng, who was walking, was startled by his daughter's words, "Min... Min'er, what are you talking about?"

"Father, you are young, it is normal for you to marry a woman who is hot on the kang."

Ma Qifeng was so frightened by his daughter's words that he supported the tree next to him, "Min'er, you...you can just say this in front of father, but...you can't say it in front of others."

"I know!" Ma Miner blinked her beautiful phoenix eyes, extremely innocent, as if she didn't know what she was talking about.

Looking at the innocent daughter, Ma Qifeng covered his face, I... how could I give birth to a monster, dare to say such a thing, what is this, and the next words will make him petrified.

"However, Dad, we have to build a big house, otherwise San Lang will sleep with you, even if he has a wife, he won't be able to heat up the pit."

Ma Qifeng hugged the tree with both hands, mother, please help me!
"Father, what are you doing? I told you to marry a woman, and you became so excited. Let me tell you, if the woman you marry treats us badly, we won't admit it. You should divorce her immediately."

"I...I...you..." Ma Qifeng was so angry that he almost couldn't come up, "I...I want to beat you!"

"Ah..." Ma Min'er came to her senses, and hurriedly fled forward.

"Little man, stop, you think dad can't beat people!" Ma Qifeng ran after him with his sleeves.

Niu Dabao waited at the intersection, saw the little owner running towards him, and was about to ask questions, and saw the older owner catching up behind him, what kind of rhythm was this, he stared at them running, watching them run past his donkey cart, "Hey , Master and the others don’t take a cart, why are they running and chasing?” Hastily picked up the donkey cart and followed.

I didn't expect my father to be so thin-skinned, hehe, Ma Min'er secretly laughed as she ran, but she kept his father's reunion in her heart. If there is a suitable woman, she can indeed find him one, not just hot What's more important about Kang's matter is that after they all get married and start a career, he can't just be left as a lonely old man. Although his grandchildren are around his knees, they can never replace his partner.

Zhang Nianmei took the little general out of the city gate to go to Xiaoniu Mountain to release animals, and rode horses all the way around two markets, looking left and right, thinking, if I can't meet my old sister, I can only 'pass by' her house on purpose.

Suddenly, Gu Dun shouted: "Hey, is that little lady who ran away the little lady of the Ma family?"

Zhang Nianmei took a closer look, she was her old sister, she just ran away in such a hurry, why, she looked behind, "The person chasing her is his father, why, she will be beaten for being naughty?"

If she is naughty, she will be beaten. Zhang Nianmei is indeed a fine person.

When Mr. Tian and Zhuang Hao saw Ma Erniang, they were about to see the little general's reaction. They didn't want to make them wait at all.

"Ah..." Ma Min'er was playing with his father, and she screamed in fright when she wanted to be caught on a horse.

Ma Qifeng saw that it was Xia Zhen and his party, and hurried to the horse, "Little...Little General——"

"Master Ma, what are you..." Xia Zhen was tall and cold, and could neither answer nor ask questions. Mr. Tian asked this question.

"I..." Can Ma Qifeng say that I want to beat up my daughter, of course I can't, and smiled awkwardly.

The adults didn't answer, Mr. Tian looked at the little lady, "This is..."

"I saw something delicious in front of me, so I ran over. I was afraid that it would be too late, and someone else would buy it." Ma Miner lied and didn't even type the draft.

"What's delicious?" Mr. Tian turned his head and looked at the side of the street. Several hawkers were carrying small bamboo baskets. Besides cooking cakes, they were water, or some wild peaches.

"Cooking cake!"

Mr. Tian's beard is going to stick up, what a delicious thing this is.

"Sir, don't believe me, I'm just remembering bitterness and thinking sweetly, Dad, right? Buy me ten pancakes, and I'll eat this when I get home tonight."

Ma Qifeng glared at the naughty daughter, turned around to buy pancakes, and was about to pay for them, when the daughter called again, "Father, buy everything in the basket, and if Mr. Tian and the others make rice, let them also remember the bitterness." Si Tian."

……

Mr. Tian, ​​Zhuang Hao and others felt a flock of crows flying overhead.

Ma Qifeng turned his head and stared, "Nonsense."

"Hee hee..." Ma Min'er smiled at his father.

Mr. Tian laughed, "Master Ma, let's buy them all, we really came to your house for dinner tonight."

"Sir, I bought cooking cakes, but the food still needs to be cooked."

"Thank you, Master Ma."

"You're welcome, sir."

Zhang Nianmei said, "Master Ma, then we will take my sister to Xiaoniu Mountain first, and then go to your house later."

"Okay." Ma Qifeng dared to say no, his daughter was locked on the horseback by that boy and couldn't move, so he could only stare blankly, hum, brat.

After not seeing each other for nearly five months, Ma Qifeng didn't realize that he thought of General Xia as a brat, and unknowingly regarded himself as his future father-in-law.

Uh... the enemy is really jealous when they meet each other.Enemy... Enemy?To snatch a precious daughter is not to be an enemy!Ha ha……

After leaving the city gate, Ma Min'er had time to ask, "Why do you want to go to Xiaoniu Mountain?"

Zhang Nianmei bared her teeth and said with a smile: "Chunshang beat the enemy and killed too many animals. Buy some small animals and release them."

Hearing killing the enemy, Ma Min'er unconsciously shrank her body, "Then you must have worked hard."

"It's not just hard work, it's simply not a human life." Zhang Nianmei began to complain, "You don't even know about those..."

……

A group of more than a dozen people heard Zhang Nianmei chatting non-stop, and paused when she said something to show off, and Ma Min'er immediately offered: "Wow, you are so good...God, you can do it like this." win……"

……

Mr. Tian also has to admit that Ma Erniang's emotional intelligence is high, a little person, just like watching a play, knows when to applaud and when to agree, it's really impeccable, amazing, really amazing!
Xia Zhen sat behind Ma Min'er, quietly as if he didn't exist, sometimes looked down at the little daughter-in-law, sometimes looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, quiet and leisurely.

Quiet and idle?When he realized that he described Zi'an like this, Mr. Tian couldn't believe it himself, but this is how it is now, he let the "little daughter-in-law" brag about Zhang Tiaozi, as if there was nothing wrong with it, and he seemed to be enjoying it , he was a little confused, Mr. Tian felt that he couldn't figure out the little master.

Seeing the group of soldiers leaving, Niu Dabao hurriedly drove the donkey cart in front of his master, "My master..."

"Go to the market to buy some meat and go home."

"Yes, Master."

When they arrived at Xiaoniu Mountain, Xia Zhen and the others released a lot of small animals, including rabbits, and there were quite a few of them.

Ma Min'er curled her lips, "Be careful that there are too many rabbits, they will eat up all the vegetation on the mountain."

"That's possible." Zhang Nianmei said with a smile.

For some reason, seeing the rabbit now, Ma Min'er felt an unexplained anger: "Why not, let me tell you, the reproductive ability of rabbits is very strong, no, you have to catch some large carnivores, otherwise it will destroy ecological balance."

"What balance, isn't it just a dozen rabbits?"

"Then I don't care."

"Come on, my old sister, let me tell you the truth, there will really be a big one coming in a few days." Zhang Nianmei really took great pains to hunt for autumn and winter.

"What is it?"

"Roe deer, roe deer."

"That's good." Ma Min'er didn't worry anymore, and looked towards the sunset in the west with a smile, "Let's go back quickly. When we get to Xiaowang Village, it might be dark."

"Don't worry, we all ride horses, and we will definitely arrive at Xiaowang Village before dark!"

Sure enough, there was a gust of wind and lightning, and a dozen horses rushed to Ma's small courtyard before dark.

Ma Sanlang took Xiaoyue'er and waited at the gate of the small courtyard, first he waited for his father, then for his sister, seeing his sister sitting on a tall horse, he was both afraid and envious.

Zhang Nianmei's temper can be played with anyone, including Sanlang and Xiaoyueer. When he saw the longing in the children's eyes, he understood it immediately. He coaxed the two children onto the horse's back, led the horse, and took them on the road at the gate. Strolled around.

Ma Yue'er was originally afraid of Xia Zhen, but was distracted by riding a horse.

Ma Min'er was carried off the horse by Xia Zhen. The horse ran too fast just now, she was a little dizzy, and almost fell on her feet. Fortunately, Xia Zhen's hand was not loose, so she held his arm for a while before getting better.

Xia Zhen squatted halfway, letting his daughter-in-law hold his arm, her face was as cold as a board.

Shi Xiao'e thought Erniang's fiancé would comfort her, but she didn't want to say a word, she squatted dumbfounded, thinking, it's not as good as our country, if anyone dares not to accompany and treat the future daughter-in-law carefully, the woman's family will definitely ruin the marriage , that makes you coldly ignore people.

Hey, Miss Xiao'e, do you know how many young people in front of you want to get his ideas, and how many little ladies want to marry him?Silent, unable to comfort others?Hmph, you're just a fool, I don't know how many people are rushing to get married.

Let's not talk about his status and status so that he can be dragged into silence, let's look at men from a woman's point of view, a man who keeps silent is not a good man?Let me tell you, sometimes, a man who doesn't say anything is better than a man who can coax others.

for example?Do you think it's easy for a tall man with a height of 1.8 meters to squat!Can't talk, let's show it with actions.Uh... well!
After recovering, Ma Min'er immediately asked worriedly, "Xiao'e, how is the dinner preparation going?"

"Back to Erniang, just now my boss asked me to prepare a dinner for ten people. The meat was cut and the vegetables were washed, and I'll wait for you to come back and cook." Seeing the cold little general frightened, Shi Xiao'e whispered back in a corner.

"Then you set up the stove."

"Yes, Erniang." Shi Xiao'e hurried into the small kitchen and set up a pot on fire.

Since she didn't have much time to stew the soup, Ma Min'er mostly used stir-fry and cooked a simple kelp shredded meat soup. The dishes were simple, but the servings were sufficient, enough for Xia Zhen and other big men to eat.

"Xiao'e—"

"Second Mother!"

"You put rice on porcelain plates for the guards outside, a big spoonful of rice per person, plus steamed taro on the rice cooker, two per person, one piece of sugar roasted pork ribs, three pieces of pork belly bacon, three pieces per person, One piece of stewed eggs with shallots per person."

"Yes, Er Niang!"

"The soup is served in a big pot, put it on the small tables outside, and let them scoop it up." Ma Min'er's meal is as simple and real as the work meal of later generations!
"Okay, I'll do it right away." Shi Xiao'e was used to work, and her movements were quick, and in a short while, she finished the dinner for the guards outside.

The guards were so hungry that they brought their delicious rice to their backs. They all moved their index fingers and choked on their saliva. They waited until the little general in the kitchen started to move before they dared to move their chopsticks.

"good to eat."

"The bacon with five flowers is delicious."

"Steamed taro is filling."

……

The small kitchen was too small, so Ma Qifeng led Sanlang and Zhang Nianmei to the corridor to eat. Xia Zhen, Tian Zhuang, and Ma Miner stayed in the kitchen.

"Xiao'e, you can also serve it."

"Yes, Erniang." Xiao'e knows Erniang's temperament, and she is not hypocritical. Like the guards, she also serves on a plate. Rice and vegetables can be served together without mixing them up. Sit behind the stove, put the plate on a small bowl, and eat happily.

At the end of spring and early summer, there are more vegetables and wild vegetables. Ma Miner made a cold-mixed Malan head, stir-fried baby vegetables with Xiangru, scrambled eggs with leeks, and the meat dishes just for the guards—— Sugar-seared big ribs, white-cut pork belly, and a handy stewed egg with shallots.

Ma Min'er's favorite is scallion stewed eggs, pouring it in rice, she can eat a bowl of rice without any food, habit, and mix scallions stewed eggs into the rice, think about it, I have to eat something else first, or I won't grow up.

After returning from the border, Xia Zhen's appetite has been poor, and he has no appetite. Everyone moves their chopsticks, but he doesn't move much.

"What's the matter!" Ma Min'er raised her head and asked.

"Every time I come back from the battlefield, Zian's appetite is not good." Mr. Tian replied on behalf of the little master.

"Oh." Ma Min'er thought of her previous life. Every time she finished a big order, she was exhausted and exhausted, and she didn't want to eat anything. She had to wait for several days before she could eat normally.

Ma Min'er stood up quickly.

"Er Niang, what are you doing?" Shi Xiaoe was sitting behind the stove, saw her get up, and hurriedly got up, "I'll make some white porridge for the little general."

"Second mother, I'm coming."

"Just put it in the small hanger in the middle of the stove and burn it. There is firewood, and it will be very fast."

"Oh." Shi Xiao'e hurried out of the back door of the kitchen, went to the miscellaneous room, scooped some rice, scooped it up, put it in a small hanging basket, and started a fire. cooked.

No matter how fast you are, you have to wait, Ma Miner thought about it, took Xia Zhen's small bowl, helped him mix the stewed eggs with shallots, and handed it to him, "There are shallots in the egg custard, it's not greasy, you eat it Eat and see." After saying that, he handed it to him.

Xia Zhen looked at it, reached out to take it, and lowered her head to eat, but ate very slowly.

Ma Min'er could feel that he was eating very reluctantly, as if he was too tired.She was basically sure that she was overworked and had a bad temper, which caused her lack of appetite.

"I'll make you some tea."

In spring, Aunt Niu dried a lot of dandelions, and Ma Miner made some for Xia Zhen, "To clear away heat and detoxify, drink some first, and then eat the porridge when it's ready."

Without saying a word, Xia Zhen reached out to take the tea, lowered her head and drank it in small sips.

After the little lady was busy for the little master, Mr. Tian saw it in his eyes, and secretly heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that the burden on his shoulders was much lighter.

Since Uncle Xia had no appetite, everyone didn't eat to their heart's content. They picked up the food in front of them, planed the rice in the bowl, and put down the bowl to feel full.

Mr. Tian came out of the small kitchen, and Zhang Nianmei walked up to him, "Sir, tonight—"

"We're going to the town inn."

"We..." Zhang Nianmei heard the overtones, "What about the little general?"

"It's April, and the weather isn't too cold."

Zhang Nianmei immediately understood what Mr. Tian meant, and turned her head to look at the corridor of Ma's house in surprise, "Mr. means..."

"The little general hasn't had a good night's sleep for a long time, I want to try and see if he sleeps here, will he..."

Zhang Nianmei added her lips: "No...it's not very good."

Mr. Tian's face was cold, "I only have the little general in my heart."

Zhang Nianmei didn't dare to say anything.When Ma Min'er came out, Mr. Tian told her his thoughts.

Of course Ma Miner reacted the same way as Zhang Nianmei, not only that, but Ma Qifeng also objected, but he didn't dare to say, "Sir, I can't afford to have a general sleep in the corridor."

"Master Ma, there are no neighbors around you. The little general sleeps in the corridor. No one will see you, and you won't be burdened."

As soon as Mr. Tian came up, he blocked Ma Qifeng's words.

Ma Min'er looked at Xia Zhen. On an early summer night, the moon was shining brightly. Standing in a small courtyard, although he was tall, his legs were straight. From a distance, he looked like a prosperous age, but when he looked closely at his cheekbones, Against the backdrop of the moon, she was really thin and out of shape.

Ma Min'er lowered her head and exhaled, this big boy seemed a bit pitiful!

Alas, men who show weakness can always arouse women's maternal instincts, and Ma Miner, a fake loli, is no exception.

Ma Min'er quietly stretched out her hand to shake Ma Qifeng: "Sir, the countryside is simple..."

"When we were fighting outside, we slept on the grass. What are these things?"

"Oh!" Since you are determined to sleep in the corridor of my house, then go to sleep, and this girl can't control it.

What Ma Min'er didn't expect was that Xia Zhen became addicted to sleep after sleeping. From the end of April to the beginning of June, for more than a month, she would run to Ma's house every now and then, come in the dark, and go back before dawn. It has to be like a sneak tryst.

But Ma Min'er didn't have time to talk to him, the past month or so was Ma Min'er's busiest time.What is she busy with?Of course, it is to open up wasteland and prepare the land to grow food.

The 120-acre field was reorganized by Ma Miner. In order to reorganize these fields, she hired male laborers from nearly five villages in Yunshui Town. It took 20 days to clean up the irregular flood and drought The land is divided into east and west parts by ditches.The east is paddy fields, the west is dry land, the middle is Tongqu, and the south of Tongqu is dug into a large pond, and the north is connected to Yunshui River, the lifeblood of Yunshui Town.

It didn't take much effort for the paddy field. After the silt inside was cleared out, the villagers hired by Fu Laodi and Shi Laodi sprinkled the mixed animal and plant fertilizer that they had soaked for a spring.

After the fertilizer was applied, the water depth inside was just right, so Ma Min'er quickly pulled out the several mu of rice seedlings that had been planted beforehand, and then hired workers to plant them again.

When Li Tingchang heard that Ma's family planted [-] acres of rice, he jumped to the end of Xiaowang Village, "How is it possible, how is it possible..."

The curious villagers who came here also sighed, "Yes, how is it possible..."

The person who had inquired about the news replied: "It's okay if you don't believe it. Look at the neat seedlings in this paddy field. You can't help but believe it."

"Where are the rice seedlings from?"

"I inquired about the seeds bought from the south by Qiu Jiliang. I heard that the Ma family planted the seeds in early April and waited until the end of May and early June to plant the seedlings."

"My God, how much guts does it take to dare to spend such a large amount of rice."

"Yeah, I wouldn't even dare to kill me."

"Me too."

Li Tingchang shook his head and looked towards the dry land rising to the west, "What are you growing over there?"

"Also, Zhancheng rice, I heard that the seeds have been sown."

"The seeds were only sown in August last year, why did they sow them at the end of May this year?"

"We don't understand this."

Haha, it’s right if you don’t understand. At the end of July, Ma Min’er harvested more than 50 mu of Champa rice. When harvesting, people left the roots more than half a foot high.

"Er Niang, why do you want to stay rooted? Aren't these fields planted with other things?"

"Nothing else, just leave it empty."

"Ah..." Old Man Fu and Old Man Shi looked at each other in blank dismay, this is not in line with the way of the little boss's way of doing things!
After less than half a month, when the root tillers left by Champa rice sprouted new shoots again, Father Fu and Father Shi realized, "This is to let the rice grow again, my mother, God, then Isn’t Champa rice harvested twice?”

Father Fu nodded, "However, the output this time is definitely not as good as before."

"No matter what, this is already a long supply of food." Father Shi sighed again and again, "The little boss is amazing, amazing."

"After harvesting one hundred acres of grain, I'm afraid there will be thirty to forty thousand catties of grain."

"Definitely."

(End of this chapter)