Peasant Girl Bookseller

Chapter 10 Visiting the Neighbors
During dinner, the whole family sat on the kang, and Mrs. Liu glanced at the three daughters-in-law and asked, "How do you go back to your mother's house tomorrow?"

"I'm going to catch the temple fair in the town, see if I can sell a few pairs of straw sandals, and send the child's mother to the entrance of the village." Ye Dafu said first.

"How many big girls are there?"

"I'm taking them all with me." Mrs. Zhao said hurriedly.

Mrs. Liu listened and looked at Mrs. Qian, who also hurriedly said: "I will go with the child's father to take the wheat seeds and stay for two days. The child's grandma misses her grandson."

Mrs. Sun did not wait for Mrs. Liu to ask, but also said: "My mother's brother will drive a donkey cart to pick us up. My mother said, let us stay at home for two more days."

After Ye Dafu heard this, he looked at Mrs. Liu. Originally, the three brothers had agreed to go to the mountain together. Why would they all go back to Yue's house for a few days?

Mrs. Liu is also in a bit of a dilemma. Throughout the year, these two sons have only two chances to accompany their daughter-in-law to visit the old man's house. The family can also save some food, and they can also have a full meal. How can she be a mother? Have the heart to deprive them of their rights?

But usually the second blessing and the third blessing are sent to the daughter-in-law on the same day, why do you want to live this time?Did he know he was going to go up the mountain?
"Forget it, let them stay for a few days." Ye Tiezhu said.

Because he knew that the two sons would not live long, and no one had enough food to support a few more people. The conditions of the Qian family and the Sun family were better, but they could barely have enough to eat, and it was not much better.Otherwise, when the children go to grandma's house for New Year's greetings on the second day of the new year, no one will keep the children for a few days. Isn't it because they are afraid that they will have to come back to live with their daughter on the second day of the first month?
Only then did Mai Xiang know that according to the local rules, a married girl cannot live in her natal home during the first month of the lunar year, and she will return on the same day when she returns to her natal home on the second day of the Lunar New Year's Eve. On the second day of the second lunar month, it is the day to pick up her auntie back to her natal home. The conditions are good. I can live at my mother's house for half a month.

"That's how it is. Tomorrow, everyone will get up early, and you can go on your way after dinner." Seeing that the old man had spoken, Mrs. Liu stopped thinking about it.

Early the next morning, before Mai Xiang got up, Ye Dafu came in with a shabby little lantern. Standing on the kang, he shone on the beams and shouted, "On February [-], shine on the beams." , Scorpions and centipedes have nowhere to hide."

Mai Xiang didn't dare to laugh, knowing that this was a local custom. It was definitely not the first time she had seen it, so she could only watch from the sidelines. She also wanted to know what customs there were on February [-].

Sure enough, as soon as Ye Dafu left, Mai Huang sat up, raised his neck and said solemnly: "On February [-], the dragon raises its head. If the dragon doesn't raise its head, I will raise its head."

Just as Mai Xiang was about to laugh out loud, she suddenly remembered that before going to bed yesterday, Mrs. Zhao told herself not to forget to say this when she got up today, so Mai Xiang stopped laughing, and seeing Mai Huang looking at her, she pretended to be busy. Make a serious face and say: "On February [-], the dragon raises its head. If the dragon does not raise its head, I will raise its head."

After the two sisters got up, they dressed Mai Qing and Mai Lu and went out of the room. Mai Xiang found that several adults in the family were up.

Dafu went out with a load of buckets, Wufu filled a dustpan with firewood ash, and followed Dafu all the way back from the well. The firewood ash scattered in a meandering curve, entered the kitchen, and sprinkled a circle around the water tank. , Mai Xiang heard from Wu Fu that this is called "leading the dragon back".

"Don't forget to sprinkle some on the corner of the wall." Liu reminded Wu Fu.

"Understood, mother, it's not the first time I've done it." Wu Fu finished spreading firewood ash in the corner, and made a circle with firewood ash in the middle of the yard, and Liu threw some whole grains into the circle.

Mrs. Zhao, Mrs. Qian, and Mrs. Sun were all busy in the kitchen. Mai Xiang entered the kitchen and saw Mrs. Sun rolling out noodles and Mrs. Qian making pancakes. It was a bit strange, but today there was white flour to eat.

"Go, I don't need your little ones' help today, let's all go out." Seeing Mai Xiang and the others coming in, the two boys from the second child's family also came in. I couldn't help but get bored with the big cakes that came out.

Seeing Mrs. Sun's expression, Mai Xiang hurriedly took her family and left. At this time, Mrs. Liu brought about a dozen eggs in a basket, and there was another basket containing a small dish of donkey rolls and a small dish of pork head meat. , Said to Mai Xiang: "Da Ya, come with me to the next door."

As soon as Mai Xiang hurriedly took the basket from Mrs. Liu's hand, she had long been curious about the neighbor next door, what kind of family could have rich relatives and live in this poor place in the countryside, obviously calling him his wife but knowing To see a doctor, by the way, he is still Mai Xiang's savior.

The courtyard wall next door is only about half a person high. Mai Xiang went in and saw that the courtyard was not small, but it felt desolate. The two wing rooms on the east seemed to have been unoccupied for a long time. Collapsed.

There were no poultry or livestock in the yard, and it was deserted. There was a thick maroon curtain hanging on the gate of the three main rooms, which made the house look a bit popular.

"Is anyone there?" Liu yelled first.

After a while, a woman with a big belly opened the door curtain, saw Mrs. Liu, burst into laughter, and said, "It's the aunt next door, hurry up and sit in the room."

Mai Xiang followed Mrs. Liu into the house. When entering the house, there was a stove, a cupboard, and a large water tank. There seemed to be nothing else.

Thick curtains were hung on the doors on both sides, and the woman led them to the east room, which was also a big kang, with two and a half old childbirth beds on the kang, and the furnishings in the room were simple, more than Mai Xiang's family can't be much stronger.

However, Mai Xiang saw that there was needlework in the basket on the kang table, which was a new set of baby cotton clothes, and felt that the conditions of this family should be better than her own.

Because Mrs. Zhao didn't have the money to buy fine cotton cloth to make new clothes for the child in her belly, she just mended the old clothes that Mai Lu wore when she was a child, and it is said that they were also worn by Mai Xiang when she was a child.

There is another thing that Mai Xiang has never seen in Ye's house, and that is books. There are a lot of books piled up on the boxes at the end of the family's kang.There is also a half-rolled book on the top of the kang, like a manuscript.

"What are you doing in a daze, why don't you call auntie quickly." Seeing Mai Xiang visiting the house, Liu quickly pushed her without even saying hello.

"Hello, Auntie."

Mai Xiang will look at the other party. This woman is not young anymore. She looks at least 35 or [-] years old, but she feels very comfortable. Her personality is gentle and kind, and her skin is fair and delicate. She should be considered a beauty when she was young. up.Of course, even looking at it now, he is much stronger than the Zhao family, the Qian family and the Sun family.

Because although the other party does not seem to be from a wealthy family, he must have never been in the field to do farm work. In addition, the other party's self-cultivation and temperament do not look like a country woman.

"You're the big girl? Are you all ready?" The other party took Mai Xiang's hand and looked at it.

"It's not all over. Thank you, my wife. Is he not at home?" Liu asked.

"No, I went out to meet a friend. Auntie, please sit down and talk."

"No, there is still work at home. There is nothing good. Today is February [-]. Our place pays attention to eating donkey rolls and pig's head meat. I know that it is not convenient for you to have a big belly. I happen to have these two at home. I will bring you some. Besides, these few eggs will nourish your body, don't feel too little."

"What did my aunt say? Thank you, my aunt, I didn't even have time to think about it. How dare you think too little? Just sit down."

"No, the daughters-in-law in the family are going back to their mother's house. They will come to see you when they are free. When you are free, don't hide in the house all the time. If it is warmer today, you can go out for a walk and visit our house. "

"Okay, I'm also thinking about talking to my aunt someday. I heard that my aunt has given birth to many children. My aunt must have rich experience in giving birth. I don't know what to do. I'm so old, it's hard to get pregnant again. For such a one, I just hope that I can give birth to him in a safe and sound way, so I will recite the Buddha's name."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Liu took a closer look at the woman's belly, and said with a smile: "Don't think I'm talkative, I look at your baby like a kid. Don't worry, our two families live so close, and your wife has rescued her again." My eldest granddaughter’s life, if there is anything, you can just order it. Our grandma’s mother estimates that her days are similar to yours. The midwife is from the town, and my sons, daughters, and grandchildren are all delivered by her. Yes, how about you?"

"I found it too."

When Mrs. Liu heard this, she didn't have anything else to say, and the family really had a lot of things to do today, so she got up and said goodbye.

After leaving the yard, Mai Xiang pretended to say casually: "Nurse, this master's aunt is really good at sewing."

Mai Xiang looked at it carefully, and the stitches of that little dress were dense and smooth, which was not better than Zhao's at 01:30.

"Well, what is this? The flowers she embroiders are the most beautiful. It's a pity that she can't live a life."

"There's nothing you can do if your family is poor, so who can you blame?"

"What do you know, Mr. Cao is still a member of the banner, and he can receive one tael of silver per month and one shi of grain. Forget it, what do I tell you, little girl, what are you doing?" Mrs. Liu hurriedly took Entered the house with an empty basket.

When Mai Xiang heard the word "Master Cao", she thought about it several times, and felt that something was wrong, but before she was allowed to think about it, she was interrupted by Mrs. Zhao's loud voice.

(End of this chapter)