Peasant Girl Bookseller

Chapter 24

Ye Dafu harvested quite a lot from going up the mountain this time. The six of them killed two wild boars, three foxes, five goats, two raccoon dogs, and several wild rabbits, roe deer, pheasants, wild ducks, and squirrels.

In order to sell them at a good price, they had to rush to the capital overnight, find a place outside the city to cat overnight, and enter the city early tomorrow morning.Ye Dafu came back to have a hot meal to rest his breath, and also to report his family's safety.

After hearing this, Mrs. Liu calculated silently in her heart. These things can be sold for about [-] or [-] taels of silver, and the family can divide it into about [-] taels, and she was greatly relieved.

Before the spring plowing, I can still go to the mountains. With money, I should be able to talk about Wufu's marriage before the Dragon Boat Festival. The date of marriage is chosen until the end of the year, so Wufu will not be delayed.

Mrs. Liu felt better because of Ye Dafu's good harvest, and started looking at the window the next afternoon. Ye Dafu entered the house only when it was getting dark in the afternoon. After going in, I want to know how much Ye Dafu has gained from this trip.

Mrs. Zhao and Mai Xiang naturally followed, Ye Dafu gave the money bag to Mrs. Liu, and reported all the accounts one by one. Only then did Mai Xiang know that they worked together to share the money equally.

"This year is not bad, big brother. It's a good sign. It seems that the fifth younger brother will have no problems getting married this year." Er Fu smiled and patted Wu Fu on the shoulder.

"Brother, I think you are very tired, go and take a break." Wu Fu looked at Da Fu's bloodshot eyes, feeling sore in his heart.

Actually, speaking of Er Fu and San Fu’s marriage, Dafu earned the money from hunting. Why can’t Er Fu and San Fu see any gratitude on their faces now? Could it be that people will change when they get married?

Thinking of these things, Wu Fu couldn't help but look a little sad. What would this family be like without the support of his eldest brother?
Dafu rested at home for a day, and refused to be idle after recovering. He took a big hoe and followed Erfu to the river beach to open up wasteland.

When entering the door in the afternoon, Dafu handed Mai Xiang a small basket made of wicker, and put a few unknown wild flowers in it.

"It's so beautiful." Mai Xiang happily took it.

"Well, I heard that the plum blossoms in the Temple of the Reclining Buddha are about to bloom. Many people in the city have gone to see the plum blossoms in the past few days. You should also take Maihuang and others to have fun. Don't just think about making money."

Ye Dafu patted Mai Xiang's head distressedly, he had never bought a good thing for his daughter, even a wicker basket child could be as happy as that, Ye Dafu felt very uncomfortable.

"Really? Dad, I've been there several times, why didn't I see it?"

"It's just budding. When it's hot, it changes every day."

"Father, can you help me weave some more wicker baskets?" Mai Xiang asked Ye Dafu while pulling her.

Mai Xiang remembered a plot in "A Dream of Red Mansions". Xue Baochai's maid, Ying'er, wove a wicker basket and picked a lot of wild flowers to send to Lin Daiyu. Lin Daiyu praised how beautiful it was.

Lin Daiyu said it looks good, presumably these young ladies all have the same point of view, it’s a fresh look, it happens that Maixiang’s small basket is not easy to sell, and they want to change it.

"You want to sell it again?" Ye Dafu also reacted.

"Give it a try. It's worth a penny if you can sell it. It doesn't cost much anyway. It's just that dad works harder."

"Daddy doesn't work hard. Daddy will pick wicker for you tomorrow morning. The wicker shoots that we weave now will sell well if they look fresh." Ye Dafu is not stupid either.

Early the next morning, while the Ye family was still asleep, Ye Dafu went out to pick a lot of willow sticks and dragged them back, closed the door and weaved a small basket in the room.

When Mai Xiang got up, Ye Dafu had already woven six small baskets and put them on the box on the top of the kang, and he went out to pick wild flowers again.

When Ye Dafu came back with a basket of wild flowers, Mrs. Qian came out to feed the pigs. He thought Ye Dafu was digging wild vegetables.

"Brother, are there wild vegetables to dig now?"

"No, we have to wait a few more days. These are the first wild flowers to bloom."

"Then what are you doing picking this up?" Mrs. Qian didn't understand, Ye Dafu still had such leisure?

"Coax the children to play and help them weave a flower basket."

Qian Shi curled her lips when she heard this, yawned, and said in a nonchalant way: "It's better to be a boy, and never play with such flowers and grass, so don't worry about it."

"Yes." Ye Dafu didn't make any excuses, he lifted the curtain and went back to his room.

"Second sister-in-law, what do you think elder brother brought back?" Mrs. Sun heard it from the room, and hurried out to ask.

"Wildflowers, a basket of wildflowers." Qian didn't care.

"Strange, when I got up early and went to the latrine, I saw my elder brother dragging a large bundle of wicker back. What does elder brother want to do?"

Qian listened and thought about it, "Brother said he wanted to weave a flower basket for a few girls to play with, and he needed a large bundle of willows and a basket of wild flowers? When is it, is he still in the mood to play with the children?"

"That's not the case. I think Da Ya ran to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha in these markets, and the tone of the sister-in-law's speech was also wrong. It's not like crying poor before." The more Sun analyzed, the more she frowned. She remembered the people in the village. People say that when they saw Mai Xiang go to eat wontons, it is probably true.

When Sun and Qian were muttering, Mai Xiang and Mai Huang came out with a basket, in which there were three small flower baskets and a few pairs of straw sandals, with small wall sandals under the straw sandals.

"Big ya, what are you doing so early?" Mrs. Sun asked hurriedly.

"Second Aunt, Third Aunt, I'll take Erya to sell straw sandals. My father said that the plum blossoms in the Temple of the Reclining Buddha will bloom in the next few days, and there will be a market again." Mai Xiang said with a smile.

"To sell straw sandals, what are you doing with a small flower basket?" Qian asked.

"Play." Mai Xiang only said one word.

Mrs. Sun didn't believe it, she thought about it, and took some money back home, just in time for her to buy some handkerchiefs to embroider.

How did Mai Xiang know that there was a tail behind her, she said to Mai Huang: "We will each sell our own in a while, and the things in our baskets are all the same, and we will compare who sells it for more money, so as not to save you Convinced."

"Okay. Mom said I'm prettier and more attractive than my eldest sister, so I'm sure I'll be able to sell more." Mai Huang raised his head.

In her heart, she also thought that she was smarter and prettier than her elder sister. I heard this from more than one person. Everyone said that each of the four daughters of the Ye family was prettier than the other, except for the eldest.

Mai Xiang also knows that her appearance is ordinary, her facial features are really ordinary, and with the chronic malnutrition, it is no wonder that she looks good.

But to be honest, these days when Mai Xiang came here, she didn’t see many rich Manchu girls with good looks. Mai Xiang finally felt relieved that the Empress Dowager Cixi could get Xianfeng’s favor, because beautiful Manchu women are really rare. many.

So after hearing what Mai Huang said, Mai Xiang knew that she was still not convinced, nor angry, nor arguing with her, so she smiled lightly.With a character like hers, she has to fall a few times before she wakes up.

"By the way, whether you are convinced or not, you must never tell outsiders about family affairs, otherwise, the eldest sister will not earn enough money, so she will not be able to make new clothes for you." Mai Xiang had to give She drew a cake, which was Mai Huang's greatest wish.

"Can you really make new clothes for me?" There was a smile on Mai Huang's face.

"Of course, the premise is that you listen to what Eldest Sister says, and Eldest Sister will definitely let you wear new clothes this year."

As for when this year will be, Mai Xiang has no promise.Everything depends on whether Zhao's birth is smooth or not. In ancient times, giving birth to a child was said to be a hell.

"Sister, I promise to be obedient." Mai Huang was honest.

On the official road, there were much fewer horses and carriages than on February [-]th, but there were also many elegant men on horseback passing by Mai Xiang leisurely.

After entering the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Mai Xiang walked to the Shanmen Hall, and saw a plum forest here, all of which spit out small yellow flower buds, and there were sparse plum appreciators under the tree.

"You are here. When you see a beautiful lady, go and ask them if they want wicker flower baskets and wall shoes. I will go to the back and have a look. Remember, if you want it, you don't want it. You can't pester her. The elder sister will come over later. I can find you, you can go to Eldest Sister, anyway, don’t run around.”

Seeing that Mai Huang nodded in agreement, Mai Xiang came to the east side of the Temple of Heavenly Kings. There is a cluster of thousand-year-old plums here, which is said to be the crown of wintersweet in the capital. These literati and refined scholars like to come here to chant. Mai Xiang went to Liu Huilan to inquire about it yesterday afternoon. up.

Not to mention others, when Mai Xiang saw the small buds of the tree, she couldn't help poking her head over and sniffing vigorously.

"It's a pity, it's a pity that a clump of plum blossoms was ruined by a village girl." A sour scholar in his twenties stumbled and sighed.

"Everything in the world has its reason. For this thousand-year-old plum blossom, whether it is a village girl or a scholar, the final destination is the same." Mai Xiang couldn't help but sarcastically.

"What destination?" Someone asked curiously.

"A pinch of loess."

"how do I say this?"

Mai Xiang rolled her eyes and said, "Who can live longer than this plum blossom?"

"Pfft."

Someone beside Mai Xiang laughed. Mai Xiang saw that they were a pair of brothers.

Come on, the book review area is so deserted, don't you like it?

(End of this chapter)