The mulberry life of a small peasant girl

Chapter 32

Zhong Caixin ate voles for half a month, and gradually grew some meat on her body, and she could eat some steamed rice. Everything was going well. The only worrying thing was to conceal what the jerky was. .

"Ade, this jerky is so sweet, it can be used as snacks at ordinary times, remember to buy more next time you go to town."

Zhang De rubbed the sweat on his head and became more guilty; fortunately, Caixin, who is usually shrewd, has a lower intelligence because of pregnancy, otherwise, with his simple and honest personality, how could he hide his awkward expression.

"Okay, go to sleep, you will have something to eat when you wake up."

Zhong Caixin frowned, and asked in a bad mood: "Am I that pig-like? No, I'm going to get out of bed and not sleep anymore!"

Zhang De prevented his daughter-in-law from lifting the thin quilt, and comforted him repeatedly: "It's not like, it's just that the child wants to sleep, you have to let him sleep, be good, lie down quickly."

Zhong Caixin took her husband's arm again, "Do you think I'm much uglier?"

"No way! You've always been so good-looking, if you don't believe me, ask Nuan girl to come in and ask."

Zhong Caixin smiled and reprimanded: "How can you ask someone like this, you are old and unscrupulous; it's okay, you go out, I want to rest."

Zhang De hurriedly backed out, knocked on the door and let out a long sigh.

However, it didn't take long for such frightening days, and the little aunt finally passed the three-month pregnancy, and her body stabilized and she no longer suffered from morning sickness.Zhang Desheng was afraid that Caixin would find out that he had tricked her into eating field mouse meat for two months, so he hurriedly sent the leftover jerky to Dawang's father's house, that is, Zhang who had chosen Nuanbao to be Dawang's wife last time. At Brother De's house, this behavior aroused Da Wangniang's favor, and she said that she would go to Zhang De's house to see his new wife; Zhang De hurriedly shook his head to indicate that he didn't need it, how could she come to tell Caixin.

The little aunt's health has recovered, and everyone's attention has shifted to the upcoming corn harvest.

There is no need to pay taxes after the corn is harvested, so everyone is very happy. Many people live on this corn harvest all year round.In spring, wheat is used to pay taxes and sold for money to buy furniture for a year. In summer, corn is grown to grind cornmeal for daily consumption. Farmers have no other income. They value the harvest of the field very much, and they are also the group of people who know how to be grateful to nature. .

It's not difficult to break the corn, except for Zhong Caixin, everyone in the Zhang family has gone to the fields.Xiaoguai has become used to catching voles these days. Even though Zhang De has told him many times to stop catching voles, he still enjoys doing it and takes a voles home every day.

It was the first time that Zhong Caixin saw Xiaoguai wandering around her feet with a mouse in her mouth, and she screamed in fright, and Aunt Zhang next door was also frightened out of her wits when she heard the scream, and immediately rushed to Zhang's small courtyard without saying a word After driving away the dirt dog, he appeased Ade's daughter-in-law who drove away with a broom.

"It's okay, daughter-in-law Ade, put down the broom quickly, and be careful not to hurt yourself."

Zhong Caixin caressed her chest, inhaled continuously, and pointed at the fluffy corpse on the ground, "I'll let Xiaoguai throw that thing away soon."

Aunt Zhang took the broom in Ade's wife's hand, and with the garbage shovel, swept it away and threw it far away.

Looking back, she saw Caixin was still in shock, and said comfortingly, "Don't be afraid, this field mouse is not sick, and there are still many people eating it, it's delicious to eat it dried."

Zhong Cai couldn't believe it, "How can this thing be eaten, it's a mouse!"

"Ask Ade, he also ate a lot when he was a child. We all ate like this. Water snakes, loaches, eels, frogs, cicadas, which ones have you never eaten? They look disgusting. If you eat too much, you will get used to it." Mrs. Zhang said no said with concern.

Zhong Caixin was afraid that Aunt Zhang would be prejudiced against her, so she nodded quickly and said she understood.It's just that Zhang De must ask him if he eats these things when he comes back. Whether he eats them or not, their family will definitely not eat them again in the future.

Zhang De didn't know what happened at home for the time being, and he and Nuan Bao Xiaofu were busy breaking corn.

Xiaofu was very happy. The corn was big and yellow. When she saw the big one, she broke it. Then she saw the big one and then went to break the other. Annoyed, Nuanbao called her: "Xiaofu, do you still want corn soup? Do you still want corn soup?" Pancakes?" Xiaofu sensed that what her sister said was not polite, so she blinked her eyes and said flatteringly, "All the meals my sister cooks are delicious, and Xiaofu likes to eat what my sister cooks the most!"

Nuan Bao flicked her little head, "When did you learn this way of flattering? Make you not learn to be honest!"

Xiaofu continues to stick to Nuan Bao like brown candy, "Sister"

Nuan Bao pushed her away with both hands, "Go away, it's so hot."

Xiaofu snorted heavily, quite tempered, "Sister, don't regret it, the consequences of not letting Xiaofu be very serious!"

Zhang De was listening to the conversation between the two sisters, and the more he listened, the more he found it funny, and asked with a smile, "What are the consequences?"

Xiaofu curled his lips, "Even my little uncle helps my sister, but..." As he said that, Xiaofu smiled wickedly, "If my little aunt knows that she has eaten voles for more than two months..."

…………

Nuan Bao and Zhang De both muffled their voices, this little Fu is treacherous!
Since Qin Chengyi helped harvest last time, he would go down the mountain to bring some pheasants and hares to Zhang De from time to time. Zhang De didn't want it, but he thought that Caixin would not eat pork when she was pregnant, and she might be able to eat other meat and poultry, so he accepted it.

When it was time to harvest corn these days, Qin Chengyi went down the mountain again.

Cornfields are really a good place to cultivate adultery.

The adult-tall plants almost completely covered the short Nuanbao, and Qin Chengyi could vaguely see Nuanbao's palm-sized face through the gap. She carefully and persistently broke off the coated corn from the corn stalk, and put it on the bag behind her. In the back basket, and then broke off another one.

Qin Chengyi raised his eyebrows. The carrying basket was so big that it almost covered half of his back. Can she carry it?After hesitating for a while, he approached Nuan Bao and transferred the corn from her back basket to his own.

"Brother Cheng Yi, I'm not tired. If I wait too long, I will carry it on my back and put it down."

"It's okay, my back basket is relatively large, and it just fits a little more."

Nuan Bao took a good aim, then turned to look at her back basket, why couldn't she see the difference between the two back baskets.

Qin Chengyi turned around and walked back to the place where he had just picked, breaking off the remaining corn.It's just that they keep the same distance from Nuan Bao, and it seems that the two of them have never been separated.

Nuan Bao didn't notice anything, once she put her heart into work, she would concentrate on it and execute it conscientiously. There was no conversation between the two of them, only the sound of clothes rubbing against branches and leaves.

After breaking the corn in the whole field, Zhang De took the corn stalks back to the fire, while Nuan Bao and Xiao Fu stayed at home and slowly threshed.

Zhong Cai is so bored, besides making clothes for the baby in her belly, she also breaks corn, but she is not allowed to touch the knife, Nuan Bao cuts out a strip of corn in advance, and then she breaks it.

The ground in the yard is full of corn kernels, which can be ground after drying.

Zhang De asked Qin Chengyi to carry a bag of cornmeal back, because only vegetables and fruits could be grown on the mountain, but not food, which was obtained by Qin Chengyi selling wild animals in exchange.

Just when Qin Chengyi shied away, Aunt Zhang ran home from under the big tree in the center of the village, saw Zhang De standing in the yard, and shouted loudly: "Ade, come to my house quickly, something big is going to happen!"

Then he shouted again: "Old man, come out!"

Uncle Zhang came out slowly with a pipe in hand, "What are you yelling again, what big things can happen?"

Nuan Bao and Xiao Fu also helped Zhong Caixin out of the yard and came to the aunt.

"I heard that the corvée that was abolished more than ten years ago is about to start again!"

Zhang De was stunned. The corvée still remembered that the corvée took his father's life more than ten years ago. Is the tragedy going to happen again now?He looked at Zhong Caixin's belly, his eyes blurred.

Aunt Zhang's loud voice attracted almost everyone nearby. The children didn't understand what corvée was. They tilted their heads and asked their parents, but the expressions of all the adults present were different.

"Old woman, who told you this? Don't be a liar."

As soon as Uncle Zhang's voice sounded, everyone responded one after another.

"Yeah, that's a dead man's business..."

"No, Lao Guo, if it's true, what do you say? Woohoo, the child is still so young..."

"Sister-in-law Zhang, tell me what's going on!"

Aunt Zhang straightened her breathing and said in a hoarse voice, "I heard from someone who was visiting relatives in the next village. She said that her eldest sister-in-law's son was working as a headhunter in Longqing City, and soon the civilians would be recruited to build roads and defend the border. Darling is very busy." Coming down soon!"

Uncle Zhang had experienced the hardships of corvée and knew that this matter was no small matter, so he stopped the crowd from speculating and complaining, and took Aunt Zhang to Lizheng's house to inform the situation.

Seeing that Zhang De wanted to go with Uncle Zhang, Zhong Caixin hurriedly pulled his sleeve into the house, ordered Nuan Bao to close the door, and they hid in the house to discuss.

Zhang De's face was always blue, his hands were clenched into fists, his veins were exposed, and his eyes were still fixed after sitting down, which was very scary.

Nuan Bao didn't know what the corvée actually did, so she leaned into her aunt's arms in fear.

Zhong Caixin patted Nuan Bao on the back, and said to everyone: "Don't be afraid, I don't know the truth of this matter, so it's not worth scaring yourself."

After a pause, he said again: "If it's true, then I'm not afraid. In order to avoid corvee, my father once invited officials to eat and gave up some money. In the end, he didn't have to be conscripted. Moreover, I remember that if there was only one son in the family Ding, then this household doesn’t need to send a strong man, isn’t this the case in our family?”

Upon hearing this, Nuan Bao quickly asked, "Then the little uncle and brother Cheng Yi don't need to go?"

"In theory, it should be so, but some nobles and rich households will hire someone to replace them in order to avoid corvee. If they can't get them, then they will give some benefits to the officials..."

"Then the officials will arrest civilians? Regardless of whether they are the only child in the family, just to make up the number?" Nuan Bao answered by herself, seeing her aunt nodding, her body trembled.

As if holding on to the last straw, Nuan Bao asked anxiously, "Auntie, is there any other way?"

Zhong Caixin hesitated: "Yes. But..."

"But what?" Qin Chengyi asked out loud.

"Unless you escape."

Zhang De's tongue was dry, he licked Qiu's dry lips, and murmured: "It's useless, wherever you go, you will be in the Kingdom of Yong, and you will only be caught faster if you run away."

(End of this chapter)