Picking mulberries

Under Qiu Hong's introduction, Cui's father and son and Shen He knew that the car was approaching Jiuqiu Village where Qiu Yang was. As soon as he entered the village, Qiu Yang's car in front slowed down, walking slowly like a pedestrian. Okay, Cui Dongxu behind had to slow down and follow slowly.

"Xiao Qiu, are you almost at the door?" Cui Shicheng asked Qiu Hong when he saw that the car was slower than walking.

"No, it's still early. My uncle's house was rebuilt on the old homestead, at the back of the village." Qiu Hong turned back.

Just as Qiu Hong finished speaking, there was a sudden sound of firecrackers in front of him. The sound of firecrackers was also mixed with the sound of gongs, drums and suona. Many spectators gathered on both sides of the intersection into the village.When Cui Dongxu was in a daze, two young men jumped out from both sides of the car and put a big red flower tied with red silk on the hood of Cui Dongxu's car, which was very festive.

Seeing that the firecrackers were going off, Cui Shicheng wanted to get out of the car and walk.Qiu Hong persuaded them, saying that this was the custom in their countryside to welcome distinguished guests. Firecrackers should be set off from the time they enter the village to the door of their house, and the drum band should always follow behind.Shen He joked, it looks a bit like getting married.Qiu Hong explained that the most solemn etiquette is like this, which is similar with minor differences.

Amid the sound of drums and firecrackers, the car finally arrived at Qiu Yang's house like a snail.When Cui Dongxu got out of the car, Qiu Jingping, who was waiting by the side of the car, quickly stepped forward to hold his hand, saying repeatedly that Dr. Cui hadn't seen him for a long time.When Cui Shicheng got off the car, Qiu Jingdong received him, Shen He was still received by Qiu Hong, Su's mother Cui Shiying was received by Zhou Guimei Wang Qiuxia and Zhuang Huaying, and Qiu Yang introduced the people on both sides one by one.

The courtyard and the neighbors on both sides were full of wine tables, and there was very little space to move around. Under the careful guidance of the Qiu family, Cui Shicheng and the others entered the main house.Four tables were also set up in the main room. Cui Shicheng was arranged at the table near the middle hall on the east side, Cui Dongxu was arranged at the table near the door on the east side, Shen He was arranged at the table near the middle hall on the west side, and Cui Shiying was arranged at the table near the middle hall on the west side. Was assigned a table on the west side near the door.What surprised Cui Shicheng and the others was that the Qiu family arranged guests to accompany each table.Cui Shicheng was accompanied by Kang Yuzhang, Secretary of the Longgong Township Committee, and Qiu Zaiyun, the oldest ancestor of the Qiu family. Accompanying Cui Dongxu was Zhai Jin, the mayor of Longgong Township, and his old friend Qiu Shangzhi, director of the Sericulture Office of the township. Qiu Yang, who accompanied Shen He Uncle Zhuang Angang, and Su's mother Cui Shiying was accompanied by Qiu Yang's aunt Zhuang Dongying.

There were a lot of things to deal with at home. After introducing them to both parties, Qiu Jingping and the others were busy with the banquet, and Cui Shicheng and the others drank tea and chatted with the guests.Originally, Cui Dongxu's reputation was outside. The famous professor of Z University, a young and promising agronomist, is very popular in any township, not to mention that Cui Shicheng, a famous entrepreneur and member of the CPPCC in Qingyuan City, came here this time. Kang Yuzhang, Zhai Jin, and the others had to make time for company no matter how busy they were with business.As they gradually became familiar with each other, the content of their discussions became more and more extensive and in-depth. In terms of investment in subsidiary industries related to the cocoon industry, Cui Shiqing revealed his willingness to invest while chatting.Seeing Cui Shicheng's attitude, Kang Yuzhang and Zhai Jin smiled, and introduced the situation of the whole town clearly, and the chat was lively, and it was time for the banquet that he still had more to say.

The banquet started, and the members of the Cui family had seen what a lively scene was, and also learned how much the Qiu family respected them.The elders and seniors in the village all came to toast Cui Shicheng and Cui Dongxu one by one, □100 years old, over [-] years old, Cui and his son couldn't afford it, so they hurriedly left their seats to return their respects.Qiu Jingping's classmates and Qiu Yang's classmates also came to toast one by one in the name of thanking Qiu and his son. Under Qiu Jingping and Qiu Yang's persuasion, Cui and his son accepted it with peace of mind and did not return the toast.Later, when relatives such as Qiu's aunt, uncles and in-laws, Qiu Jingping's friends in the literary circle, and members of the Jiuqiu Village Committee came to toast, Cui's father and son were so confused that they didn't go to pay back.Luckily, I was told before the banquet that no matter who came to toast, their glass would be dry, and those sitting in the VIP seats only need to sip to get by. He was completely drunk.

The banquet ended at two or three o'clock in the afternoon. After drinking tea at Qiu's house, Kang Yuzhang and Zhai Jin personally led the Cui family to Tianhao Garden, where they visited several places with more distinctive scenery in Gui 92 Jian. .For dinner, Kang Yuzhang hosted the Cui family and the Qiu family in a restaurant on Longgong Street.When they returned to Qiu's house, it was already midnight.

Zhuang Huaying and Wang Qiuxia have already arranged the guest rooms for the guests. Although it is a rural residence, the bedding, toiletries, etc. are very clean and tidy, and the room is also spotlessly cleaned. It is no worse than other star hotels. It was already prepared.Before going to bed, Shen He specially asked Qiu Jingping for his works to appreciate. He was very happy with Qiu Daxiu. After rummaging through boxes and cabinets for a long time, he presented a collection of poems and a collection of essays. They were not official books, but Qiu Jingping. Collect the articles you publish in newspapers and magazines, and print the bound booklet yourself.Cui Dongxu saw Qiu Jingping's solemn appearance and kept it in his heart, thinking that one day he would help Qiu Xiucai publish a few books and realize his dream of being a writer.

The next morning, after eating the breakfast carefully prepared by Zhou Guimei Zhuang Huaying and Wang Qiuxia, the Cui family wanted to go home.Qiu Jingping couldn't persuade him to stay any longer, so he said he would drink some tea to digest food before going on the road, and Cui Shicheng agreed.

During the chat, Shen He highly praised Qiu Jingping's article, saying that although he lives in the countryside, he can see from his writing style that he has a big heart for the world, and he said that he is ashamed of his choice of words and sentences. Kit Kat, the artistic conception of the poem is far-reaching, giving people the enjoyment of beauty.Although Qiu Jingping humbly said that he was showing his ugliness, he was so happy in his heart that he almost went to the sky.In the end, Shen He changed the subject and said that from the lines, it can be seen that Qiu Jingping is a person who is out of the world, free from the fetters of the world, and his understanding and tolerance of his son's shocking behavior is the posterity of a father in the new era. He is respected and admired by others.Although Qiu Jingping couldn't fully understand the meaning of Shen He's words, he was overwhelmed by Shen He's previous praise, so he didn't go into Shen He's words, and listened purely to his own words of praise.

Finally, when the Cui family really wanted to go back, Qiu Jingping asked Zhuang Huaying to go to the bedroom to get a cloth package and put it on the table. Qiu Jingping unwrapped the package and found stacks of RMB inside.

"You are..." Cui Shicheng looked shocked.

"This is a little thought from our family, Mr. Cui, please don't dislike it." Qiu Jingping said with some embarrassment.

"We can bear the uneasiness of this intention." Cui Shicheng said hypocritically.

"Mr. Cui, don't say that. If you don't accept our kindness, our whole family will feel uneasy." Zhou Guimei interjected.

"Brothers of the Qiu family, let me take the liberty to ask, do you all have the custom of giving bride price when you get married in the countryside? What is the general standard?" Cui Shicheng asked solemnly.

"Yes, yes, there is a custom of giving dowry gifts, but there are quite a few of them. Now it is getting higher and higher. Let me think about it... There is no specific standard. There are high and low, generally around 12 to [-] "Although Qiu Jingping didn't understand why Cui Shicheng suddenly called him Qiu's brother and what it meant, he still answered his words.

"How much do you have?" Cui Shicheng pointed to the package on the table and asked.Cui Dongxu was embarrassed behind Cui Shicheng, so he pestered his father with his fingers, reminding him to be careful when speaking.

"There are a total of 18 here." Qiu Jingping said shyly.

"Wow, 18, it's much higher than the general standard of bride price." Cui Shicheng said and wanted to go to the table, but Cui Dongxu grabbed his hem suddenly from behind.

"Two different things, we are two different things, we can't compare with that general standard." Qiu Jingping laughed.

"What the brothers of the Qiu family said is true. Our matter cannot be compared with that general standard. I also explained to you yesterday that A Yang is not only the chairman of my company, but also my godson. Now that you are so sincere If you sincerely show your intentions, I will not hold back, you have to follow your local customs, and I will accept this bride price." Cui Shicheng opened Cui Dongxu's hand behind him, went straight to the table and tied it The package was brought down.Shen He who was at the side couldn't help but sigh inwardly, his brother-in-law was seasoned and decisive in his actions, compared to him, he was much younger.

"This time I have recognized the door. If you have time, you can come to our countryside more often. I'm not bragging. The atmosphere here is incomparable." Qiu Jingping saw that Cui Shicheng accepted the gift of gratitude frankly, and he was very happy , and didn't care about the meaning of the word "betrothal gift" that Cui Shicheng said, thinking that he was joking.

The Qiu family sent the Cui family out of the courtyard, and Cui Dongxu wished he could get away with oil on the soles of his feet, but Qiu Yang stopped him desperately: "Teacher, wait."

"What are you doing?" Cui Dongxu gave Qiu Yang a sneaky look, signaling to let us go quickly.

"I saw a white hair on your head." Qiu Yang approached Cui Dongxu affectionately, and searched for a long time with both hands on his head, "Oh, it may be confusing, because the light was reflected when I went out just now."

"You brat, don't talk about being big or small in front of the teacher." Qiu Jingping scolded Qiu Yang.

"Dr. Cui is still approachable, and he has no airs of a professor at all." Zhuang Huaying, who was following behind Qiu Yang, didn't think there was anything wrong. He seemed to have seen this kind of scene before. Even my husband has the same attitude, very intimate.

"I don't have any help from you at home. Now I'm the chairman of the company. It's not as good as before. Why don't you go back with Mr. Cui and the others today?" After sending Cui's family away, Qiu Jingping wondered why his son stayed at home abnormally and said he would After the National Day holiday.

"They're not going back to Qingyuan, they're going to visit Qingxi and Xingtun villages and towns." Qiu Yang said absently.

"Then why don't you stay with us? There are five of them in one car, how crowded." Zhuang Huaying was also very surprised by his son's abnormality.

"I still have some things to deal with at home." Qiu Yang said in a low voice.

"What's the matter?" Qiu Jingping and his wife said in unison.

"The banquet is over, do you see that there are a lot of leftovers at home, and you are afraid of wasting them, so you will leave after eating?" Zhuang Huaying joked.

"You guys are busy with things in the kitchen first, I'll go to my uncle's house to talk about something." Qiu Yang ignored Zhuang Huaying's joke, and walked out of the hall while talking.

"Ask your uncle and the others to come to eat at home, and let them bring some food home." Zhuang Huaying shouted at Qiu Yang's back.

"I know." Qiu Yang replied sullenly.As soon as the voice fell, people rushed out of the courtyard.

"Mom, there must be something wrong with Ayang, you know?" Qiu Jingping asked Zhou Guimei suspiciously.

"What can be the matter? It's because I haven't stayed at home for the past few years, and this time I'll take advantage of the vacation to have fun." Zhou Guimei said nonchalantly.

"You can figure it out with your toes. Isn't it because your grandson came back in a fancy car and wants to show off at home for a few more days." Zhuang Huaying snorted.

"Chewing, my foreign treasure is not the kind of person who likes to show off." Zhou Guimei said defensively.

"There's not much activity in the temple recently, right?" Qiu Jingping asked his mother.

"I haven't heard of it," Zhou Guimei thought for a while and shook her head, "If there is an event, Yangbao will definitely tell me in advance."

"Oh, by the way, Ah Hong said that he was going back to Shenzhen today, and the brat must be sending his brother off." Zhuang Huaying suddenly remembered.

"Are you going back today? It's rare to go home, why don't you stay for a few more days." Zhou Guimei said that she also wanted to visit the eldest son's house.

"Mom, don't go, he will come here to say goodbye before he leaves, isn't A Yang's car still here." Zhuang Huaying pointed to the garage.

"Yes, don't take a different fork, you missed it in the middle." Zhou Guimei nodded and went into the kitchen.

Sure enough, as expected by Zhuang Huaying, Qiu Yang and Qiu Hong came from the front of the village not long after.Zhuang Huaying gave Qiu Hong the two big plastic bags that had been sorted out, all of which were homemade souvenirs.Qiu Hong refused, saying that his mother made a lot of it, and it was almost impossible to mention it.Zhuang Huaying said that it was your mother who made it, I mean it, and Qiu Hong insisted on accepting it.Qiu Hong had no choice but to agree, and took it.

When Qiu Hong was helping him put things in the carriage, Qiu Hong couldn't help sighing when he saw the ring on Qiu Yang's ring finger, and looked at the nagging aunt behind him with complicated eyes.

"Ah Hong, your mother is thinking about it now, so don't feel bad about yourself. There are so many couples who don't have children, and some of them will have children." Seeing her nephew's sad expression, Zhuang Huaying comforted her.

"Well, it's not sad. I'm learning from A Yang now. I've been doomed a long time ago. Let's admit it." Qiu Hongqiang smiled.

After sending Qiu Hong away, Qiu Yang parked the car at home and went to his uncle's house. He stayed for a long time before returning, and he didn't go home for dinner.Qiu Jingping and Zhuang Huaying asked him, but he didn't say anything.

In the next few days, Qiu Yang was very quiet. He neither went out to show off his red luxury car, nor went to the temple to ask about Zen practice, but stayed at home obediently, reading books, and helping Zhuang Huaying.

Until the National Day holiday was coming to an end, Qiu Jingping finally couldn't hold back, not only his son was abnormal, but also his elder brother and sister-in-law were abnormal. He called several times to ask them to come and bring some extra food from the banquet, but they never showed their faces.

"Son, what did you talk about with your uncle a few days ago? Was it about your brother?"

"No," Qiu Yang said with a serious face, "It's about myself. I wanted to confess to you in a while, but the holiday is over today, and I plan to go back the day after tomorrow. I don't know when it will be so long. The rest time, I should explain it to you now."