Song female man

In April, in a manor on the outskirts of Hangzhou.

Xie Erniang led a donkey to drive the stone mill, and Mrs. Qi added soaked soybeans into the eyes of the mill. The stone mill turned, and the milky white soybean milk flowed down the mill trough into a trickle, and flowed into the wooden barrel under the stone mill. inside.

Mrs. Liu was sitting on the side, accompanied by Xing'er to peel the broad beans, joking with Erniang Xie and Mrs. Qi, and then telling Ming Xuan, who was beating Xingzi with a bamboo pole, not to laugh so loudly. She doesn't look like a little lady at all, but like a young gentleman.

In a blink of an eye, when she saw Hui'er carrying a basket carrying the apricots that Mingxuan had harvested, she wanted to praise her, saying that she was quiet and elegant, like a lady from a great family.

After hearing this, Mrs. Qi told Erniang Xie that she was very envious of Mingxuan's love of laughing and making trouble, like a tomboy, unlike her daughter Huier who was too quiet.

When Xie Erniang heard this, she shook her head and curled her lips, saying that she was only envious of her sister-in-law's daughter who was gentle and quiet, she was lovable at first glance, unlike her own daughter who looked like a monkey.She also said that Shun Niang was used to Er Chou growing up like this, so noisy, he will be an old girl and will not be able to marry in the future.

Mrs. Qi smiled slightly, and said: "If you don't marry, marry, or get married, I think it's better than marrying out. This mother-in-law is different from her mother-in-law..."

Xie Erniang answered in a low voice: "How many times have the officials said this, hey, let her."

While the two of them were talking, they had already finished grinding the three catties of beans soaked in hair, Mingxuan also picked a lot of apricots over there, and Hui'er picked up a basket.

Mingxuan threw away the bamboo pole in her hand, clapped her hands together, walked up to Hui'er, stretched out her hand and took out two bright yellow apricots, wiped them on her clothes, and took a bite out of them.Hui'er couldn't stop it in time, which meant that Xuan didn't wash her hands, nor did she wash the apricots, she just ate them while she grabbed them, so what if she got sick?

"Second sister, my father often said that if you don't do anything clean, you won't get sick if you eat it. Therefore, I don't believe you when you say that eating it will ruin your stomach. And, let me tell you, this apricot tastes better if you don't wash it. , why don't you take a bite and try it, I guarantee it's better than washing it." Mingxuan giggled, and handed the apricot she took a bite of to Hui'er's mouth.

Hui'er frowned, turned her head to express that she didn't believe what Ming Xuan said, and didn't eat it.

"Hmph, forget it, I'll give it to my mother." Mingxuan didn't mind turning around and walking towards Xie Erniang, walked up to her, and stuffed another unbitten apricot in her hand into her mouth, flattering her. Said, "Mother, eat this apricot. Sure enough, the apricots from the hundred-year-old tree are delicious, better than the apricots we bought in Bianliang City at this time of year."

Although Xie Erniang also felt a little disgusted by her daughter who didn't wash her hands or wash her hands, she opened her mouth to bite the apricots, and reached out to feed herself.

But she liked her daughter's filial piety, so she opened her mouth to appreciate the face and took a bite of the apricot that Ming Xuan stuffed into her mouth, and said that the apricot tasted really good.

"By the way, Er Chou, you go to the Ximian stream and ask your father to come back. I don't know how many fish she caught."

"Do you want to eat fish tofu for lunch today?"

"Yeah, your aunt and I have finished grinding the beans. I'll order tofu in a while. You go and ask her to come back."

"Okay, I'll go right now."

After Mingxuan finished speaking, she went to grab a few apricots from the basket that Huier was carrying and said that she would bring them to her "father" to eat.

Seeing her bouncing straight out the second door, Erniang Xie and Mrs. Qi worked together to carry a bucket full of milky white soybean milk into the kitchen.

Liao, the servant girl, had already cleaned the big iron pot. Qi scooped soybean milk into the pot with a wooden ladle, and Liao lit it up.

Xie Erniang went out to the well to bring a bucket of water up to wash the stone mill, just as Mrs. Luo, the wife of Zhang Qilang, the head of the village, came in. As soon as she saw it, she hurried up to grab the wooden ladle from Xie Erniang's hand, and said thank you, Mrs. How can you do such a job.Shouldn't such a job be done by the maid at home?

While talking, she looked at Xing'er who was sitting next to Mrs. Liu peeling broad beans.

The Xi family moved to this manor on the outskirts of Hangzhou within half a month. Zhang Qilang, the head of the village, was hired by the Xi family to manage more than 200 mu of land outside the manor. This Luo family often came to the Xi family to please the owner of the Xi family. The wife of the family, Xie Erniang, brought some vegetables or wild vegetables to pay her respects.

This time she came here with a large handful of toon sprouts, and let Xie Erniang use them to make cold tofu or scrambled eggs.

In Luo's eyes, Xi's family can be regarded as a rich man, because not everyone can buy more than 200 mu of land in the outskirts of Hangzhou, and even build a big house with three entrances.

But what puzzled her was that the wife of the head of such a rich family had to do the work by herself, and she didn't have groups of servants to order her around, which was different from other rich people.

She calculated that in the Xi's house, there are usually only six people at the mercy of the Xi's family, three men and three women.

Among the three girls, the youngest one was Xing'er, who was in her early twenties, and the other two servants were both in their thirties.

Hearing what Luo Shi said, Xing'er glanced at her dissatisfied, thinking that she was meddling in her own business.

Xie Erniang told her kindly that she was willing to do some work, otherwise she would definitely get sick if she sat around all day.

Luo smiled and nodded flatteringly and said yes, but quickly said that if there is a little girl to help, she doesn't have to do everything by herself, for example, just now she met Erniang Xie's daughter Mingxuan who ran out.Mingxuan said that she was going to ask her father to go home for dinner. In fact, if there was an eleven or twelve-year-old little girl in the family, she would let the little girl run errands, and there was no need to let the little lady of Xi's family run errands.

Xie Erniang listened to what she meant, probably wanted to recommend a little maid to come to the house, looked at Xing'er who was about to turn 21 this year, and the contract of living with Xi's family had expired, Xie Erniang asked Luo to talk to her.

Seeing that she has a family, Luo recommended to Xie Erniang her younger brother's daughter, Gu'er, who is only 11 years old this year.

She said that this girl came into the house to be a maid, and signed a ten-year contract of living, only eighty pennies will do.

Xie Erniang asked her to bring the child to have a look tomorrow, Luo agreed, and happily left.

When Mrs. Liu saw Mrs. Luo gone, she called Erniang Xie over and asked her why Mrs. Luo was here.

Xie Erniang told the truth, and Liu said after listening, "Xing'er just told me that after the contract is completed, Shi Shi will accompany her home, and then get married when she comes back. After marriage, she is still willing to stay. Help us at Xi's house."

"Okay, this is a good thing. I wish Xing'er would stay. After so many years, Xing'er is just like my sister." Xie Erniang looked at Xing'er with a smile and said, "I went back to visit my parents, and we will treat you well. Have a happy event."

Xing'er nodded shyly and grinned.

Xie Erniang went to take the toon buds that Luo's placed on the stone mill into the kitchen, and then said to Qi Shi, "Ms. Luo just brought a handful of freshly picked toon buds. Let's add a dish at noon and get some toon salads." Eat a piece of tofu, and eat the rest fried chicken at night."

Mrs. Qi said hello while ordering tofu.

Xie Erniang divided half of the Chinese toon and took it out to wash. After that, she went to wash the broad beans peeled by her mother-in-law and Xing'er. Then she went into the kitchen and chopped the Chinese toon, ginger and onion.

After finishing the work, Qi's tofu is also ordered, and he said that he is waiting for Shunniang's fish.

Xie Erniang saw that Mingxuan hadn't called Shunniang back, and that her sister-in-law had ordered the tofu, so she took off the apron tied around her waist, and said that she was going to find them right away, not knowing that the big and the young would be together again. Got stuck on something.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Qi smiled and told her to go quickly.

Xie Erniang left the big house of Xi's family, walked to the left along the bluestone road in front of the house, walked 50 meters, and then walked up a field ridge, half a mile away, to the stream under a small mountain.

At first, Shunniang came to choose a site to build this house. There was a gurgling stream half a mile to the west of the house. There were many fish swimming in the stream and many willow trees growing beside the stream. Shunniang liked to go fishing there.

Since she came to live in the manor here, Shunniang has nothing to do, and when the weather is fine, she will dress up as a fisherman and go fishing.

Wearing a green bamboo hat, short brown clothes, straw sandals on her feet, a fishing rod on her shoulders, and a fishing basket in her hand, Xie Erniang laughed at her for putting on a pose, and none of the villagers here dressed up like her to go fishing.Therefore, when you go to the stream, you can recognize her at a glance.

Shun Niang said: "I dress up like this to make it easier for you and Ming Xuan to come to me. You see, I think about your mother and daughter, but you laugh at me."

Xie Erniang: "Really?"

Shunniang: "Of course it's true."

Xie Erniang was walking on the ridge, thinking of what Shunniang said, she couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips.

In the Jiangnan countryside in April, the buckwheat flowers are all white, and the rapeseed flowers are sparsely scattered. Farmers are planting seedlings in the fields, and the green seedlings are full of energy in the spring breeze.

Suddenly there was a sound of gongs and drums from the front, accompanied by folk songs sung by the farmers.

Xie Erniang looked over curiously, and saw a lot of villagers talking and laughing in an open space beside the field ridge ahead.

What are they doing?

Thinking of this, Erniang Xie approached, and also poked her head to look inside.

Inside the circle, an old man with a white beard held a bowl of wine in his hand, and there were several wine jars at his feet. He led some people to sing while beating drums and gongs. Listening to the content of the folk songs they sang, they probably prayed to God and bless the crops. Free from natural disasters and insect pests, rich and bumper harvests.

It turned out to be the "spring prayer" in the countryside here. One is to celebrate the beginning of spring planting, and the other is to reward those who work hard in the fields.

She saw Shunniang and Mingxuan in the crowd on the opposite side at a glance. Shunniang's fisherman's attire was so recognizable.

Shunniang still held a bowl of wine in her hand, while drinking, she ate the apricots that Mingxuan fed her. Judging by the expression on her face, she seemed to be eating delicious food from the world, enjoying it very much.

Apricots with wine?

Xie Erniang couldn't imagine what it would taste like.

These two people were stumped by this, and they don't know what is so good about such a rural "spring prayer".

Shaking his head, Erniang Xie waited for a while, saw that Shunniang had finished drinking the bowl of wine in her hand, and the white-bearded old man picked up the wine jar and wanted to pour wine for Shunniang again, so he couldn't help pushing aside the crowd and walked over to let Shunniang drink. Mom, stop drinking and go home.

Seeing Erniang Xie coming, Shunniang thanked the old man embarrassingly and said that she didn't drink anymore and was going back.

Seeing this, the surrounding farmers made a fuss, saying that Xiguan was afraid of his wife, and she didn't dare to say anything about what the lady said.

Shun Niang was a little drunk, her face was red, and she explained to the booing people around that she was not afraid, but love, and everything went smoothly after listening to her.

Now even the white-bearded old man laughed, saying what Shun Niang said was really fresh, the women in their family listened to them, didn't the family affairs go smoothly?So, Shun Niang is talking nonsense, obviously, she is just a soft-footed shrimp who is afraid of women.

"Hmph, I won't tell you. I am loving, not afraid. If you don't believe me, you ask my wife, am I afraid of her, or is she afraid of me?" Shunniang said, poking her neck.

Ming Xuan who was next to her echoed loudly, "Both my father and I love my mother! We are not afraid of her!"

"Hahahaha!" The farmers laughed even harder.

Xie Erniang glared at the two of them, stepped forward and grabbed one of the sleeves with one hand, pulling them out of the crowd.

They scolded them while walking, the tofu at home is ready, waiting for the fish to be put into the pot, how good are they, if you don't go home to watch the fun here, you will punish them after you go back.

Shunniang asked how to punish, Xie Erniang said that the family raised silkworms, and punished them to go pick mulberry leaves in the afternoon, each of them came back with a basket, and they were given food at night.

Mingxuan and Shunniang looked bitter in front of Erniang Xie, but when Erniang Xie didn't see, they smiled at each other and clapped their hands quietly. They like to do this job, and they came back after picking mulberry leaves Feeding those silkworm babies is really rewarding.

Back home, Shunniang took out the two fish in the fish basket, killed and cleaned them, and made a pot of delicious stewed fish with tofu by herself.

At noon, Xijia’s dining table is served with Chinese toon cold tofu, tofu fish, fried broad beans, and a plate of fried vegetables.

The dining table is placed under the century-old apricot tree in the yard, and the spring sun shines through the leaves, casting spots of light on Xi's family's meals.

The Xi family sat around the dining table, chatting and laughing, and ate all the delicacies mixed with spring breeze and spring sun.