Xiao Qiao enters the farm gate

After eating Laba porridge, Qiao Mo began to prepare for the first purchase of the Chinese New Year, mainly for the New Year gift.

First of all, I have the annual gift of returning to the capital.The capital city is far away, and it takes a lot of time to travel, and the uncle of the Qi family over there sent a New Year's gift early, which shows that he takes it seriously, and he is already a step behind as a junior.Qiao Mo didn't know much about buying New Year's gifts, let alone sending them to Qi's family, so he left it to Zhang Xia to make the decision, and he just had to take a look at it for the last time.

Next is the annual gift to Fang Jinnian.Fang Jinnian didn't like to go back to the Fang family's old house in the past, but now that the family is separated, he even plans to build a house in Fengcheng to live in permanently.Next was the gift from the Song family, which didn't need to be too generous, he didn't send it to the Song family, but to Song Han.In addition, shopkeeper Xiao of the teahouse also prepares a copy, after all, he is a frequent customer of cooperation.As for Situ Xuan...

Seeing that the Chinese New Year is coming, Situ Xuan will not stay in Fengcheng, right?

Instructed Zhang Xia to prepare an annual gift, although it seemed shabby to give it to the county king's mansion, after all, he was different from those high-ranking officials, he was just a small businessman.

Aside from those outside, there is still the village.

The head of the Lin family, several elders in the clan, and Li Zheng, the etiquette does not need to be generous, but they have to send their hearts.Besides, it's Father Lin's house, which can't be bypassed, so it has to be thickened a little bit, anyway, it's Chinese New Year's time all year round.Then only Grandma Li’s family needs a back-up gift, others such as Li Xue’s family, Bai Ge’er’s family, Grandma Sun’s family, Aunt Fat and Li Xiyuwen, etc. do not. They all go through the door during the Chinese New Year to connect with each other, which is much more friendly than just giving gifts.

After finishing all these, Qiao Mo began to prepare for the launch of the new sugar, and prepared a batch of gift boxes, divided into two types.

As soon as the twelfth lunar month entered, people began to prepare new year's goods one after another. It would not be worthwhile to go on sale too late, so Qiao Mo set the time on the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month.He didn't go to the shop, but only asked Zhang Xia to follow him. Zhang Xia had been by his side for a while, so he knew a little about his thinking and handling methods, and he could respond to any emergencies.

While Qiao Mo was calculating the sales volume of the new sugar, he walked to the west courtyard and told Li Xue that he would not come back until the [-]th of the twelfth lunar month.Although it is relatively simple to buy new year's goods in the countryside, it will be very busy after the age of twenty, and they have to clean up inside and out, and they must do it.

After sending out the notice, I returned to the courtyard, just in time to see Uncle Liu approaching him: "Master, just now Xiaobei was playing outside, and the children in the village said that Mr. Lin is gone. This is a big deal, and I dare not be careless. I went there specifically to look, and sure enough, there were no people there, and just half an hour ago, there were already crying over there. I think someone will come to report the funeral soon."

Qiao Mo was in a daze for a long time before he came back to his senses, his mood was quite complicated.

"Didn't I send a cup of chicken soup in the morning? It was fine at that time, I drank the soup, why..." Qiao Mo sighed, thinking that Lin Gui was not there, only a lame Lin Fu Drunk and drunk every day, I'm afraid that an old lady Lin is still thinking about how much money she can collect for funerals.

Originally, seeing that the Chinese New Year was about to come, he thought that Auntie Lin would be able to get through it. Even if Lin Zheng couldn't come back for the Chinese New Year, he would probably come back after the new year.But in the end, it still failed to let the father and son meet again.

"My lord, you are inconvenient now, and it's not easy for you to participate in funeral affairs, why don't you let me support you?" Lin Bo said.

"Okay, you can go there now, and come back to me if there is anything over there." Qiao Mo thought about it and added: "Maybe they forgot to inform Lin Gui in the city because they were crying sadly, please remind me. This is a major event, Father is dead, Lin Gui is a filial son, no matter what happens, he has to come back."

"Don't worry, my lord." Lin Bo asked some more questions, knowing what to do, and went over there to help.

Lin Bo went there for a long time, and came back at noon, saying that there were people from the Lin family to take care of the food. Because Liu Bo was representing Qiao Mo and Lin Zheng, he took care of some chores.

The funeral at home was organized and not flustered, but it was difficult for those who went to find Lin Gui, just because they asked Mrs. Lin about Lin Gui's address, but Mrs. Lin couldn't explain clearly. I don't know.In the end, the clan had no choice but to go to the matchmaker who was the matchmaker at the beginning. After all, Lin Zheng is not at home now, and Lin Fu is like that. No?

Hearing that he was still inquiring about the matchmaker at this moment, Qiao Mo felt that something was wrong. Could it be that Lin Gui's marriage was fraudulent?

If you think about it again, you won't be able to.Back then, the wedding was held in the village, and it cost at least two or thirty taels of silver. This is not counting the clothes of the husband, the team of sending off the relatives, and the several large boxes brought as dowry. Even if it was a play, where did Lin Gui get so many silver?If it is said that someone came to cheat the marriage, it is the same, Lin Gui himself is a poor boy, and it is not worth the money to sell him.

I can't figure out why, so I can only wait for the news.

Zhang Xia came to ask about the ceremony.

Human relations in the village are not as expensive as those in the city, and Zuo is just a wish, wanting a scene.The person who died now was Lin Zheng's own father, so the sacrifice was naturally particular, but it was not too much trouble considering the family fortune that Qiao Mo had earned.Qiao Mo considered that Lin Zheng would not be able to see Apa Lin for the last time when he was not at home, and he was unable to attend due to his physical condition, so he specially made the ceremony a little thicker, as Lin Zheng was doing his last bit of filial piety to let Apa Lin go. more beautiful.

Death is like a lamp being extinguished, and all the grievances and grievances in life are buried with the soil.

Zhang Xia came back after leaving for a while, with a strange expression on his face: "My lord, there is a commotion over there."

"What's the matter? What's the trouble?" The Lin family over there is not a rich family, and the family doesn't have a few taels of silver, let alone a son who doesn't fight for the family property. What's the trouble?

"It was Mrs. Lin who was making a fuss, saying that Mrs. Lin had no conscience, and stopped people from filling the coffin." Zhang Xia paused, and then finished speaking: "I didn't understand it at first, but I only found out after asking. Father had met the people of the clan before, and specifically asked the clan leader and two clan elders to be buried with his late husband, who is our uncle's pro-Amo, after his death. Let’s move again, and wait for Madam Lin to choose another place after a hundred years.”

...It's no wonder that Mrs. Lin is going to make a fuss.

To say that he and Mrs. Lin really had an enmity, it wasn't because he didn't look down on Lin Fu when he frightened Lin Fu, but because he proposed to worship the memorial tablet on the wedding day, and ignored it.No one can accept this kind of thing, especially Lin Laomao, she thinks she has given birth to two sons for Lin Apa, and Lin Gui is still a scholar, so she will have a bright future in her family, how can the one in front compare to him?But others just look down on him, thinking that he is not as good as the previous ones, and now Qiao Mo doesn't treat him like a wife, can he not hate him?

But no amount of resentment could match the words Apa Lin left behind, it was no less than stabbing him in the heart with a knife, completely erasing all the hard work he had done in the Lin family for so many years.

If Apa Lin is really allowed to be buried with his husband in front of him and leave him aside, then what face does he have?Not to mention being ridiculed by others while alive, even if he is dead, he is a lonely ghost with no place to collect him.

The ancients believed in this, although Aunt Lin didn't say it clearly, but that meaning is almost the same as resting a husband, and resting only after death.

Qiao Mo was quite surprised, he didn't expect Father Lin to do such a trick when he was dying, it was really cruel.Grandma Lin can make trouble, if Father Ruolin is still alive, she might have changed her mind, but if he is dead, it will be useless for Grandma Lin to make trouble anymore, the Lin family already hates him, and Father Lin I beg again and again, how can I ignore him.

Originally, the only person who could speak for Madam Lin was Lin Gui, but Lin Gui was nowhere to be seen at this time.

Usually in the countryside, the dead are buried for three days, but this time it was a full seven days, and they were not buried until after the first seven days.Although there are some reasons why Mrs. Lin is making trouble and blocking, the most important thing is that the Lin family is waiting for Lin Gui. However, Lin Gui has not shown up for seven days. It seems that he is about to be twenty, and every family is busy celebrating the New Year. Not wanting to be unlucky about the funeral, he waited seven days and escorted the restless old lady Lin to the cemetery, and escorted her to kneel in front of the joint grave, kowtowing to her husband and the wife.

As soon as the funeral was over and the paper horses were burned, the people gradually dispersed, and finally only Old Mama Lin and Lin Fu remained on the grave.

Now the only one who can send Father Lin the last journey is Lin Fu who is limping.

"Ah, I'm home, it's too cold here." Lin Fu sniffled, and squeezed his hands into the sleeves of his cotton coat, shivering with the cold when a gust of wind blew.

Madam Lin knelt on the grave in a daze, feeling that Lin Fu's voice was coming from far away, and it took her a long time to come to her senses. "Go home? Yes, go home. I'm still alive, and I'm not dead. Let the two dead ghosts lie on the ground, and I will live for a long time."

"Ah, why are you stupid? People can't even live to be a hundred years old, so they have to lie down sooner or later." Lin Fu limped and smiled and leaned over: "Ah, I know you are not willing to be buried with you because of your father. What's the point of getting angry? When you die, I will dig up this grave and bury you in it together."

For the first time, Old Mama Lin felt that her youngest son was so incapable of speaking, she was so angry that his heart ached.

On the day of the new year, every household was busy sweeping the stove and sweeping the dust. Qiao Mo was idle and bored, so he made candied melons with Mrs. Liu and Zhang Xia.After it was finished, Qiao Mo grabbed a handful for Xiao Bei who was following anxiously, and wrapped a large bag full of oiled paper, asking him to take it out and share it with other children.

Although every family knows how to make candied melons, they will not let the children eat them. Children are still greedy for sweets.

Thinking that his family bought candy, he would always bring out candy to entertain guests. It must be very lively at home during the Chinese New Year this year.Although there are more people in the family now, and it is lively and lively every day, but Lin Zheng is not around, so it is always a bit empty.Judging from the current situation, it is true that Lin will not come back years ago.

Before Qiao Mo felt melancholy for a while, Zhang Xia reported that there was a visitor.

When seeing Situ Xuan appearing in the yard, Qiao Mo was still a little surprised: "It's already a young year, Shishu hasn't returned to the capital?"

Situ Xuan entered the room, first took a few sips of hot tea, and then said: "I'm planning to go back, and I'll come and see you before I leave."

"Thank you Uncle Shi, my place is fine." Qiao Mo picked up the teapot and poured him another cup of tea. Seeing that it was getting late, he ordered Zhang Xia to arrange a table of good meals for the guests.

Situxuan looked around the room casually, as if thinking of something, and asked: "I came at an untimely time, and I didn't see your husband-in-law, and I don't know what kind of person he is. I heard that he went to the capital, why is it the New Year's Eve Didn't come back either?"

This was the first time Situ Xuan asked Lin Zheng.

Qiao Mo's expression remained unchanged, and he said with a smile, "I have to blame my uncle for this matter. Uncle Shi probably also knows that Ah Zheng has stayed at my uncle's house before, and his identity is not very pleasant to say. Uncle protects his weaknesses, for fear of wronging me. He didn't like Ah Zheng very much, and his words leaked out. Ah Zheng also has a bad temper. He didn't say anything, but he couldn't bear it in his heart. He insisted on going to Jincheng for a wedding. I know it's true for him to drink a wedding. Fortunately, after drinking the Xixiu, he made up his mind to run a business with others. He has done it before. He always wants to make more money and prove that he is capable and worthy of me, but I don't care about that. It's all right now , He almost never heard from him when he left, and he didn’t come back after Chinese New Year.”

Although it was just a play, Qiao Mo himself felt too sour when he complained about it.

"I think your uncle is right to dislike you. How can you not be wronged by living in this small village? Then Lin Zheng has no money and power, but he doesn't even have anyone by his side. What are you?" Situ Xuan shook his head, His eyes were full of Qiao Mo's silly and innocent expression.

Qiao Mo just smiled.

Situxuan asked again: "According to the time, he has been away for some time, but has he ever written a letter of safety?"

"Written."

"The whereabouts of a merchant runner are uncertain, and it's rare to have a letter. I don't know what the name of his caravan is? Who is the leader? You are getting heavier and heavier now, why don't I help you find out about the caravan? Send him a letter and let him come back sooner."

Qiao Mo was silent for a while, then shook his head: "Since he intends to make achievements before he comes back, let him do it. There are so many people in the family who take care of me, nothing will happen to me. It's better to let him make a breakthrough than to make a breakthrough." He's stuck at home, but he's always better off. At worst, he'll be back next year."

"You can see it." Situ Xuan had a helpless expression, and stopped asking.

Qiao Mo relaxed slightly, trying to see that Situ Xuan suddenly asked Lin Zheng whether it was intentional or not, but the other party's expression was the same, it was hard to guess.

It seemed that Situxuan really just came to see him before returning to Beijing, and left after lunch. Of course, this time he also brought a carload of New Year gifts, which were very generous.Although Qiao Mo didn't think it should be accepted, they were all sent home, so he couldn't refuse, so he just let it go.In addition, he put on the New Year's gift prepared earlier, which was too thin compared to the other party's New Year's gift.

Fortunately, Situ Xuan didn't care, and said with a smile that he would come back next year.

However, Qiao Mo's mood fluctuated because of Situ Xuan's questioning, and he couldn't help worrying whether Lin Zhengbei was safe or not.