The fertile water of farming does not flow to outsiders' fields

Father Xue shook his head: "I don't know, come to the kitchen to help after the door is installed. In winter, the hands and feet are slow and you can't eat hot meals."

Xue Yinsong looked at the gloomy sky: "I always feel that it's going to snow. Although our family doesn't have much spare money, why don't we go to the county to buy some new year's goods?"

"For Chinese New Year, the poor have their own way of living, and the rich have their own way of living. Don't pay too much attention to it." Father Xue said, "Tiger, two acres of land can feed the three of you if you take good care of it. .Father will sell wine with the little widow in the future, and I will save you some expenses."

Xue Yinsong didn't speak, and after a while he said: "Father, don't worry, I will let you enjoy the happiness." The old father replied with a smile: "Okay, it depends on how you can make trouble."

Xue Yinsong didn't speak, and peeled the cabbage clapper by himself, with a confident look.

In the afternoon, Xiucai took the initiative to contribute more than two taels of silver, saying that it was to buy him New Year's goods.Xue Yinsong took the money, thinking hard about how to spend a comfortable year with these few taels of silver.

Chinese New Year is nothing more than buying new clothes, enema of bacon, cleaning the house, and making dumplings on New Year's Eve. He and Father Xue used to be widowers and dragged their children, and they never paid much attention to festivals. Just buy another stewed chicken and the two of you will be fine.

New clothes are not available for the time being. Now that I have land at home, vegetables in the field, and chickens, rabbits and ducks in the pen, I don’t have to worry about food, but I have to buy some rice and wheat flour, and I have to buy a piece of pork to marinate. Meaning, besides the dozens of fish caught last time that were sold, there are still 5 small ones left, which can be regarded as suitable for the scene.

Thinking of this, Xue Yinsong heaved a sigh of relief. Don’t make meat stuffing for enemas. Blood tofu and rice are also good. There are plenty of rabbits, and the skins can be exchanged for a few dollars. It can be harvested, and I hope there will be a bumper harvest.

Therefore, there are really many things to do, and a family discussion meeting must be held, Xue Yinsong thought, and asked Changhui to call people to the main room.

Soon the four of them gathered in the main room, and the old man was still holding a handful of hay in his hand: "Tiger, what are you doing here?"

Xue Yinsong looked excited: "Planning for the New Year, family division of labor, come on, Xiucai, you find a piece of waste paper as a record, let's discuss one by one. First of all, what I want to say is that our family is a democracy. If you have any questions, ask them. Questions, if you disagree, express your opinion, everyone discusses and handles things efficiently.”

Sure enough, Xiaoxiucai went to find some rough paper and ink, and stood aside politely, waiting for orders.Xue Yinsong said: "every family has to buy new year's goods for the new year. Although our family is in short supply this year, we have everything in place, and it's not bad. Of course, there is not much money, so new clothes and so on are only given to Changhui What do you think of it?"

Of course the old man agreed, and Xiao Xiucai also agreed. He also knew that the family was a little tight recently, and the vegetables in the field were just ready to eat, but their family hadn’t started growing rice, so they had to buy it from outside. Those who went out were all for nothing. Flowery silver.

"The second thing is that you always have to buy some meat dishes for the New Year. Most people want cured meat and bacon. In our house, the meat is just a symbolic marinade. Didn't there be 5 large pieces of meat a while ago?" Fish? I think wind fish is also good, and it can be regarded as a new year's product, and there are plenty of rabbits, why don't you marinate two rabbits?"

Father Xue nodded: "Pork and rabbit meat are all meat, and rabbits are also good. There are two rabbits, one is air-dried to make chili-scented rabbits, and the other is slaughtered and then braised for Chinese New Year. The rabbit skin can be tanned for Changhui and Xiucai to sew. On the back, the two of them are thin-boned, and a small thin padded jacket may not be able to keep out the cold air on the mountain. I think it’s better to sell the remaining few rabbits, and take advantage of the high price of the New Year to exchange for some money, and they will have plenty of money.”

Of course Xiaoxiucai said yes, even Changhui understood the word "red burnt" even if he didn't understand it, so he clapped his little hands and said yes.

"Father, how long do you think this pig will be kept?"

The old man frowned and thought for a while and said, "Originally, it was supposed to be slaughtered during the Chinese New Year, but firstly, the pigs were raised too late, and there is not much meat produced, so I am afraid they will be thin if they are slaughtered; secondly, every household during the Chinese New Year slaughters pigs. Pork is cheap instead, so our family simply saves it for spring slaughter, and spring is the season for piglets, and pork is scarce at that time, so maybe it can be sold at a good price."

The other two also applauded, only Changhui pouted.Father Xue touched Changhui's head with a smile and said, "My dear, don't you like to eat fish? Save those big fish for you to eat, okay?" Changhui then became happy and smiled. clap your hands.

Xue Yinsong nodded in agreement: "This pig is considered our family's living bank. Save the money and wait for the spring to get it, which can just pass through the lean and yellow March." Father Xue also nodded: "The most difficult thing for the peasant family It’s March, there is nothing in the field, and all the money is used up after the new year, and the beginning of spring in March is the most difficult.”

Xue Yinsong said again: "It is said that marinated meat should also be stuffed with some intestines. Let's eat a new way this year, with blood tofu and glutinous rice. What do you think?"

The three of them looked at each other, and shook their heads together to refuse: "Tiger, you'd better not innovate." "Aba, the food you make is not tasty." "Well, Brother Xue...don't..."

Xue Yinsong assured: "I've eaten it before, and it's really not bad. Put pig's blood and glutinous rice together, add salt and aniseed ingredients, how about we make a few festivals this year? I won't do it, Dad will do it."

The three of them looked at each other again, only Changhui waved his hands: "Aba, I don't want to eat your cooking anymore. I sometimes have nightmares at night, and I just dream of cabbage clappers fried with miso." Xiao Xiucai was very shameless. He burst out laughing, Xue Yinsong was so angry that he grabbed his son and hugged his face vigorously, saying: "You son of a bitch, let me say that you won't eat meat during the Chinese New Year!" Chang Hui had no choice but to reserve his opinion.

The old man thought for a while and made a final decision: "Just try what the tiger said, and I will try to make it. Every family makes meat sausages, which is nothing new. If this blood sausage is made well, then our family will also have New Year's greeting gifts. It’s also a good thing to try something new for a few sessions.”

After discussing these few matters, only the division of labor remained. Xue Yinsong said: "Our family does not have many hands, so the distribution is like this: Xiucai and Changhui are responsible for cleaning the three rooms in the front yard, and the furniture, doors, and window lattices of the house must be wiped carefully. Clean the ground, including the corners, and then go to the village to buy some paper money for incense sticks."

Xiaoxiu was busy taking notes, and promised to do it.

"Father, your cooking skills are good. You can make the bacon enema for Chinese New Year. You also have to cook a table of Chinese New Year dishes. You will buy all the rice and noodles. I don't care about the pepper-scented rabbit." I haven’t heard of it, and you can handle it yourself, if you kill the rabbit, you have to tan the rabbit skin for use.”

The old man nodded repeatedly, patted his chest and said no problem, and also suggested: "Southerners love bacon for Chinese New Year, so they must need a lot of pine and cypress branches. For tigers, let's chop some back from the mountains tomorrow morning, and if we have enough for a car, we will take them to the county town Go sell it. This pine and cypress branch is only found on this mountain, so it should be able to sell for a price."

"Okay! This is a good idea. I will go up the mountain early tomorrow morning. I know there is a mountain nest with many pines and cypresses. If I go late, I am afraid that others will pick them up." Xue Yinsong began to think about his mission as he spoke: "Me, I need to collect trawl nets. , sell the ones that can be sold, and keep the ones that can’t be sold at home. The vegetables in the field are also collected by me. I just rushed to collect them in the hut these days, and make more pickles and pickles to eat in spring. Furthermore I have to take advantage of these few days to walk around the mountainside and prepare more firewood, otherwise it will be difficult to cut firewood when the mountain is closed by heavy snow. Dad will also bake a brazier at night, so we can burn firewood. It's very cold, I was too cold last night, and you still grabbed the quilt with me." Xue Yinsong complained while talking.

Father Xue rolled his eyes: "Don't you also grab the quilt at night! I woke up yesterday half of my body was outside, it's going to be freezing cold in this winter."

Xue Yinsong had no choice but to sigh: "This Chenjia Village is not good. It's getting hotter with a kang, and it's colder without a kang. It's really terrible."

Father Xue also nodded, they still feel comfortable in the north, they burn a warm kang in winter, sit on it and fry two small dishes and drink a little wine, oh, mother!Don't enjoy it too much!

The little scholar suddenly said expectantly: "Brother Xue, in fact, it would be a waste for me and Changhui to burn a charcoal basin, how about, how about you and Uncle Xue move the bed to my room, we, we... use a charcoal basin, Anyway, everyone is warm."

Father Xue and his son looked at each other, and then refused: "There is no such gift in the world. My son is your slave, and I can be regarded as a slave. Speaking of which, you are the master and we are servants. Now that you are willing to eat and live with us, Tiger and I are already very grateful, how dare you do something shocking to the world again."

"No, no," Xiaoxiu hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Uncle Xue, please don't say that. Changhui and I have been living here, and we have never thought about the difference between master and servant. Brother Xue is a very nice person, so what is there to eat?" It’s easy to use, and it’s always the first one to give it to me and Changhui. Now the family’s conditions are more difficult, but it can’t make you sick, so it’s settled like this, Brother Xue, you can move the bed later.”

Only then did Xue Yinsong reply: "That's why I would like to thank Mr. Pei for your love." Every time Brother Xue called him Mr. Pei respectfully, it meant that he was angry, and Xiao Xiucai glanced at him in confusion. Could it be that he did something wrong again? What?