Village Flowers and Female Scholars

Seeing Xie Yan's look of desperately looking for someone, Yu Po hurriedly said: "Little Jin'er, don't be impulsive. With your small body, you can win whoever you can. Sit down and discuss what to do first."

Xie Yan said with a sigh of relief: "Grandma Yu, don't worry, I'm not a fool who comes to the door to find someone to single out, I'm going right now."

As soon as the words fell, I heard a voice from a distance saying: "Come here, girl Jin, I'm late."

The person who came was Lizheng Cai Chu, and beside him was a middle-aged man in his forties with a pipe in his mouth. He was Zhang Tou, a master who was good at building houses in the village. Come in the direction of here.

"Uncle Cai, you are here. The people of the Cao family are really deceiving people too much. I really can't swallow this breath. If they come here whenever they want, what should I do?" Xie Yan said angrily.

"Of course, this matter can't be settled like this. There are no rules and regulations in a village. If anyone wants to be in the same village with them in the future, we will go to Cao's house now."

Cai Chu also had an unhappy expression on his face. The contract was signed less than two days ago. It was really unreasonable for the old lady Cao to openly come to snatch him regardless. Isn't this a slap in the face of Lizheng?

At this moment, another figure, tall and short, appeared at the intersection, Zhuang Wan and Xie Yuangu.

Seeing Xie Yan from a distance, Xie Yuangu broke away from Zhuang Wan's hand and ran towards her, hugged her waist and cried for a while, then stopped, Xie Yan lifted his chin to look , Sure enough, there was a lump on the right side of my face.

The old lady Cao really hit her hard, Xie Yan didn't let go of her breath before, but then she breathed her heart and lungs again, and she was half dead with anger.

"Gu'er, be good, my sister will vent this anger for you in a while."

Xie Yuangu's trust in Xie Yan has reached the peak now, after hearing what she said, he hugged her tightly and nodded with tears in his eyes.

Xie Yan hugged her younger brother, and raised her eyes to look at the woman in front of her. Zhuang Wan's bright eyes were looking at her, her usual calm expression was much softer, and there was a rare hint of concern in her eyes.

Xie Yan felt warm in his heart, but he had no time to think about other things at this time.

Cai Chu greeted and immediately set off to Cao's house, Xie Yan hurriedly stopped him and said: "Uncle Cai, wait a moment, the Cao family came here today just for the two taels of silver, although money is tight now, but I will pay for their share of money early." I just kept it, but I didn't expect them to deceive people so far. I said earlier that I would give it to the Dragon Boat Festival next year, but who knew that just two days after the allocation, they turned into robbers and came to the door. This time, they gave them all the money. But this time, the things that were robbed at my house have to be deducted, and my mother and brother were bullied for no reason, so there must be an explanation anyway.”

Cai Chu nodded: "It is necessary to ask for an explanation. After being so arrogant, it will be fine."

"Then today has to be the same as when the family was separated the day before yesterday. The scholar is also here, so we will go together. The Thirteenth Master also wants to invite, but this time it is not for the separation of the family, but for the old lady Cao's visit today." thing."

Old Zhangtou looked at Xie Yan's orderly arrangement and nodded secretly. When Cai Chu went to him in the morning and said to help the mother and daughter build a house, he still thought it was unreliable. Now it seems that, This little girl is expected to be the head of the family.

Xie Yan asked them to wait for a while, and then came out after rustling for a while. When she came out, she had a small cloth bag in her hand. She walked up to Cai Chu, opened the cloth bag, took out three taels of silver and handed it over. .

"Uncle, I told you about helping to build a house earlier. Everyone may be afraid that I will not be able to afford the money. In fact, I have prepared everything. It was estimated that it would cost about three taels. I entrusted Uncle Cai to keep it for me. When I return Hair wages and feed money are also paid from your side, so you don’t have to worry about I won’t be able to pay the wages after the work. I still have two taels on me, and I will go to Cao’s house to get the two taels in a while The money was cleared."

Then he continued: "Our small thatched hut collapses as soon as it is pushed, and it can't hide anything. If my mother hadn't used an ax to protect her to the death today, everything in it would have been robbed. The Cao family is really You are too deceitful, please ask Uncle to uphold justice for our mother-in-law."

Cai Chu received such a great trust, it was his duty to do so, and he responded with all his heart.

Seeing that Xie Yan took out three taels of silver, old Zhangtou felt confident. Seeing that she entrusted the money to Li Zheng in front of a scholar and himself, he knew that the little girl was not a brainless girl. The wicked Li Zheng, in front of everyone, can't be blamed no matter what.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help giving Xie Yan a high look, and echoed: "The Cao family is really deceiving people too much. Now that everything is ready, we must hurry up and arrange to build the house. When the gate is closed, even if they want to Can't even get in the door."

"Well, when the time comes, I will trouble Uncle Zhang to spend more time."

"Girl Jin, don't worry, none of these houses in our village are in my hands, and they belong to me and Lao Cai. You should go and check them quickly. The Cao family has robbed something, and the price will be deducted after a while. You can give as much as you want, and you can't let them take advantage of it for nothing."

At this moment, Cao E, who was still squatting on the ground, said: "The three bolts of cloth we bought earlier, the one of white soft cloth, I just wanted to make one or two underwear for you and Gu'er today, so I took it out." It was snatched away by my mother before it could be cut..."

When Xie Yan heard this, she snorted coldly and said: "It's not that I'm poor, but I can't afford fabrics, so I have to go to this extent to become a robber in someone else's house, it's really shameless."

After Cao E finished talking about the cloth, she said cautiously: "... Xiao Tao also took away the pot of oil."

After hearing Cao E's words, not only Xie Yan, but also everyone around looked at each other, not knowing how to complain, but felt that the Cao family's grandfather and grandson were really shameless.

"The Cao family is really hard to describe. They even want to grab oil and salt from other people's homes. I have never seen such brazen people." Zhuang Wan, who has always been less talkative, couldn't help it.

Cai Chu figured out all the situation, and then said: "Well, I will go to the old thirteenth master first, and invite him to go to Cao's house together, and you will go there soon, Awan."

Zhuang Wanruo glanced at Xie Yan at the side, and nodded with a hum.

Hearing Cai Chu's arrangement, Xie Yan hurriedly took out a handful of copper coins from her pocket and handed it to Cai Chu, saying, "Although I didn't invite the Thirteenth Master to come here last time, he still helped us. Even though money is tight and I haven't given it yet, this time, Uncle, you will help me give the [-] Wen to Lord Shisan, which is the tea money I gave him, so he must accept it."

"Uncle, I will count it to you later." After speaking, he took twenty copper coins and walked up to Zhuang Wan and said, "Scholar's is no exception. Although I still owe the money for buying the land, I still have the small money here." have."

Zhuang Wan stared at her steadily, thought for a while, then stretched out her slender and plain white hand, spread out her palm, and let Xieyan put the twenty copper plates in her hand.

Xie Yan was relieved to see this person accepting it graciously. Although they had a good relationship in private, if she refused at this time, Cai Chu would definitely be too embarrassed to accept it, which would save him a lot of talk.

Waiting for Cai Chu to invite Lao Shisan, everyone followed them to Cao's house.

And with the gossip duo sparing no effort to spread the word, people in the village gathered together to watch the fun.

The Cao family, the whole family just finished their lunch, and they brought back five or six catties of lard from the thatched shed. They praised Cao Xiaotao's meal well and deliciously, making Cao Xiaotao very unhappy.

After the meal, Mrs. Cao and Cao Xiaotao were taking the scissors and starting to cut the piece of soft cloth they had snatched back, planning to make undercoats for the house.

"Cao E, this little bastard, only spent two days away. Where did he get the money to buy such a good cloth? No one in our family wears such a good cloth. We don't even have a place to live and are worthy of it." cloth?"

"Grandma, do you think my aunt has a concubine outside? Otherwise, where did you get the money to buy such a good cloth and eat such a pot of oil? You know, our family used chopsticks to cook for a while. It smells like dry rice with oil."

"The ghost knows who I'm going to get in touch with secretly, otherwise why would I want to split it out?" Mrs. Cao has always been worried about the more than ten taels of silver that she was about to get, and the third child couldn't get the money because of this matter. , listless all day, not going to work, lying in bed every day as a lazy man, watching it makes people anxious.

"Grandma, my sister has been guarding the door of the thatched hut today and won't let us in. Do you think there is still money hidden in it? Why don't we go and check while they are away." Cao Xiaotao rolled her eyes.

"I must go. I ate and drank before I paid back the two taels of silver that I owed us. Wearing such good clothes, you haven't seen the clothes that the little broom star is wearing. The fabric is not good at first glance. It’s cheap, and if you wear it for our family, I don’t know how handsome it will be.”

"Their family has no house and no door. Next time, when the little beast is changed and hung outside, it will be brought back for A-Dang to wear. Anyway, there is no name written on the clothes. If they can buy them, we can buy them, too. I'm afraid they won't be able to go back!"

I have to say that Mrs. Cao doted on Cao Xiaotao, the old family, for a reason. Every word she said was in the hands of Mrs. Cao. She couldn't help but praise: "You are the only one with a better brain in our family. Grandma is really reluctant to marry you far away."

When it comes to her own marriage, Cao Xiaotao has long been very worried. Now she is a big girl, but her elder brother Cao Xingshou is 19 years old and still can't get a wife. Naturally, as a younger sister, she can't beat her older brother. .

Earlier, I thought about selling Cao E, mother and daughter, and half of the money I got would go to the third son, Cao Bin, to marry back the little widow in the town, and the other half would be used by Cao Xingshou to talk about his marriage. Now not only is the person gone, but there is only two liang of money that has not yet been obtained. The elder brother's marriage has been blown away, and her marriage is even more illusory.

Of course, since ancient times, there have been many examples of younger sisters marrying first. Not only the high dowry that the Cao family asked for is daunting, but Cao Xiaotao will naturally not admit that she is exactly the same as Mrs. Cao. You know, the Cao family is famous for blood-sucking, and if such an unvirtuous girl is married into the family, there will be endless troubles.

The author has something to say: Zhuang Wan: Why did you scratch my palm when you put the copper plate in my hand, trying to seduce me?

Xie Yan: No, I did not.

Zhuang Wan: You don't have it, but I do, why didn't you respond to me when I scratched you?

Xie Yan: You—how do you want me to respond to you?

Zhuang Wan: Respond to me by blinking, blinking once means coming to my room at night, blinking twice means I'm going to your room.

Xie Yan: You stinky rascal