Village Flowers and Female Scholars

Seeing his elder sister sitting there in good order, Xie Yuangu closed his eyes and rested again.

Cao E hurriedly got up and brought water to moisten his throat.

After drinking the water, the mother and son whispered for a while.

But this warm scene didn't last long, when footsteps were heard outside the door.

Xie Yan hurriedly winked at Xie Yuangu, the little boy understood immediately, and the two quickly lay down on the rice bed and continued to pretend to be unconscious.

Then the wooden door was forcefully opened, and an old woman about 60 or [-] years old stood at the door with a displeased face. She glanced at the situation in the room with an unfriendly expression, and did not miss a bowl that was empty on the table.

"Is this little hoof pretending to be asleep or really passed out? When I woke up, I followed to move the millet. It should have been done a few days ago, but it was lazy and dragged on for so long to take it back. It was also rained, and it would germinate if I didn't do it. .”

"Mother, Jin'er and Gu'er haven't woken up since last night, please do me a favor and ask a doctor for help."

Mrs. Cao looked at her as if she didn't know her and said, "What kind of doctor are you asking for? , I need to call a doctor for a little rain, I'm afraid I'm lazy and don't want to work, so I'm in a panic."

The old lady Cao was about to pinch Xie Yan's arm when she finished speaking. When Cao E saw her, she rushed to protect her daughter and cried, "Mother, Jin'er is already like this now. If her brain is really burnt out, the Fang family will be killed by then." Who would be willing to marry a fool back home?"

Mrs. Cao was stunned for a moment when she heard her words. The reason why the mother and son were kept at Cao's house was also because the mother and daughter still had a lot of strength to help with some farm work.

Another reason is that now that the youngest of the Fang family has been admitted to Tongsheng, it seems that Xiucai has not run away. Maybe he can pass the exam and get a job as an official. When the time comes to marry Xie Jinniang, the Cao family said that at least Can get a little light.

Thinking of this, he resignedly said: "It's unlucky to have Jingui's body without Jingui's life. The doctor has no money to hire her. I'll let her go for the shoveling of rice today, and I have to go tomorrow at the latest. Take advantage of it." Rainy day, let you be lazy for half a day."

Seeing the back of Mrs. Cao leaving bitterly, Cao E's originally sad and mournful expression gradually became dazed.

Over the years, she has seen clearly what kind of person Mrs. Cao is, but every time she has nowhere to go, she still can't help holding on to a little bit of hope, but every time her hope fails, she begins to become numbness.

Hearing the footsteps of Mrs. Cao leaving, Xie Yan opened her eyes, looked at Cao E's slightly hunched body, who was only in her 30s, and said softly: "Mother, if we have a place to live outside, would you Aren't you willing to leave Cao's house?"

Cao E turned around, her eyes were slightly red, but this time she was not as excited as before, and said with a downcast face, "Where do we go to live, even if there is a place to live, we must have one." For food, is it possible that the three of us, mother and son, are really going to beg for food?"

It’s okay if it’s just begging, but the mother and daughter both look like a sign, especially Xie Jinniang, who is young and tender, making people greedy. If they really fall out with the Cao family, the orphans and widows will be killed by others If you bully, you will be really helpless.

Although the Cao family is poor, they are still a big family in the village. Some of the neighbors don't look at the Buddha's face or the monk's face, and they don't dare to provoke them easily.

Of course Xie Yan knew this, but if she continued to stay at Cao's house now, the original body would be taken away by a high fever this time, there would be a next time, and it would be her Xie Yan who would be taken away.

Therefore, the Cao family cannot be kept, and must be separated no matter what.

At this moment, there was a noisy sound outside, and it was obvious that Cao Erlang had returned.

There is actually a story about Cao Erlang's ability to get a wife.

There was a butcher surnamed Dou in a neighboring village. He had a daughter in his family who was black and fat and never married. Later, the butcher Dou said that if someone’s son-in-law wanted to marry his daughter, he would take her with him. Kill pigs together, and you won't have to farm for the rest of your life.

There are several families in the village whose sons have not yet found a wife. Hearing such words from Butcher Dou, they almost broke the threshold of the Dou family. In his twenties, he has not yet married.

The Cao family was poor, and after Cao Dalang died, there were still a series of younger brothers and sisters living a tight life.

Under the urging of his parents, Cao Erlang also went to see the daughter of Yan Dou's family. After he came back, he was unwilling to go for a second time, until the old mother at home forced him to die. He came to the door to ask for a marriage, and was so happy that he hurriedly arranged the marriage for the two the next day, for fear that they would run away.

After marriage, Butcher Dou also fulfilled his promise and asked Cao Erlang to kill pigs together, and the situation of Cao's family gradually improved as a result.

But even so, it’s only ten yuan a day, and occasionally I can bring some pigs into the water to improve the food for the family.

But this big family, the old and the young, have no other income. The third Cao Bin is now a bachelor, and the money he earns from doing odd jobs on the street is not enough for him to spend. With money and the income of fifteen acres of land, I have not been able to save much money throughout the year.

Cao Erlang came back early today, presumably because it was raining and there were no people on the street, so the pork couldn't be sold, so he had to come back early.

Every time at this time, the father-in-law Dou butcher would give him an extra catty or two of meat to bring back, and the food of the Cao family would be improved accordingly. Therefore, for the Cao family, a rainy day is a good day.

But all this has nothing to do with the mother and son in the firewood house. The Cao family will not give them more rice or let them taste pork just because they can eat some meat at home.

The only good thing is that you don't have to eat porridge at night. After all, there is meat in rainy days. According to the custom, you have to cook dry rice. A lazy person like Cao Xiaotao won't open another stove to cook porridge for them, so I have to give each of them a porridge. Half a bowl of dry rice.

Xie Yan watched as Cao E carefully fed half a bowl of porridge to Xie Yuangu, and soaked the dry rice with weak soup. The mother and child made a big bowl each, and finally ate half full.

Xie Yuangu had just had porridge, and his stomach was still full. He only ate half a bowl of soup soaked in dry rice and couldn't eat any more. There was still half a bowl left, so Cao E handed it over to his growing daughter.

Xie Yan shook her head and said: "I really can't eat anymore. Mother has been taking care of Xiaogu and me since last night. I'm afraid she's exhausted. She needs to make up more. And if the sun clears tomorrow, I'm afraid I won't be able to rest."

Cao E knew that she couldn't hold her back, and her stomach that hadn't eaten for many years couldn't tolerate her coddling, so she added some soup to clean up the meal, so she got up to pack the dishes and go outside to wash.

Different from the quietness in the firewood room, it was bustling and noisy outside, and the smell of meat wafted in. Even after eating, the stomachs of the three of them started to growl again.

Xie Yan hadn't eaten anything delicious in modern times, but it was fine, but Xie Yuangu swallowed obviously.

Xie Yan smiled and said, "Want to eat meat?"

Xie Yuangu shook his head, turned his head, blinked his black and white big eyes and said to her: "Sister, don't you want to eat?"

Eyes full of anticipation, like a poor little squirrel, Xie Yan only thought of her younger brother at this time, they were driven back to their mother's house only three days after their birth, and they lived in the firewood house since they were young.

In the first few years when Xie Jinniang was born, although Xie’s family disliked that Cao E’s first birth was a daughter, Xie’s father was still alive at the time, and although he didn’t take special care of his wife and daughter, he still had basic food and clothing. Have a meal of meat.

Xie Yuangu was raised by Cao's parents in Shangyan Village, and it is difficult to eat a meal of meat a year, no wonder the child is so thin that a gust of wind can blow him away.

Fortunately, both siblings have inherited the advantages of their parents, and they look fair and clean, much more outstanding than Cao Dalang's daughter Cao Xiaotao and Cao Erlang's daughter Cao Xiaoliu.

Xie Yan reached out and touched Xie Yuangu's small head and said, "Sister will let you eat meat in the future."

Xie Yuangu's eyes became brighter, he raised his head and said expectantly: "Really?"

"Really, it won't be beyond the end of the month at the latest." Xie Yan has never been looked at with such expectation, even if she is only a five-year-old child, such expectation can make her full of fighting spirit.

Xie Yuangu got his sister's promise, and was so happy that he wanted to jump up from the rice bed. Xie Yan hurriedly stretched out his arms to embrace him and said, "Lie down well, you are not recovering from your illness yet, the most important thing right now is to recover your body."

Xie Yuangu replied resoundingly, and retracted into the blanket, his bright black eyes were exposed, staring at Xie Yan brightly.

Xie Yan was about to speak, but heard conversations outside the firewood room.

Listen carefully, it is her cheap third uncle, Cao Bin, the youngest of the Cao family. He is 35 years old now, but he has not yet got a wife. He has been doing odd jobs in the city for these years, but he is lazy, and he often does it for three days. After fishing for two days and posting on the net, the money he earned was not enough for him to spend. He was doing nothing, and the old man Cao and his wife had nothing to do with him.

"Jinniang, this little girl has reached the age of Jiji this year, when is her birthday?"

Cao Bin's voice was as rough as ever.

"My birthday was only on the fifth day of last month..."

Cao E didn't know what the third brother meant when she asked this question. The days of being called around for many years made her cautious, and the slightest noise from the people around her could make her feel like a bird of fright.

"Since it's already past fifteen, it's time for Fang's family to propose marriage. If you stay, you will become a big girl."

Only then did Cao E know what Cao Bin meant by inquiring, and at the same time she was relieved, but at the same time felt a little uneasy, and said with a heart hanging in her heart: "It seems that the days are almost over, but there is no movement from the Fang family. It's not easy to ask..."

"Fang Wenbo is really not a good guy. I'll find a chance to ask him later. If that kid doesn't have the intention and ability to marry someone, he should talk about it early. Don't delay. We, Jinniang, have chosen a good husband and son-in-law."

Cao Bin took a sip and said.

The differential treatment over the years has made Cao E extremely sensitive. She feels uneasy, but she doesn't know what to answer. Even if the Cao family really makes other decisions, what can she do as a poor person who depends on others.

Cao E hastily dealt with Cao Bin, packed up the dishes and went back to the firewood room, but couldn't help but staggered when she entered the door.

Xie Yan looked at Cao E who was pretending to be calm and closed the door, and when she came to the bed, she said, "Mother, are you alright?"

Cao E didn't know that the daughter in front of her had not only changed her core, but this core was also planning how to cancel her marriage with the Fang family.

She only thought it was her daughter who was worried about herself, so she nodded her head suppressing her emotions, silently praying in her heart that nothing would go wrong in the current marriage.

For Cao E, the two children, regardless of whether they are boys or girls, are just a piece of flesh that fell from her body. If Jin'er can take the lead in getting out of the sea of ​​suffering, one can count as one. As for herself and Gu'er, it will be up to them in the future The good fortune of the mother and son.

Xie Yan carried the memories of her original body, so she didn't know what was going on in her mother's mind.

She knows very well that it is not easy for her mother to survive with her and Xie Yuangu in such an environment. What Cao E can do is all she can do as a mother. She has no qualifications to judge these things. Now that she has become After giving birth to her daughter, her body, hair and skin all came from her. From now on, both mother and daughter will prosper and lose together.

She grabbed her mother's hand and said: "Mother, if you feel bitter in the days to come, let your daughter bear it."

Cao E looked at her daughter, who was just beginning to show her beauty, and hesitated to speak. If the Fang family came to propose marriage, she would marry and become a married woman at that time, but the Fang family is not rich right now, so how can they take care of their natal family after marriage? However, she already feels very relieved that her daughter can have such a heart and responsibility.

Gently stroked her head and said: "Jin'er is so considerate of mother, mother is already very happy, mother's Jin'er has grown up."

That's what he said, but he didn't take Xie Yan's words to heart.

Xie Yan is not in a hurry, she will have a long time to come, and there will always be a chance to prove her ability to Cao E in the future.