Four Foods in the Mountains

The whole family gathered around the main room, and Brother Zhu opened the money box and said, "In addition to the five hundred coins that are used daily, there are 15 taels of silver in the box. Some time ago, I sold grain for 25 taels, and the total is [-] taels." .”

25 taels is not a small amount for a farmer, and the Wu family's savings are among the best in the village.

"Our Chang'er has a good mind and can read, so it's not good to be delayed at home. I went to ask Ning Ge'er yesterday. There is a scholar in his natal Meiling Village. His surname is Zhu, and he said that he is willing to accept students to learn to read with him. I thought we would take a gift and send Chang'er over to have a look in a few days, and if Zhu Xiucai is willing to accept it, let Chang'er read it after him."

After Brother Zhu finished speaking, Chen Shi, the eldest sister-in-law of the Wu family, happily said, "That would be the best. Our village is not far from Meiling Village. Bring some dry food and let his father deliver it in the morning, and it won't be troublesome to pick it up in the afternoon."

Boss Wu and Aunt Wu also nodded when they heard this. Generations of people have been illiterate peasants, and it is a good thing for the grandson to want to study.

Brother Zhu said: "When Chang'er has studied with Zhu Xiucai for a few years, and when he is older, we will be like the Shen family. We will send him to a private school in the town. Maybe he will be like the Shen family boy in the future." , I was admitted to be a scholar."

Wu Dahe and Mrs. Chen were even more happy when they heard this. Mrs. Chen patted his son's head and said, "I don't dare to compare with the boy from the Shen family. It's good if he can read a few books and know a few words. In the future, we will talk to the village chief." Going to the town to find a job like the Ping boy in my family is considered a blessing from the ancestors."

After all, he is his own child, and he always wants him to live a better life than himself. It is much easier to go to work in the town than to plow and butcher pigs in the countryside.

Kid Chang knew that he would be able to go to school soon, he was very happy, he lowered his head and smiled shyly.

He was born with a quiet temperament, and he didn't like to play in the mountains and rivers like other boys, and he didn't like to follow his father and second uncle to watch the slaughter of pigs. The only boy from the Shen family taught him to recognize his name in his spare time. Draw on the ground with branches.

"Give it to Zhu Xiucai's Shuxiu, just take it from home. Two pieces of pork and a basket of eggs are ready-made. Boy Chang is a late student, so we will give you an extra penny so that Zhu Xiucai can help take care of it." Brother Zhu As he spoke, he took out a tael of silver from the money box.

"Reading and writing, inkstone, pen and ink, and paper are indispensable. According to my mother and I, reading is a good thing. Our whole family can't know a word, and we will have to rely on Chang'er in the future. Therefore, for Chang'er to study. All the money comes from the public." Brother Zhu handed the money to his sister-in-law.

It is the most expensive thing for farmers to pay for a scholar. Just a knife of paper for writing is enough to buy a chicken at home.The Shen family has tightened their belts for so many years to come up with a talented gentleman. Wu Dahe and Chen Shi took the money, thinking of the good of the family in their hearts.

It's decided about Kid Chang's study, so we should talk about Sister Xi's dowry.

The family that the Wu family set up for Sister Xi was a carpenter from another village. That family often invited the Wu family to butcher pigs.

The two families are considered acquainted, and their character and temperament are trustworthy.

The wedding day is scheduled for the middle of next month, when autumn is the most refreshing time, and the dowry should be prepared now.

Speaking of her own marriage, Sister Xi was a little shy, she turned her face and said she wanted to go back to her room to wash.

Brother Zhu stopped her: "The dowry is a big deal, you should listen to it, and you can tell me if you want to add anything."

Sister Xi blushed and sat down again.

The dowry for marrying a girl is mostly eight taels of silver, and the dowry for a girl is more than that for a brother. It usually consists of two bedding, two clothes, and two pieces of cloth. Some families who love the girl will give an extra one. Gold and silver jewelry such as hairpin earrings.

The days of accepting Zheng were over, and the Wu family sent eight taels of dowry, two pieces of cloth, a jug of wine and a piece of venison.

A modest dowry.

"There are many brothers in his family, so it's good to be able to give these." Aunt Wu was afraid that Sister Xi would feel bad, so she said, "The cloth is the best cotton cloth, and venison is also rare."

Sister Xi nodded after hearing this, she didn't care about this at all, people who both her father and brother nodded were always right.

She was used to the harmony between her parents since she was a child, and the relationship between her two elder brothers and sister-in-law was also good when she grew up. She only hoped that she and her husband would be like parents, brother-in-law and sister-in-law in the future.

Bedding and clothes are indispensable, Brother Zhu said to Sister Xi: "There is still more than half a month, you only focus on embroidering your wedding dress, the bedding and clothes will be driven out by me and my sister-in-law, I promise not to let you worry about it." .”

The sister-in-law also said: "Yes, in my opinion, it's better for my younger sister to go to the town with us tomorrow, we will buy paper and pens for Chang'er, and we will accompany you to the cloth shop. You can pick some The pattern and color you like, we will start to sew for you after tearing the cloth.”

Aunt Wu also nodded: "That's the reason, you can choose by yourself, you can't be sloppy about getting married."

A Niang and sister-in-law said this repeatedly, and Sister Xi blushed and nodded.

Brother Zhu took out four taels of silver from the box and handed it to sister Xi.

Sister Xi said in amazement: "It's just a few pieces of cloth, it's worth so much money."

"Where do you only buy cloth?" Brother Zhu smiled, "Let sister-in-law take you to the gold and silver shop to pick out some jewelry for yourself."

The Wu family loves Sister Xi, and Brother Zhu knows as soon as he gets married, that when Sister Xi gets married, the dowry will only be more or less.

Aunt Wu watched from the side, feeling more and more satisfied with Brother Zhu in her heart, she turned to sister Xi and said, "Listen to your second sister-in-law, go pick out some jewelry at home, it will look good on your wedding day."

The daughter-in-law's dowry is her own, and she doesn't have to hand it over to her mother-in-law. Sister Xi's husband's family has many brothers, so she won't be wronged if she brings more dowry.

Aunt Wu also has some money for herself, and she will give it to Sister Xi on the day she gets married.

The two most important things are settled, the whole family is very happy, peeling melon seeds and peanuts and talking about other things.

A few days later, when the chestnuts on the mountain were heavy, Zhu Geer and Wu Erhe returned to Qian's house with their things. It was Boss Qian's birthday.

Wu Erhe was left in the yard to sit and drink tea, while Brother Zhu carried his things into the kitchen with his mother.

"This is the chicken that was just killed in the morning. I eat it with stewed chicken with wild chestnuts at noon. My father likes to eat this." Brother Zhu took out the packed chicken and picked up another rib. You keep the stew for drinking, you and my father are getting older, so we need to drink more bone soup on weekdays."

"You child, who kills chickens and takes ribs, is not afraid that your mother-in-law and sister-in-law will feel unhappy." Aunt Qian said.

"Don't worry, my mother-in-law asked me to bring these ribs. My sister-in-law also brings these when she goes back to her mother's house. You know who they are." Brother Zhu washed the knife and started chopping chicken.

Outside the house, Mori probably came back from playing outside.

Although he doesn't like elder brother and sister-in-law, he still has feelings for his nephew, brother Zhu. He bent down and touched Boy Sen's head: "Where are you going to play and run so sweaty? Go outside and wipe it off. There is chicken for lunch."

Hearing that there was chicken to eat, Sen boy jumped out and went out.

"Why do you run so fast, and you're not afraid of falling."

Brother Zhu straightened up when he heard the voice, and saw Mrs. Li coming in with a bowl.

He called out, "Sister-in-law."

Mrs. Li also pulled the corners of her mouth and smiled: "Brother Zhu and brother-in-law are back."

He said and put the tofu in his hand on the stove: "Dad's birthday is today, I took Mr. Mori to the entrance of the village to buy two pieces of tofu."

"Sister-in-law has a heart." Brother Zhu said, and continued to chop chicken.

Mrs. Li glanced at the pork ribs and chicken on the stove, her complexion improved, and said: "Brother Zhu still has the heart, I think your nephew was so happy just now, he likes steamed chicken the most, I'll go soak some red dates and shiitake mushrooms, Make steamed chicken for lunch later."

"Sister-in-law doesn't need to work." Brother Zhu said, "This chicken is going to be stewed with chestnuts at noon today. Dad likes to eat it like this. If Sen'er wants to eat steamed chicken, next time you kill the chicken and cook it for him. I see The chickens in the chicken coop in the backyard are so fat that they can be killed."

After hearing this, Mrs. Li's face darkened slightly.

When she went out, Aunt Qian said helplessly: "You said you, come back after a long time, why do you have to make trouble with your sister-in-law? It's all chicken, so what can you do if you follow her? Your father is so old, isn't that greedy?" people."

"Today is Daddy's birthday, so of course we have to follow Daddy's taste. Every time the chicken is killed at home, it is steamed and eaten. Boy Sen is not bad for this meal."

Brother Zhu said indifferently, "Besides, I have this temper, I'm very narrow-minded, I'm better than her when it comes to good things, and if I meet someone who cares about me, I can also care more than her."

Aunt Qian had nothing to do with Brother Zhu, she shook her head and stopped talking.

A large bowl of stewed chicken with chestnuts, another bowl of fried tofu, two braised yams in soy sauce, and a few scrambled eggs.

Vegetables and dry rice were served on the table. The chestnuts in the chestnut stewed chicken were sweet and glutinous, and the chicken was tender. Boy Mori ate the chestnuts and chicken very sweetly, but Li's face was still not very good-looking.

Picked a few chopsticks of chicken for his father and mother, Zhu Geer and Wu Erhe didn't touch the plate of chicken and eggs, and only ate the side dishes.

After lunch, Brother Zhu helped Aunt Qian wash the dishes, sat and talked with his father for a while, and then took Wu Erhe away.

Blindly cool, very autumnal, the wind blowing on the mountain in this season is very refreshing.

The hem of his clothes was blown by the wind, Brother Zhu turned his head and asked Wu Erhe: "Aren't you full?"

Wu Erhe scratched his head and laughed foolishly twice.

He knew that brother Zhu and his natal brother and sister-in-law had had a bad fight, and just now at the dinner table, he was too embarrassed to ask for a second bowl after finishing the bowl in his hand.

The sweet-scented osmanthus in the village was in bloom, and Brother Zhu looked up, but he was too short to touch it, so Wu Erhe reached out and broke some branches for him.

Brother Zhu took it and sniffed it: "It's really fragrant, go back and dry it to make some sachets."

He took the sweet-scented osmanthus and walked forward, not forgetting to urge Wu Erhe: "Go faster if you're not full, go home and get weed vegetable sauce and eggs for you to eat noodles."

Add water to the big pot, bring it to a boil, a handful of fine noodles, a spoonful of hot soup, and a green onion.

After a few rolls, put a spoonful of spicy Wei Cai sauce, and lay a tender and smooth poached egg.

A large bowl of steaming noodles smelled of sauce and scallion oil.

Wu Erhe picked up the eggs from the bottom of the bowl, blew it cold and fed half of it to Brother Zhu, then picked up the noodles with chopsticks, and delivered them to his mouth while being so hot that he inhaled.

Brother Zhu sat beside him and laughed: "Eat slowly, you won't be afraid of burning your tongue."

The noodles are chewy and springy, served with the spicy Weicai sauce. After eating a bowl, the stomach is full, and the forehead is sweating in autumn.

Living here in the mountains, one house, several people, four seasons, three meals, accompanied by cooking smoke and birdsong, ordinary days seem to make noise.