Winter Solstice has arrived

After seeing off Hu Yufeng and her child, Wei Ping turned and went into the house, only to see Qin Xiaoqin already carrying the child to the kang.

"Your mother and your brother are very thoughtful. They give money to Haohao and Niuniu every time they come..." Wei Ping admired Hu Yufeng more and more, and felt more and more that she had misjudged him in the past. What great in-laws they are! They never visit without a reason, and never come empty-handed. They are willing to help and persuade Xiaoqin when she is in trouble. Where else can you find such in-laws? So when she saw that her daughter-in-law looked unhappy, she thought about it again and again and decided to ask. Young people are bound to have biased ideas, so they need people like them who have been through it to point them in the right direction.

Qin Xiaoqin said "hmm" with a conflicted look on her face.

"After all, they are relatives of different generations. Your mother can't take her eyes off Haohao. Haohao is already half a year old, and you have been kept here. If you want to go back to your mother's house, stay there for a few days. It happens that your mother is busy at home and can't visit often." Wei Ping said while glancing at his wife's face. She is not a snobbish person who would not flatter others just because she sees them living a good life. To be honest, she doesn't care about her in-laws' financial situation. But after all, they are the grandchildren's in-laws. If their lives get better, we don't ask that it will be helpful to the children, but at least they won't be a drag.

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw resistance and struggle on his daughter-in-law's face.

Wei Ping's heart sank, and she said a few words casually and left.

In her opinion, Hu Yufeng gave Xiaoqin whatever she wanted without asking, which was a rare act of pampering. Anyway, she couldn't do this to her daughter, but even so, the child's first reaction was resistance when the topic of going back to her parents' home was mentioned.

What are you resisting? Is it because she doesn't want to see her sister-in-law, or does she think her family is poor, or is she resisting her rural origins?

Thinking carefully about her demeanor every time she returned to her parents' home, and combining it with her usual words and deeds, Wei Ping had a general idea in her mind. It was this thought that sent chills down her spine. She always thought that Xiaoqin was straightforward, didn't say things with a heartless mind, but she never expected that she was such an ungrateful person. If she treats the mother who doted on her when she was growing up like this, how can she be nice to her in the future?

…

On the other side, Hu Yufeng was leaning against the car window, drowsy.

Things went smoothly today. Outside, the cold wind was making the leaves fall, but inside the car it was so warm that I felt sleepy for no reason. Wen Li beside her was already fast asleep. She looked envious, thinking how great it was to be young, to be able to fall asleep as soon as you wanted.

"Mom, wake up, we're home..." Hu Yufeng heard someone calling her in a daze, and her arm was pushed. I struggled to open my eyes and saw, Oh my god, I'm already at the team. I had such a deep sleep.

"Those who got off at the intersection ahead, please come out..." the driver called out loudly in advance.

Hu Yufeng rubbed her eyes, quickly stood up and moved towards the door holding the seats on both sides.

As soon as she got off the car, a cold wind blew at her. She couldn't help but shrink her neck, and her mind became clear instantly.

As soon as they stepped onto their own path, they ran into Keiko and her daughter coming towards them.

"Aunt, you're back?" Huizi greeted Hu Yufeng with a smile, then nodded to Qin Wenli and looked away.

"Well, are you off work? Then go home quickly. It's cold now, so wrap the children tightly while riding your bike!" Hu Yufeng said as she took out two oranges from the bag and handed them to the little girl on the back seat, then waved to the mother and daughter with a smile.

As soon as I got home, I saw Qin Shu standing at the door to greet me.

"Why don't you stay inside with your sister in such a cold day?" Hu Yufeng stroked her grandson's hair and led him inside, holding his cold little hand.

"My sister is doing her homework and doesn't want to play with me!" Qin Shu's voice was a little dragging, and his wet little eyes made him look like a wronged puppy.

Seeing this, Hu Yufeng couldn't help but move his hair. The child was born with thin and soft light brown hair. It would be fine if it was short, but when it was a little longer, it would frizz up left and right and look particularly sloppy.

It's time for a haircut again.

…

"When the north wind blows, all things hide." In the blink of an eye, we arrive at the first solar term of winter: Beginning of Winter.

After half a month of sunny days, fine drizzles began to fall the night before the beginning of winter. When Hu Yufeng woke up early, she saw a hazy fog and rain, as if the whole world had become quiet.

She couldn't help but stretching herself and suddenly wanted to drink a sip of mutton soup. As soon as this thought came to her mind, she seemed to see the thick white mutton soup boiling, sprinkled with a touch of tender green onion and garlic sprouts. Hiss... her saliva was about to come out.

"Do you know who has mutton?" She turned and looked at Qin Shengtian on the other side of the kang.

Qin Shengtian was stunned for a moment and asked back: "Are you asking about this?"

Nonsense, what else can you do if you don’t eat the mutton, hello?

Qin Shengtian understood what she meant, and instantly perked up: "Qi Lin's family had a fight with several sheep yesterday, and I heard that one of them had its stomach punctured. How about I go and ask?" As he said that, he got off the kang and put on his shoes, looking quite impatient.

People in the northwest, especially men in the northwest, seem to never get enough of beef and mutton. But these days, cows are an indispensable labor force in rural agricultural production. They are not even kept up to date in terms of food and drink and service, so who would think of killing them for meat? It is sold in the city, but the price of one pound of beef can buy four or five pounds of pork. Unless you buy one and a half pounds during the Chinese New Year, who would be willing to buy it on weekdays?

Mutton is relatively less scarce. In Xiaogou Village, almost every household raises sheep, and the sheep reproduce quickly, but that doesn't mean you can eat them whenever you want. Lao Qin's family raises more than 80 chickens, but they can't eat even one in a year. The sheep in the family are all sold for money, and only those that are sick or injured and cannot survive can be served on the table.

"Wait a minute..." Hu Yufeng saw Qin Shengtian putting on his shoes and about to go out, so she hurriedly stopped him.

Qin Shengtian paused when he heard this, and turned back unwillingly: "What's wrong?"

"Go and take a look at the condition of the sheep, and then ask about the price. If it has been sick before, forget it!" If it was just for the adults to eat, it would be okay to cook it a little more, but there are children at home.

Qin Shengtian ran as fast as he could, fearing that if he was too slow Hu Yufeng would change her mind again.

"This old fellow, why isn't he active in everything he does? He always comes first when it comes to eating..." Hu Yufeng cursed inwardly and turned to go out to find the chef Yang Xiu.

…

"Xiu'er, I'll ask your father to go out and buy some mutton and bring it back to make some delicious mutton soup. What other ingredients do you think we need to prepare?"

Yang Xiu was stunned for a moment, then put on a mask of pain. She is from the northwest, but she doesn't eat mutton. Not to mention she doesn't want to even smell it. She doesn't even want to enter the kitchen where mutton is cooked.

Hu Yufeng also remembered it, and then became troubled. She had never expected that the chef did not eat mutton. So who would cook it after she bought it?

Xizi or the old lady? Could it be that she is such a jerk at cooking?

Yang Xiu was also a little conflicted. If she did it, she would feel sick, and if she didn't do it, her mother-in-law would stare at her eagerly. What should she do?

Xizi, who had just woken up, saw the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law staring at each other with troubled faces. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's wrong, aunt?"

After hearing this, she clapped her hands, as if she was looking at two silly elementary school students: "Oh, what's the big deal? Huizi can do it. She mentioned it when we were chatting about it a few days ago when we were setting up the stall."

Hu Yufeng's eyes lit up, and she said, "I'll go call them," and went out.

Mom, you should wear a hat. Yang Xiu was about to say something when she saw her mother-in-law had already left. She felt a little guilty as she watched her back disappear in the rain. Why couldn't she stand the smell of mutton? Look how greedy her mother-in-law was!

Qin Wenli in the room also heard it. He patiently helped Qin Shu put on his clothes, came out and said, "I'm going to see my father," and left.

Yang Xiu was a little dumbfounded: Is mutton so delicious? Everyone seemed to be unable to wait.

…

Qi Lin's home. Qi Lin was a little puzzled to see him coming to his house so early in the morning, but when he heard that he was here to buy mutton, they immediately put their arms around each other's shoulders and walked into the house like brothers.

A few troublesome sheep were fighting and they killed a lamb that was not even one year old. He was so angry that he beat the leader sheep severely and the old woman also cried. But it's already like this, what's the use of crying.

Yesterday afternoon, I killed the dying lamb with a single cut. After bleeding and skinning it, I got a total of 22 kilograms of meat. Looking at the mutton, the old wife cried again. No one in the family was in the mood to eat it, so they thought of taking it to the market to sell it. As a result, customers came to the door.

They were all from the same village, so Qi Lin did not hide it. The market price is two dollars and eighty cents. They kill the fish half-dead before slaughtering it, and the price is two dollars and sixty cents. Just cut whatever piece you like.

Qin Shengtian's face lit up with delight. The meat was of safe quality and the price was fair, which completely met the old woman's requirements. He touched his pocket happily, but his face suddenly froze. It’s over. The old woman didn’t say how much meat she wanted, and she also forgot to give him the money!

What to do? If he had to discuss with his wife about buying a few pounds of meat, wouldn't the whole village know that the old woman is the head of the family? Where would he keep his face?

Just when he was extremely anxious, Qin Wenli came in from outside and greeted Qi Lin with a smile.

Qin Shengtian immediately saw hope, and he pulled his son aside and whispered, "Wenli, I've seen the meat at your uncle Qi's house, it's all good meat, 2.6 yuan per pound, your mother didn't say how many pounds she wanted, and she didn't give any money!"

Qin Wenli thought about it. Apart from the sheep's neck, there was little meat and many bones on the sheep. "How about a hind leg with half a rib?"

What else can he do? Qin Shengtian originally thought he was only going to buy two or three kilograms, but Wen Li ended up buying half of it right away. Of course that's good!

"Qi Lin, we want the hind leg with half the ribs. Cut it off and weigh as much as you want!" Since he wasn't the one paying, Qin Shengtian waved his hand generously.

The total weight was eight pounds and two ounces, which came to twenty-one yuan and thirty cents. Qi Lin rounded off the amount and charged twenty yuan. He also asked the old woman to pack some blood-nourishing medicine for him to take with him.

The father and son returned home contentedly carrying the mutton.

…

Hu Yufeng had already called Huizi home, and several people were busy washing vegetables. Yang Xiu really couldn't get used to the smell, so Hu Yufeng didn't force him and simply moved the stew pot under the eaves to save Yang Xiu from having to eat pig food for a few days if he didn't go into the kitchen.

As soon as the father and son arrived home, they were assigned the task of building the stove.

Qin Shengtian also enjoyed his work. The stove was already in the yard, and it was drizzling, so the two men carried it under the eaves, fixed the chimney, and started chopping wood actively.

Huizi took the machete and chopped the ribs into small pieces with precision, then put them in a basin to soak in the blood.

Xizi held the washed white radish and cut it into dice with a knife.

Hu Yufeng grabbed a handful of vermicelli and put it into the bucket.

The old lady sat on her special chair and patiently peeled a head of garlic.

There was a roaring fire in the furnace in the yard, which was both pleasant and exciting.