Not many people have dry toilets in their own yards, and most people go to the public dry toilets at the edge of the alley.
The dry toilet outside stinks like soup and is surrounded by flies in the summer, and piles up high in the winter.
Old Mrs. Xiao had difficulty walking and could not go to the toilet, so Xiao Chengda and his brother Xiao Chengqi (Xiao Mingsheng's father) took several men in their families to dig dry toilets in their respective yards.
The stone walls were blocked by an old, discarded door. The cold winter wind blew in from somewhere on the mountain, scratching people's faces as it blew in through the cracks in the stones.
The wind seemed to blow through Huo Xiaoman's clothes and freeze her bones. She had a premonition of something, but didn't dare to believe it, so she pressed the wooden door and pushed hard.
The door didn't budge.
The cold wind blew past, making a whistling sound, which added a hint of fear to Huo Xiaoman's heart: "Jiang Zao, is it you? You evil-minded thing, you want to eat all the food for yourself and won't give it to me. When I get out, I'm going to scratch your face."
Xiao Wensheng paused: "It's not Jiang Zao."
A big red lantern was hung in front of a door not far away. The kitchen door was open and everyone was bringing food into the house. Steam was coming out in gusts.
Xiao Wensheng sighed and left quickly.
How could it be Xiao Wensheng?
Huo Xiaoman threw herself at the door and slammed it like crazy: "Xiao Wensheng, come back here, come back! How could you do this to me? I'm your wife, and instead of protecting me when things go wrong at home, you help outsiders bully me. What kind of man are you?"
"Come back! Open the door for me, quickly!"
"ah!!!"
The footsteps grew farther and farther away, and the fire in Huo Xiaoman's heart died out little by little.
On New Year's Eve, the whole family was happy, but she was the only one who was blocked in the toilet by her husband and couldn't even eat some leftovers.
She slowly sat down against the wooden door.
"Xiao Wensheng, you are a beast. How could you do this to me? Woo woo..."
"We're both daughters-in-law of the Xiao family, and it's fine if I can't compare to Jiang Zao, but now I can't even have the New Year's Eve dinner. What's going on?"
The toilet was built in the corner, so no one could hear you even if you shouted at the top of your lungs.
Huo Xiaoman just wanted to hide out for a while, so she casually put on a coat without a hat or gloves. Soon her arms and legs were frozen stiff, and the wind blew in through the collar of her clothes, making her sweater cold.
What's worse, I seem to smell the smell of rice at the tip of my nose.
It smells like braised three-flowered carp. I heard it was made by Jiang Zao, she's a pretty good cook. It smells so good...
"It smells so good! Look, the food our Zao'er made is pretty good, isn't it?"
Dinner was indeed served in the house at this time. Gu Xiufang looked at the table full of delicious food and couldn't help but praise it.
Mrs. Xiao had a nap in the afternoon and was in good spirits. She smiled kindly, "The fish is stewed beautifully, golden in color, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside."
Old Master Xiao came over with his clothes draped over his shoulders. His hair was white and his face was full of traces of time, but his eyes were bright and sharp. “Shuisheng is so lucky to have such a good wife.”
Xiao Shuisheng had just finished playing chess with the old man, and he walked over behind him and went straight to Jiang Zao: "It's more than just a good meal. My Zao'er can make money and is also hardworking. I can enjoy blessings everywhere."
Jiang Zao gave him a reproachful look.
Only when children and grandchildren live in harmony can the elderly be happy.
The food was served on the table, and Old Mrs. Xiao gestured for everyone to sit down and eat.
"Don't just stand there. Xiufang, take Jiang Zao and sit down to eat. And Ding Qiu, Jiang Shan is pregnant. Stop standing and sit down to eat."
There were two tables for the New Year’s Eve dinner. The men sat together drinking, and the women sat together with their children.
Wang Biao sat next to Gu Xiufang, Xiao Qiang sat next to Wang Biao, and next to her was Xiao Yetong, the eldest daughter of Xiao Mingsheng and his first wife, and Xiao Ye'an, the youngest son, was held in Ding Qiu's arms and fed.
Jiang Zao sat next to Gu Xiufang on the other side, and after a few visits, Jiang Zao and Jiang Shan actually sat next to each other.
Before dinner started, Gu Xiufang looked left and right: "Did you see Xiaoman?"
Jiang Zao shook his head: "I didn't see it."
Xiao Wensheng was about to pick up some food when his chopsticks stopped right in front of the fish. "She went home with a stomachache and won't be coming to eat."
I'm not afraid that everyone will run into Huo Xiaoman when they go to the toilet outside.
During Chinese New Year, a group of people are guarding a table full of delicious food. Anyone who leaves the chair will have to eat a few less bites of food.
Gu Xiufang breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that Huo Xiaoman was not coming to dinner.
With her around, there might be some trouble.
When she turned her eyes and saw Xiao Qiang, Gu Xiufang's heart was lifted again.
Well, there is another thing going on.
Ever since Xiao Qiang was slapped on the palm by Xiao Shuisheng last time, she didn't go home during the entire winter vacation. She slept in the cabin until noon every day. When she was hungry or greedy, she would ask Mr. and Mrs. Xiao for some money and tickets to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy food. Halfway through the winter vacation, she had become visibly plump.
Xiao Qiang was in a good mood thinking about eating, until she saw Jiang Zao with a thin waist, pointed chin and thin back, and her mood instantly became bad.
Jiang Zao seems to eat everything, and he eats a lot, so why doesn’t he gain weight?
A foxy girl is a foxy girl!
Under the table, Gu Xiufang kicked Xiao Qiang.
Xiao Qiang was afraid that she would be beaten again during the New Year's Eve dinner, so she looked away angrily.
Gu Xiufang picked out the fattest part of the fish and gave it to Jiang Zao. "Eat more, daughter-in-law. There are many dishes today. If you want to eat something else, just help yourself. If there's something you can't reach, tell me."
On the dining table there were braised carp, pork ribs stewed with dried beans, pork bones with sauerkraut, potato chips fried with dried mushrooms, and dumplings stuffed with sauerkraut and pork, all served hot.
Jiang Zao was also hungry: "Okay."
Good, good, good, what's good about it? Not good at all!
Jiang Shan was almost jealous to death. She and Jiang Zao married into the Xiao family at the same time.
She can hardly eat meat at home, and her mother-in-law is wary of her like a thief. On the other hand, Jiang Zao's stomach is still not moving, and she is almost spoiled by her mother-in-law!
“Fish…fish!”
Xiao Ye'an pointed at the fish on the table and drooled.
Ding Qiu picked up a piece of fish for Xiao Ye'an, picked out the bones and fed it to him: "Is it delicious? Is it fragrant?"
The fish is fresh, tender and the sauce is delicious.
Xiao Yean narrowed his eyes and smiled at Jiang Zao: "It's delicious."
Gu Xiufang was amused: "You know who stewed the fish? It was Auntie."
Xiao Yean: "Aunt~"
Jiang Zao responded and picked up a fat dumpling for him.
Xiao Yean: "Thank you, auntie~"
Soft and cute.
Ding Qiu tasted the fish and couldn't help but praise it: "I just watched you stew it, and the steps are similar to mine. How come it tastes so good when it comes from your hands?"
He turned around and said to Jiang Shan, "Learn more from Jiang Zao and see how good he is at cooking."
Jiang Shan: “…”
Who are you scolding?
Who are you disgusted with?
She was not allowed to have a quiet time at the dinner table.
She covered her belly and said, "Mom, I'm pregnant with your eldest grandson now. Ouch, your eldest grandson kicked my belly and said he wanted to eat fish eyes." She has loved eating fish eyes since she was a child. It would seem greedy to pick them up herself, so it would be better to let others pick them up for her.
Coincidentally, just as Jiang Shan was holding her stomach and talking to Ding Qiu, Jiang Zao picked up the fish eyes and gave them to Xiangdi and Xiao Yetong respectively. He looked at Jiang Shan apologetically and said, "I didn't know you wanted to eat them, so I gave them to the children."
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