Chapter 127 Brother Zhou Ye is in for a treat, the food smells so good!
The next morning, Lin Shu woke up bright and early, a rare opportunity. She thought she was early, but when she left the house, she realized she was still the last one to arrive.
Zhou Ye had already left, and Lin Dashan had also packed up and was carrying his farm tools, ready to go to the fields.
"Oh, my girl, you got up so early today?" Lin Dashan joked with a smile.
Lin Shu: ...
Even her father has learned to tease people. Is there no one in this family who doesn't tease her?
Looking again, I saw that except for her, the whole family was indeed busy.
Dad called out and headed to the fields. Mom was cleaning the chicken coop. Lin Xiaopu was practicing her slingshot with sticks in the yard, full of energy. She was the only one there, having just finished washing up.
He Guixiang glanced at her and said, "Aye went to your Uncle Zhao's place early this morning."
Lin Shu immediately replied, "Mother, why are you mentioning Aye? I didn't ask him."
When Lin Xiaopu, who was playing with a bamboo slingshot, heard this, he shook his head like a little adult.
My sister says one thing and means another. Everyone knows that as soon as she gets up, her eyes scan the yard. It's obvious who she is looking for.
But Lin Xiaopu had learned his lesson and no longer dared to tease her elder sister when there were others around, for fear of embarrassing her.
He Guixiang smiled and nodded, "Yes, yes, Ah Shu didn't ask, it was Ah Niang who wanted to tell you."
Lin Shu: ...
Whatever, her relationship with A-ye was already clear, so A-niang and the others could tease her if they liked. She'd heard plenty of dirty talk in the past, so why was she so shy now at the mere mention of a few jokes?
Lin Shu was about to go take a look at the building site outside, but before she could take a step, He Guixiang stopped her and explained, "Aye isn't there right now. There's a lot to prepare for building this house. We need bundles of thatch and wood for the wall pillars and beams. He went to the back mountain with your Uncle Zhao early this morning to cut wood. The felled tree trunks need to be protected from insects, peeled, and air-dried before they can be used for beams. Before setting up the beams and pillars, the foundation needs to be compacted. These preliminary preparations alone will take up a considerable amount of time..."
Zhou Ye wanted to replace the roof quickly, so he went to many households and borrowed a lot of dry thatch. But for a house like this, the amount of thatch required was too much. Besides the roof, the walls were all made of thatch and mud, so borrowing dry thatch from other people was not enough. He had to go to the fields to cut fresh thatch, then expose the wet thatch to the sun for two or three days to prevent it from getting moldy before using it to build the thatched house.
Early this morning, Zhao Laosan and his three companions split into two teams, one to cut thatch and the other to cut wood.
Zhou Ye happened to have an axe, so he went to cut wood with Zhao Laosan. Cutting wood was more labor-intensive than cutting thatch, so he was the best person to do this job.
In the village, iron objects are treasures. Iron axes are large and expensive to make, so few families have them. Villagers mostly chop wood with hatchets or stone axes. Zhao Laosan used a borrowed stone axe.
When Lin Shu learned that Zhou Ye had gone to cut wood, she quietly moved her foot back, which was about to move out.
She couldn't see A Ye and didn't know what the situation was. She couldn't help but wonder in her heart whether A Ye had listened to her and put some away while working.
Last night, after Uncle Zhao and Aunt Lin left, she chatted with Zhou Ye for a while and told him not to be too honest in his work.
Lin Shu didn't do this to teach Zhou Ye to be lazy or slack off.
If Zhou Ye worked diligently, he could do the work of five people, but that would also consume a lot of energy and make him hungry quickly. She had instructed Aunt Lin to prepare three servings of food for Zhou Ye, so he would only have to put in three times the effort of an average person. If he ate more, he would be hungry and eat less, and he would suffer the most.
Furthermore, if he does more work, others will have to do less. What if everyone finds out that he is more capable than they imagined and subconsciously becomes lazy and piles all the work on him?
Lin Shu agreed to let Zhou Ye go to help, but she didn't want him to be too tired.
In this regard, Lin Xiaopu felt that his sister was worrying for no reason.
Aye-gee was the type who, long ago, would "eat a lavish meal at someone else's house to avoid having to work for them, leaving them so dazed that they wouldn't hire him to work anymore." Could he really be doing himself a disservice?
But you can't blame Brother Aye for coming up with that idea. After all, those who had previously asked him for help were just taking advantage of his strength and hard work, without any incentives. If this really got started, wouldn't Brother Aye be constantly being asked for help? Especially with a father who always made promises, wouldn't Brother Aye have to come up with a plan himself?
"We have a lot of food to prepare today. Mother, let's go borrow another table so that everyone can sit down and eat. It just so happens that we have four small bamboo stools made by A Ye at home, so we can just borrow a low table. The female guests who are shorter in stature can sit on the small bamboo stools, and the big table and benches in the house can be left to these men." Lin Shu said to He Guixiang.
The villagers weren't too particular when helping with the house building; they'd just give the laborers a bowl of rice and they'd squat on the ground to eat. After all, they weren't even building a house, so where would they get tables and chairs? But Lin Shu still tried to be as attentive as possible.
She knew that Aunt Lin was upset because Uncle Zhao had hit a wall, so she wanted to help her relieve her anger. Moreover, if she treated him well this time, she would also benefit. Once the good reputation spread, it would be much easier to find people if she wanted to build something in the future.
From now on, the family will have to rely on Aye for everything. No matter how capable he is, he is just one person.
He Guixiang thought this was a good idea and agreed immediately, "Okay, I'll go borrow a low table later."
Lin Shu continued, "If Aunt Lin comes later, please help entertain her first. Xiao Pu and I will go to the back mountain to pick some mushrooms and wild vegetables to add to the dishes."
He Guixiang responded, then remembered something and quickly added, "Ah Shu, Ah Ye has already caught the three fish you asked for. They're in the bucket." Lin Shu couldn't help but stop and asked curiously, "How did he catch them all by himself? Did Dad help?"
Lin Xiaopu immediately interrupted, "Hey, it's me, it's me!"
He Guixiang laughed and said, "Aye simply rolled up his trouser legs and stood by the fish pond, submerging his backpack in the pond. Xiao Pu then threw some water plants in, and when the fish swam over, Aye suddenly lifted the backpack up. He's so quick, and he actually caught a fish by doing this."
Lin Shu fell silent after hearing this. If she had known that Aye could catch fish in this way, she wouldn't have needed a fish basket or dismantled the bamboo fence.
Three large grass carps were kept in a wooden barrel. Lin Shu took a closer look and saw that they were all large grass carps. Thinking of the newly replaced wild flowers in the ceramic pot on the table, the corners of her mouth could not help but curl up.
Even though A'ye was so busy, he still didn't forget to help her catch fish, and even didn't forget that bunch of wild flowers... Even a fairy from heaven would be moved by this, right?
"Sister, it's time to go."
Lin Xiaopu had already picked up the bamboo basket and shouted at her.
Lin Shu quickly put on the backpack and went to the back mountain with Lin Xiaopu.
Not long after they arrived at the back mountain, the two of them heard the sound of people gathering their strength to cut wood.
After felling the wood, they had to transport it down the mountain, so naturally they wouldn't go too far. However, the "hey yo hey yo" sound was not made by Zhou Ye, but by Uncle Zhao San who was traveling with them.
Zhou Ye always kept silent while working, as if no matter how heavy or tiring the work was, it became extremely easy for him.
"Sister, it's over there. Brother A Ye is there too. Should we go and take a look?" Lin Xiaopu asked with a wink.
Lin Shu rubbed her head, but it didn't go as she expected. "It's more important to get down to business. Let's go pick some wild vegetables and mushrooms first. I won't pick any Guanyin wood today."
Lin Xiaopu was puzzled, "Sister, why is this?"
"I mentioned before, we can't give too much at once. Unlike the situation with hosting Old Man Liao, these helpers will be helping out for several days. If we prepare such a sumptuous meal on the first day and then simplify it later, not only will it lack a sense of surprise, it will also easily lead to disappointment. So, let's take it slow. We can add the homemade side dishes Aunt Lin mentioned yesterday and a cold bamboo fungus salad to mix with the cucumbers Aunt Lin brought. We'll also pick a few handfuls of red amaranth, which is what we call Han cuisine in the village, and make a dish of stir-fried red amaranth with garlic. For soup, let's make the chicken mushroom soup..."
Lin Xiaopu laughed out loud after hearing this.
Sister, is this not enough? This table of food is more sumptuous than a holiday. Although there are fewer meats, there is fish.
Lin Shu thought of something and said, "Let's go pick some more Houttuynia cordata later and make a cold dish of Houttuynia cordata. Although the taste of Houttuynia cordata at this time of year is not as good as that of early spring and is slightly bitter, many people in the village like it. Let's make this dish too. Whether they like it or not is another matter..."
When the two returned with a full load, Lin Zhaodi had indeed arrived and was busy in the yard with He Guixiang.
It’s still early for breakfast, but you can steam the rice first. It tastes better when it’s softer. You can also wash and cut all the dishes and set aside.
When Lin Shu took off her backpack, she found two large baskets in the corner of the yard, both of which were filled to the brim.
Seeing her looking at the basket, Lin Zhaodi quickly wiped the water off her hands and walked over to her and said, "Ah Shu, I've only been here a short time and haven't had time to clean up these things yet. Doesn't it look messy?"
"It's okay, Aunt Lin, I just took a look out of curiosity." Lin Shu said.
Lin Zhaodi explained, "The basket on the left is filled with food, and these on the right are bowls and chopsticks for me and your Uncle Zhao. The cucumbers and vegetables we picked today are also in there. I figured your Uncle Zhao and I would eat here during the next few days of building the house, so I just brought the bowls and chopsticks here as well."
As she spoke, she rummaged through the basket.
In the basket on the left there is a bag of brown rice, half a bag of gray flour, and some beans, mainly broad beans and mung beans, and there are also quite a few dried vegetables and radishes.
The other basket contained a much more mixed bag. At the bottom were bowls, chopsticks, and pottery jars, among other miscellaneous items. On top was a vegetable basket tilted to one side. Inside, seven or eight fresh cucumbers were piled, huddled with three large bundles of lush green vegetables.
Lin Shu was slightly surprised, wondering if Aunt Lin had taken all the belongings that she had been allocated.
But if it is all the family property, these seem too little.
Lin Zhaodi seemed to see her surprise, but without any embarrassment, she said bluntly, "There are also two quilts and blankets, a few sets of clothes for our daily wear, and a hundred yuan given by my parents-in-law. All these together are all the belongings of your Uncle Zhao and me."
Others think that family disgrace should not be made public, but Lin Zhaodi thinks that since the Zhao family dared to do it, they should not be afraid of what others say.
She had just told Sister He about the things they got when the family was divided. The old woman in the Lin family was partial to others, so Second Brother Lin's family didn't get much. The two of them had a lot to talk about, and Sister He also taught her a lot of tips on saving money.
"Aunt Lin, everything is difficult at the beginning. Once you get through this hard time, things will get better and better. But you must remember what I told you before. I can't help you with anything else, but I have a lot of money on hand, all earned by myself. If you are short of money, come and ask me for it!"
Lin Zhaodi nodded and asked half jokingly and half seriously, "Ah Shu, aren't you worried that I won't be able to pay you back if you lend me the money?"
"The money I borrowed from Aunt is my spare money, and since it's spare money, it means I won't be using it for the time being. If Aunt can't pay it back in one year, she can pay it back in two years. If not, she can pay it back in three to five years. There will always be a time when she can pay it back. I dare to lend money to Aunt because I trust her and Uncle Zhao's character."
Lin Zhaodi was stunned after hearing this. After a moment, she looked at Lin Shu and suddenly asked, "Ah Shu, do you think it's right for me to force your Uncle Zhao to leave the Zhao family?"
She didn't say anything openly, but she told Zhao San that she couldn't live with him anymore and that she wanted to divorce or even divorce his wife. This was forcing Zhao San to make a choice.
In the past, when villagers mentioned Zhao San, they would say that he was a kind person. But now, after this incident, some villagers would add the word "unfilial" when they mention him.
Lin Zhaodi was resolute and determined. She would never go back after leaving the Zhao family, but she was afraid that Zhao San would regret it one day.
She shouldn't have asked a junior such a question, but she always felt that Lin Shu came from the capital, had a broad vision and knew a lot, and she subconsciously distinguished Lin Shu from those ignorant girls in the village.
Lin Shu didn't comment, but simply asked, "Aunt Lin, are you happier and more relaxed now that the family has been divided?"
Lin Zhaodi nodded. "Except for the first two years after marrying Zhao San, I've never been happier and more relaxed than I am now. Ah Shu, you know, for a long time, I felt like my life had no direction. Others were just living their lives, but I was counting the days on my fingers. But after the separation, I feel like my life has direction! Even if life after the separation will be harder than when I was in the Zhao family, I'm not afraid of hardship. I'm sure I can make my life better and better!"
Lin Shu's eyes curved with laughter. "In that case, Aunt Lin, what are you worried about? God will not disappoint those who live seriously. Aunt Lin will definitely get what she wants."
When Lin Zhaodi heard this, she thought about the days she had spent in the Zhao family over the years and the gossip in the village, and her nose couldn't help but feel sore.
During her many years in Tianshui Village, she had received both malicious intent and kindness, but all the kindness told her to be patient and that the time would pass.
Her parents and sisters were even more so, fearing that she would be disliked by her in-laws. Every time she went back to visit her parents, they would remind her to work harder at her in-laws' house.
Everyone told her to be patient, but Ah Shu didn't.
"Aunt Lin, do you know how to kill fish?" Lin Shu suddenly asked, "Once the rice is steamed, we can make fried fish. The fish needs to be marinated in advance."
The sour look in Lin Zhaodi's eyes suddenly disappeared, and she couldn't help laughing and said, "Don't worry, leave it to me. I'm an expert at killing fish!"
…
It wasn't even time for breakfast yet. Among the people busy at Zhao Laosan's side, a boy about fourteen or fifteen suddenly sniffed, turned around and shouted to Zhou Ye, "Brother Zhou Ye, what a delicious smell! It's coming from your yard. Can you smell it?"
This boy was from the village's Liu Laoer family. Liu Laoer had three sons, and since he was close friends with Zhao San, he had asked his second son, who was half grown, to help. Although the second boy was young and couldn't handle the heavy work as the stronger men, he was very skillful at tasks like mowing grass and mudding, and he always pulled the most weeds in the fields.
Thinking that Zhao Laosan would have to cut a lot of thatch to build a house, Liu Laoer asked the second boy to come and help. The second boy didn't eat as much as the eldest boy, so since he provided someone to help Zhao Laosan, he didn't have to eat too much food from their family.
At this time, Liu Erzhuang, the second son of the Liu family, was laying the thatch. Zhou Ye had also cut down a few trees and was processing the wood. When he heard him say "your house", his hands paused slightly, and then he said in a light tone, "Aunt He and Ah Shu are making breakfast. You are in for a treat these few days."
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The author has something to say: I found that the readers are silent and just keep giving me nutrient solution. [milk tea][milk tea] Then please give me more nutrient solution~ the more the better [vegetarian dog]
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