Niu Er touched the hundreds of bags of grain stored in the old house, peeled off a few grains of rice, and said in disbelief, "Sister-in-law, this rice is milky white and plump. This kind of rice is actually our family's grain!"
Shen Zishan also looked at a few grains of rice, peeled one open, and chewed it: "Son-in-law, what kind of seeds did you buy? How come they grew such good rice?"
Niu Da scratched the back of his head, puzzled: "The seedling seller said it's millet seed," but this is clearly not millet.
The fact that Niu Dajia had collected a lot of rent became a topic of conversation in the village.
Huang, the wife of Niu Jingwen, the eldest grandson of the clan elder, sat in the Shen family's house early in the morning. She quickly took a sip of water and said:
"Madam Shen, I have a strange story to tell you!"
Niu Cuihua and Niu Meihua both listened intently. Shen Shi said:
"What is it?"
"Do you all remember that strange lightning the day before yesterday?" Although Huang was a good person, she was also sharp-tongued and gossipy. "Yesterday afternoon, after the Huang family came to make trouble, Huang Zhigao was struck dead by that strange lightning on his way back!"
Shen Yu was stunned for a moment: "Is there really such a strange thing?"
Huang took another sip of water and said, "That's not all. In my opinion, that whole family should have been struck by lightning! The old man from the Huang family was almost struck by lightning too. He rolled down the embankment and broke both his legs! Isn't that retribution?"
Madam Huang said, "Even Heaven couldn't stand it anymore, making them lose their son in their old age! His concubine, who sang for a living, tricked and threatened that old woman and old man Huang, saying she was pregnant, and gave her the only land deed in the house and Granny Zhao's gold and silver jewelry." "As a result, she disappeared this morning!"
"That concubine we took in before, what's her name, Yan'er? She ran away today with three little girls!"
"Huang Zhigao was the only son of Granny Zhao and Old Man Huang. Now that he's dead, that singing boy has stolen all the family's land deeds and money, leaving them without even a funeral expense! Granny Zhao has also lost an eye, and Old Man Huang has broken both his legs."
“My grandfather heard it from the Huang family when he went to negotiate with the Huang family head yesterday morning! When he got home today, he told the family that it couldn’t be false. Even the people on their side said it was retribution! I feel so happy to hear that!”
Huang, the eldest granddaughter-in-law of the old clan chief, was a straightforward person.
Shen Yu wasn't some kind of bodhisattva, so she was naturally pleased to hear this. The worst thing is to lose your son in your old age, especially your only son. "Auntie, have a piece of watermelon!"
After eating the watermelon, Huang said, "Your watermelon is really sweet, but it's too hot outside. If only it could cool things down a bit!"
Ice, that's a precious thing.
After eating the watermelon, Huang left.
The new house was built a month ago and painted in a month. We'll move in after three months when the paint smell dissipates.
The school was completed in June, but it was during the hot summer, so enrollment was scheduled for September, and a girls' class was also set up.
There are five classrooms, one canteen, and two more classrooms for teachers invited from afar to use. The four classrooms house students from four or five villages.
There were about one or two hundred students in total, but only five girls. The boys and girls sat on opposite sides, separated by a curtain and a threshold about half a person's height.
The new house on the Niu family's homestead has a total of ten rooms and a courtyard. The area is two li in length and width. They also bought half a li of land from the Xiang family to make up the shortfall.
When Old Lady Zhong saw the bright red two-courtyard house, she couldn't help but feel a little excited:
"In my lifetime, I can finally see my sixth daughter living such a good life. My heart, which has been hanging in suspense, can finally be put at ease!" Looking at the completed house, the two cages of pigs, and the vegetable gardens and orchards behind it, Old Mrs. Zhong was so moved that tears streamed down her face.
Old Mrs. Zhong is sixty-five years old this year. She gave birth to Shen Shi when she was forty. Everyone laughed at her for being an old clam giving birth to a pearl. Her biggest worry was that her sixth daughter was not living a good life.
Liu Yatou's mother-in-law died early. When Niu Baozhu and Niu Baolan were born, there was nothing to eat. She brought a few old hens and a few eggs from home to stay for a while to take care of Chen Yu during her postpartum period.
Back then, the Niu family's house was so leaky that it was impossible for anyone to live there! Although the son-in-law Niu Da was hardworking and repaired the house and tiles everywhere, if he was only busy fixing things, he would inevitably lack food and drink. Sometimes, how could he take care of everything?
Fortunately, although the son-in-law was poor at that time, he never looked down on his daughter for having given birth to a daughter, and he always put his daughter first in terms of food and clothing.
Poor people never dream of becoming rich and powerful; they are content as long as they have enough to eat and drink.
"Sixth daughter, your house is almost finished, and spring planting is over, so things aren't so busy anymore. I have to go back with your father."
The elderly couple, Shen Zishan and his wife, have four sons. Their youngest grandson is already seven years old and no longer needs to be cared for by Mrs. Zhong. That's why they have time to come and help their daughter take care of the child; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to come.
Niu Da quickly took out six strings of cash from the money box and said, "Take this money, elders, so that your wives won't have any grudges against you."
Chen Yu came over with a ruler and said, "Let me measure you again. It's the fourth day of the eleventh lunar month, Father's birthday. I'll make you a new set of clothes!"
Shen Zishan and Old Lady Zhong did not refuse.
Little Fu Bao played with Old Lady Zhong's gray hair, "Grandma, eighty-nine," tears welled in the little baby's eyes, "eighty-nine, eighty-nine."
Although Xiao Fubao's pronunciation was a little inaccurate, Old Lady Zhong still understood. With tears in her eyes, she patted Xiao Fubao's little head and said:
“My mother-in-law has her own family, her son and daughter-in-law; how can she stay here forever?”
"Grandma, don't go, don't go!" One-and-a-half-year-old Niu Baolan and three-year-old Niu Baozhu tugged at Old Lady Zhong's clothes and cried.
"My mother-in-law will eventually have to go back to her own home!"
Niu Da hired a horse-drawn carriage and personally escorted his parents-in-law home. Although he was reluctant to part with them, he knew he would have to go back sooner or later.
Chen Yu was also a little reluctant to leave: "Mom, can't we stay until after the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
With tears streaming down her face, Old Mrs. Zhong said, "There's no need to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. We still need to help with the harvest at home!"
Chen Yu bundled up ten bolts of fine jacquard fabric and had Niu Da hire a horse-drawn cart to deliver them together.
Little Fu Bao'er must have known that Old Lady Zhong had passed away, and she was saddened and listless. The sky seemed to reflect her mood as well, with dark clouds covering the sky.
"Sister, let's rename the two girls! That 'Pandi' is just too awful!" The second daughter of the Huang family is named Huang Pandi.
"But what name should we choose?" Niu Xiaomei said. "How about Huang Guihua (Osmanthus Flower)?"
Shen Yu burst out laughing. Her sister-in-law's naming style was exactly the same as her older brother's, so she said, "Don't use anything fancy like that."
"I think the older one should be named Ke'er, and the younger one Qiao'er, taking our surname, not Huang!" "Qiao'er is frail; everything depends on the character 'Qiao'er's' skill—turning misfortune into good fortune, and disaster into auspiciousness—she can do without it."
He took the surname Niu from the Niu family.
"I think it's great, it has to be my sister-in-law!" Niu Xiaomei had already finished her postpartum confinement. Although she didn't need to help with the housework, she took the initiative to help take care of Xiao Fubao and Niu Baolan after Granny Zhong left.
“Aunt, I have a new name, don’t I? Niu Ke’er, Niu Ke’er! It sounds nice! Aunt, I love the name you gave me!” Niu Ke’er clapped her hands and said.
Four-year-old Niu Ke'er calls Niu Cuihua and Niu Meihua "cousins," and Niu Baozhu, Niu Baolan, and Xiao Fubao "cousins."
Two-year-old Niu Qiao'er only calls Niu Baolan and Xiao Fubao her cousins.
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