After observing Ma Jinhua's expressions and waiting for her to finish scolding, Lin Xiaoman cautiously emerged and said timidly, "Grandma, the meal is ready."
"Serve the meal right away!" Ma Jinhua glared at her. "You have no sense at all. Don't you even know what weather it is? How can you eat it if it's cold?"
After saying that, Ma Jinhua glared at Li Hongmei again, "What are you standing there for? Go serve the food!"
Li Hongmei nodded timidly and went to the kitchen.
After putting the potatoes on the table, Lin Xiaoman turned around and ran back to the kitchen and caught up with Li Hongmei.
"Mom." As soon as he got closer, Lin Xiaoman felt the coldness coming from Li Hongmei's body. He looked up and saw that Li Hongmei's face was pale and her lips were blue and purple from the cold.
Obviously, the wind is colder on the lake.
In Qingwanxi Village, in addition to farming, people also have a sideline business of fishing.
However, as humans have been fishing for a long time, the fish in the lake have become smarter. It is difficult to catch fish in the shallow water near the lake, and as for the deep water in the center of the lake, you can easily end up in the belly of a fish if you are not careful.
It’s not that easy to eat fish.
It was obvious that the two of them returned empty-handed today.
"Warm your hands."
Lin Xiaoman stepped on a stool and took Li Hongmei's hand and placed it on the bowl of porridge.
The warmth spread from her hands to her heart, and a smile appeared on Li Hongmei's originally wooden face. The look in her eyes as she looked at Lin Xiaoman was filled with relief and care.
Li Hongmei unconsciously touched her belly with her other hand, and murmured softly with a vision of the future, "It will get better."
Lin Xiaoman, who heard this with sharp ears, couldn't help but feel sympathy again. What a submissive woman!
After sighing, Lin Xiaoman was determined that this time, things would really get better.
When the mother and daughter brought everything to the table, the second and third couple, who had been hiding aside to watch the fun, also came to the table.
The family sat around the octagonal table, and Ma Jinhua, who sat at the southernmost seat, distributed the food.
Holding a big spoon, Ma Jinhua scooped porridge from the porridge bowl and first gave it to Ma Xiaobao. It was a full bowl, very thick.
Then it was Ma Jinhua herself, then Ma Qiangguo, then Ma Jianguo, Song Ping, and Li Hongmei, from thick to thin, and finally when it was Lin Xiaoman's turn, it was almost clear soup, with hardly any rice grains.
Of course, Lin Xiaoman didn’t get any potatoes either.
Ma Qiangguo's potato was the biggest, followed by Ma Jianguo. Li Hongmei also got one, but it was only the size of an egg. Such a small potato was given because of her tummy. She had never gotten a share before.
Sipping the soup, Lin Xiaoman felt it was too miserable.
The nights get dark early in winter, and it’s already pitch black by the time we have dinner. Kerosene lamps are so expensive that we don’t light them unless there is something special.
After dinner, the family dispersed.
The task of washing dishes and cleaning up was originally the responsibility of Li Hongmei and her daughter, Ma Laidi, but since Li Hongmei was pregnant, the job was taken on by Lin Xiaoman alone.
Even though Li Hongmei couldn't bear to see her daughter suffer, she didn't dare to help.
After all, for disobeying Ma Jinhua, both mother and daughter would be assigned heavier and busier work.
After packing up, Lin Xiaoman returned to her room.
The Ma family's mud house was very large. In addition to the main hall in the middle, there were four rooms in total. Ma Jinhua lived in the largest room on the east side.
Ma Qiangguo and Ma Fuguo's rooms are next to her, while Ma Jianguo's room is on the other side. Not only is it small, it is also on the north side, without sunlight for a long time, and is dark and damp.
Entering the house, he felt the damp and cold air unique to the south, and the magic attack made Lin Xiaoman shrink his neck.
"Da Ya, come quickly and eat while soaking your feet."
Li Hongmei was sitting on the edge of the bed, soaking her feet in a wooden tub, holding an enamel cup in one hand and waving at her with the other.
Lin Xiaoman ran over with his calves, brought a small wooden stool, and leaned against the bed to soak his feet.
"No, eat something quickly."
In the steaming enamel cup, there was hot water soaking half a potato.
Li Hongmei scooped a large spoonful with a spoon and fed it to Lin Xiaoman's mouth.
With a mouthful, Lin Xiaoman opened his mouth and ate it.
It doesn't have any smell, but it's warm.
As early as when they were eating, Lin Xiaoman noticed that Ma Jianguo only took a few bites and pretended to have finished eating, but in fact he hid the remaining potatoes in his clothes and took them back to his room.
It was Ma Jianguo's usual practice to save his own food, secretly hide it and bring it back to his room for his wife and daughter.
He didn't dare disobey his mother, but he loved his wife and daughter, so the original owner was in a very conflicted mood.
Lin Xiaoman took a few bites and shook her head, "I'm full, Mom, eat."
Li Hongmei took a few more bites and finally handed it over. "We are full. Zhaodi's father, you can eat it."
"Well, you guys go to sleep first. It's warm now."
Ma Jianguo got up from the bed wrapped in the quilt, took the enamel cup and started eating.
Li Hongmei wiped her feet and then took Lin Xiaoman into bed.
The south is cold and there are no kangs, so you have to rely on your integrity to survive the winter!
The bed was also ice-cold. When I first got into bed, I felt like I had fallen into an ice hole.
And now, it’s warm.
Lying in the artificially warmed bed, Lin Xiaoman stared at Ma Jianguo who was swallowing potatoes in big mouthfuls, hoping that this guy could be rescued after Ma Jinhua passed away.
After eating, he soaked his feet in hot water. Not long after, Ma Jianguo also went to bed. It was obvious that he was tired. The two of them fell asleep quickly on the bed. Only Lin Xiaoman was not sleepy because she had just arrived.
The night was dark and silent.
It was early in the morning, when it was still dark, and Lin Xiaoman, who had been woken up by the cold, heard the crowing of roosters in the distance. She quickly got up, tiptoed out of the room, and went into the kitchen in the dark.
Boil water and cook.
Although today is New Year's Eve, the traditional breakfast is porridge.
Oh, there are eggs.
Of course, there was no place for Lin Xiaoman.
There are four eggs. Lin Xiaoman knows without thinking that Ma Xiaobao, Ma Jinhua, Ma Jianguo, Ma Qiangguo and no one else will get one.
At the dinner table, it was customary for Ma Jinhua, the head of the family, to distribute the food.
After the meal, Ma Jinhua assigned tasks, "Third brother should be back today. Second brother, you and the eldest brother go fishing today, try to catch a big fish, so we can have a good harvest. The eldest brother's wife, you can collect firewood nearby today, we don't have much at home."
Ma Jinhua has the final say at home, and no one dares to refute her.
After assigning the tasks, Ma Jianguo and Ma Qiangguo went out together, Song Ping carried Ma Xiaobao back to the room, Li Hongmei went to collect firewood with a basket on her back, Lin Xiaoman washed and cleaned up with great difficulty, and then started a busy day.
Around noon, Ma Fuguo came back with a lot of bags.
Unlike Ma Jianguo and Ma Qiangguo, two strong men with square faces, the third brother Ma Fuguo is neither strong nor thin, with a tall figure and a very handsome face. He is definitely a handsome guy.
As soon as he entered the house, Ma Jinhua pulled him aside and asked him all kinds of questions and showed him concern.
At present, Ma Fuguo, the youngest son, is still Ma Jinhua's favorite treasure, and his status is even higher than that of the eldest grandson Ma Xiaobao.
However, this situation changed a year later.
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