The New Year is approaching, and the festive atmosphere of Zhangjia Village is also evident.
Just as the aroma of sticky rice dumplings from the east house filled the air, the pigs waiting to be slaughtered from the west house started howling again.
As soon as the beans from the mill started to smell fishy, before they were even made into tofu, people who had gotten them a few days earlier had already shared a few pieces with their neighbors to try.
Compared with the compound, this New Year's Eve with a strong human touch is something the three Ping'an brothers will never forget.
As soon as Xizi's wedding was over, starting from noon of the next day, more and more elders in the village invited the three brothers, and they were determined not to give up until they came.
The pig-killing dishes were served like a buffet. Not only were the three Ping'an brothers stunned, but even Xiao Wang and Xiao Zheng felt the pure fellow-village spirit in the village for the first time.
The elderly who were grateful to Zhang Guoqing would send a piece of frozen tofu today and a handful of fried mountain products tomorrow. The aunties and sisters-in-law in the village would also cook some meat dishes and bring a bowl to the yard.
In their words: Why are you being polite? Your father has helped us a lot in previous years.
Looking at the meat-heavy dishes, and the faces still tanned after a season of exposure to the sun, it would be a lie to say I wasn't moved.
Similarly, the three brothers were even more curious about what great deeds their father Zhang Guoqing had done that made the villagers still remember him after so many years?
The old captain touched Wuyi's head and looked at Daqingshan. "Your father has helped too many members of the Zhang family. Not to mention that he started helping the village with your great-grandfather before he was even as old as you.
In those few years, if he had not traveled thousands of miles from the capital to send seeds and gone up the mountain to find water, there would not be a single villager alive today.
He also built the team's clinic, beverage factory, and militia. Without him, how could every household in our village live such a good life?
Is the Zhang Guoqing mentioned by the old captain the same person as the father they know?
They couldn't deny this. Since childhood, their fathers had instilled in them the art of thick black, the art of maintaining three parts sincerity and seven parts caution when interacting with others.
I think it must be that these elders and fellow villagers really touched their father, which is why they really approached their father's heart.
The three Ping'an brothers ate the food in the big bowls, and once again realized that not everyone in the world is ungrateful, and there are always some people who are grateful.
The only downside is that there are always those who occasionally show up. They receive the same favor, or even more, but their boundaries are gone. Is it because their father has given so much that they take it for granted, or do they feel they have something to rely on, which makes them more unscrupulous?
Fortunately, there are only a few such people.
——Just like the woman in front of me.
"You are the eldest, right? These must be twins. I am your great aunt's cousin, and your dad has to call me cousin, how sweet."
Ping An suppressed his impatience and nodded with a faint smile. As for calling her "cousin"? Well, the three brothers had never seen her, but they had heard of her.
——Well, forget it.
"Why haven't your parents come back? I've been thinking about your mom. We used to play together a lot when we were little, but now that we've each gotten married, we've been seeing each other less."
——Hehe...Are you sure my mother would pay attention to someone like you?
"I wanted to go find your mother before, but then I thought about how different she is now. I miss her so much... but I decided not to cause trouble for her and my cousin."
——Even if you come to my house, my mother won’t even glance at you.
"This time, firstly, I wanted to come and see you. You're not used to your parents being around, right?" Aunt Zhang's daughter paused after seeing the three brothers smiling but not saying anything. "Secondly, I really have no other choice. It's too late to ask my sisters for help now. Luckily, my mother said you three brothers are back home."
Here it comes...
Wuyi's eyes sparkled as he looked at the other person with interest.
——He's really willing to spend money on this beggar outfit. It would be better if his face was a little darker and his eyes didn't keep looking around restlessly.
Still unprofessional!
The eldest daughter of Aunt Zhang had a beautiful name: Liu Meishu. It was said that her father, Liu Dazhu, who grew up in the provincial capital, personally chose her because he hoped she would be beautiful and ladylike.
Hope is beautiful, and it realizes the meaning of beauty, but is she a lady? Haha, just like her elder sister Liu Meihui, at first glance, they are all failures.
The reason why Liu Meishu could go back to her parents' home to beg for money every day for decades after getting married was not only because she was tough and thick-lidded, but also because she had the self-taught "little white flower" skills.
In her opinion, there was only a boy named Mao who was about ten years old, and a pair of little kids. She had thought about everything on the way. As soon as she arrived, she took care of the children as their cousin and complained a few words.
These children who grew up with a silver spoon in their mouth are full of compassion, so it is easy for them to arrange a few jobs for their sons and daughters.
"It's almost New Year's Eve again. Your cousins are grown up and still can't get married. I can't bear to sell my daughter either. There's only one tattered cotton-padded jacket for the whole family, and I wear mine when I go out. It's okay if life is hard, but there's little to gain from farming. What's the point of the children being so capable? They're all working in vain and can't even afford a full meal."
As she spoke, Liu Meishu squeezed out a few tears, her hand hovering near her eyes as if she wanted to wipe them away. She choked out a sob and said, "Ever since your aunt came home, I haven't slept for several nights. I had to harden my heart and shamelessly come to your house. I have to find a way out for your brothers and sisters, right?"
Ping An frowned, "It's no use looking for us, we rely on our parents for support."
Liu Meishu's eyes flashed with surprise. She said, "That's right, silly girl said her trip would be in vain. When the children go back to work, they will be jealous of her."
"Good kids, you're not ordinary kids. If you just tell your relatives in the provincial capital, there's no factory your brothers and sisters can't get into."
Ping An laughed: "Then you must have heard wrongly. My whole family is a soldier. We are not familiar with any factory and no one knows us..."
Before Ping An could finish, Liu Meishu immediately interrupted, "You said you were your father's son. You can enter those factories with just one word."
Ping An looked up at the woman in front of him with a sarcastic smile. Not only did she have a big appetite, but she also had bigger ambitions. "You mean, everyone in your family will be assigned to work in the factory?"
"It doesn't have to be all factory work, you can join the army too. I've asked people about it, and your second uncle is a high-ranking official. With just one word from him, not only can your brother join the army, he can even become a minor official under him."
Liuyi couldn't bear it any longer. He snorted and looked at her sideways. "You are just a commoner, and you even dare to ask about the army's affairs. I think you are really brave!"
Wuyi looked at the other person's face with a smile, his face turning pale and red, and said, "What's that watch? Why don't you go to heaven? It's amazing that this world can still accommodate someone like you."
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