Chapter 38 I really don't want to work!
After a busy morning, the group ate a pig-slaughtering feast at the Chen family's house and agreed that Chen's maternal grandfather would come to their place to help the next day.
After Grandpa Chen agreed, the group leisurely went home.
The next day, Chen's maternal grandfather took Chen Fangqiu to another family to help slaughter a pig.
My maternal grandparents came over from next door early in the morning.
At this moment, the Chen family had already steamed a bucket of glutinous rice. Seeing the two of them coming over, they quickly asked them to help pour the glutinous rice from the bucket into a stone mortar.
My second maternal grandfather spat into his palm and held a long wooden pestle.
Chen Fangyang also took a long wooden pestle in his hand, pushed up his sleeves, and together with his second maternal grandfather, used the wooden pestle to repeatedly pound the glutinous rice in the stone mortar.
This makes the glutinous rice finer and stickier, making it easier to make glutinous rice cakes.
Grandma Xi steamed another bucket of glutinous rice and told Shen Xuewei to keep an eye on the fire.
After Shen Xuewei obediently agreed, she went to attend to other matters.
Shen Xuewei's second maternal grandmother spoke to her beside her, occasionally glancing at the two people pounding the rice.
When she heard the two men calling her, she washed her hands, reached out and scraped the glutinous rice stuck to the long wooden pestle, letting the two men continue pounding it.
Despite the freezing weather, the two of them managed to break out in a sweat.
Chen Fangyang started with three pieces of clothing, but by the end, he had taken off two and was only wearing a shirt.
One bucket was pounded, and there are three more buckets to go.
To save time and manpower, the two companies joined forces to do it.
When visiting relatives for the New Year, or when relatives come to visit for the New Year, some homemade glutinous rice cakes are often included among the New Year's gifts.
We have many relatives visiting, and our own family also needs to eat, so we have to prepare quite a lot every year.
The pounded glutinous rice dough was divided into small, roughly equal portions by Grandma Xi, Grandma Chen, and Grandma Er together. They then flattened each portion into a palm-sized piece and placed it on a clean, round tray.
After the residual heat dissipates and it sits for a few more hours, it will turn into glutinous rice cake.
After pounding the four buckets of glutinous rice, my second maternal grandfather still had enough energy to finish his meal at the Chen family's house before returning to the neighbor's.
Chen Fangyang, who was less physically fit, felt weak all over and his hands were trembling so much that he couldn't even hold the bowl.
Finally, he lay down on the bamboo recliner next to him and fell fast asleep.
Shen Xuewei left the stove, checked the weather outside, and draped Chen Fangyang's coat over his shoulders.
After thinking for a moment, she took out a blanket from the house and draped it over Chen Fangyang.
At this time of year, the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year is still very strong.
From New Year's Eve to the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, a string of firecrackers will be set off every day.
Relatives who were close to the Chen family came to pay their respects for the New Year one after another, and Shen Xuewei received several red envelopes.
However, before she could even warm the red envelope in her hands, her maternal grandmother took it away, saying she would keep it for her for the time being and give it to her when she grew up.
Having already figured out the adults' tricks, Shen Xuewei managed to get five yuan from Grandma Xi and promptly handed over the red envelope.
Apart from Shen Xuewei's mother, the other two married daughters of the Chen family returned home on the third day of the Lunar New Year.
Chen Fangli's home was nearby, so she went back to her parents' home with Chu Fu early in the morning, but she didn't bring Chu De'an back with her.
Because they had things to do at home, the couple had lunch at the Chen family's house and then quickly went home.
Chen Fanglan's complexion was alright, but she was no longer dressed as fashionably as usual, with no makeup and her clothes were simple.
The two did not stay that day. After having lunch and spending some more time at the Chen family's house, they left around three or four in the afternoon.
Before leaving, Chen Fanglan clapped her hands, then spread her arms wide, bent down slightly, and looked at Shen Xuewei with expectant eyes.
"Weiwei, are you still angry with your aunt? Your aunt is leaving, aren't you going to say goodbye to your aunt?"
Shen Xuewei glanced at her new coat, which her aunt had specially bought for her in the county.
She slowly stepped forward and, to Chen Fanglan's delighted surprise, hugged her.
"Auntie," Shen Xuewei whispered in Chen Fanglan's ear.
Chen Fanglan quickly replied, "Yes, Auntie's here!"
Shen Xuewei hugged her tightly again and whispered, "Auntie, if you are bullied, you must tell Grandpa and Grandma, and your two uncles, and also tell Weiwei. Weiwei isn't very strong, but Weiwei can find a way to get revenge for you."
"...If you're unhappy, you have to come home. Don't hide it from me, understand?"
At that moment, tears welled up in Chen Fanglan's eyes, and she could barely speak.
She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and parted ways with Shen Xuewei.
Apart from slightly reddened eyes, there was almost no sign that she had been crying.
She said softly, "Auntie knows, Auntie will definitely listen to Weiwei..." She paused, then reached out and touched Shen Xuewei's face.
"Is Weiwei still angry with her aunt?" she asked cautiously.
Seeing her ingratiating expression, Shen Xuewei felt a pang of sadness. "Don't be angry, Weiwei, don't be angry."
She was a little angry at the time, but after calming down, she understood her aunt.
After all, back then, when she was determined to do something, she almost never listened to other people's advice.
Xu Zhiyuan watched the two of them from a short distance away, his face gentle, showing no trace of his violent emotions.
This person is such a good imposter.
He was so good to his ex-wife that even though she accused him of assault and violence, no one outside was willing to believe it.
Chen Fanglan chatted with Shen Xuewei for a while longer with reluctance, but eventually left with Xu Zhiyuan.
Shen Xuewei touched the twenty yuan her aunt had secretly slipped to her earlier, and stared in the direction they had left, remaining motionless for a long time.
The last puppy in the house barked twice and playfully shook her trouser leg.
She snapped out of her daze and called out to Big Yellow.
Big Yellow quickly ran out of the house and chased the little dog at her feet to the neighbor's house.
The puppies that Dahuang gave birth to were all given away to other families a few days ago, but this one is still at home.
However, although the puppy is still with the Chen family, it actually belongs to the neighbor's second maternal grandfather's family.
It's just that because they live so close, they always end up going to the Chen family's place.
If Dahuang finds out, it will chase it back to its maternal grandfather's house.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Grandpa Chen and Grandma Xi prepared New Year's gifts and went out to pay their respects.
After the two of them went out, Chen Fangqiu also went out a short while later.
Only Shen Xuewei, Granny Chen, and Chen Fangyang remained at home.
Chen Fangyang held his bowl, eating the food Shen Xuewei had prepared, his eyes glued to the television.
Only after the most exciting part finished playing did I look away and continue eating.
While eating, I suddenly sighed.
Shen Xuewei couldn't help but look at him, thinking to herself: What's wrong with him? Why is he sighing like this again?
Chen Fangyang looked at her with a serious expression, "Xiao Weiwei, think about it for your second uncle, is there any job that doesn't require you to work but still pay for it?"
He had almost spent all the money he earned last year, and only had about a hundred yuan left.
After the New Year, it was time for him to leave home to work again.
He really didn't want to work!
Shen Xuewei and he were quite close, and they spoke their minds directly.
Look at what her second uncle said, who doesn't have such a dream?
When Shen Xuewei used to be harassed and scolded by clients, she would have such beautiful dreams every night.
The dream is over, and I still have to go to that lousy class.
She rolled her eyes, mocking his wild ideas.
"You don't want to work, but you still want a salary? Second Uncle, do you want to be a gigolo kept by a rich woman?"
Chen Fangyang was stunned for a moment, seemingly taken aback by Shen Xuewei's words.
"A gigolo kept by a rich woman?"
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