Chapter 379 380: I can’t learn it, I really can’t learn it
Zhou Huaian waited for Yang Chunyan to get on the car, then stepped on the car and walked forward, "Yan'er, we're moving the day after tomorrow. Do we need to buy anything when we pass through town?"
Yang Chunyan thought for a moment and said, "Weigh some cotton thread and some cashmere to knit some small clothes for the children, and take a few feet of cloth to make some curtains."
Zhou Huaian nodded, "Yes, I also said to buy two paintings to hang behind the windows, so that the room won't be dark when the windows are closed because of newspapers."
The way back was more downhill, so the journey was much faster. When they arrived in town, they went straight to the department store.
Thinking that the bedroom faced east, she pulled out a few feet of thick sky blue coarse cloth, weighed a pound and a half of cotton thread, a pound of milky white fine kasmine thread, pulled out a few more pieces of cotton cloth, bought a few face towels, and the two of them returned to Funiu.
When I got home, I saw Zhou's mother holding a pair of scissors and cutting the grass on the straw bench at the door of the main room, and the old man was making a straw mat in the main room.
"Mom, you just made a straw bench?" Yang Chunyan put down the chicken coop and asked, "Grandpa, why are you making a straw mat?"
The old man smiled and said, "It's for you to use as a bed board."
Zhou's mother smiled and said, "Your grandfather said that you and the youngest don't know how to make straw mats and straw stools. I've made them for you when I have time. We've made eight straw stools and two straw mats."
Zhou Huaian put the backpack on the eaves and said, "Grandpa, why bother with this? I'll just ask Carpenter Li to make a few small stools for you."
The old man laughed and said, "How can a small stool be as comfortable as a straw stool? Look, Xiaolin and the others don't like to sit on small stools."
"Don't hit too many!" Zhou Huaian took out the wine jar from his back, "The sorghum wine my father-in-law gave me, the iron pot, and the sweet potato crisps and jujubes."
Mother Zhou looked at Yang Chunyan with a smile, "It's so embarrassing to bring back so many things every time you go! Look, we have even hatched the chicks for you."
Before Yang Chunyan could speak, Zhou Huaian interrupted her, "My mother-in-law has raised more than a dozen of them, saying that they would be perfect for Chunyan's confinement next year."
Mother Zhou said cheerfully, "Yes, now we have the conditions. We have to take good care of ourselves during the confinement period. Mom will also hatch more chicks and raise them." She picked up the chicken coop and said, "Keep these here first, and move them over after we move in."
Yang Chunyan smiled and nodded, "Yes, let's take everything in."
Zhou Huaian carried the wine jar inside and put it away, then took off his shoes and walked into the straw mat, "Grandpa, I'll help you."
The old man smiled and shook his head, "You can't fight well. The mat will fall apart after two nights of sleeping on it."
Zhou Huaian picked up a handful of straw and said, "I'll try. I don't believe that someone as smart as me can't learn it!"
The old man saw this and quickly stopped him. "Oh, you can't do that. First, take a handful of hair and put it in the braid. Lift up the lower braid and hold it, and push down the upper braid..."
Zhou Huaian clumsily picked up a handful of straw and pulled up the braid at the bottom, "I know, pull it up like this..."
"Yes, take a handful of straw, straighten it, put it in the braid, press it down, tighten it, and step on it with your feet..."
Ten minutes later, the old man angrily slapped him on the back with a "slap" sound, "Damn Long Bao'er, look at what you hit? Go away, don't waste my time here."
Zhou Huaian scratched his head, looked at Yang Chunyan who was smiling at him at the door of the main hall, and spread his hands helplessly, "I can't learn it, I really can't learn it!"
Yang Chunyan smiled and said, "No one knows everything. You should go to the back mountain and help the old man build the bamboo fence."
The old man also laughed, "Forget it if you can't learn it, grandpa will beat you. We'll move there the day after tomorrow, so go and help your old man build the bamboo fence."
"oh oh!"
…
On the first day of the new year, Zhou's mother and father divided the food rations among the brothers.
Yang Chunyan's family received more than 900 kilograms of millet, corn, and sorghum, as well as two baskets of sweet potatoes, two baskets of potatoes, and various salted vegetables and bean paste pickled at home...
The grain was left to be moved on the main day, and the other sundry items took several people the whole morning to move. They then installed the pot and covered it with clay before the job was done.
In the afternoon, Zhou Yiding and Zhou Huaian went to the carpenter's house and pulled the furniture into the new house, including a large wardrobe painted with dark red earth lacquer, a person-high dressing mirror, a desk, high and low cabinets, sofas, chairs and a long table.
After a few people put the furniture in place, the empty house instantly felt like home.
Zhou Huairong and his friends looked at the wooden sofa in the main room and agreed that it was good, so they decided to make a set and put it at home.
Early in the morning on the second day of the Chinese New Year, several brothers moved on the same day, but at different times. Zhou Huaijun was the first to move, followed by Zhou Huaishan, Zhou Huairong, and Zhou Huaian was the last to move.
When it was Zhou Huaian's turn, his mother put red envelopes, tea leaves and copper coins in the rice bucket filled with grains, and fetched half a bucket of water for him to carry.
She, Zhou's father, and the old man took the brazier, cypress branches, and a broom, and went to the new house with Zhou Huairong and others carrying millet, sorghum, corn, and some miscellaneous items.
After arriving home, they lit cypress branches at the gate of the yard. Zhou Huaian was the first to step over the brazier carrying the things on his shoulders, and then Zhou's mother and others followed him into the yard.
After everyone put away all the daily necessities, Zhou Huaian went to the gate of the yard to light the firecrackers, and the festive sound of firecrackers rang out.
After the firecrackers rang, Zhou Huaian looked at Zhou Huaishan, "Third brother, let's go lift the boxes and cabinets and pick up Chunyan at the same time."
"Yes!" Zhou Huaishan picked up the shoulder pole leaning against the wall. The two brothers said hello to Zhou's mother and walked back.
When passing by Zhou Huairong's house, Zhao Huifang and her sisters-in-law had already started preparing the banquet for the guests at noon.
Because of the local customs, Yang Chunyan could not participate in the move, so she put the heirlooms and the black thing in the boxes and cabinets in the old house into sacks, wrapped them in bedding, and put them into the boxes and cabinets.
After installing it, she sniffed her hands and found a faint fragrance lingering on her fingertips. "Could it be native agarwood? When can I bring Ning An to Wang Zhen to see?"
Zhou Huaian and Zhou Huaishan came back with the pallets, "Yan'er, have you packed up? Everything is ready over there, you can come over too."
"Okay." Yang Chunyan looked back at the bunk bed she had brought as a dowry, "When will Master Li come to help dismantle it?"
"The ones who came with the old man will be here soon." Zhou Huaian said with a smile, "Everyone likes the big wardrobe that Yiding made for us."
Zhou Huaishan nodded, "That's right, a big wardrobe is better. It can hold all the cotton and other things. If you move the boxes and cabinets there, they will just have to be placed aside."
After they put the rope on, Yang Chunyan asked, "My mom and the others haven't come yet?"
Zhou Huaian looked at the time, "It's already eight o'clock, it should be time."
"We're just waiting for them to send the steamer to steam the cakes!" Zhou Huaishan put the carrying pole into the noose, "Let's go!"
When the three of them reached the door, they met Father Zhou and Carpenter Li coming over. "Old man, the beds are all cleaned. Do you want my help?"
Father Zhou said, "You carry it over and put it down, then come over and help carry it."
"Okay!"
As soon as they stepped onto the main road, they saw a tractor coming. Zhou Huaian turned his head and looked at Yang Chunyan, "Here they are. Wait here for a moment and come with them."
"Yes." Yang Chunyan stopped and waited for the tractor to arrive.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com