Yang Chunyan and Zhou's mother got some cured meat for Wang Zhen from the wine cellar, as well as dried mushrooms, black fungus, vermicelli, dried vegetables, venison, and old bear meat, filling the back of the bag to the brim.
"Aunt Nian, when we left, my mother took a lot, and you took so much..."
Before Yang Dongmei finished her words, Zhao Huifang and her two sisters-in-law came over with preserved food, dried vegetables, vermicelli, and mushrooms. "Xiaomei, sister-in-law doesn't have much to give you. These are all made at home. Don't despise them!"
After hearing this, Yang Dongmei had no choice but to accept it. "Sister-in-law, these are the good stuff. Look, Auntie Nian and my sister took so much, and you guys brought so much more. We can't finish them even before the New Year."
Yang Chunyan stepped forward and picked up the bag. "They are all dried and preserved food. When we get to Ning'an, we will store them in the cellar of the new house. We will not lose our appetite even during the New Year."
"Well, we'll put it in the cellar when we get to Ning'an." Yang Dongmei also picked up the bamboo basket and walked out together, "Sisters-in-law haven't seen the new house yet, right? After the New Year, we'll start construction and put up the roof."
"Not yet!" Zhao Huifang laughed. "On the second day of the Chinese New Year, I went back to my parents' home and told my mother that I hadn't even taken a look at the house being built in the city. She didn't believe me and said, "How can you not keep an eye on a house being built?"
After they saw the house that the contractor had built for the youngest brother and Wang Zhenxiu, they gave all the houses to him, just like Zhou Huaian and Zhou Yiding.
Before the truffles were confiscated, Zhou Huairong and his brothers lent the goods to Huang Yongcai to take a look. Later, when they started to collect truffles, it was Wang Zhen who helped to check the construction site.
Zhou's mother smiled and said, "You didn't even look at it, youngest son. The house has been repaired anyway. When yours is finished, I'll go back and take your mother and husband to Ning'an to have a look."
"I told them that I will pick them up after the house is cleaned up," said Zhao Huifang and Zhang Xiuxiang.
Li Qiuyue felt a little distressed when she thought that all the money she earned this year was used to repair the house. "When we come back from Baicaoping, you may also come back from Ning'an. We will wait until the beams are put up to go and see the new building."
Mother Zhou: "It's the same when we go to see the beams. Have you packed up your things?"
"It's all packed." Li Qiuyue said to Yang Chunyan and the others, "Sister-in-law, Huaishan and I are going to Baicaoping. Xiaoru and Xiaolin will be in trouble for you!"
"You're being too polite to us." Zhao Huifang said with a reproachful smile, "Just go ahead and don't worry. If you come back early, come find us in the city."
Li Qiuyue: "It depends on the situation. If it's early, we'll go into the city to find you."
Seeing that her daughters-in-law were getting along well, Zhou's mother smiled and said, "It's time to heat up the food in the pot. Chunyan goes to the oven to ask them to go to the third brother's house for dinner. We'll go set the table."
"Okay." Yang Chunyan agreed with a smile and went to the baking room with Yang Dongmei.
The goods in the warehouse have been almost moved. The old man and Zhou's father are tidying up the firewood pile behind the wine cellar in the backyard. They said that Wangcai dug out a nest of mice in it yesterday.
Zhou Huaian was very proud and said that his two dogs were really good. They could catch wild animals in the mountains and mice at home. He would not trade them for any amount of money.
Everyone cleaned up the yard and went to Zhou Huaishan's house. There were leftovers on the table and a pot of plump white dumplings floating in the pot.
Those who like to eat sit around the table to eat, and those who like to eat dumplings sit on the straw stools on the steps and eat the dumplings.
The Zhou Jiaming brothers looked at Zhou Xiaoqian and the others who were dressed in new clothes and felt that the originally sweet and fragrant glutinous rice balls were not sweet at all. "Brother, I want to go to the movies and take pictures."
"I was thinking about it!" Zhou Jiaming glared at him angrily, "Who told you not to do your homework? Mom always scolds me for not setting a good example. How come Xiaowen can get a perfect score in the exam?"
Zhou Jialiang thought for a moment, "Brother, Xiaowen likes to follow Xiaoqian around, not us. Xiaoqian is very serious about doing her homework."
"..." Zhou Jiaming glanced at him, "After all this talk, it's still my fault. Don't follow me anymore. Follow Xiaoqian instead."
Mother Zhou saw the two brothers sitting there with their bowls in their hands, with a bite of the glutinous rice balls still in the spoon. "Eat them while they're hot. They won't taste good if they get cold."
After hearing this, Zhou Jialiang picked up the bowl and came closer to her, "Grandma, we want to go to Ning'an, can you help us put in a good word!"
"Who told you not to do your homework and run around outside every day? How dare you take your younger brother and sister to go fishing?" Mother Zhou was furious when she thought about how the fishing nets worth dozens of yuan were wasted. "You just want to play around all day. I see you guys just want to eat bamboo shoots and pork fried on New Year's Day."
After being scolded, Zhou Jialiang sat there listlessly with the bowl in his hand, like a puppy abandoned by his owner.
Zhou's mother glanced at him, took the bowl and went to the kitchen. Zhao Huifang asked in a low voice: "Mom, did Jialiang come to you to ask for mercy?"
"Well!" Zhou's mother handed her the bowl. "What kind of children don't like to play? Everyone else has gone, and only these two are left at home. How about asking them to write a guarantee?"
Li Qiuyue blushed when she heard about writing a guarantee, and said with a wry smile, "Sister-in-law, all the brothers and sisters at home are gone, leaving only Jiaming and his brother at home. They look like unwanted puppies, so pitiful."
Yang Chunyan also advised: "Sister-in-law, Xiaowen said that they started doing their homework as soon as they got up today, and it seems that they also know that they are wrong. Why don't you take them with you!"
Zhao Huifang nodded readily after hearing this, "Okay, let's leave them alone for a while and then tell them when we leave."
Zhou's mother smiled and said, "Okay, wait until you get on the tractor and then tell them!"
Seeing that everyone at the table had finished eating, Yang Chunyan and her sisters-in-law went to help clear away the dishes. Zhou's mother told them to leave quickly and stay until she finished cleaning up.
Seeing that the adults had come out, Zhou Xiaoqian and the others happily surrounded them and asked, "Dad, are you leaving?"
Zhou Huaijun nodded and said, "Let's go!"
"Oh, let's go to Ning'an to watch a movie and take pictures!" Zhou Jiakang cheered happily, without caring about the feelings of the two brothers on the steps at all. He only reacted after being pinched by Zhou Xiaoqian.
Zhou Xiaowen looked at Zhou Jialiang who had buried his head in tears, and pulled Zhou Huairong, "Old man, can you call my brother and the others to join us?"
"The old man's words are not reliable. Your mother has to decide." Zhou Huairong pointed to the kitchen, "Take them and go talk to your mother."
"Oh!" Zhou Xiaowen turned around and pulled Zhou Jialiang, "Brother, let's go find mom and speak well of you."
Zhou Xiaoqian gave some advice, "Brother, you should not only say nice things, but also promise to do your homework well after you go to Ning'an."
Zhou Jialiang said with a bitter face, "We did our homework well this morning. Mom said we can go only after we finish our homework. There are still so many..."
After hearing this, Zhou Xiaoqian glared at the two of them and whispered, "Brother, you didn't write a single word, did you?"
Zhou Jialiang glanced at Zhou Jiaming and raised three fingers. "I wrote three pages of homework during the winter vacation. We helped collect truffles every day in Bailing Mountain, so we didn't have time to finish it."
"I helped too. You guys just followed Lin Laoya and the others around every day and didn't do your homework properly." Zhou Xiaowen exposed him mercilessly.
Zhou Jialiang hurriedly said: "Little sister, we promise to write well in the future."
"Your father's tractor has already started, what are you still doing here?" Zhao Huifang hung her apron on the bamboo pole and said, "Let's go."
Zhou Xiaoqian pulled Zhou Jialiang, and he immediately reacted. He stepped forward and looked at Zhao Huifang pitifully, "Mom, we promise to do our homework well after we go to Ning'an..."
After hearing this, Zhao Huifang looked at Zhou Jiaming, "What about you?"
Zhou Jiaming stood up and looked at her. "I promise to write it well and not scribbling nonsense."
Zhao Huifang glanced at the two of them and said, "Since your brother and sister-in-law have pleaded for you, I will take you with me today. Go and change your clothes quickly."
Zhou Jiakang was the fastest to move, grabbing the two brothers who had not yet recovered from their surprise, "Brother, let's go! Auntie promised to take you there."
"Oh oh!" The two brothers came to their senses and ran towards their home happily with their brothers and sisters.
Zhou Huaian and Zhou Huaijun drove away on their tractor, and then Li Qiuyue and Zhou Huaishan rode their bicycles out. It was already past ten o'clock when they arrived at Baicaoping.
When I pushed the bicycle uphill, I found that Li Laoer's house had been renovated. It seemed that some money was spent to find a wife for Li Hongxing.
Zhou Huaishan turned his head and smiled: "It seems that your second brother is stronger than your uncles and brothers!"
"Li Lao Er is afraid of his wife." Li Qiuyue curled her lips, "My uncles and brothers are just like my eldest father. They have no other skills, but they are first-rate at beating their wives."
Zhou Huaishan suddenly remembered something, "Isn't your niece engaged to someone from Fangtian Brigade? Has the wedding been held?"
Li Qiuyue shook her head. "I don't know. He didn't invite us to the wedding."
As soon as the two arrived at the door, Mrs. Li came out with a smile on her face, followed by a thin and petite woman, "Qiuyue, brother-in-law, you are here!"
Li Qiuyue looked at the woman in front of her who looked a few years older than Li Ersao. Even on New Year's Day, her clothes were tattered and there was a big hole on her knee that hadn't been mended.
She was a little bit unconvinced that this was her little sister, and hesitantly called out, "Qiuxia?"
Li Qiuxia pulled at her collar nervously, "Third sister, you're here!"
Li Qiuyue nodded and pointed at Zhou Huaishan, "Little sister, this is your third brother-in-law."
"Third brother-in-law!" Li Qiuxia shouted.
"Little sister!" Zhou Huaishan also responded to her politely. The sunlight fell on her face, which was full of wrinkles. She looked timid and it seemed that she was not having a good life.
Mrs. Li looked at the women's bicycle pushed by Li Qiuyue with shining eyes, "Qiuyue, your bicycle is very fashionable this year. Nowadays, when getting engaged, the woman's side requires such a bicycle."
"It belongs to the youngest brother. We are borrowing it for a ride." Li Qiuyue regretted it so much. She should have borrowed an old bicycle like the third brother. She should be more careful later.
"You are lucky to have a capable brother in your family, and everyone benefits from him." Mrs. Li smiled and led the two of them to the yard, "Qiuyue, brother-in-law, come in and sit for a while."
Li Qiuyue glanced at her, and pushed the bicycle into the yard with Zhou Huaishan, motioning him to lock it. She looked at the fairly clean yard and asked, "Are the eldest and second sisters here?" (End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com