Gao Yuanjian had naturally already thought about the date for the wedding banquet in the new house.
When Gao Mingcheng asked, he said, "Let's set it on the 18th of this month. That day is a good day and it's the weekend. Then you can bring Mingwan and his wife and Shufang back for a drink! If you don't come back this time, I'm going to wait for Chen Dasong to go to the county to deliver something to you, and then have him notify you."
When he heard the date of the wedding, Gao Mingcheng nodded and said that he would come back for the wedding that day.
He stood in the yard and looked at the new house for a few times, but did not go in to take a closer look. After a while, he said goodbye and left.
Gao Yuanjian did not go to see him off. Instead, he sat on the small stool in front of the door and concentrated on repairing the hoe. Next he would dig peanuts and sweet potatoes. The hoe would be of great use!
After leaving the old village, Gao Mingcheng drove all the way to Shangfeng Village. The arrival of the car instantly made this remote village lively. The children running around the village immediately chased after the car, making strange noises.
Xuanyu Jin's two sons recognized the car as their uncle's and immediately waved to Gao Mingcheng, who was driving, and shouted, "Uncle! Uncle!"
Many beauties leaned out of the car window and couldn't help laughing. They said, "These two brats were only busy calling you and didn't even call me!"
Obviously, the two little nephews like Gao Mingcheng more.
Gao Mingcheng smiled, drove steadily, and then parked the car in a relatively spacious location.
The houses in this village are densely packed, so it's not easy to park a car.
After the car stopped, Xuanyuemei carried Xiao Xuxu out of the car. Xiao Xuxu had been a little drowsy in the car just now, but when the children in the village called him, he forced himself awake again. However, his feet still looked soft when they touched the ground. Xuanyuemei was worried that he would fall, so she just carried him.
Xuan Xuan Jin's house is not close to the road, so you have to walk a short distance with your things to get to her house.
Gao Mingcheng held malted milk, snacks and candies in one hand and several kilograms of wild boar meat in the other.
He gave Xuanyijin three pounds of pork ribs, a hairy pig's trotter, and two pounds of pork belly that he had bought in the county.
Domestic pigs are fatter than wild boars, and the pork belly looks greasy and not dry at all.
Xuanyi Jin was sitting under the eaves of her house picking vegetables. At her feet was an old basket with a handful of red cowpeas in it. This is an old variety in the village, also called September red, which is the vegetable eaten in this season.
September red is more resistant to insects and drought than the green cowpea in early summer, but it also has a drawback, which is that its yield is not high. Generally, it is gone after three harvests.
But now the green cowpea vines in the field have all withered, only the September red ones are still growing well.
Zhang Chengyuan did not plant this variety of cowpea for Gao Mingcheng, so when Gao Mingcheng went up the stairs, he couldn't help but take a few more glances.
This kind of September Red tastes very good. Its skin is hard and looks a bit old, but it is actually very soft after being cooked.
"Big sister."
Manyu Mei stepped forward and greeted him with a smile, then asked, "Are you feeling better?"
The last time she came, Xuan Duojin could only lie in bed and couldn't get out of bed, but now she is able to get out of bed and do housework.
Xuanyun Jin was very happy to see them coming. He stood up with a smile on his face to greet the guests and wanted to go to the kitchen to pour them some water.
Fortunately, her two sons had returned at this time, so Xuanyujin unceremoniously ordered her eldest son to go to the kitchen to pour water, while she stayed to talk with her sister and brother-in-law.
Xuan Xuanjin said: "I am better now. I am not as uncomfortable as before. Although I still cannot work in the fields, I can take care of the children and cook."
Rural people are not that rich. Some of them have to go to work in the fields the day after giving birth!
Xuanxuan Jin's body suffered a lot, so she had to lie in bed for so long, but when she was able to get out of bed, she couldn't wait to go to work without anyone telling her.
Seeing that his sister and brother-in-law had brought so many things to him, Xuanxuan's eyes instantly welled up with tears of excitement, yet he felt a little guilty in his heart.
She held many beauties' hands and said, "I am very happy that you have come to see me. You don't need to bring so many things. You always bring so many things but never have a meal here."
Xuanyuemei patted the back of her eldest sister's hand and said with a smile, "I only have you sisters, so it's my duty to come and see you. Sister, I'm relieved now that you're feeling better."
While the two sisters were talking, Xuanyun Jin's eldest son got a signal from his mother, so he ran to the field happily, ready to call his father back.
Not long after, my brother-in-law came back carrying a hoe in one hand and a basket in the other.
"Ming Cheng, how handsome." After a summer, my brother-in-law's face looked even darker. When he smiled, his eyes seemed invisible, but his teeth looked a little whiter.
He was thin, but his exposed arms and calves still showed obvious muscles, which were developed from doing farm work.
It can be seen that because Xuanyijin is in poor health and the family has a heavy burden, my brother-in-law looks even more tired.
"Brother-in-law." Gao Mingcheng and Xuanyuemei both shouted. Xiao Xuxu, who was playing nearby, also shouted "Uncle" at Xuanyuemei's suggestion.
"Hey." The eldest brother-in-law grinned, put down the basket in his hand, and said to Gao Mingcheng: "I know your family grows vegetables, but my family doesn't have anything to sell, so these gourds and loofahs are for you to eat."
Gourds have a high yield, so most people will plant a few in the corners of the field or on the hillside. After the vines have spread everywhere, they can wait to eat the gourds!
This thing blooms and bears fruit at the same time, and can be eaten for a long time.
Sometimes if you really can’t finish it, you can peel it, slice it, and dry it, and save it for the winter when there are fewer vegetables. Whether it’s stir-fried alone or with meat, it tastes great.
Gao Mingcheng's family did plant some, but when he saw the nervousness and embarrassment on his eldest brother-in-law's face, he knew that he felt guilty about always taking his things.
So Gao Mingcheng happily accepted it and praised the gourd seeds for being well grown, neither too old nor too tender, and just right for eating.
The eldest brother-in-law was very happy to be praised, and immediately said: "There are still a lot of them in the field. If you like, I will pick some more! Oh, there are also red cowpeas and corns, I will pick some for you too!"
My brother-in-law put the things in the bamboo basket on the ground, then picked up the empty bamboo basket and prepared to continue picking vegetables in the field.
Gao Mingcheng was unable to stop him, so he simply took Xiao Xuxu with him to the field.
Along the way, the two nephews kept playing with Xiao Xuxu. They were afraid that Xiao Xuxu would fall, so they held Xiao Xuxu's hands tightly all the way.
The children all like to play with their older brothers and listen to the two older brothers talking about some interesting things in the fields and the village. No matter whether little Xuxu understood it or not, he showed great interest and was amused to laugh from time to time.
When he arrived at the field, Xiao Xuxu already had a handful of foxtail grass in his hand.
Most of my eldest brother-in-law's land is far away from home. The only piece of land close to home is used to grow vegetables such as loofah, gourd and red beans.
All three of these required racks. One row of each was planted near the slope, and five rows of corn were planted in the field next to it.
On the corn plants, long green leaves spread out on both sides, staggered with each other, but no matter how many green leaves there are, they can hardly cover the bulging corns.
Corn, also called corn by the locals, because it is wrapped in layers.
Some of the corns have bluish-white silk, while others have turned brown. Brown silk means the corn is ripe.
When the eldest brother-in-law arrived at the edge of the field, he started picking vegetables. He picked almost all the vegetables planted in the field. Seeing him picking non-stop, Gao Mingcheng hurriedly said, "Brother-in-law, stop, stop, the basket is almost full!"
My brother-in-law grinned and said, "It's okay, just hold the corn with your hands!"
So he asked his two sons to each take a few corns, and even little Xuxu joined in the fun and took a corn to play with.
Little Xuxu actually likes to eat corn very much. After getting the corn, his little hands imitated the adults' actions and prepared to peel the corn husk, but he was too weak to do it!
However, the advantage of having a brother was immediately apparent. When the older cousin saw this, he immediately helped little Xuxu peel the corn husks!
After the green corn husk is peeled off, the golden corn kernels are immediately revealed, and the unique fragrance of corn also wafts into the air.
Smelling the aroma, Xiao Xuxu couldn't help but took a bite. The corn was just ripe and still very tender. The juice was sweet and clear when he took a bite.
"Brother! You can't eat corn like this!" The eldest cousin was shocked. They never dared to waste food like this!
The eldest cousin looked up at his father timidly, as if he was afraid that his father would be angry, but, well, those who understand will understand!
My eldest brother-in-law laughed and said, "It's okay, you can eat corn raw! Xuxu, is this corn sweet?"
This double standard caused his two biological sons to look at him frequently.
Generally speaking, the corn at home is not picked until it is very old. After the old corn is dried and threshed, it is ground with a stone mill and used to cook porridge, which can fill your stomach.
They usually don’t eat tender corn like this one at home, but sometimes when the children are really craving for it, they cook one or two to satisfy their cravings.
Little Xuxu, who was less than three years old, had no idea about the joys and sorrows of the world. He loved corn so much that he ate it raw or cooked. He ate it mouthful after mouthful, mumbling, "Sweet! Delicious!"
When Gao Mingcheng saw Xiao Xuxu chewing raw corn, he began to suspect that he was abusing him and not giving him food.
Well, let Zhang Chengyuan help him plant more corn next year! When the family can't finish it, they can send it to the kindergarten and make corn and pork ribs soup for the children!
After picking the vegetables, they walked home chatting and laughing. Before they reached the door, they heard an argument.
When the eldest brother-in-law heard the voice, he immediately quickened his pace, and Gao Mingcheng also hurriedly quickened his pace to catch up.
Two people were standing in front of Xuanyi Jin's house. They were village cadres and were notifying Xuanyi Jin to go to the health center in Junling for sterilization.
Xuanyi Jin was somewhat resistant to this. Even though the other party was two men, she directly said that she was still bleeding down there and could not get a vasectomy yet.
But the leading village official frowned and said seriously, "Now that we are implementing family planning, people in the village can only have two children at most, but you gave birth to three! Although you have paid the fine, you must get sterilized as soon as possible!"
"We are here to inform you that you must get sterilized by the end of October at the latest! If you don't get sterilized, I'm afraid you won't have a good year!"
This last sentence is already a threat.
As the saying goes, the people should not fight against the officials. Hearing this, Xuan Duojin had already agreed to get sterilized. Even her eldest brother-in-law, who had just returned, said, "Secretary of the village party committee, don't worry. After the late rice is harvested and we have time, we will go to the health center to get sterilized."
The village party secretary looked better after hearing this. He softened his tone and said, "It's good that you are willing to get sterilized. I only informed you in advance because I was afraid that you would keep it a secret and give birth to a fourth child. That would be a big deal!"
After the village party secretary made his remarks clearly, he planned to leave.
Xuanyuemei had not said anything before, but at this moment she suddenly called the village party secretary and said, "Village party secretary, can I take my elder sister to the county hospital to get an IUD installed?"
When Xuan Mei lived in the village, she thought it was normal for women to be forced to go to the health center for sterilization after giving birth to their second child.
But when she went to the county, she found out that women in the county did not use sterilization for contraception, but instead used IUDs.
Compared to ligation, IUD insertion is definitely better for the body and less painful.
Moreover, after sterilization, breast milk will be affected. My eldest sister's family is not well-off. Without breast milk, the child can only eat rice porridge which has no nutrition. If the family buys milk powder, it will be an additional expense.
Taking all this into consideration, many women thought it might be better to take their elder sister to the county to get an IUD inserted.
The village party secretary listened to her question, thought for a moment, and then said: "If there is a certificate from the hospital, that's fine."
Xuanyuemei breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Okay, when the weather gets cooler in October, I'll come pick up my eldest sister and take her to the county to get an IUD!"
The village party secretary knew that Xuanjin had a wealthy relative, and the car parked on the side of the road belonged to this relative.
"Okay." The village party secretary didn't make it difficult. He nodded and left with his people.
After everyone left, Xuanyue looked at Gao Mingcheng, who nodded slightly, expressing his support for Xuanyue's approach.
In his previous life, Gao Mingcheng lingered in the prosperous world outside. Xuanyi Mei stayed in the village and gave birth to two sons for him. One day, she was taken to the health center for sterilization.
He was not at home at the time and his parents did not take much care of her. Xuanyuemei did not receive good care after the vasectomy and she also had to take care of her youngest son, so her health deteriorated a little. Later, she developed some gynecological diseases due to the vasectomy.
Every organ in the human body is the most delicate part. If there is one more or one less, it will definitely not work.
After a woman has a sterilization, her milk supply will decrease, making it difficult for her to breastfeed her baby. Coupled with gynecological diseases and back pain, the pain many women experience is indescribable.
In his previous life, when Gao Mingcheng came back from outside, things had already been decided. It was difficult for him to change them, and he had no intention of doing so. After all, he was a man and could not understand the pain that Mei had experienced.
It was only after Xuanyimei's health had completely collapsed that he heard these words from the doctor, and only then did he realize that Xuanyimei had been living a very hard life all those years.
Many beauties are like this, in fact most women in the village are like this.
They live at the bottom of society, have no knowledge and no ability to change their situation. The saying "I am the fish on the chopping board" can well describe their situation.
In this life, Xuanyuemei will naturally never suffer the pain of sterilization again, and when she wanted to take her elder sister Xuanyuejin to the county town to get an IUD inserted, Gao Mingcheng had nothing to refuse.
His support not only made Manyuemei feel relaxed, but also made Manyuejin and her brother-in-law feel relaxed and excited.
Tears began to well up in Xuanyi Jin's eyes again. After giving birth to her third child, she became sentimental and tearful.
"This...will it be too much trouble for you?" Xuanyu Jin said timidly.
The eldest brother-in-law thought about it and said, "I'd better send Duojin to the county town to get an IUD installed!"
Although he said this, his tone was quite weak.
Because he had rarely been to the county town in his life, he didn't even know which way the hospital door faced, nor did he know how much an IUD would cost.
These uncertainties prevented him from speaking loudly.
Before Xuanyuemei could speak, Gao Mingcheng said, "It's not a problem. We have a car and will pick you up to the county. It's much more convenient than going there by yourself! It's settled. When the weather gets cooler in late October, I'll come to the village to pick you up!"
Gao Mingcheng's words were final and could not be changed. (End of this chapter)
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