Qiuhua sleeps in the same bed with his master's daughter Zhou Lanhua.
People say that a daughter looks like her father. This is undoubtedly true for Zhou Lanhua. She looks 80% like her father.
Zhou Lanhua is one year younger than Qiuhua, but a head taller than her. She has thick eyebrows, big eyes, dark skin, and very rough hands. My master said that she doesn't study hard at school. She often goes to school with a schoolbag on her back and puts it under a bridge not far from the school. She plays outside in broad daylight all day and only takes out the schoolbag when it's almost dark and pretends to go home from school.
One day, she played too much and it was dark when she returned home. Zhou Lanhua's father went to look for her and discovered her secret after asking the children in the same village.
When Jiang Xiang gave birth to her daughter, she thought that someone would finally take over her craft. However, she didn't expect that the child would dig mud in the field at the age of two and almost drowned while fishing in the river at the age of three. It was not until she was ten that she was tied up to learn the craft, but she ended up breaking an embroidery frame.
From then on, Jiang Xiang just went along with her. Embroidery skills were not easy to learn, and she had to sit there for at least eight hours a day. Zhou Lanhua was like a person with a thorn on her butt. If she was forced to press her down, the child would get hurt and the stool would break.
Everyone is happy once they figure it out. Isn't this another pleasing disciple sent by God?
"Sister, what's the point of embroidery? You just sit there all day long. Look at my mother, her neck and back hurt, there's not a single good spot on her body."
Zhou Lanhua couldn't understand why anyone would come all the way here to learn this hard craft.
"Do you think the things Master embroidered are beautiful?" Qiuhua asked as she tucked the quilt in for her.
She nodded and said, "It's beautiful, but it's still not a fun craft."
"There's no such thing as a skill that's just fun. Don't you think fishing in the lake is fun?"
"This is fun, I like it! Maybe I'll go fishing and sell it for money someday!"
"But look at the fishermen, they're all dark-skinned, with layers of skin peeling off from the sun, and they have to depend on the weather. If they could do something else, they definitely wouldn't want to continue fishing."
"There's no such thing as a job that's both fun and effortless. As the old saying goes, a skilled craftsman will never starve. Without skills, you can only work hard, or risk starving your family. Initially, I thought my family was poor and I could only make some embroidery money, but I don't think so anymore. You see, embroidery not only makes money, it's also beautiful. I can make such beautiful things with my own hands, and I feel really talented!"
Zhou Lanhua lay on her back without saying a word, but she listened to every word Qiuhua said. She was still confused, but some ideas quietly crept into her heart.
The two of them went to bed late and were a little sleepy when they woke up in the morning. The master had already prepared breakfast.
"You've been dragging your sister along for a late-night chat again, haven't you? Look at your messy hair. Go comb your hair and wash your face."
Jiang Xiang put breakfast on the table. Zhou Lanhua leaned over to take a look, then went back to her room happily to comb her hair.
Today, the chef made pumpkin and frog head porridge. They're called frog heads, but they're not real frog heads. They're lumps about the size of half an egg made from wheat flour. A little salt is usually added to the dough when kneading it, giving it a slightly salty flavor. Once the dough is kneaded and the pumpkin porridge is almost done, use a pair of chopsticks to pick up a piece of dough, one end at a time, and drop it into the porridge. Let it simmer for a while.
Qiuhua rarely eats this at home, less than twice a year, let alone in the morning.
After eating this bowl of pumpkin and frog head porridge, my stomach feels full and I won’t feel hungry all morning.
"Qiuhua, are you full? There's more in the pot."
The master's husband was called Zhou Shengnan. He was tall and strong, with thick eyebrows and eyes that made him look a little fierce. He had a deep voice, but spoke gently. He urged Qiuhua to eat a little more.
Qiuhua shook her head and said she was full, then took the bowl and chopsticks to the stove. It wasn't that she was embarrassed to add more porridge, but the master's wife had put several frog heads in the bowl, and she really couldn't eat any more.
Zhou Lanhua had also finished her meal. She spread her hands, scattered her bowl and chopsticks on the table, and said, "I'm full too!"
"Look at how your sister cleaned up? Look at yourself, don't you even put away the dishes after eating?"
Zhou Shengnan complained about his daughter, but Zhou Lanhua didn't care. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and stood up.
"Alas, you little mermaid..."
He was about to say something when Jiang Xiang gently held him down and said, "Forget it, I'll take care of it!"
As soon as the mistress of the house spoke, Zhou Shengnan lost his temper, but he still complained, "It's all because of you that she's spoiled. Are your hands meant to clean her up?"
Jiang Xiang picked up the dishes and chopsticks with a smile. Zhou Shengnan quickly stood up and took them away, saying, "Hey, let me do it. Why are you making such a mess? Hurry and wipe your hands clean."
Although she said she disliked him, her actions showed her consideration in every way. Jiang Xiang raised her hand and patted the man's broad back, and a blush appeared on her face. Qiuhua secretly glanced at her and felt indescribable feelings in her heart.
She seemed a little envious, envious of Zhou Lanhua, who had such a close relationship with her parents. She yearned for it. When she looked at her parents' lives, it was like drinking water when thirsty and eating when hungry, which were natural things, but she didn't feel the need to drink this glass of water or eat this bowl of rice.
But the master and uncle are different, just like the sun this morning, which makes people feel warm and a little itchy in their hearts.
Qiuhua had very good meals for the two days she was here. At noon, she had a braised rooster with sweet potato chunks. Compared to the chicken, Qiuhua liked the sweet potato chunks more. They were sticky, fragrant, and had the freshness of the chicken. It was really delicious.
On the third day, just as Qiuhua was about to break another thread, she lost her temper. Qiuhua's face wasn't small, and even when she was losing her temper, her round face was still full, though there seemed to be tears in her dark eyes.
The master stopped sewing and looked up at her. The little fish was feeling very aggrieved at the moment, her eyes full of unwillingness and stubbornness, exactly the same as when she was learning to split thread as a child.
"What? Are you giving up already?" The master's tone was gentle and a little funny.
Qiuhua shook her head and swallowed back the tears in her eyes.
"I'll just rest for a while, Master. I'll pour you some water." He then stood up to pour some water.
By the time the water was brought, the little mermaid had calmed down.
The master took the water and looked at Qiuhua's normal expression. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart that the little fish was extraordinary!
As the sun was setting, a distant coughing sound came, like an old man walking with a cane and coughing, making his heart pound. Qiuhua knew it was Sun Ada coming to pick her up, and with a frantic movement, she peeled off a thread as thin as a silver thread.
"Master! I succeeded! I succeeded!"
The excited voice of the little mermaid seemed particularly lively in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
