Collect firewood
As November approaches, it is no exaggeration to say that the weather is freezing cold.
As soon as the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law entered the house, they put on their slippers and got on the kang. Their feet were numb from the cold and felt like lumps of ice in the quilt, so cold that it was creepy.
"Wenli, you go and warm up too, and then clean up after you're warm..."
Qin Wenli took the ginger soup from the old lady and brought it into the house, with a thin layer of snow on his body.
"Mom, you and Xiu'er have some soup, my grandma just cooked it..."
Qin Wenli gave a bowl to each of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law on the kang. He also picked up a bowl, held it in both hands, and drank the steaming ginger soup in small sips.
After drinking a bowl of hot soup, the coldness was driven out from inside to outside, and people felt like they came back to life.
"It's snowing again... If I wrap myself up too tightly, I'm afraid I won't be able to go to the next market..." Yang Xiu was worried about business.
As soon as it snowed heavily, the asphalt road was covered with icy slides caused by big trucks. Not to mention riding bicycles, even people walking on them would get slippery.
A few days ago, when I was working on the farm, a tricycle overturned into a ditch. Four people were killed, some were thrown from the tricycle and some were crushed to death.
The surrounding tricycles were so scared that they dared not go on the road. Just as the road was clearing, it started snowing again today.
“In the past, farmers looked forward to snow in winter, as it was a sign of a good harvest.
Now I’m afraid of snow. It's not right to go down, and it's not right not to go down. How can God live if we do this? "Hu Yufeng smiled after hearing what his wife said.
Qin Wenli also said: "That's right. In the past, I only knew that farming was difficult. Now, looking back, there is nothing that is not difficult in life."
"That's right... Never mind, let's see. If it doesn't work, we won't go out and can just stay at home and collect firewood." Hu Yufeng said.
Yang Xiu naturally nodded in agreement.
Since the stall started selling small fried dough twists in September, business has been booming.
Especially this month, people who have been busy for half a year are keeping what should be kept at home and selling what should be sold. As soon as I have some extra money, I think about buying something to reward my family.
The stalls on the street are doing good business.
While his parents were frying twisted dough sticks and making tofu day and night, Qin Yu took Qin Shu to collect firewood around.
The income this month is good, and the old and young in the family have all lost weight due to the busy work.
*
For two consecutive days, light snow turned into heavy snow, and heavy snow turned into light snow. The earth was covered tightly with a layer of quilt.
Everyone in Lao Qin's family was originally like puppets being lifted up, but now the ropes were suddenly loosened and they all collapsed on the kang.
I can’t set up the stall anyway, so I’ll just go to sleep. I haven't had a late sleep in a long time.
For a moment, the whole yard was quiet.
The old lady who got up early lifted the door curtain several times and saw that there was no one in the main room or the west room. She simply sat by the window and made clothes for Qin Yu in the bright light of the snow outside.
She rolled up her sleeves and saw the door of the west room creaking and a child running out.
The child's tiny feet made a "crunching" sound as they stepped on the pure white snow. She seemed to have found something fun to do, and she was spinning around and stepping on the snow to make all kinds of shapes.
Then another younger child ran out, and the two of them giggled, shaking the quiet air in the yard with their laughter.
The whole yard seemed to come alive visibly.
The chickens also "cluck, cluck", the sheep "bleat, bleat", the pigs "hum, hum", and from time to time they add a few long "moos..."
The door of the west room opened, and the door of the main room also opened. The adults, who had had a good sleep, walked out of the house in high spirits.
Then there were the sounds of "swish swish" and "chi chi" of snow being swept.
The old lady showed a satisfied smile on her face, got off the kang and opened the door.
"Is this snow four inches?"
"Of course, let it snow. If it covers our wheat fields, we won't have to worry about it..."
"Don't we have the old saying 'Cover yourself with three layers of quilts in winter, and you'll have to sleep on steamed buns next year'? Finally, the first layer of quilt is covered. I won't have to worry about the next two..." Qin Shengtian stopped sweeping his broom and took a puff of cigarette.
Lao Qin's family planted ten acres of winter wheat, and now all of them have entered the wintering period. The wheat has stopped growing, waiting for a snow cover to keep it warm.
Qin Wenli pushed with a push board in the front, while Qin Shengtian took two puffs and swept a few times from the back.
As soon as Hu Yufeng walked out of the door, she started to curse: "If you want to sweep, just sweep it a few times. If you want to whip it, just get out of the way and whip it. What a shame to be so slow. Even a dog paddle can sweep faster than you..."
Qin Shengtian was not angry when he heard this. He took two quick puffs, put out the cigarette, and continued to smoke slowly.
Hu Yufeng entered the kitchen and saw Yang Xiu carrying a basket of firewood and pouring it.
"Is there not enough firewood?" Hu Yufeng asked casually.
"Not much left, definitely not enough to survive the winter..."
If you want to see which family is diligent and prosperous in Xiaogou Village, first look at the pile of firewood at the door.
There is a large pile of firewood at the door, neatly stacked. It goes without saying that they are all hardworking and diligent. If there are only a few of them at the door and they are placed in a messy manner, then he is definitely a lazy person who is short of food and drink. All the firewood has been burned and we have no food to eat for the next meal. How can we expect to have something at home?
This estimate is reliable for at least 80% of households.
The remaining 10% is the "glossy surface of donkey dung eggs".
For example, the old Qin family before. When the two families were discussing marriage, Yang Xiu's family was overshadowed by the Qin family. Even the matchmaker said, "After your daughter Xiu'er got married, her husband's family said they would not let her collect firewood."
As a result, when I got to the house, I found out that the Qin family didn't have a penny except firewood.
Hu Yufeng knew very well that there was plenty of firewood and grain, and "eating old grain and burning old firewood" was the standard configuration for wealthy families.
Although the family had no money, in order to save face, the whole family would go out to carry firewood every winter. Every year new firewood comes down before the old one is finished.
That's all.
On the contrary, the Qin family now has money in their pockets, but they are too busy to collect the firewood, so only half of it is left in a pile.
Yang Xiu smiled and shook his head when he thought of the past. Life is made by people, and it is unreliable to judge people by their appearance.
Hu Yufeng went out for a walk and came back to say: The first thing to do after the snow is to collect firewood.
*
There is a large forest farm not far from Lao Qin's house. In previous years, people from the surrounding area would go to the forest farm to chop firewood.
But I heard that the inspection is strict this year. No matter whether you are collecting firewood or cutting wood, you are not allowed to enter. Having said that, people around you should still go.
Qin Wenli suggested going to the national highway first and picking up the trash along the way. If you really don't go to the forest farm again.
There are tall poplar trees on both sides of the national highway. There are probably quite a few branches broken by the wind. It depends on whether there are any left.
They did what they said. After dinner, Qin Wenli pulled the cart, and Qin Shengtian, Yang Xiu, and Hu Yufeng were all wrapped up tightly and went out together.
As a result, the two children clamored to go, and Hu Yufeng thought about it and decided to keep Qin Shu.
The six or seven-year-old children in the team have long been able to go out and collect firewood independently, and it is time for Qin Yu to go out for exercise.
Qin Shu pouted. Why did she take his sister but not him?
Qin Wenli said, "Most of the adults in the family are out, and my wife can't take care of the house alone. You are a man, and dad has given you a task: to protect the family and my wife. Can you do it?"
Qin Shu instantly forgot to pout and answered loudly, "Yes!"
"Then you should protect my wife well. If you complete the task, Dad will come back to reward you..."
Qin Shu was even happier.
Hu Yufeng couldn't help but sigh: Boys really need their fathers to educate them!
A team of five people, big and small, set off slowly.
The snow had stopped long ago and there was no trace of human beings on the road. A group of people walked by, leaving behind a trail of messy footprints.
Qin Yu was very excited because collecting firewood sounded like a treasure hunt game.
She ran in the front, skipping and jumping. From time to time, shout:
"Here is one, come quickly, mom..."
"Here too..."
The adults were watching from behind with a few pairs of eyes, and would take action if they saw any protruding branches.
To their surprise, there were quite a few branches in the trenches on both sides. Some of them looked like they had just been blown off, while others were completely dry and were probably left behind by someone.
Several people from the Qin family loaded the big ones into the truck and the small ones into bags, leaving nothing behind.
After walking about two miles, the car was full.
Hu Yufeng said, "Wenli, you are quick, take it back and unload it first."
"Yuyu, are you cold? Do you want to go back with your father?"
"No, I'm not cold, grandma. I haven't picked up enough." Qin Yuzhen was very happy picking up the things, and quickly refused when he heard that.
Qin Wenli pulled the cart back and the others continued to pick up the trash.
"Milky, milk...there's a big one here..." Qin Yu shouted in the front.
Hu Yufeng looked in the direction and saw that it was really big, almost as big as a three-year-old sapling.
Qin Shengtian also came over, and several people pulled and lifted the branch up.
It was too long, so Qin Shengtian simply stepped on it and broke off the branches and twigs, leaving only the main trunk which was much easier to hold.
"Not bad, Yuyu, keep looking. Call me when you find one this big..." Qin Shengtian praised her.
Qin Yu straightened his chest and walked away with a heroic and confident look.
We then discovered several larger ones. However, when one of them approached the ditch, Qin Shengtian also went there, but Hu Yufeng stopped him.
The boundary of the snow cover is not clear, and if you step on it, it will be more trouble than gain.
Qin Shengtian did not insist, and the others continued picking up. Pick up enough and bring them together in an armful.
"Look back, don't let anything get stolen..."
Don't think that no one will steal your firewood. He was too lazy to go there himself for some of the people on the team, so he just picked up the ready-made ones.
Yang Xiu and Qin Shengtian felt very happy when they heard this. They looked back from time to time, watching Qin Wenli load the things into the car.
A few people were picking up the things in front, and Qin Wenli was filling them up at the back. When the things were full, he would pull them back consciously.
Continue to install and pull it back.
After four trips, they arrived near the forest farm.
"I heard that the forestry is under guard. Shall we go in?" Qin Shengtian asked.
"Let's go in and take a look. We're not stealing or robbing, so it should be okay if we just pick up things that have fallen from the sky," said Hu Yufeng.
Having said that, the few of them still waited for Qin Wenli to arrive and made arrangements to go in together.
The forest farm was dark and felt particularly depressing as soon as you entered.
Thick snow covered the dead branches, which felt soft and loose when stepped on. The creaking sound echoed in the dark woods, making people feel inexplicably uneasy.
There are not many large branches in the forest farm, and they may have been picked up by people nearby.
After they walked for a while, the trees covered the sky and their bodies, which had been hot, began to feel a little cold.
"Let's go back. This place is worse than the roadside, and it looks eerie..." Qin Shengtian said.
"Reply..." Hu Yufeng did not refute. She also felt depressed. It was worse than being in a ditch on the side of the road.
After hearing this, several people turned around and returned along the way they came.
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