Uncle follow-up
Hu Yufeng walked and thought all the way, and she didn't notice the glances her son and daughter-in-law gave her from time to time.
It was almost five o'clock. Hu Yufang was driving the sheep to the pen. Seeing them from a distance, she said, "Sister, Wenli, I thought you had gone home early. How is my brother?"
After asking this question subconsciously, her heart, which had always been very calm, started beating fast. Could it be that she was really hungry and something had happened to her? Otherwise, how could my sister and her family stay here until now and not go back?
Hu Yufeng's thoughts were interrupted, and she said unhappily, "You care about me now? Don't worry, everything is fine!" She couldn't help but nag, "You live not far away, and my brother has to pass by your door when he sells things. Didn't you persuade him not to sell all the grain?"
"Sister, you know I'm so busy every day, how can I have the time to keep an eye on my brother? Besides, you're the only one who can control him, and he doesn't listen to me..." Hu Yufeng felt a little aggrieved.
"Okay, okay, no one is worry-free. Anyway, he has sold all the grain, and there is no rice to cook today. What do you think we should do?" Hu Yufeng looked at her sister.
It would have been better if she hadn't looked. She was shocked when she looked closer. Yufang was five years younger than her, but now she looked like she was five years older. Her skin was dark and her cheeks were chapped, and wrinkles around her eyes were deeply engraved on her skinny face. She was looking at her with grievance at this moment, and she suddenly felt a little sad.
Alas, why make things difficult for this silly sister!
She sighed and said in a gentle tone: "Forget it, the meal is ready, let Xizi bring a bowl over. Tomorrow I..." After all, out of consideration for her son and his wife, she didn't finish her words. She just stretched out her hand and patted her sister's shoulders twice and said: "We will go home first. Take care of your health in the future. You are not as good as you were when you were young. I can work you to death and still run around the house..."
Having said that, regardless of Hu Yufang and Xizi's attempts to keep him, he asked Qin Wenli to drive home.
*
As May approaches, the wind from the tricycles has already become slightly warm, but Hu Yufeng's heart is not warm at all. The situation in my mother's family is like the ice in the cold winter of December, so poor that there is no sign of thawing. She wanted to sigh to the sky and ask, "Oh God, please show me a way out. What should I do?" ! !
When the three men had not returned home after four o'clock, the old lady started to prepare dinner. After everything was ready, she waited for them to come back and put the noodles in the pot.
At this moment, none of the three people came in with a smile on their faces, especially the daughter-in-law who was leading the way. She had a melancholy look on her face, and did not have the calmness she had before going out in the morning. She couldn't help feeling uneasy, so she winked at Yang Xiu and went to the kitchen.
"What's wrong with your mother? Is your uncle really in trouble?" the old lady asked in a low voice.
Yang Xiu shook her head: "No, my uncle is fine. My mother had a quarrel with him for a while, so she must be in a bad mood."
"That's good, as long as the person is okay..." The old lady put her worries aside and sat on a stool to light a fire and cook noodles.
When the food was served, Hu Yufeng tried to cheer herself up, but her mind was always filled with her sister's chapped face.
"Mother?"
Hu Yufeng looked up and saw everyone at the table looking at her. She was stunned: "What's wrong?"
"I say, after dinner, let's pack some rice and flour and send it to my uncle?" Qin Wenli repeated what he had said before.
Hu Yufeng was stunned for a moment, and seeing Qin Wenli's serious expression, she looked at the expressions of the people at the table one by one. Except for Qin Shengtian who was eating his rice with his head down, everyone else looked agreeable.
"Well... forget it, I'll think of another way..." She adjusted her hair uncomfortably and said in a low voice.
"My uncle can't eat much by himself. Anything our family saves will be enough for him. So, Xiu'er, you pack the food after dinner and I'll deliver it to him before dark..." Qin Wenli made the decision directly.
Hu Yufeng stared at the family in a daze, her mouth twitching a few times before she finally said, "Okay, I'll listen to you..."
"Then mom, you should eat quickly. The noodles are all clumping together. After this lesson, my uncle will definitely not make the same mistake again. You can rest assured..." Yang Xiu looked at her mother-in-law who was distracted and spoke to comfort her.
Hu Yufeng felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She sighed and smiled helplessly, "I'm not worried about your uncle. He can make ends meet on his own. I just felt uncomfortable when I saw your aunt today. She's five years younger than me, but she looks like my eldest sister..."
Yang Xiu sighed when she mentioned this: "My aunt is too capable, and there is no one to share the burden. She does all the housework..."
But no matter how much she sighed and lamented, she knew that she had to endure her own suffering alone, and no one else could do it for her. Hu Yufeng could only ponder over it in her heart.
*
After dinner, Qin Wenli brought out a bag of flour to load onto the truck. Hu Yufeng quickly stopped him, "Don't give him the whole bag at once. Your uncle is old and his mind is dim. What if he gets swindled out of it again? So, fill half a bag with flour. It will be enough for him to eat for a month."
These words hit the mark exactly what Qin Wenli wanted, and it was worth it for him to slowly walk in front of his old mother with the flour bag in his arms. After all, they are siblings. If I bring it up myself, what if my mother misunderstands that I am reluctant to let go?
After explaining this to Qin Wenli, Hu Yufeng repeated the same words to Yang Xiu who was packing rice.
Then he picked up the basket and went to the field to pick some cabbages and spinach. After thinking it over, he added a few old potatoes from last year. As a result, I saw that the potato sprouts had grown too long. Well, I decided to take them out. If I cook them in his teacup, what if they are not cooked well and I get poisoned after eating them?
Yang Xiu packed the rice, thought for a while and then packed a dozen steamed buns and a bag of twisted dough sticks. When I took it out, I saw half a bag of noodles made by Qin Wenli. Suddenly, a question came to my mind: There is no chopping board at my uncle's house, so how did he make noodles?
"Boiled porridge? He doesn't know how to make it even if he has a chopping board..." Hu Yufeng helped her solve the puzzle.
Yang Xiu suddenly had an idea and said, "How about we make it into noodles and send it to the town next time?"
A new noodle shop has opened in Shangguan Town. They sell homemade noodles, add some salt to them and make noodles, and charge a labor fee by the kilogram. Before the opening, everyone was pessimistic about it, but after it opened, business was quite good.
Hu Yufeng nodded: This is a good idea, it saves him from wasting materials!
Yang Xiu added: "I packed about ten steamed buns. The weather has been hot recently, so you don't have to worry about them getting cold if you eat them dry... I also packed some fried dough twists, enough to last for a while..." As he spoke, he picked up the two bags and showed them to Hu Yufeng.
Hu Yufeng's eyes were hot, and she said softly: "I didn't even think of this, thanks to Xiu'er and Wenli, hey... I don't know what to say... You guys are so thoughtful..."
"What's the big deal? We are a family..." Yang Xiu said with a hearty laugh.
"Then... Mom, I'll deliver it to you?" Qin Wenli asked after putting his things down.
Hu Yufeng nodded heavily: "Well, go ahead. It's getting dark. Go slowly..."
"Okay..." Qin Wenli agreed, started the car and left.
Yang Xiu turned around and went inside to wash the pot. Only Hu Yufeng was left staring blankly at the direction where the tricycle was going away. It took her a long time before she wiped her eyes.
*
Qin Wenli drove all the way without any obstruction and parked the car in front of Xizi's house. Xizi, Hu Yufang and two children came out following the sound. Seeing that it was him, they asked curiously, "Brother Wenli, why are you here again?"
"I want to send some rice and flour to my uncle...Aunt, are you free now? Can you give me a hand and deliver it to him?" Qin Wenli said with a smile.
"Yes, I'm free..." Hu Yufang was stunned for a moment, then stepped forward to help pick up the steamed buns and twisted dough sticks.
Xizi called the two children: "Mingming, Liangliang, come here and carry the vegetables..."
The two children took the things from their mother's hands and ran ahead happily.
"You...your mother asked me to bring food to your uncle, why did you bring it again?" Hu Yufang was a little at a loss, like a child who had not completed the task assigned by his parents.
"How can I let you guys deliver it? My uncle is in good health and has nothing to do, so let him do it himself..." Qin Wenli explained with a smile: "My mother also feels sorry for you and said that your family is too busy..."
Hu Yufang remained silent.
It was not yet completely dark, and Uncle Hu lay down on the kang early, for fear that if he moved a little more he would get hungry again and have no place to fill his stomach. Maybe it was because the room was clean, or maybe it was the smell of laundry detergent that made his mind feel extra clear.
He went through several places where he could make a living:
Yufang? No, Yufang can't stand on her own. The whole family depends on her alone to support, and she has to endure the consequences herself, right?
Yufeng? No, no, no, if I go there, not only will I be scolded by Yufeng, but I will also have to look at the expression of that old man Qin Shengtian. No way!
Yuxiang? Forget it, that person is not a good person. He feels so angry when he mentions the name!
Hu Deliang? No, his wife is a shrew and he can’t even get into his house!
Fourth Lady? It’s fine for Si Niang to support two bachelor brothers, but they are old and it’s hard for them to live off the elderly... Forget it! ! !
…
After going over his relatives and clansmen in his mind, Hu Deyang could not help but be speechless: It is just like what his elder sister said, he has lived in vain for more than sixty years, and in the end he can't even find a place to make a living.
"Grandpa? Grandpa? Are you asleep?" A child's voice was heard outside. Hu Deyang listened carefully. Yes, it was the silly grandson of Yufang's family!
"Sleep, what are you doing?" He responded lazily and continued to lie in the quilt.
The next moment, the closed door was pushed open, and two children jumped in first. The one behind almost tripped over the high threshold. The child turned around and kicked the threshold before saying happily, "My cousin brought you something..."
In the dim light, he saw Qin Wenli, Yufang and Xizi coming out of the house with two bags in their hands.
Hu Deyang quickly got up and asked in a trembling voice, "What are you doing, Wenli?"
"I discussed it with my mother, and brought you some rice and flour buns. They should be enough for almost a month. You can eat them first, and I'll send some more over later..." Qin Wenli and others put the things on the table.
Hu Yufang then realized that the room had changed drastically, and asked in surprise, "Who cleaned it? Why did it change so suddenly?"
Xizi smiled and boasted: "My aunt took us to clean up, otherwise why would we go back so late? It was to wash for my uncle."
Hu Yufang looked around and couldn't help rubbing her hands and said to Hu Deyang: "My elder sister is so thoughtful. I didn't do anything for you..."
Hu Deyang glanced at her and said bluntly, "What do I need you for? I'll be very grateful if you can sort out your mess..."
Hu Yufang...
Hu Yufang: "Okay, then don't complain to me that I didn't take care of you in the future..."
Hu Deyang waved his hand, signaling her to shut up. Hu Yufang, who had been disliked by him since childhood, shut up decisively.
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