Chapter 93 Departing Early
Shen Qing looked back at the place where he had lived for more than two months, turned around and got on the donkey cart.
She didn't really have much to remember her by, really.
The thatched hut was low, oppressive, dark, and had a musty smell. If she hadn't known about the flood, she would have started building the house as soon as she started earning money!
As expected, building a house and having a home of one's own is a gene engraved in the bones of Chinese people, just like farming and growing vegetables, and she is no exception.
However, Xingcheng is really not suitable for living. Flooding is one reason, but the most critical factor is its geographical location.
Located in the middle plain area, there is neither natural barrier nor retreat. Once war breaks out, it will be a battleground for military strategists. In this dynasty, a natural disaster will be followed by a man-made disaster. Chaos will occur in an instant. She had already made up her mind to move elsewhere!
The Jiang family members all looked towards the house and yard behind them.
The group stood there for a long time.
Finally, it was the lively Jiang Xiangnan who broke the silence: "Okay, okay, I can't wait to go out and take a look!
Our shabby thatched cottage is freezing cold in the winter, and hotter inside than outside in the summer. What's there to be sad about leaving?"
Others thought that there was nothing to be reluctant to leave more than two months ago, but earth-shaking changes have taken place in the past two months. The house is still the same house, the place is still the same place, but it is completely different. What they are reluctant to leave is the days when they were united and cooperated with each other to earn money.
Jiang Xiangnan also thought of this, but he was more optimistic and thought that home is where the person is.
Jiang Xiangzhong grabbed his bag containing books, pens and inkstones and silently got on the ox cart.
He didn't understand why the other people in the family believed in his mother's dream. Didn't they know that a man should not talk about strange things?
Forget it, they are just a bunch of ignorant country folk, and their words are insignificant. Even if they argue, nothing will change. It is better to conserve his energy and wait until the heavy rain and flood come before they come back in disgrace, then he can take the opportunity to scold everyone!
Let them know the great usefulness of scholars...
*
The weather in early June was already hot, but fortunately the air was fresh and the temperature was suitable in the early morning, so I didn't feel tired even if I walked.
The three donkey cart owners were pulling people, the three ox cart owners were carrying their belongings, and only the last one was carrying Jiang Xiangzhong.
After the six cars got onto the official road, they began to rearrange themselves.
Carpenter Guan led the way, leading the donkey cart carrying Guan Xiaoshan, and on the other side was the strong Jiang Xiangxi.
After returning from his labor service, Shen Qing didn't let him do any heavy or hard work, and took good care of him. He also didn't have to harvest wheat and plow the fields anymore. People recover very quickly. In more than a month, Jiang Xiangxi not only recovered to his condition before his labor service, but he was even stronger than before!
He was born tall, and he was very intimidating when he walked in front.
Although the flood did not come and the world was not in chaos, but for safety reasons, Shen Qing still equipped each car with a big sword according to the number of people, and gave each person an iron whistle strung together with a rope to hang around the neck - he had only bought six in the city before, which was not enough to share. Fortunately, there were iron whistles in the tool category opened in the mall, and they were only a few dollars each, so he gave everyone one!
The second one was a double donkey cart for the female members of the family. The two donkeys could pull five to six hundred kilograms. The carriage was spacious and the back row was filled with bedding and clothes, so the two little kids didn't have to worry about being bumped into.
If Huo Bing, Jiang Yu, Jiang Shui and Guan Li were to ride in the car at the same time, it would be a bit tiring for the two donkeys. However, the four of them were not prepared to ride in the car the whole way - if they didn't walk much, they would not have enough energy if they encountered any problems on the road!
The four of them agreed on a time period, and took turns riding in the car while taking care of the two little kids.
The third one was Shen Qing's independent donkey cart. Besides her, there were also two bags of fried noodles in it. However, she put the fried noodles into the locker as soon as she got on. So although she looked tired, she was actually the most relaxed.
The three carts at the back were all ox carts. Jiang Xiangnan and Jiang Xiangbei were in the middle, and Jiang Xiangdong, as the eldest in the family, was at the end and was responsible for cutting off the tail.
Xingcheng is not far from Yangcheng, so there is no need to rush into the city to stay in an inn. It is not too tiring to walk along the official road.
As it approached noon, the weather gradually became hotter. Jiang Xiangxi found a forest near a water source. The group stopped to clean up, make a fire, and cook. They also took a lunch break and continued on their journey after the scorching sun passed.
Shen Qing sat on the frame of the cart, watching the eldest brother take care of the two little kids, while Huo Bing, Jiang Yu, Guan Li and the other two dug wild vegetables, cleaned them, and fetched water and firewood.
Jiang Xiangnan dug a pit and built a stove, and moved iron pots and bowls;
Guan the carpenter and Jiang went north to cut grass and fetch water to feed the donkeys and cattle;
Jiang Xiangzhong helped Jiang Xiangxi and found an open space under the shade of trees in the forest to set up a simple tent made of oilcloth and laid a straw mat underneath.
The cicadas chirped one after another, one sound after another. Shen Qing looked up at the scorching sunlight filtering through the leaves, thinking that with the coming flood, such good times would probably never come again...
Jiang Shui brought a large bowl of noodles and handed it to her with a smile: "Mom, we'll have noodles for lunch. They're made with fried sponge gourd and eggs. How do you like it?"
They picked all the edible vegetables from the vegetable garden last night and took them away. The fresh and tender ones like loofah had to be eaten as soon as possible.
The family had been eating well recently, with at least several dishes for every meal, including fish, meat, and eggs. Suddenly, there was only one dish, and she was worried that her mother would not be used to it.
Shen Qing didn't care. The main reason for the rich meals in the previous two months was to nourish his family. Now he was just waiting to eat. The white flour loofah and eggs were nutritious enough.
Jiang Shui was worried that his mother might not be used to the food, but the three people from the Guan family found it unbelievable.
Sitting on a straw mat, holding a coarse earthenware basin, Carpenter Guan didn't dare to pick up his chopsticks. He looked at his daughter beside him and asked nervously, "Xiao Li, I remember we don't have much white flour? Is it enough for a meal?"
Their two hundred kilograms of food were mostly corn, followed by grains such as millet, soybeans, red beans, and mung beans. There was very little refined grain. If they cooked together, they couldn't eat the Jiang family's refined grain while the Jiang family ate their coarse grain.
Guan Xiaoshan also looked up at his sister.
Guan Li pursed her lips and repeated Huo Bing's words to her father and brother exactly as they were cooking: "Aunt said that both families should eat the same grains, whether it's fine grains or coarse grains. When you're away from home, there's no need to be so particular. It's not about taking advantage or losing out. The most important thing is to take good care of your body. Your health is your capital!"
They also said that eating a combination of whole grains and refined grains is good for the body, so we shouldn’t worry too much.”
Guan Xiaoshan, the carpenter, held the coarse pottery bowl in his hand, and knew very well that this was a subsidy for them.
After a while, Carpenter Guan said in a hoarse voice: "Xiao Li, you are a lucky person."
Met a good mother-in-law and a good in-laws.
Then I saw my son and thought of myself, well, they are all blessed people.
"The other pot of noodles is ready too. Grab a bowl and help yourself when you're done!"
"Xiaoshan, don't move! I'll serve it to you."
"Don't eat too much, Xiaoshan. I'll go catch some cicadas and roast them for you later! I'm really good at catching cicadas."
"Don't listen to Third Brother's boasting. Besides, there's no meat on the cicadas. Wait for me to catch some fish for you guys to enjoy! I'll show you that I'm the best."
......
There was a lot of laughter and joy under the shade of the trees beside the river, and Qili Village was bustling at noon.
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