Early in the morning, the Xie family's yard was still shrouded in the light morning light, and the morning air was filled with moisture and the fragrance of flowers and plants. Cheng Yaoyao was brushing her teeth in the yard with her hair tied up, her head was nodding, and her delicate cheeks were still stained with the marks of the unfaded cool mat.
Xie Fei was sitting in the yard washing clothes, while Grandma Xie was busy in the kitchen. She said through the window, "Yaoyao, go pick up the eggs, or the hens will peck them!"
"Hey!" Cheng Yaoyao woke up with a start, gargled, and wiped his face.
The chicken coop was separated by a bamboo fence. The three hens were small in size, but very clean and energetic. Cheng Yaoyao used a broom to drive the hens away, and there were several red and white eggs in the straw pile.
"One, two, three, four, five..." Cheng Yaoyao carefully picked out the eggs, each smooth and warm. She shouted happily, "There are five eggs today!"
Cheng Yaoyao held it up to show Grandma Xie, who said happily, "There really are five of them, and they are much bigger than before!"
Xie Fei ran over upon hearing this and counted them carefully, saying happily, "There really are five! Sister Yaoyao, you are amazing!"
Cheng Yaoyao held his head high with pride. Grandma Xie deliberately said, "You feed the hens so many cicadas and grasshoppers every day, so of course the hens will lay more eggs."
"It's obviously my fault for feeding her well." Cheng Yaoyao grumbled unconvinced and gave three eggs to Grandma Xie.
Grandma Xie asked, "Why? You won't give me those two eggs?"
Cheng Yaoyao said confidently, "You made a bet with me last time. If I can get the hen to lay five eggs a day, all the extra eggs will belong to me!"
Cheng Yaoyao found a small basket, put some rice bran in it like Grandma Xie did, and carefully put two eggs in. Grandma Xie's basket was big, with thirty or forty eggs in it, while Cheng Yaoyao's basket was small, with only two lonely eggs in it.
Grandma Xie laughed at her: "How many eggs can you lay?"
"Just wait and see!" Cheng Yaoyao was very ambitious, and she had saved more than Grandma Xie long ago.
These days, Goudan and his children catch cicadas for her every day. Cheng Yaoyao's family is tired of eating, so they only fry a lunch box for them every day, leaving the rest for the cicadas to hatch, and they can get a few cicadas every day. After the cicadas hatch, they are used to feed the chickens. Goudan knows that after Cheng Yaoyao feeds the chickens, he also catches a bunch of grasshoppers for her every day, which makes the hens energetic.
I don't know if it was the spiritual spring or the grasshoppers, but the hens finally broke through the three-egg mark today and laid five eggs! It's a pity that every household is only allowed to raise three chickens these days, otherwise it wouldn't be difficult to pick up more than a dozen eggs a day.
Cheng Yaoyao ran to the chicken coop and filled it with water and chicken feed. When Xie Fei wasn't paying attention, he added some spiritual spring water to the water. The hens, who were originally leisurely, rushed over at once, ignoring the chicken feed and rushing to drink the water.
Cheng Yaoyao washed his hands and poured the remaining water into the vegetable garden. These vegetables have been growing very fast recently. The cucumbers are growing so fast that the vines are broken. Grandma Xie picked all the cucumbers to make pickles, but she couldn't stop them from growing so fast.
For breakfast, Grandma Xie cooked millet porridge and pickled cucumbers. The millet porridge was very hot, and Cheng Yaoyao took a long time to finish it. He wiped his mouth and ran away, leaving Grandma Xie behind: "I'll roll the dough while you make the dumpling filling."
"Oh..." Cheng Yaoyao obeyed obediently.
Cheng Yaoyao took three eggs, mixed them well, and fried them with a little oil until they were tender and yellow. Yesterday, he bought a two-finger-wide pork belly, chopped it up and marinated it with soy sauce and cooking wine. He chopped the chrysanthemums and blanched them with salt to remove the water. He mixed the three ingredients together and it was the most suitable filling for the three-fresh dumplings in summer.
Two pounds of white flour and one pound of cornmeal, crack in two eggs, add a little water and mix until it becomes flocculent, then knead it into a smooth and tough dough with your hands. Grandma Xie is very patient and rolls out the dumpling skins to be smooth and chewy.
Grandma Xie knows how to make dumplings in many different ways. She taught her daughters Yaoyao and Xie Fei as she made the dumplings: "Don't put too little or too much filling, or they will all burst open as soon as they are put into the pan."
Xie Fei learned very seriously, and followed Grandma Xie's method to make the dumplings. Cheng Yaoyao put red beans on the dumplings and showed them to Grandma Xie and Xie Fei: "Goldfish!"
Grandma Xie said with amusement and anger: "Nonsense, the red beans can't be cooked through!"
"It looks good." Cheng Yaoyao took the opportunity to put down the dumplings and said, "Grandma, there are melons being sold in the threshing ground today. I want to go and take a look."
Grandma Xie was wrapping dumplings and said, "Even if I buy them, you can't bring them back. Zhao Ge'er will be back at noon, let him buy them, and you should wrap the dumplings first."
Cheng Yaoyao had a bitter face, and Xie Fei hurriedly said, "Grandma, I'll make the dumplings for you. Let your sister go and take a look."
Grandma Xie finally relented, and Cheng Yaoyao couldn't wait to say a word and ran away with light steps.
Xie Fei smiled secretly and said to Grandma Xie: "Sister Yaoyao wants to go to the village entrance to wait for her brother."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Grandma Xie scolded lightly, with mixed feelings.
The road surface was a little wet in the early morning, and it made a rustling sound when you stepped on it. Cheng Yaoyao went out and ran into Goudan's mother, Jin Nier.
Jinniel lived two doors away from the Xie family. Jinniel's husband Lin Youzhi was one of the few people who had a good relationship with Xie Zhao. This was because Cheng Yaoyao and Goudaner had a good relationship, so Jinniel also became close to Cheng Yaoyao.
Jinnier carried a shoulder pole and walked with Cheng Yaoyao: "Why are you leaving so early?"
Cheng Yaoyao smiled and said, "I'm going to the village entrance to buy some watermelons."
Jinnier laughed and said, "Hey, watermelons are expensive now. When they come out next month, they will be two cents a pound, half the price!"
Country people live frugally, and every penny counts. Cheng Yaoyao smiled and said, "I'll buy some snacks first."
Girls from the city just don't know how to live. Jinnier thought, and when no one was around, she whispered to Cheng Yaoyao: "This month, every household needs to send two people to look after the melon fields, and the Xie family also needs two."
Cheng Yaoyao frowned: "There are so many idle people in the village, why do we have to ask the Xie family to provide two heads? Isn't this bullying?"
Jinni sighed, "Xie San went to learn how to drive a tractor, so he's blocking the way. Well, I'm leaving first. Come to my house when you have time. Goudan misses you every day!"
A few villagers came towards them, and Jinnelle and Cheng Yaoyao separated.
Under the big tree at the entrance of the village, there was a bullock cart with a lot of fruits piled on it: pink peaches, frosted plums, seven or eight large watermelons, with juice still seeping from the broken vines. The old forester who was in charge of the orchard rolled up his trousers, his ragged clothes soaked by the dew: "The peaches and plums are all 6 cents, and the watermelons are 4 cents. They are all early-ripening, and they will be gone once they are sold!"
These fruits are not expensive in the city, but it is different in the countryside. The next month, watermelons are ripe in piles, and the price is 1.5 cents. The villagers look at more and buy less.
When Cheng Yaoyao approached, he happened to meet Lin Jiajun. Lin Jiajun was holding a watermelon weighing seven or eight kilograms. He looked up like a little pig and saw Cheng Yaoyao. He greeted him happily: "Cheng Zhiqing, you are here to buy watermelons too?"
Who knew Cheng Yaoyao's face was stiff, cold as ice, and she walked to the ox cart as if she didn't see it, and looked down at the fruits. Old Lin smiled and said, "Girl, would you like to buy something? Do you want watermelon or peaches?"
"I want a watermelon." Cheng Yaoyao tapped the watermelon with his slender fingers, and the watermelon made a rustling sound.
The watermelons were all emerald green with black stripes, and because they matured early, they were not very round. Cheng Yaoyao knocked on them one by one, and couldn't decide between the two watermelons: "Which one is sweeter?"
Lin Jiajun pointed at a larger melon with a white belly and said, "Pick this one. It's guaranteed to be ripe."
"Then I want this one!" Cheng Yaoyao immediately chose another one.
Lin Jiajun: “…”
Cheng Yaoyao picked a few more peaches and plums.
Old Lin weighed the melons and said, "Five pounds and six ounces, I'll give you twenty-five cents! Including the peaches and plums, the total is forty cents."
Cheng Yaoyao paid the money and looked at the watermelon in worry. It was so heavy, how could he carry it home?
Lin Jiajun was still standing aside, and he quickly took the opportunity to show his courtesy: "Cheng Zhiqing, this melon is heavy, I will help you take it back."
"No need." Cheng Yaoyao turned away.
No matter how dumb Lin Jiajun was, he knew that Cheng Yaoyao did this on purpose, but how had he offended Cheng Yaoyao? They had eaten together in the city that day, talking and laughing? Lin Jiajun stared at Cheng Yaoyao's pretty face, his face flushed and his neck thickened.
Lin Jiaqi came over pushing his bicycle and saw his brother's eyes fixed on Cheng Yaoyao's face. Cheng Yaoyao's face was filled with anger and he said in a deep voice, "Wait for you to go to work, what are you doing here?"
"Brother, I'm here to buy a melon." Lin Jiajun said, "I saw Cheng Zhiqing bought a melon and couldn't hold it, so I'm here to help him."
Lin Jiaqi said: "You go to work."
Lin Jiajun looked at Cheng Yaoyao unwillingly, but he was quite afraid of his second brother, so he had to leave with the melon.
Lin Jiaqi said to Cheng Yaoyao: "Cheng Zhiqing, do you want help?"
"Thank you, but that's not necessary." Cheng Yaoyao didn't even look at him and spoke in an arrogant tone.
Lin Jiaqi hit a snag, and then he realized that Cheng Yaoyao's anger was not only directed at Lin Jiajun. Did he offend her?
Lin Jiaqi has never been able to humble himself to a woman, but he didn't feel angry at this moment. Maybe it was because Cheng Yaoyao was too beautiful, and the fierce man's tone was also particularly coquettish.
Lin Jiaqi said in a good-natured manner: "You can't move it by yourself, be careful not to dirty your clothes."
"..." Hearing this, Cheng Yaoyao looked down at her neat pink dress, which was ironed flat with a teapot. She had put it on specially this morning. Her thick and long eyelashes flickered, revealing a hesitant look.
Lin Jiaqi added: "I'll help you deliver the things to the door and leave."
"Well... okay then." Cheng Yaoyao nodded reluctantly. If everyone hadn't gone to work and she really couldn't find anyone to help, she wouldn't have accepted the help from the bald boy's brother.
A silent smile flashed across Lin Jiaqi's eyes, and he reached out to move the watermelon.
Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind: "What are you buying?"
Lin Jiaqi paused, and Cheng Yaoyao turned his head sharply, shouting in surprise: "Xie Zhao!"
Lin Jiaqi was very sensitive to the word "Xie Zhao". Cheng Yaoyao called out Xie Zhao's full name instead of Xie San.
Xie Zhao stood not far away, still wearing the ragged coat he wore when he left Tianshui Village, and holding two heavy bags. Lin Jiaqi and Xie Zhao looked at each other from a distance, and they both saw in each other's eyes the hostility that only men can understand.
Cheng Yaoyao waved to Xie Zhao and shouted, "I'm buying watermelons! Come over here quickly!"
Xie Zhao's narrow eyes passed coldly across Lin Jiaqi's face, and when they fell on Cheng Yaoyao's face, it was like spring water melting: "Hmm."
Xie Zhao put the things on the ground and walked over with his long legs.
Lin Jiaqi took his hand back, held the handlebars and smiled faintly at Cheng Yaoyao: "It seems that you don't need my help."
Cheng Yaoyao was probably in a good mood, and smiled generously at Lin Jiaqi: "Thank you."
This smile made Lin Jiaqi's mind wander. Without waiting for Lin Jiaqi to answer, Cheng Yaoyao turned around and said to Xie Zhaoyingying: "Why did you come back so early? Didn't you come back with the tractor? I didn't hear anything!"
"The tractor won't arrive until next week," Xie Zhao replied in a low voice, tapping the watermelon with his knuckles. "This one isn't sweet. Change it."
Old Lin shouted, "Nonsense! This watermelon has a smooth and round skin, so how can it not be sweet?"
Cheng Yaoyao wrinkled his nose: "This is my choice, isn't it sweet?"
Xie Zhao patiently explained to her: "You should choose watermelons with concave stems and wide patterns. If they make a dull sound when tapped, they have sandy flesh."
Cheng Yaoyao looked at the melon she had chosen. The melon stem was protruding, and the patterns were tightly squeezed together. The sound was particularly crisp when it was knocked. She wrinkled her pretty face and said to Lao Lin: "You said these melons are sweet. I'll cut it now. If it's not sweet, you have to pay me!"
Cheng Yaoyao looked fierce, but very cute. Old Lin laughed, "Okay, okay. You and Xie Saner, this melon can't be sold, so I'll give you another one."
Cheng Yaoyao chose the one he had liked before, which was two taels heavier, and Old Lintou did not ask them to pay for it.
Cheng Yaoyao wrapped a few peaches and plums in a handkerchief and held them in his arms. Xie Zhao carried two large bags in one hand and held a melon in the other. The two walked home one after the other.
Although there was a full two meters distance between the two of them, Cheng Yaoyao turned his head from time to time, with a smile on his lips, and said something to Xie Zhao.
Xie Zhao had a blank expression on his face, but the hard and cold aura around him seemed to have melted.
One was a stunningly beautiful city girl wearing a little dress, and the other was a poor boy in tattered clothes. When the two looked at each other, it seemed as if they had their own aura that was unstoppable.
Lin Jiaqi watched the two people disappear into the alley from behind a cluster of cannas, shook his head in self-mockery, and rode away on his bike.
The door to the Xie family's courtyard was pushed open, and Cheng Yaoyao shouted as soon as he entered the door: "Grandma, Xiao Fei, look, I bought a watermelon!"
Grandma Xie sat on a chair stringing grass beads without looking up: "I bought it, I poured it into the well, and I'll eat it in the afternoon."
Cheng Yaoyao said coquettishly: "Please take a look."
"Oh, I'm stringing beads, don't bother me." Grandma Xie squinted her eyes and carefully strung a straw bead.
Xie Fei raised her head and shouted in surprise, "Brother! Grandma, my brother is back!"
Grandma Xie threw away the grass beads and stood up in surprise: "Zhao'er! How come you're home so early?"
Xie Zhao's eyes were soft: "Well, I took a ride back early."
Grandma Xie looked Xie Zhao up and down with joy: "You've gotten tanner and thinner!"
Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei both said that Xie Zhao had not lost weight, and that he had gained some weight on his face. Grandma Xie scolded them for talking nonsense, "Zhao went to the city to learn how to drive. It was a lot of work, so he must have lost weight! By the way, the dumplings are all wrapped, let's go make them now!"
Grandma Xie quickly put on her apron and went into the kitchen to cook dumplings, while Xie Fei also ran to help boil water. When the husband of the Xie family came back, the whole house seemed to have a pillar, and the atmosphere immediately became lively and lively.
Xie Zhao put the things on the ground, carried the watermelon to the yard, fetched water to wash it, and then took the basket out of the well.
Cheng Yaoyao came out with soap and a towel and urged Xie Zhao: "Wash your face quickly, what are you doing?"
"Bring the watermelon up." Xie Zhao put the watermelon in a basket and slowly lifted it back into the well, his arm muscles flexing into smooth lines. "I'll give it to you later."
"I'm not that greedy." Cheng Yaoyao added some spiritual spring water to the water, soaked the towel in cold water, wrung it out, and threw it to Xie Zhao: "Wash your face."
Xie Zhao took the towel and covered his face with it. He had hurried home early in the morning and walked out sweating all over. He pressed the cool towel on his face, and all the pores on his body trembled.
Xie Zhao washed his face briskly and accidentally touched Cheng Yaoyao with his elbow. She reacted exaggeratedly and dodged backwards, almost falling down.
"Sister?" Xie Zhao reached out to help her, "Is it hurt?"
Cheng Yaoyao wrinkled her nose and tilted her head slightly, as if to avoid the smell on his body: "No...it's okay...you should wash yourself quickly, you are all sweaty!"
Cheng Yaoyao twirled his waist and ran away.
Xie Zhao frowned, raised his hand and smelled his body. He washed his face and body carefully, went back to the room and changed into clean clothes before coming out.
The hot dumplings have come out of the pot, each one white and plump, emitting steam, and the kitchen is filled with the unique aroma of dumplings. The water in the pot is boiling, and the second pot of dumplings is being cooked.
In addition to dumplings, there was also a plate of smashed cucumber, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, eggplant with green peppers, and loofah soup. This table of dishes was even richer than the New Year's Eve dinner, making people want to go to the temple.
Cheng Yaoyao sat opposite Xie Zhao and pointed at the dumplings proudly and said, "Eat them quickly, I made the filling for them!"
Xie Fei quickly added: "These dishes were also made by Sister Yaoyao!"
Grandma Xie added solemnly: "And this fried tomato and eggs is also fried with remote eggs."
The corners of Cheng Yaoyao's rosy lips couldn't help but curl up, but were pressed down by her. He straightened his chest without making a sound.
Xie Zhao smiled and said, "Mm, they both smell good."
Grandma Xie asked casually, "Yaoyao, how many eggs are in the basket?"
Cheng Yaoyao: “…”
Xie Zhao showed a puzzled look, and Grandma Xie told him about Cheng Yaoyao's egg collection. Xie Fei couldn't help laughing, and Xie Zhao put his fist to his lips, pinched his face, and tried to say: "I... I'll catch some grasshoppers and cicada monkeys for you to feed the chickens, and you'll have them soon."
It had been a long time since we had heard such laughter at the Xie family's dining table. The large plate of dumplings was quickly finished, and Grandma Xie went to put in the second pot. She stood by the stove, watching the curling white mist and the dumplings rolling in the pot. Her thoughts suddenly became far away.
The husband was the first to die, and died on the parade route. The eldest son and the second son also died in the cowshed one after another. The youngest son, the one she loved the most, died in an unclear manner, and his body was never collected. The youngest daughter-in-law hanged herself that night after hearing the news.
She was an old woman, taking care of her little grandson and her baby granddaughter, and she endured day by day. Many times, she wanted to take her two children and jump into the well, but in order to protect the last bit of the Xie family, she gritted her teeth and endured it.
At this moment, smelling the aroma wafting from the pot and listening to the children's laughter behind her, Grandma Xie suddenly felt a little confused: Death? Life was so good, why did she have such a thought?
Grandma Xie served the dumplings to the table and turned to pour vinegar. From the corner of her eye, she saw Xie Zhao pour the dumplings from his bowl into Cheng Yaoyao's bowl, and then he filled a bowl with hot dumplings and devoured them ravenously.
Cheng Yaoyao hummed, a smile spread across his face, and he picked up a dumpling and took a bite. The temperature was just right, and the soft and supple skin was gently bitten, and the hot and fragrant juice inside immediately came out. The meat filling was mixed well, and it turned out to be a meatball, salty, fragrant and tender, and the chicken hair vegetable made the meat filling particularly refreshing.
Cheng Yaoyao's taste was light, so no additional seasoning was needed. Xie Zhao, however, added a lot of chili peppers, and ate one dumpling at a time, sweating all over his face, and enjoying it to the fullest. He was restrained outside, and only when he returned home could he enjoy a meal like this.
The three women all watched him eat with a smile on their faces. Grandma Xie was so happy that she was even happier than she was. She kept saying, "There's more in the pot, there's more in the pot, eat as much as you can!"
Xie Zhao ate two large bowls of dumplings, and his stomach was finally about 70% full. He breathed a sigh of relief and slowed down. But he saw Cheng Yaoyao sitting opposite him, scratching his cheek with a slender finger: "You can eat a lot!"
Xie Zhao's heart softened, and he lowered his voice and said to her, "I brought you something good."
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