Summer is the off-season in the village. Qin Xiaozhou was awakened by the chirping of birds in the early morning. She got out of bed and went to wash her face in the stream behind the house, but Wang Lan pulled her back. "It's early in the morning. No matter how hot it is, you can't wash your face with cold water."
After saying that, he took a wooden basin into the kitchen and brought out warm water. "I heated up some steamed buns and ground some soybean milk for breakfast. After you eat, go for a walk in the back. There are still some peaches and plums in the orchard. Pick some and eat them. You'll feel better in a few days."
Lu Yu was holding Xiao Shitou in the kitchen, warming goat milk. The goat was bought from Zhao Jia Tai Zi a few days ago when the wet nurse was taking medicine and couldn't breastfeed. Now it came in handy again.
Little Stone was very well-behaved. He would sleep after drinking his fill, and when he woke up, he would whine and fuss, either because he was hungry or had a bowel movement. Wang Lan lovingly picked him up and said, "This child is easy to raise. It's hard for her to be raised at such a young age... Sigh, why say such things? She will be our child in the future too."
Qin Xiaozhou didn't think that a child couldn't survive without parents. Besides, the Lu family was kind-hearted and wouldn't bully the child. It was the right thing for her to adopt the child.
Little Si was lying on the edge of the dining table, drinking soy milk with his head down. He was chubby and fair-skinned, and could occasionally utter a word or two. He was very endearing. At this moment, he stretched out his chubby little hand and said, "Grandma, Grandma."
"Oh dear." Wang Lan pulled a handkerchief to wipe her grandson's face. "My precious grandson has grown up. Grandma will give the little sister some soy milk, and you can drink soy milk. They're both good things, and drinking them will help you grow taller."
Qin Xiaozhou had a craving for food and wanted to drink everything, but unfortunately there weren't many things to eat at home. So he immediately caught a duck to make crispy duck. After eating the crispy duck, he wanted to eat cold dishes. Fortunately, he had dried a lot of bamboo shoots in the spring. He took them out, soaked them, blanched them, and started making cold dishes. He ate and ate all morning, but could barely eat a few bites at lunch. Wang Lan cooked a meal, but the group only touched their chopsticks twice before they couldn't eat anymore.
Wang Lan was so angry that she scolded him.
Qin Xiaozhou was thick-skinned. After eating, she lay down under the eaves and slept peacefully. After a while, she was woken up by Xiao Shitou's whimpering. Lu Yu skillfully changed the child's diaper. Qin Xiaozhou found it disgusting and moved the rocking chair to the other side, far away.
Wang Lan didn't say anything to her, but simply packed up the diapers and went to wash them.
Lu Yunfeng was overseeing the construction site, leaving Qin Xiaozhou at home with nothing to do but continue sleeping. She had barely closed her eyes when the cicadas' chirping gave her a headache. "So annoying!"
Lu Yu glanced at her from inside the room but said nothing.
Wang Lan was drying diapers in the yard when she picked up a long bamboo pole. "That's how it is in the summer. The only way to catch cicadas is to knock them down."
Qin Xiaozhou found it fun and went to find bamboo poles, heading towards Qingzhugou. There were many tall trees at the entrance of Qingzhugou, and the cicadas were on the trees.
The men building the house all craned their necks to look at Qin Xiaozhou, but dared not speak because Lu Yunfeng was there. Their eyes followed her figure. The women in the village were all laborers with rough skin and dry, yellow hair. They had never seen a woman like Qin Xiaozhou with such a fair and radiant face and slender, delicate fingers. Moreover, Qin Xiaozhou was wearing an elegant light green dress, truly like a fairy who had stepped out of a book.
Lu Yunfeng noticed the expressions on their faces and instantly realized that the house didn't need him to build it anymore; Qin Xiaozhou needed him more. So he dropped the bricks and chased after his wife, asking, "Where are you all going?"
Qin Xiaozhou explained his intentions, and Lu Yunfeng patted his chest, "This is what I'm best at."
Wang Lan smiled and said, "Yes, this kid has loved doing these things since he was little. You guys go ahead, I'll check on the ducks and come back. I'm worried about leaving your aunt at home alone."
Under the dappled shadows of the trees, Qin Xiaozhou used his palm to shield his eyes from the sunlight as he searched for cicadas. These cicadas were clever; they would stop chirping as soon as they heard a sound, making them difficult to find. Unexpectedly, several seven- or eight-year-old children emerged from the forest at the foot of the mountain, each holding a stick, and others carrying grasshoppers, cicadas, and small fish.
Upon seeing Lu Yunfeng, he screamed and ran away.
Lu Yunfeng was used to it. He was the tallest and strongest man in the village, and in the past two years, he often had a stern face, so the children were all afraid of him. Qin Xiaozhou covered her mouth and chuckled to herself. The two of them played and joked in the woods when Lu Yu came looking for them, her face flushed. "Someone's here. Your mother is calling you to go home."
When the three arrived at Qin Xiaozhou's home, she learned that a matchmaker had come to visit. In the village, the two people would secretly meet and see if they liked each other. Once they were on good terms, the man would ask a matchmaker to come to their home. Only after the formalities of marriage were completed and the betrothal ceremony officially officiated could the marriage be considered finalized.
The famous matchmaker from Lijiaba was sitting under the fruit tree in the courtyard. When she saw the person in charge return, she smiled and took Lu Yu's hand, praising Wang Lan, "Your daughter is so beautiful." She then pinched Lu Yu's bottom, "She's just a little thin, but you've already given birth to a son and have three grandsons, so I imagine your daughter is also very fertile. In my experience, I guarantee she'll give birth to a son in one go, and after she marries into the family, she'll bring a son to the household. Then the family will dote on your daughter, and you'll live a harmonious and happy life."
The matchmaker talked at length, then sat down to take a sip of tea. She was about to continue when Qin Xiaozhou interrupted her, "You've talked a lot about how good my aunt is, but what about the groom's family? What do they have? Tell me."
"Yes, the groom's family is very good. Let me tell you all about it." The matchmaker cleared her throat. "Li Yang is the youngest in his family. He has three older brothers and two older sisters. Both of his sisters have gotten married, and his three brothers have also started their own families. It's a large and lively family of thirteen people. You can see how much labor they have. They also own a lot of land. They have a lotus pond in the lake in Lijia Dam, ten acres of paddy fields by the lake, and seven acres of dry land at the foot of the mountain. Even during the severe drought a couple of years ago, Li Yang's family didn't sell their children. They are an exceptionally good family."
Thirteen people?
Qin Xiaozhou felt scared just thinking about it, but then she remembered that there were thirteen or fourteen people in her family now, so she stopped talking.
Seeing that Qin Xiaozhou didn't speak, Wang Lan took over the conversation, "How many houses does the Li family live in together?"
Upon hearing this tone, the matchmaker knew the marriage was likely to succeed. "It's a great deal! There are three main rooms, two side rooms on each side, a large courtyard, and a kitchen and woodshed. In short, your daughter won't suffer any mistreatment after marrying into the family."
Wang Lan thought for a moment, then had nothing else to ask. She could only look at Lu Yunfeng, who had already approved of Li Yang. Besides, her aunt was worried about getting married, and everyone hoped the marriage would go smoothly. So she didn't say much, only asking Lu Yu if she was willing.
Since ancient times, parents have always decided on their children's marriages. Lu Yu blushed and ran into the house to hide.
The matchmaker laughed, "Good, good, she's just shy. How could anyone disagree with such a good marriage? I'll go back and tell the Li family right away. We'll find another auspicious day to come over, exchange the betrothal gifts, and then we'll wait until after the autumn harvest to hold the wedding."
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