This year's winter seems to be more unbearable than in previous years. After the blizzard, the temperature dropped rapidly. The villagers began to stay at home and were unwilling to go out.
After Li Yan finished explaining her plans for the trip to town to her parents, she returned to her room and began to draw the mold that she had agreed to with Zheng Hui. She was going to take the finished design to Li Youcai's house to see if he could help her carve it out.
On the fourth day after the heavy snow, the weather became even colder. A long row of icicles hung on the eaves, and people were so cold that they couldn't even stretch out their hands!
Li Yan wrapped herself tightly and went to Li Youcai's house with the painted picture. While walking on the road, she met a child squatting in front of the door playing in the snow.
Seeing Li Yan coming, the children called out crisply, "Hello, Sister Erya!"
Because of Maomao, Li Yan is a very good sister in the hearts of the children in the village.
The children in the village envy Maomao very much for having a sister like Li Yan, who not only makes candied haws for Maomao, but is also very generous. You can often hear Maomao saying, "This was bought for me by my second sister!" They are so envious!
Li Yan paused in her tracks at the greeting. A few little kids, wearing patched cotton-padded jackets and shoes with holes in them, revealing their red, frozen toes, were squatting and playing in the still-melted snow.
Looking at the children's current appearance, Li Yan couldn't help feeling a little sad. The villagers are really too poor!
Li Yan swallowed her emotions and smiled as she warned, "It's so cold, why are you squatting here? Be careful not to catch a cold!"
Datou stood up and sniffed the snot that was about to hang down to his mouth: "Sister Erya, next year when there are red apples in the mountains again, can you take us to make candied haws?"
Xiaotou also stood up along with his brother and nodded in agreement, his bright eyes staring straight at Li Yan.
It turned out that a few days ago, Maomao showed off his candied haws and successfully seduced a bunch of children. When the children learned that the candied haws were made by Li Yan, they wished they had a sister like her!
Li Yan looked at the children's expectant eyes, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart. She nodded vigorously, "I won't wait until next year. When the mountain road is easier to walk on, I'll find some to cook for you!"
The children jumped three feet high with excitement when they heard it. Qi Jin said, "Sister Erya, you are so nice!" After that, they lowered their heads shyly.
Li Yan rubbed the children's heads and reminded them, "It's cold outside, don't be blown by the wind, go home and play!"
The children nodded obediently and skipped home!
Li Yan then rushed to Li Youcai's house and gave the pattern she had drawn to Uncle Youcai: "Uncle, do you think this can be made?"
Uncle Youcai took the paper and looked at it. There were some strange shapes on it.
Li Yan pointed at the patterns on it and introduced them to Uncle Youcai: "This is a petal, this is a star, this is the moon..."
Uncle Youcai smiled and said, "You're right, it really looks like it. It's easy. I can make it for you in half a day!"
Li Yan asked again: "How much does it cost to make these? I'll give you the money for the frame last time!"
Li Youcai: "Just give me eight coins for two cart frames. I'll make these little things for you, no charge!"
"That won't do?" Li Yan said uncomfortably.
Li Youcai: "It's settled, don't say anything more, or Uncle Qian won't do it for you!"
Li Yan smiled and said, "Okay, when uncle is done, I will use this to make food, and then give some to you to try!" After that, she handed over the silver money for the bicycle frame!
Li Youcai accepted the money and couldn't help but smile after hearing what Li Yan said.
The two were chatting when Aunt Zhao suddenly ran in from outside the door: "Dad, come quickly, come quickly!"
Seeing his wife so panicked, Li Youcai hurried forward to ask, "What happened?"
Aunt Zhao slapped her thigh and said, "Aunt Chen from Brother Youshou's family is gone!"
Li Youcai asked in surprise, "What? What's gone? Speak kindly. I saw him picking red apricots on the mountain a few days ago, and he was fine!"
Aunt Zhao sighed, "Who says it's not true? He was usually such a strong person! How could he just disappear like that?"
As the couple was talking, they were about to go to Li Youshou's house. When someone died in the village, the rule of Lijia Village was that every household had to send someone to help the head family with the funeral!
After hearing this, Li Yan also rushed home. Her father had a leg injury and couldn't go out, and her mother was pregnant. It was even more inappropriate for her to attend such a funeral!
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