Chapter 95:
Li Sanmao chimed in too, the little children were delighted, and the whole family seemed so harmonious!
Zhou Shi found it particularly glaring!
“Right, Oldest Brother, tomorrow you go work in the field by yourself, Third Child went to the mountain and when he comes back he goes too, Dad is going to town!”
“Dad, are you planning to go inquire about Master Zeng’s family background?”
Li Sanmao said.
Zhou Shi pricked up her ears to listen!
“Mm, I’ll go take a look first, in case it’s a good family, we can’t delay Zhenzhu, after all it’s as a concubine, if there’s anything bad, wouldn’t Zhenzhu be entering a wolf’s den?”
Speaking of being a concubine, Li Depei felt a bit heartbroken. Just now on the riverbank he had thought for half a day, and he had figured it out—as long as that Master Zeng is good and treats her sincerely, and she gives birth to a son or daughter, then those days would be better than her marrying into a poor family and toiling her whole life!
Thinking of that prophecy, Zhenzhu this girl’s fate might just be this!
A spark of joy in Li Zhenzhu’s eyes, a bit of blush on her face. It seemed her dad still kept her in his heart…
“But Dad, we just refused Matchmaker Wan, won’t she hold a grudge and go back to Master Zeng’s mansion to badmouth us? Can Zhenzhu still marry over?”
Li Daqiang said.
“She’s just passing on a message, that Master Zeng won’t necessarily listen to everything she says. If I find out the situation at Master Zeng’s home clearly, matchmaking will only take one evening’s effort. It’s not too late to ask her again tomorrow!”
“Look at how absolutely she spoke earlier, it’s really just about earning silver. When the time comes and it succeeds, she can get silver too.”
“No, even if Dad doesn’t want to lose this old face and beg with a thick skin, he still has to go fight for it.”
Zhou Shi then said satisfiedly: “Hmph! That’s more like it. You this old man this time actually act like a dad, knowing to plan for Zhenzhu!”
The family each had different thoughts. After finishing this meal of dumplings, the next day picking mushrooms, and the day after that delivering goods again!
Luo Zhi’er in the afternoon cleaned inside and outside the room, and washed the jars and pots in the kitchen.
The ones on top were filthy dirty, with a thick layer of dust accumulated. The chopsticks were thrown in water and scrubbed with alkali flour…
Ran to the riverside to wash Miaomiao’s, Li Sanmao’s, and her own clothes.
Li Sanmao, Li Daqiang and the others didn’t go to the field again, but went up the back slope to cut wood!
Xiao Zhou Shi saw her busy and felt embarrassed. She also didn’t want to stay in the room watching Zhou Shi, Li Zhenzhu mother and daughter’s faces, so she also found an excuse to go to the river to wash clothes.
So all the clothes of the big family were thrown to the two of them!
Luo Zhi’er was speechless, buried her head and moved a large stone slab, scrubbed, pounded with a laundry paddle, worked hard!
Xiao Zhou Shi was sullen, her face particularly bad, huffing and puffing instructed Liuliu to help, seeing Miaomiao playing with water nearby…
Looking again at Luo Zhi’er, she didn’t even ask Miaomiao to wash at all, particularly displeased!
“Miaomiao, you this girl are so big now, why not help wash?”
“Here, this piece for you to wash!”
Threw her a piece!
“Eldest Sister-in-law, our family’s Miaomiao is still small, her task is to be happy, no need to wash clothes.”
“What? So many clothes, we wash, she plays?”
“What’s the rush? If we can’t finish washing, there’s me this mom!”
Xiao Zhou Shi was furious, indignantly buried her head in washing clothes!
After finishing washing clothes, Xiao Zhou Shi went back. Luo Zhi’er took Miaomiao to catch small fish in the river.
Muqing Yunliang wanted to play, but was called away by Xiao Zhou Shi!
Liuliu was also called back!
“Just know to play, so many things at home! Yourself at this age greedy for play is one thing, but leading the little children astray!”
Luo Zhi’er indifferently shrugged her shoulders, “Tch!”
Li Sanmao after cutting wood came back, seeing it was almost dark, Luo Zhi’er mother and daughter still hadn’t returned!
So he went to the river to find her. Turns out the two were still using hemp willow leaves to scare fish!
He then flipped stones downstream and caught eight or nine crabs. Before the fish floated up, several people also picked up some snails in the silt by the riverbank…
At the riverside washed them clean. In the evening back home, found the leftover flour from unused utensils at noon, wrapped the crabs and small fish, and while cleaning the chicken coop in the afternoon taking advantage of Zhou Shi not noticing found an egg and beat it in, stirred inside with chopsticks!
Added seasoning, lit the fire, scooped animal oil from the jar, put in the pot, fried!
“Third Aunt, Third Aunt, are you making something delicious again?”
Yunliang ran in!
“Yeah!”
“Is this the fish caught in the river just now? So fragrant!”
“Yes, here! Yunliang, try it!” Luo Zhi’er clipped him one that was almost fried in the pot. Right after, Muqing also came in, and Luo Zhi’er clipped him one too.
Clipped one for Miaomiao too, the several little children ate very happily!
Li Sanmao watched happily on the side.
Luo Zhi’er had Muqing send two over to Liuliu. After frying done, boiled some green vegetable soup to go with it, and that was dinner!
Put the snails in a basin to spit out mud. Tomorrow if there’s time pick some more, this is too little…
For dinner the family ate quite happily, treating it as something rare. Li Zhenzhu and Zhou Shi both wanted more after eating, but unfortunately two small fish per person wasn’t enough. No choice too few, grumbled that Luo Zhi’er caught too few…
She even forgot, just now when coming back, due to Xiao Zhou Shi’s tattling, she had grumbled at her for slacking off…
Xiao Zhou Shi disliked her meddling, washing clothes and still managing to make food… Forgot that she herself ate very comfortably too.
The next day, Old Li Tou went to town early in the morning.
Before going to town he planned to first go find Second Brother, Lei Wa!
Lei Wa had been in town a long time, should know where Zeng Manor is, or he could scout it more clearly.
On the road near the city gate, he told Zhao Maogen to stop the ox cart, he wanted to get off first, go to the river to wash his face.
Left too hurriedly in the morning, suddenly remembered he forgot.
This Second Brother’s in-laws do business, going to the door all dirty wouldn’t be good. Also had some wheat flour ground yesterday to send some over to Lei Wa.
Old Li Tou carrying the bamboo basket went down the slope, put down the bamboo basket, washed clean, thought and rinsed his mouth in the river too, cleared his throat.
Discovered his beard had grown very long. Should have used a sickle at home to shave it!
Zhou Shi this woman only knew to nag, didn’t know to remind him. Patted the dust off his body, then shouldered the bamboo basket, climbed up and entered the city gate from the avenue.
On the road people entering the city were endless. He with a tobacco pouch in his mouth walked along honestly.
Suddenly from behind, someone called him: “Oldest Brother!”
“Oldest Brother?”
Wrong, must have misheard, not calling him!
Buried his head and walked two more steps, then another woman called: “The oldest brother in front! Wait…”
Just hearing this voice soft and weak, sounded with a special flavor.
To be honest at his age now, many years without this feeling. Really couldn’t resist turning back to look, who exactly?
Behind him, a middle-aged woman of thirty or forty, still charming, entered his eyes.
This woman slightly plump, skin fair and clean, pretty and lively, a pair of big eyes teary and gentle as water looking at him.
That appearance naturally much more pleasant than Zhou Shi, and younger, mainly that feeling, looked extremely pitiable!
As for the clothes, tattered with patches, some places on the arms the flesh wasn’t even covered, but very clean. Waist tied with a belt, curvaceous very nice-looking…
“Uh… little lady, were you the one calling me oldest brother just now?”
That one “oldest brother” made his heart panic, mind chaotic, heart thumping wildly!
Felt extremely close!
Zhou Shi always called him old man, old thing! Old geezer not dying!
“Yes, oldest brother!”
“Cough… little lady, you got the wrong person, I… am not your oldest brother!”
Old Li Tou hurriedly took down the tobacco pouch, awkwardly knocked it on the ground, stuck it in his waist…
Don’t know why, a bit couldn’t bear to see her pitiful appearance, asked:
“Little lady, did you meet some difficulty? This early in the morning alone here, calling me oldest brother for what?”
What if bad people are following?
The little lady aggrieved, bit her lips, held back the tears about to fall. “Oldest brother, I have no matter, don’t worry. Just I have some high-grade tea leaves here, want to sell them.”
“But today I don’t have time to stay in town anymore. Can you buy them?”
“Ah? This matter… hehe! But, I don’t like drinking tea…”
One smile revealed a mouth of big yellow teeth, teeth yellowed black from years of smoking!
Scratched his hair, then discovered forgot to tie it up this morning, messy gray-white hair on both temples hanging down.
Forehead bald smooth, the hanging down ones with strands of strange smell, twisted into little braids.
At home farming he didn’t feel anything, now suddenly wanted to hurry to town first find a barber to fix up!
That woman silently watched his actions, towards his dress and behavior, a trace of contempt in her expression.
In Old Li Tou’s eyes it looked like she was gazing at him eagerly, making his battered heart very satisfied, worship towards him!
Slightly narrowed his eyes…
Tea leaves this thing, for people who enjoy to drink. Them these field laborers old peasants drink what high-grade tea?
His family entertaining guests used several years old stale tea, still big green leaves begged from others and stir-fried himself!
Old Li Tou felt the pocket money in his clothes pocket, two hundred wen, this was his many years savings.
“You be kind, my this tea leaves are very good. Because the teahouse closed down, sold the tea leaves cheaply. Before I bankrupted myself to stock some, not sold out. Now I still have some in hand.”
“Hehe, younger sister, I, no… sil… cough…!” Hesitated, embarrassed to say.
“Oldest brother if you buy, however much you have for this bit of tea leaves in my hand is fine. How about I give you a zisha teapot tea set?”
“Oldest brother, be kind. I have two children at home, last night had fever all night, no silver to take them to see a doctor. Their dad is unreliable again! Woo…! Otherwise, this loss-making deal no matter what I wouldn’t sell!”
This woman sobbed, tears pattering down!
“Aiyo, younger sister why cry! Quick don’t cry!”
“Aiyo, really anxious to death!”
Old Li Tou flustered, wanted to go up and wipe her tears!
Tremblingly stretched out a hand, saw that woman a bit shy, dodged a bit!
Immediately shrank back, what to do now? He didn’t know how to coax!
Looking at her tearful, naturally felt heartache, pity for the fair lady.
This providing for family responsibility heavy, and she a weak woman, he knew it’s not easy!
Her man unreliable again…
