noffsinger Chapter 1: Crossing the Forest Xiaomi
Chapter 1: Crossing the Forest Xiaomi
Brain storage, this article is warm and daily, with little quarrels, family matters, not a happy article. If you want to see quarrels every day, please take a detour. Writing a book is not easy, please be lenient! ! ! !
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"Welcome everyone to the live broadcast room. We are going to make a big dish today, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall..."
"Old man, the pigs in the pigsty are crying with hunger. What are you doing? You are such a lousy thing that you just slack off all day long!" The one who scolded loudly was Li, the step-grandmother of the old Chen family.
Lin Xiaomi, who was having a sweet dream, was awakened by the fright and got up resignedly.
"Mom, I'm going to go get some grass for the pigs!"
The eldest daughter-in-law, Wang, quickly hung up the freshly washed clothes, hurriedly carried the basket on her back, took the sickle, and nudged the girl beside her with her elbow, "Hurry up and follow."
"What a troublesome thing." Li sneered.
Xiaomi slowly put on his small backpack and followed his mother up the mountain.
Xiaomi's grandfather, Mr. Lin, was a shopkeeper in the county when he was young. He was knowledgeable and could read. Because his master's hotel was closed down due to a crime, he was afraid of being implicated, so he returned to his hometown with his savings. He married a wife, had children, built a house and bought land. The old man had two wives. The first wife, Lian, was weak and died of illness after giving birth to a son.
The second wife is the elder of the Lin family, Li. She has been with the old man through thick and thin for decades and gave birth to three sons and one daughter.
Xiaomi's father, Lin Dashan, was born to her grandmother who passed away early. Her uncles, Lin Dachuan, Lin Dahai, Lin Dahe, and her aunt, Lin Xiaohua, were born to her step-grandmother.
The old man built eight blue brick and tile houses and bought 8 mu of land, and was a well-known wealthy family in the village. But as his wife became ill, children were born one after another, and grandchildren were born in recent years, his sons and grandchildren paid tuition, and the family was increasingly stretched.
His wife, Li, was also hardworking and capable. She took care of everything at home and outside, and was also caring and considerate to the old man. Mr. Lin was very satisfied with his wife. He married a virtuous woman and he married the right person in his life.
Seeing that time was going by too fast and her youngest son was about to get married, but there was not even a wedding room available, Li couldn't help but feel anxious and angry.
The family had 30 mu of land, 20 mu of which were top-quality land, 6 mu of medium-quality land, and 4 mu of low-quality dry land. After deducting taxes, the annual harvest was definitely not enough to feed a family of 20 or so people.
The eldest daughter-in-law does all the rough and hard work at home, while the other daughters-in-law and granddaughters embroider handkerchiefs at home and sell them in the town. Except for the youngest son who is still studying, the other sons go out to do odd jobs during the slack season to supplement the family income.
Life is still tight.
Xiaomi's parents did the most work and ate the least in this family. Why? In addition to Li's preference for her own children, the biggest reason was that these two people had no sons. They felt that they could not hold their heads up high, so they took the initiative to share most of the housework.
Yes, not having a son was considered a sin in the feudal countryside. Lin Dashan married his wife, Wang, when he was 20 years old. After that, they had a daughter, Xiaomi, but they had no more children in all these years.
His second son, Lin Dachuan, who got married half a year later, already has three sons and one daughter. Lin Dahai, who has been married for three years, also has a son and a daughter.
There are three kinds of unfilial piety, and no one is the greatest.
Because they had no children, Li Dashan and his wife could not lift their heads or straighten their backs. They were worried that no one would break the pot after their death, so they always wanted to adopt a brother's child.
Xiaomi knew from birth that her step-grandmother was not an easy person to deal with. No matter how much people praised Li for being kind and caring to her first-born child, the fact that she delayed marrying her eldest son when he was old enough and her second son gave birth to her eldest grandson showed that Li was not an easy person to deal with.
The eldest son and his wife were suppressed for many years, and they were tortured physically and mentally, which made them extremely inferior. The two of them worked like slaves for more than ten years, swallowing their anger and taking care of all the heavy work at home, but they never made any waves, which showed the methods and scheming of this step-grandmother.
She didn't fall for it. It was a joke. After all, she grew up under the red flag and received compulsory education for more than ten years. How could she be pua by this old hag?
"Mom, why do we have to collect the grass for the pigs at home?"
"Your two aunts can embroider, but mother is clumsy and can only do rough work."
"Why doesn't mom learn?"
Wang felt bitter. Learn? From whom? Both of her sisters-in-law were not easy to get along with. They usually embroidered in their own rooms, and she couldn't even see them.
"If mom can't learn those things, she can just do more rough work. They can earn money to support the family, but mom has no skills."
"Mom, we have 20 chickens at home, all of which you raise. The eggs alone can be sold for several hundred coins every month. We also have three large pigs, all of which you take care of. How much silver can each pig be sold for at the end of the year?"
Wang was stunned. She had never thought that raising pigs and chickens could be counted as part of the family's success. With this calculation, her income was higher than her two sisters-in-law. Even more than the two of them combined.
She has always felt inferior because she cannot earn money to support her family.
"You're right. By this calculation, my mother earns a lot of money every year."
"Mom, you need to rest more. Once you are well, your brother will come."
"There's so much work to do at home, how can I not do it?"
"Mom, if you don't take care of yourself now, when will your brother be able to come to our house? Don't you and Dad want a son anymore?!"
How could she not want that? She dreamed of giving birth to a son so that he could stand tall at home.
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
This daughter has been well-behaved and smart since she was young. She would smile at her when she was born, and would not cry unless she was hungry or wet. When she was older, she would take her with her when she was working, and she would not cry or make a fuss. If there was anything delicious, she would share a portion with her and Lin Dashan.
"His dad, how are you doing?"
As soon as the family returned to the room after dinner, Wang couldn't wait to ask.
A few days ago, when I was taking Xiaomi to collect grass for pigs, I dug up a lump of earth. I didn't know what it was. My daughter strongly asked her husband to go to the town clinic to ask, maybe it was some good medicinal herb.
Xiaomi: I knew it was a medicinal herb, but I couldn’t tell you.
This family was so poor that they didn't even get a penny from their official income. She could only think of ways to make some extra money to feed the family.
"The doctor said this lumps of earth are called Poria cocos, a herb, and cost 18 cents per pound."
So valuable!!!!
Wang covered her mouth and her eyes widened.
Lin Dashan fished out eight coins from his pocket and said, "That's the one. The clinic accepted it. The doctor said they want as much as they want, so just give it to them."
"Then this money..."
"Dad, Mom, let's keep this money. Mom is weak and needs to eat something good to replenish her body. Only when she is well can she give birth to a younger brother."
Lin Dashan, who was a little hesitant at first, lost all his hesitation when he heard about giving birth to a son. "Then stay and buy some glutinous rice cakes for us Xiao Mi. And some brown sugar for you and your mother."
Wang had never hidden any private money in her 7 years of life, except for occasionally stealing a few eggs, which made her feel guilty. But looking at her daughter's dry yellow hair and thin body, the 5-year-old child looked only years old, too thin.
She dared to guarantee that if the money was given to her mother-in-law, her family would not get a penny. She hardened her heart and said, "Let's do it secretly. Her father, I will secretly dig it when I take Xiaomi to pick pig grass, and you can secretly sell it when you go to town."
"to make."