Chapter 238

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Song Qingshan not getting along with the Meng Clan is unknown, but anyway Song Qingshan has already hidden far away.

Whenever a daughter has any situation, Song Qingshan starts getting "scolded" by the Meng Clan; he's long since grown used to it.

And Song Qingshan himself knows: if there's resistance, there'll be even more severe oppression... that unreasonable old lady, just ignore her, and it's fine... otherwise, you can't afford to deal with her.

"Oh my... what are you two arguing about again?" Song Qiushui came out of the room with a face full of sleepiness, walking and yawning: "You two, day after day, won't you let people sleep..."

If it were any other mother, she'd definitely say at a time like this: Don't you look at what time it is? It's past ten o'clock, still sleeping...

But the Meng Clan instead showed a face full of guilt, hurried over to placate Song Qiushui: "Oh dear, your dad's causing trouble, woke you up, didn't he? You go back and sleep a bit more. If you don't want to eat at noon, I'll put it in the pot to warm up. Or whenever you wake up, whenever we'll eat."

"(Yawn)... no need, what time is it... Chai Mi's here." Only now did Song Qiushui see that it was Chai Mi who had come: "Sister, you're really something, came back that late last night, and now you're bouncing around again. Sigh, comparing people to people can kill you. Me, I stay up one night and I'm done for, can't get up."

"Who told you you're still a kid..." Chai Mi pursed her lips and said with a smile: "Came to check on you, see how you're doing. Still going tonight?"

"Not going, can't take it." Song Qiushui had only caught scorpions for one day and felt it was the most exhausting work under heaven, nowhere near as comfortable as sleeping at home.

"Then in a bit you go haul a few bags of cement for me. I've got no time, we're digging a well at home. Four or five bags will do. I still have to haul two trips of sand. Bring the cement back and just put it at that patch of ground under my house eaves... found it?"

"Guaranteed mission accomplished, I'm going now... let my dad do the work, I'll go help you dig the well. I've never dug a well before, none of you stop me, I'll dig a few iron shovelfuls myself."

"You forget it, you can't do it..."

"No... women, cannot say they can't do it." Song Qiushui spoke with righteous indignation: "They all say women hold up half the sky, I'll go hold up a bit."

Chai Mi could barely hold back a laugh: "Fine fine fine, you go take a look, dig a couple times, if it doesn't work you go to my house and help my mom cook. Today the Start of Summer, right? Eat dumplings. Last time there were still a few pieces of pork cured, just right for pork and green onion dumplings."

"Deal." Song Qiushui waved her hand: "You mind your business, just watch."

Chai Mi then came out of Song Qiushui's house, drove the ox cart, went to the well-digging plot, unloaded the sand, then went for another trip.

The materials for this well-digging enclosure are still quite a lot; one cart of sand still isn't quite enough.

After Chai Mi hauled another cart of sand over, she then went home.

This old cow is indeed about to give birth; walking it looks especially stupid. If not absolutely forced, Chai Mi really wouldn't want to use it.

Just now because of the plot occupied for well-digging, the corn stalks on top had already been cut with a sickle. Chai Mi simply used them directly to feed the cow.

Before it was always Su Wan who went up the mountain or into the ditches to cut grass to feed the cow. Recently she's been in confinement so hasn't gone. The cow has gotten somewhat thin and weak.

Mm, just a bit "thin and weak," not eating like a fat pig like before.

After feeding the cow, she discovered Song Qiushui walked in listlessly.

Her foot was even a bit lame...

"What happened to you?"

"Ruined. I twisted my left foot a bit."

"But you're limping on your right foot..."

"Hiss... it's not a big deal, don't get hung up on which foot has the problem. Anyway I've decided, these two days I'm not working. Forgot to check the almanac going out, everything's going wrong. Sigh... no, I'll find someone to read my fortune another day. My luck's been terrible lately."

Chai Mi smiled teasingly: "Then go find Sun Yuguang to read it..."

"Hahaha... mm, I'll go find him. Guaranteed to piss him to death." Song Qiushui perked up: "Right, your Old Aunt still hasn't been brought back? What's up, can hanging herself still reveal something? Really don't know what's with them. She hanged herself, blames others... really fucking interesting."

"Don't mention her. Stay inside the room. Wash your hands, in a bit we'll wrap dumplings. Well-digging isn't urgent. These two days just stay at my house. Anyway you've got nothing going on."

The two were just talking when Su Wan also came out to call Song Qiushui inside: "Qiushui these two days you've gotten worn down thin... hurry in and rest a bit."

Chai Mi almost rolled her eyes: My mom's look lately is no different from Song Qiushui's old lady. Both are not just generally bad. Is Song Qiushui worn down thin? She's thin from not being able to get up to eat, starved thin...

Chai Mi followed her into the room, only to discover Su Wan hadn't done anything yet. After all, the third child was still crying in the room, so Su Wan was busy coaxing the child.

This situation has no solution, can't blame Mother either.

Chai Mi then washed her hands and went to knead dough.

"Xiu'er, go get firewood to start the fire."

Chai Xiu obediently went to get firewood.

"I heard, Chai Mi your dumplings are delicious..." Song Qiushui said with a mysterious air: "Everyone says the dumplings you wrap, damn they're good."

"Cut it out, you've eaten them..."

"Then... I forgot..."

"Stop making conversation out of nothing. Go wash your hands and chop filling."

"Okay." Song Qiushui actually knows how to do some work. She didn't pretend to be lame anymore. Went outside to the vegetable garden, directly pulled two heads of Chinese cabbage...

Started chopping away.

Chai Mi frowned: "Hey, sister sister, pork and green onion. What are you chopping cabbage for? Also you didn't even wash it. You feeding pigs?"

Song Qiushui hehe laughed: "Oh, before my mom had me feed ducks, I cut vegetables like this. Habit."

Song Qiushui really has never cooked. She's the type who hasn't cooked a single meal.

Usually living a pampered life, she's used to it. Song Qiushui really doesn't know how to do anything. She belongs to that kind of "talented type who's only seen pigs run but never eaten pork."

At most usually she feeds chickens and ducks. Counts as the physical labor the Meng Clan left for her.

Hearing she did it wrong, Song Qiushui took the chopped cabbage, packed it up and went straight out to feed the cow.

"Hey... don't feed the cow. Cow can't digest it well. Feed the sheep." Chai Mi shook her head helplessly.

Song Qiushui pouted and shrugged, then snatched the cabbage from the cow's mouth and went to feed the sheep.

While feeding the sheep, Song Qiushui stared at the few fat sheep in a daze: "If we make a few meals of mutton dumplings for New Year, would that count as getting rich and well-off... mm, later I should talk to my dad. Why not raise sheep to get rich... mainly so we can eat it ourselves."

Chai Mi had already finished kneading dough inside the room. Song Qiushui still hadn't come back. Chai Mi went out to look and discovered Comrade Song Qiushui was chatting with the sheep...

Chai Mi facepalmed: Forget it, forget it. I'll do it myself.

Chai Mi went to the vegetable garden and got a few green onions, peeled them, went back and chopped them up, then also chopped the pork, and the dumpling filling was ready.

Then she used the pressurized well to press a basin of water, then called to Song Qiushui: "Qiu Shui, wash your hands, it's time to wrap dumplings. You wrap dumplings, I'll go stir-fry a few dishes, otherwise we won't be able to eat lunch in a bit. Busy busy, don't keep talking to the sheep, the sheep have it hard too, they really don't understand..."

Song Qiushui hehehe'd a laugh, came over to wash her hands, and after washing went to find Su Wan: "Aunt, let me coax the child, I think I can coax children. Wrapping dumplings, I can't do that either... I only know how to eat..."

Su Wan carefully handed the child to Song Qiushui, and after washing her own hands went to wrap dumplings.

After a while, Song Qiushui went to find Chai Xiu looking dejected: "Xiu'er, you coax the child, coaxing children I can't do either..."

Chai Xiu was dumbfounded: "Uh... Eldest Sister, I'm tending the fire, I highly suspect you can't even tend fire... if the rice isn't cooked later, my sister will scold me. Coaxing children... cough cough... it's like this, you can put my little sister on the kang head, just don't let her fall. You just watch her, anyway her life is hard, she won't die from a fall..."

Song Qiushui: "Why does that sound weird..."

"My sister said it, my sister said our Chai Xin has a thief-hard life, let her make trouble all she wants, absolutely nothing will happen. My sister also said, this your little sister harms people, you coax her you just watch, just don't let her fall to death." Chai Xiu said very sincerely.

Chai Mi glanced sideways at Chai Xiu: "Just you talk too much, tend the fire properly."

Turned to Song Qiushui and said: "You just throw Chai Xin on the kang head, no need to learn my mom always holding her. She's fine, she's over a month old now, when my Xiu was over a month she could already go buy soy sauce..."

Su Wan watched the two "not speaking human speech" sisters, extremely helpless.

Chai Mi and Chai Xiu both didn't like this younger sister very much...

Ask and they say: the fortune-teller said Chai Xin has a long life, let her make trouble, nothing will happen.

But Su Wan couldn't bear it, so she held the child again.

Chai Mi helplessly spread her hands: "Qiu Shui, you go over there, bring my sister-in-law back. Otherwise, today's lunch, will be scorching..."

Song Qiushui then ran out with a patter of footsteps.

After ten-odd minutes, Song Qiushui and Zhang Hailan came back together.

After all, Song Qiushui originally went to the well-digging side, originally Song Qiushui wanted to go play at the bottom of the well for a bit, but her foot twisted a little, though not serious, it hurt scorching, so she went home.

Right now, she definitely doesn't want to dig the well.

Since she can't do anything, she'll call Zhang Hailan back, and be a mascot herself.

"Sister-in-law, Chai Mi said long ago you wrap dumplings especially delicious, ah-ah delicious..."

At these words, even Chai Mi who has seen much couldn't help but retort: Made trouble for half a day, Qiu Shui thinks whoever wraps dumplings is delicious, just now I thought she was really praising me...

After Zhang Hailan returned, she washed her hands and started wrapping dumplings. Chai Mi went to stir-fry dishes, while stir-frying she asked Song Qiushui: "How about I make six dishes? Whatever you want to eat, I'll just go by your taste."

"If I'm eating, naturally it's mountain delicacies and sea treasures, whatever flies in the sky, crawls on the ground, swims in the river, all can. I generally only eat expensive, not eat right."

"Can tell." Chai Mi laughed uncontrollably: "Stir-fry spicy pepper dry tofu, stir-fry potato shreds, smash cucumber, stir-fry garlic sprouts, then stew spareribs beans, and a guobaorou? But that guobaorou I don't really know how to make, I've only eaten it, I'll just hard-fry one for you."

"I know I know." Zhang Hailan said: "With sister-in-law here, what dish can't be made, guobaorou I'll do."

Several women, started busy.

Wrapping dumplings wrap dumplings, stir-frying stir-fry, coaxing child coax child, tending fire tend fire...

Lying down lying down...

Leaving only Song Qiushui alone silently drooling, preparing to eat.

In this era, these several dishes count as pretty good daily meals.

Although many people don't like this or that, doesn't mean they go to restaurants eating big fish big meat every day.

Around eleven o'clock, Chai Youqing and Liu San both returned.

Today dug almost four meters, already see black soil, speed still okay.

But next, down there is qing stone, will be especially hard to dig. Will also hit water, will be even harder.

Relatively speaking, countryside digging wells, just the first few meters are simpler, once water comes out later, especially hard to handle. People in the well bottom, water from spring eyes pilipala flowing down,

will be especially uncomfortable.

Working speed will drop straight line.

And also have to start enclosure molds, will be even harder.

"Wash hands, eat." Chai Mi called.

Then put the tables up.

Several large basins of dumplings, also brought up.

Today is Start of Summer, according to solar term, eat dumplings.

Liaoxi side's customs actually quite simple and plain.

New Year Festival eat dumplings.

This New Year Festival, refers to all holidays. Including but not limited to Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and also what Start of Summer Start of Autumn Start of Winter...

Possibly except Qingming Festival, the rest of holidays, basically all eat dumplings.

Others are just incidental.

Similar to Lantern Festival, here also eat dumplings, rarely eat yuanxiao. Dragon Boat Festival zongzi also just eat two meals, mostly still eat dumplings.

Dumplings, are omnipotent.

Right now, although already Reform and Opening-up, every household days starting to get better, people's staple food also from cornmeal sorghum toward white flour rice starting to turn.

But, for most people, dumplings really aren't eat whenever you want.

One costs money, two costs time.

But besides these two disadvantages, the rest are all advantages.

Key point is delicious.

Isn't there a saying: nothing more delicious than dumplings, nothing more fun... hehehe... but hehehe...

After several people seated, Chai Mi dipped in the soup with soy sauce vinegar and garlic paste, ate a mouthful of steaming hot dumpling.

Taste not bad.

"Today's wrapped okay, I feel taste pretty good. Eat eat..."

Chai Mi casually also picked a dumpling for Song Qiushui: "Thinking what? Eat... you want soy sauce vinegar early?"

"I only eat vinegar; eating dumplings with vinegar is the soul."

"Putting down soy sauce is the soul……"

"Eating them dry is correct."

Chai Xiu looked at the few people eating with great relish with a blank face, muttering: "I can't even snatch any away from them…… As expected, what Sister said is right, eating slowly makes it easy to not get full……"