Farmer’s Little Girl

  Chapter 9 Agree

  Man Bao ran to find her sister-in-law on short legs, Keke watched the whole process, and said nothing.

  Sister Zhou was obviously taken aback. She repeatedly asked Man Bao what Mr. Zhuang had said at the time. After making sure, she put the things on the stove and said: "Go, Sister-in-law will take you home first, and then come to clean up later."

Man Bao’s memory is particularly good, and it’s something that just happened. Of course, she said clearly, but Lao Zhoutou asked three times before squatting on the threshold and taking out the birth tobacco from her waist pocket. , Stuffed it into the cigarette stick and said nothing.

  Everyone didn’t say anything. Qian said to Xiao Qian, “You go to work first. This is not a small matter. You have to wait for the boss and them to come back to decide.”

  Xiao Qian responded and went to work in the school.

  Qian gave Lao Zhou a glance, took Man Bao’s little hand into the house, and looked down at her.

   Seeing that her round face was full of confusion, she knew that she probably didn't understand the meaning.

  Thinking about it, Qian asked: "Man Bao, do you want to read?"

  Man Baodao: "I have been reading, I have learned the "Thousand Characters", Mr. Zhuang said that I can teach me "The Analects", I can count to a hundred."

  Qian touched her little head, "Do you like reading?"

Man Bao nodded and said happily: "I like it. Reading can be fun. When I am in a good mood, reading "Thousand Characters" is like singing, and I feel better; I am not happy, and I also read "Thousands of Characters". "Chinese Characters", and then I am happy when I read it."

  Qian's eyes were a bit empty, and he didn't know what he thought of, before he said after a long time: "It's a pity..."

  Man Bao climbed onto the bed, sat next to his mother, raised his head and asked, "Mother, what a pity?"

   "Unfortunately you are not a boy."

  Man Bao pouted: "I don't want to be a boy. Boys are dirty and smelly, and no girls are pretty."

  Qian couldn’t help but smile, "Yes, we are full of treasures and clean and fragrant..."

  But boys can pass on from generation to generation.

  Qian thought he was hard-hearted enough, but couldn't help crying at this time.

Man Bao looked terribly distressed, and quickly wiped her tears, his eyes turned red, and he asked in a crying voice, "Mother, why are you crying, do you not like me to go to school? Then, then I Going less later."

  Qian couldn’t help laughing, and while wiping tears, he twisted her nose and said, “It’s really a slippery head. Just like your father, he can say nice things to coax people.”

  Man Bao opened his mouth wide, it is hard to imagine her father was like that.

Qian was also sad for a moment, and he hugged her and said, "Since you can read, then read. Reading is more beneficial. Although you are a girl, you are better at reading than others. You will not be deceived or deceived in the future. You can make your life better."

Although Qian's literacy is ignorant, and even a village woman who has never been to the county seat, she has some insights of her own. She whispered: "Look at those men, those who are literate live better than those who are illiterate, understand. Those who count are more clever than those who don’t understand, and girls are the same."

Man Bao nodded fiercely, "Mr. said that reading can be reasonable, Bai Er, that idiot, he said that he did not take the imperial examination, and then he would inherit his father's land to collect rent and live a job. Mr. said that he was justified. No matter where you go, you will not be guilty, behave well, you can..."

  The following words are a bit difficult. Man Bao paused, but Keke reminded her to continue, "You can be invincible, undefeated in heart, undefeated in people."

Although Man Bao didn't quite understand these words, she felt that Mr. Zhuang at the time was so tall and so tall that she blushed when she heard it. She wished to run around the river at the entrance of the village three times and yelled, so she remembered Living.

  She looked at her mother with bright eyes and said: "Mother, I want to read and understand!"

  Qian looked at her serious little face, and was about to respond to her a little bit, but thinking of the plight of the family now, Qian still put all the words in his heart, let's listen to the advice of the master.

   Zhou Dalang and the others came back at the time of the late meal. At this time, the sun was about to set, but everyone was too hungry. After all, the only early meal was porridge.

  Everyone simply washed their hands and sat down at the dinner table. Old Zhou was not in a hurry to talk about business. After everyone had finished eating, he sat down in the yard and called the boss, the second and the third, to talk to him.

  Xiao Qian looked out, frowned slightly, and did not speak while clutching the rag. On Tuesday, the sister-in-law Feng also took a look in the yard and couldn't help but whispered: "Daddy doesn't really want my sister to go to school, right?"

  He frowned and said: "No, how much money will it cost, Sister-in-law, mother-in-law will not agree, right?"

  Little Qian's clutching the rag, she didn't really want her to go to school, but she took her home at noon.

  In fact, when she heard the news at noon, her first feeling was that she was happy. My sister-in-law was able to be accepted as an apprentice by Mr. Zhuang, she would have much promise in the future.

  But when she returned to the school, she thought that reading is costly.

Even if Mr. Zhuang accepts apprentices privately and does not accept his sister-in-law’s repairs, he must pay for his apprenticeship, and he must pay for the holidays. These are all small heads. You should buy a book if you read. ?

In fact, Mr. Zhuang’s school bundle repair is not very high, because the bulk of the money is from the white landlord. But before Lang lost his bet on Thursday, the Zhou family could not send any grandson to the school. One of the reasons is that they The family is too thin to support a scholar.

  This was previously unavailable, but now it is even more unavailable.

  Moreover, their mother-in-law has a medicine jar, and she has to drink medicine every month, which makes her burden even heavier.

  Those thoughts wiped out the little Qian’s joy at the beginning, but now there is only worry.

Of course, what the little Qian can think of, other men in the Zhou family are of course more thoughtful, especially the head of the family, Lao Zhoutou. He didn't really want Man Bao to go to school, but his wife and Man Bao said in the house in the afternoon. The words made him hesitate again and again.

  Waiting for dinner, he watched Man Bao holding a large bowl in his two small hands, almost buried his head in the bowl, and ate a thin bowl of porridge with relish.

  Looking at the three daughter-in-laws next to him who had just put down the tableware and chopsticks to clean up the table, wash the dishes, and clean up, Lao Zhou’s balance slowly moved to the other side.

  His Manbao is weak, white, fat, and cute. He is spoiled by his father and brother at home, but what about ten years from now, fifteen years from now?

  At that time, would she marry a farmer like her brothers and become a peasant woman like her sister-in-law?

  Lao Zhou took two puffs of cigarettes violently, choked for a while before taking out the pipe and knocking, he said: "You know everything, too, let's talk about it, what do you think?"

  Tuesday Lang and Wednesday Lang looked at each other, lowered their heads and said: "We listen to Dad and Brother."

  Lao Zhou glanced at the two of them and looked at Zhou Dalang, "Dalang, you said."

  Zhou Dalang gritted his teeth and said: "Since Mr. Zhuang is willing to accept her, then we will give it. When she grows up, if she can marry in the town, we won't have to beg for food like us."

"Yes!" Old Zhou patted his thigh. "That's what I think. How many girls in this world can read and count, you all count, among the few children in the family, who is smart? It’s not clear how to count the big eggs, Manbao can be counted by counting it. Our Manbao looks good, and we will definitely look better when we grow up. Not to mention the town, maybe even the county can marry."

  Tuesday Lang tangled and said, "That’s what I said, but it will cost a lot of money to study. She is still a girl and can’t go to the exam to be an official..."

  Tuesday Lang lowered his voice under his father's gaze, and he could only poke the third child.

  Wednesday Lang said: "I listen to my father and brother."

  Zhou Dalang&Tuesday Lang: "..."

  Lao Zhoutou couldn't help but smoked another cigarette, and said: "Mr. Zhuang will definitely not receive the bundle of treasures, so we will give a teacher or something."

  Tuesday Lang said: "The book and pen, ink, paper and inkstone must be bought. Mr. Zhuang can't accept Manbao as an apprentice. These things have to be paid by Mr. Zhuang. Dad, I don’t know how much these things cost."

  No one at home has ever read a book. They don’t know the specific price, but books, pens, ink, and paper are very expensive.

  And this is precisely one of the reasons why Lao Zhoutou is hesitant. He smokes with a calm head and doesn't say a word.

Zhou Dalang's hand was violent, and he gritted his teeth and said: "Father, Man Bao is a good boy. Mr. Zhuang also knows the situation of our family. I will beg him. We can buy one of the books they want to learn now. Man Bao She's still young now, and she doesn't use paper and ink to practice calligraphy. When she grows up a little bit later, she should save a little money at home."

   Seeing the eldest son speak, Lao Zhou took a long breath and nodded: "Okay, just do it. The day after tomorrow, you and I will take Man Bao to apprenticeship, and then discuss with Mr. Zhuang."

  Tuesday Lang opened his mouth and said nothing else, but he was worried.

  Old forty-six, I was about to say a kiss. The original plan was to marry him a daughter-in-law for the New Year, so that he can go to the field together in the spring.

   But he gambled money, and the family’s money was in misfortune, and his reputation was also bad. It is estimated that within three years he will not be able to marry a wife.

  But the fourth child can get married a few years later, that's what he deserves, but what about the fifth child?

  The old five is also fourteen. Two years later, he will have to talk about marriage. This will cost a lot of marriage, not to mention their mothers have to take medicine.

  The six brothers in the family, the three who did not have a family are not counted, the three who have already had a family, although the boss is stable, but not smart enough, the third is even more honest.

   is also a little clever for the second child, and because he often goes to the market to sell things, he thinks and wants more than the boss.

  As soon as the gambling happened, he calculated it in his mind. After three or two years, how could the family save three or four slings of money, and then lend a little more to the old fifth to say a marriage.

  The fifth is the fourth and sixth turn. After the three little ones have finished talking about kissing, the family will have to be in abject poverty for at least another ten years, and then the big head will have to start talking about kissing.

  He originally planned to work together at home. With his parents and brothers working together, he actually made money faster than his own.

  Although his younger brother, nephew, and his son will get married, he may not have enough money in his life, but at least he won’t be short on food and clothing.

  But if Manbao study is added to this plan, then the family really has no money left.

  Tuesday Lang scratched his head, and finally said with a headache, forget it, anyway, the family is owned by his parents, and they are also the ones to worry about. Now he only needs to be obedient and take care of his own little family.

  (End of this chapter)