Farming Beneath the Changbai Mountains

Zhixin went home and told everyone about the house. The old man listened and thought it was okay. So everyone searched for a day and went to the town to see that house. At first glance, I was quite satisfied with the results. Although it was a little far away from the center of the town, it was still not as far away as the mountains. Besides, the price was cheap, so the old man immediately decided to buy this house.

I negotiated the price with the seller and finally settled on two hundred and forty taels. The people from the dental shop wrote the deed, and then the old man paid half of the deposit to the seller, and agreed that all the things inside would be moved out in five days so that the Xu family could move in.

Because everyone will be on the mountain for a few more years, this house is where Wen Han and the others live, and everyone can only come down to Maodong in winter. In this way, luggage and other items cannot be moved down, and furniture cannot be moved down, so they can only be replaced. Zhixin went to order some furniture. Five days later, Zhixin paid the other half of the money to the seller and got the deed of the house.

The furniture was bought ready-made, and Ms. Chen, who was responsible for the bedding, also led Mrs. Xue and others to make several sets. So, on the sixth day of October, the Xu family moved into their new house. Jinghan held a rice bucket in her hand, which was the most advanced in the yard. There was a silver pin in the bucket to hold it down. Wenhan and the others were next, each carrying an armful of firewood in. Then everyone moved in the remaining things and began to place various items.

Originally, moving was a big deal, and we should call friends and relatives we got along with well. However, the Xu family was not moving seriously, so they didn't tell anyone else, just their own family. Qingnian and Zhide also came, and they each brought some gifts.

After everything was settled, the old man asked Chen to lead his daughter-in-law and granddaughters to live in the town, while the men went back to the mountains. The mountain is not completely frozen yet, so I'm afraid someone might cause trouble.

Jinghan asked Zhixin to transport all the mushroom trees down. The back room at the back was larger than the two houses on the mountain, and it was enough to hold the mushroom trees.

Zhixin worked hard for more than ten days before finally delivering all the fungi and firewood from the mountain. There was no firewood in the new house, so five carts of firewood alone could not be loaded in the firewood shed. Zhixin stacked a tall pile of firewood in the open space next to the firewood house.

All the mushrooms and wood were placed in the back rooms. Those rooms also had fire walls and ground dragons, so Jinghan set them all on fire. It’s October, and it’s time to go out for mushrooms. Jinghan dived here again this time, coming here every day to look at her fungus trees, lighting fires, sprinkling water and so on. Jingwan and Jingxian also helped.

On the tenth day of October, Yue Siyuan came suddenly. It turned out that he had heard from Pengcheng that the Xu family had bought a house in the town. So I took two servants and brought a lot of gifts to come and have a look. None of the men in the family were here, so Mrs. Chen came out to entertain Yue Siyuan. After everyone chatted for a while, Yue Siyuan left. Before leaving, he said he would come over for a visit or something during the Chinese New Year.

The winter moon came in a blink of an eye, and the old man and the others also came down from the mountain. At this time, the mountain was completely frozen, so it was okay to watch. Wen Han and the others all moved back from Huixin's place, and now everyone gathered in the town again. Huixin often comes here with Jinghui in her arms these days. Now that she is close, she can go back to her parents' home whenever she wants.

Jinghan's mushrooms have begun to go out again. This year, there is an extra oyster mushroom, and the number of mushrooms has also increased, so an average of sixty or seventy kilograms of mushrooms can be produced every day. Of course, Baiweilou wants them all, so Jinghan and the others don't have to bother. They can just pick the mushrooms every day and send them directly there. The price is still about the same as last year, so there will be an income of about two taels of silver every day.

Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Xue and others are making bedding and clothes for the family. When Zhixiang comes back, he doesn't know how many people he will bring with him. Of course, he has to prepare some luggage. Besides, the luggage at home is not enough. The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and everyone has to prepare a new suit of clothes. These ladies are busy doing needlework every day.

On the sixteenth day of the winter lunar month, everyone was busy doing their own things when they heard something moving outside. Zhiming hurried out. When he opened the door, he saw Zhide in front, followed by five or six people. The one in the middle turned out to be Lao Wu Zhixiang. "Lao Wu? You're back." Zhiming shouted happily when he saw Zhixiang.

"Third brother, I'm back. I don't know where you live in the winter, so I went to the fourth brother's house first. Then the fourth brother brought me here." Zhixiang looked at the third brother in front of him with a smile. His face hasn't changed much, it's still the same.

"Come on, come in quickly, my father and mother miss you. They have been talking about you every day for a while, and I don't know when you will come back." Zhiming hurriedly let everyone into the yard, and Zhixiang's entourage rushed Taking the carriage, Zhiming helped get the carriage to the animal shed.

There is nothing to do during the day. Everyone usually works in the main room in the front yard, talking and other things. Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Xue and others were sewing quilts. The old man was sitting on the edge of the kang, and everyone was chatting and laughing lively. At this time, the door of the room was pushed open, and Zhiming's very excited voice came in, "Dad, Mom, do you think who is back?"

Before he finished speaking, two people came in from the outside. One of them was naturally Zhiming, and the other one turned out to be Zhixiang.

The old man was sitting on the kang smoking. He looked up and saw his youngest son. He choked on the cigarette and kept coughing. The old lady was sewing a quilt with needle and thread in her hand, and suddenly she got distracted and pricked her hand.

Zhixiang entered the house, came to the old man in two steps, and knelt directly on the ground, "Father, mother, your unfilial son is back. How have you been doing for the past three years?" Zhixiang has been away from home for three years. When I visited my parents, I found that they had more gray hair, more wrinkles on their faces, and the old man seemed to be a little hunched over. Zhixiang looked at his parents and couldn't help but shed tears.

The old man finally stopped coughing and reached out to help his son. He couldn't help but burst into tears. "Lao Wu, you are finally back. Come on, get up quickly. It's so cold on the ground. Come on, let dad see, my Lao Wu." What has become of it?”

Mrs. Chen also put down her needlework here. Mrs. Xue quickly packed up everything, then asked Zhixiang to sit on the kang and chat with the old man for a while.

The old man carefully looked at the youngest son in front of him. Three years later, his face that was slightly immature at the time was now fully mature. He is still the same as before, but he looks much more mature, gentle and elegant, and a little more capable. "Lao Wu, come on, let's talk to daddy, how have you been outside these past few years? Are you okay?" There was a hint of choking in the old man's voice.

Here, Mrs. Chen also had tears in her eyes and held her son's hand without letting go. "Lao Wu, my mother misses you so much. You can't bear to leave and not come back for three years," the old lady said.

Zhixiang wiped his mother's tears with his hands, "Mom, it's my son who is unfilial. Mr. Lu just arrived there, there are too many things, and the south is too far away from us. It will be fine this time, Mr. Lu will be arrested this time After being sent to Anzhou, I will be appointed as the governor. Anzhou is very close to us, and my son can come back to see his parents often. "

Here, Zhixin and Zhiming called all the children over to present gifts to Zhixiang.

Zhixiang looked at the children in front of him and was a little hesitant to recognize them, "Jingya, Jinghan, Jingwan, Jingxian, Wencheng, all of them have grown up. If they were outside, I really wouldn't How dare you admit it. Wen Cheng has grown so tall, what a big boy." Zhixiang compared Wen Cheng's height with his hand and patted Wen Cheng's shoulder happily.

"Xu Fu, bring in the things I gave to the family." Zhixiang shouted towards the outhouse.

Someone outside agreed and then went out. Not long after, a man in his thirties led several people and came in carrying several large boxes. "Master, all your things have been brought in."

Zhixiang opened the box and distributed the things to everyone one by one. Of course, most of them are made of fabrics, and the silk in the south is better, so most of them are made of silk. There are also some porcelain, tea, spices and other items. The boys each get a set of the Four Treasures of the Study, and the girls get a pair of silver and gold bracelets, as well as various kinds of ribbons, silk flowers, purses, handkerchiefs, etc., all new styles from the south.

Jinghan and the others took these little things and they all liked them very much. Things are not expensive or cheap, the key is to like them. The materials used for these purses and handkerchiefs are very good, and the embroidery patterns on them are also exquisite. Even Jinghan, who doesn't know much about needlework, can't put it down.

"Look at you, just come back. Why do you bring so many things? You are about to get married, and there are many places to spend money. When you are older, you have to know how to live." Although Mrs. Chen was happy, she didn't Forgot to say a few words.

Listening to his mother's words, Zhixiang felt that they were so kind. This was his mother, a hard-working and simple old woman. "Mom, don't worry. I have already prepared the money for the wedding. Besides, Mr. Lu has also prepared some, so I don't need to spend much money."

When it came to the marriage, the old man asked over there, "By the way, Fifth Brother, what kind of family does this woman belong to? If the matchmaker guaranteed by the county magistrate is a matchmaker, if her family is very well off, we are really a bit out of reach." The old man was afraid. Marry someone more powerful than the Han family.

"Yes, I forgot to mention that this woman is an uncle and sister of the Lu family. Her home is in the county town, a merchant's home with several shops. Don't worry, dad, I have already met this girl. She is a gentle and virtuous woman. "Zhixiang couldn't help but show a gentle look on his face when he talked about his fiancée.

Jinghan listened nearby and understood the key. I'm afraid Mr. Lu liked his younger uncle's talents and wanted to win over him, so he betrothed his cousin to his younger uncle. It was probably Mr. Lu's idea to get the two of them to meet each other, and they had a good impression of each other. Yes, my uncle has a reputation as a civil servant, so being his aide is really a bit humiliating.