Scholars in the courtyard

"Brother Shitou, this road must be too difficult."

On the swaying subway car, Yang Xiaotao picked up the kettle and took a sip of hot water, then handed it to Yang Shitou.

At this time, the two of them had been away from Sijiu City for more than half a day. There were few pedestrians on the road, and the road had changed from a flat dirt road to a bumpy road. The speed could not be increased, and the donkey cart was still bumpy.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, many infrastructures were not yet complete, even around the Forty-Nine Cities.

It was Yang Xiaotao's first time traveling far away. He was used to asphalt roads and cement roads. Driving on such dirt roads was simply a torture.

"It's okay, that's okay. It used to be more difficult to get to our village!"

Yang Shitou took a sip of water and looked at the kettle in his hand, full of curiosity.

This thing is not available in their village. On weekdays, everyone uses wooden barrels to fill water at work, and when they are thirsty, they use ladles to drink water. It is okay in summer, but in autumn, it is cold to drink.

He sent the kettle back and looked at the things in the car like a treasure.

Especially the bag of bright red flesh and blood. From Yang Xiaotao, he learned that he bought these with money tickets.

He didn't know whether it was true or not, he just thought it was life in the city and was envious of it.

According to him, this pile of meat weighed at least ten kilograms, and he heard that there were mutton and beef in it, which made his stomach churn.

Finally, there was the wine at Yang Xiaotao's feet. Yang Shitou licked his lips again. The wine his grandfather brought home last time was divided among several grandfathers. He could only pick up the bottom of the bottle, fill it with loose wine and drink it to his heart's content.

I thought to myself, with so much wine, I must have two bottles.

At noon, neither of them ate, mainly because they were so bumpy that they didn't feel like eating.

Yang Xiaotao looked at the sun, took out a handful of toffees and handed them to Yang Shitou.

Good stuff again.

Yang Shitou's eyes shone, he wiped his hands and took it carefully.

"Xiao Tao, your candy is so sweet."

He took the toffee from Yang Xiaotao and counted eight of them carefully. After eating one, he put the rest in his pocket.

Go home and give one to your partner, I'm sure...

Yang Xiaotao nodded, "Brother Shitou, when will we arrive?"

Yang Shitou looked around, "We've walked most of the way, and we'll reach Qujia Zaohu in a while. After Zaohu, we'll reach Qinjia Village, and then Gaojiazhuang. After five miles, we'll reach our village!"

Yang Shitou counted several villages along the way, and several local images emerged in Yang Xiaotao's mind.

A river, big willow trees, slopes, mountains.

The memories of his previous life made Yang Xiaotao feel a little homesick at this moment.

Taking a deep breath, my eyes followed the donkey cart as it moved forward, looking at the gray and barren land around me and looking at the strange era.

Seeing Yang Xiaotao's silence, Yang Shitou thought it might have brought back memories, so he said to Xiao Tao, "Xiao Tao, you have to stay here for two days when you return to the village this time."

"You are the only one who has grown up together, so you have to tell everyone about the things in the city."

Yang Xiaotao nodded, and several familiar and unfamiliar names came to his mind.

At this point, Yang Shitou was a little embarrassed, feeling that it was unjustifiable not to tell him that Yang Xiaotao had taken so many benefits.

But thinking of the sternness of the master, he finally just said from the side, "Xiao Tao, the village has prepared a big gift for you."

Yang Xiaotao was confused, what else could the village give him?

He wanted to ask clearly, but Yang Shitou turned his head and swung his whip, looking like he couldn't tell.

Yang Xiaotao was aroused by this half-word.

What the village can provide is nothing more than food and supplies.

Don’t think about money.

besides.

Yang Xiaotao suddenly trembled, "Isn't it for a wife?"

Yang Shitou was startled by Yang Xiaotao's sudden voice, but after hearing it, he didn't say anything and continued on his way.

But this look only strengthened Yang Xiaotao's guess.

My heart suddenly became entangled. If I really asked for a wife, should I want it or not?

The wheels of the car crunched against the soil, and the people on the car came to a river with tangled thoughts.

Not far away, a few half-grown men were jumping on the ice, looking so hot that even the north wind was getting hot.

The car stopped, Yang Shitou broke the ice on the river and let the donkey follow him to drink water, while Yang Xiaotao walked to the river.

"Brother Shitou, this is not our village's river, right?"

After recalling it carefully, he said.

"Well, this is a small river. It passes through Qinjia Village. There is a big river between our village and Gaojiazhuang, upstream and downstream."

Yang Shitou picked up his belt, pulled the donkey back to the cart, took a small handful of fried beans from the cart, and fed it carefully.

Yang Xiaotao watched from the sidelines. He had seen a donkey when he was a child, but he had never raised one at home, and he didn't know the donkey's habits.

Seeing his interest, Yang Shitou introduced him.

"This black skin belongs to the village collective, but it is raised in my home. I am given ten kilograms of soybeans a month, and the rest goes to the fields to graze."

"Even though he is not tall, he is very good at pulling carts and grinding them. In our village, he is the best at pulling carts!"

Speaking of donkeys, Shitou was a little addicted. The more he talked, the more he talked. Yang Xiaotao also listened and listened. The two seemed to have a common topic, talking and laughing.

The car started again, and this time the well-fed Heipi walked more energetically. Perhaps it was because he was getting closer to the village, the road was getting better, and the car was not so bumpy.

The car came to the end of the village and slowly walked in. A man who was sweeping the street looked up.

"Stone, what are you doing?"

The man had a loud voice and shouted loudly while leaning on a headless sweeping pole.

Yang Shitou raised his voice, "Brother Dazhu, you have gone to the city to pick someone up!"

As the car approached, several people nearby looked over and their eyes widened.

The things on the car are all good things, especially those with a sharp nose smelling meat, which makes me envious.

"Xiao Tao, this is Qu Shuanzhu, the team leader of Zaohu Village!"

"Brother Dazhu, this is Xiaotao. It belongs to my uncle Gen!"

"Brother Dazhu!"

Yang Shitou did not stop, and Yang Xiaotao also said hello in the car.

"I'm going back to the village to celebrate the New Year. I bought a lot of things!"

Qu Dazhu asked enviously as he looked at the things in the car. Yang Xiaotao smiled and replied, "Yeah. Spend this year at home!"

As the car moved forward, more and more people greeted Yang Shitou. From time to time, people asked, and Yang Shitou introduced them with a smile. The attention attracted by the car made him feel full of honor.

Especially the young daughter-in-law whom I met in the village, her eyes changed when she saw the two people in the car, and she didn't hesitate to inquire about their situation face to face.

This made Yang Xiaotao sure that the village was looking for a wife for him.

The car left Qujia Zaohu and passed Qinjia Village after another five or six miles. However, this time Yang Shitou did not take the main road, but took a small road outside the village.

Yang Xiaotao thought it was a shortcut, so he didn't ask.

Just waiting in front of a row of houses and seeing a familiar figure standing at the door, Yang Xiaotao suddenly understood the meaning of Yang Shitou.

He kept his body upright and moved the things in the car to a conspicuous place, and cooperated as they should.

"Hey, isn't this my third uncle? He's basking in the sun."

Yang Shitou shouted to an old man squatting on the top of the house to bask in the sun.

The old man was in his forties or fifties, wearing a patched cotton-padded jacket, with a chicken's nest on his head, and an old face covered with weather.

Hearing Yang Shitou's shout, the old man raised his head and looked over. There was a bit of panic in his cloudy eyes, but he steeled himself and stood up slowly.

"It's a small stone!"

"Ah, I just went to the city to bring my brother back."

Yang Shitou raised his voice and attracted the attention of several other people sunbathing and watching the fun.

Yang Xiaotao looked at the old man in front of him. This man was Qin Huairu's third uncle.

The Qin family is considered a big family in the village, and together with the Yang family in Yangjiazhuang, this surname accounts for more than 80% of the population.

Qin Huairu's father's generation has four brothers, in addition to two aunts.

Qin Huairu's father is the second eldest son, and the one sitting here is the third eldest son.

Originally, the relationship between the Qin family and the Yang family was pretty good, otherwise they would not have introduced Qin Huairu to Yang Xiaotao.

But now, not only the relationship between the two families has broken down, but it has also reached a freezing point.

This is another manifestation of clan power. If you offend a family, you may offend the entire village.

"It took us a long time to walk. The car was too heavy and it almost delayed us!"

Yang Shitou said, slowing down the car and deliberately waiting in front of people, "It will tire out my donkey."

The people around him were neither deaf nor blind, so they could naturally hear the pride in these words and see what was in the car.

At a glance, they are all things worthy of envy.

Especially the conspicuous meat and wine, which are luxury items in the countryside.

"So many things? Are they all from the Yang family?"

People on the side asked, but Yang Xiaotao didn't say anything. Yang Shitou had already started to show off.

"But, my brother is a worker in a steel rolling mill, and he earns fifty yuan a month."

"The country distributes oil, grain, rice and flour, and food and clothing are all in the factory. Isn't it easy to buy these things?"

"This time you go home to celebrate the New Year, so naturally you have to be filial?"

Yang Shitou became more and more enthusiastic as he talked. Yang Xiaotao looked at the people on his left and right calmly. At this time, the girls and wives in the distance also came to watch the fun and quickly kicked the car clasp. Yang Shitou understood.

"Stop talking. I'm in a hurry to go home. Let's go!"

Yang Shitou didn't give everyone the time to envy him. When it came to the whip, there was a crisp sound, and the donkey cart accelerated and passed through the alley.

After the donkey cart left, the discussion started.

"Fifty bucks a month, oh my god."

Some people sighed, and the people on the side had some knowledge and spoke quickly.

"What's the point? People say that for workers, fifty yuan is a small amount, and those who have more can earn more than a hundred yuan."

The people around me gasped again. One hundred yuan. It would be a great gift for them to have thirty or forty yuan in a year.

"No wonder I bought so many things. The meat is so big and there is so much wine."

"Not only that, but also flour. Didn't you see the watch on that kid's hand?"

There are different opinions, all of them are envious.

Suddenly, someone said, "The Yang family is a city boy. He looks very polite. I wonder if he has a partner?"

"Probably not. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come back to celebrate the New Year alone!"

"I heard that Qin Laoer's daughter is also married to a city man. Do you think that the Yang family boy is so capable, and the one she found can't be even more powerful?"

Neighbors in the village have long known what happened between the Yang family and the second son of the Qin family.

He understood Yang Shitou's purpose of not taking the main road and going around here.

But they are really envious.

After saying this, everyone looked at Qin Laosan.

At this moment, Qin Laosan's dry yellow face was a little red. He looked around and got up and walked home.

"That's awesome. The child gave birth to a baby. Qin Lao Er went to the hospital and was kicked back. He didn't even eat anything. He didn't live a good life at that time!"

Some people knew that the inside story had been revealed, and some were immediately surprised, "No way, we are all workers, how can we do this?"

"Why can't it be possible? People may be tall or short, and trees may be strong. That family is not that powerful. I guess even in the factory, they are just a little bitch!"

When the discussion came, Qin Laosan's face became even more ugly, and he lowered his head and walked into the house.

"father!"

As soon as I entered the door, I was stopped by a girl.

The girl was wearing a floral jacket, her hair was tied into two long braids with red hair, and her big eyes were full of smiles.

"Did they say they came from the city? Where are they?"

The girl's voice was clear and she hurriedly grabbed it and asked.

Qin Laosan naturally knew his daughter's purpose. He just wanted to see his cousin get married in the city, so he also wanted to run to the city!

It's just that I was scolded behind my back just now, and I was in a bad mood. I didn't say anything, just waved my hand and left the house.

When the girl saw her father like this, she quickly ran to the door and looked around. When she found that there was no trace of her father, she stamped her foot angrily.

"If I had known better, I wouldn't have braided my hair!"