Siheyuan: Wandering between Two Worlds

After spending a day with his sister, Jiang Yang secretly decided that he would never go shopping with a woman again.

It was too scary.

Jiang Yang thought that he had bullied his sister many times when he was a child, and now that he had money, he had to make up for it and go shopping with her.

But as soon as he entered the mall, Jiang Fang's expression changed instantly. She dragged him shopping for an afternoon, but he didn't buy much.

In addition to three sets of clothes, he bought himself a notebook and a new mobile phone, and bought a gold bracelet for his mother and grandmother.

As for his father and grandfather, he could only buy cigarettes and alcohol, and arranged for Jiang Yang.

After picking up the car in the afternoon, Jiang Fang rushed to pick up Zheng Xiaoshuang, and the three of them had a hot pot meal together, which cost 580 yuan.

This is the big meal Jiang Fang said.

Time flies, and it is Saturday in a flash.

The courtyard has been very quiet these days, and nothing big has happened. Lan Xing has been accompanying his sister to stroll around the Bund every day, and his legs have become thin.

"Brother, everything is ready, let's go."

"Then let's go!"

Jiang Yang got into the driver's seat and prepared to drive home.

Their family lives in a small mountain village under Gan Province, and they are relatively poor. Every year, they grow rice and lotus seeds. Excluding fertilizers, pesticides, seeds and labor costs, the annual income is about less than 20,000 yuan, and this 20,000 yuan can only be obtained with government subsidies.

Yes, there are subsidies for farming. And now subsidies account for the majority.

The specific subsidy price is unknown now. Jiang Yang asked his parents last year and heard that the subsidy for one mu of land is 160 yuan.

Because many young and middle-aged people now go out to work, the family's fields are basically left to relatives to farm, and they are given some money or enough food for the family every year. This is the case with their family.

Jiang Yang's father has three brothers and a sister. His third son farms and takes care of his parents at home, and the fields of his two older brothers are given to their family to farm.

Together with the fields of some other people in the village, at least 30 acres of land are planted every year.

If it were in the past, I would never plant so much even if I died of exhaustion. Now there are machines, which can save a lot of effort, but at the same time, it is also very expensive.

In addition, the current price of rice is really terribly low.

Jiang Yang remembers that when he was a child, he needed to dry the rice before selling it. Now the harvester harvests it and sells it directly when it is wet, with one-stop service.

Otherwise, there is no place for you to dry the 30 acres of land, not to mention the trouble of collecting it.

But even so, the annual income is very low, and the income from planting two seasons of rice is only a little over 10,000.

Adding the income from lotus seeds in summer and government subsidies, the annual surplus can exceed 20,000.

Moreover, it is outrageous that pigs are not allowed to be raised in rural areas now. It is really a waste to throw away all the leftovers. This is his most sincere feeling as a rural person.

Jiang Yang and Jiang Fang started eating after breakfast in the morning. They took the highway directly. If there is no traffic jam, they can get home in 8-9 hours.

The car quickly got on the highway, and the journey was relatively stable. Now is not a peak season, and there are not many vehicles on the road.

"Brother, there are not many cars on the road. I will drive the next server. You can guide me."

Although Jiang Fang has a driver's license, he is always afraid to drive on the highway by himself. There are not many opportunities for someone to teach him throughout the journey.

In the future, when he goes home by himself, his brother will not follow him.

"Okay, wait for the next server."

After getting a positive answer, Jiang Fang took out the snacks she prepared, and turned into a little mouse. This time she prepared two large bags, and she had to eat them before taking over the driving.

At 5 pm, Jiang Fang drove off the highway, turned into the national highway and drove for another 20 minutes before turning into a rural road.

"Brother, you drive the rest of the way, I'm scared!"

"Okay, park on the side of the road."

Although roads are now built in rural areas, the width of the roads here is very limited, just enough for two small cars to pass side by side, which requires high driving skills.

Every Chinese New Year, various vehicles from other places come back to celebrate the New Year, and there is often a large traffic jam.

Taking over the car again, Jiang Yang stepped on the accelerator lightly and got on the road again. To be honest, the closer he got to home, the more excited he was.

The familiar roads and familiar rural scenery made Jiang Yang and his sister smile.

The car passed by the drying field in the village, and several elderly people in the village gathered together to make lotus seeds.

Making lotus seeds is a relatively delicate job, and it requires a lot of steps.

Pick the mature lotus pods from the fields, first peel them out from the lotus pods, then shed the shells, peel them, and then push the lotus hearts out. These steps need to be handled one by one.

Finally, after the

After drying in the sun, they are sorted and sold, which is the biggest source of income for the rural areas.

When they were young, their summer vacation pocket money was earned by helping people make lotus seeds, and they could earn a few cents for one pound.

One year, his uncle's family planted ten acres of lotus seeds. Jiang Yang and Jiang Fang lived in his uncle's house for two months during the summer vacation, working from 6 am to 11 pm every day, exhausted.

The price of lotus seeds in the market is not low, but it is best not to buy lotus seeds with particularly good appearance. If you have the conditions, it is best to find acquaintances to buy them from fellow villagers. Maybe the appearance is not very good, but it is pure natural.

After marketization, many businessmen bought them back. In order to sell them well, they would use certain means to make the appearance of lotus seeds very white and plump.

Jiang Yang did not stop the car. He turned right and went up a slope. He saw two rows of red brick houses, one high and one low, and behind them was a low mountain. Their house was in front of the low mountain.

This is the house that his father and his three brothers built together. It was built in a row. The houses of his grandparents are also among them. However, most of them are empty now. The families of the eldest uncle and the second uncle are developing in the provincial capital. They only come back a few times during the New Year and other festivals.

When Jiang Yang's car turned into his yard, he couldn't help but honk twice.

Soon, two women, one old and one young, came out of the house to check. They were Jiang Yang's mother Tang Cuilan and grandmother Wu Xiulian.

The two of them were holding a few lotus seeds in their hands. It was obvious that they were making lotus seeds at home.

When they saw the car, they were puzzled. Where did the car come from and parked at their doorstep?

But when they saw a girl jumping out of the car, the grandmother put the lotus seeds in her pocket and shouted happily, "Oh, it's Xiaofang, Xiaoyang is back."

"Mom, grandma!"

Jiang Fang jumped to the two of them and hugged them.

At this time, an old man came out of the inner room again. It was his grandfather Jiang Xuezhong. That generation named people according to their generational characters. His grandfather was named Xue.

His father's generation was named Xing. His uncle and second uncle were named Guo and Jia respectively. His father's name was Jiang Xingbang and his aunt was named Jiang Xingjiao.

Originally, Jiang Yang's generation was named Xuan, but people at that time did not value these things, so there was no such requirement. Jiang Yang and several cousins ​​were very casual.

Jiang Yang also got out of the car at this time and ran to his family with a smile, "Mom, grandma, grandpa, I'm back."

"It's good to be back, it's good to be back. Your dad is still in the field and will be back soon."

Grandma took Jiang Yang's hand and rubbed it carefully.

Grandpa, the older generation, would not say anything sentimental. He just stood aside with a smile, and it was obvious that he was very happy.

They have four children and eight grandchildren. They may only see each other for a few days during the Chinese New Year.

"Well, I brought you gifts, Xiaofang, help me get the things."

Opening the trunk of the car, Jiang Yang stuffed it with various nutritional supplements, cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and some nice clothes that Jiang Fang brought for them.

The two of them moved it three times before it was empty.

Jiang Yang took out two bottles of Moutai and two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes and stuffed them into his grandfather Jiang Xuezhong's arms, "Grandpa, this is for you, they are all good things, don't be reluctant to smoke."

"Okay, it's good to venture out, and you won't grow old. Grandpa accepts it."

The old man was very pleased. Now that he can receive gifts from his grandchildren, he feels that his health is still good, and there is hope that the little baby of his great-grandchildren will see him. How can he not be happy?

On the other side, Jiang Fang also took out the gift she prepared, two pairs of gold bracelets.

"Mom, grandma, this is the gift my brother prepared for you. I chose it. What do you think?"

"Oh, it's made of gold! We don't need these things. It's just a waste of money. The family's debts haven't been paid off yet, and Xiaoyang still has to get married."

Grandma quickly put the bracelet away. They naturally knew the situation at home.

"Yes, Xiaoyang, tell me what's going on, and the car outside."

Mom grabbed Jiang Yang and looked at him seriously.

As a mother, her children can be unsuccessful, but they can't do bad things.

"Mom, grandma, I just picked up a little money and made a little money. Don't worry, I don't have the courage to break the law! I bought the car outside. Don't worry about the family's foreign debts. I can pay it back."

"Really?"*2

Grandma and mom asked at the same time.

Jiang Yang nodded solemnly, "Really!"

"Ah, this bracelet is good, just like it grew on my hand, my grandson has good taste."

After receiving a positive answer, grandma put the bracelet on her wrist directly, and the words she muttered made everyone laugh.

Mother Tang Cuilan did not ask any more questions, she still believed her son more.

"Cuilan, whose car is this? Why is it parked in our yard?"

At this time, a strong voice

The sound came from outside the door. It was obvious that it was Jiang Yang's father who had returned.

Jiang Yang and Jiang Fang could not help but rush to the gate, and saw a tall, thin, dark man wearing a ragged short shirt, with his trouser legs rolled up high, and some black mud on his feet.

He was carrying a hoe, and on both sides of the hoe were two nylon bags filled with lotus pods.

"Dad!"*2

Jiang Yang and Jiang Fang shouted loudly, and rushed out of the door at the same time.

Although their father was uneducated, he loved them very much since they were young. They could be said to have grown up on their father's shoulders.

When they were young, they wore open-crotch pants and often sat on their father's neck. They looked at the world a little higher than others.

Since Jiang Yang could remember, his father had never beaten them once, and he was not even fierce. He almost always met their requests.

So they were particularly close to this father.

"Xiaofang, Xiaoyang, why are you back? Didn't you say you wouldn't come back?"

Jiang Xingbang's dark face was wrinkled with smile, and he still touched their heads lovingly like when he was a child.

"Dad, I miss you so much."

Jiang Fang pouted, her eyes sparkling with mist, and she held his arm tightly.

"Haha, aren't you all back? Go home first!"

Jiang Xingbang threw two bags of lotus pods under the eaves, walked to the kitchen door to wash off the dirt on his body, and Jiang Yang and his sister followed their father closely, just like when they were children.