When we arrived at his grandfather's house, Zhang Junping's grandfather was sitting on the doorstep, smoking a pipe and basking in the sun.
Seeing the sudden appearance of his daughter, son-in-law and family, Zhang Junping's grandfather stood up from the threshold with surprise and disbelief on his face.
"father!"
"Grandpa!"
"Hey, my eldest grandson is here? Come in quickly, come in quickly!" He said and stretched out his hand to pull Zhang Junping towards the courtyard.
"Grandpa only sees eldest brother, and we are nothing!" Zhang Lihong muttered in a low voice.
When Zhang's mother heard this, she turned around and glared at Zhang Lihong.
Zhang Lihong stuck out her tongue and stopped talking.
After entering the yard, my grandfather let go of his hand, stood in the yard and shouted: "Old woman, come out quickly.
Liu Ni and Ying Ying brought your grandson and the others to see you!"
The first person to run over to greet them was not Zhang Junping's grandmother, but four hounds with a back height of fifty or sixty centimeters.
He ran out of the kennel next to him, walked around everyone, and sniffed everyone.
The three women, Qiu Wenyan, Zhao Yuzhi, and Zhang Lihong, were all a little scared. They stood there without daring to breathe.
Even Zhang Ping'an and Zhu Zhu felt their scalps were numb.
These four hounds have broad shoulders, broad backs, and thick limbs. They are much taller than ordinary dogs and look very scary.
"It's okay! Grandpa's dog usually won't bite people without Grandpa's order." Zhang Junping turned around to comfort everyone.
"Brother, you said it's usually not possible. What if this is the second case?" Zhang Pingan asked in a low voice.
"The second situation is that you took things from this courtyard and left without permission." Zhang's mother smiled and explained for Zhang Junping.
"Go back! Don't scare my granddaughter!" Grandpa yelled at the four hounds.
The four hounds whimpered, turned and ran back to the kennel.
Good dogs never bark.
This is the same as the noble speech.
"English, great nephew, your whole family is here!" At this time, a strong old man came out of the east room.
"Brother/Uncle!" Zhang's father, Zhang Junping and the others quickly called for someone.
This is Zhang Junping's uncle. He is fifty-six or seventeen years old this year. In this era, people in their fifties are basically old men.
"Liuni is here, sit down in the room!
You old man, daughter, and uncle are here and you don’t know how to let them go inside the house. What are you shouting in the courtyard?” Zhang Junping’s grandma came out of the house, first greeted Zhang Junping and his group to come into the house, and then complained to his grandpa.
"Liuni, English, Pingzi, Anzi, please come in and sit down quickly!" Uncle Zhang Junping also followed suit and greeted everyone into the house.
After entering the house, the uncle was busy looking for stools for everyone.
“Come just come! You’ve brought so many things with you. You don’t need anything at home, so you don’t have to take it home!
You are also a member of a big family, so you don’t have to worry about us all the time!" Grandpa sat on the grand master's chair in the main room, resumed his demeanor as the head of the family, and said unhappily when he saw a lot of things brought by Zhang Junping's family.
Grandpa is not happy because there are too few things, but because there are too many things.
No one is rich these days. In my grandfather’s memory, my daughter, son-in-law, and grandson are still working on a pig farm.
After a year, although I can have enough to eat, I am not rich.
How will their family survive if they bring so many things for themselves?
This unhappiness includes deep love for my daughter.
"Grandpa, this is your eldest grandson's wife. Do you think she's pretty?" Zhang Junping changed the topic with a smile and pulled Qiu Wenyan to introduce her to grandpa.
"Did my eldest grandson talk about a daughter-in-law? Let me see!
Beautiful! So beautiful! Like a fairy!
Old lady, come and take a look, this is my eldest grandson's wife." Grandpa looked at Qiu Wenyan and a chrysanthemum smile appeared on her face.
The wrinkles are piled up like a goldenrod.
"Let me see! Let me see my eldest grandson's wife!" Grandma came out of the back room carrying a basket of melon seeds and peanuts.
Just after letting everyone in, grandma walked into the back room with her little feet.
"Oh! This girl is so handsome! Eat peanuts!
Pingzi, you eat too, Anzi, Honghong, Yuzhi, you all eat too." Grandma looked at Qiu Wenyan and grinned happily, grabbed a handful of peanuts and gave them to Qiu Wenyan, and then asked others to eat peanuts.
"Pingzi, when do you plan to get married? Get married as soon as possible. While I can still move, I can also hug my great-grandson." Grandma took Qiu Wenyan's hand and said to Zhang Junping with a smile.
"Grandma, if you want to hold your great-grandson, it's not easy.
Come on, Tie Dan, let grandma hug you!" Zhang Junping reached out to pick up Tie Dan and stuffed it into his grandma's arms. He held it with one hand, fearing that Tie Dan would move around and knock grandma down.
"You're such a naughty boy, you've already talked about your wife, but you're still so naughty!" Grandma took the iron egg and smiled and cursed at Zhang Junping.
"I remember his name was Tiedan, right? This kid has a really meaty head." Grandma hugged Tiedan and teased him very rarely.
Although my grandma is over seventy years old, she is in good health, not confused at all, and has a clear mind. She can even remember the name of her great-grandson.
The family was talking and having fun in the house.
"Dad, why were you sitting outside just now? It's such a cold day, you have to take care of yourself!" Mother Zhang asked with concern.
The temperature in the mountains is low, even at noon, it is more than ten degrees below zero. Grandpa wore a torn cotton-padded jacket and sat on the threshold. Mother Zhang must have felt sorry for her father.
"Liuni, don't pay attention to him! The old man is having a temper with me!" Grandma interrupted.
"Dad, Mom, what's going on during the Chinese New Year?" Zhang's mother asked worriedly.
"It's no big deal, our dad feels sorry for his dog!
This is not because Dahuang and Heizi had two more litters of dogs. Our mother asked them to give them away, but our father was reluctant and choked a few words." The uncle explained with a smile.
"Tell me about your father. He has raised a dog all his life. He treats the dog better than his own son.
It’s not that I don’t want to keep them, it’s just that I already have four big dogs at home, and now I have two more litters with seventeen puppies, eleven of them are given away, and the remaining six are reluctant to give them away.
You said people are almost ready to eat, how can they afford so many dogs!" Grandma complained.
Grandpa was sitting on the Grand Master's chair, smoking a dry pipe and saying nothing.
Of course he understood what his grandma said, but he just couldn't bear it in his heart.
"Grandpa, I know that the six puppies you left behind are definitely the best.
It just so happens that I want to keep some dogs to look after my house, please give them to me!" Zhang Junping said with a smile.
Zhang Junping understood his grandma's worries and also understood his grandpa's mood.
There is little land in the mountains and the harvests are also small.
Although I can pick some mountain products and pack some game, I can't transport them out and I can't sell them at a high price.
Life is already very difficult, and raising four dogs is already the limit.
If we raise six more puppies, the family will really be in trouble.
Grandpa is a well-known old hunter in the neighborhood and loves dogs as much as he lives.
If it's an ordinary dog, just give it away. That's how it was done in the past.
Nowadays, the six puppies that my grandfather was reluctant to give away should all be good dogs.
People who love dogs can understand if they see a good dog and are reluctant to give it away.
"Okay, grandpa will get you a basket to put in when you go back." When grandpa heard that Zhang Junping wanted to raise him, he agreed without saying a word.
Now, even the uncle started pouting.
This old man is so biased that he has no principles at all when he meets his grandson.
"Liu Ni is here! Oh, are you all here?" Da Jinzi came in from outside holding a child who was just over one year old.
"Sister-in-law/Big Sister-in-law." Zhang Junping's family stood up and greeted the Big Sister-in-law.
"Pingzi, Anzi, you are all here! This is..." Da Jinzi looked around the room and settled on Qiu Wenyan.
"Yanzi, this is the big concubine.
Da Jinzi, this is my wife, bring her here to grandpa, grandma and uncle Da Jinzi." Zhang Junping quickly introduced her to both parties.
"Big sister!" Qiu Wenyan stepped forward to call someone.
"Oh, this girl is really lucky. Not only is she handsome, but she is also fertile!" Da Jinzi looked Qiu Wenyan up and down and said with joy on her face.
Qiu Wenyan's face turned red after saying this.
But there is no way, this is the way it is in this era.
When the relatives on my husband's side saw her, the first thing they looked at was whether she was having a good baby.
This has been a tradition for thousands of years and is not easy to change.
Even in Dream of Red Mansions, the reason why Mrs. Wang dislikes Lin Daiyu is because she thinks she is thin and difficult to give birth to.
One thin character explains everything.
"You haven't eaten yet? I'm going to cook for you!" Da Jinzi handed her grandson to her uncle and turned around to cook.
In fact, grandpa and the others didn't eat either. It was winter and there was no work in the fields, so they only had two meals a day.
"My eldest daughter-in-law, kill a chicken and cut off a piece of bacon from the beam." Grandpa said.
"Dad, sister-in-law, there's no need to work too hard. We're not hungry. We've just eaten." Mother Zhang quickly stopped her.
"If you are not hungry, how can the children not be hungry? Wife, go and cook!" Grandma also followed up and gave instructions.
Zhang's mother no longer stopped her, got up and went to the kitchen to help.
Zhao Yuzhi and Hong handed the child to her husband and went out to help.
When Qiu Wenyan saw it, she could only follow him out to help.
The lunch meal is definitely rich in mountainous areas.
I made two tables, both stewed hare with old hens, fried bacon with bracken, fried meat with fungus, and scrambled eggs.
Although there are only four dishes, I have already exhausted everything.
The steamed buns we ate were also freshly steamed, Erhe noodle steamed buns.
Grandma, Zhang's mother, Da Jinzi, Qiu Wenyan and other women were eating in the back room.
Grandpa, uncle, Zhang's father and other men were drinking in the main room.
The uncle took out a pot of boiled sweet potatoes and poured them for everyone.
However, the uncle basically didn't use his chopsticks. He just gestured with the chopsticks on the dishes to let everyone eat.
After dinner, it was already past two in the afternoon.
They should say goodbye and leave.
Grandpa put six puppies in a wattle basket, spread a thick layer of soft grass underneath, and also spread a layer of cotton cloth, and covered it with a child's tattered cotton jacket.
"Pingzi, take good care of them, these are good dogs!" Grandpa warned with some reluctance.
"Grandpa, don't worry! I've learned all your dog-raising skills." Zhang Junping took it, carried it on his back, and said with a smile.
Over there, Zhang's mother held grandma's hand, but she was also a little reluctant to leave.
Although they are not far away, less than a hundred kilometers away, we really don’t see each other very often throughout the year.
Every time I come back, I come and go in a hurry.
"Mom, after the Chinese New Year, when the weather gets warmer, I will take you to my house to stay for a few days.
Now we have moved to a bigger house and can live more comfortably," Zhang's mother said while wiping away her tears.
"Okay, okay! I'll go when Pingzi gets married!" Grandma also had red eyes, holding Zhang's mother's hand and refusing to let go.
“English, take all these things back!
Pingzi will get married next year and it will cost a lot of money.
I don’t lack food or clothing, so you don’t need to worry.” Grandpa pointed to the things on the ground and said to Zhang’s father.
"Dad, you don't have to worry about Pingzi. He got married and I, the father, didn't spend a penny on it.
Your eldest grandson is now prosperous and has bought a large yard by himself in the city.
We also bought a three-story restaurant for our couple, which will be opened after the Chinese New Year.
Brother, after the New Year, let Shuan Zhu and Chang Sheng come to my place, and I will arrange a job for them in a restaurant, which is better than living in the mountains." Father Zhang said with a smile.
At this moment, Father Zhang felt very proud and proud.
Even when men die, they are still young, and they all have the desire to appear holy in front of others.
"I knew it, I knew my eldest grandson would be promising." Grandpa said with a happy smile while stroking his beard.
"English, Pingzi bought a yard and a restaurant, wouldn't he make a mistake?
He is young and ignorant, so you should not act like an old man," the uncle said worriedly.
"Uncle, now that the policy has changed, things will get better and better in the future.
You figure it out, next year, or the year after at the latest, your brigade will divide the fields into households." Zhang Junping explained with a smile.
"Uncle is old and doesn't understand those things. You have to take care of yourself." The uncle was still a little worried.
"Uncle, it's okay!
My dad also said just now that you let Shuan Zhu and his wife and Chang Sheng go to the city to celebrate the New Year.
Working in a restaurant is better than working in the mountains." Dad had already spoken, and Zhang Junping also followed suit.
Speaking of which, it was not an easy life for my grandparents. Of the seven children, only two of them, my uncle and my mother Zhang, survived.
Among the other children, the fifth aunt died in infancy, the third uncle, fourth uncle, and brother-in-law all died on the battlefield, and the second aunt died in childbirth.
After some persuasion, grandpa and grandma finally accepted the things, and Zhang Junping and his family set off on their way home.
Without my belongings, the journey home became much easier.
When she came, Zhang's mother did not let her bring any fancy things, but only allowed her to bring 200 jins of rice, 200 jins of flour, and 50 jins of soybean oil.
These are what are needed most in the mountains.
With so many things, Zhang Ping'an and Zhu Zhu were exhausted when they arrived.
Although they all grew up in rural areas, they often did farm work.
However, it is still very tiring for one person to carry more than 100 kilograms of stuff on a mountain road.
The most tiring person was Zhang Junping, who was carrying 200 kilograms of rice and 20 kilograms of soybean oil in his hand.
At first, Zhang Ping'an and Zhu Zhu were a little embarrassed. They felt that Zhang Junping had a lot to pick from, and they tried to help him share some of the burden.
However, after walking four or five miles on the mountain road, I no longer said this.
One hundred kilograms weighed them down so much that they couldn't breathe.
Now on my return trip, I don’t have to take anything with me and I feel relaxed all over.
It was already after five o'clock when we went down the mountain and found the jeep.
By the time they returned to Red Star Farm, it was almost nine o'clock at night.
I was too embarrassed to eat much at noon, so I was already hungry when I arrived at the foot of the mountain.
When I got home, everyone's stomachs were growling with hunger.
It's too late and it will be troublesome to cook.
Fortunately, it is Chinese New Year and there is no shortage of food at home.
There were fried fried goods, fried hairtail, crispy meat, meatballs and the like, some soup and steamed buns, and the whole family had a meal.
Not only were the people hungry, the six puppies were also hungry and howling.
Zhang Junping took out a square ham, cut it into diced meat, broke up the steamed buns, poured the soup on it, and put the diced meat inside.
Six puppies eat delicious food.
I guess I haven't eaten such good food since I was born.
"Pingzi, why do you want to raise a dog? You are so busy all day long, how can you have time to raise a dog?" Mother Zhang said with some distress as she watched Zhang Junping feed the dog ham.
"Mom, didn't you see? Grandpa is reluctant to give the dog away, and the family can't afford it.
Even if I have to give it away in the end, my grandpa will not be happy.
My grandpa is in his seventies and almost eighty years old.
Aren't you worried that grandpa is ill because of this?" Zhang Junping said with a smile.
"If you want to come over, aren't you afraid that your grandpa will be distressed?"
"Haha, in this world, I am the only one who won't feel bad if I come over." Zhang Junping said with a proud smile.
"Your grandparents are getting older. I'm thinking of moving your grandparents here next year." Mother Zhang said, looking at Father Zhang and his two sons.
"Come on! Didn't you and grandma agree that you will stay with them for a few days when the eldest brother gets married?" Zhang Ping'an said nonchalantly.
"If you want to take your parents to live in their old age, you have to discuss it with your eldest brother first. Don't let your eldest brother and sister-in-law think too much." Father Zhang understood what Mother Zhang was thinking.
Zhang Junping glanced at Qiu Wenyan.
Qiu Wenyan quickly smiled and said: "Mom, dad is right, as long as uncle doesn't think too much, we will support your decision.
Our family is big anyway!
The courtyard in Dashilan has three entrances. When it is renovated next year, you and your dad will move in there, and you will take your grandparents over too. It will be lively when there are many people."
Zhang Junping nodded with satisfaction, this wife is good and understands my thoughts very well.
“Sister-in-law, it’s okay for my parents and grandparents to live in this courtyard now!
Let your parents live here!" Zhao Yuzhi also spoke, urging Zhang's father and Zhang's mother to live here.
"Yuzhi, it's not that you and I are fighting over your parents. The main reason is that I heard your brother say that after the Chinese New Year, your parents will go to the city to take care of the restaurant business.
It's too far to go back and forth here, so it's more convenient to live in Dashilar.
If you miss your parents, you can visit them at any time!
Anyway, there are plenty of houses. If Tiedan misses grandma, you can take her to live there for a few days." Qiu Wenyan said to Zhao Yuzhi like a sister-in-law.
Father Zhang and mother Zhang looked on, their hearts and faces full of happiness.
"Okay! Stop arguing and go to sleep!
Aren't you tired after running all day?" Zhang Junping interrupted Zhao Yuzhi who wanted to show off again.
That's about right, don't go too far.
Zhang Junping took his parents to the city, and the ones who benefited the most were Zhang Ping'an and his wife.
Bailuo has such a big yard.
As long as Zhang Junping does not fall, the farm will not take away the yard.
In a few years, you can buy the yard with some money.
This place, in later generations, was within the Third Ring Road.
After Zhang Junping finished speaking, Qiu Wenyan's face suddenly turned red, and her heart started beating unsatisfactorily.