At this time, a guest was being received in the three thatched houses of the Li family at the end of the village.
Breathing heavily, Mother Li sat at the square table in the main room, smiling at the distinguished guest who came to visit today, "Comrade Ding, drink some water."
Ding Aihua looked at the chipped bowl in front of her. Although it was clean, the stains on the chip could not be washed away. She politely picked up the bowl, found a rim that could fit her mouth without scratching her mouth, and took a sip.
Purely white? Not even a bit of sugar or tea foam. It seems that I am so poor that I can't stop eating.
Putting down the bowl, Ding Aihua said: "My niece is very capable. She is good at washing, cooking and feeding pigs. I planned to stay at home for a few more years. Isn't this fate for your family? And your daughter is also very capable, so...
…
However, you also know that it is illegal to change relatives, and it will be bad if it is discovered, so we want to send our niece here first and wait ten days and a half before picking up Li Min. If others find out in the future, there will be some
As an excuse, first my niece got married and became in-laws with the Li family, and then after meeting the capable Li Min, I had the idea to continue the marriage."
Upon hearing that it was the Tian family who sent their daughter here first, Mother Li certainly agreed, "That's right, you have to be careful."
…
In the drafty kitchen, Li Min looked at her elder brother who was squatting in front of the stove in a daze, "Brother, do you blame me? Blame me for making my own decisions? But if we don't change the marriage, you..."
Li Zhengguo, who was in a state of confusion, turned around and said, "No, I don't blame you. This is the best. You can go out, and I, my mother and I will have someone to take care of us."
Li Minsong said, as long as the eldest brother doesn't blame her, "Brother, do you want to go to the main room to listen? I don't know who the other party is, the Tian family. I have met Tian Lifu and this aunt. As for what they exchanged for
I can't choose what kind of daughter the Tian family is like."
Li Min muttered to herself and saw that her eldest brother was distracted again, which made her feel uneasy. Did he mind? After all, eldest brother had said many times that there was no need to change marriages. He was hurting other people's daughters. Let her
Don't worry, just look after her. He will take care of your mother.
But how can a son take care of his widowed mother? He can't just take care of food and drink. Even if he can take care of everything, what about washing her body? Can't she wait until she returns to her parents' home to wash her body and take a bath?
Just as she was about to persuade her elder brother a few more words, she heard her mother's voice calling her from the main room. She hurriedly ran into the main room, held her mother's back, and gently swept it, "Mom, what's wrong?"
Her mother had been sitting for too long today. If it weren't for the discussion about her marriage, she would not have left her mother's side.
This was the second time Ding Aihua saw Li Min, and he still felt that it was a pity that such a capable and filial girl got a second room at a cheaper price.
Mother Li smiled and patted her daughter's hand, "Where's your eldest brother? Ask him to come in and ask him which day is suitable."
After Li Min called "big brother" outside, a tall, thin, dark man with a limp entered the main room.
Ding Aihua looked at the man. He looked like he was 27 or 28 years old. He was wearing an old green military uniform. Because the trouser legs were wide, he couldn't tell what was wrong with his legs. But the way he walked just now, it was obvious that
My lameness was severe, so no wonder I took the risk to change my marriage. Fortunately, I had a biological sister at home.
Sick mother-in-law, lame husband, this is the fate of that dead girl in the future, it is very good, Ding Aihua is very satisfied.
With her son and daughter all present, Mother Li repeated what Ding Aihua had just said, "Zheng Guo, which day do you think is better?"
Li Zhengguo touched his leg and said hesitantly: "Just three days later."
If the days change, the ending will be different, right?
"Then three days later." Of course Mother Li agreed.
Ding Aihua smiled, not only because the days were short enough, but also because the man's tone was that he was a stupid person who still had the final say at home, which was very good.
"Okay, there will be a double day in three days, which is very good. When the time comes, we will send someone over and you can watch and get ready."
Ding Aihua glanced around the circle room with his peripheral vision. The family was surrounded by bare walls. What could he prepare?
Mother Li's face froze, and her in-laws asked her to prepare. Do you have to stay and eat when sending your relatives? There is no food at home. The autumn harvest has just ended, and the production team is preparing to pay the public food. Distributing food to the members must wait until the public food is paid. However,
Just these two days.
"No need," Li Zhengguo shook his head, "I'll be waiting at Wulipowan at noon three days later."
"Brother!" Li Min exclaimed.
The Wuli Slope Bend can be said to be the barrier to entering the Kushan Mountain. It is two consecutive 180-degree sharp turns with a steep slope. If it were not for the long slope, which slowed down the slope, oxcarts and wheelbarrows would not dare to pass it.
Moreover, there is a mountain on one side and a cliff on the other. It is safer to go uphill from the outside. If you go downhill, you have to fall as far back as possible to control the speed. Her eldest brother's legs...
Mother Li just looked at her son and did not speak. The son made the decisions in the family. Her daughter occasionally confronted her son, but she could not stop her son's decision.
Ding Aihua was also surprised, but it was good that his family didn't have to climb that steep slope. "Then it's settled. It's getting late, so I'll go back now."
Li's mother was about to stand up to see her off, and Li Min quickly stretched out her arms to support her mother. Ding Aihua looked on, feeling even more satisfied.
After seeing Ding Aihua off, Li Min turned back to her brother and said, "Brother, I will pick you up at Wulipowan in three days."
"No," Li Zhengguo refused, "I will pick it up myself."
Li Min wanted to say something else, but Mother Li grabbed her and said, "Help me get on the kang, I'm going to lie down for a while."
Li Zhengguo limped to the kitchen, rummaged for a machete, and went to the back of the house.
After Li's mother lay down, she grabbed her daughter who was about to go out and said, "Stop being stubborn with your elder brother. Since he agreed to change the marriage, you should listen to him for the subsequent arrangements."
…
In the evening, Ding Aihua returned to Tian's house. The two sisters-in-law were cooking in the kitchen. The door of Tian Jing's room was ajar. She washed her hands and drank water to suppress her hunger before going to Mrs. Tian's east room.
"What's going on?" Mrs. Tian asked anxiously when she saw her eldest daughter-in-law coming back.
Ding Aihua held out three fingers and said, "In three days, just send it to Wulipowan."
As soon as Mrs. Tian heard that the matter was settled, she immediately took out a prepared piece of peach cake and handed it to Ding Aihua, "Thank you for your hard work. Let's eat something to cushion your stomach."
Ding Aihua took the peach cake with a smile and said, "Thank you, mother, I'm not working hard. I just feel so ashamed of being rich. If our family's money hadn't been spent by the wife of Li Wen and Li Wu, how could we be called Li Wen?"
Why don’t rich people wait until they are 20 before proposing marriage?”
But she was scolding her in her heart. If it didn't work, would she not be able to eat this piece of peach cake? From morning to now, she had just taken a sip of boiled water. Thinking of the bowl from Li's house, the smile on Ding Aihua's face deepened.
Mrs. Tian found the words of the eldest daughter-in-law very helpful, "Lifu will be grateful to you. You are busy all the time, all for the sake of this family. Your father and I understand, and we keep it in mind."