Xie Jiaojiao took Xie Zhiyi to follow Sun Ruhua to the river. She originally said that she would help with the laundry, but Sun Ruhua refused to let her go, saying that it was her illness that made her better, and she would not get sick again when she touched the cold water.
Xie Jiaojiao couldn't resist her, so she had to take Xie Zhiyi to play around and take a look at the village.
There were many women washing clothes by the river. In this era, there was no such thing as washing powder or detergent. They were all homemade saponin powder.
As soon as Sun Ruhua arrived at the dam by the river, she saw Mrs. Wang. Mrs. Wang was also enthusiastic and immediately made a place for her, smiling and inviting her to sit next to her.
Xie Jiaojiao and Xie Zhiyi said hello to Mrs. Wang.
Sun Ruhua told Xie Jiaojiao to be careful and also took a liking to Xie Zhiyi.
Xie Jiaojiao nodded to reassure her.
There is a large reed field beside the river.
Xie Zhiyi pulled Xie Jiaojiao and led her towards the reed swamp.
"Sister, let's go to the reed swamp to try our luck."
Xie Jiaojiao didn't quite understand what he was saying at first, but she finally understood it when she arrived at the reed marsh. There were flying wild ducks in the reed marsh, and these wild ducks would lay eggs in the reed marsh.
Xie Zhiyi wanted to try his luck to see if he could pick up wild duck eggs. After all, he was a child at heart. He was afraid that there would be no oil or water at home during this period and he would be hungry.
It's okay this spring and summer. The wild ducks lay a lot of eggs. From time to time, some people come to the reed swamp to pick up wild duck eggs. But it's going to be winter soon. The weather is cold and the chickens and ducks won't lay eggs. So it's just a matter of luck.
The reed field was very big and the reeds were also very high. Xie Jiaojiao was afraid of getting lost, so she grabbed Xie Zhiyi and told him not to let go of her hand.
The two walked around in a large circle in the reeds, but saw nothing except a few wild ducks that flew away when they saw them.
Xie Zhiyi had disappointment on his face and sighed: "It seems it's too cold and the wild ducks won't lay eggs. I thought it was just our chickens that couldn't lay eggs."
Xie Jiaojiao touched his head and said with a smile, "Is Zhiyi hungry?"
Xie Zhiyi shook his head: "No, I just feel that my mother has lost a lot of weight recently, and I want to pick up two duck eggs to replenish my body."
After hearing what he said, Xie Jiaojiao felt that she had just treated a gentleman with a villain's heart. She thought that this boy was hungry, but she never thought that this boy was thinking about her mother!
The two of them came out of the reed swamp, and Xie Zhiyi said to Xie Jiaojiao, "Sister, can you make stretchers?"
"What do you want that thing for?"
Xie Zhiyi pointed to the sparrow in the sky: "I want to shoot a sparrow."
Xie Jiaojiao knew what he meant. In the past, when Xie Zhen was still alive, he would take Xie Zhiyi to shoot sparrows at this time. If he was lucky, he could catch one or two a day to add food to the family. If he was not lucky, he would hunt sparrows for several days. Can't catch one.
Xie Jiaojiao rolled her eyes: "I don't know how to make buns, but I can catch sparrows. Let's go!"
Xie Zhiyi didn't believe it, so he pulled Xie Jiaojiao and said, "Sister, if you can't catch these sparrows, you can only knock them down."
Xie Jiaojiao didn't want to explain, so she just asked, "Just tell me if you want to eat it?"
Xie Zhiyi nodded seriously.
"That's alright, let's go home first."
When the two of them arrived at the river, Sun Ruhua said hello to Sun Ruhua before she finished washing her clothes, and the two of them ran home.
Jiaojiao said to Xie Zhiyi: "Find the dustpan in your backyard."
"What are you using that for?"
"If you want to eat sparrows, go ahead!"
Xie Zhiyi went, and Xie Jiaojiao went to Sun Ruhua's house to find a roll of thread, and then went to grab a bag of grain from the family's granary.
The two of them ran over like a gust of wind, picked up their things and ran out like a gust of wind.
Zhou Cuihong looked at them and asked Xie Zhili, "What are they doing with dustpans?"
Xie Zhili knitted backpacks and the like in the yard. This was their second wife's usual meager income. During the big market, they would sell them in the town and earn some copper coins.
"No matter what they are doing, I see Xie Jiaojiao still acting like a fool. She is already twenty years old and has no womanhood at all, yet she still plays well with a kid like Xie Zhiyi."
When talking about this, Zhou Cuihong sat next to Xie Zhili: "Did you tell my elder brother about what we talked about last night?"
Xie Zhili looked at the closed door of the main room and nodded.
"Then he didn't react at all?"
Xie Zhili nodded and whispered: "I didn't say anything, I just went back to the house, and I haven't come out yet."
There was some disbelief on Zhou Cuihong's face. If the family was separated, the eldest brother would be more active than the second brother, wouldn't he?
Xie Jiaojiao took Xie Zhiyi out to the fields, and met Niu Er on the way. Niu Er heard that they were going to catch sparrows, thought it was interesting, and immediately said that he would follow them.
Xie Jiaojiao did not refuse. In Xie Jiaojiao's memory, she was the only playmate in the village who played well with Xie Zhiyi.
When they arrived in the field, Xie Zhiyi asked, "Sister, what should we do now?"
Xie Jiaojiao looked around and found a remote place: "Let's go there."
Xie Jiaojiao broke off a dry branch on the roadside, tied the rope, then used the branches to prop up one side of the dustpan, then sprinkled some grain under the dustpan, then pulled the other end of the rope and led the two people to hide. To a place out of sight.
Xie Zhiyi asked: "Sister, can this really catch sparrows?" Why didn't he believe it so much?
Niu Er doesn't believe it either. In fact, you have to ask Xie Jiaojiao if he can catch her?
It's not like she's not sure yet, she just saw it written like this in novels and on TV.
"Shh, don't talk. Let's all be quiet. If this bird hears someone talking nearby, it won't be fooled."
Xie Zhiyi immediately covered his mouth.
Seeing his appearance, Xie Jiaojiao thought he was cute and funny.
The three of them just stood guard like this. In the end, Niu Er lost all his patience. When he wanted to leave, he saw a group of sparrows flying down from the sky.
Xie Zhiyi stared at the sparrow with wide eyes and said in his heart: Go in, go in, go in quickly.
Finally, there were several sparrows under the dustpan. Xie Zhiyi wanted to pull the rope, but Xie Jiaojiao looked at him: "Shh."
Seeing several more animals entering under the dustpan, Xie Zhiyi and Niu Er became anxious, but Xie Jiaojiao hadn't pulled the rope yet.
After most of the birds were inside, Xie Jiaojiao pulled the rope instantly, and several birds flew away, but there were still some under the dustpan.
Xie Zhiyi was so happy that he stood up and immediately ran towards the dustpan.
Niu Er was stunned for a moment, he really caught the sparrow.
The two followed Xie Zhiyi.
At this time, Sun Ruhua, who had finished washing her clothes by the river, stood on the edge of the field and called them: "Zhiyi, Jiaojiao, go back."
Xie Zhiyi shouted: "Mom, I caught a lot of sparrows!"
When Sun Ruhua heard this, she didn't believe it at first. She and Mrs. Wang put down the basin and came over, listening to the chirping of sparrows in the dustpan, and then she believed it. Xie Jiaojiao really caught the sparrows, and it sounded like there were quite a few sparrows.
Xie Jiaojiao ran to the side, pulled out some dead grass, and surrounded the dustpan to prevent any birds from flying away when she was catching them.
Several people helped to tie up all the sparrows with ropes. There were quite a few sparrows, about 10. Xie Jiaojiao tied three to Niu Er.
Mrs. Wang hurriedly waved her hands and said she didn't want it, but Xie Jiaojiao gave it to them anyway: "It's up to you to see it."
Carrying the remaining sparrows, she followed Sun Ruhua home.
Xie Qian and Xie Kun were very happy and anxious when they saw the sparrow.
Sun Ruhua said: "Your sister-in-law caught them all!"
Xie Kun said directly: "Sister-in-law, you are so great."
Xie Jiaojiao looked at him and sneered in her heart, but she didn't say much on her face. Xie Kun's temperament was a combination of his father and his mother, and he was a mixture of what he meant and what he said.
Chen Hongju also ran out. She originally heard that catching sparrows can be used to make soup, but when she heard that it was Xie Jiaojiao who caught them, she immediately changed her face: "Tsk, how many sparrows can you catch?"
But when I was cleaning up the sparrows, I saw that she was quite positive.
After the sparrow was stewed, Xie Jiaojiao couldn't take another bite. It smelled like something and she couldn't eat it at all.
But everyone else at the dinner table was enjoying themselves.
After lunch, Xie Jiaojiao felt a little tired, so she went back to her room to rest.
