On the morning of the first day of May, it was cloudless.
Xu Hongping and her daughter stayed busy in the kitchen for a long time and finally cooked the food.
"Mom, please put away the two bowls of vegetables on the stove. I'm going to pick up the rice." Erfeng called:
"Erfeng, go out with the food and let me pick up the rice." Xu Hongping shouted:
Erfeng picked up the dishes and strode out of the kitchen.
Shitou saw Erfeng coming and asked: Sister Erfeng, how many more dishes are there?
Erfeng replied: Today is the market, so my mother heated up the leftovers from last night.
"I mean, do you want me to go in and serve the food?" Shi Shi neatly arranged the dishes and chopsticks.
"The food has been brought out, let's eat." Xu Hongping said, holding the cauldron in one hand and the dishes in the other:
Shitou leaned over and called out: "Aunt Tang, give me the food."
Xu Hongping let go of the mouth of the bowl and said: Hold it steady.
The stone clasped the bowl and praised: Aunt Tang, you are so amazing, you never fall behind in housework or business!
Xu Hongping placed the cauldron and said with a smile: Don't praise me even if you are a stone!
otherwise! I will blush!
"Aunt Tang, you and my mother are both virtuous women. We are not afraid of fatigue when we work." Shitou said:
Shitou continued: "However, my mother is not as capable as you!"
Xu Hongping smiled and said: Shitou, I really like listening to you.
As the saying goes: A good hand is better than two pairs of hands. This morning's meal would have been made without Erfeng's help!
Erfeng held the rice in his hands and responded: Mom, when we were young, you were still cooking so early alone!
Xu Hongping called out: You little girl, why are you just fooling me around! Daughters are difficult to raise, and their elbows always turn outwards. No, before your elbows turn outwards, you help others...
"Mom, what are you talking about!" Erfeng looked very uncomfortable.
Shitou said: Sister Erfeng is so virtuous and beautiful! Anyone who marries Sister Erfeng in the future will definitely be very lucky.
Erfeng murmured while adding rice: "You are very lucky."
Shitou called out: Shitou thanks Sister Erfeng for your favor! The one that Sister Erfeng likes...
"The only one I love is you." Erfeng interrupted:
"Two Phoenixes." Xu Hongping shouted:
Shitou picked up the bowl and called: Aunt Tang, the food is cold, let's eat.
Xu Hongping gathered around the table and lectured: When you speak, you must think through your head.
Erfeng whispered: I like stones...
"Like it, I like it. Stone is a family man..." Xu Hongping argued:
"Sister Erfeng, Shitou is not blessed. Shitou is destined to have no connection with you in this life." Shitou said:
"Shitou is a sensible person, you should also learn to do something, no matter what - you can't force it, let it go, and force it will be unsightly." Xu Hongping continued:
Erfeng lowered his head and said softly: Eat.
Soon, Xu Hongping put down the bowl and chopsticks and said: Shitou, you eat slowly while I feed the pigs.
Shitou called out: Aunt Tang, you haven't even had a bite of food.
"I won't eat." Xu Hongping stood up and left.
Erfeng stared at the stone and remained silent.
Shitou was embarrassed by Erfeng.
He sat aside with the bowl in hand.
"Shitou, why are you sitting here!" Xu Hongping came over carrying pig food.
Shitou replied: It is more comfortable to sit here and eat.
Erfeng saw Xu Hongping walking out of the house and said, "Stone, there is still rice on the tripod. I will serve you another bowl."
The stone placed the bowl and replied: I am full.
Erfeng put away the bowls and chopsticks and walked towards the kitchen without saying a word.
Shitou sat on the table - thinking over and over again what Erfeng had just said.
"Shitou, what are you doing? Get ready, let's go!" Xu Hongping shouted:
Shitou said blankly: Aunt Tang is back, I'm going to pack my things.
Xu Hongping replied: Shitou, you sit here while I clean up inside.
Shitou said: Let's go together.
Xu Hongping responded: That's okay.
Shitou followed Xu Hongping into the outside room.
Xu Hongping packed up a basketful of insoles.
Immediately, she took out a few pairs.
After a while, she put the insole in again.
Shitou saw Xu Hongping's hesitation and said: Aunt Tang, hurry up! The sun has risen so high.
Xu Hongping argued: Shitou, don't rush me! Please give me a reference.
Shitou replied: What can I help you with?
Xu Hongping called out: Say it! Now that the weather is getting warmer, we are still selling insoles. Like the last two times we went to the market, we didn’t sell a pair of insoles...
"Aunt Tang, we just have to do our part. What will happen? We can't control it." Shitou interrupted:
Xu Hongping muttered: This is the truth, but...
"Aunt Tang, your worries are not completely unreasonable. We can try to make adjustments." Shitou continued:
Xu Hongping stood up and called out: Today, we will pick these to sell.
The stone picked up the burden and walked slowly.
Erfeng saw Shitou coming with insoles and said, "I picked so many insoles to sell, can they be sold out?"
Xu Hongping then said: Pick one and try it.
"You go first, I'll close the door." Erfeng said:
"Shitou, why are you walking so fast! Wait for us!" Erfeng gasped:
Shitou replied: We are going to the market. If we didn't rush to the street early to set up stalls, the people on the street would be gone.
Xu Hongping responded: Shitou, you don't have to walk too fast, this season - who else will come to buy insoles?
Shitou turned around and said: Aunt Tang, you are already discouraged, why do you need to sell it!
Xu Hongping said: This is not a matter of being discouraged, it is a hard issue. From April to August every year, the business of selling insoles is almost zero.
Shitou asked: Aunt Tang, you can't sell insoles for such a long time, how do you make a living?
Xu Hongping replied: Sometimes I pick up some old clothes and sew them, and sometimes I sell some groceries to make ends meet.
"Mom, there are so many people on the street, where should we place the stall!" Erfeng looked straight at the street and called:
Xu Hongping replied: Let's go over and take a look before talking about it.
Xu Hongping and others walked into the market - looking around.
"Mom, there is an open space over there." Erfeng shouted:
"Let's go over there and find a place to set up a stall." Xu Hongping said:
"Stone," a voice called.
Shitou stopped and "looked around" and asked: Aunt Tang, who called me just now?
Xu Hongping said: You heard it wrong! Our mother and daughter didn’t call you!
Shitou muttered: Did I hear wrongly?
He walked slowly carrying his burden.
"Shitou, you take two rice dumplings to eat." An uncle came over from the stall, holding five or six rice dumplings in his hand.
Shitou stopped and said blankly: Uncle, you are!
The uncle said: Shitou, you forgot, last winter...
"He is the street stall guy from last year." Xu Hongping leaned against the stone and whispered:
Shitou replied: Hello, uncle! Hello! What are you selling today?
The uncle placed a few rice dumplings in front of the stone and said: Here! I'm here to sell this today.
"Uncle, how is the business of selling this!" Shitou called:
"Stone, you catch it first." The uncle handed the rice dumplings and shouted:
Shitou said, "Uncle, I just had my meal not long ago, so I can't ask for it."
The uncle argued: "Take the stone, and let me taste it."
Shitou continued: She had also just eaten.
The uncle responded: Shitou, why are you so polite to me? Thanks to you that time, I was able to escape the disaster. You refused to take just a few rice dumplings.
Of course, I also thanked this little girl for her help that time (the uncle glanced at Xu Hongping).
Xu Hongping smiled and said: I didn't help!
"Uncle, hurry up and sell things!" Shitou saw many people crowding around the stall and said:
"If you don't take it, how will I sell it?" the uncle said:
Shitou took the zongzi from the uncle's hand and said thank you, uncle! The stone was disrespectful.
The uncle smiled and said: That’s right!
Shitou handed the rice dumplings and called out: Sister Erfeng, please take it.
"Shitou, who is she?" the uncle asked:
Shitou replied: She is Aunt Tang's daughter, her name is Erfeng.
The uncle shouted: "You guys wait here, I'll get some more rice dumplings."
Shitou grabbed his uncle with one hand and said, "Uncle, if you bring these rice dumplings, I don't even want to take them. We are out doing some business. It's not easy to make ends meet..."
"Shitou, the fact that you can say this shows that you are kind-hearted and can do things for the sake of others." The uncle interrupted:
The uncle continued: "However, there are exceptions to everything. Let's be more casual with each other."
Shitou replied: I follow your nature, and you must follow mine.
The uncle responded: I didn't notice Erfeng here before.
Otherwise, I would have gotten two more.
Shitou replied: Enough, enough, uncle didn't take so much!
The uncle praised: What a talented man and beautiful woman.
Shitou said: Uncle, what did you say?
The uncle called out: I said you two are talented men and beautiful women (the uncle pointed at Erfeng).
Shitou bent over, coughed twice, and replied: No, no, no, Shitou doesn't have that blessing, Sister Erfeng is not mine...
The uncle was stunned and said: You and her are not a couple!
Shitou replied: No.
"Brother, you and Shitou talk first while I go over to set up a stall..." Xu Hongping shouted:
"Aunt Tang, I'm going too." Shitou continued:
"No, you guys can talk, just give me the burden." Xu Hongping replied:
Shitou put the burden and said: Uncle, don't go to the stall!
The uncle replied: Don’t worry about the stone! My old lady is there!
"Uncle, what's your name?"
"My name is: Chu Ming, and everyone calls me Chu Ming."
"Except uncle, you live in that board, what is the board..."
"I live in Banqiao Village."
"Oh! Yes, yes, yes."
"Erfeng, do you still want to marry Shitou?" Xu Hongping poked her head and said secretly:
Erfeng replied hesitantly: I, I didn't say I wanted to marry him.
Xu Hongping responded: What you said when you were at home just now, you were clearly there!
Erfeng buried his head and walked away without saying a word.
Xu Hongping called out: I'm not saying that the stone is bad. He has married someone else. He is someone else's husband. If you continue to worry about him, you are hurt!
Erfeng grabbed hold of the factory shed and continued: "I am willing to get hurt, too."
Xu Hongping said: Erfeng, mother reminds you that he is a married man and you fall in love with him...
"Mom, can you let me make the decision regarding emotional matters?" Erfeng said quickly:
Xu Hongping replied: I didn't make the decision for you.
Erfeng thought for a while and sighed: Mom, what is love!
"Aunt Tang, has the factory shed been set up?" Shitou came over and shouted:
Xu Hongping replied: I will just fasten these two buttons.
Shitou stepped up and responded: "Aunt Tang, you go and hawk, I'll tie the buttons."
Xu Hongping stopped what she was doing and shouted: I'm selling insoles! Selling insoles! Purely handmade insoles.
After shouting for a long time, no one at the stall came to patronize.
Xu Hongping took a breath and sighed: Hey!
"You guys watch the stall, I'll buy some water." Xu Hongping continued:
Shitou said: Aunt Tang, I'm going to buy it.
Xu Hongping gestured, turned and walked out of the stall.
Erfeng pulled over a stool and shouted: Shitou, come over and sit down. Standing like this is tiring.
Shitou replied: It will be cooler if I stand.
Suddenly, a sister-in-law fell in front of the stone.
Shitou bent down to help and called: Sister-in-law, get up quickly.
When Erfeng saw it, he felt very uncomfortable and shouted: Shitou, please let me help my sister-in-law.
Immediately, Erfeng opened his hands and hurriedly rushed towards the stone.
When Shitou saw Erfeng rushing towards him, he was a little overwhelmed and said: Sister Erfeng...
"Er Feng, stand still for me." Xu Hongping shouted:
Erfeng raised his head and hurriedly ran behind Xu Hongping.
"How wonderful, little master!" The judicial police officer came towards me with a group of people.
The sister-in-law stood up and bowed to the stone timidly and said, "Step back."
Shitou responded: What are you doing here?
The bailiff asked: My dear, please give me 50 pairs of insoles!
Shitou replied: We don’t sell our insoles.
The bailiff asked in confusion: Master, you brought the insoles to the street just to sell them. If I buy your insoles, why don't you sell them? I can't pay on credit?
Shitou responded: If others come to buy, I will sell. If you come to buy, I will not sell.
The bailiff said: I won’t buy it, let them buy it (he points his finger at the follower)!
Shitou smiled and said: What do you think?
The bailiff called out: I have met the young master several times, and the young master should always let me serve him once!
Shitou continued: Speaking of service, I really need your help with something.
The bailiff was overjoyed and said: Welcome.
Shitou stretched out his left hand and asked: Please take them out of here.
The bailiff took two steps back, bowed and said: We'll leave right away, we'll leave right away.
"You guys go farther away." Shitou said:
Xu Hongping whispered: Erfeng, you came out and they ran away.
"Shitou, I have two more rice dumplings here. You can take them and eat them." Uncle Chu picked up the bucket (there was a woman behind him) and said:
Shitou said politely: This is to get rid of my aunt!
Uncle Chu responded: She is a lowly wife - Chu's family.
Shitou asked: "Get rid of aunt!"
Chu Shi smiled and said: Okay, okay, okay.
"Stone is indeed a great young man." She put a few rice dumplings out of the bucket and handed them to Stone.
Xu Hongping stepped forward and called: Hello, sister-in-law!
Chu Shi smiled at Xu Hongping.
"Er Feng, come here and see Aunt Chu." Xu Hongping called:
Erfeng whispered: "Get rid of aunt!"
Aunt Zhu praised: It’s so beautiful.
"Uncle, you just gave us rice dumplings!" Shitou said:
"Tou Shi, we are going home. These few are not sold out..." Chushi put the rice dumplings on the stall.
"Except for aunt, you must keep it and not sell it." Shitou replied:
Uncle Chu shouted: Shitou, you suspect that my old lady is lying!
Shitou continued: Except for my uncle, you can't say that!
Uncle Zhu said: I tell you the truth, as soon as those few people came, the crowd dispersed. Fortunately, we sold about the same amount of rice dumplings.
Shitou looked at the sky and said: It's still early, so don't go shopping there.
Uncle Chu moved his body and replied: "I won't go, we still have life at home."
"Everyone, come and sit at my house when you have time." Uncle Zhu continued:
Chu Shi said: "Everyone go there together."
Xu Hongping called out: Yes, yes, brother and sister-in-law, you can go.
Shitou shouted: Uncle Uncle, Auntie, see you again! goodbye!
