In the evening, Gao Mingcheng carried his things to his parents' house. At this time, the sun was about to set, and the sky was full of colorful clouds.
The evening breeze blows away the remaining heat from the day. Living in a small mountain village, even in the sweltering heat of summer, it is always cool in the morning and evening.
When he passed by, Grandma Gao was not lying on the bed, but was sitting on a bamboo chair under the eaves to enjoy the cool air. She was wearing cotton clothes, and her expression was a little depressed. She did not look good.
"Grandma." Gao Mingcheng called out as he entered the yard, causing Gao Nainai, who was staring at the sky in a daze, to look at him.
"Mingcheng." Grandma Gao showed a smile and waved Gao Mingcheng over.
Before Gao Mingcheng could speak first, she had already said: "I'm fine. It's just that it's been hot lately and I don't have much appetite or energy. I said you've been busy collecting medicines and doing things recently, and I won't let you come, but your father insists on coming." .”
Grandma Gao has a pure and kind nature and doesn't like to cause trouble to her children and grandchildren. If she feels uncomfortable, she mostly takes care of it herself.
Most people of their generation are like this.
Gao Mingcheng took a look at his grandma's complexion. Although he knew some medicinal materials, he didn't know much about medical skills. He just saw that the problem was not serious, so he said: "I haven't been here for a while, so I should come and take a walk." sit."
"I don't have many eggs at home, so I brought ten for you. Don't worry, eat one every day to replenish your body." Gao Mingcheng said.
In fact, his parents' family is not that poor. His father, his eldest brother, and his sister-in-law can all eat eggs from time to time, but the others just don't get a share.
Does anyone else not want to eat it? That's definitely not the case.
The main reason was that Grandma Gao refused to eat and wanted to save the food for her children and grandchildren. However, the children and grandchildren saw that Grandma Gao would not eat it, and they themselves were embarrassed to eat it. In addition, Luo Xiaohua was used to being poor, so he might as well save the food. Just save it and stop eating it.
After taking out the eggs, Gao Mingcheng took out a bottle of honey. He took this from home before leaving.
Eating honey has many benefits. It can maintain your health. The most important thing is that it is very sweet, and eating sweets will make people feel happy.
"And this honey. You drink a glass of honey water every morning and evening. This honey will be placed in your room and you can keep it for yourself." Gao Mingcheng handed the eggs and honey to Grandma Gao and asked her to keep them.
Grandma Gao has a separate room, which is not big, except for a bed and a wardrobe.
While he was talking to Grandma Gao, Gao Mingli and Gao Shufang returned together, and Gao Mingli was holding a basket of vegetables in his hand.
After a while, his parents came back together. His father was carrying a hoe, and his mother was carrying a basket containing some fresh medicinal materials.
"Mom and Dad." Gao Mingcheng called someone, and then said that he had caught some bullfrogs in the mountains and brought some to them.
Luo Xiaohua glanced at the bag and said with some dissatisfaction: "Why don't you handle it before sending it? Now it's difficult to use water at home, and you have a well over there, so you should wash it and cut it before bringing it."
Gao Mingcheng touched his nose when he heard this.
Well, this is why he doesn't like to come here often. No matter what he does, his parents are always dissatisfied.
In fact, his father is also somewhat dissatisfied with him. The most important thing is that he doesn't discuss anything with his family and makes decisions by himself.
For example, he brought many beauties to Yangcheng, for example, he contracted Xiaofushan, and for example, he went to the county at the critical moment of fighting for water.
From Gao Yuan's point of view, these things are all important matters and should be discussed with his family first. For example, if he goes to Yangcheng, he can bring Gao Mingli, who has just graduated, to see the world together!
"Okay, I brought you food, but you still dislike it! You should be happy that Ming Cheng has such filial piety." Grandma Gao spoke.
Luo Xiaohua pouted and went into the kitchen to do some work. After Gao Shufang greeted her second brother, she also went into the kitchen to help.
Gao Yuan put the hoe away, and then took out his smoking tools, a small pack of cut tobacco and a stack of white paper.
He skillfully placed the cut tobacco on the white paper, then rolled it into a homemade cigarette.
This kind of cigarette is very strong, has no filter, and causes great damage to fingers and teeth. If you are not a long-time smoker, you will not be able to smoke it.
In fact, buying finished cigarettes is not expensive and convenient, but Gao Mingcheng just doesn't understand why his life is so miserable even though his family is not poor.
Seeing Gao Yuanyuan smoking silently, Grandma Gao whispered: "Your dad hasn't steamed wine since the weather started. I'm afraid he won't make much money this year."
When Gao Mingcheng heard this, he understood.
The lack of water in the sky and the reduction in grain production have caused many people to cut back on their clothes and diet, and will not take out the grain and ask people to make wine like in previous years.
In other words, his father’s most profitable side job is gone!
Since the land was divided into households, life in the village has gradually improved. The second half of every year is the peak season for steaming wine. He is often called to steam wine at home. After a year, he has an income of about 1,000 yuan.
But after saving money for several years to marry his eldest brother and buy a house, it was almost spent. Then I have to eat and drink at home every day, so I actually can’t save much money.
This year, due to the weather, there is no money for steaming wine, so the family can only make some money by selling vegetables and pigs.
His parents' house currently feeds three pigs, a cow and twenty or thirty chickens. With these livestock and people's drinking water, daily water supply is indeed a problem.
For a moment, he was speechless, so Gao Mingcheng planned to go home.
Before he had walked a few steps, his father stopped him and said, "I asked Mingwan, and he said that their transportation company is still short of people, but they want drivers who can drive, and they won't accept people who can't drive."
Gao Yuan's words made Gao Mingcheng stop. He looked at his father, knowing that what was supposed to come would still come.
So he looked at Gao Mingli and said directly: "Mingli, do you also want to find something to do?"
Gao Mingli is the youngest son in the family, but he actually gets some preference, which makes him more outgoing and cheerful.
He nodded and said, "Yes, I want to go! This year my family has little income and needs to spend money to buy millet, so I also want to make money."
Gao Mingcheng pondered, and he had two arrangements for Gao Mingli. One was to ask Gao Mingli to sell clothes, and the other was to ask Gao Guobing to help arrange a certain job.
But Gao Guobing has already made arrangements for Gao Mingwan. Would it be too much to help Gao Mingli make arrangements again?
Thinking about the relationship between him and Gao Guobing, Gao Mingcheng felt that there should be no big problem.
Then he said: "Uncle Shou Wang is short of a clothes seller. If you are willing to sell, you can tell Uncle Shou Wang."
Before Gao Mingli could speak, Gao Shufang's voice came from the kitchen. She said with a smile: "Fourth brother followed me and sold it! He couldn't sell it!"
The clothes made by Dong Feixia are not only women's clothes, but also men's clothes. The people who sell clothes are actually men and women. As long as they are sharp-tongued and good at soliciting customers, they can do it well.
Gao Mingli smiled sheepishly and said, "I can't sell it, so I want to find a more stable job."
Gao Mingcheng could see Gao Mingli's true intentions from his eyes. It seemed that he also wanted to work in the county like Gao Mingwan.
There is nothing wrong with people in the village yearning for the county.
Gao Mingcheng said: "Okay, when I am free, I will ask Uncle Guobing to see if there is such an opportunity. But don't worry, I have been very busy recently and have no time to go."
Before, he planned to find time to go to the Vehicle Administration Office to take the driver's license test, but after returning to the village, he started to be busy collecting medicinal materials. He was so busy that he couldn't get away from it.
Gao Mingli understood this and said quickly: "No rush, no rush. Second brother, you should take care of your own business first!"
After saying this, Gao Mingcheng went out.
After walking for only a few minutes, I met Gao Zhuang.
Gao Zhuang seemed to be waiting for him specially, standing under an osmanthus tree, smiling silly and waving at him.
Gao Mingcheng hadn't seen Gao Zhuang for a while, so he asked him what he was doing.
"I went to dig a small ridge of sweet potatoes today and found that the sweet potatoes are almost grown. Although they are smaller than in previous years, they are still okay. There is a lack of water now, so my grandma asked me to ask you if you should also just grow the sweet potatoes. Just dig it out?" Gao Zhuang said.
The two families used the same batch of potato seeds and planted them at the same time, so when she saw that the sweet potatoes had grown almost the same, Grandma Xi thought of Gao Mingcheng.
This was because Gao Mingcheng had so many things to do that he would forget the sweet potatoes in the field.
Gao Mingcheng carries water from the pond at the foot of Xiaofu Mountain to water the vegetable plot every morning and evening. Therefore, his vegetables grow well, unlike some people whose vegetable plots have wilted or even turned yellow due to lack of water.
Sweet potatoes are harvested at different times depending on when they are planted. They usually plant sweet potatoes in May, and they will be mature and ready for harvest around September and October.
It's only early September. In previous years, we would harvest later, but this year it's been dry. If we don't harvest early, we have to water it in the morning and evening, otherwise it will dry out.
Grandma Xi’s family still doesn’t have enough labor, but they have a lot of vegetable fields. Just watering them every day makes them exhausted.
Gao Mingcheng looked at Gao Zhuang and found that he had become darker and thinner recently.
He said, "Okay, I'll dig a small ridge tomorrow to see if it's almost grown, then I can dig it."
After Gao Zhuang brought the words, he planned to go back to his home to rest.
Grandma Xin is getting older, and He Xiuman is pregnant. All the heavy work in the family falls on a tall and strong man, so it's no wonder that he has lost weight.
Gao Mingcheng said goodbye to him and watched him leave. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. It seemed that he was indeed too busy these days. Not only had he not visited his grandma for a long time, but he had also not visited his grandma for a long time.
So he hurried home, first took a bottle of honey, and then went to get the bullfrog.
I grabbed half a bag today and still have some left.
He originally wanted to put it in a bag, but after thinking about it, he simply carried it to the well, first fetched a bucket of water, and then started to handle the bullfrog.
What his mother said was right. The old village was in a tight supply of water, so he had better take care of it before sending it to Grandma Xi’s house!
Duo Mei was already cooking. Seeing Gao Mingcheng's actions, he couldn't help but said, "I've already cooked a plate, why are you still cooking?"
Gao Mingcheng said he would send some to Grandma Xixi.
Duomei has no objection to this. She grew up in the same village. She naturally knows the deep relationship between Gao Mingcheng and Gao Zhuang, but she also added: "I see there are a lot of bullfrogs. I just gave them to my second sister's house." Let’s go with five.”
Gao Mingcheng also had no objection to this. Although Duomei had three sisters, the only family in the village was the second sister's family. Even if there were some minor conflicts between the sisters, they would not stop them from frequenting each other.
(End of chapter)
