Make tofu, make maltose, beat dust, pickle salted fish, and slaughter chickens and ducks.
Under the eaves of Yang Ruoqing's house, the warm winter sun shines on strings of tempting chickens, ducks and fish.
Luo Fengtang and Ahao took a day off to go into the mountains. Experts are experts. During these days of hibernation, they even hunted several hares and pheasants.
After sending some to the Sun family and Yang Ruoqing's maternal grandfather's family, Luo Fengtang and Ahao shared the rest equally.
As a result, smoked hare and pheasant were added to the queue of cured meats under the eaves.
Soon, the Dasun family began to slaughter the New Year pig, so there were piles of sausages and pork legs in the cured meat.
At a glance, everything is dazzling and very pleasing to the eye.
On the night of the 27th, it was quiet.
According to the custom passed down from generation to generation, we have to go to bed early on the night of the 27th.
If you have children, sleep with them in your arms and don't let them make noise at night.
If you have cats or dogs, feed them well at night and try to tell them not to bark when they hear the sound of gongs and firecrackers at night.
In short, the quieter the better.
So, before it got dark, Wang Cuilian and Yang Ruoqing started cooking dinner.
After the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the ancestors took their family home, and Blacksmith Luo and Wang Cuilian moved to Yang Ruoqing and Luo Fengtang's new house to celebrate the New Year together.
After the sixth day of the first lunar month, the old couple went back to their old house.
So during dinner at night, Blacksmith Luo said to Luo Fengtang and Yang Ruoqing at the dinner table: "There is something I want to discuss with you and hear what you think."
As soon as Blacksmith Luo said these words, coupled with his familiar expression, Yang Ruoqing, who was spooning soup for Baby Luo, paused with her fingers.
Suddenly, there was a familiar premonition. Next, the uncle would probably talk about something related to the Zhou family.
"Uncle, if you have anything to do, just give me your instructions."
Here, Luo Fengtang put down the chopsticks in his hand, looked at Blacksmith Luo seriously, and asked.
Blacksmith Luo also put down his chopsticks, but glanced towards Yang Ruoqing, hesitating to speak.
Yang Ruoqing then smiled and said, "Uncle, you are the head of this family. If you have anything to say, just say it directly. There are no outsiders."
Blacksmith Luo nodded and said, "It's like this. New Year's Eve is coming the day after tomorrow. I want to send some fish and meat to Zhou Wang and Xiaohuan."
"By the way, I'll give you another quilt."
"It's such a cold day, and they just came out to set up a new stove, and Xiaohuan is still pregnant."
"As an uncle, I can't sleep even thinking about living in such a drafty shack."
"What do you think?" Blacksmith Luo asked.
As if it was really related to the Zhou family, Yang Ruoqing laughed secretly in her heart.
He looked at Luo Fengtang and motioned for him to speak first.
Luo Fengtang frowned slightly, then raised his head and asked Blacksmith Luo: "Uncle, if you really send some supplies to Cousin Zhou Wang and the others, Qing'er and I won't stop you."
"But what I'm most afraid of is that you give the things to Auntie and Zhou Xia under the guise of using the name of Cousin Zhou Wang and the others. Then neither Qing'er nor I would be happy!"
"Why should I make such a guess? Because uncle, you have done such a thing before,"
"Hiding it from all of us, we went to Zhoujia Village to deliver things privately. So don't blame me for asking." Luo Fengtang said straight to the point.
Blacksmith Luo's face turned red with irritation, and he was so embarrassed that he was speechless.
Seeing this, Yang Ruoqing quickly came to the rescue and said, "Uncle, Tang Yazi has such an upright temperament that he can say whatever he wants. You are the one who brought him up, and you know it best."
"If he asks these questions, don't take it to heart."
"Tang Yazi and I have no objection to you, uncle, sending some food and clothing to Cousin Zhou Wang and the others."
"Our family's life is better now, and it's not that bad. But if uncle, you want to do something to Aunt Daye and them, then we will definitely not be happy."
"We won't give a needle or a straw to Aunt Dae and Cousin Zhou Xia. Uncle, you know the whole story, so we won't say more." Yang Ruoqing said.
Blacksmith Luo nodded, "Don't worry, I'm not lying. I just want to send some food to Zhou Wang and the others. During the Chinese New Year, please eat meat."
"I won't even look at Da'e's side. I won't lie to you!" he said.
"That's good!" Luo Fengtang said.
Blacksmith Luo glanced at the two men again, and continued: "You have helped Zhou Wang a lot. Last time, you even held a wedding banquet for them in the restaurant for free."
"The young couple came to our house twice. Once they came together to talk about the separation."
"Our family didn't let them go back empty-handed. We gave them dozens of kilograms of rice and noodles."
"The second time was a few days ago when Zhou Wang came alone to give him New Year's gifts, and your aunt also gave him a basket of eggs in return."
"I will send some fish and meat this time, and add a quilt. In this winter, they will not die of hunger or freeze even if they live in a shack."
"When spring comes next year, let Zhou Wang go out and find a job to support his family." Blacksmith Luo said.
Luo Fengtang and Yang Ruoqing both nodded.
The young couple had the same idea. As long as they didn't deal with Luo Da'e and Zhou Xia, mother and daughter, they could talk about anything else.
The matter was settled like that, Luo Fengtang refilled the wine cup in front of Blacksmith Luo, and the two of them started drinking again.
…
On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Yang Ruoqing got up early in the morning, roasted two stripped chickens whole, and packed them up.
I changed my shoes and outer clothes and prepared to go out for a trip to the back mountain.
It had been a long time since she had seen Zhuiyun. She couldn't spare the time to go to the mountains, and Zhuiyun had never come down from the mountain to look for her.
I don’t know if it is doing well or if there is some kind of natural struggle for hegemony going on in Mianniu Mountain, a mysterious mountain forest where dragons and tigers are hidden.
Luo Fengtang and Ahao went hunting in the mountains two days ago, but did not encounter Zhuiyun.
No, the Chinese New Year is coming tomorrow. Yang Ruoqing was tossing and turning in bed last night, thinking about this matter.
Finally, she discussed with Luo Fengtang that no matter what, she would go into the mountains today.
If you try your luck, maybe you can call Zhuiyun out!
"Qing'er, are you ready? When are you leaving?" Luo Fengtang strode into the kitchen from outside.
Yang Ruoqing turned to him and smiled: "There's nothing to prepare, so I roasted two Zhuiyun's favorite roast chickens, and we're good to go."
"Okay, let's go!"
Luo Fengtang reached out and took the basket from Yang Ruoqing's arm. The couple set out from the back door and walked through the barren and barren fields in the middle of winter to the woods.
He plunged into the woods and walked towards the deepest part of the woods.
Behind the woods, along with the mountains, there is an uphill slope with a wide view.
There is the largest stone on the slope. Many times in the past, when Zhuiyun sent Yang Ruoqing down the mountain, they parted ways at this place.
Many times when she turned around and looked back, she would see a white figure squatting on the boulder, watching her.
