After the festival, the young couple took Chu Li and the gifts back to Shen's house. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw the red-faced second brother Shen Songjie. At this moment, he took a bowl from the kitchen and was walking quickly towards the wing. As I walked, I saw my sister’s family halfway, and my smile became even bigger!
Shen Songjie turned towards the kitchen and shouted: "Auntie, Lu Zhu and the others are back!"
After shouting, he said to his sister: "Sister, you go first to the main room, and I will deliver this noodle soup to your sister-in-law first!" After saying that, without waiting for Shen Luzhu and others to react, he carefully held the noodle bowl and walked in quickly. The wing room.
Shen Luzhu followed him with his eyes, feeling that her second brother seemed particularly happy today!
"Ms. Zhao is pregnant again!"
"Really? Auntie? That's great. I'm going to be an aunt again, and our Maidong is going to be a little brother. Are you happy?" Shen Luzhu hugged his second brother's nephew Shen Mai who was less than five years old. Dong, pinched his little face and teased him.
The second aunt Zheng also smiled and said: "No, last morning when I was cooking, I suddenly felt so sick that I couldn't help it. Dad took his pulse and said he was pregnant!"
"Not only that, your second aunt is also going to be a grandma at the end of the year!"
Shen Luzhu's eyes widened and he looked at his second aunt Zheng: "My cousin is pregnant too? Why didn't I hear about it last time I came here?"
"I just found out that not long ago, she has had a great reaction in the past two days, and she is resting in the house right now!"
"Congratulations to my second uncle, second aunt, and cousins!"
Mother Shen looked at her daughter who was chatting happily, glanced down, took Shen Luzhu's hand, and patted it: "You and your son-in-law have been married for more than a year. When do you plan to let my mother-in-law be your wife?" Grandma?"
Shen Luzhu didn't know why the topic suddenly came to him: "Aniang..."
Chu Yi patted his wife's arm reassuringly, and when she turned to look at him, he smiled at her: "Mom, I heard that giving birth to a child at a young age can be dangerous, so we are not in a hurry."
She didn't expect her son-in-law to answer like this. Shen's mother was a little surprised. She was a midwife in the village. How could she not know that it was dangerous for a young woman to give birth to a child?
"That's true, but it's hard to recover when you're too old. You two got married late. Lu Zhu is already twenty-one this year, so she's still young! I'm not urging you, but I'm just too young. It’s time to think about this.”
Chu Yi pursed his lips, nodded for a long time and said, "Okay."
Seeing that something was wrong in the atmosphere, Mrs. Zheng quickly changed the subject: "Where are Songjie and Zeqi? Didn't they say yesterday that they wanted to discuss things with you? Why don't you even see anyone now? Maidong, go quickly Call your father and uncle!"
"Okay!" Maidong shouted, then ran out like a cannonball, and soon dragged his father and cousin in.
"There are two pregnant women in the house, and your sister-in-law is the only one who is busy in the kitchen. Your aunt and I have to go help. You guys chat first!" After Mrs. Zheng finished speaking, she took Shen's mother's arm and led her out.
After leaving the main room, seeing no one around, he spoke again: "Sister-in-law, don't think too much about it. I think this is a good thing!"
"What a good thing. Lu Zhu is already in his twenties. They don't want children yet. The Chu family doesn't care about them. If I don't push them, if time goes by, those people in the village will say ugly things. Unable to speak?"
"You didn't listen to your son-in-law because you were afraid of danger. This puts Lu Zhu at ease and cares about her. Isn't this a good thing? The young couple may have their own plans. Besides, those people in the village , it’s too late to envy and regret now, our young couple is so promising, isn’t it?”
"Hey, what you said makes sense, but..."
Mrs. Zheng quickly interrupted what Mother Shen was saying: "As long as it makes sense, sister-in-law, let's keep our hearts in our hearts. Neither of the two children are the kind of ignorant!"
In the hall, Shen Luzhu understood what his brothers meant.
"Second brother and cousin also want to do business and want us to help with some ideas?"
Shen Song nodded: "That's what I mean, Mrs. Zhao is pregnant again, Ophiopogon japonicus is getting bigger and bigger, and there is not much work at home. Zeqi and I discussed what we want to do. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and haven’t figured it out yet. You’ve been smart since you were a kid, and you’ve given me advice for my second brother?”
Shen Zeqi also said: "Yes, among the people we know, you and your brother-in-law are the only ones who do business. I would like to hear your opinions."
"Second brother, cousin, this happened so suddenly, I can't remember anything for a moment. If you are not in a hurry, let me go back and think about it, okay?"
Shen Zeqi smiled and shook his head: "Don't worry, Lu Zhu, think about it slowly! My cousin and I haven't told Grandpa and the others about this matter yet. We will take advantage of this time to discuss it with my family!"
"When you think about it, find someone to inform you. Zeqi and I will go there!"
"okay, I get it!"
As before, the three of them had dinner at Shen's house before taking a walk back. The difference was that Chu Yi seemed to be more silent than usual today. Shen Luzhu wanted to speak several times, but looked at Chu Yi beside him. Li, they swallowed their words again.
After washing up, Chu Yi took a basin to get foot wash water as usual. As soon as he stood up, he was stopped by Shen Luzhu.
"Wait a moment!"
Chu Yi turned around and looked at his wife who was walking in front of him: "What's wrong?"
Shen Luzhu took the water basin in Chu Yi's hand and put it aside: "Chu Yi, are you angry because of my mother-in-law? My mother-in-law..."
"No." Chu Yi interrupted his wife's words and raised his hand to help her put the broken hair behind her ears: "I'm not angry, A Zhu."
"Then you're unhappy, Chu Yi, don't you like children, or..." Shen Luzhu lowered his head as he spoke, and two tears fell on her tightly clenched hands: " Or you don’t like me and don’t want our children…”
Chu Yi held his wife's face with both hands and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips: "How could it be, how could I not like you!"
Shen Luzhu sniffed and murmured: "Then why are you unhappy and haven't spoken much all day?"
Chu Yi put his right hand around his wife's waist, gently pressed her head with his left hand, held her whole body in his arms, and whispered softly in her ear.
"Of course I want our child, but...just in case the arrival of this child will bring danger to you. This is how A Niang left...Then I would rather not have a child, just the two of us in this life. Isn’t it good?”
Shen Luzhu didn't expect that this was the reason: "I thought, I thought you didn't like it..."
Chu Yi rubbed his wife's head with his chin: "Aren't you stupid?"
Shen Luzhu was moved and distressed. What happened to A Niang must have frightened him. She put her hands around Chu Yi's waist and patted Chu Yi's back.
"It's all over, it's okay. Look at me, I'm so healthy. My mother is the most famous midwife in the village, and my father is a doctor, so nothing will happen to me by then!"
"Azhu..."
Shen Luzhu raised his head from Chu Yi's arms and looked up at him: "But, I want to have a son who is exactly like you! Chu Yi, I don't say he must, and you don't say he must not, let's just let nature take its course. OK?"
Chu Yi looked at his wife's little face and said nothing.
"I promise, I will always be by your side, the kind that you can't even drive away! I'm committed to you! Huh? Okay?"
Chu Yi lowered his head, leaned on his wife's shoulder, and took a few deep breaths: "Okay, let's let nature take its course."
After the Dragon Boat Festival, the paper money shop opened as usual. Jiang Juan, as agreed before, spent a day looking for Xiaobao and entrusted it to Aunt Cui, and then came to the Chu family's old house.
After asking Xiuxiu to help look after the shop, Shen Luzhu took Jiang Juan to the warehouse and taught her step by step how to make banknotes.
The process of making banknote paper money is very simple. Just cut the paper, brush with ink, and then align and print it on the paper. In less than half an hour, Jiang Juan can make it very skillfully!
When Jiang Juan left, Shen Luzhu packed the paper, ink and printing plate and brought them back to her: "Just deliver them once a day. If my cousin can't leave, let Jiang Quan come."
"Don't worry, cousin, I still have this little time. I will definitely do the same thing as cousin, and I must not delay your business!"
"Of course I'm relieved, otherwise I wouldn't be looking for you!"
"Then cousin, I'll leave first. Say hello to my cousin and cousin Ah Li for me!"
"Okay, be careful on the road!"
The work of collecting banknotes and paper money was handed over, and in the following days, Shen Luzhu folded paper ingots while thinking about his second brother's new business.
When there is no one in front of the shop, I can fold a few. When I have nothing to do at night, I can fold a few while chatting with Chu Yi. Chu Li and Xiu Xiu will also help to do it together when they are idle. After a few days, I saved a lot of paper ingots.
That night, Chu Yi went to the courtyard and poured out the foot-washing water and returned to the house. He saw Shen Luzhu sitting by the kang, his feet dangling to dry, and he was still folding paper ingots in his hand, and even mosquitoes landed on his face. , never noticed.
Chu Yi stepped forward to drive away the mosquitoes for his wife, and then lit dried mugwort at the door. Soon the aroma of mugwort wafted out, and the mosquitoes hid far away and stopped trying to break into the house.
Shen Luzhu smelled the smell in the air, put down the paper ingot in his hand, and looked at the back of Chu Yi fighting mosquitoes. He was lost in thought for a while, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "I know!"
Chu Yi paused and looked at his wife: "What do you know?"
"Chu Yi, I know what kind of business the second brother and the others can do! Mosquito repellent bag!"
Shen Luzhu was excited and about to stand up with bare feet. Seeing this, Chu Yi hurriedly stepped forward to hug her, took the shoes on the side and put them on for her.
“What is a mosquito repellent bag?”
Shen Luzhu excitedly described to Chu Yi: "I just put the mosquito repellent medicine in my purse and wear it with me. When I was young, my grandpa asked my mother to make it for us, just like the sachets for the Dragon Boat Festival. , it’s not enough, it needs to be much bigger!”
Chu Yi thought for a while, there were many mosquitoes in summer, and Shen Luzhu was a mosquito attractor. If there were any for sale, he would probably buy them for his wife, but: "It's a good idea, but A Zhu, the village may not be very good at it." Easy to sell."
Chu Yi didn't want to hurt his wife, so he rubbed her hair and comforted her gently.
"right."
Shen Luzhu thought about it for a while. Most of the people in the village were living a rough life. It seemed like they were just bitten by mosquitoes. Except for those with children at home, most of them didn't care much!
Even if there are more sophisticated ones, they all use some local methods, such as the dried mugwort that Chu Yi just burned. This stuff is everywhere in April and May. You can just pick it at home and dry it for later use. People who can buy sachets to repel mosquitoes , I’m afraid not much.
"Then, what if we sell it in the town? Would it be better?" There are many wealthy people in the town, and it is not like the houses and yards in the village. It may not be very convenient to burn mugwort. Shen Luzhu thinks it might be possible. Give it a try.
"You can ask the second brother to go to town to find out more first."
"Okay, then let's talk to the second brother and the others tomorrow!"
"good."
The next day, just after breakfast, the Shen family received news that the Chu Yi couple had something to do and asked Shen Songjie and Shen Zeqi to come over. After talking to their families, they crossed the river together and headed to the Chu family's old house.
The four Shen brothers and Shen Luzhu and his wife stayed in the shop together, plotting a plan to make a fortune with mosquito repellent kits.
"We have a lot of recipes for this at home, and it's easy to make a purse to hold the medicinal materials. The cost shouldn't be high, but there may not be many available in the village. We need to go to the town first to understand the situation. Second brother and cousin What do you think?" Shen Luzhu told her brothers her and Chu Yi's thoughts and asked for their opinions.
"I think it's good. Why don't I go to the town with Zeqi for a while? What do you think?" Shen Songjie pushed his cousin Shen Zeqi.
"I think it's okay. Let's go to the town and have a look. It won't take long. We'll discuss the details when we get back!"
As Shen Zeqi said, the two of them returned to Chu's house before noon, but the situation was not optimistic.
Shen Songjie sighed: "They are sold in pharmacies and medical clinics in the town. If we make them again and sell them, I'm afraid we won't make much money."
