"I don't know what grandpa wanted to do that day. It seems that my uncle and aunt came back every day for a while. I don't know if it has something to do with that incident."
In the evening, Shen Luzhu spread the quilt while chatting with Chu Yi, who had just returned to the house after fetching hot water.
Chu Yi thought for a while, and there was nothing at home that required everyone to be present. Maybe his wife was right, it must be closely related to the uncle's family: "Next year seems to be the year of the imperial examination, maybe it has something to do with it."
"Chu Yi, if you go to take the exam, won't you need a lot of money? It will be more than going to a private school to study?"
Shen Luzhu's brothers from her mother's family also studied calligraphy when they were young. Even she herself was taken by Grandpa Shen and learned a lot under his guidance. However, no one in the Shen family had ever participated in the imperial examination. Shen Luzhu On weekdays, I always heard Grandma Chu murmuring that she had to save money for Chu Ren to study. Now Chu Yi said that next year was the year of the imperial examination, so he wondered if Chu Ren was short of money because he was rushing to take the exam, so Grandpa Chu mobilized people like this.
To be honest, Chu Yi really doesn't know much about it, but judging from the performance of his grandfather, grandma, and Wang family over the years, he must have been able to support himself by draining his family's wealth every time!
"It should be so. I don't know the specifics. I just know that I have to rush to Fucheng long in advance to prepare. What do you think of A Zhu?" Chu Yi saw his wife frowning slightly, stretched out his hand to smooth it for her and asked softly.
"Chu Yi, tell me, what I want to say is that my eldest cousin is going to take the exam, and my uncle doesn't have enough money! If grandpa really mentions it on the New Year's Day, we have to contribute some money?"
He moved a chair from Chu Yi and sat face to face with Shen Luzhu. He reached out to help his wife take off her shoes and socks, and then the young couple soaked their feet in a basin of water.
Shen Luzhu sat by the kang and continued to talk to himself: "Although this is a serious matter, my uncle's family is so annoying on weekdays that he doesn't want to give anything!"
Seeing his wife worrying about such a trivial matter, Chu Yi couldn't help but feel a little funny. He used his feet to put the water on his wife's calf to tease her: "Then I won't give it to you. The money is our own. We, A Zhu, have the final say!"
"Well! It seems that we need to save more money in the future."
"do what?"
"Of course I'm preparing for Ah Li to study in the future. I think he likes reading and practicing calligraphy very much. Even if he doesn't take the imperial examination, it's not a bad thing to read more. Also, the two little ones will have to get married in the future. Dowry and betrothal gifts are all Don’t get ready! You, my brother, have never thought about this!"
As Shen Luzhu spoke, he stepped on the water with his feet in the basin, and deliberately put a lot of water on Chu Yi's legs, as if to punish his careless brother. Chu Yi sat there with a chuckle, letting it go While his wife was making trouble, and only occasionally retaliated slightly, the young couple had a great time. After soaking their feet, only half of the basin of water was left, and all of it was contributed to the floor of the house.
The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is commonly known as Xiaonian. Legend has it that on this day, the Stove Lord will leave the world temporarily and return to the world on New Year’s Eve. He will go to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor the merits and demerits of each household for the year. On this day, every household will prepare grains and sake on the stove. Then burn a pile of paper money with stove candies and other items, and then the whole family will eat the stove candies and use the stove candies to coat the mouth of the Stove Prince to get the meaning of "God says good things" from the Stove Prince.
There are children at home. When Shen Luzhu and Chu Yi prepared these things, they bought more. The stove candy is crispy and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It is not too sweet and can be eaten as a snack for the two little ones. Just right.
It's different from the past. Uncle Chu and his family came to the door early today. Chu Ren and Mrs. Li are doing fine, there is not much difference from the past. On the contrary, Uncle Chu and Mr. Wang are as happy as anything, especially Madam Wang, she has been smiling all the time even facing Shen Luzhu today, and her attitude is much better.
This made Shen Luzhu doubtful for a while. Could it be that Uncle Chu and Mrs. Wang were penetrated by spirits? This kind of happiness is not like the attitude of trying to get money for Chu Ren because he doesn't have enough money!
Shen Luzhu's doubts were soon answered at the dinner table in the evening.
Seeing the whole family sitting around the dinner table, Mr. Chu cleared his throat and said, "While everyone is here today, I have something to say. The eldest brother and his family are about to return home. We will still be here in the future." Live as a family!”
Shen Luzhu looked at Chu Yi in surprise, returned home? Is that what she meant, to break up and get back together again?
A trace of confusion flashed across Chu Yi's usually calm face. Just as he was about to speak, Uncle Chu asked: "Dad, what does it mean to come back?"
Grandma Chu glanced at her third son who was confused and felt that he was really ignorant: "Coming back means coming back. What else can it mean? We just don't separate and live the same life as before!"
"ah?"
Grandpa Chu stared at Uncle Chu and asked calmly: "Third brother, do you have any objections?"
"Dad..."
As soon as Uncle Chu San started to speak, he was interrupted by Mr. Wang who could no longer hold himself back: "What the hell, Third Uncle, are you not welcoming your eldest brother and sister-in-law? We didn't live together before." It’s good, what do you mean now?”
"Sister-in-law, father and mother, why on earth do we want to be reunited as a family? Our family was separated before, but we found the clan leader and village chief to rewrite the family tree. Now we have to be reunited. What will happen then? Tell the clan leader and the villagers?"
Mrs. Wang was a little unhappy, feeling that Uncle Chu just didn’t want them to go back to their old house, and even moved the clan leader out: “Then what do you want to say? It’s not our family’s turn for outsiders to make irresponsible remarks! Third child, what's your situation..."
Chu Ren heard what Wang said was outrageous and saw that Mr. Chu's eyes had glanced over. He quickly stood up and stopped Wang and explained: "Third uncle, grandma, she didn't mean that. The main reason why she wants to come home is Considering that Grandpa and Grandma are getting older and older, Dad and Mom want to be close by to take care of them, show their filial piety, and place them on the side of the clan leader. Thinking about it, they will not block their children from fulfilling their filial piety to their parents. .”
As soon as Chu Ren said this, regardless of whether everyone here believed it or not, no one could say that they disagreed, otherwise it would become an immoral thing that prevented others from fulfilling their filial piety!
"But wasn't it said at the beginning that the craftsmanship at home would affect your future imperial examinations, Ren? Now that you are back, next year's examinations..."
"Third uncle, don't worry. Now the imperial court has a very different idea from before. Now it strongly encourages civilian students to become officials, so there won't be any bad influence in the future!"
"Oh, that's how it is……"
It's not that Uncle Chu disagrees with the return of Uncle Chu's family, it's just that it happened too suddenly. I always feel that my brother's family can separate and get together whenever they want, so if I say it out loud, it won't make people think that my family Are you taking this matter as a joke? Then someone might say something behind your back!
Mr. Chu glanced at everyone at the dinner table and continued: "Since no one has any objections, then this matter is settled. Boss, please tell me what you plan to do next!"
Uncle Chu nodded and said, "Hey, Dad! We plan to live back in the old house as before, and the fields will be returned to the family for planting. The place where we live now used to be the family's coffin shop. It will still be used as a shop in the future.”
Grandpa Chu nodded, agreeing with the arrangement. At this time, Mrs. Wang answered: "Of course the family still has to live together, that's right. When we separated before, Ah Ren hadn't gotten married yet. At that time, Ah Zhi He was still young, so when he moved back, the house might not be enough. I thought, his father and I would still live in our previous side room, A-Ren and his wife would live in A-Ren’s house, and A-Zhi and Mingxuan would live in the same room. That’s it, what do you think, father and mother?”
Grandma Chu had never thought about this before: "Sure, it's just that the two rooms you lived in before are the only ones left in the house. How can there be a third room for Azhi and Mingxuan?"
Wang smiled and looked at the young couple on the other side of the dining table: "Ali doesn't live in a room by himself, why not let him live with Ayi and his wife? Or if Shen doesn't want to, let him live with the third child." of."
Chu Li was naturally happy to let Chu Li live with his brother and sister-in-law, but he was not stupid. How could he not see that the aunt was bullying them? He shook his head like a rattle: "No, no!"
"You kid, why are you so ignorant!"
When Chu Yi heard this, he straightened his face and said coldly: "The two rooms in the east wing belong to my second bedroom. Why is Ah Li so ignorant?"
"Isn't it true that your parents are gone? If A Li lives with his brother and sister-in-law, it will be easier for you to take care of him. Besides, if you don't want to, you can just live with his third uncle!"
Shen Luzhu patted Chu Li's little head, turned to face Mrs. Wang and said, "Be careful with what you say, think it over carefully before speaking, otherwise people who don't know will think that what you say is our parents." No more, so they’re going to bully us!”
Chu Ren secretly glanced at his mother-in-law. He couldn't say anything to Mrs. Shen, so he could only kick Ms. Li quietly under the table. Ms. Li reacted instantly: "My sister-in-law misunderstood..."
Unexpectedly, Shen Luzhu didn't give Li a chance to make amends for Wang, and continued: "It doesn't matter whether I misunderstood or not. The important thing is that if outsiders know about this, they will misunderstand. Is it possible that by then? Can’t my cousin go to the whole village and go from house to house to explain to me?”
Wang felt that Shen Luzhu was threatening her to expose the matter, so she hurriedly said: "If you dare to go out and talk nonsense..."
"What nonsense am I talking about? Didn't the eldest uncle just say that? Besides, we brothers and sisters-in-law live in the same house with our brothers for easy care. Then the eldest uncle and cousin-in-law, you, the grandmothers, don't live with your son. Easier to take care of!”
"Brothers and sisters..."
Shen Luzhu had no intention of listening to what Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Li had to say, nor did she give them a chance to say: "My cousin needs to take care of his studies right now, so it would be better for the aunt and her family of six to live in one room." , this makes it easier to take care of, and I can still use the other one as a warehouse, right?"
"Ms. Shen, don't bully others too much!"
"Look, look, my nephew-in-law is just joking with my aunt. Why is my aunt so anxious? Even though it was my aunt who said she wanted to use those two rooms for me as a warehouse. But I’m not that shameless person! Naturally, I will free up those two rooms for my aunt, so don’t worry, aunt!”
Mrs. Wang was so angry that her face turned the color of pig liver. She pointed at Shen Luzhu's nose and shouted: "Ms. Shen, who do you think is shameless! You cunning woman, you..."
"How could my aunt misunderstand me so much? When did I say that my aunt is shameless! Not only will I not say it, but in the future, if someone outside says that my aunt is shameless and bullies our juniors, I will do the same as my cousin sister-in-law. My aunt explained it, please don’t worry, aunt!”
"You! You! You stinky..."
If Chu Yi and his wife had not resisted like this, then the Wang family would have to come down. Chu Ren would not do much to stop it, but under the current situation, Chu Ren did not want the Wang family to come down again just for this small gain. If he continued to lose his composure, he hurriedly said to stop it: "Auntie!"
