"Mother! Mother! I'm back!"
Cha Yuan finally arrived home before sunset. Although it was expensive to hire a carriage to take him home, he couldn't care less about returning home. Three months of military training was the longest time he had been away from home since he was born. It's time.
"Second brother! You are back!"
The first person to come out was Che Yuan's younger brother Che Dan. Although the two brothers were four years apart, they were both born around New Year's Day, so they were named that way.
The eldest brother was born during the autumn harvest, hence his name "Cheqiu".
The little sister was born in the summer, so she was called "Che Xia".
Although it sounds more seasonal, it was also a name given by a literate gentleman in the village, saying that it is easier to feed children who are in season.
It is much better than the names like "Goudan", "Black Bull", "Shuanzhu", "Iron Hammer", or even "One", "Two" and "Three" in the same village.
"What's wrong? Something happened at home?"
When Cha Yuan heard what his brother said, he suddenly felt bad.
"No! It's just that Mom misses you so much! She's worried that you won't be able to eat well or sleep well!"
In the past three months, Che Dan had been nagging his mother a lot, and he had to listen, so he could only endure it with all his strength. The eldest brother went to the East Palace Guards' camp to inquire about news, but was kicked back and almost beaten.
"I was shocked! You kid! Let's go! Carry this sack in! Can you carry it?"
Cha Yuan finally felt relieved. After his father passed away, his eldest brother and his younger brother were working outside, and his mother was taken care of by his sister-in-law and younger sister. Things couldn't be better without any problems.
"Is there a precious treasure inside? How can it be so heavy?"
Che Dan wrapped up the sack with difficulty and asked curiously.
"Open it after you see your mother!"
Cha Yuan decided to give his mother a surprise to show his filial piety.
"Mother! Mother?"
"I heard it! I heard it! I heard it as soon as I entered the yard! Let mother take a good look at my son!"
Che Yuan's mother, Mrs. Liu, still has a strong body, but farmers don't pay much attention to diagnosis, treatment and maintenance, so she will always suffer from some problems as she gets older.
"Mom! My son is unfilial! I make you worry all the time!"
When Cha Yuan saw his mother, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times to express his apology.
"Oh~! Get up! Mom will be happy if Yuan'er can go home safely. You don't have to do this. Have you eaten?"
Ms. Liu was extremely happy to see her son come back unscathed. The farmers had all eaten early and were already preparing to lie down and sleep.
"Not yet! Mom, come and see what good things I have brought back for you!"
This is a good time for Cha Yuan to show his filial piety. After three months of hardship, it was finally not in vain.
"Hey~! It cost a lot of money to buy this big bag, right?"
Ms. Liu couldn't help but worry, fearing that her son had lent her money to buy something.
"Mom, you don't know, I am rich now. I have done well in the army. The prince rewarded me with dozens of silver dollars. You see, it is this object. Two taels of silver can be exchanged for three silver dollars."
Cha Yuan happily took out a few silver coins and put them in his mother's hands. Although he went to many shops, he still left a few silver coins because there would be many opportunities to make money in the future.
"Seriously? Didn't you lie to your mother?"
Mrs. Liu felt that the silver dollar was heavy enough, and she was very disappointed. She was still doubtful about it. They were a poor family, and the harvest of crops was not good now. Once they borrowed the money, they might not be able to pay it back for a while.
"Seriously! Seriously! Mom! This is the reward certificate the prince sent me! This is my certificate! This is the deposit certificate!"
Cha Yuan took out a bunch of documents from his bag. He was confident now. This was the benefit of having money.
"That's good! It's not like you didn't know that my mother was illiterate, so it's good that you didn't lie to your mother. You need to keep this well and don't throw it away!"
When Ms. Liu saw the papers covered with handwriting and stamped with seals, she felt relieved. She was very pleased that her second son was finally going to be successful.
"Brother, I'll keep these for you, I won't take them back. Oh, by the way, have you received all the monthly grains?"
Che Yuan was in the army and could not go out, so his eldest brother had to bring the relevant documents to get the food. He didn't know the specific situation yet, so he had to ask.
"Great! I got it all. Three buckets of rice every month, all of which are polished rice, but it's very good!"
Speaking of which, the whole family has benefited from his second brother. Che Qiu also smiled happily when he talked about it. Although three buckets of rice was not much, he ate sparingly and mixed in some corn and other things, using vegetables grown in his own yard. The family will no longer be hungry.
"I will become a formal soldier this month, and from now on I will be allocated half a stone every month. The prince will give us three days off, and we will get the food back tomorrow."
Che Yuan has no worries about food and drink in the army. The training results of his company and platoon are also very good. He can eat meat almost every day. Although it is fish, it is still meat. It is much better than eating pickles, and the rice is enough. .
Some guys who had gone crazy from hunger were gluttonous, but when the squad leader saw them, they had no choice but to stay awake and let the foodies walk around the school grounds to digest their food. They were also not allowed to drink water, otherwise they would die of abdominal distension.
The soldiers under his command were stretched to death, but Zhou Zongrong couldn't afford to lose that person, and it was even more serious if it spread to the ears of the prince. With this lesson, no one dared to overeat.
"That's great! Just rest at home!"
Che Qiu took his younger brother to work on the construction site and could not go home during the day. He would feel more relieved if his second younger brother could take care of his mother at home.
"Come on, please open the bag and see what good things I have brought for you!"
Cha Yuan carried the sack that was placed in the corner and hurried on, just to take the items home as soon as possible.
"You brought this back, so it's up to you to fight!"
Che Qiu didn't want to steal his younger brother's limelight. The second younger brother was not injured. It was a matter of burning incense for him to return safely.
Now that the eldest brother had spoken and his mother had no intention of taking action, Cha Yuan did his part.
"Mom, sister-in-law, little sister, this is the cloth I bought for you. Go back and ask Tailor Zhang in the village to make some clothes for you."
Farmers couldn't wear satin. The quality of the cloth in the prince's shop was very good, so Che Yuan simply bought a few feet, just enough to make clothes for each of the female members of the family.
The ones I bought for my mother were plain ones, and the ones I bought for my sister-in-law and younger sister were bright-colored ones. In the past, it would take several years to wear the same clothes, but now that I have money, I naturally have to buy new ones.
"Okay, okay! My son is finally successful!"
Ms. Liu knew the situation at home and did not blame her son for spending money. It didn't matter whether she made clothes or not. With money, she could make clothes for her daughter-in-law and daughter.
"Thank you very much, uncle!"
Sister-in-law Li was naturally very happy to see her share. She is only twenty years old. For a woman of this age, who doesn’t look forward to having new clothes?
"That's great! Thank you, second brother!"
When my younger sister Che Xia heard that she would have new clothes, she was so happy that she almost jumped up.
"Oh~! She's about to get married, and she's still crazy!"
When Mrs. Liu saw her daughter being so frivolous, she scolded her.
"No way~! I'm not getting married!"
When Che Xia heard her mother blaming herself, she stuck out her tongue playfully, and then denied it.
"Mom, who will my little sister marry?"
Cha Yuan suddenly became curious. He had never heard of this before he joined the army.
"The boss of the Chen family at the east end of the village! He learned the craft from his father, Carpenter Chen. At least with the craft, he can have something to eat. Our Xia Marry will never die of hunger!"
Mrs. Liu was very worried about her daughter's marriage. In the countryside, it was difficult for a girl to get married after she was fifteen. What's more, the Che family couldn't afford to be picky. As long as she married into her husband's family, she wouldn't starve to death.
"Oh! That guy is okay! Except he's a little boring!"
Che Yuan nodded. He was very familiar with the eldest son of the Chen family. It could be said that they had grown up together. He was a nice guy, but he didn't like to talk. Like his father, he liked to do carpentry work.
"Mom! I don't want to marry a boring gourd!"
Che Xia doesn't like people who don't like to talk, otherwise she would be suffocated to death even after marrying into the Chen family.
"Mom, I'm not talking about you. Are you stupid? Meng Gourd is the best. If you weren't a Meng Gourd, Mom wouldn't be worried!"
What Ms. Liu likes is the dull personality of the Chen family boss, so it would be more appropriate for her daughter to marry him. If her husband's family were all articulate and well-spoken, her daughter would suffer every day.
"That's what mother said! Little sister, you have to listen to my mother about this wedding. When the time comes, my second brother will give you a good dowry!"
Che Yuan also felt that this marriage was more appropriate. The younger sister would not be bullied when she married into the Chen family, and she was from the same village, making it easier to take care of her.
"Second brother! How can you say that to me? Huh~!"
Che Xia didn't expect that when her second brother came back, he would stand with his mother and talk about her. It was really too much.
"Okay, second brother bought you a good toy! Look! What is this?"
Cha Yuan took out a beautifully packaged tin rabbit from the sack and immediately attracted the little girl.
"...What is this?"
Che Xia immediately threw her marriage out of mind and blinked at this small object, which was no bigger than a palm.
"Come on, come on, watch!"
Che Yuan tore open the package, took out the tin rabbit, put it on the kang, then inserted the key and twisted it a few times, and the tin rabbit immediately came to life.
"Wow~! It's so fun! This rabbit can move!"
Che Xia was so happy that she clapped her hands happily and praised this novel object that could run all over the kang by itself.
"As long as you like it, big brother and little brother, this is the glass ball I bought for you!"
Even though my younger brother is an adult, he still has a lot of fun. Not to mention him, even Cha Yuan found the glass ball very funny when he saw it.
There are ten glass balls in a box. One person bought three boxes, one box for each of the three brothers. According to the instructions above, the three brothers can play games with each other in the yard.
"This thing is so crystal clear, it's really amazing!"
Che Qiu took the box, opened it, picked up a glass ball, and was immediately amazed. In his opinion, this was simply a top-notch treasure.
"Second brother! Isn't this too expensive?"
Che Dan felt even more at a loss. It seemed like this object was very valuable. If he broke it, he would cry.
"It's not expensive, it's not expensive. It only costs one penny per box. It's just for playing. I'll teach you two how to play in a while. It's going to be fun!"
Cha Yuan didn't care about this. All his comrades who went to the store together bought it, so of course he wanted to buy it too, and he heard that the price would increase in the future.
"What? One coin per box? Isn't that expensive?"
Che Qiu's mouth opened so wide that he could almost stuff a steamed bun into it.
"Second brother, I don't dare accept this gift!"
Che Dan hurriedly placed his box of glass balls on the kang, and then gently pushed it back to Che Yuan with his fingers, fearing that it would be broken and he would not be able to afford compensation.
Working on the construction site, he could only earn one tael of silver a month. Just such a box of glass balls was equivalent to three days' wages.
"Look at what you two said, I bought this specially for you two to play with. Now all the rich kids in the city play with this. My comrades also bought a lot. Some people bought a big jar. I also bought it for you two. It’s a small purchase! My little sister has a tin rabbit, so I have to take care of you two, right? Besides, I also bought a mirror for my sister-in-law and a wooden comb for my mother. Isn’t this great!”
As he spoke, Cha Yuan took out a huge wooden box from the sack. This was used to hold the mirror. The mirror is the most fragile object and cannot be sloppy, so the box to hold the mirror was naturally made very carefully. Sturdy.
Che Yuan spent a lot of money for this palm-sized mirror. Fortunately, the whole family can use it, so it’s not too bad. Compared with the bronze mirror that gives a blurry light, the one sold in the Prince’s Store This mirror is too clear.
"Wow~! Second brother, you are so awesome! Let me see it!"
Seeing such a large mirror that could reflect people, Che Xia immediately put down the tin rabbit in his hand and came closer to take a look at himself first.
As soon as the sun shines, even though it is almost sunset, you can still see your facial features clearly and distinctly with the help of the light.
Sister-in-law Li also took a photo of it and was very surprised by it. However, she was worried that the thing was too expensive, so she couldn't say anything directly. If it was too expensive, she wouldn't be able to take it if she wanted it.
"Sister-in-law, this mirror is my gift to you!"
Cha Yuan was very generous and always ate the food cooked by his sister-in-law. Now that he had the ability to give back, he naturally wanted to repay the favor.
"No! No! It's too expensive, I can't accept it!"
Mrs. Li also understands that it is not easy for her brother-in-law to make money. If he works hard in the army, he is going to endure hardships. This is all his hard-earned money.
"Sister-in-law, you have to accept it or not! This item was bought from the Prince's shop. As long as you buy it, no matter what, even if it is broken, you have to carry it yourself!"
It was easy to say that he wanted to withdraw, but Cha Yuan was determined not to say that. He had waited in line for a long time to buy this mirror, and there were so many people rushing to buy it.
When his little sister gets married, he plans to buy her a dowry, a new oil lamp, and a red satin wedding dress, which will make her look glamorous.
"this……"
Mrs. Li was said to be unable to move forward or retreat, so she could only use her eyes to ask her mother-in-law and Che Qiu for instructions. What she said at home did not count.
"Mom, brother, this mirror can be used by the whole family, and it can be used every day. As long as you are careful and don't drop it on the ground, it can last a lifetime!"
After three months of training in the army, he still had good eyesight. Che Yuan noticed it and took the opportunity to persuade him that the mirror was a bit expensive, but if it were used for decades, the cost would be quite high if evenly divided. of cheap.
"Oh~! If you really can't retreat, then just accept it!"
Mrs. Liu thought for a long time, and finally sighed and bought everything. Since her second son said so and the money was spent, so be it.
The happiest people are Li and Che Xia. With such a good mirror, they can take enough photos every day.
"Mom, this is the wooden comb I bought for you!"
In line with the principle of one gift for each person in the family, Cha Yuan also prepared one for his mother.
"Don't waste money! Mom doesn't need this!"
Mrs. Liu couldn't help but feel defensive. This second son was good at everything, but he couldn't save money and was lavish.
"Mom, I haven't eaten yet, so I bought two roast ducks by the way! My eldest brother and my younger brother usually work at the construction site, which is hard and tiring. It's just a good time for the whole family to replenish their health together!"
This was the first time Che Yuan bought roast duck since he was born. When he passed by a stall selling roast duck before, he had the idea of grabbing one, but at least he resisted.
Otherwise, he would not be able to serve as the prince's soldier, and he would have to squat in the prison.
"Gulu~!"
Asked about the taste of roast duck, the whole family's stomachs immediately reacted.
The last time I ate meaty food, I don’t even know when it was...
