After the spring plowing, many strong laborers in the village went to the city to work as part-time workers, leaving mostly the old, weak, women and children in the village. When they have free time, many people in the village habitually come to do handiwork under the big tree, and the head of the family, the Li family, chats about gossip they heard.
It was almost noon, and the crowd slowly dispersed, leaving only Wang and Huaihua's sister-in-law, Li.
The eldest Wang was holding the soles of her shoes and chatting wordlessly with Huaihua's sister-in-law, Mrs. Li.
"Do you think Mrs. Liu has returned to the village? I haven't seen her for a long time? Even Baogen's mother has not left her house." Ms. Li asked.
"Who knows? If you didn't hear the sound, you might have gone out to hide." Mrs. Wang didn't even raise her head, doing her Thousand Layers. "I haven't seen Xiao Anzi since Liu Baogen beat her last time. It would be better if they didn't come back, which would make it easier for Da Ya and her sister." She really looked down on Mrs. Liu's behavior of neither apologizing nor apologizing.
"That's right. Da Ya and Da Ya are pitiful. Liu Da and Liu Da are such good people. How can they survive if they are left behind?" Li sighed and continued: "It would be better if she didn't come back. The village It's just that there is no stirring stick." She doesn't like the Liu family either. The old one is a brazen brawler, the younger one is very aggressive and fights hard, and it's only now that she beats up the little Anzi.
"Yes! I often see them looking for food outside." It's not that the village doesn't want to help them, it's just that Mrs. Liu is so hateful. As long as anyone gives Liu Daya food, she will let the other family raise the two little ones. A half-grown man lives in poverty, and no one in the village is living a good life, and no one can afford to support him.
Da Wang continued, "Let me tell you, there are gods in heaven and earth, and they will have their own retribution. Look at Liu Baogen, isn't he suffering from a strange disease? I think this disease will happen again." Da Wang said with gloating, full of hatred meaning.
The Li family knew that there was a conflict between the Wang family and the Liu family, and she also knew the inside story. The Wang family and the Liu family were also relatives who had not been together in the fifth service. The two families were close to each other, wall to wall, and they were supposed to be harmonious neighbors. Yes, but last summer the egg-laying hen of the Wang family flew into the Liu family's yard. She went to beg for it, but Mrs. Liu refused to give it to her, insisting that it belonged to her family. The two families had a fierce quarrel, which alerted the village chief, but Mrs. Liu was always acting like a fool, but she refused to give her. This incident became known to everyone. From then on, the Wang family hated Mrs. Liu. The two families had constant conflicts and various quarrels, each with their own reasons. Win or lose, the Wang family even spread her family's troubles to everyone in the village, just to vent their anger.
"Qiangzi mother, who are you making those shoes for?" Ms. Li was holding an embroidered stretcher in her hand, embroidering a peony flower. The size of the thousand-layer bottom in Dao Wang's hand was not big, like the size of his boy. However, she knew that she had only made one for her son last month, so she would not make another pair. Country people only get one pair per season. When shoes are worn out, they need to be repaired. If you really can’t repair them, buy new ones, and you don’t want to wear two pairs of shoes interchangeably.
"Miss Xiao asked me to make them for his nephew." Mrs. Wang said, thinking about the shoes, she felt beautiful in her heart. Xiao Ming promised her 30 yuan for one pair of shoes and 60 yuan for two pairs of shoes. She used It can be done in less than five days, and making sixty cents is much better than selling eggs and embroidering handkerchiefs. It takes three days to embroider striped handkerchiefs, which is only twenty cents, and you have to make no mistakes. I thought in my mind, and kept working with my hands, threading the needle and thread quickly. In just one morning, I had already finished more than half of the thousand-layer bottom, and one shoe could be made in one day.
The Wang family couldn't let go of the fact that Xiao Ming paid for the craftsmanship. She had to hide it for fear of being robbed of the job.
"It belongs to Miss Xiao. You said that Miss Xiao is so capable, but she still doesn't know how to make shoes." Mrs. Li didn't believe it and asked the eldest Wang secretly. She couldn't help but think about it, if she couldn't make shoes, then she would be a bit bad as his daughter-in-law. Nowadays, any girl couldn't make clothes and shoes. She would have to teach her well when she gets married in the future.
"What's the point? Miss Xiao can make money, but what kind of shoes can't be bought?" Mrs. Wang smiled, with a look of disdain. Mrs. Li's little care was written on her face. She wanted to ask Xiao Ming to be her daughter-in-law. , either she underestimated his second son, or there was no man worthy of Xiao Ming in the whole village.
"Your son is not worthy of him." Wang said directly that his son was average-looking and not worthy of Xiao Ming.
"What's wrong with medical skills? Look at who's daughter in these ten miles and eight villages is as public as she is. A woman's daily necessities are the right way to support her husband and educate her children." Mrs. Li was not happy anymore and looked down upon her son. "Besides, Xiao Ming has no father or mother, and no one in the family can make the final decision. Who will marry her in the future?"
"Why not? Xiao Yatou is good-looking and has medical skills. There will be a long queue of men who want to marry her in the future." The Wang family was dissatisfied and counterattacked.
The two almost quarreled over this issue. Little did she know that a four-wheeled carriage slowly walked into the village and stopped beside her.
"Sister-in-law, please tell me how to get to Xiao's house." The coachman jumped out of the carriage and asked the two people in the dispute.
"Xiao family, which Xiao family?" Mrs. Li looked at the luxurious carriage in front of her and didn't react.
"On the east side of the river, at the foot of Qingshan Mountain, if you go straight along this road, you will see a wooden bridge. After crossing the wooden bridge, walk a few dozen meters and you will find the Xiao family." The Wang family pointed the way to the coachman neatly, and the whole Liu family There is only one family named Xiao in our village.
Watching the carriage go away, Mrs. Wang glanced proudly at Mrs. Li who was in a daze: "Look, I think Xiao Ming is not an easy girl. If no one from the city came to find her, the carriage is worth a lot." silver."
"Hmph! Maybe he's just here to see a doctor." Mrs. Li said, reluctantly packing up her things and leaving.
The carriage stopped at the wooden bridge. The coachman looked at the wooden bridge. The wooden bridge was narrow and old and could only accommodate two people, but the carriage could not pass. He had to say to the people in the car: "Master, this wooden bridge is too narrow for the carriage to pass."
"No defense, let's just walk over." The curtain opened, and the person inside was Min Fangqi, the manager of Guangji Hall.
Coachman Lin Bo quickly stepped forward and helped Min Fangqi out of the carriage. He took the gifts in the car, including two bolts of silk and several boxes of snacks, and followed Min Fangqi across the wooden bridge.
Looking at the desolate land east of Qiaodong with weeds growing everywhere, Min Fangqi said pitifully: "I didn't expect the Xiao siblings to live in this place." He thought that his little granddaughter would be pampered and protected in every possible way after she was born. Although she suffered a little bit of grievance, Xiao Ming had to run for her life.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the two of them arrived in front of Xiao's house, they heard a dog barking.
There was a black dog squatting under the eaves, purring from its mouth. There was no trace of black hair on its body. Its pointed ears stood up to the sky. Its dark green eyes were full of warning. It leaned forward as if it was ready to attack at any time. attack.
"It's actually a wolfdog." Min Fangqi was quite surprised when he took a closer look. He had seen many young masters raising such animals in the capital.
"Wolf, sir, be careful." Lin Bo, the driver, was so frightened that he stood in front of Min Fangqi.
"Stand still, as long as it doesn't move forward, it won't attack us." Min Fangqi said to comfort the frightened coachman. He didn't expect Xiao Ming to be able to raise such a ferocious beast, and his understanding of Xiao Ming reached a new level.
"Maomao, stop." Xiao Yu heard the voice and ran out, and quickly stopped him.
