The happy little days of the Ye family

"Qingqing, I went to the back mountain to hunt pigweed yesterday and saw many snails in the creek. Let's go to the back mountain to touch the snails."

Just after breakfast, Ye Qingmei from next door came over and asked Ye Qingqing to touch the snails together.

"Okay, just wait for me and I'll get a backpack."

Ye Qingqing carried a backpack behind her back and a small basket in her hand. After saying something to Ye's mother, she hurried out of the house.

Mother Ye looked at Ye Qingqing's fussy look, and said to Mrs. Ye with some worry: "She is almost a grown-up girl, but she still looks childish."

Old Mrs. Ye looked at the two little girls holding hands and making a fuss, "Qingqing is still young. Let her play for a few more years. When she grows up and gets married, she won't be as happy as she is now."

The two little girls held hands and played and joked along the way, and soon they arrived at the back mountain.

Ye Qingmei pointed to a section of stream in front of the toon tree and said, "Qingqing, it's right here. There are a lot of snails in this section of the stream."

"While it's not hot yet, let's go down and touch the snails." Ye Qingqing happily pulled his friend over.

Ye Qingqing opened the stones in the stream and found several large snails hidden inside. Ye Qingqing picked up the snails, washed them in the stream and put them in the basket in his hand.

Ye Qingqing put the basket in front of Ye Qingmei and said proudly: "Look at the snails I touched, are they big? Are you strong?"

"What do you think this is? It's up to me."

Ye Qingmei opened her palms excitedly, and there were three snails she had just found on them. The snails were big and fat, and at first glance they were better than the ones Ye Qingqing had found.

Ye Qingqing was not convinced and turned around to continue touching the snails.

Snails like to hide under stones. Ye Qingqing and Ye Qingmei opened the stones in the stream one by one, and there were more and more snails in their baskets.

Unconsciously, the sun has climbed into the sky, and the surrounding air is getting hotter and hotter.

There was ice-cold stream water under their feet, but their upper bodies were still extremely hot. The two little girls were sweating profusely.

Ye Qingqing wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead and looked at the snails in the basket. The snails in this half basket were enough for two meals.

Ye Qingqing called to Ye Qingmei, who was still working hard to touch the screws, and was about to go back. It was too hot in these dog days.

The snail carrying the basket on his back was still somewhat heavy. Ye Qingqing was weak and it became more and more difficult to carry the snail as he walked, when a voice came from behind.

"Sister Ye family, do you need help?"

Ye Qingqing turned around and was pleasantly surprised to see Tang Xiaojing driving an ox cart from behind.

Ye Qingqing looked at Tang Xiaojing with a smile, "Brother Tang, can you help us deliver these snails to my house?"

Tang Xiaojing jumped off the bullock cart, took the baskets from the two of them, and easily placed the baskets on the bullock cart.

"You and this sister, come up too. I'm going to your house for dinner. Anyway, I'm on my way."

"Okay."

Tang Xiaojing had lunch and dinner at Ye's house recently, and the two became familiar with each other. Ye Qingqing happily pulled Ye Qingmei onto the oxcart.

"This is Tang Xiaojing, who moved back to the village from the county some time ago."

"This is my good sister Ye Qingmei. She lives on the left side of my house."

Ye Qingqing briefly introduced the two of them, and they nodded, indicating that they knew each other.

Tang Xiaojing looked at the snail in the basket on his back and thought it looked familiar, so he asked Ye Qingqing, "Is this a snail?"

Ye Qingqing looked at the snails in the basket and smiled brightly, "It's snails. The stir-fried snails made by my mother are delicious, but the snails will have to be raised for two days. I'll let my mother cook them later." Snails.”

Tang Xiaojing also remembered that he had eaten screws twice, and they tasted really good. "There are a lot of them in the rivers in the east and west valleys. I'll bring some back next time."

Ye Qingqing said enviously: "There are usually few people going to the valley. There must be a lot of good things in the river. I wonder if there are any small river clams."

Xiaohe clams are small and don't have much meat, but they taste very fresh. It is very delicious whether stir-fried or cooked with eggs and luffa in soup.

The Ye family is very knowledgeable about food. Ye Qingqing said it was delicious, so it must be good. Tang Xiaojing couldn't help but want to try it too.

"What do river clams look like? Next time I go to the valley, I'll go to the river to see if there are any."

Just as Ye Qingqing was about to say it, he found that he had already arrived at Ye's house.

Tang Xiaojing stopped at the door of Ye's house and lifted Ye Qingmei's basket from the bullock cart.

Ye Qingmei thanked Tang Xiaojing awkwardly, then looked meaningfully at her good sisters, and went home carrying a heavy backpack.

Tang Xiaojing helped Ye Qingqing carry the snails to the kitchen. Ye Qingqing took a bucket out, asked Tang Xiaojing to put the snails in it, and then added two tablespoons of water into it.

The snails in the bucket were bubbling in the water and looked quite fresh. Tang Xiaojing and Ye Qingqing couldn't help but feel a little greedy.

Seeing that there were vegetables picked by Ye Mu in the kitchen, Ye Qingqing took the vegetables to the door of the kitchen, took out a small bench, and sat at the door of the kitchen to choose vegetables.

Tang Xiaojing saw that nothing happened without him and he was alone when he returned home, so he simply chopped firewood at Ye's house.

The father and son had dinner together at the Ye family, and the family saved a lot of firewood. Every time Tang Xiaojing went to Stone Mountain, he would bring a small bundle of firewood to the Ye family.

Occasionally, he helped the Ye family chop firewood. He was very strong and could chop firewood quickly and well. Father Ye and Mr. Ye liked him more and more.

Father Ye wished he could make a decision for the two of them right away, but unfortunately they were still young and didn't understand, which made Father Ye's mouth bubbling with anxiety.

Tang Xiaojing was chopping firewood and asked Ye Qingqing what the river clam looked like.

Ye Qingqing not only talked about what river clams looked like and where to find them, but also talked about several delicacies made with river clams, which made Tang Xiaojing feel hungry.

Mrs. Ye came back from outside and saw the two of them, one chopping firewood and the other choosing vegetables, chatting and laughing and getting along very harmoniously, and she couldn't help but start thinking more.

Old Mrs. Ye went to Ye's mother's house, and the two chatted quietly.

Old Mrs. Ye: "The two children get along pretty well. One of them is chopping firewood, the other is choosing vegetables, and they are talking and laughing in the yard."

Mother Ye asked puzzledly: "Isn't that good? I think Brother Shan also likes Qingqing, and he even hinted to the husband that the two families will live together in the future."

"Aren't I worried that Shanzi will marry again in the future? If you have a stepmother, you will have a stepfather. If you marry a troublemaker, you will be in trouble."

"Jing Xiaozi has his own abilities, and he can live a good life without relying on Brother Shan. I heard from Brother Shan that the Stone Mountain in the valley was bought with the money earned by Jing Xiaozi himself, and it is Jing Xiaozi's name that is written on the land deed."

Old Mrs. Ye was even more satisfied with Tang Xiaojing now, "This stone mountain is bigger than Xiaohoushan, why should it cost three or forty taels? This boy Jing is indeed quite capable."

"Brother Shan is a sensible person. Even if he marries again, he won't go too far. If the two of us get married, wouldn't we still be there? We can live behind the house, and we can't watch Qingqing suffer."

Mrs. Ye finally felt relieved and said, "They are still young, let's take a look."