Dress like a farmer

When Father Chen woke up, he heard the sound of pattering rain.

He was lying in the warm blanket, a little reluctant to get up.

"It's the beginning of spring today?" Seeing that his wife hadn't gotten up, the old man Chen, who was about to get up, lay back under the warm blanket.

"Yes, it's the beginning of spring, you have to tidy up the farm tools at home, repair and replace them."

"Our farm tools are all in good condition. I took a special look at them two days ago. However, there has been no sign of buying a field. I am still thinking about getting two more acres of land this year." Old man Chen said with longing: "If It would be wonderful to be able to buy fields before spring plowing."

"There is no rush for this matter, just wait slowly. We have money in our hands. If we get a letter, we will go there quickly. If we come across good fertile land, we will buy it if it is more expensive."

"That's the reason."

The couple chattered about the daily life.

After talking about one crop, change another crop.

"How about some spring rolls for breakfast?"

"Look at Zhang Luo, I can do it." Old man Chen has no objection: "Can't you get up? If you don't think about it, just lie down again. It's raining outside, and I guess the children will go to bed later. I can't lie down, so I can't sleep. Will smoke away."

Old man Chen sat up straight with his body upright: "Get up, get up, I can't lie still, see if there are any tender wild vegetables, go grab some and come back to make spring rolls."

"I'll go with you and take Ah Niu out to nibble some tender grass."

There is not a lot of snow in the old years, and there is almost no snow around the Chinese New Year.

Today is the fourth day of the lunar new year, when the beginning of spring comes, the sun and the qi stings, everything is spring.The east wind that blows frees the frozen earth for a long time.

The temperature is still freezing, but spring has quietly arrived in the fields and mountains.

With the continuous rain, the sky and the earth seem to be enveloped in a layer of lightness, which is not so real.

Old man Chen and old man Chen put on coir raincoats and bamboo hats, one with a bamboo basket in one arm, and the other with a yellow ox in hand. They walked down the mountain swayingly towards the foot of the mountain under the drizzle like mist in the dim light of the sky.

It was still early, there were few pedestrians on the country road, and the village was as quiet as if it was still sleeping.

"Are you cold?" Old man Chen shook his wife's hand, it was a little cold, he held it and did not let go: "There is no green, we have to wait for a few more days."

Father Chen smiled: "If you don't have it, then let's not do it, let's make spring rolls when we have it."

I didn't find many tender wild vegetables, but Ah Niu was full.

When the couple returned home, the sky was bright, smoke was rising from every household, and the air was filled with the faint smell of food.

Cui Yuanjiu carried brother Cao to the stove house, saw old man Chen and old man Chen, smiled and called second uncle.

Brother Cao called grandpa and grandpa in a childish voice, and when he saw the strong scalper, he shouted Niuniu excitedly.

A Niu let out a long mooing sound.

Cao Geer giggled.

"Father, father, there are some dumplings at home, how about dumplings for breakfast?"

29 packs of dumplings were frozen outside all night, and there are still some left today.

"It's okay to eat dumplings. It's the beginning of spring. If you don't eat these dumplings, you won't be able to keep them for two days."

"If it's not enough, make some more pumpkin cakes. There's still half of the pumpkin that was opened the day before yesterday, which happens to be my youngest's favorite." Chen Yuping made the arrangements clearly.

The pumpkins at home are very big, and the winter melons are also very big, and it takes three or two days to eat one.That is to say, it is cold now, and after a while the temperature rises, the pumpkin or wax gourd that cannot be eaten within two days will have to be chopped and cooked to feed the pigs.

When Chen Yuanqiu, who just left the house, heard this, he laughed like a fool early in the morning: "Okay, okay, I'll eat pumpkin pie."

Talking and laughing, a new day has begun.

On the fifth day of the beginning of spring, when the east wind thaws, it roughly means that the east wind brings warmth, the earth begins to thaw, and everything recovers and the mountains and rivers wake up.

I didn't eat spring rolls on the third day of the junior high school. On the sixth day of the new year, the sky cleared up. I didn't see the sun a few times in the whole winter of the old year. I still miss it.

Old Father Chen happily carried a bamboo basket and prepared to go to the mountains, Cui Yuanjiu and Chen Yuanqiu followed, Chen Yuping and Liu Guixiang stayed at home to take care of the trivial matters and take care of the two little babies.

Old Man Chen and Chen Yuandong were busy with the farming work in the field.

Before Ershanzi and Shuwa reached the door of Chen's house, they greeted each other with loud voices, but found that there was no one in front of the house with the doors and windows closed, only the stove room was open.

"Second Uncle!" The two turned to the stove house again.

Chen Yuping, who was drying clothes behind the house, vaguely heard the movement, and didn't pay much attention to it. Now that he was close, he could hear clearly: "Ershanzishuba, what are you two doing?"

The sound came from behind the house.

Ershanzi and Shuwa happily went to the back of the house, called out to people with a smile on their face, and teased Caogeer and Qiaoniuer again.

"Brother Ping, when is the family business going to open?"

"We went to the town yesterday, and all the shops in the town are open, but your shop is still closed, brother Ping."

Chen Yuping laughed and teased: "What's the matter? Are you two still busy?"

"Hehehe, I really can't be idle." Ershanzi smiled embarrassedly: "I mainly want to eat the food made by brother Ping. I haven't eaten for half a month, so I'm so hungry."

"Brother Shan is right, Brother Ping, tell me, when will the business open?"

Chen Yuping is still thinking about this matter: "Well, the day before the opening, I asked Yuan Jiu to talk to you."

Liu Guixiang carried a piece of pork belly and two big bones with meat, and put them in the clay pot of the stove: "Third brother, I just saw Ershanzi and Shuwa, what are they doing here? Is there any news about the thief?"

Years ago, the old house was burglarized, and she hadn't figured it out, so she was thinking about it. If she couldn't find out the culprit, what should she do?

"I didn't talk about the thief, maybe there is still no news. They came to ask when the business will open, and they seem to be a little restless." Chen Yuping said and laughed.

"I really don't see it, it's an enlightenment. If the elders in the family know about this, they will laugh out loud in their dreams."

"It looks a bit like it to me."

All the trivial things inside and outside the house were neatly tidied up. There was nothing wrong with it. Chen Yuping and Liu Guixiang moved the bamboo couch to the base of the wall in front of the house. On the bamboo couch.

"When does the third brother plan to start a business?"

"I have some ideas, and I have to think about it." It happened that this matter also had something to do with the second sister-in-law. Chen Yuping thought about it, and when he said this, he simply asked: "Second sister-in-law, I will leave the stall at home to you. How about it?"

Liu Guixiang was stunned: "What does third brother mean?"

"I want my father and elder brother to go to the shop on South Street. I plan to set up a bigger shop in the town. If there is a suitable one, I can buy it, and then open some other business." Chen Yuping just wanted to make a deal. Taking care of his family members, he made money by himself, thinking that his family members would also be able to follow suit, and his days would be more and more prosperous.

The youngest is not married, and when they are married, they will naturally give her a hand. Before that, let him and his father focus on the farming work in the field. The second sister-in-law will really take care of the stall. It is estimated that the second brother will not have much free time. Come and help the old house.

"What do father and father think about this? What about elder brother?" Liu Guixiang was a little moved. Regardless of the stall, it was placed at the door of the house, but her reputation had spread all over the country. She would guard the stall, not to mention much. , even if you only give her [-]% of the profit, there is still a lot of money in a month.

"I haven't said it yet. This meeting just happened to talk about this. Let's ask the second sister-in-law first."

Liu Guixiang smiled: "I, I have no objection to such a good thing. This is the kindness of the third brother. I have my second brother and sister-in-law in my heart."

Father Chen and the others went to the mountains to pick tender wild vegetables, and the harvest was quite good. In addition to the fresh and tender wild vegetables, they also picked some juicy mushrooms. They also caught two palm-sized crucian carp and a fat Fat hare.

Cui Yuanjiu and Chen Yuanqiu carried huge bundles of firewood on their backs, and dragged a bamboo in their hands.

At noon, I made wild vegetable spring rolls, meat stuffed spring rolls, stewed kidney bean bone soup, spicy diced rabbit, and fried mushrooms with sliced ​​meat.

Two carp are raised, and stewed tofu is eaten at night.

The complementary food for the two little milk babies is porridge with wild vegetables, which tastes quite delicious and soft.

"Nowadays, the wild vegetables in the fields and mountains have to be eaten fast. They are all seasonal vegetables. After the season, you will have to come to the next year to satisfy your hunger." Old Chen said cheerfully. He likes wild vegetables in spring very much. Fresh and tender, after eating one crop after another, it can last for several days without repeating the same, which is much richer than the vegetables in the vegetable garden.

"After a winter, the firewood at home is almost used up, so let the youngest and Yuan Jiu accompany you into the mountains every day. They collect firewood and game, and you pick wild vegetables and mushrooms." Old man Chen in previous years Accompanying my wife, this year, the youngest wanted to follow Yuan Jiu into the mountains to hunt, so let the child be happy.

Father Chen nodded: "You need to prepare more firewood. Brother Ping, when are you going to start a business? It's the sixth day of the new year."

"I was just about to discuss this matter with my father and father. I am going to buy a bigger shop in the town. If it is suitable, it would be better to buy it directly. The shop on South Street is supported by my father and elder brother. The family's Let the second sister-in-law look after the stall. I don’t have a shop, so I will take care of the house first. When my father and elder brother think we can start a business, we will start a business.”

"How big a shop do you want to open? What kind of business do you want to do?" Father Chen could see through his third son's thoughts at a glance, and he was filled with various feelings.

"It is said that hot pot is delicious. I plan to open a hot pot restaurant. When the weather is hot, I will sell cold pot skewers, and I will sell other snacks by the way. When it is cold, I will sell hot pot. This is just an idea of ​​mine. How big is the shop that is looking at the market, and I will think about it carefully when the time comes."

Old man Chen reminded: "Two shops and one stall, can you take care of it?" In the old years, one shop and one stall, the whole family was so busy that they didn't touch the ground.

"Shrimp paste and fermented bean curd can be prepared in advance. Braised pig intestines and braised trotters. There is old stew at home. Old stew is the key. I can teach dad how to stew and preserve old stew. The same is true for Roujiamo and spiced tea eggs. With the old stew, the taste is not a problem. It is not easy to set up a shop, I will stay at home for a while and teach slowly, Dad can always learn."

"Call your elder brother back, let's talk about it as a family." Old man Chen made a final decision.

This is not a trivial matter. The third son wanted to help his brother because he was kind and thoughtful of his family, but brothers belong to brothers, and business belongs to business. What should be made clear still needs to be made clear.