A ragged cub at the beginning

Tang Xu supported his chin, looked at the passers-by outside, and wondered what he could do for the women of this era with his meager strength.

The biggest reason why women have such a hard time is that they cannot support themselves by their own efforts. They depend on their families before marriage, depend on their husbands after marriage, and depend on their sons when they are old. If they cannot be financially independent, they have no capital to settle down.

Women are no different from men in all other aspects except their size and strength. Why are their status so low? The reason is that in economically poor areas, there are more physical labors, and women are naturally inferior to men who have more developed muscles, higher bone density, and stronger bodies.

So are there any jobs that women can do and that only women are suitable for?

Girls from poor families are only taught to do housework from a young age. Families with a little more money will let their children learn some needlework and recognize some words. Families with more money will let their children learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to manage their finances. Tailoring and embroidery are fine, but embroidery is too hard on the eyes. Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting may be taught, but these spoiled young ladies who never leave their homes will not need this little money.

What else?

Tea master? Flower arrangement? She didn't know these things, so what could she do? She sighed deeply and stared out the door in a daze.

Business has not been good recently, and he only accepted two paintings in the afternoon. Tang Xu was not in a hurry. After all, the shop was here and the money in his hand was enough to live on.

She asked Qi Qing to stay for a while and went back. Before she reached the door, she heard the sound of children playing.

All the worries in her mind were driven away by the laughter. She took two quick steps and saw a bunch of children playing in the yard, all from the neighborhood, all sweating profusely.

Tang Qing puffed out his lips, stood on one leg in the corridor with sandbags tied to his hands and feet, with envy and disdain in his eyes.

Tang Ling folded her arms and looked at the children in the yard. Although there was still no expression on her face, it was obvious that she was very relaxed, without the cold tension that she had when she first arrived.

"Mother~" Qiyue ran over with arms outstretched and hugged her legs. Her face was covered with beads of sweat, and her dark eyes seemed to have been washed by water, clear and innocent.

"My baby! Are you happy today?" Tang Xu picked him up and almost sprained her waist. This kid is getting stronger and stronger. She held him for a while and then put him down. He was too heavy. She reached out and touched the child's back. It was all sweaty. She took out the wet sweat towel and unbuttoned his cotton jacket.

"Aunt Xu, do you miss me?" Fang Zijun ran over and looked up.

"Miss me, miss me." Du Jiarui also ran over.

"Aunt Xu, would you like some water?" Zhao Yunniang brought a cup of tea.

"Yunniang is so cunning!" Fang Zijun felt that he had lost. "I'll go get some snacks for Aunt Xu."

"I'll move the stool!" July also reacted.

"I, I, I..." Du Jiarui thought for a long time, then suddenly had an idea and said, "Give Aunt Xu a leg massage! My grandma said I'm a good massager!"

Seeing them like this, the other children gathered around them, wanting to do something unwillingly.

Tang Xu sat down surrounded by them, holding a cup in her left hand and a snack in her right hand, feeling both amused and touched. It was just that such a large group of children surrounding her, some pounding their legs, some pounding their backs, reminded her of a boxer who would feed her water, wipe her sweat and massage her muscles after each round. It was such a treat.

The children were chattering non-stop, making her head a little dizzy. It was really a happy trouble.

It's just like kindergarten.

Tang Ling chuckled, seeing that she was as popular as ever, and then her pupils dilated because of the noise.

Tang Qing snorted, with an awkward longing.

"Go and have fun." Tang Ling pointed at him with his chin.

"I won't play with children's things." Tang Qing took down the sandbag and ran back to the room.

"Oh, these kids, quickly scatter. You have made your Aunt Xu unconscious." Yu Xiaotao came to rescue her.

"It's really noisy, you guys." Zhao Yunniang put her left hand on her waist and pointed at the little carrot heads with her right hand, "You, you, you, keep your voice down!"

"Why are they quarreling?" Fang Zijun was puzzled. "Aunt Xu likes us the most."

"It seems to be a bit noisy. My mother seems to be uncomfortable." Qiyue was anxious and pulled all the friends away. "Make way, my mother is going to die of noise."

It's so noisy? ! ! All the children took two steps back in fear.

"Can people be killed by noise?" Du Jiarui asked.

"No! This is a lie told by adults! My mother says every day that she is going to be killed by my noise! ​​But she is not dead yet. She hit me very hard yesterday!" said a skinny child.

“I haven’t heard of anyone being killed by noise.”

"What is dead?"

"Death means being buried in the ground. My grandfather died and lay in a coffin, buried in the ground."

"When you're dead, you can't move. You have to bury it."

"When you die, you become a star!"

"Become a ghost! Bless us with wisdom!"

"Are we going to die?"

"Everyone is going to die!"

"My mother said she was mad at me!"

"I don't want to die. I'm a little scared."

The topic of death attracted the attention of all the children, and they began to discuss it enthusiastically. Tang Xu listened to these childish words and felt a little amused. She saw that if she continued, they would burst into tears. She clapped her hands, "Children, be quiet."

All the children looked over, their clear, dark eyes full of curiosity.

“Have you ever seen a tree in winter?”

"I've seen it! I have one at home!" Fang Zijun raised his hand.

“No leaves.”

“The leaves have all fallen off.”

"Is it dead?"

"The trees are not dead. The weather is too cold, so they need to accumulate strength and throw away all their leaves. The leaves fall into the soil and become nutrients, allowing the trees to grow more beautiful leaves next spring," Tang Xu explained.

"People buried in the soil become nutrients, can they nourish trees?" Fang Zijun said.

Tang Xu was stunned for a moment, thinking that this topic seemed to be wrong. She thought for a moment and said, "Because the earth grows all kinds of food and feeds us, we think that the land is like a mother. So when we die and are buried in the earth, we return to the embrace of our mother."

“Yes, rice grows in the soil!”

"Grow wheat! Wheat turns into flour!"

"Changcaicai!"

They rushed to speak and let their imagination run wild.

"Right. Have you ever seen dead bugs and small animals?"

"Yes! My Dahuang died." The child said, his eyes turned red, and he cried with a pouty mouth, "I miss Dahuang so much! Woo..."

Tang Xu felt his scalp tingling and he hugged her in his arms.

"So will we die like Da Huang in the future?" Fang Zijun frowned. "I don't want to die yet. I still want to learn Kung Fu and be a hero in the future."

"Everyone will die. When our hair turns white and our teeth fall out, life will come to an end." Tang Xu said. Seeing several children pouting, she thought of a movie and said, "Let me tell you a story!"

After hearing the story, the children immediately became interested and came over one after another.

Tang Xu began to tell the story of "Coco" from the beginning. The children listened attentively. They started by standing and then sat cross-legged on the ground, holding their chins with great concentration.

At the end, Tang Xu said: "Everyone will die, but for you it must be too early. Every year we go to worship our ancestors, to visit our deceased relatives and tell them that we still remember them. As long as we remember them, they are still here, but they can't be with us all the time."

Du Yun stood at the door and watched her comfort all the children easily. She was calm and confident while telling the story, and her expression changed with the plot, and she seemed to be radiating light.

He couldn't help but start looking forward to life after marriage, wanting to see her every day when he got home, hold her hand, and listen to her tell him about the trivial things she encountered every day.

In spring, he admires flowers; in summer, he enjoys the cool breeze; in autumn, he climbs mountains; in winter, he sweeps snow. Even if he does nothing but quietly watches, Du Yun actually feels a sense of satisfaction and happiness.

"So! We should not be afraid of death, because there is no escape, everyone will have that day. What should we do?" Tang Xu looked around the group of children, "We should cherish, cherish our family members, love them and treat them well. Cherish every day when you open your eyes and look at the clouds in the sky. Every day is different, and seeing them is a reward. Well, it's time for dinner, let's go home. Help mom with housework, massage grandpa and grandma's backs, and bring dad a glass of water."

"I'll go back and help my mother sweep the floor!"

"I want to help my mother serve the meal!"

"I'll give grandma a back massage!"

The children got up and grumbled, and after saying goodbye, they left one by one. There were still four stubborn people left, clinging to Tang Xu.

When Tang Xu looked up, he saw a figure as tall as a bamboo at the door, looking at him gently with a smile in his eyes.

My boyfriend is so handsome! "Why don't you come in?"

"I'm watching," Du Yun walked in with a smile.

"What are you looking at?" As soon as she asked, she knew the answer from the other person's eyes. She whispered to herself, are all scholars so good at saying sweet words?

"Uncle~" Du Jiarui jumped in front of Du Yun and imitated July, hugging Du Yun's thighs and acting coquettishly.

Du Yun didn't say anything about being a spoiled child at such a young age. He leaned over and picked him up, "It's time to go home for dinner."

"Okay." Du Jiarui hugged his neck with admiration on his face.

"Are you so easy to talk to today?" Du Yun asked in surprise.

"Aunt Xu said I should cherish you. I love my uncle so much." Du Jiarui said this a little shyly, burying his face in his neck and rubbing it.

Du Yun stroked his soft hair and said to Tang Xu, "Ah Xu taught me well."

"He's a good kid." Tang Xu didn't think that a few words from him could change anything.

"Then let's go back and come back for class later." Du Yun glanced at her before turning and leaving.

Fang Zijun stood there with his head down, like an abandoned puppy.

"What's wrong?" Tang Xu patted his shoulder.

"Dad and Mom are so busy..." Fang Zijun's eyebrows, which were always full of energy, drooped down, and his voice became low, "Mom hasn't played with me for a long time, and Dad hasn't played with me either."

Fang Yuanqin and Dong Wanwan just opened their shop, and their business was very good every day. They always had a big notebook to keep accounts. They bought ingredients and braised meat early in the morning, Yu Xiaotao delivered lunch, and started to count the accounts after a quick meal in the evening. They were worried about Tang Xu, so they inevitably neglected their children. Fang Zijun was still young after all, and although he played crazy every day, he could not do without his parents' company.

Tang Xu hugged him gently, "Then let's go call Sister Wan back now! It's been a while since you've eaten the food your mother cooked, right?"

Fang Zijun hugged her neck and nodded.

Zhao Yunniang usually disliked Fang Zijun and loved to talk him down, but the friendship between the two of them who grew up together was far better than others. At this moment, she came over worriedly and took her friend's hand, "I'll go with you to find it."

"I'm going to cook, Yunniang, please take care of An'an for a while." Yu Xiaotao didn't want her to go.

"I'll go with Brother Dandan!" July raised her little hand.

"Okay, let's go." Tang Ling couldn't carry Fang Zijun, so he patted his back and pulled him to the braised meat shop.

It was almost time for dinner, and there were quite a few people buying meat. Dong Wanwan collected the money with a smile, while Fang Yuanqin weighed and cut the meat. His knife skills were well-honed, and he cut quickly and evenly.

"Dad! Mom!" Fang Zijun shouted, with a hint of grievance in his voice.

"Hey, Dandan is here. Would you like to have some meat?" Dong Wanwan smiled and waved, asking him to come over.

"Mom, I want to eat the food you cook. Let's go home." Fang Zijun hugged Dong Wanwan's waist and shook her.

Dong Wanwan was stunned. How long had it been since her son had acted like a spoiled child? He ran around like a wild monkey every day. She suddenly realized that she hadn't been with her child for a long time. She felt guilty, but she couldn't leave because of the customers waiting in line. She was a little entangled and whispered to comfort him: "Dandan, be good. Mom will be back soon. You go home first. Why are you here?" As she spoke, she looked up and saw Tang Xu, and hurriedly greeted him with a smile.

"Sister Wan, why don't you ask a girl to help? Dandan misses you." Tang Xu suggested.

"But those girls..." Dong Wanwan hesitated. Although those girls had experienced those things, they were not married after all. It was not appropriate for them to show themselves in public. After all, not all of them were as casual as Tang Xu.

Fang Yuanqin took the time to look up and said, "You go back and spend time with the kids first. These are almost sold out. I can handle it by myself."

"Okay! I'll take Dandan back with me." Dong Wanwan took off her apron and touched her son's face. "Let's go home and make you something delicious."

Fang Zijun smiled happily, "Okay! Okay!"

Dong Wanwan was happy to see her son happy, but she felt even more guilty.

"Come back quickly, I'll be back after I finish selling." Fang Yuanqin heard his son's voice and urged him with a smile.

"Okay, let's go." Dong Wanwan took Fang Zijun's hand and walked out of the shop. Out of compensation, she said, "Dandan, let me take you to buy toys. Do you want to?"

"Yes!" Fang Zijun jumped for joy.

"Is Xiaoxu going?" Dong Wanwan asked.

"Go ahead." She hadn't taken July out to play for a long time.

The two took their children to the market, where the whole street was full of vendors selling all kinds of things.

They met a man selling candied haws on the road. Dong Wanwan bought three strings, Fang Zijun one, and gave the other two to Tang Xu.

Tang Xu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Sister Wan, you treat me like a child. I'm already this old, how can I like to eat this."

"Eat it," Dong Wanwan thought of something and turned to the vendor again, "I'll go buy a few more skewers and share them with Yunniang and Wang Hong."

Walking leisurely along the way, Dong Wanwan was particularly generous today, buying whatever Fang Zijun wanted. However, Fang Zijun was a sensible child, except for being a little slow in some aspects, and he wanted everything.

Dong Wanwan bought Fang Zijun a Cuju ball, skipping rope, Luban lock, bamboo whistle, and even a slingshot that he was not allowed to play with normally, but she repeatedly warned him not to hit anyone.

Fang Zijun was so happy that he couldn't let go of the thing.

July also had a bunch of toys in his arms, but he didn't feel anything because he had a lot of toys to begin with and didn't lack anything on a daily basis.

Turning around and walking to the carpenter's shop, Tang Xu went in again. The boss greeted her enthusiastically as if he saw the God of Wealth, "What do you want to do this time, young lady?"

"Let's make a toy. What I want will be made of discarded small wooden blocks. There must be cylindrical, square, oblong, triangular ones, and ones carved into small trees, flowers, and animals. They shouldn't be too big, about half the size of a baby's fist will do." Tang Xu plans to buy a set of building blocks for the children to build with on a daily basis to cultivate their creativity and imagination.

The carpenter boss heard this and quickly brought out a pen and paper. Tang Xu took it, drew it out with a few strokes and indicated the required quantity.

"Okay, this is easy and can be done in a day or two." The boss knew at a glance that it was a child's toy. It didn't require much effort and only required polishing it until it was smooth.

After buying the toys, Dong Wanwan went to buy some snacks and also went to a restaurant to buy a roast duck before returning home.