Farmhouse Green Plum

"Hey, it's New Year's Day, where is Doctor Ma going?" Lai Di also recognized Doctor Ma.

"It should be a house call." As she said that, Daya had an idea and turned around and ran back to the sugar painting stall.

"Uncle, I want a golden dragon and a flying crane."

"Good Le!"

Seeing Daya coming over with the dragon and the crane, the girls were filled with questions.

Lai Di said, "Wow, you actually bought a dragon, it's so expensive!"

"Didn't we discuss giving Brother Lin a gift to express our gratitude? I think sugar painting would be great!"

Xiaoxiang's eyes lit up: "Hey, it's really good. Sugar painting is not available every year, so it can be considered a rare thing."

Zhao Xiaocui, Erni and others were older and more worldly-wise. They frowned and said, "It's a little strange, but it's not too strange. How can you give a child's favorite snack as a gift?"

"Then let's buy something else?" Daya turned her head and looked around to see if there was anything that could be used as a formal ceremony.

"Wait a minute, it's New Year's Day, which clinic is open?" Tian Fang asked quickly.

"Didn't Doctor Ma just leave for a consultation? Brother Lin is probably in the clinic."

After some discussion, they bought another bag of biscuits and rushed to the clinic.

Although the main door of the clinic was closed, the side door was open, indicating that there were indeed people there.

Daya went forward and knocked on the door, and soon heard Lin Wenxuan's voice, "Who is it?"

"it's me."

Lin Wenxuan stuck his head out and was shocked to see seven or eight girls standing outside the house.

Soon, he saw Daya and asked curiously, "Why are you here? Selling herbs?"

"Happy New Year! We are here to wish you and Dr. Ma a happy new year!" Daya smiled and presented sugar paintings and pastries wrapped in red paper.

"Ah?" Lin Wenxuan looked at the exquisite sugar painting and repeated in astonishment, "Happy New Year?"

Is there any connection between sugar painting and New Year greetings?

Daya smiled embarrassedly: "It's a bit against the rules to pay New Year's greetings on the first day of the new year, but we may not have the opportunity to come to the county next time, so we can only come today. Please bear with me."

"It's okay." Lin Wenxuan took the sugar painting and shortbread from her, turned sideways and was about to invite them into the house, but then he remembered that this was a clinic, so he said, "We are a clinic. It's New Year's Day, so we won't invite you to come in and sit down. It's unlucky."

Daya nodded to show her understanding, and bowed to him with the other girls: "I wish you and Doctor Ma a safe and happy new year."

At this time, a slightly hoarse female voice sounded in the room: "Wenxuan, who's here?"

"My friend, here to wish you a happy new year." Lin Wenxuan turned his head and answered.

Daya was puzzled, "Doctor Ma's wife?"

She had been to the clinic many times, and each time there were only Doctor Ma and Lin Wenxuan, and she seemed to have never heard of Doctor Ma's wife.

"No, it's my great aunt."

"Oh, then I won't bother you anymore." Daya nodded and quickly said goodbye.

After settling this important matter, the girls felt more relaxed and happy. They played happily and bought all kinds of snacks.

Happy times are always short, and before they knew it, it was getting dark. No matter how reluctant the girls were, they had to leave the city and return to the village.

On the second day of the Chinese New Year, married girls return to their parents' home to pay New Year's greetings. Yang and Uncle Song left early with Song Tian and Song Yuan, leaving only Daya and Li at home.

After dinner, Li went to the village chief's house to sit by the fire and chat. Lai Di, Xiao Xiang and others also went to their respective grandmothers' homes to pay New Year's greetings. Daya felt quite bored for a while.

She also has her maternal family, her grandmother is still alive, and she has two uncles, but Li does not allow her to contact them.

It is said that after her mother died in childbirth, Li wanted her aunt to feed her. At that time, her second cousin was just one year old and was weaned, but her grandmother didn't want to and sarcastically said: I can't even rely on bamboo, yet I rely on bamboo shoots.

At this point, Li bore a grudge against the Wang family and forbade Daya and her father to contact her maternal family again.

Daya has never met her maternal relatives and has no feelings for them, but she feels a little regretful when she is all alone like this.

If her parents were still alive, if she had contact with her maternal family, it would be great if she could be the same as everyone else at this time.

She wandered aimlessly around the village, observing the plants and trees that had survived the severe cold, trying to see if there were any herbs she had missed.

At noon, a horse-drawn carriage drove in from the village entrance.

Daya was puzzled. A horse-drawn carriage was very expensive and the villagers couldn't afford it. Could it be that someone from the government was coming again?

Or, whose relatives are coming?

Amidst the confusion, many people heard the noise and came out, and were all stunned when they saw the carriage.

"Hey, isn't this Lao Zhang?" Someone recognized the driver and was surprised.

Daya looked at the person who was speaking, Xiaohua's father Wang Defa, and saw that he was surprised for a moment, then turned his gaze to the carriage and asked in astonishment, "Is that Master He in the carriage?"

After Wang Defa, someone else recognized the driver and said, "It's Lao Zhang, the driver of Mr. He from Wutong Village."

Only then did Daya understand who the visitor was. Mr. He from Wutong Village was a well-known wealthy man in the surrounding villages. His family was in business and also had a house in Qingshui County.

The He family was wealthy, they wore silk and satin, and had servants at home. They were completely on a different level from the villagers.

Rumor has it that the deceased old man of the He family was the son of a large family in Shunqing Prefecture. His mother was in poor health and went to Wutong Village to recuperate. The old man He was filial and also moved to Wutong Village to serve his mother.

Of course, the girl learned all this from the adults’ gossip and had no idea whether it was true or not.

However, the He family has never visited Xinghua Village to celebrate the New Year in previous years. I have never heard that the He family has any relatives in Xinghua Village?

The driver named Zhang nodded and said, "It's my master and mistress."

After answering, he raised his head slightly and looked over the crowd to the back, "Sister Qian."

Daya followed his gaze and found that they had arrived at the village chief's house. The village chief's wife Qian and Li and other people who were warming themselves by the fire had come out. Except for Qian, the others were also surprised when they looked at the He family's carriage.

Qian pointed at the carriage and asked, "Is it your master and mistress?"

"Yes."

After receiving a positive answer, Qian smiled brightly, glanced at the crowd, and called out to Daya, the only child present, "Daya, go to your aunt Zhang's house quickly and tell them that Mr. and Mrs. He are here, and ask them to come out to greet them."

"Aunt Zhang took Xiaoxiang and his sister back to her parents' home early in the morning."

"It's not that Zhang, it's the Xu family, Xu Yuzhi's mother." Qian explained hurriedly.

It’s not Daya’s fault that she made a mistake. The Xu family is extremely low-key in the village. Except when borrowing firewood, people rarely think of them.

Zhang's mother and daughter were like invisible people. They stayed at home almost every day of the year, and most of the things outside were handled by Xu Dahe and his wife.

Daya was even more confused. Aren't the Xu family immigrants who came here to escape famine? How could they be related to the He family? I've never heard of them.

No matter how many doubts she had, it was not a good time to ask too many questions. She just answered, turned around and ran towards Xu's house.

When we arrived at Xu Yuzhi's house, not only Xu Yuzhi and her daughter were there, but Xu Dahe's family was also there. They were all wearing brand new clothes, and when they saw Daya, there was a hint of anticipation on their faces.