The wood mage and the native brother

As the sun goes down, half of the afterglow spreads on the ground to make orange tulle, and the birds hover over the village and fly back to their warm nests in the forest with high-pitched chirps. The children went home to eat, and the smoke rose from the roofs of each family, but it was tainted with the coolness before they could gather and disappeared.

Ji family.

This is the daughter-in-law of the third room, Mrs. Fang, who is cooking. At the moment, she is cooking porridge and steaming steamed buns in the fire room. Fang's eldest daughter, Sister Xi, is helping to light the fire, and her youngest son, Brother Yan, is setting up tables and benches in the courtyard. .

It's just the spring breeze blowing, eating in the courtyard is more comfortable than eating in the house, and surrounded by green trees and red flowers, it is also very elegant, which fits the demeanor of several scholars in Ji's family.

Granny Fang hugged the radish and "sucked and sucked" and drove the chickens that were running around in the yard back to the chicken coop, grabbed a handful of rice bran and sprinkled it down, and said with a smile in her eyes,

"Eat it, eat it, and lay a few more eggs for my little grandson."

"Mom, I'm back."

"Grandma, we're back."

While busy, three people entered the courtyard of Ji's house. They were the father and son Ji Hai and Ji Shuo of the eldest room and Ji Huan, the son of the third room.

Granny Fang turned her head and saw the three of them, and the corners of her eyes were wrinkled with laughter.

"Come back, you're tired after reading all day, sit down, sit down."

Granny Fang let go of the radish, hugged the youngest Ji Huan in her arms, and said distressedly,

"We, Ah Huan, are only ten years old. We must be exhausted from running so far to school every day. Grandma will cook an egg for you later."

Ji Huanyi replied in Granny Fang's arms, but there was no joy on his face.

Standing next to Ji Hai, Ji Shuo curled his lips in disdain. Mrs. Fang insisted on Ji Huan to eat such precious things as eggs, and Ji Huan didn't look down on her.

The same goes to school, why Ji Huan is more expensive than him, because the third aunt is his grandma's niece, and his mother is a scholar's daughter who was begged by his grandfather himself.

Thinking of this, Ji Shuo couldn't help showing an annoyed and disgusted look on his face.

Granny Fang had a good temper towards the three scholars in her family, but she had no such patience with the others, so she turned around and scolded Brother Yan,

"I didn't see your brother coming back, so hurry up and pour some water."

He is also the son of the third family, but Ji Huan is a man who can carry on the family line, and Brother Yan is just a brother who gave birth to a baby. How can Granny Fang not be partial.

Then he turned to the fire room and shouted,

"The third one, is the meal ready? Ah Huan and the others are back, so don't hurry."

When Fang heard her son coming home, she also smiled and raised her voice to answer,

"Hey, mother, it's over—"

Then she and Sister Xi went out of the house with the pots and pans.

Mrs. Xu in the house heard the movement in the yard, and immediately came out of the house where she had been nesting for a day, and greeted Ji Haidao, who was in charge, with a smile.

"I'm tired from walking all the way back. Take a rest, and you can eat soon."

Fang Shi, who came out with the pot, immediately rolled his eyes when he heard this, and said in a strange way,

"Hey, sister-in-law said this as if you cooked the meal today, so who is the person who stayed in the room for a day today?"

Mrs. Fang scolded,

"Why are you arguing, why don't you hurry up and set the chopsticks and bowls."

No matter how much, he didn't say anything, and the meaning of partiality was evident.

Mrs. Fang was also dissatisfied with Dafang's daughter-in-law, because she was a scholar's daughter who cheated and played tricks every day, but Mrs. Xu was the head of the family, Mr. Ji, who asked Ji Hai to marry him. Mrs. Fang couldn't do anything about it, she could only swear a few words, but the anger in her heart couldn't come out.

Ji Hai flipped up his robe and sat on the bench, and shook Xu's hand to comfort him. Mrs. Fang is a mother, so it's right to reprimand her daughter-in-law, and it's not good for him as a son to speak out.

Mrs. Xu also understood this truth, she smiled and shook her head at Ji Hai to indicate that she was fine, only the corners of her eyes and brows were filled with grievances, Ji Hai felt distressed, and only wanted to make up for it when she returned to the house.

"Mom, I'm back."

As soon as the rice bowl was in his hands, Ji Jiang from the third room entered the yard with a hoe, followed by the two children from the second room.

Granny Fang beckoned,

"The third child is back, come and eat."

As for Deng Geer and Ji Xiaomei in the second room, Mrs. Fang pretended not to see them.

Ji Deng was obviously used to such neglect. He only took Ji Xiaomei to scoop a ladle of water by the water tank and washed his hands, then sat silently at the round table, brought Ji Xiaomei a Wunuo dumpling, and then started to eat with his own .

Mrs. Fang peeled a fat white egg and put it in Ji Huan's bowl, and asked Ji Jiang,

"How much did you plant today?"

Ji Jiang smiled honestly, and Pu Shan grabbed a steamed bun with mixed noodles in his big hand and swallowed it after a few mouthfuls.

"The three acres of land have been tidied up today, and it will be finished in a few days."

This steamed bun is made of corn flour mixed with sweet potato flour. It is the size of a fist and very filling. A farmer like Ji Jiang can eat two of them.

Ji Jiang picked up another one, but looked at the Ji Deng brothers and sisters who were huddled in a corner, his lips twitched, and the old lady said,

"Brother Deng has done a lot of digging and planting in the past few days, and he has helped me a lot."

As he spoke, he tentatively stuffed the steamed buns into Ji Deng's hands.

Granny Fang immediately lowered her eyes and slapped the table.

"How much work can he do as a brother, why can't he eat steamed buns, then Ah Huan and your elder brother can't eat beef! Our family supports so many scholars, life is not easy, so why are you blah Breathing out, can't survive?!"

Ji Jiang's seven-foot man trembled from being yelled at, but in the end he didn't dare to reach out again, and the hot bun that vaguely touched the back of Ji Deng's hand was put back into the basin like this.

Fang's angrily gave Ji Jiang a crutch. This man doesn't worry about his own family, but cares about the second room in his spare time. If there are those steamed buns, won't the elder sister eat them? !

The old gods in the big room were eating their own food, and they didn't look at Ji Deng brothers and sisters in the slightest.

Although Ji Xiaomei followed her to the ground, she couldn't do any work, she didn't even have to eat the Wunuo dumplings, she only had a bowl of gruel to drink, and Ji Deng gave Ji Xiaomei his portion.

Ji Xiaomei was startled by Granny Fang's sudden loud voice while she was gnawing on it, she huddled tightly beside Ji Deng, her small mouth was tightly pursed, and she didn't even dare to eat half of the Wunuo dumpling in her hand , just put his eyes on a plate of steamed buns in the center of the table, chewed his cheeks a few times, as if he had eaten it.

Ji Deng noticed Ji Xiaomei's eyes, and his heart felt sour, but he could only lower his eyelids and gnaw on the hardened Wunuo dumpling in his hand with sore cheeks.

Except for the grandson of Ji's parents who had given up his studies and became an accountant in the county, Ji Liao, the eldest son of the big house, there were four scholars in the Ji family. I mostly rely on myself to study here, and sometimes I visit someone to read the articles, that is, the cost is not very much, and the tutors still have some left for the family.

In this way, there are still three students in Ji's family who are studying.

These scholars, not to mention Xiaohe Village, are the only ones in seven or eight villages in a radius, so Ji's literati rules are particularly strict.

As juniors, the Ji Deng brothers and sisters couldn't leave the dining table before the elders, and could only watch the Ji family talking and laughing at Yan Yan, and the family happily ate steamed buns, eggs, steamed vegetables and porridge.

And the same girls and brothers, Sister Xie and Brother Yan, because of Fang Shi and Ji Jiang, can at least eat two mouthfuls of vegetables and salty mouths.

Fortunately, although the Wunuo dumpling was a little harder to chew, it was very filling, so the Ji Deng brothers and sisters would not be starving.

Ji Huan casually ate a few mouthfuls and left the table. He followed Ji Shuo to Ji Liao's house for dinner on weekdays, so he naturally looked down on Ji's dry gruel and steamed buns.

Mrs. Fang also knew that her little grandson was picky, so she didn't ask Ji Huan to come back. She just wanted to let her go to her eldest grandson's house to eat well. She picked up the steamed vegetables and ate until she was full, so she let go chopsticks.

When the men of Ji's family returned to the house after eating and drinking, Xu followed Ji Hai and hid back early. Fang spat at Xu's back in disdain, and took Ji Huan back to the house to ask. studies.

As for washing the dishes, of course it is the work of the sisters and brothers in the family. Now that they are done well, they will not be rejected by the in-laws when they marry in the future.

There are many scholars in Ji's house, and the monthly expenses for paper, pens, lamps and oil are half a penny. Naturally, the family is poor, and there is no oil or water in the food, and it is quick to wash. The house went to sleep.

There is still plenty of work to do when I get up tomorrow.

...

The next day was dimly lit, Ji's family members were still sleeping, the door of the firewood room creaked, and Ji Deng led Ji's younger sister to tiptoe out. If there was a big commotion and disturbed the men of Ji's family, Mrs. Fang would never Will let them go.

Ji Deng carried a large pannier on his back, and a smaller one for Ji Xiaomei, and the two siblings went up to the mountain hand in hand.

Ji's family's source of income is the output of [-] acres of medium-sized land. Although it is not impossible to say that it is impossible to support four scholars, it is quite difficult. Fortunately, Ji Laoxiu is famous and can be exempted from the farm tax. , and can earn tuition subsidies.

In addition, Ji Liao from the big house stopped his studies after studying for a few years and got a job as an accountant in the county town. He sent back some money every month, and Ji Hai copied books for others all day long. Slightly more generous.

But the money must be spent wisely. Mrs. Fang is willing to spend money for the men to study and eat well, but she is very stingy with the women and brothers at home.

Most of the Ji family's daily dinner table is filled with wild vegetables and radishes, and dry goods such as steamed buns can only be eaten by the men of the Ji family, even Mrs. Fang herself often eats Wunuo dumplings.

Now is the spring season, so Ji's family has to pick the wild vegetables that don't cost money every day and come back to satisfy their hunger.Originally, Mrs. Fang asked Sister Ji and Brother Yan to take Young Sister Ji to the mountain to pick them, and brought back pigweed by the way.

But Ji Xiaomei is not yet five years old this year, Ji Deng was worried that Ji Xiaomei would leave him, so he took the job with Mrs. Fang.

Mrs. Fang had nothing to do, but she couldn't spend all her labor here, so she detained the three-bedroom siblings at home and looked after the vegetable seedlings in the yard.

Ji Xiaomei wants to be more lively when she leaves Ji's house. When she sees beautiful flowers, she picks two of them, one pinned to her ears, and the other stuck in Ji Deng's hair. A smile can be seen on her little face.

Most of the people in the village are poor and frugal, and the wild vegetables on the side of the mountain are often gone. Fortunately, there is a rain in spring, and the green leaves will come out again.

Ji Deng came early, and his hands and feet were nimble, so he quickly pretended to be half a basket. Seeing that he could do business, he didn't pick it up again, and led Ji Xiaomei to a place deeper in the mountain.

At this time, the sky was still covered with some shadows, and the men studying in Ji's family had to go out to the school in the county.

The mountain next to Xiaohe Village has no name, but it is extremely wide and deep, with no end in sight. There are many shadows in the forest, birds singing and rabbits jumping.

It used to be that hunters in several nearby villages went in to hunt some rabbits and pheasants to survive, and the villagers also fell in love with picking fruits and firewood. Later, they heard that big worms and wild wolves came from the mountains and killed several people. Few people make a living by hunting, and the villagers gather wild vegetables in groups at the outermost edge of the mountain, and dare not go deep.

Ji Deng, a little brother, is more courageous than a man. He took a four or five-year-old girl and only had a pickaxe as long as his arms into the forest.

Ji Xiaomei is not afraid, holding Ji Deng's hand and chatting with the chirping birds hidden in the trees is also very enjoyable, much happier than at Ji's house.

When Ji Deng takes a few steps, he has to stagger his steps to prevent walking too many times and stepping on a path for others to see.After climbing up the mountain for more than a quarter of an hour, a slope was revealed in front of the two brothers and sisters.

Or because the terrain here is steep, and the shadows of trees near the slope are scattered, so the sunlight is rare to stretch compared with other places in the mountains and forests.It is covered with thickets of grass, but upon closer inspection, it does not look like ordinary weeds. There are clumps of green and thin stems, among which are five flat and long petals surrounded by a rose-red flower heart, which is really lovely and gratifying.

When Ji Deng saw it from a distance, a bit of joy appeared on his face.

These sages can be exchanged for money when they are sold in incense shops and pharmacies, but it's a pity that Ji Deng doesn't know how to process them other than drying them. In order to preserve their fragrance and medicinal properties, Ji Deng can only be sold on the day before going to the county town to sell vegetables. I just went up the mountain to pick it.

Cymbidium grows in the wild, and its freshness is short. It can only be picked for more than a month a year, and there are not many after drying. The wooden fence is more defensive, and it is better than nothing.

The piece left over from last time is still intact this time, so there will naturally be more copper coins in hand tomorrow, and Ji Deng is naturally happy.