At the end of February in the Northeast, it was minus 20 degrees outside the house at night.
But on such a cold day, Jin Xiaomei and Wang Meilan chatted outside the house for more than ten minutes.
When Wang Meilan came back to the house, she pulled the small bench and sat in front of the stove, warming her hands before continuing to stand up and cut pickled vegetables.
Zhao Jun was pestered by two younger sisters in the house. The two little girls kept asking him for soda drinks. Zhao Jun took the time to stick his head out the door and took a sneak peek. He saw that his mother looked unkind, and he couldn't help but feel happy in his heart. Wang Meilan is cooking wild boar stewed with sauerkraut tonight, and her staple food is steamed buns with noodles.
The stew is stewed below, and the dry food is steamed on top. They are all cooked in one pot. After putting the vegetables and steamed buns into the pot, Wang Meilan went to the back room and said to Zhao Jun: "Son, they are all in the pot. Look at the pot and order it. The rice is ready.
You just eat first."
"Okay." Zhao Jun nodded and agreed: "Mom, go ahead."
Wang Meilan didn't say anything, just took off her apron and threw it aside, then walked to the west room.
"Brother! Get us some soda." When Wang Meilan was in the room, Zhao Hong remained silent and was obedient and sensible. But as soon as Wang Meilan left, the little girl grabbed Zhao Jun's arm and started acting coquettishly.
Seeing that the other kid was about to rush towards him, Zhao Jun, who was raising his ears to listen to the excitement, quickly stretched out his index finger and made a weak gesture in front of his lips.
"Don't make any noise. I'll give you two a drink after dinner." Zhao Jun stood up and walked to the outhouse nervously, but never heard any movement in the room opposite.
When the food was cooked, Zhao Jun took care of the two little girls and finished eating, when they heard the sound of the door opening coming from the opposite room.
Wang Meilan walked in with a straight face, got on the kang and dug out a pair of old cotton trousers on the kang cabinet.
Zhao Jun was stunned. He recognized that this was the one he wore a few years ago. Later, because he was young, his mother bought cotton and cotton cloth and made a new pair for himself.
Although this piece can no longer be worn, it has never been given to anyone, so it has been left in the closet.
"Could it be..." Zhao Jun thought, could it be that Zhao Youcai hid his private money in his old cotton pants? If this is true, then he is really powerful.
"Mom, why don't you eat first?" Zhao Jun advised Wang Meilan.
"Have you all finished eating?" Wang Meilan glanced at the Kang table and said to Zhao Jun: "When you have finished eating, you can pick up the table."
"Hey." Zhao Jun hurriedly stacked the bowls together, gathered the chopsticks together, and began to pick up the bowls and chopsticks from the outhouse.
After Zhao Jun finished cleaning up, the two little girls were about to continue teasing him to drink soda, when the door of the west room suddenly opened again, and the two little girls hurriedly went to the kang and started playing as if nothing had happened.
This time Wang Meilan didn't come alone. She was also followed by Zhao Youcai, and Zhao Jun's old cotton trousers were now worn on Zhao Youcai.
Wang Meilan got on the kang, pulled down two sets of quilts and pillows, stacked them together and said to Zhao Jun: "Move to your room and let the two little ones sleep with you tonight."
This requires interrogation throughout the night and torture to extract confessions.
"Okay." Zhao Jun picked up the quilt and said to the two little girls: "Follow me, and I will get you soda."
As soon as Zhao Hong and Zhao Na got up to drink soda, they ran under the kang and followed Zhao Jun to the west room.
As soon as the three brothers and sisters left the east room, they heard a "pop" sound and the door was slammed shut by Wang Meilan.
That night, the two little girls went to bed satisfied after drinking soda, but Zhao Jun couldn't fall asleep.
He got up and left the room and came to the outer room.
It was almost eleven o'clock at this time, but you could see Zhao Youcai and Wang Meilan's house lights through the crack in the door.
Zhao Jun came to the door and could not hear the sound of beating or scolding.
To be precise, it was silent.
"Mom." Zhao Jun called out, then pushed the door open and said, "It's already midnight. You and my dad can have some food."
Zhao Jun opened the door and entered the room. He saw Wang Meilan sitting cross-legged on the kang alone, with two unpacked cotton jackets and one pair of cotton trousers placed around her.
Good guy, Wang Meilan took apart all the cotton-padded clothes and trousers owned by Zhao Youcai.
Beside Wang Meilan's feet, a lot of money was scattered there, including ten yuan, five yuan, one yuan, and two yuan.
Looking to the side again, I saw Zhao Youcai standing by the Kang with his hands hanging down, staring at Zhao Jun with squinting eyes.
How can he not see that this brat is here to see his father's joke?
What does eating mean? If you want to be able to eat, why don’t you eat early? Do you still need to shout?
Wang Meilan pulled out another roll of banknotes from the cotton, opened it and twisted it, there were five of them.
Wang Meilan put down the money, looked up at the clock hanging on the wall, then turned to Zhao Jun and said, "Go to sleep first."
"Hey." Zhao Jun quickly closed the door and retreated.
The next day, Zhao Jun got up very early and tucked Zhao Na into Zhao Hong's bed, who was hugging him. He put on his cotton-padded jacket, got off the kang and went out to the outhouse, where he saw Wang Meilan lighting a fire.
"Mom, let me do it." Zhao Jun reached out to catch the stove hook.
"It's okay." Wang Meilan said, filling the kettle with water and sitting on the stove.
Zhao Jun saw Zhao Youcai's cotton-padded jacket in the large iron washing tub next to him and said with a smile: "Mom, are you going to wash my dad's cotton-padded jacket?"
Wang Meilan sighed softly, then smiled and said: "It's all taken apart, so just wash it by hand."
Zhao Jun approached Wang Meilan and asked in a low voice: "Mom, how much money did my dad embezzle?"
"Hmph, it's quite a lot." Wang Meilan snorted coldly and said, "Sell one bear bile and he keeps fifty, and he splits it half with you, Uncle Li."
"It's a lot of buckles." Zhao Jun asked in surprise: "Did my aunt tell you?"
"Your aunt didn't say that." Wang Meilan said: "Your aunt came to me yesterday and told me that Baoyu's father told him that your father sold tiger cub skins for 3,400 yuan. He gave me 1,200 yuan and left 2,000 yuan.
Two, the two brothers each split a thousand and one. Your aunt asked me if this was the number your father said."
Zhao Jun was so happy after hearing this. It seemed that Jin Xiaomei was afraid that Li Dayong would not tell the truth.
But he couldn't figure it out, and asked again: "It's not easy for my uncle Li to sell it to my father."
When Wang Meilan heard this, she was also happy and said with a smile: "He said nothing at first, but when he asked your aunt to give him two broomsticks, he immediately became more honest."
"Ah?" Zhao Jun was surprised and said, "My aunt even told you this?"
"Alas!" Wang Meilan sighed and said: "Your aunt was also anxious. After the beating, she found that Baoyu and Ruhai were lying aside. Baoyu saw it, why didn't he tell you? When your aunt thought about it, she didn't
You hid it from me."
"Ouch!" Zhao Jun widened his eyes and said, "Baoyu is fine. If Ruhai sees it, won't everyone in the village know about it if he doesn't show up?"
"Can't...?" Wang Meilan said: "Can I still tell outsiders about this?"
Zhao Jun blinked his eyes and did not comment too much on Li Ruhai. He only asked: "Did my aunt ask about the bear bile and the money?"
"No." Wang Meilan said: "As soon as your dad heard that Uncle Li had given up his job, he did it as expected. I gave him a cotton-padded jacket and cotton trousers, plus the tiger cub skin money, which was almost two thousand yuan."
Money."
"How many years have you been saving for?" Zhao Jun chuckled and said to Wang Meilan: "Mom, I won't be home for lunch soon."
"Son, where are you going?"
Zhao Jun said: "I'm thinking of going to see Zhang Yuanmin, and I, Brother Zhang, will go."
