When Huo Xi met Yangjiacun today, she was not willing to live in Yangjiacun.
She still had a lot to do, and she didn't want to waste time on unnecessary people and things.
When Mrs. Yang heard Huo Xi's question, she gritted her teeth with hatred. It had been ten years, and these people were jealous again when they saw that her family's life had improved. Huo Erhuai also frowned.
The family floated on the river. Although it was windy and rainy, the life was quiet and there were not so many things to worry about. When we lived in the village, we slept well, could grow our own food and vegetables, and drank water for free, but...
Looking at the situation today, can I feel at ease living here?
But going back to Huojiaba? I'm afraid it would be worse than living in Yangjia Village.
"Sister, I don't want to go back to the village."
"Then where do you want to go? Yangjiacun is your root."
Yang Fu pouted.
Huo Xi looked at this, looked at that, thought for a while, and said, "Mom, why don't you go back to the village? Besides, we don't have much money. We bought the homestead and built a house. The remaining money is not enough."
You can’t even buy acres of fertile farmland, and in the end you have to make a living on the water.”
Yang and Huo Erhuai were even more worried when they heard this.
I thought that thirty-two taels of silver was a lot, but it turned out that I spent more than ten taels just to register the two children. I also spent a few more coins to buy things for the clan leader. The remaining silver was enough to buy the homestead and build the house.
There is nothing left, and fertile land cannot be bought.
But it was already September, the autumn wind was blowing, and the river was cold. Looking at the lively and cute Nian'er, I was afraid that he wouldn't be able to bear it.
The couple looked at Huo Nian, worried and worried.
Huo Xi followed their gazes and saw that Huo Nian was in great spirits, dancing and babbling in front of a puddle of river water.
Huo Xi didn't want Huo Nian to get hurt at all.
Said: "Father and mother, the little money we have is better to keep it and start a small business. You have also seen that if we continue to catch some fish and shrimps to sell every day as before, we will not be hungry, but we will pay the fishery tax.
There won’t be much money left at the end of the year. It’s better to do something else like we do during the Double Ninth Festival so that we can save some money.”
Thinking of earning so much money during the Double Ninth Festival, the couple and Yang Fu nodded in unison.
"What should we do when winter comes? Although we are south of the Huaihe River, snow will still fall in winter, and sometimes the snow falls quite heavily." Yang looked at the agile Huo Nian and felt heartbroken.
"Before the weather gets cold in winter, we will rent a house in the city and return to the boat in the spring. If we save a lot, before spring tomorrow, we will buy a small house in the outer city or Jiangning County to live in during the holidays.
Just go back to the village to worship your ancestors."
Huo Xi still thinks it's better to live outside, be quiet and unnoticed, and live her own life behind closed doors.
Yang Fu's eyes lit up when he heard this: "That's good. I heard that the monthly rent of some houses in the outer city only costs tens of Wen."
"The ones worth tens of cents are shanty towns, which are leaky and leaky. How can they be lived in?" Yang glared at him.
Huo Erhuai frowned and thought about Huo Xi's suggestion.
Although his roots are in Huojiaba, his family sold him and he doesn't really want to go back. And when he lives in Yangjia Village, his status as a son-in-law is also looked down upon. Although he has been floating on the water for the past ten years, he has lived a miserable life.
, but at least comfortable.
Xi'er is right. If you can't bear the winter, just rent a house in the city. When the weather gets warmer next year, you can go back to the ship. The money in hand is enough to live for a few months. When you have money in the future,
Maybe I can buy a house in the city.
The more I think about it, the better I think this arrangement is.
He couldn't help but look at Yang.
Yang and him looked at each other, not knowing what he was thinking.
After thinking for a while, he nodded: "Then let's do what Xi'er said. We won't go back to Yangjia Village, nor will we go back to Huojiaba. When the weather gets cold, our family will rent a house in the city."
Yang Fu jumped up happily: "Great! I don't want to go back to Yangjiacun."
When he jumped, the boat swayed left and right, and he was pressed down and beaten several times by Yang, which made Huo Nianzhi clapped his hands and laughed. The whole family also laughed with him.
So it was settled like this.
Yang thought about the money at home: "It costs money to live in the city, and I don't know how much the rent of a good house is."
Huo Xi comforted her: "Another day, my uncle and I will go to the city to inquire. If we can't afford to live in the capital, we will live in Jiangning County. Besides, our bald butter hasn't been sold yet. If we can sell it for two taels a can, it's okay."
You can get some money."
Yes, there is also bald butter, how could I forget it!
Mrs. Yang couldn't sit still and kept telling Yang Fu to pick up the crab pots. She was going to steam the crabs, open them and boil them with butter. She didn't want to delay the matter of earning money.
Huo Xi and Yang Fu did not go to the city that day. They and Huo Erhuai were fishing for fish and shrimps in the river, busy setting crab pots, and running to help Yang from time to time.
Although the Double Ninth Festival has passed, from the cold dew to before the heavy snow, it is the best time to eat crabs. It is said that female crabs are the fattest in September, with thick meat and enough roe, while male crabs are the most fragrant in October, with full and sweet crab paste.
. Then we can catch some crabs and sell them in the city, and we can also save some copper coins.
When the crab season is over and crabs are nowhere to be found in the winter, you can take out the butter and sell it. You can drink wine by the fire and eat some dishes made with butter. That will be a beauty. It will definitely sell.
The capital is full of royal relatives, wealthy businessmen, and wealthy people. How much butter is there? Don’t worry about selling it.
I boiled several more cans that day. Yang sealed them in fine white porcelain cans, put them in a box, sealed them tightly and put them in the bilge of the ship, for fear that they would change their taste.
There are also no crabs left in the crab pot. I plan to save them to make a few cans of drunken crabs tomorrow.
When he saw that there were only about ten cans available, Yang Fu shouted towards the stern of the boat: "Brother-in-law, let's collect more along the way."
"good."
They collected the net along the way and caught a lot of fish, some big and small, several kilograms of river shrimp, and about a dozen crabs. Yang Fu and Huo Xi sorted them out one by one, and put them into the water tank and fishing basket at the stern of the boat.
.
The two of them stood at the stern of the boat and whenever a boat passed by, they would raise their voices and ask if there were any crabs.
This way I gained a lot.
We walked all the way back to the ferry where the boat stopped for the night, and it was still daylight.
Huo Xi went to help Yang make dinner, Huo Nian went to bed, and Huo Erhuai arranged the fishing nets. When Yang Fu saw that he had nothing to do, he stripped down to his underwear and jumped into the river with a splash.
Huo Xi hurriedly stood on tiptoe to watch, and was a little envious when she saw him flapping a few times and disappearing.
Yang stared at the water with only a few water circles left, laughed and cursed a few words, turned around and said: "If Xi'er wants to learn, let your uncle teach you."
The fishermen who make a living on the water don't have anything to guard against for men and women. Some small awning boats are crowded with three generations of people, both men and women. When they sleep at night, they can draw a curtain to separate them, but if they can't, they just fall asleep.
sleep?
What's the point of being poor if you don't even have enough to eat? Besides, Xi'er is not yet seven years old.
After a while, Yang Fu emerged from the water. His black hair covered his head and face. He spat out water twice. He wiped his face with his hand and pushed his hair back: "Xi'er, do you want to get into the water? I'll teach you."
you."
Huo Xi was a little moved.
She can plop twice, but she is not as good at water as Yang Fu and can hold her breath and swim in the water for such a long time.
You may have to float in the water for a long time in the future, and you will be in any situation. Learn more skills and don't suffer.
He quickly took off his outer clothes and jumped into the water.
Yang Fu usually dived into the water when he had nothing to do. The water quality was very good. At this time, he very patiently taught Huo Xi how to hold his breath and how to increase his speed.
Yang and Huo Erhuai looked at the bow of the boat with smiles.
Boats came back one after another. When Qian Xiaoxia saw that Huo Xi and Yang Fu were in the water, they couldn't hold it back. Without even taking off their clothes, they jumped into the water and said, "Huo Xi, Yang Fu, I
Coming!"
After a while, there were several more splashes all around. Others were competing in writing and martial arts, while the fishermen's children were competing in water skills.
The adults also stood on the bow of the boat to cheer and cheer for their children.
The coolness of early autumn in September did not hit these fishermen at all.