Before Zhou Yin, the most talked about thing about the old Zhou family in Qili Village was that his great-grandfather spent two bags of millet to choose a very good-looking daughter-in-law for his grandfather from the refugees who escaped.
When she was taken back to Qili Village, everyone in the village came out to watch the fun. Although she was dressed in rags like them, her face was white and tender after being washed. No matter how she looked at it, her face was prettier than theirs.
I don’t know where the old Zhou family got such good luck to snag such a good-looking person.
Many people feel that the old Zhou family cannot keep people safe. If someone outside sees such a good-looking person, why should he be snatched away?
After all, these years are not peaceful. The emperor outside changes every once in a while, and he is more diligent than them in growing crops.
Either this one fights that one, or that one fights this one.
However, she actually took root in Qili Village and raised a child.
When the elders of Qili Village later looked back, they concluded that she was safe because she rarely left the village when she was at her most beautiful age.
Since she married into Qili Village, she has only been busy living her own life. The furthest place she went to was Dali Village, just to go to the market...
She had only been to the county town once in her life, and it was to buy things for her son to find a wife.
When she first arrived in Qili Village, many people in the village felt that the benefits of marrying her outweighed the losses of the old Zhou family. Although she was good-looking, what farmers needed was to be able to work in the fields and take care of the housework. Otherwise, the family would have to rely on one man to support them, which was too much.
It's difficult.
It looks good but is of little use.
Who would have known that this little lady is quite capable. She can do things at home and in the fields. The most important thing is that she is good-looking and has great uses.
Since her generation, the old Zhou family has taken advantage of them because of their good looks.
This good looks was passed down to Zhou's father, who successfully married a relatively good-looking Zhang family in the countryside, and then gave birth to the most successful son in their lives - Zhou Yin!
And the luckiest son - Zhou Jin!
Zhou Jin was lucky enough to be born before Zhou Yin, no more, no less, just twenty years older than him. This situation is unique among Shiliba Village.
When Zhou Yin was born, it was the most difficult time for the old Zhou family.
In the first three years before that, the old Zhou family spent more than half of their family savings, and relied on Zhou Jin's face to marry a well-known capable person - the daughter of the Qian family!
When Mrs. Qian married into Lao Zhou's family, many families in Shiliba Village were secretly upset.
Because Qian is famous for being diligent and capable. Although she is still in the boudoir, she is very famous in the villages ten miles away;
Just as famous as her is Zhou Jin, who is surprisingly lazy. He is already over 16 years old and has not been out in the field much.
So everyone secretly guessed that the old Zhou family got the Qian family with a large betrothal gift.
The Lao Zhou family themselves thought so too. Only the Qian family knew that the betrothal gifts given by the Lao Zhou family were similar to those given by other families seeking marriage, or even less.
If Qian had not insisted on marrying Zhou Jin, they would have looked down upon Zhou Jin.
Ordinary families would have to wait several years before getting a wife to regain their strength, not to mention that the Zhou family is not an ordinary family - their family is notoriously lazy.
Therefore, their family's energy recovery is slower than that of ordinary people.
However, the house leaked and it rained all night. When Qian was pregnant with Zhou Dalang, it was difficult for her to settle down. The county government decided to repair the county's canals and dams.
Because of the war, these places were in disrepair, so the service was only for two months, far beyond the due date.
As usual in the old Zhou family, Zhou's father went to serve in the army. He was only thirty-eight years old, not very old, and could do this kind of work.
As a result, he was carried back after only half a month.
He heard that he had to step in muddy water to build the canal, and it happened to rain at that time. The post-autumn rain was very cold, and he fell ill at night.
In the end, he gave the money he had to the yamen servant, and then he was brought back, and then Zhou Jin was transferred to fill the vacancy.
In order to treat Zhou's father, the old Zhou family had to borrow money. When Zhou Jin came back, the old Zhou family owed a small but not easy foreign debt.
From then on, life in Lao Zhou's family was very tight. At this moment, Mrs. Zhang and her daughter-in-law were pregnant with their second child.
In ten months of pregnancy, she gave birth to her second son, Zhou Yin, while Qian's mother-in-law gave birth to a daughter two months earlier.
Zhou Yin's face is the same as that of his elder brother, a little more like their grandmother, and a little like their mother. After a while, he summed it up in one sentence: good-looking!
But apart from their faces, the two brothers have nothing in common.
Zhou Yin has shown different intelligence from his elder brother since he was a child. According to their father, he proudly said that he is very much like their grandmother.
So Father Zhou likes Zhou Yin very much, and Mrs. Zhang likes Zhou Yin even more, as the youngest son and the eldest grandson.
Although Mrs. Zhang also likes her eldest grandson, she prefers her youngest son.
So she gave her little son to Qian and let her breastfeed her. In order to prevent her granddaughter from snatching her son's food rations, she also took the initiative to take care of her daughter for her daughter-in-law.
However, Qian refused and forcefully carried Zhou Xi into her room. The child could close his eyes and howl for her all night long.
Zhang had no choice but to send the child back in despair. In order to ensure that Qian had enough milk to feed her two children and not treat Zhou Yin badly because of her daughter, she could only grit her teeth and give her two eggs every day.
Originally Qian had little affection for this brother-in-law, and was even a little resentful, but because of him, she could not only eat well, but also get some rest, and the resentment in her heart disappeared.
Moreover, this child looks really good. Zhou Xi was obviously born two months earlier than him, but he just looks more cheerful, his face is whiter, and he is more well-behaved.
Except when he was hungry and had diarrhea, he basically didn't cry, which was in sharp contrast to Zhou Xi.
Although children who cry are rewarded with milk, well-behaved children are also more lovable.
The balance in Qian's heart tilted little by little, and before she realized it, she felt a little more motherly love for her brother-in-law.
And when Zhou Yin could walk and talk, the relationship became even deeper.
He is really the most sensible and considerate child she has ever seen.
Zhou Dalang was a little older than him, but he couldn't remember protecting his mother. Unlike Zhou Yin, he seemed to be born with a keen sense of caring for others.
So when Zhou Jin bullied Qian, he would roll in front of his parents, and then his partial parents would beat Zhou Jin and let Qian make the decision;
When his mother bullied his eldest sister-in-law and favored one over the other when sharing food, he would give Qian the rice and vegetables from his and his eldest brother's bowls. Generally speaking, Zhang felt sorry for his two sons. Although he would curse, he would still think twice about it.
Find ways to give them food.
Anyway, since Zhou Yin could talk and walk, Qian's life began to get better.
However, the brotherhood between Zhou Yin and Zhou Jin is at stake. The two brothers are at odds with each other and are incompatible with each other.
Zhou Jin hates seeing his younger brother in the house. Every time he appears in his house, he either wants to occupy his wife or bully him.