Sun Zhinong and Sun Jun, father and son, came back from working in the fields. Sun Zhinong, with gray hair, walked in front with his hands behind his back. Sun Jun, who was dark-skinned, short but strong, walked behind with half a cigarette in his hand.
The father and son walked into the yard next door to Sun's family, one behind the other.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, the little boy who was playing in the mud in the yard immediately ran happily to the kitchen and shouted: "Mom, grandma! Dad and grandpa are back, it's time to eat... It's time to eat! I want to cut it."
meal……"
"You can eat this little thing all day long!"
Sun Zhinong laughed and scolded.
Sun Jun chuckled twice, "You're a kid! You get hungry fast."
…
A few minutes later, the family sat around the kitchen table and started eating.
Their kitchen is very large, with two rooms on the left and right, the kitchen on the left and the dining room on the right. In rural areas, they are not so particular and are generally called kitchens.
A family of five chatted while eating.
Sister-in-law Sun Quantang: "Ah Quan came back today. Mom asked him to come in and drink some water, but he didn't drink either. He turned around and went to find his parents!"
Her mother-in-law, Aunt Sun Quantang, laughed, "You're a college student! How can you drink our water? Haha."
Sun Jun frowned, "Come back so soon? Is it because our family didn't keep his parents? After all, our dad and his dad are cousins, dad! How about we go and invite him later?"
Let them come and live in our house for a while, our house is big anyway!"
Before Sun Zhinong could say anything, Sun Quan's wealthy cousin raised her eyebrows and said loudly: "Hey! How can that be done? What's wrong with our house being big? If the house is big, it should be given to their family to live in? Besides! Old man
Well said, it's easy to ask God but hard to give God away! Just because your dad and his dad are cousins, we can't let them move in! With this kind of relationship, we really let them move in, if they don't want to move out in the future
, can we drive them away by then? Right? Really!"
Sun Jun was speechless and looked at his father, Sun Zhinong.
Sun Zhinong picked up the wine glass in front of him and took a sip. When he put the glass down, he finally said: "Ajun, your mother is right! It's easier to pray for gods than to send them away! Their house is now completely burned down. Wait until they earn enough money."
Who knows how many years it will take to build another house? Moreover, not counting them moving in, they will definitely have to eat and drink with us, which will be a huge expense!
However, you are right! After all, He Zhi and I are cousins, and they were brothers from the previous generation. We all live in the same village. If something like this happens to their family, we can’t help at all. The villagers still don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.
scold me!"
After a pause, Sun Zhinong glanced at Sun Jun beside him, smiled and said: "I've thought about it, don't we need to dig ditches in our grape fields? It probably won't be completed in a month. The work is too tiring. We
I was going to find someone to help me, but after dinner I went to Zhicai and asked him to dig ditches with us every day. We gave him 20 yuan a day! Let him earn some money for the New Year!"
"20 yuan a day?"
Before Sun Jun could say anything, his mother yelled, "You're a coward! Their family can't even afford food now. If you give him 15 yuan a day, he will definitely do it! It's almost the end of the year. If he doesn't do it, he'll have to pay for it."
Where can you go to make money? Right? Just tell Zhicai 15 yuan a day! 20 yuan a day... doesn’t that cost 600 yuan a month? You really want him to get rich!"
Sun Jun frowned when he heard this, and couldn't help but say: "Mom! Digging grape ditches is very tiring. Even if we find others, they may not be willing to do it for 20 yuan a day!"
His mother glanced at him sideways and said, "This is my family! Do you need food or drink? Listen to me! It's only 15 yuan a day! Zhicai will definitely do it!"
"dad?"
Sun Jun couldn't compete with his mother, so he asked his father.
But Sun Zhinong chewed the food in his mouth and nodded slightly, "That's right! What your mother said makes sense! You can get more than a hundred yuan less a month! Brothers also have to settle accounts, right? Our family also has to
To live a good life."
…
After the meal, Sun Zhinong walked slowly to the ancestral hall at the end of the village with his hands behind his back, preparing to talk to Sun Zhicai about digging trenches in the grape fields.
On the way, I saw an electric three-wheeler coming towards me.
Sun Zhinong was a little stunned at the time, because he saw that the driver was his cousin Sun Quan, and the people in the carriage were Sun Zhicai and Xu Mei. There were also some beddings, as well as scattered pots, pans, and other items in the carriage.
The electric tricycle looked familiar to him. It seemed to belong to the village chief's family.
Sun Zhinong subconsciously stepped to the side of the road, but he shouted from a distance, "Zhicai! Zhicai? Where are you going? Are you not living in the ancestral hall?"
In the carriage, Sun Zhicai looked a little complicated. After all, he was about to leave his hometown where he had lived for most of his life. When he heard his cousin's voice, he smiled and replied: "Go to the county! Ah Quan brought some money back, and I will go to the county with his mother."
Begging for food!”
"Begging for food"...
Literally understood, this word of course means "begging", which is what beggars do.
But rural people like to brag, but they also like to be overly modest. Many people are accustomed to describing themselves as "begging" when they go out to work.
This is what Sun Zhicai said at this time.
But when Sun Zhinong heard it, he felt a little doubtful whether what he said was true?
Do you really want to go to the county town to beg for food?
There was no time for him to think too much. Seeing that the tricycle was about to pass in front of him, Sun Zhinong quickly shouted: "Hey! Zhicai! No, no, no, no! The Chinese New Year is coming soon, how can I go begging for food? Just in time! My grape field
It's time to dig a ditch, you stay and dig with us, I'll give you 15 yuan a day! That's enough for you to earn a New Year's Eve! Stop! Ah Quan, stop the car quickly! Your dad doesn't have to go to the county seat."
Sun Quan parked the car in front of Sun Zhinong, smiled slightly, and looked back at his parents in the car.
Sun Zhicai stood up and gave Sun Zhinong a cigarette, and said with a smile: "Brother! I'm sorry, our family has already discussed it. Let's go to the county to rent a small store, do some small business, and earn a living! Dig ditches in the grape fields.
You'd better find someone else to do this! Ah Quan can't stay too long when he comes back this time, I have to learn how to cook first."
"Learn to cook? What to cook?"
Sun Zhinong was a little confused. How did the topic turn to cooking?
Xu Mei explained to him, "His uncle! Ah Quan is a chef, isn't he? He said he would teach us a few dishes and asked his father and I to open a small restaurant in the county. It's getting late, and our family
We haven’t had lunch yet, so we’re leaving now! Ah Quan, let’s drive!”
Sun Quan smiled at Sun Zhinong again, "Uncle, we are leaving! Goodbye!"
After saying that, he turned the handle and the electric tricycle slipped away, heading towards the village under Sun Zhinong's puzzled gaze.
"You can open a restaurant after learning a few dishes? What kind of ghost restaurant is that?"
Sun Zhinong muttered and frowned.
…
15 yuan a day...
Sun Quan, who was driving, had the salary mentioned by his cousin just now echoing in his mind, and he felt a little emotional.
This is how my father used to make money to raise him and send him to school. Moreover, 15 yuan a day was a high price that was unthinkable before.
He remembered that when he was a child, his father only earned twenty or thirty yuan after working hard for a month.