Time passed quickly, and it snowed heavily on the first day of the twelfth lunar month.
Zhuang Keqing opened his eyes in the darkness, and there was no trace of light outside the window, and he could only hear a subtle "rustling" sound from outside.
It's snowing?
She moved her body slightly and tried to hook her neck and look out.
"What's wrong?"
A quiet and calm voice sounded beside Zhuang Keqing, and a gentle palm came over and gently stroked Zhuang Keqing's forehead.
"Listen, it seems snowing outside."
Chen Ling listened with his ears, and the "rustling" sound outside became louder.
Just by listening to the sound, you can imagine how the goose feather-like snow-white light fell on the ground, on the house, on the path, and how it accumulates into loose and soft snow piles, decorating everything in the world into a clean white look.
"Um."
Chen Ling responded softly.
He has been with Shen De since he was a child. There are spring seasons there, and there is no clear season in Songling Town, so he can be said to have never seen Xue Luo before.
"It's best to eat a stew pot on snowy days. Let's eat this at noon?"
The happy voice came around him, and Chen Ling's unhappiness that had just indulged in memories instantly dissipated, and his mood also became lighter.
In the month before yesterday, Zhuang Keqing pulled cloth and cotton in the town and changed the quilts and mattresses at home. Three big and one small have also made new cotton-padded clothes, which is just right in the snow.
After leaving the inner room, before she even got to the yard, Zhuang Keqing was shivered by the coldness. She shrank her neck and walked to the door of the main hall, tremblingly opened the small gap.
The sky was light, but when you looked through the cracks in the door, the yard was very bright. The chicken circles and vegetable fields were covered with heavy snow, and the sky kept falling snow.
“It’s so cold.”
After exhaling his breath, Zhuang Keqing simply opened the door of the house with one go, pulled Chen Ling out, and quickly closed the door.
"My mother and Aman have not yet gotten up. I'll go and see if the firewood in the stove is enough. If not enough, add some more to them to save the kang from being cold for a while."
"I'll wash myself later, so I'll use the stove to burn some hot water."
Chen Ling nodded, grabbed a broom from under the eaves, and walked to the yard to gently sweep the snow.
It was actually getting late, it was just snowing, and the sky looked like iron and lead.
What a pity, the weather is not good, and the sweet potato workshop will be shut down for a while.
Zhuang Keqing shook her head, before entering the kitchen, she looked out and saw that there were starry lights in the houses of several farmers far and near, and gradually, smoke from cooking fires rose.
I had some cabbage accumulated at home before, so I could use it to rinse it in the morning, and stew a sauerkraut pork ribs with frozen pork ribs.
In short, it’s impossible to do anything in snowy days, so it’s better to just cook something to eat.
He was thinking about how to make a sumptuous meal at noon. Zhuang Keqing dug two bowls of noodles from the noodle bucket, took several eggs, and prepared a dumpling soup later.
It's too cold, so you have to eat something hot.
The water in the stove was rumbled and she scooped a scoop on one side, mixed it with cold water, and then called Chen Ling from the yard to come in and wash.
The stove was burning, and it was warm. When the door of the stove "creaked", Chen Ling came in with a cold air.
He swept the snow without wearing a hat. At this time, his hair and his body were covered with white snowflakes. As soon as he entered the warm place, there were signs that he would turn into water in a flash.
Zhuang Keqing saw it immediately, and hurriedly got up from the door of the stove, went to a clean towel, and wiped his head and snow.
"My fault, I just forgot to get you a hat. The cold and hot snow melts on my head, and I might get a cold."
Chen Ling nodded softly, bent down slightly, and sent himself to Zhuang Keqing's hands. He felt the other party's gentle movements and the corners of his mouth gradually bent.
"When the water is ready, you can wash it first, eat breakfast more easily, can you eat dumpling soup?"
"good."
Zhuang Keqing took the towel, turned around and started adding water and dough, but did not see the soft and gentle eyes from the boy.
After eating breakfast, the snow became heavier and heavier.
Qin Manzhi left the house, looked at the dark sky, frowned, and said, "The snow is probably not allowed to stop for a while."
She turned back to the house, with a little worried, "At the beginning of the year, our house repaired the roof and replaced the tiles, but if the snow fell like this, it would be dangerous."
"Why would I go up to the roof and sweep the snow off later."
"That's OK?"
"I'll do it."
The daughter and son-in-law spoke at the same time, but Qin Manzhi refused to let him go.
"I'll do this, no need for my mother to do it." Chen Ling persuaded.
Zhuang Keqing Fu He said, "Yes, even if there is no A Ling, I should do it. You should rest at home."
Qin Manzhi was helpless. In the past ten years, when did she not wash snow fall? Who would have helped?
However, looking at her worried expression of her daughter and son-in-law who were afraid that she would just jump onto the roof, she felt very warm again.
"Then I'll go to the warehouse behind to get the ladder."
"You just rest in the room! Aman wakes up later, and you still need to take care of him!"
Zhuang Keqing was so worried about this mother who loved to worry about everything.
She pressed the woman's shoulder and coaxed her to send her into the warm inner room. Then she breathed a sigh of relief and came out of the room.
After packing up the dishes, Zhuang Keqing did not rush to wash the dishes. First, he went to the backyard warehouse with Chen Ling to get the ladder.
Then he took out a cotton hat and brought it to someone, then put the ladder under the eaves and supported it steadily before Chen Ling could get up.
The snow on the roof fell down, and the yard that had just been cleaned was messy again.
"Girl!"
A male voice came from outside the courtyard. Zhuang Keqing looked back and found that it was Zhang Da.
She held the ladder and couldn't let go, so she could only turn her head and greet her, "Uncle Zhang, why are you here?"
"I'm worried that there will be problems with your house roof. Let's see if there is any help."
The man wore a straw raincoat, and Xue Luo was not afraid, and stood outside and smiled happily.
"You have to worry. A Ling has already gone up and done it. It will be fine in a while. It's snowing heavily, so you can go back quickly."
Zhang Da was not pretentious, and he really didn't need help when he saw someone. He said "Oh" and left.
But for half a morning, it was obviously snowing so heavily, but Zhuang Keqing's family was constantly visiting, and they all came to help or deliver things.
Liu Dayuan carried a load of firewood. Wang Da said that he had two rabbits sent him yesterday. Aunt Li asked Uncle Liu to send some garlic yellow covered on the kang, which was complicated and almost piled up in the kitchen. Full.
"Does our village have the habit of giving gifts on snowy days?"
After sweeping the snow and returning to the house, Zhuang Keqing couldn't help asking her mother.
"No, you forgot, you hated snowy days when you were a child." Qin Manzhi smiled, his voice showing a sense of emotion, "When it comes to snowy days, our family lacks food and clothing, and they can only go to the Murakami family. Borrowing food.”
"Who can think about today that every household has brought us something."
After hearing this, Chen Ling turned around and looked at the girl next to him.
Except for the time when he first arrived in Erli Village, Zhou took care of his diet without hesitation, although he was an adopted son since he was a child, he had never been hungry.
It turned out that she suffered so much when she was a child.
"I still remember when you were five years old, it was like this snowy day..." Qin Manzhi's face was mixed with sadness and sadness, but when she turned up, she saw her daughter's shiny curved almond eyes, the sadness suddenly dissipated. Go.
"I won't mention it anymore. It's all the past. We'll just live a good life now."
"that is!"
If my mother had to forcefully recall the previous pain just now, she would almost pretend to be foolish.
Fortunately, my mother stopped in time and gave her some face.
He peeked at Chen Ling next to him without a trace, but Zhuang Keqing saw that the other party had been looking at him, and he didn't know how long it had been.
Two bright red flowers suddenly rose on her face, and then changed the topic, "I'll make lunch today."
"Uncle Wang sent the rabbit, so why not stew it in sauerkraut at noon and eat it in a pot."
With fresh rabbits, the ribs were long been left behind.
After Zhuang Keqing said a few words, he left the house without even saying hello.
"This girl has been in a hurry all day long, and I don't know what she is thinking."
Qin Manzhi smiled and joked.
The lunch was indeed a promised sauerkraut and hare pot.
The table is topped by the small clay stove, and it is stewed inside, exuding a sour aroma.
The whole family sat around the table, you picked up a piece of tofu, he scooped a spoonful of thick soup, and he was having a happy time on the windy and snowy winter noon.
At this time, on the way to Songling Town, there was a carriage moving forward in a difficult situation facing the heavy snow.