Farming with Taobao - C22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO The Uncles of the Outer Family (3)
“How did the Lee family treat you? Why can’t they even afford a pair of shoes? Why are you wearing these in the middle of winter?”
Black Bean revealed some embarrassment. He did have new shoes, but he was reluctant to wear them as he was going to walk on the mountain road today. He didn’t even want to wear his brother and sister.
Li Yannian hurriedly said, “After Father and Mother left, Uncle and Third Uncle took our land and never cared about us. The money that I used to buy clothes was all earned by my brother in the town. Grandmother, look at these eggs and clothes, I also earned money from buying them. I specifically bought them to nourish Grandmother’s body and make clothes. ”
Just as Li Yannian was wondering in her heart what was wrong with her uncles, she heard one of them yell, “The Li Clan is really vicious!”
Zhang Yaomei sighed, “You three children just passed half a year like that? “Why are you so stupid as your mother? You don’t know how to stay at Grandma’s house!”
Li Yannian giggled and acted like a spoiled child, “We don’t know! If I had known that Grandmother would be so heartbroken, I would have dragged us here a long time ago. Grandmother, it’s been so long since you’ve let us recognize you. There are so many uncles, aunties, cousins, and I don’t recognize any of them … ”
Only then did Zhang Yaomei remember that she was too preoccupied with her sadness just now and had forgotten to teach her children how to recognize people. She pointed to her sons and said: “This is your uncle, Zhang Bao, she is working at the Du Jia Village’s clothing shop. She is only home today because of the holidays, she still has to go to the shop tomorrow. This is your First Aunt, surnamed Xia, called Peach Blossom. This is your second uncle, Zhang Erbao, the village pig killer, your second aunt’s surname is Wang … ”
A few of his uncles did all sorts of business. In addition to the business and pig slaughtering uncle, third uncle is a carpenter, fourth uncle makes mud to help people build a house. As soon as he introduced them, a few uncles would happily stand up and point at themselves. The few uncles would be different, when the aunt called him, she immediately fished out a few red packets from her purse, and with her sister-in-law Xia Taohua as a representative, she gently placed them on Li Yannian’s hands, speaking very affectionately, “I didn’t know that you guys would come today, the red packets you prepared weren’t big, they were just for your children to play around with. Don’t give up on me, I promise your uncles will take another big one for you tonight.”
Li Yannian did not refuse as she smiled sweetly, “Auntie already gave a lot. It’s good to have Auntie’s pain. I thank First Aunt on behalf of my brother, Second Aunt, Third Aunt and Third Aunt. ”
This string of aunts made the whole family laugh.
Only now did Zhang Yaomei have a smile on her face. The more she looked at Li Yannian, the more she liked her. Fortunately, Li Yannian still remembered Black Bean who was standing motionlessly at the side, and said to Zhang Yaomei in a spoiled manner: “Grandma, my brother is still standing. We climbed the mountain the whole morning, you shouldn’t ask my brother to sit down and rest.”
Only then did Zhang Yaomei turn her head to look at Black Bean. She was a little embarrassed, she had truly forgotten about his grandson Black Bean just now. Fortunately, her wife Xu Zhangshu helped her out, and waved at Black Bean, causing him to sit beside her grandfather.
“Eat, eat. The two children have been on the road for the whole morning. They must be hungry as well …”
On the other side, her wife Xia Taohua had already added two more sets of tableware onto the table. The two of them looked at each other in mid air, and Xia Taohua’s cheeks immediately turned completely red.
“Eat, eat, eat. Black Bean, this is your first time coming to my house, don’t be embarrassed, just let go of your stomach and eat …”
Zhang Erbao also smiled boyishly as he greeted his new nephew, but he couldn’t help but look at his niece again. Seeing Li Yannian steadily sitting by his wife’s side with a bowl of food in her hand, no matter how you looked at her cute little appearance, she truly looked pretty! If only his daughter-in-law could give him a daughter.
The pot was boiling with steaming hot soup. The family sat around the table with similar smiles on their faces. Li Yannian was busy trying to eliminate the dishes his grandmother kept in her bowl, looking at her newlywed relatives with great satisfaction. Her heart felt like her stomach, warm up gradually.
After eating a lively reunion dinner, Zhang Yaomei liked his granddaughter more the more she saw her, so she suggested to keep the three siblings at home for a period of time.
Black Bean was planning to come to visit a relative in a year and leave, but upon hearing this he hesitated. Li Yannian reacted quickly as she laughed, “Grandmother, we didn’t think of this when we came. We didn’t bring any new clothes, it would have been better if we stayed for a day or two, if we stayed for another two days, Grandmother would find us stinky.”
This sentence made everyone laugh. The First Aunt smiled gently and made a compromise, “Mother, why don’t we keep them at home for two days. Since the first day of the new year has coincidentally been out for the first month, we should go out and ask about little sister-in-law first. Why don’t we send Black Bean and the others back home today and take a look at the Li family on the way? If the Li Family members are really bad, why don’t we help Black Bean and the others pack up and come back to live with us? ”
As soon as the idea came out, the three wives also agreed. Originally, when they heard that their grandma wanted to bring their granddaughter back to live, they didn’t say anything and were unhappy in their hearts. There were only so many things in the house, and three more people to share them with. The difference was too great. In the end, people’s hearts were all biased, and even their own children could not understand them. A child left behind by three of these sister-in-law had appeared halfway, and they had not seen it since they were young. They were no different from strangers, so how could they have feelings for each other?
It was not a big deal for the eldest sister-in-law to suggest such an idea, but since the child was sent back to the Li Village, the Li Family still needed some face. They wouldn’t sit idly by and watch the outer sect take care of the child and raise him in the Zhang Family Village! Otherwise, the light villagers’s saliva would have drowned them all.
Zhang Yaomei was used to being strong, and thus, the daughter-in-law below had always been obedient. Xu Zhangshu, as a man, was not that meticulous. The two of them looked at each other and thought that it was just right.
“Alright then. Peach Blossom, clean up the room with the cuckoo in a while and see how Black Bean and Mao Dou can sleep. Red Bean will sleep with me. Camphor Tree, go to the outer room and sleep. ”
Li Yannian, on the other hand, would rather sleep alone.
Zhang Yaomei saw through her worries at first glance and smiled as she rubbed her head, “Your grandfather is really wishing that he could sleep in the outer room by himself.
Xu Zhangshu looked at his wife. He did not nod his head, nor did he object.
Xia Taohua pulled the dissatisfied Third Sister-in-law, Du Gun, and quietly pulled at the corner of her clothes. She also asked Zhang Yaomei for her opinion in a gentle tone, “Black Bean is pretty much the same as Da Jun, so let’s sleep with him. Mao Dou is still young, and is afraid that he won’t be able to leave brother.
Zhang Yaomei nodded her head impatiently. “Just watch over and clean up the mess between you two, boys can’t compare to girls, there’s no need to be so particular.”
These words made all the daughter-in-law choked. None of the other families could afford to have a son to eat their mother-in-law. Old Zhang’s family was out of line, so the sister-in-law would be very angry if her granddaughter was not with them.
However, when they saw their husband glued his eyes onto the red bean, Peach Blossom and the others could only sigh helplessly. In truth, they themselves also wanted their daughter. Just like the Zhang family’s daughter who was next door and knew how to move a small stool next to her mother to help her pick vegetables. Her chubby face was full of seriousness, making people’s hearts melt.
The peach blossoms came back to reality and laughed: “Then I’ll go clean up with the cuckoo. We’ve been under the blanket once before, and have kept it in the cage for so long. Only after we take it out and bask it in the sun will Black Bean and the rest warm up.”
Zhang Yaomei’s thoughts were all on Li Yannian, she did not hear what she said, and sent her away.
“Such a pitiful sight. His hair is so yellow like this. When your mother was your age, her hair was thick and black, and when she came back, your grandmother would raise you as well as your mother. “Also, this small arm is too thin. I’ll need to eat more in the next two days at home …”
Li Yannian couldn’t help but to laugh, thinking back to those scenes and photos of her granny and her grandmother being raised that year on Weibo, thinking that her job of getting fatter was just around the corner.
Other than First Uncle on break, Second Uncle was resting since he didn’t have any pig to kill today. Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle still had to do their work, thus they accompanied Black Bean and Li Yannian out the door while carrying the fellow who was eating.
It was at this time that Mao Dou woke up in the room next door. When he saw that he was sleeping in an unfamiliar room with his older brother and sister not beside him, he was so scared that he started crying, scaring the few people who were talking in the living room. Black Bean immediately carried them over.
Previously, Peach Blossom thought that his nephew would wake up hungry, so she left a bowl of rice on the stove and kept it warm in the pot. Now, after Black Bean had coaxed her, she could eat with her. Mao Dou was just woken up from his hunger and when he saw the food, he immediately burst into laughter. Even Zhang Yaomei and Xu Zhangshu who didn’t like boys couldn’t help but stroke the soft yellow hair on his head when they saw this child.
Watching from the side, Peach Blossom couldn’t help but be convinced. The three children of his wife’s family were much more thoughtful and sensible than his own children. He couldn’t blame his mother for liking them so much.
In fact, Li Yannian had noticed that his aunts did not really welcome them. After all, they were not like her grandparents and uncles, who were blood related to them. She could understand that her aunts viewed them as strangers who might be able to squeeze into their living space. It was strange that they could be welcomed.
Their worries were too worrisome. Firstly, the reason why Li Yannian instigated Black Bean to marry them was to find a backer; secondly, Li Yannian’s secret was already at the limit of what they could say to the Mao Dou brothers. If they continued to stay in such a large family, wouldn’t that be courting death? Even blood relatives might not be able to keep her secret, let alone these “outsiders”.