pjbooks Chapter 25 Crisis
Chapter 25 Crisis
As soon as the carriage entered the village, Li Chunsheng and a group of children his age were playing "da wa" (a type of card game) by the village entrance.
The "da wa" mentioned here is not a modern internet slang term, but refers to a traditional folk game in northern China.
The game is very simple: you throw stones, tiles, bricks, etc. at a target in the distance.
While playing, you can also train your eyesight, arm strength, and body coordination.
It kills time, brings pleasure, and indirectly exercises the body.
It's a game that offers multiple benefits.
Compared to later generations,
The online games that keep people glued to their phone screens, playing all night long, are far less healthy.
When Li Xiangdong and Li Xiangyang arrived, Li Chunsheng must have lost the game of hitting tiles.
The little boy was stiffening his neck and closing his eyes, waiting for his friend to flick his forehead, which made both of them laugh.
"Chunsheng, come here."
Li Xiangyang shouted at Li Chunsheng, who was about to be punished.
Li Chunsheng was also quick-witted; upon hearing someone call him, he immediately ran over. Seeing that it was Li Xiangyang returning, he excitedly shouted:
"Uncle, Uncle, you're back! Did you bring anything fun back today?"
As soon as Li Chunsheng ran in, Li Xiangyang lifted him onto the carriage and then took out a can of fruit from the sack and handed it to him.
"Uncle brought you this today. Go, pry it open and share it with your friends."
Upon receiving the canned fruit, Li Chunsheng's eyes lit up. He sniffled, quickly hugged it to his chest, and then swiftly slipped off the carriage to play.
Li Chunsheng instantly became the focus of attention, with his friends swarming around him.
"Chunsheng, I'll help you pry it open."
"Chunsheng, your uncle said he'd share some with us."
"Chunsheng, give me some, I'll exchange it for you later with my cigarette case."
.........
"Oh dear, little brother, don't spoil Chunsheng. You're always buying him candy and canned fruit."
Li Xiangdong was somewhat worried.
"He's my nephew. If I don't spoil him, who will?"
and,
We work tirelessly from dawn till dusk fishing and selling fish, all so that our families can have a better life.
Li Xiangyang smiled and asked in return.
"That...that's not wrong, that makes sense."
Li Xiangdong shook his head helplessly.
Soon, the carriage drove into the Li family's courtyard.
Wang Guiying and her two daughters-in-law heard the sound of the carriage and came out of the door. As soon as they opened the door, they saw the two brothers, Li Xiangyang and Li Xiangdong, unloading bags and bags of things at the door.
"Oh, it's Xiaomi."
Zhao Lijuan couldn't wait to open one of the bags and check it out, only to find that it contained millet.
These days, herders generally eat more coarse grains.
Compared to whole grains, millet is soft, sticky, and has a rich aroma, making it much tastier.
However, millet has a low yield and is expensive, so ordinary people would not buy it as a staple food. They would only cook it during festivals or when important guests came to visit.
"Sister-in-law, look, we still have some flour left. We can make dumplings another day."
Liu Xiulan then opened a bag to check it.
Just as Zhao Lijuan was called over, Li Xiangyang handed her a small sack. When she opened it, she found several cans of fruit inside.
I understand.
This morning, Li Xiangyang asked her if there was anything she wanted to eat, and she casually mentioned canned fruit.
"I didn't expect Xiangyang to actually buy it for me."
Liu Xiulan muttered to herself and quickly tied the sack.
While her two daughters-in-law eagerly opened the sacks one by one, as if opening a blind box, Wang Guiying, who had been silent all along, had mixed feelings.
"Xiangdong, Xiangyang, why did you buy so much stuff again? Isn't this a waste of money?"
As she rummaged through the things her two sons had unloaded, she asked with a stern face.
She instinctively felt that since the family had just started earning some money, they shouldn't be spending so lavishly.
Li Xiangyang had already noticed Wang Guiying's mood, and with a smile, he stuffed the remaining money into her hand, saying:
"Mom, these are all necessities we bought, so it's not like we're wasting money. And here's 201 yuan, take it all."
"There's still over 200 yuan left...?"
Wang Guiying clutched 20 ten-yuan bills in her hand, her expression clearly showing some excitement.
She hadn't received this much money in a long time.
He couldn't help but smile.
After everything was moved and arranged in the kitchen, Li Xiangyang returned to the middle room and lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed).
He was exhausted these past few days since his rebirth.
Day after day, they would either get up early and spend several hours selling fish, or go to the freezing cold Chahar to break the ice and catch fish.
Yesterday, I ran more than 20 kilometers round trip to hunt that red deer.
Luckily, he's young, healthy, and tall; otherwise, most people wouldn't be able to withstand such an ordeal.
"Xiangyang... You've been working so hard lately. It's also because of your father that you've all been dragged down. If your father hadn't injured his back, you and Xiangdong wouldn't have had to work so hard."
aside,
Li Zhenshan, the father who was smoking a copper pipe, suddenly said with a guilty tone.
Li Xiangyang's father saw how hard Li Xiangyang had worked these past two days and felt deeply for him.
I am very pleased and proud.
of course,
I also felt somewhat guilty.
"Dad, I'm not tired. I'm happy to be able to help the family!"
Don't think like that. How can we, as family, talk about who dragged whom down?
Li Xiangyang sprang up in a flash and sat up.
Speaking the most sincere words in the most nonchalant tone.
Seeing that his father was still somewhat downcast, Li Xiangyang took out a large bag of butter paper from his pocket and handed it to him.
"Dad, this is for you. Grab a handful and eat it when you're bored."
"For me...? What is it?"
Li Zhenshan opened the butter paper package with a puzzled look.
"Ugh, why waste money buying me sunflower seeds?"
Li Zhenshan complained, but he didn't refuse.
He lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) every day, and although he didn't have to do any work, he was incredibly bored.
In this era,
Without cell phones, televisions, or even radios, he lay there for over a month, which shows how bored he must have been.
Now that I have this bag of sunflower seeds to eat, at least I can pass the time.
Li Xiangyang had noticed this long ago.
He had been alone for over a decade in his previous life, and he had a deep understanding of boredom.
He had planned to buy a radio once he had earned more money, because information is important in any era.
At this time,
Li Xiangdong had already tied the horse back to the stable and, covered in ice, pushed open the door and came in.
The two brothers had some fish soup and cornbread, rested for half an hour, and felt warmer, so they dragged their sleds out again.
We continued fishing at Zhahar Lake.
After the snowfall over the past two days, the snow accumulation outdoors has noticeably increased by several centimeters.
but,
The two brothers, Li Xiangyang and Li Xiangyang, had already trodden a path along the road to Zhahar Lake, which greatly facilitated their transport of fish. The downside was that it made it easier for them to spot their whereabouts.
This is not,
The two brothers had barely stepped out when a furtive figure followed them.
It was Donkey Egg, who had failed to extort venison from Li Xiangyang that morning.
When he saw the Li brothers fishing in the lake from afar, he was first surprised, and then a wicked idea immediately came to mind.
"You stupid Li Er!"
I knew you were up to something, always leaving early and coming home late. Now... you've fallen for my tricks.