Eldest Sister, Why Haven't You Married Yet

12

Chapter 12. Celebrating birthday

The morning mist had yet to dissipate. Chill already began to set in in the morning after the Mid-Autumn Festival. The early-riser You Jin wore a quilted coarse clothes with several patches. She gave Mrs. Han a greeting before heading out with a bamboo basket on her back. Today was old Mrs. Chen's 50th birthday. She gathered the pigweed in the mountain while it was early. If not, the pigs at home will have no pigweed to eat today.

"You Jin, you're going up to the mountain so early. Aren't you afraid, little girl?" The youth behind, who was also carrying a bamboo basket, caught up with You Jin. It turned out to be Lin Family's Lin San Lang.

"Third Uncle Lin." Although Lin Family's third son was only six or seven years older than her, he was a generation higher. You Jin respectfully called Third Uncle.

Lin San Lang followed You Jin's footsteps: "It just so happens that I'm going to gather pigweed. We can be each other's accompany?"

He was considering how a little girl would be afraid to go up the mountain alone and kindly suggested to go together.

You Jin shook her head. Although it was said that the barrier between men and women in the countryside was not as strong as in the city, there was still the possibility of gossip when walking together: "Third Uncle, you go first. I have to wait for Second Uncle Zhuang's Qiao Qiao."

Seeing that she stopped and said she was waiting for someone, Lin San Lang didn't press on: "Okay. Then pay attention to safety. Third Uncle will go first!"

Standing on the spot, she waited for Lin San Lang's figure to gradually disappear in the morning fog. It didn't take long for Qiao Qiao to jog all the way to the meeting place chosen by the two: "You Jin, I'm here!"

Qiao Qiao was thirteen years old this year. A sturdy, cute little girl. She had a good relationship with You Jin. The two of them went up the mountain to forage pigweed from time to time. They can be regarded as a companion.

"Then let's go!" Upon her arrival, the two went up the mountain together. Now that it was getting colder. The pigweeds on the mountain were getting less and less. It was estimated that it will start snowing in a month or two. Then the pigweeds will be gone.

The two little girls climbed up the hill one after the other. Soon, they found the pigweed. The two of them were cutting the pigweed as they chatted: "You Jin, what are your family going to do? Why are Third Uncle's family and your two cousin brothers from Eldest Uncle's family back?"

Yesterday, the majority of the villagers witnessed Yue Chang Shou and others entered the village in a mule cart, but they didn't know why. Qiao Qiao was also very curious, so she asked.

"My grandmother is celebrating her birthday. So they all come back." You Jin's action was clean cut. A handful of pigweed entered into the back basket one after another in a short while. The back basket was filled up soon: "Qiao Qiao, hurry up. My grandmother is having a birthday celebration today. There is still a lot of work at home waiting for me to do!"

Seeing You Jin already filled the back basket with pigweed, Qiao Qiao hurriedly speed up her hands and feet and soon filled the back basket. When the two of them walked home with pigweed on their backs, the sky in the east began to glow with golden light. The sun was coming out. After separating from Qiao Qiao at the intersection, You Jin returned home with a heavy basket on her back. As soon as she opened the courtyard door, she heard old Mrs. Chen yelling at people. Sure enough, can hope for her to improve her temper on her birthday...

Putting the pigweed at the door of the pigsty, she went to old Mrs. Chen's front to replace the scolded Yue Yin and Yue Zhu: "Grandmother is celebrating her birthday today and you two still make Grandmother mad. Go do what you're supposed to do now!"