Qin Xiaoman's load of firewood was made of solid wooden poles, which were much heavier than the branches. This time he went down the mountain to rest seven or eight times before reaching the foot of the mountain.
By the time I got to my yard, my vest was already full of sweat.
"I'm back……"
In the courtyard, Qin Xiaoman was so tired that he couldn't shout anymore.
Du Heng hurried out of the house and saw Qin Xiaoman's two large bundles of firewood, probably weighing more than a hundred catties, and the firewood made a muffled sound when it was placed in the flagstone yard.
"Why do you choose so many, what if you are a little bit flashy."
Du Heng quickly went to support and set firewood.
"The trouble of going up and down the mountain, the more you move down the mountain at a time, the less you have to run."
Qin Xiaoman's shoulders were sore, he rubbed his shoulders, took a deep breath, didn't make a sound, instead smiled and took out a handful of pagoda tree sticks from the pile of firewood to Du Heng:
"Didn't you say you need to rinse your mouth in the morning? I chopped some pagoda leaves to brush and wash your teeth."
Du Heng picked it up, got up to rinse his mouth, he was not used to it, and raised his mouth, knowing that there was no condition, so he didn't say anything more, just rinsed with warm water back and forth, Qin Xiaoman said that the more flexible branches such as wicker and locust tree were hammered to pieces For chewing or brushing teeth.
He smiled and put it away carefully, not to worry about his brother.
"Is there still more firewood on the mountain?"
Qin Xiaoman responded: "It's hot in the summer, some trees and bamboos died, and there are more firewood than in previous years. I've been sorting out for a long time today, and I've made some adjustments. If I pick out a load of firewood one load after another, I have to run at least ten times. Back and forth."
"There is a small hill at home, and a bamboo forest, whether it is big or small."
Du Heng looked at Qin Xiaoman's sweaty head, and he was still in good spirits when he spoke, but he still frowned, how could this long-bodied man be able to cope with the busyness of doing heavy work every day.
Even if there is no reaction for a while, the body is often exhausted when young, and the sickness is more than ordinary people when they are old.
He was originally a big man but he could only do some light work at home, not because he had strong self-esteem, but seeing Qin Xiaoman doing some strenuous work every day made him feel uncomfortable.
"Xiao Man, didn't you say earlier that there are people in the village who lack firewood?"
"Well, what's the matter?"
Du Heng said: "You are too tired from going up and down the mountain like this, why don't you give up some firewood and lighten your work."
Qin Xiaoman's eyes widened when he heard the words, and his voice also became louder: "The firewood said you don't want it, so you don't want it? Don't look at the lot of firewood piled up behind the pigsty in our house. If you don't pick up new ones, it will be useless. how long."
"It's not that I don't want it anymore." Du Heng said peacefully: "I mean, let's go talk to the people who don't have any firewood, ask for help to pack the firewood from the mountain and bring it home, and send one or two bundles of firewood to help Yes, it takes a day or two to get all the firewood home with so many people, so I don’t have to be so troubled, right?”
Qin Xiaoman paused for a moment when he heard the words. It was really slow and tiring to do it by himself, and he was stolen by someone without paying attention. It is much better than being stolen for nothing.
He smiled: "What a way! Then I will invite someone tomorrow."
Du Heng responded, "En."
In fact, he has also learned about the situation of the Qin family in the past few days. When he went to the county, Second Uncle Qin often talked to him about the family affairs of the Qin family.
Originally, his family was very supportive of him, and he came out of the examination center. The Qin family's family was able to fully support a scholar.
But ever since Qin Xiaoman's little father passed away in dystocia, Qin's father was depressed and failed in scientific examinations repeatedly, so he never knew that kind of accident would happen to him later.
Compared with many families in the village back then, Xiaoman's family's field house was already a high-class household in the village.
It's just that Qin's father passed away, and there is no son in the family, only Xiaoman is alone, no matter how capable he is, he can't do what a few people can do, and he will naturally fall down gradually.
Du Heng feels that the Qin family has good conditions, as long as they make good use of it, living a good life is not a problem.
In fact, it is very simple to use manpower to develop better, but most of the rural households are people who have not read books.
Everyone sticks to their own one-acre three-point land, wanting to control every centimeter for themselves, and unwilling to let others take advantage of it.
It's like Xiaoman, who is just afraid that the firewood will be stolen, so he works desperately, as if only this kind of work can be practical, and he doesn't know how to opportunistically.
Qin Xiaoman looked at Du Heng, tilted his head and said, "You are so thoughtful, do you love me?"
Du Heng frowned slightly, and smiled, but instead of responding to his words, he said, "Come here, I'll give you something."
Qin Xiaoman's eyebrows moved slightly: "What?"
He followed Du Heng into the house, saw someone touch it from under the pillow, and then a handful of copper coins fell into his hand.
"Where did you get the money!"
Qin Xiaoman's eyes were wide open, holding more than a dozen copper coins in his hand.
"We sold vegetables in the city today."
Du Heng told him about going into the city with Qin Xiong today, and Qin Xiaoman's mouth turned up immediately, revealing two rows of white teeth: "Why are you so courageous that you even rubbed against your second uncle's ox cart with him?" Go into the city to sell vegetables."
"What's the matter, the second uncle has a strict face and a kind heart, and he is easy to talk to."
Qin Xiaoman found it incredible: "Second uncle was so fierce to you before, but now he is very nice to you in just a few days."
After finishing speaking, Qin Xiaoman returned the money to Du Heng. He actually loves money, not because he dislikes Du Heng's small amount of money. If you sell the vegetables at home, you can:
"A man always needs some money. You can save it for yourself and use it. I'm not at home all the time. If you have money, you don't have to wait for me to use it."
Du Heng paused: "Okay, I'll keep it first."
In fact, he really wants to say that he will give him more when he makes more money in the future, but he has never been a person who says more than he does. He prefers to show actual results rather than empty promises.
After getting along for a few days, although it is not a few days, but after all, we are under the same roof, and we can understand a person very intuitively.
Du Heng felt that although Qin Xiaoman grew up in the countryside, he was not well-received outside, mostly domineering talk and various belittling jokes.
However, he felt that Qin Xiaoman had a good temper and was very tough to the outside world, but he himself was a sensible person, and he would listen to many things as long as he talked about them properly.
"Then do you want to take a bath? I boiled hot water."
"Wash, sweat all over the mountain."
Qin Xiaoman walked briskly to the kitchen room, he felt that after Du Heng came, he would be happy every day when he came back, life is really good!
When he went into the kitchen, he saw a bowl of chopped chili peppers on the stove, mostly green ones, with some red ones mixed in.
"I picked all the peppers, and I would die on the pepper tree after two days of cold. I can make some chopped peppers and save them. They can be used as pickles for rice and stir-fry."
When Du Heng returned to the stove, there were still some that hadn't been chopped up.
"Don't be too hot when chopping so much."
Du Heng held the knife: "It's okay, the stubble is not spicy."
Qin Xiaoman said: "You have to cook the vegetables in the field. I see people digging bamboo shoots from the mountains, and sometimes they can't take care of them. If you like to sell vegetables, go if you can get on the second uncle's ox cart, and spend money if you can't." Two copper coins will go to the city, so be careful not to be ripped off. Next time you go to the city, you can sell the winter bamboo shoots."
Du Heng readily agreed: "Okay."
Qin Xiaoman was very happy, eating white water vegetables at night was delicious, and when he was full, he saw his virtuous husband-in-law packed up the dishes and went to the kitchen, wiping the table clean.
Instead, he couldn't find work for a while, so he prepared tomorrow's pig food ahead of time, and Gu Gu Gu replaced the chicken with it and put it in the cage.
The hen took care of things and laid two more eggs. He happily picked them up. While soaking his feet, he explained to Du Heng that he would eat fried eggs in the morning. The uphill was for heavy work, and eating fried eggs in the morning would give him strength all day long.
"It's two, one for each person. I've put them on the stove."
"Well, there's a little jar of lard paste in the cupboard, and I'll use it to fry your eggs."
Qin Xiaoman was very happy.
When it was almost settled, the two of them went back to their houses after soaking their feet.
Qin Xiaoman entered the room, took off his clothes, and threw himself on the bed: "Hiss..."
He called out from the bed, covered his shoulders and got up.
He unbuttoned his clothes and wanted to see what happened to his shoulders, but he couldn't see it.
There was no bronze mirror in the room, he sighed and looked towards the door.
"ah!"
Du Heng, who was taking off his clothes and getting ready to go to bed, saw someone running in suddenly, his hands trembled, he turned his back and tied his belt again.
"Give me medicinal wine!"
Du Heng frowned upon hearing this: "Are you injured?"
"Shoulder is a little bruised." Du Heng's room was warmed by a charcoal basin, Qin Xiaoman pulled off his collar and leaned in front of Du Heng: "Show me, I can't see the wound that I can't apply."
Du Heng glanced at the white shoulders that have been hidden in his clothes all year round, his heart skipped a beat, and he looked away in panic: "Can't you paint it?"
"If you can paint it, what else can I ask you to do?"
Qin Xiaoman stuffed the medicine jar: "Hurry up!"
Du Heng hurriedly held the medicinal wine, a little at a loss.
Seeing the elder brother who was carrying her back, he was urged again and again, helplessly, he carefully dipped some wine in the cotton, and looked elsewhere in a proper way.
"Are you hurt a lot?"
"……fine……"
Qin Xiaoman frowned, and looked at the man whose neck was twisted like a twisted flower and whose eyes were almost closed, he gave Du Heng a look: "You didn't even look at it!"
"I can't smoke people!"
Du Heng coughed dryly when he heard the words, and looked at the angry Qin Xiaoman staring at him, his face turned red, "No."
Fortunately, the room was dim, so he couldn't see his shyness clearly.
Du Heng slowly put his eyes on his brother's shoulders, the skin was a little bit worn by the burden, and there were purple spots on the skin, both dark and light.
He frowned: "Don't go up the mountain tomorrow."
"According to what you said, ask the folks who don't have firewood to help. It's not a problem. I'll take you to the doctor to see your feet tomorrow, and then go up the mountain the next day."
"Um."
Then the two fell silent.
Du Heng held his breath, wiped the medicine with a warm face, slapped Qin Xiaoman lightly, and then pulled up Qin Xiaoman's clothes: "Don't do heavy work tomorrow, raise it without touching the water."
He felt sorry for Qin Xiaoman who had worked so hard and spoke softly.
Qin Xiaoman felt light and light, and the unhappiness just now was fleeting, and he didn't feel any pain anymore.
Hearing how Du Heng comforted him and took care of him for a few days, Qin Xiaoman looked at Du Heng and wanted to spend more time with him, and didn't even want to leave the house.
He took a long time to put the lid back on the medicinal wine, but after a while, seeing Du Heng standing there and looking at him without saying anything else, he was a little unhappy, and went out of the room with the jar in his arms.
"Go to bed early."
Qin Xiaoman didn't answer his question, Du Heng guessed that he was tired and his shoulder hurt, so he didn't want to talk.
The wind was blowing outside, although it wasn't raining, but the countryside was extremely quiet. Du Heng took off his shoes and got on the bed, and put Mrs. Tang into the bed early, and it was very warm inside, which also made people fall asleep faster.
He breathed a sigh of relief, and not long after he closed his eyes, he felt a little drowsy, and suddenly there was a rattling sound on the bed, and a furry head leaned forward.
Du Heng opened his eyes wide, looking at his brother who jumped on him in the faint warm light: "Xiao Man, what are you doing!?"