"Little Daddy said that Brother Man is going to give birth soon, and he made some clothes for children in his spare time, thinking about bringing them back to him for you." "Okay."
Du
Heng quickly responded, worrying about the child It's about to be born, and I haven't made two clothes yet.
Children grow the fastest, and they look the same every two days, with too little or too much clothes.
He hurriedly packed his things and followed Qin Zhifeng out of the academy. The Qin family cherished their only son, and there was a carriage waiting outside the academy to pick him up early after school.
At that time, there were quite a lot of horse-drawn carriages at the gate of the academy, and it was not surprising that most of the commuting students had their own carriages and horses at home.
Since there are those who are greedy and playful, they don't let the family's carriage come. The school ends early, and there is enough time to go to have a cup of tea and watch the theater. I invite a few or two classmates to go to spend time together.
Du Heng followed Qin Zhifeng with the bookcase and was about to get into the carriage when suddenly there was a slightly strong smell of makeup and powder, and Qin Zhifeng beside him immediately wrapped a butterfly around his arm.
"Cousin, you came out so early today!"
Du Heng heard the voice and realized that it was actually a brother. Looking at the light shirt like a red pomegranate, his body was fragrant and greasy, and he was as pretty as a little girl.
Looking at Qin Zhifeng who was tightly entwined, Du Heng touched the tip of his nose involuntarily.
"I have something to do at home today, so I have to go back early."
Only then did my brother realize that there was a man with a face standing beside Qin Zhifeng, and he took a quick look, and the students in Bairong Academy were all the same. Dressed up, I really can't see anything unique at a glance.
It's nothing more than the difference between tall, short, fat and thin.
However, when he saw Du Heng's stature and stature, he couldn't help but raised his eyes to see the real face, and couldn't help being startled.
Isn't this the true face of the Banished Immortal depicted in the picture book? He comes to Bairong Academy from time to time, and he has seen many young talents, but this is the first time he has seen such a face.
Couldn't help but look a few more times, pulled Qin Zhifeng and asked: "Cousin, this is your classmate? Why haven't I seen it before?"
Qin Zhifeng said: "This is my cousin's husband, Du Heng, who is also in the academy now Study here."
"So they are all relatives, seeing that they are older than Min'er, so Min'er should call him brother."
Lin Min immediately turned towards Du Heng Welfare Fu: "Min'er has met Cousin Du."
Du Heng I politely returned a gift.
Afterwards, Du Heng and Qin Zhifeng got into the carriage together, Lin Huan also got into his own carriage, and followed behind the Qin family's carriage.
Du Heng was sitting by the window, looking at the carriage behind, he said: "Is this young man here specially to wait for my cousin?"
Qin Zhifeng pursed his lower lip when he heard that, his face remained calm: "He is my cousin." The first cousin of my little daddy's natal family, my little dad likes him very much."
He didn't say a few words, but Du Heng understood the meaning of the words, his little dad liked his daughter-in-law, but the deity didn't.
Du Heng didn't say much to take care of other people's family affairs.
When he arrived at Qin's house, Qin Zhiyan was still busy in the county mansion and never came back.
Zhou Wan had prepared things early in the morning, and Du Heng gave them to him as soon as he passed by.
"When the child is older, he needs to take good care of it. Although the child is born in October, bumps are inevitable. Premature births are also common. Therefore, we must find a midwife early." Zhou Wanqing always felt that Xiaoman's belly was a
brother Son, I can't help but explain a few more words after sending something.
Du Heng listened very patiently, but before he could say a few words, the flirtatious Lin Ming came in shouting.
Zhou Wanqing originally wanted to stay with Du Heng for a while and wait for Qin Zhiyan to come back, but Du Heng thanked Zhou Wanqing for the clothes he made and said goodbye.
"Alright, go back and take care of one or two brothers. Tomorrow, I will send someone to bring lunch to Zhifeng to the academy, and you will come with me, so don't bring your own food." "Thank you little uncle.
"
Du Heng went out from Qin's house, guessing that it was about time, he went to the gate of the city to stop a carriage and went back, and when he arrived at the village, it was almost the hour of You.
"You came back so early?!"
Qin Xiaoman was washing clothes in the yard, when he saw Du Heng walking to the door, he stood up with a smile.
"I said just let me wash the clothes, you don't have to move."
"It's just three or two pieces of clothes, it doesn't take much work, and besides, I wash them at home instead of going to the river. You're tired of reading, that's it." Can I keep things for you?"
Du Heng touched Qin Xiaoman's hair helplessly, he put down the bookcase, and took off the burden hanging on his shoulders: "Look, this is today's Xiaotangshu They are for me, and they are said to be clothes for our children."
"Really? Uncle Xiaotang is very good at sewing, and he is willing to make clothes for our children."
Qin Xiaoman couldn't wait to open the bag, and there was a small clothes inside There are four sets of shorts.
The fabric is very soft to the touch, the cub was born in summer, and the material is thoughtfully selected with a cool texture.
Qin Xiaoman liked it very much, rubbed it on the side of his face, carefully folded it and put it in the closet.
"You went to my uncle's house, and you came back so early. When did the academy end? I thought it was dark when you came back." Speaking of this,
Du Heng couldn't help but sighed, and he took out his schedule from the bookcase. Give the watch to Qin Xiaoman: "Look at it."
Qin Xiaoman took it and glanced at it, his eyes widened: "The morning class is too early! It will take a full hour from our village to the county town." Du
Heng I have already calculated the way back. It takes two hours to get from the village to the county seat, and I still have to pack up and wait for a while. If I want to be in time for class at 6 o’clock, I have to get up at 3:30 o’clock at the latest.
In the past, when the farming was busy, we only got up at four o'clock and went to the field at five o'clock.
He smiled wryly: "Probably the day's plan lies in the morning."
"Or stay in the academy."
Du Heng shook his head resolutely: "You are about to give birth, this must not work."
Qin Xiaoman clutched his stomach, suddenly felt that it was time for the child to be pregnant.
"It's okay, I wake up early on a daily basis, as long as I go to bed earlier at night, it's no problem to wake up in the morning."
Qin Xiaoman said nothing.
Du Heng said again: "I'll go down and cook."
Qin Xiaoman nodded.
Du Heng was lighting a fire in the kitchen, thinking that he could cook less rice tomorrow without having to cook by himself, and was busy with Qin Xiaoman running in: "If you go to the academy so early to study, you can't be with your second uncle, and it's not good to be here too early. There is an ox cart on the road, but I have to drive it myself." "
I thought so too." "
Why not, I'll ask Uncle Erdan to see if there are any children from the farmhand's family who are willing to send one over to work Son, when the time comes, I will learn how to drive, and I will take you to the academy in the morning and then drive the car back by myself, so I don’t need to find a place to tie up the cattle. In the afternoon, after school is early, you can take the car back by yourself?” Du Heng’s eyebrows twitched slightly
. It is much more convenient, not only being able to drive, but more importantly, being able to help with some things at home, so that Qin Xiaoman can relax faster.
He felt more at ease when someone was watching him.
"Are they willing to send their children here?"
Qin Xiaoman said, "Why not? It's not because they want to sell themselves as slaves. It's the same as long-term workers. It's much better to take care of their food, clothing and housing than staying at home without enough food and clothing. The farmer’s family has too many people and can’t afford to sell them. Rather than selling them outside, they prefer to put them in the owner’s house to do work.” It can be regarded as
a way of life, and at least there is something to eat.
"Then you cook. Uncle Erdan is in the field next to our house. I'll tell him that you cook at home." After saying that,
Qin Xiaoman went out, and he came back safely after a while. At nightfall, fearing that the couple would regret it, Uncle Er Dan led the people to the house.
Du Heng thought that there were only one or two children, but Uncle Erdan brought five children directly, all of them were dark and thin, and they were not too big, but they wore loose clothes, as if they were temporary family members. It's average.
"Du Tongsheng, these children are already twelve years old, but they don't eat or drink on a daily basis, so they don't look like this age. See if you like any of them. Although they are thinner, they all work hard and work well."
Qin Xiao Man looked at Du Heng and let him choose.
Du Heng looked around, chose the tallest boy, and then chose a younger brother.
Not only did the two people who were selected not feel uneasy because they wanted to work as errands in other people's homes, but they had obvious joy in their eyes because they could stay. The other three were not selected.
Du Heng thought it was not easy to come here, and the other three who were not selected were given a white flour steamed bun, and the children became happy and thanked them again and again.
"In the future, you should be more obedient and sensible in Du Tongsheng's house, and don't cause troubles to cause trouble for the master .
"
Uncle didn't say that his own children were also sent over.
Being selected blindly this morning, Uncle Er Dan was a little happy and kept telling the child.
"This is the boy from Uncle Erdan's family?"
"This silly boy is called Da Zhuang, thanks to my master."
Du Heng looked up and down at the child. The name is quite strong, but the person is a shriveled long cowpea.
"I can go home when I'm free after doing the work here. The left and right are not too far apart, in the same village."
Hearing such words, Da Zhuang hurriedly thanked Du Heng.
It was getting late, and it was difficult to go back in the dark. Uncle Er Dan didn't stay for long, and led the three children who were not selected to go back.
The remaining two children, one is Da Zhuang from Uncle Erdan's family, who is the eldest among the children who came, and is already thirteen. The other brother is younger, he is only twelve this year, and he doesn't have a serious name. I heard that he is called Shui Xiancai, and his family calls him Brother Qin.
Qin Xiaoman managed to arrange his brother to live in the room where he used to sleep and now store groceries. The boy is so skinny, so he built a floor bunk in the woodshed.
Let the two go to tidy up, Qin Xiaoman and Du Heng went to the cabinet to look for mattresses.
"Uncle Erdan looks quite old, but he didn't expect to have a teenage son."
Qin Xiaoman laughed when he heard this: "Uncle Erdan has five children in his family, and this is the third and the youngest. He's still running around under the eaves of his house with his butt naked."
"Huh?"
"Uncle Er Dan looks old, he's tired from years of hard work, and he's only in his early forties."
Du Heng pursed his lips . : "A family of six or seven people, what to do when paying taxes."
"When children are young, the tax paid is not as high as that of adults. When they grow up, they want to send them to the rich families to do part-time jobs and have a meal. Earning a little money by myself is enough to pay my own taxes. Brothers and girls can marry as soon as they can, and if they can’t, they can also wash clothes for others to make a living." Du Heng sighed, he was inferior to many classmates in the academy, but
this Compared with farm laborers in the village, life is completely different.
It's really more than enough.
"I kept one on purpose, but I didn't expect you to keep two."
Du Heng looked at the brother who was carrying out the quilt, went over to take the quilt from him, and said, "There is a brother here The family also takes good care of your body, helping to cook soup and rice is better than boys." "
Two people serving?" Qin Xiaoman raised his eyebrows, raised his hand and patted Du Heng's waist: " Isn't it too extravagant?"
"Although I have two more mouths to eat, it is much less worrying."
Du Heng calculated carefully, there are many trivial things at home, even though there are farm laborers in the field to help with cooking, you don't have to worry about it. .
In addition to three meals a day, washing some clothes, there are some chickens and ducks at home. When I had a child, I raised a pig at the beginning of the new year, but I had to cook pig food for one of them, and I also had cows.
If there are more animals, then there will be more food for the same animals. The grass-eating fodder of the same animals will be a big one, and they will fall and fall, and it will be terrible if they don't care about it.
Given the present opportunity, how could we not seize it.
After giving the mattress to the two new small long-term workers, the few of them had dinner together, and Brother Qin packed up the dishes and went to the kitchen without anyone's instructions.
Qin Xiaoman asked him to boil some hot water, and asked Du Heng to wash up and go to bed early.
I called Da Zhuang and taught him how to drive an ox cart in the yard.
"Let me teach him."
Qin Xiaoman poked his waist and said, "I taught you how to drive an ox cart, and you are not very proficient now. I will teach him to be faster. Don't worry, our family The big ox has been with us for so long, if you don’t dare to kick me, you won’t kick your son. If you have time, just go back to the house and read a book.”
Du Heng had nothing to say, obeyed the arrangement, and entered the house honestly, but didn’t open the book, Instead, he took the sewing basket and continued to make flowers for his cub that he hadn't finished embroidering yesterday.
Xiao Man was patient, and first taught Da Zhuang how to set the unloading truck, explaining it carefully.
He learned how to drive an ox cart from his second uncle. The family said that my brother didn't need to know how to drive a cart, and his second uncle didn't teach him, so he learned it by himself with a long mind.
Once, he secretly drove his second uncle's ox cart around the village road. If he lost his courage, he could drive the cart, but when he went back, he was beaten up.
If it weren't for Du Heng nowadays, his frizzy temperament would not teach Da Zhuang to drive a bullock cart a little bit.
It is said that children who run in the wild fields of the farm are closer to the animals when they are young, and they are not afraid of cattle at all when they are big, and they learn quickly.
As long as you are not afraid of this guy, you are brave and easy to learn. Because the family has never owned a cow, the beginners are a bit unfamiliar, so they get on the cart and pull the reins, and get started after two laps in the yard.
"Your boy is clever, and you can learn it quickly. My boss, I taught him all the way from the county town to the village." Seeing that Da Zhuang
can freely teach the big ox to stop and turn around, and the narrow village road is also safe. , it is not a problem in the official way, he couldn't help but praise.
Da Zhuang said: "The villain is a village boy, so he should have a little brain on these things. The owner is a scholar and a master. If he is not good at doing these things, he will be affectionate, so he should be served by someone.
" It’s as if you’ve been smeared with honey, but you can say it.” Qin Xiaoman pinched his waist in satisfaction, and said: “If you drive this ox cart well, the scalper will be under your control in the future, and you will cut grass and feed him on weekdays. The most important thing is to send the master to study in the county every day." "
Hey, the villain will definitely handle things well."
Qin Xiaoman nodded: "If you practice again, you will have to send the master off tomorrow morning."
"Yes."
The young man was full of energy, and felt that driving an ox cart was awe-inspiring. He didn't think it was a rough and tiring job, and wished he could drive the ox cart a few more times.
The family recruited two small long-term workers in one go. It seemed that they were too young to do anything, but in fact, the children of the poor had already been in charge of the house, and they were able to do everything, and they were still hardworking.
All of a sudden, there are two more laborers to take care of the trivial housework, which is really much easier to support.
In the morning, after Da Zhuang sent Du Heng to the county seat, he drove the ox cart back by himself. After returning home, he went to work in the field. Brother Qin would wash clothes and cook at home, feed the animals and cut some grass. It's all wrapped up.
When Sun Dongmei came over, she and Xiaoman were kneading fried pumpkin seeds in the main room, she nodded enviously: "
After all, I am the owner, and now I have someone to take care of me, and someone to take care of the land at home. I can almost catch up with the landlord's house." .I told your eldest brother yesterday that I will earn more money and send my children to study in the future." "It would be
great if I could make some money."
Qin Xiaoman said: "I'm tired of studying. I think it's not much easier than growing crops. My sister-in-law sees that although Du Heng has entered Bairong Academy to study, the optical expenses for a year cost ten taels of silver. This chicken is rushing away before it even gets up." I'm going to the county seat."
He couldn't help muttering, he was sleeping hot, he woke up early and woke up late, anyway, he was the only one left on the bed.
Sun Dongmei also clicked her tongue when she heard this: "So much money is not easy to pay."
Qin Xiaoman patted his clothes and feet: "I, I am just waiting to give birth to the child as soon as possible, and find a way out sooner after confinement. Otherwise, I really can’t afford it. Hey, the tuition fee is a lot, but I haven’t even seen the gate of the academy.” “
Du Heng didn’t say to take you to see it?”
“I’m heavy, so I won’t let you go. "
Sun Dongmei joked: "You can watch closely, scholars are very romantic, don't let your family's Du Heng learn badly." "How could it be." After talking for a few words, the two talked about
Qin
An's On marriage.
"Second brother wants to be nice to Miss Cui, but mother refuses. Second brother said that mother is afraid that they will drag the family down, so we should live separately."
Qin Xiaoman raised his eyebrows when he heard this: "Then second uncle won't jump up and beat people Huh?"
Sun Dongmei said with a smile, "No, most of the families with many brothers will separate after they get married, so that's okay."
Qin Xiaoman responded, it's actually good to have a separated family, he is still the same as his second uncle's family know.
Li Wanju loves the youngest, and the eldest son always gets more attention. It's a pity that his second brother has been living in the middle for so many years without much pain.
After a while, Du Heng gradually got used to this kind of study life.
And as the weather gets warmer, I can get used to getting up early and going to the academy.
At the beginning of April, when he was having lunch with Qin Zhifeng, he heard him say that Master Xiang, who went to the state capital to give lectures, had returned to the academy, and told him that he could go with him to learn from Master Xiang when he was free.
Du Heng readily agreed, and the students in their classrooms were also humbly asking for advice from the Master and preparing for the academy exam.
But speaking of Master Xiang returning to the academy, Du Heng remembered Mu Ti's earlier mention of recommending him to Master Xiang, and wondered if there was any clue.
But Du Heng waited and waited but still didn't hear from him. He knew that Mu Ti was a top-notch student, and his articles and opinions were often seen in the corridor of Chaoshou, and he was about the same age as him. Usually very busy and rarely seen.
When I saw Mu Ti again, it was the third day after Mr. Xiang returned to the academy. Mu Ti smiled and asked him if he brought pickles today, and his mother worked tirelessly to cook for him again.
The two went to the cafeteria to eat together. Mu Ti didn't mention the referral, and gave Du Heng a lot of books about the academy's exam.
Du Heng had an idea in his mind, it seemed that Mu Ti had already spoken for him, but in the end he still had to go to the test honestly.
He didn't feel discouraged or lost because of this, after all, it wasn't too strange that Master Xiang looked down on him.
"There is not much time for the exam in May, so prepare well. If you can pass the exam, you will be fine."
Before leaving, Mu Ti patted Du Heng on the shoulder.
Du Heng felt a little strange, but Mu Ti's words made him feel that the college exam was really difficult. He tightened up the book materials given by Mu Ti, and he couldn't help feeling a little worried.
However, life is still going on in peace. Maybe there are not many students in the end room, and everyone has only one goal now, and they don't have the energy to pay too much attention to other things. All in all, they are quite harmonious.
But Du Heng's only problem is that sometimes he eats with Qin Zhifeng, and the little cousin in his family will bring the meals, and he hasn't had much contact with him at first, and later he doesn't know that he is familiar with him. Still, he feels very familiar after seeing him a lot, and always calls him cousin.
Du Heng couldn't bear the stickiness of his little brother, so he always avoided it.
But that little brother is not bored even if he is entangled with Qin Zhifeng's stuffy gourd, he doesn't seem to know that he is deliberately avoiding him, sometimes just seeing him and calling out affectionately, it's really a bit irritating bother.
Soon in May, Du Heng told Qin Xiaoman that he was going to take an important exam in the academy when he was in the sixth grade.
Qin Xiaoman is also very sensible, and asked him not to go home in the fourth day of junior high school, otherwise he would be in poor condition if he got up so early in the morning on the first day of the fifth day of junior high school and went to the academy for the exam, so he was asked to stay in the academy for one night.
Du Heng also took this exam very seriously, so he agreed. Qin Zhifeng has a place to sleep in the academy, but he doesn't like to sleep in the academy. He said that he can borrow the bed for others, which is convenient. .
Early on the morning of the 4th, when Qin Xiaoman got up from the bed lumberingly, the place where Du Heng slept next to him had already cooled down.
He yawned, and Brother Qin also cooked breakfast and came in to help him up.
Now his stomach is very big, and it is a bit inconvenient to move around. Fortunately, he is about to give birth, and he will be annoyed if he keeps his stomach up.
He looked at Brother Qin, and suddenly remembered: "Didn't I let you go home yesterday? You rested at home at night, why did you come here so early this morning?
" Allowing the villain to stay at home for one night is already a great favor."
Qin Xiaoman has also gotten used to the self-consciousness and understanding of these two small long-term workers, and when he puts on his clothes and goes out, he sees a skinny chicken in the yard: "This Where did it come from?"
Brother Qin said with a smile: "This is the villain's family who ordered him to make up for the young master."
"Your family is too polite."
Qin Xiaoman touched his stomach, now that the child is grown up, he dare not make up for it, as it will be a crime to have a child.
However, he still directed Brother Qin to slaughter the chicken and stew two whole ones in half.
In the afternoon, Qin Xiaoman sat in a bullock cart with a bundle of chicken soup and half a chicken, and asked Da Zhuang to take him to the county seat.
Although Du Heng has been studying in Bairong Academy for a while, he has never been there. Du Heng often tells him that he will bring him to have a look when the child is born.
This time I came back not only to send some delicious food, but also to visit the academy before the child was born, so that the little one could recognize the way.
And the next time I saw the gate of Bairong Academy for the first time, and listening to what Du Heng told him about the scene inside the academy, Qin Xiaoman felt more and more that this gate, which was not too brilliant, was different.
Just after school time, some Tsing Yi scholars came out of the academy intermittently, Qin Xiaoman got off the carriage far away outside the academy, he didn't know where Du Heng was at the moment.
Waving to Da Zhuang, he said: "My master's classroom is in the back room, you can find it and give the chicken soup to my master." "
Master came here specially, why don't you send it in together, we can talk to my master when we see you."
Qin Xiaoman said: "I just want to send it to him in person, not to mention that I went in with a big belly and attracted others to watch and comment. He was worried when he saw me, and there is an exam tomorrow. Turn around and go to my hall later. Let’s go to Uncle’s house."
"Yes."
Da Zhuang replied and was about to go in, when Qin Xiaoman suddenly called out: "Wait a minute." "
Cousin Du Heng, you can go with me, the weather is warm now It’s fun to feed the koi by the willow pond.”
“I’m not free, the exam is tomorrow.”
“My cousin just wants to reject me, and neither cousin Zhifeng nor you have heard of an exam.”
“Cousin Brother, why don't you just accompany me for a while, can I treat you to dinner?"
"I really don't have time, so ask your cousin to accompany you."
"It's fine for my cousin to drive me away, and I'll leave if I get a candy man. Is that okay?"
Qin Xiaoman watched Du Heng come out of the academy from a distance, and beside him was a boy who was born with a face, with a very delicate appearance. Qiao, I don't know what she is talking about in front of Du Heng.
Before he could be surprised, he saw that brother actually wrapped Du Heng's arm.
Qin Xiaoman froze in place, and his mind became muddled.
The talk of Chen Shimei that the villagers talked about after dinner immediately jumped through their minds.
He folded his eyebrows, he had never heard Du Heng talk about that person.
Why not let him come to the academy to pick him up, is it really to avoid seeing that brother for himself?
It really looks like a pampered man who makes men like him...... Standing with Du Heng is really a bit like a man and woman.
Qin Xiaoman took a step back, turning his back to avoid looking at people, he was in a mess, pursed his lips, as if he didn't know what to say: "Da Zhuang, come back..." He never said the word
back After finishing, Qin Xiaoman frowned, and replied to wake him up.
What's the answer, aren't they the right couple!
He grabbed the chicken soup in Da Zhuang's hand and strode over there: "Du Heng!"