Chapter 29： buy firewood

Chapter 29 Buying Firewood

In the end, Yingbao spent money to buy two pairs of headbands made of colorful silk, and three pairs of exquisite carved wooden combs, the kind that can be pinned to the hair as decoration, which is very popular now.

There is also a copper-headed dry pipe and a pile of small toys made of wood.

Something like a dove carriage with colored heads, a jigsaw puzzle, a Kongming lock, and two small horse heads made of colored paper, which cost her a total of 180 yuan.

Jiang Sanlang couldn't help but be speechless when he saw that his little girl was so good at picking things out and spending money so well.

The gadgets she bought may not look like much, but they are all exquisite, beautiful and practical.

After a few words of advice, my daughter didn't listen, so I let her go.

After all, the money is her own. As long as the little girl is willing, she can buy someone to take home.

Father and daughter were shopping while shopping.

Jiang Sanlang bought new year's door charms, and Yingbao bought candied haws.

Jiang Sanlang chooses bowls and chopsticks, while Yingbao buys candy figures.

In the end, the big basket couldn’t be put on his back and both hands were full, so Jiang Sanlang could only carry his daughter back.

Suddenly, Ying Bao, who was condescending, saw a young man in ragged clothes with a load of firewood in front of him. On the black firewood, there seemed to be a few golden shrunken fungi, which was particularly eye-catching.

“Dad! Dad! Come over quickly!”

Yingbao patted her father on the shoulder, pointed to the roadside and said, "Go over there."

Jiang Sanlang thought his daughter had seen something delicious again, so he reminded her: "Bao'er, we bought too many snacks and it's hard to take them."

"No snacks, dad put me down, I want to see that." She pointed to the roadside with her little hand.

“Uh?” Jiang Sanlang turned his head and looked over, stunned.

There was no one selling food or toys in that direction. There was only a boy in ragged clothes who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old, and a load of firewood in front of him.

Does my daughter really want to buy someone?

Nonsence! What was he thinking? Why would his daughter want to buy a black boy?

But the girl struggled to get down, and there was no other way. Jiang Sanlang had no choice but to go to the roadside and put down his backpack, sit on a stone to rest, and wait for his two nephews.

Fortunately, this place is already on the outskirts of the market, no one is setting up stalls, and the flow of people is sparse, so there is no fear of the little girl being stepped on.

Ying Bao was carried out of the basket by his father and ran to the load of firewood. He raised his head and asked the young man in ragged clothes: "Are you selling firewood?"

The young man saw that it was a little girl with a tiger head hat who was a little taller who came to ask. He thought she was curious, so he nodded.

“How much is it?” Yingbao asked.

Youth boy: “Three articles.”

Yingbao smiled and asked again: "How much will it cost to take you home for me?"

The young man frowned and asked, "Where is your home?"

“Dongchen Village.” Yingbao answered.

"Dongchen Village." The young man thought for a while and said, "Send it to Dongchen Village. Five coins."

"Well, come with me later." Yingbao put the five cents in the young man's hand, "This is the money to buy firewood. I'll give it to you first."

The young man nodded, clenched the coins in his hand, pursed his lips, and a small dimple appeared on one cheek, obviously very happy.

Ying Bao glanced at the pear dimple passing by the young man's cheek and couldn't help but froze, then looked at him carefully.

He has delicate features, a thin face, and a cold expression, which is just a little dark, probably because he has been working in the fields all year round.

After looking at it for a long time, the familiarity disappears. Yingbao turned around and ran to see Chaihe.

Jiang Sanlang was already stunned by his daughter's actions.

Why does the little girl need to buy a load of firewood when she is so good?

It doesn’t cost any money to produce firewood at home. There are many mountains in the back, and you can carry a load of it just by walking around there.

But what can I do if my daughter has already bought it? Let her go.

Jiang Sanlang didn't know where his daughter bought firewood. What she bought was the golden ear on the dead firewood.

Ying Bao squatted in front of Chai He. He had already picked out two small golden ears as big as fingers with his little hands. He smelled them under his nose, pretended to put them in his pockets, but actually put them quietly into the cave.     Hehe, the snow ear did not see it, but it actually found the golden ear which is more precious than the snow ear.

She will put the firewood with golden ears into the cave, and then water it to see if they can grow more.

Yingbao stared at the bundle of firewood and stretched out her hands to pull it open to see if there were any more golden ears inside. She heard her father call her:

“Bao’er, come here quickly, your cousin is here, let’s go home.”

Jiang Sanlang finally saw his two nephews appear, and immediately called his daughter into the basket.

"Hey." Ying Bao agreed, not forgetting his firewood, and motioned to the boy in ragged clothes: "We are going home, please follow us quickly."

“Hmm.” The young man said nothing and picked up the firewood.

Chuanhe Town is about five or six miles away from Dongchen Village. It is not easy to carry a load of firewood and walk that far.

By the time we finally arrived, the young man was so tired that his face was red and his whole body was covered in sweat.

Ying Bao took advantage of him to untie the rope of the pole and asked, "Where did you collect firewood?"

The young man looked over cautiously and saw the confused and curious expression on the little doll's face. He paused and said, "In Shita Mountain."

“Where is Shita Mountain?” Ying Bao continued to ask.

The young man was silent for a moment, "On the west side of Beishan."

"Oh." Ying Bao licked the candy in her hand, thought for a while, took out two water chestnuts from her pocket and stuffed them into him: "Here you can eat."

She saw that this young man was barefoot and wearing straw sandals, and his trousers were in tatters and a lot too short, exposing his ankles that were purple from the cold. She couldn't help but think of a person she met in her previous life, but that person had never been so depressed.

I don’t know why I suddenly thought of him.

I remember that the man's name was Chu Yan, a school officer in the Dudu Mansion.

Every time I met him, he was dressed in brocade robes, with an embroidered spring knife hanging from his waist, and his eyes looked at people like sharp knives out of their sheaths, cold and emotionless.

She also saw with her own eyes that Chu Yan took out the Xiuchun knife and chopped off a person's arm with one knife, with a half-moving expression on his face, just like chopping melons and vegetables.

But he was such a cold-blooded person, but he was willing to be used by himself and took great risks to help him escape from the Governor's Mansion.

Today, the young man's eyes and the dimples on his cheeks actually looked a bit like him, especially the vigilant glance just now.

The young man hesitated, took the water chestnuts, and whispered: "Thank you."

Ying Bao watched the young man carrying the pole away, licking the candy man with no expression on his face.

“Yingbao, what are you doing standing there?” Jiang Sanlang came out of the kitchen and saw his daughter standing at the door of the yard, and asked curiously.

Ying Bao came back to his senses and said with a smile, "I'm looking for a place to pile firewood."

The young man carried the firewood into the yard and placed it next to the deer shed. She wanted to spread the firewood and look at them one by one. There were some dry firewood with golden ears on them.

Jiang Sanlang shook his head and ignored his little girl and went back to sort out the things he brought back.

Most of the items in the backpack are trinkets bought by Yingbao, and the only New Year's goods he bought are meager.

A piece of pork, a few bowls, a pair of chopsticks, a pack of coarse salt, two pieces of tofu, a few door charms, and nothing else.

Jiang Sanlang sighed, sorted the things and put them away, and scooped out a basin of wheat, preparing to go to his elder brother's place to grind flour and make dumplings on New Year's Eve tomorrow.

After grinding the flour, he will pound some rice to eat during the festival.

Let’s talk about Ying Bao. He squatted beside the firewood pile and looked at each piece of firewood, and found four pieces of firewood with golden ears.

She was so happy that she ran to her father with firewood and asked, "Dad! Dad! What kind of tree is this?"

Only golden ears that grow on non-poisonous trees can be eaten. She wants to ask what kind of firewood it is.

Jiang Sanlang took it and looked at it carefully, and said truthfully: "It's a mulberry tree."

“Hehehe, I know.” Yingbao grabbed the stick and ran away.

Jiang Sanlang was speechless, shook his head, and went out with a basin of wheat.

(End of this chapter)