Chapter 378： take things too hard

Ying Bao learned to weave belts from A Niang, using dip-dyed blue cotton thread.

A belt one palm wide can be woven in a few days.

So she knitted one piece for each of her two brothers.

On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, sacrifices are made to the stove.

Jiang Sanlang got up early in the morning and put offerings on the stove, burned the old Kitchen God, burned incense and prayed, and sent the Kitchen God to heaven to report the situation.

In order to prevent the Kitchen God from speaking ill of the family and bringing bad luck to the family in the coming year, family members must be careful with their words and not curse others, let alone curse the gods.

Wait until New Year’s Eve, then put up the portrait of the new Kitchen God and invite the new Kitchen God home.

As the saying goes that men do not worship the moon and women do not worship the stove, Chun Niang and her daughter do not enter the stove on this day, but sit and wait for Jiang Sanlang to serve them food and drinks.

Yingbao sat on the hot Kang, knitting a belt and listening to her mother talk about the past, that is, the old things in the past.

"My mother was still young at that time, and there was nothing to eat at home. There were only two plates of black-faced steamed buns put out for the stove. Our family was hungry for a whole day. Your aunt was so hungry that she howled. Later, I secretly put a steamed bun under the I picked out a piece and stuffed it into your aunt's mouth. Your great-grandfather saw it and beat her so hard that two bamboo sticks were broken."

Yingbao asked: "How old was your aunt at that time?"

“She was seven years old, and I was nine at the time. I could resist hunger better than she did.” She could also resist beatings. Chun Niang sighed.

At that time, it was so good for the sisters to be together. Even though the father loved his younger sister more, he never felt dissatisfied.

But since the sisters grew up, everything seems to have changed.

Chunniang touched her daughter's head and said, "You must get along well with your cousins ​​in the future." Don't be like this with Qiuniang.

Ying Bao nodded: "My cousin and cousin are fine with me."

She has no conflict of interest with her cousin, so it is impossible for her to get along badly.

While talking, Wei Zhan and Jiang Wu came in.

Wei Zhan held two boxes in his hand and handed them to Chun Niang with a smile: "Aunt, my mother asked me to send two boxes of pearl flowers for you and sister Yingbao to wear."

Chunniang quickly took it and said, "Oh, why do you say this? Your mother has troubled herself."

She got off the bed and said, "I happen to have something to give to your mother. Just wait while Auntie goes to get it."

 Wei Zhan nodded and saw his aunt leaving, so he sat down on the edge of the kang and looked at the blue belt in Ying Bao's hand.

Ying Bao glanced at him and asked, "Aren't you and your mother going back to Fucheng this year?"

Wei Zhan shook his head: "There is a war over there in Fucheng, so we won't go back for the time being."

After the barbarian bandits passed, the vassal king suddenly rose up in rebellion and occupied several cities like a broken bamboo.

Fortunately, Qinchuan County is remote and not on a major transportation route, so it has not been affected by the war.

The ravine in Dongchen Village, Chuanhe Town, is more like a paradise. Except for a few refugees passing by every day, it has no impact.

Ying Bao thought for a while and then asked: "You are related to the Xiao family. Do you know what the two brothers of his family are doing?"

Wei Zhan scratched his head: "I'm not sure. How about I send two people to find out?"

“Okay.” Yingbao put the last stitch in the belt in her hand.

Chunniang lifted the curtain and came in, holding a basket of sesame pies in her hand. She said to Wei Zhan, "I made this last night. Bring it to your mother to try."

Wei Zhan took it and said, "Thank you, Auntie."

Jiang Wu pulled him out and said, "The things have been delivered. Let's leave quickly. Brother Huzi and Brother Wen are still waiting."

Wei Zhan couldn't help himself and looked back at Yingbao frequently, as if he had something to say.

Ying Bao didn’t look at him, but picked up the belt she knitted and looked at it.

On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, heavy snow fell from the sky.

Yingbao took out ten jars of wine and baskets of fruits and gave them to Mrs. Wen, Sister Wen and Mrs. Wang's family.

I also gave some to my eldest uncle, second uncle, grandparents and others.

 Recently, she has not been looking for Mrs. Wen and Sister Wen much. First, because Mrs. Wen and Mrs. Lin still live in the Wen family, and secondly, Sister Wen is getting married to Li Xu, and it is not convenient for her to disturb them.

After returning from delivering the gifts, Chen Zhao suddenly ran into Jiang's house and cried, "Yingbao, the eldest sister is missing."

Ying Bao frowned: "What?" "I woke up early this morning, and my eldest sister went out and hasn't come back until now." Chen Zhao grabbed Ying Bao and said in a trembling voice: "Do you think she can't think about it... ····”

Yingbao: "Why can't she think about it?"

“Dad said he would take her to the county town tomorrow. I saw that my eldest sister had been feeling depressed. She talked to me a lot last night, and she also said... She also said you... you are our biological sister..."

Ying Bao paused, gently pushed Chen Zhao's hand away, and asked in a deep voice, "Why do you say that?"

Chen Zhao choked and said: "I asked the same thing. The eldest sister said that she had a dream before, and she dreamed that you were our biological sister."

Yingbao was silent.

Chen Zhao wiped away his tears and asked, "Ying Bao, are you really our biological sister?"

“No.” Yingbao denied.

“Yes, but the eldest sister said you have a nose and eyes, and she also said you have a birthmark on your right wrist.” Chen Zhao subconsciously glanced at Yingbao’s right wrist.

Yingbao showed his right wrist: "What do you mean?"

 Chen Zhao was shocked, "You, you, you...are you really my sister? The eldest sister also said your name is Chen Ying..."

“This is the scar caused by Chen Tiantian’s stepfather cutting my wrist, not a birthmark.” Ying Bao retracted her arm and covered it with her sleeve.

This birthmark was evidence of Pei Shixian's crime, so she did not remove it.

I didn’t expect Chen Wan to say these words. Could it be that she has also lived a new life?

Chen Zhao was confused.

She didn't know who to trust.

But what the eldest sister said was true. She also asked herself to think of ways to make more money. From now on, she would leave this place, hide her name with her two brothers, and never come back again, otherwise her life would be in danger.

Ying Bao thought for a while and said, "Your eldest sister may not have left home because she was worried about it. Maybe she had already thought about where to go, so she left without saying goodbye."

Most likely, Chen Wan went to the house of the fisherman who had rescued her.

Chen Wan was married to that fisherman in her last life and lived a pretty good life.

Chen Zhao immediately stopped crying.

She remembered.

Since the eldest sister knew that her father was going to give her away, she was not sad at all. She even made clothes for her younger brother Xu Bao and herself every day.

It wasn’t until last night that all the new clothes were ready.

Chen Zhao suddenly turned around and ran out of the yard: "I'll go home and take a look!"

She wanted to see if her eldest sister's clothes were there, and whether the copper coins she and she had saved were missing or gone.

If he wasn't there, then the eldest sister must have escaped quietly.

Ying Bao watched Chen Zhaoyuan go, eyes narrowed.

She was going to find Chen Wan to see if she was at the fisherman's house.

If she were here, Chen Wan must have memories of her previous life just like herself.

Outside the window, the snow was falling heavier and heavier, and soon the sky and the earth were completely white.

Jiang Sanlang came back with a bunch of steamed buns and put them in the house.

“Bao’er, try a steamed bun with three fresh fillings.” Every New Year’s Eve, the three Jiang brothers work together to steam steamed buns, steamed buns, and rice cakes.

There are at least two kinds of fillings for steamed buns, fresh vegetables and meat.

There are also two types of steamed buns, red bean filling and solid steamed buns.

Yingbao took the hot bun and took a bite. It was delicious.

tasty!

Same as previous years.

Another chapter, will be published tomorrow morning.