CH 52.1

At night, two square tables were put together to form one table, and the whole family sat down in a crowded place.

The children ate fast, and they left the table after eating the few mouthfuls that should be eaten, just in time for the woman who was holding the bowl and standing next to the child to eat.

"Eat, the second sister walked most of the way here, she must be hungry. Now since you’re back at home, eat more."

Zhang Shixin greeted Zhang Shiyue and Guan Xiao'e for dinner, looking like a big brother, very enthusiastic.

Zhang Fangyuan rolled his eyes sideways. He put the two tables together to eat, and only served two dishes on the big long table, he was really not afraid of being laughed at. Then he brought the meat to him, and his fulang fried a pork heart, and cooked a bean curd with sliced ​​meat, and now his eldest uncle proudly presented the meal to entertain his sister.

However, he didn't open his mouth to say such nasty words at this time, and after starting the chopsticks, he was the first to grab Xu He's bean curd with sliced ​​meat with a chopstick.

This time the bean curd was tender and had a smooth taste, but it was not easy to make it. The process of making the bean curd was complicated, and it was generally not eaten at home. Unless there were guests, they would use these things that were not easy to make quickly to entertain people, so as to show their enthusiasm for the guests.

It was a good intention to serve Zhang Shiyue with bean curd, but it shouldn't be just that one dish.

Zhang Fangyuan thought that if he didn't eat two big bowls of rice, he would be sorry for the meat he brought over today. So while Zhang Shixin and Zhang Shicheng were chatting with his second aunt, he kept wiggling his chopsticks, and from time to time he picked up some dishes for Xu He.

His aunt even joked about their good appetites, but Zhang Fangyuan ignored them and ate more instead. Everyone in Zhang's family knew what kind of temper he was, and it was no longer easy to talk to him.

On the contrary, the two daughters-in-law of Zhang Shixin's family wanted to move their chopsticks more when they saw so many delicious dishes today, but they didn’t dare to lose their courtesy or they would hinder their mother-in-law's face and they could only laugh at Zhang Fangyuan.

"Second sister, how about Xiao'e's father, brother Guan? I only met him once when you were married."

Zhang Fangyuan was telling Xu He that the bean curd with sliced meat tonight was delicious, and since he put pickle on it, the bean curd with sliced ​​meat was not greasy at all. Suddenly when the people at the table spoke well, his second aunt put down her chopsticks and her eyes turned red, and the people at the table immediately stopped their chopsticks and looked at each other.

"What, what's the matter?"

Zhang Shiyue took a breathe before saying: "Two years ago, Xiao'e's father was taken by the county government to serve in the capital, and there was no news after he went there. Although he couldn’t read, it would be good to ask someone to write a letter for him. We kept waiting, but there was no news until this year.”

Speaking of this, Zhang Shiyue couldn’t stop crying: “The county government said that they met a group of robbers on the way back, and suffered a lot. He was seriously injured, and he died before he came back."

The people at the table were shocked, and Xu He raised his heart, and subconsciously grabbed Zhang Fangyuan's clothes corner under the table. Natural disasters and man-made disasters happened to ordinary people too much, but it was sad thing for their relatives to encounter such things.

Fortunately, the family still had some spare money to pay the taxes, otherwise it would be a risky thing for the man in the family to serve in such a distant place.

The menn sighed, and the women comforted Zhang Shiyue. Although the sad thing did not fall on their head, seeing a woman like them suffered this time, they couldn't help being sympathetic. Zhang Shixin's two sons were out to do business, and the women and the childs were at home. Hearing such a tragedy, they couldn't help worrying about their own man.

"We used to only have Xiao’e’s father, but he went to the capital two years ago. There is no one at home now. Xiao'e and I had a rough time there. For the taxes we could only sell the old house and ten acres fields to pay for it, and we really can't live on." Zhang Shiyue's voice became quieter, and she couldn't help crying again.

Zhang Shixin exchanged glances with his wife when he heard the words, and then asked, "Second sister sold all the property and land, how will she live in the future? Where will she live? Does she will bring Xiao'e to remarry?"

Zhang Shicheng stared at him disapprovingly. It was too ugly for the eldest brother to say such things at this time, why bothered to throw stones at his sister.

"Those lands couldn’t produce food. After the autumn, we need to pay for the food, tax and materials, and there was almost nothing left. Besides, Xiao'e and I, an orphan and widow, I can't manage it, and we really can't." Zhang Shiyue actually listened to Zhang Shixin’s means that he didn't want to accept her and Xiao'e, but she had no choice but to be cheeky: "Brother, I'm not going back, so just give me a small room, Xiao'e and I can do anything."

Zhang Shixin took a deep breath , he just felt that something was wrong when the sister suddenly brought her child back. He thought it was because the family was in a bad condition and wanted to borrow money or to ask for something, but he didn't expect that she came to seek refuge.

"Second Sister, you know what's going on at the eldest brother's house. My two sons both married wives and have children. Even though they are away all year round, there is no spare room at home. Besides, these two years, the business is not easy to do, and the crops in the field are not good, I'm afraid I can’t give you and Xiao'e a good life."

"Yes, Second Sister. It's not that your eldest brother is cruel, it's really difficult at home." Zhang Shixin’s wife, Wang Shi quickly helped his husband to speak: “It’s okay if there are more land and but few people. The problem is that there are so many people in the family, and there is only a few land for us to eat. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be willing to go out and do some small business. "

These words meant something, and Wang Shi glanced at Zhang Shicheng and He Shi without any trace.

Zhang Shiyue wiped her eyes, feeling chilly in her heart: "Eldest brother, the crops at home were damaged by insects and rain that year. Life was difficult. The family had no money to pay the taxes, and it happened that you wanted to marry to sister-in-law. Parents couldn't borrow money everywhere. The Guan family was poor and can't get a wife locally. They passed by our Jijiu Village and wanted to marry a wife back home. For you and the family, my parents received 2,000 copper coins and married me to another county. You were doing well now, how could you..."

"Talk about things carefully, why are you bringing up those old things!" Zhang Shixin became a little annoyed: "Besides, is it just for me? Don't you have younger siblings at home who want to eat? You were going to get married. Parents also looked at Brother Guan who was honest and reliable, so they agreed tolet you got married, why is it only for me?"