Chapter 2415: Die with eyes closed.
Leshan’s father, Zhou Qiufeng, took Leshan to Zhou’s house after noon. Because Lele went to see a doctor, Brother Zhou originally said to wait for Lele, but Village Chief Zhou said there was no need to wait, so lunch started as scheduled. .
The Zhou family's lunch starts after twelve o'clock and lasts until three o'clock in the afternoon.
Lele's father, Zhou Qiufeng, is not drunk. It's not that they haven't drank, but that Lele's little boy has limited their alcohol consumption, stipulating that they can't drink more than two taels at home on weekdays, and they can't drink more than half a catty when eating banquets or special events.
Le's father's drinking capacity is not very good, but he will never get drunk after drinking seven or eight liang, not to mention Zhou Qiufeng, Zhou Village Chief Zhou Bapi and others. After a pound of liquor with a temperature of more than 30 degrees, he will not even look good. It will turn red.
Village Chief Zhou Papi and others always remembered Xiao Yazai’s instructions. They were afraid that if they got alcoholic liver disease from drinking, Xiao Lele would find out and give them an ideological education class. Just thinking about that scene made them feel ashamed. Dare you go against the grain of Yin and Yang?
Xiao Lele is usually very easy-going and won't fall out with you no matter what you say. Once she gets angry, her face will be stern and she will stare at you without emotion, which will make people's scalp numb.
Even though Village Chief Zhou caught Yue Qing and lectured him from time to time, he didn't dare to ask him to lecture the little boy. Even if he tried to persuade him sincerely, he would have to muster the courage to do it.
The old man was also afraid that Xiao Lele would stare at him with a stern expression, so in order to keep his dignity, he was very conscious and did not drink too much.
After the dinner was over, Village Chief Zhou and his wife, Zhou Papi and his wife, sat at their nephew's house for more than half an hour before going home.
The uncles and aunts were not drunk, but Brother Zhou was still worried and sent his elders back.
Grandma Zhou Man and Aunt Pa went home and lit a fire. After sitting for a while, they met at Yang Sanpao's house. They each gave Yang Sanpao's wife a dozen eggs.
Yang Dayantong and his mother-in-law killed the chicken and made soup at noon, and sent them to the hospital. The fat girl slept until about one o'clock in the afternoon and then woke up. When she woke up, she could eat and drink.
They had been to the hospital and returned home to help their third son take care of the house. When the sister-in-law of the Zhou family came to visit the third daughter-in-law, Yang Dayantong and her mother-in-law were very moved and warmly greeted her to sit down and eat ginger tea and red eggs.
The old third wife gave birth to a baby. Although she went to the hospital temporarily, Yang Dayantong and her mother-in-law didn't do anything in the morning. They boiled black tea eggs after returning from the hospital in the afternoon and gave four to each of the neighbors who went to Sanpao's house to help. Red eggs.
There are many customs in rural areas, and Meicun also has it. On the day when a child is born, neighbors will not visit the mother for fear of causing fetal distress. They have to wait three days after the woman gives birth to the child before visiting the mother.
Yang Sanpao's wife fell, and the neighbors went to help. Yang Sanpao was taking care of his wife in the hospital. As a grandmother, Grandma Yang naturally wanted to express her gratitude by boiling red eggs and sending them to the neighbors' houses.
According to rural custom, ginger tea and red eggs can resolve fetal evil and remove bad luck.
Grandma Zhou Man and Aunt Zhouman heard that Yang Sanpao's wife and son were safe, and she congratulated her. She knew that the Yang family and his wife were going to look after Yang Sanpao's house and cook confinement meals, so they sat down for a while and then returned home.
After seeing off the sister-in-law of the Zhou family, Yang Dashi packed nine black tea eggs, picked up a chicken, and sent it to Lejia in person.
When Le's father Zhou Qiufeng came back from her parents' home, she chopped the pig's trotters and stewed them with soybeans.
The two of them were stewing pig's feet and discussing how many dishes they would like in the evening. When Yang Dayatong brought red eggs, he invited them to his home to entertain them.
Zhou Qiufeng only accepted the red eggs from the Yang family, and wanted Yang Da Yantong to take the chicken back to Mother Yue to eat.
Yang Dayantong was anxious: "No, your baby was delivered by Sanpao's wife. She was supposed to have dinner at Sanpao's house. I was so busy at the time that I didn't even bother to take care of it. This chicken is considered a lunch dish. No matter how you get it, Take it.
Don't break this rule, otherwise you won't get into trouble in the future.
Besides, thanks to your little boy, Sanpao worked with Liu Lu and the others. He has also made some money in the past two years, and money is not that tight. , so that I won’t be able to get out the money to buy local chicken for Mrs. Yue.”
When he mentioned that, Zhou Qiufeng couldn’t refuse anymore, accepted the gift, and packed a dumpling for Yang Dayantong. Take it back. If you don't have time to make breakfast one morning, you can heat up the dumplings and give them to Yue Pozi to improve their taste.
Yang Dayantong brought a large bag of dumplings and thanked him profusely before going home.
After sending away the villagers, Le's father Zhou Qiufeng arranged the dishes for dinner again. In the evening, they heated the dishes in a steamer. After they had fed the livestock, they were tidied up and ready for dinner.
During the Lunar New Year, Lejia’s dinner menu is very rich, including six medicinal dishes, three ordinary dishes, plus a Cordyceps, Truffle and Mushroom Soup, a combination of meat and vegetables, rich in nutrition.
In the past few years, every household in Plum Village has made some money, and they are relatively loose, so they are willing to spend time during the holidays, so they naturally celebrate the New Year lively.
Granny Li felt that Mrs. Meng was 100% having a comeback. She was afraid that Mrs. Meng would be resentful after her death, and because her granddaughter came back, she caught a chicken and killed it, and made a pork knuckle to prepare a decent dish for the Chinese New Year. .
Mrs. Meng seemed to have recovered from her illness all of a sudden. Apart from having difficulty walking, she was able to eat and drink. The three of them had a reunion dinner together in the evening, and nothing unpleasant happened.
While sitting and talking, Mrs. Meng talked a lot. When it was time to go to bed at night, when her daughter sent her to the bedroom, before going to bed, she took the child and said softly: "Xiaoyan, you must learn well in the future. Don't take other people's things."
Her mother suddenly said not to take other people's things. Li Xiaoyan felt aggrieved that her mother also thought she was a thief. She angrily broke away from her mother's hand and went back to her room to sleep angrily.
Mrs. Meng stared blankly in the direction the child was leaving. After a long time, there was a click. She took out a piece of paper and covered her mouth, and soon coughed up a large mouthful of blood.
Still as before, she silently wiped the blood from her mouth and threw away the ball of paper.
After sitting for a few more minutes, she slowly lay down and turned off the lamp. In the darkness, two strings of tears silently fell from the corners of her eyes.
When people rest, there is only the sound of night wind between heaven and earth.
The snowy night was cold and silent, and time passed slowly. In an instant, time passed through December 31, 2023, and entered the early morning of January 1, 2024.
Classmate Le Xiao and everyone in the family worked and rested on time, but Le's father and Zhou Qiufeng put a large stove under the eaves before going to bed, put a pot on it to boil water, and smokeless charcoal burned in the belly of the stove.
At three o'clock in the morning, the couple got up. Le's father added firewood to the stove and boiled water. Zhou Qiufeng quietly entered the kitchen to make breakfast.
Le Yun and Lan San got up before 3:30, washed themselves briefly, and went downstairs to eat breakfast.
My little cotton-padded jacket and the handsome man Lan San were having breakfast. Leba mixed the boiling water with some cold water, then put the water pipe in the water pot, dragged the other end to the helicopter, then turned on the small electric water pump to pump water, and used the hot water to flush the helicopter's propellers. Leaves de-iced.
The ice on the helicopter's blades soon fell off as it was constantly washed away by warm water.
Dad Le was in a great mood after finally doing something for the girl.
He and Lan San, who had finished breakfast, removed the cloth covering the helicopter's fuselage and the straw that had been laid to prevent ice from falling off the blades and damaging the fuselage. The protected helicopter had ice and ice on it except for the raised tail. There is a small amount of ice on the wing tips, but the rest is clean.
Ice had condensed on the cloth covering the helicopter. Lan San left it for the Le family and his wife to clean up. He climbed into the cab to warm up the engine and propeller.
The little girl was carrying her backpack and sitting in the first officer's cabin.
The young lady is leaving home again, and Heilong reluctantly bids her farewell.
Dad Le and Zhou Qiufeng retreated to a safe area with Heilong, waited for the helicopter to take off, moved the small motor and water pipe back under the eaves, closed the stove door, and went to catch up on their sleep.
Yi Laoyan and Lao Lizhao knew when the little girl was leaving. It wasn't the first time anyway. They didn't get up to see her off, but Leshan didn't know. When he got up in the morning, he found out that his sister had gone to the capital again. He pursed his lips and spent the whole morning Ignore your parents.
The first day of 2024 is still very cold because the snow has not melted, which is suitable for cat winter.
Li Xiaoyan was unhappy because her mother didn't listen to what she said last night. She didn't call her mother as soon as she got up on New Year's Day morning.
Grandma Li didn't hear Sister Meng cough last night, and she didn't feel at ease. When she got up in the morning, her heart was beating wildly. She asked her granddaughter to call her mother while making breakfast.
Li Xiaoyan reluctantly went to her mother's bedroom. Seeing that the door was still open, she called twice at the door. Her mother didn't answer, so she turned on the light and went in to call.
She called several times, but her mother didn't respond. She walked to the bed and stretched her head to see that her mother only had her head exposed outside the quilt, her face was dark, and her eyes were staring.
Li Xiaoyan was startled and screamed twice. Finally, as if she felt something, she touched her mother's face with trembling hands, which was cold.
Mom is dead!
The thought flashed across her mind, and she yelled "Mom" and cried loudly.
When Granny Li heard her granddaughter's cry, she almost guessed the reason. Her hands and feet were shaking, and she dropped the pot and shovel in a panic and ran to see.
She ran to Mrs. Meng's bedroom, reached out to the bedside and touched Mrs. Meng's nose. She was out of breath!
Seeing Mrs. Meng's dead expression, she felt weak and stretched out her hand to touch her eyelids, but no matter how she touched her, Mrs. Meng's eyes could not close.
"Xiaoyan, help your mother...help your mother close her eyes." The tip of her heart was trembling. Xiaomeng refused to close her eyes. Was she blaming her...for not treating her well in the final period?
Li Xiaoyan stood by the bed and cried. When she heard her grandma's words, she followed her instructions blankly. She also couldn't get her mother to close her eyes.
Granny Li became even more panicked, so she had to take a towel and cover Mrs. Meng's face. She pulled her granddaughter outside and ordered in a trembling voice: "Xiaoyan, your mother is gone. I will rub some grass roots for you and tie them around your waist." , you...you go to kowtow to the Li family, and if you kowtow,...the Li family will come to the house, and we will tell you what to do then."
Li Xiaoyan didn't understand anything, she just cried.
Granny Li went to twist a straw rope, get some hemp and tie the end of the rope, tied it to her granddaughter, and urged her to kowtow to the person named Li.
Li Xiaoyan cried while going to the Li family's house. She stopped by the first house on the way. When she went in and met the Li family elders, she fell to her knees in tears.
It was early in the morning, and all the villagers were at home. Some people heard the crying and went out to see. When they saw Li Xiaoyan tied with a straw rope, they knew that Meng's wife was gone.
When the Li family heard the cry, they almost guessed the reason. When they saw Li Xiaoyan coming to report the funeral, they helped her up and asked her to go and report the funeral and then go back. They would go there after breakfast.
The Li family waited for Li Xiaoyan to finish her funeral. While the family was cooking, the men discussed it and went to Grandma Li's house together after dinner.
The granddaughter went to the family of the same clan to report the funeral. Granny Li also got food. When the granddaughter came back, she coaxed her to eat. Sister Meng was already dead. The living are always more important than the dead, right?
There are only three families with the same surname in the Li family. They met at Granny Li's house and asked her if she was going to host a banquet. Only when Granny Li made the decision, they could formulate corresponding regulations.
It costs a lot of money to host a banquet, so Granny Li is naturally unwilling to do so.
It was New Year's Day, and no one could help with all the funeral arrangements. If we had to hire someone to dig a grave, the work would have to start tomorrow. And even if we didn't hold a banquet, we still had to ask our master to see which day would be suitable for burial.
Granny Li listened to the arrangements of the men with the same surname in the Li family.
The Li family asked Li Xiaoyan to kowtow at her home in the same village, and every household had to kowtow. When she came back after kowtowing, they would take her to see her master to see how she would fare.
A middle-aged man from the Li family drove Li Xiaoyan on a motorcycle to the home of a master. The master checked the date and found that it was not suitable to bury her on the 2nd or 3rd, and the funeral would have to wait until the 4th at the earliest.
The Li family members brought Li Xiaoyan back to the village and told Granny Li that she would not be buried until the 4th, so he also returned to his home.
Granny Li can only pretend that Sister Meng is still alive until New Year's Day is over.
(End of chapter)