Chapter 965: No Daughter-In-Law Yet
After the haircut was done, Xiao Song’s mother hurriedly took the mirror. Although she was old, she liked to look pretty. It was every woman’s nature. No matter what profession one was in and at what age, women had a natural enthusiasm for beauty, which was what these middle-aged women were like as well.
Yan Huan’s line of sight occasionally fell on the mirror. She could see her own face clearly. The right side of her face had potholes and was uneven. Almost the entire side was destroyed. The scar on it also had some scar tissue growth, strip by strip and line by line, which was a ghastly sight. Of course, it also made people feel disgusted.
She then touched her face and turned her face. She could feel the unevenness on the surface of her skin when she touched her fingers. Thankfully, these people did not feel nauseated when they looked at her face.
She did a few more haircuts which made other people very satisfied. But, she did not have time to go out to collect firewood.
At night, those aunties in the village left feeling satisfied. But, more would arrive tomorrow come to think of it. After all, there were only these people in this village. Certainly, not everyone in the village would want to get their hair trimmed. It was that the people in the village loved to go with the tide. If someone had something today, they would want the same thing tomorrow. What someone ate today, then they would want to eat the same thing tomorrow.
And even a thing like getting a haircut, the people in the village also wanted to follow the trend. At the very least, the aunties who were of Changsheng’s mother’s age and often got together, would come over.
Yan Huan had gotten up early in the morning. She took a broom to sweep the floor. However, she had only swept halfway when she almost swept a person’s legs.
“I’m sorry.” Yan Huan said as she quickly straightened her back and also took the broom to one side.
“It’s alright. I’m the one who’s standing here.” Changsheng said with an embarrassed smile, “Ah, I’m going to fetch the water.” He pointed inside the kitchen. He looked like he was red in the face and his complexion was blotchy and dark. At this time, he was also red all over, like a monkey’s ass. Luckily, this person was born dark-skinned. Otherwise the twenty-something year old man would be utterly embarrassed.
He hurriedly ran into the kitchen and picked up the carrying pole from inside to go fetch the water. In the past, he could still sleep longer but now, Yan Huan did indeed wake up a little too early, which also inadvertently made him follow suit to wake up early to fetch and fill up the water tank with water in the house. This was so that she did not have to fetch the water alone as a woman, which was outrageous. Only a woman without a man in her family would fetch her own water.
Yan Huan bowed her head again and continued to sweep the floor. After she had swept clean the house in and out, she then went into the kitchen, boiled the water, and then made breakfast. She could make an additional dish today from the black fungus that she had picked and soaked till it was soft last night.
There was a cold dish of salted vegetable shreds dressed with sauce and a light stir-fried black fungus with chopped spring onion put inside. And they were all very delicious. The standard of living in the village was not high after all. The vegetables that they ate were grown in their own homes. Summer was good because they could just simply pull out a handful from the ground. But when winter came, the basic dishes were also their own pickles, salted vegetables and so on. No one was willing to eat eggs which were saved.
The black fungus dish which Yan Huan had stir fried, looked delicious. With some chopped spring onion sprinkled on top, it whetted people’s appetite and increased it by a lot all of a sudden.
“Xiao Yan’s cooking is delicious.” Changsheng’s mother could not help but compliment Yan Huan. This girl is good at everything but it’s a pity that such a good person had a disfigured face and lame leg.
Changsheng also kept nodding his head as if he did not mind Yan Huan’s outer appearance. He picked up a pair of chopsticks and seems that there is no love of the appearance of the same, he picked up chopsticks and slurped down a bowl of rice porridge till he finished it. He also ate a lot of the dishes. He wanted another bowl in a while and together with the salted vegetables, he made sure no food was left in the pot. Changsheng’s mother was very happy as she watched. Her son was blessed to be able to eat well, which proved that his body was healthy, able to work hard and had prospects.
After Changsheng finished his meal, he went to work in the fields. The grounds should not be frozen today, so he could cultivate more acres of land which he could plant in the piece of land when spring came next year.
After Yan Huan scrubbed the pot and washed the bowls, she got ready to change her clothes to go pick up firewood.
“Xiao Yan, are you going out again?” Changsheng’s mother did not want to let her go so she said, “You see, it’s so cold today and there’s enough firewood in the house. You go out every day, you might catch a cold.”
“Auntie, I can only do this.” Yan Huan took a rope and tied it to her waist as she got ready to go out to pick up firewood to bring back. Changsheng’s mother was unable to stop her, so she could only let her go.
Yan Huan did not know that she had just stepped out when Xiao Song’s mother came over again and she even brought her grandson over.
“Where’s your house’s Xiao Yan?” Xiao Song’s mother hurriedly asked when she saw Changsheng’s mother. With her head of fashionable and sleek short hair, plus her overall outfit was neat, she now looked all the more highly capable.
“She went to pick up firewood.” Changsheng’s mother was doing housework and stopped when she saw Xiao Song’s mother had come. She let Xiao Song’s mother come in. The two people were freezing till they were blue in the face.
She pinched the child’s small face and said, “Your family’s Little Tiger has grown up ah.”
“Isn’t it? This child is strong. He can really eat and grow. You see, he’s so much sturdier than the chubby child in Hong Gui’s family. He’s also taller. He will be a big fellow in the future.” Xiao Song’s mother picked up her grandson. The family only had one such darling baby. He was the one person she cherished most in life. Thankfully, he was healthy. He was like his name, strong and sturdy. Ever since he was born, he had not let anyone worry about him before.
Changsheng’s mother also constantly nodded her head. She squeezed Little Tiger’s small chubby hand for a while. He was getting older. She liked having children coming around to visit.
“I think the auspicious day for your family’s Changsheng is also coming up. Maybe this time next year, you can also have a grandchild.”
“Where’s the grandson you’re speaking of?” Changsheng’s mother did not even know who her daughter-in-law was. She said, “Let him get a wife first, then we can talk about other matters. With a daughter-in-law, then I can have as many grandchildren as I want.” In the mountain region, there was no implementation of any family planning. Anyway, they would have as many as they could give birth to. Just like Changsheng’s mother, it was considered low that she had only given birth to one child. It was also because Changsheng’s father passed away early. Fortunately, she had Changsheng. Otherwise, if she had a few more, then Changsheng’s mother would tire herself to death and it would not be possible to raise a few children.
“Isn’t there a readily available daughter-in-law?” Xiao Song’s mother stuck out her lips and said, “Isn’t the one in your house the right candidate?”
“Alas…” Changsheng’s mother gave another sigh.
“What, do you disapprove of that child? I can see that you like her very much, don’t you?”