Chapter 3
In the midsummer afternoon, cicadas chirped outside the house. In the main room of the old Feng family, Xiao Mengmeng was lying on a small bamboo bed and slept soundly. This bamboo bed was made by the old man Feng himself. Upon closer inspection, there was a trace of green bamboo on the bed.
Madam Feng sat on the edge of the bamboo bed and fanned back and forth with a palm leaf fan, and fell asleep unconsciously.
Old man Feng came in from outside the house, with the blazing aura of the sun on his body. As soon as he walked into this house made of volcanic stones, he immediately cooled down a lot. Then he saw Mengmeng sleeping like a pig. Futian drank ice plum juice.
He gently walked to the edge of the bamboo bed, first stroked the bed board with his hand, and reassured that there was no stubble. Looking at Mengmeng who was sleeping soundly, the old man Feng had a loving smile on his face.
Xu Shi sensed it, Mengmeng suddenly moved, her eyelids trembled slightly, as if she was about to wake up. Before she woke up, Madam Feng opened her eyes first. She patted the swaddle and coaxed, glanced at Old Man Feng, and said in a low voice, “Mengmeng just fell asleep, don’t wake her up.”
Old Man Feng hurriedly went to see Mengmeng, and found that she was moving even more. Her little arms and calves were kicking around, and all of a sudden, she tried hard to the side. Suddenly she turned over, humming and chirping twice, and fell asleep on her side. .
Old Man Feng and Madam Feng were stunned at the same time. After a long time, Old Man Feng was so surprised that the wrinkles on his face appeared, “Feng’er, we Mengmeng have learned to turn over, and there are only three of them. Yue Da, tsk tsk, she’s so smart, she deserves to be the daughter of my old Feng family.”
Madam Feng was also very excited, raised her chin high and said proudly: “That is! As soon as we Mengmeng was born, I felt that she was different from other dolls.”
The last time they were so happy was when Mengmeng learned to look up. Dolls are always their own, and every little movement can make them interpret differently.
“I think this is because our ancestors have spirit, and we Mengmeng are smarter than others.” Old Man Feng was full of satisfaction and joy, squinting his eyes and said happily, “Feng’er, Mengmeng will pass a hundred days in a few days. Don’t let us Mengmeng also pay homage to our ancestors, so that our ancestors all know that our old Feng family also has a daughter.”
“That’s a good idea!” Madam Feng’s eyes brightened, she suddenly thought of something, and said expectantly, “Old man, after worshipping our ancestors, do you want to include our Mengmeng in the family tree?”
“Of course I do,” Old Man Feng said, “I told my ancestors about this last time I worshipped my ancestors. After so long, they didn’t ask me a dream, so they must have agreed. Well, I think Just do it.”
On the day of Hundred Days, Mengmeng was dressed up very festively. She was wearing a set of light and breathable short-sleeved clothes and shorts. The top is bright red, and the trousers are pure green. Such a combination of bright red and green, if placed on the body of an ordinary village baby, might be particularly ugly. But Mengmeng looks tender and white, like a dumpling, and with this little dress, the whole person is like a little Fuwa who came out of the New Year’s picture, which is very cute.
In order to make this suit, Mrs. Feng referred to the fashionable styles of the foreign camp stores, and specially made it exactly the same. Sure enough, after wearing it, Mengmeng looked particularly stylish.
“Mengmeng, after today you will be 100 days old. Grandma will give you a red dot.” Madam Feng held a small wooden stick in her hand. She got a little paint from somewhere, and carefully put it in the middle of Mengmeng’s forehead. A little, well, it’s more like a New Year’s picture doll now.
Mengmeng was held in her arms by her mother Su Wan, her big round eyes were open, and she let her milk dress her up. After that, she showed a bright smile, making Mrs. Feng so beautiful.
The auspicious time was approaching, and the family surrounded Xiao Mengmeng to the ancestral hall in the village. This ancestral hall is a common style in the south. It has three large bays in the middle and three floors of cornices on the top. The colorful carved beams and painted buildings are beautifully carved, attracting Mengmeng’s eyes.
She stared at the roof dribbling and dribbling, and she let out a laugh, which made the villagers who came to watch the ceremony feel strange.
“Is the ancestor of our Feng family really spiritual?” The dark-skinned villager looked at Xiao Mengmeng from a distance, nodded involuntarily and said, “I said why the Shengli family attaches so much importance to it, you see how much longer the granddaughter is nice.”
A dark woman standing behind him pouted and said sourly, “How can a little girl’s film, not a man, be included in the genealogy?”
“That’s right, the girl who got married and the water that was poured out, I’ve never heard of a girl who was recorded in the genealogy.” Another woman also thought so, seeing that the Shengli family had prepared so many good things for the girl’s ancestors, what? Peanut rice and brown sugar can be made so hard that her heart is sour.
“Why not? The aunt and grandmother of the village chief’s family was also recorded in the genealogy at the beginning, and now her name is still on the genealogy.” Half the sky, from the Dakang family, from the wealthy family, if you are not convinced, you should also write down your own daughters.”
The dark woman is from the Dakang family. She opened her mouth and was about to turn back. Suddenly she saw that the speaker was Yang Xiaojuan, accountant Zhang’s daughter-in-law, and she swallowed what she was about to say. But asking her to put her daughter in the genealogy was something she hadn’t even thought about. She held it back for a long time, thinking it made sense to say: “Whose daughter is so precious? What are you doing?”
She dragged the wealthy family to the back and complained: “Who doesn’t know that her man wears a pair of pants with the village chief? She only gave birth to a boy, of course, standing and talking won’t hurt her back. If you want me to say, a little girl Why is the film so good to her?”
“How dare you speak ill of my sister?” A little boy emerged from behind the crowd, followed by another boy who looked exactly like him, threw a stone at the Dakang family, and pulled The voice shouted: “Big brother, second brother, fifth brother, there are bad people here to speak ill of my sister! Come out and help me beat her!”
There is only one pair of twins in the whole village, the three and four children of Feng Lao Er’s family. When they called them face-to-face, Da Kang’s family and Da Fu’s family were shameless. Their men were famous slackers in the village. , Lazy and greedy, the married woman also likes to chew her tongue, which is usually the most despised.
They actually chewed their tongues on the head of the village chief’s daughter this time, and all of a sudden, the eyes of the villagers looking at the two of them changed. They all stayed in the same village, and they dared to bury the daughters of the village chief’s family.
“Hey, who dares to bully my sister?” Several young voices came from inside, getting closer and closer.
“No, no, we didn’t say it.” The two women covered their faces and hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd, for fear that they would be caught. “I remember that there is something at home.” “Yes, I have it too. thing.”
“Bah, two long-tongued women!” Yang Xiaojuan spat fiercely. She hated these long-tongued women in the village the most. She had only given birth to one son over the years, but she was often talked about by them.
“Mom, don’t pay attention to them, my sister is going to be on the genealogy.” The boy standing beside her leg pulled her hand, a little ashamed but insisted: “Hold me up, I want to see my sister be on the genealogy.”
Yang Xiaojuan couldn’t hold back her laughter, pinched her son’s face and said, “It’s none of your business that the daughter of the old Feng family is on the genealogy? You’re not Feng.”
Brother Rui put his face in her hands and said coquettishly, “Mom, I want to see my sister.”
Her son, who had never liked to act like a spoiled child, actually acted like a spoiled child with her. Yang Xiaojuan smiled and narrowed her eyes. She picked up Brother Rui from the ground and let him sit in her arms.
In the middle of the ancestral hall, the men of the Feng family have already worshipped their ancestors. Su Wan is kneeling on the ground with Xiao Mengmeng in her arms. Brother Rui’s eyes are fixed on Xiao Mengmeng without blinking, but Yang Xiaojuan’s attention is all on Su Wan. body. Having already given birth to three children, the village chief’s daughter-in-law’s waist is still so slender, as soft as the seaweed in the sea, tsk tsk tsk.
When Mengmeng paid tribute to her ancestors, old man Feng’s face blossomed with a smile. He solemnly opened the thick genealogy, and wrote the name Feng Yumeng on it.
After the sacrifice, Mengmeng’s brothers didn’t want to go anywhere, so they gathered around Xiao Mengmeng and tried their best to tell her the story of beating the bad guy just now. They all acted vividly and made Mengmeng laugh.
Although the brothers were young, they knew how to love their sister. They laughed when they saw Mengmeng smiling, and patted Mengmeng’s swaddles and said, “Mengmeng is not afraid, if anyone speaks ill of you in the future, the brothers will go. Hit her up for you.”
“Kakakaka…” Mengmeng laughed even more happily, and the two cute little dimples sank deeply.
The older the brothers looked, the more cute they felt. They were still young and didn’t know how to hide, so they couldn’t help shouting to the adults next to them: “Mom, I want my sister too.”
Zhao Chunhua blushed directly, if she could have another one, she would also like it. If you can give birth to a girl like Mengmeng, it will be even better. But her body may have been hurt when she gave birth to the twins, and until now there is no movement.
Seeing that she was embarrassed, Su Wan hurriedly smoothed things out. She is an elementary school teacher and is very good at comforting children. She pointed to her daughter and coaxed: “Mengmeng is your sister, you are the closest siblings, if someone dares to bully Meng in the future. Meng, you’re going to be like today, you know?”
“Know-dao!” In the sound of children, Wuwa’s voice was still very lost: “I still want my sister.” No one else heard it, only his mother Chen Hongmei heard it.
Before she could return to the next door, she taught her lesson as soon as she walked out of the gate. She grabbed Wuwa’s ear and said, “What’s so great about having a younger sister? If you want to have a younger sister, you must have a younger brother, you know? Brother!”
“Isn’t Liuwa a younger brother?” Wuwa was as stubborn as a donkey, stubbornly stubbornly said, “It’s not good to have a younger brother, and it smells bad. I want a younger sister.”
“You stinky brat…” Chen Hongmei rolled up her sleeves and wanted to hit someone, but her man finally couldn’t help walking in front of her, she turned around and said impatiently: “Are you still going? Hurry up and cook, I I’m starving.”
Chen Hongmei was so angry that her face was swollen like a pig’s liver. This is the man she married. She didn’t say anything about her inconsideration. marry.
This person was afraid of comparison. Seeing the uncle’s family next door, Chen Hongmei felt more and more angry.
In fact, she thought too much, if she was honest when she was at her parents’ house, and Feng Laosan wanted to marry again, Miao Yufeng would not have hired her, and it cost her a lot of betrothal money. It would be fine if she lived a good life after marriage, but she was someone who liked to pinch sharp points. Miao Yufeng was annoyed when she saw it, so she simply separated the second and third children, and she and the old man lived with the eldest son.
Seeing that her eyes were red with anger, the third Feng walked back and said, “What do you say you are angry with? It’s not that you don’t know that our old Feng family is a rare girl. If you have the ability, you can have one yourself. The private money is all in your hands.”
Chen Hongmei’s eyes widened, and she suddenly felt blessed, yes, looking at the rare appearance of her parents-in-law, if she herself gave birth to a daughter, wouldn’t she stand up straight and be a human being?
She used to be the one on her own, and she wanted to have a son, but Jin Gui was born in the old Feng’s family, and you can tell by looking at Mengmeng.
No, she will have a daughter too!
Chen Hongmei made up her mind, her eyes were no longer red, and immediately dragged Feng Lao San and said, “Let’s go, let’s go back and have a daughter!”
Brother Rui went home with his mother for dinner. At the dinner table, his father, his milk, and his father were also there. They would inevitably feel a little bit more towards the only seedling in the old Zhang family. A small fish clip was given to him.
Brother Rui has been eating by himself since he was two years old, and when he saw four little fish the size of his thumb came out of his bowl, he smiled cutely, and while holding it back, he said, “Brother Rui eats one that grows tall and tall, grandpa. Grandma, mom and dad have to eat too.”
These words made the whole family feel so sweet, and they couldn’t bear to disappoint the child, and ate the little fish with a smile from ear to ear.
Brother Rui obediently finished the porridge, and there was not a single grain of rice left. When Yang Xiaojuan was clearing the dishes, she couldn’t help but feel proud. When other people’s children were so old, some of them still had to feed. Her brother Rui just saved the worry. , I don’t know who followed.
Yang Xiaojuan returned to the main room and saw Brother Rui squatting on the ground fiddling with his box. This box was his most precious thing, even her mother wouldn’t let her touch it. Yang Xiaojuan wanted to see what he was doing.
“Brother Rui, what are you doing?”
Brother Rui raised his head and smiled, and continued to fiddle with the box. He took out a small wooden box from the bottom of the box, opened it carefully, and took out a pearl pendant strung with a red string.
It is said to be a pearl, but it is not a pearl. It is not clear what it is. It is as big as a small marble, with a colorful halo shining on the outside, which can clearly reflect the shadow of the person.
“Isn’t this your favorite necklace? What are you doing with it? You’re not afraid of losing it.”
She remembered that the bead was picked up by Brother Rui on the reef beach by the sea. At that time, she thought it should be worth some money, and wanted to take it to a supply and marketing cooperative outside the mountain to sell, but the child would not live or die. There is no way, the old Zhang family is the only seedling, and the child, his father, his father, and his milk are all pampering him, so she will not mention it.
Brother Rui held the bead, picked it up and lit it at the sunlight, smiled lightly, and then he closed the box and wanted to go out.
Yang Xiaojuan quickly stopped him, “What are you going to do?”
“For my sister.” Brother Rui raised the pendant in his hand, speaking naively.
Strange, Yang Xiaojuan grabbed him and asked, “Which sister?”
“The younger sister of Uncle Feng’s family is called Mengmeng.”
“Tsk tsk, you’re so willing,” Yang Xiaojuan couldn’t help but feel sour in her heart. She didn’t want to touch her mother, so she was willing to give it to Mengmeng? “Mom also likes this bead, why don’t you give it to mom?”
Brother Rui’s face was visibly tangled. He looked at the beads and then at his mother. The two straight eyebrows were twisted like a caterpillar at once.
Yang Xiaojuan really lost to him, she felt soft and wanted to laugh, and finally rubbed his little face and said, “Forget it, forget it, the beads are yours, don’t regret sending them out, don’t come back!”
“Got it, Mom, I’m leaving.”
“Hey, come back, the sun is so big outside…” Before Yang Xiaojuan could finish her words, Brother Rui had already run away in a hurry. She was stunned for a long time before she could say a word: “Stinky boy, turn your arms out.”
At this time, the old Feng family had just finished eating and enjoying the cool air in the hall when they saw Brother Rui walking in with something in his hand.
“Brother Rui, are you here again? Hey, what are you holding in your hand?”
“Grandma Feng, Grandpa Feng, Aunt Feng…” Brother Rui called everyone sweetly, and then went around to Xiaozhu’s bed. Looking at Mengmeng’s sleeping face, Brother Rui held his The thing gently put down and said, “Give it to my sister.”
Madam Feng walked over to pick it up, and looked closely, “Oh, this is a pearl? Brother Rui, this pearl can be sold for money, we Mengmeng can’t have it, you can take it back.”
Brother Rui put his hands behind his back, smiled sweetly and said, “I picked it up myself, I don’t sell it for money, I give it to my sister, she likes it.”
Madam Feng was fascinated by his smiling face, she really wanted to rub it hard, she squatted down and said, “You give this to Mengmeng, do your parents know?”
Brother Rui smiled again, nodded his head and said, “I know, the beads are mine, I want to give them to my sister.”
Madam Feng couldn’t help but get started, she pinched Brother Rui’s small faces on both sides, and said lovingly, “This baby is really caring, that’s good, I’ll keep it for Mengmeng and wait for her to grow up. Put some on her.”
“Mmmm.” Brother Rui smiled very happily, showing two little tiger teeth.
“This baby is so beautiful.” Su Wan squatted down to look at him and said softly, “Brother Rui, if you regret it, come back and take it back.”
“No regrets, Aunt Feng, I’m going back.” Brother Rui took another look at Xiao Mengmeng and left with satisfaction.