Chapter 395 Aunt Fen
Because he had to buy something, Zhou Chenglei drove a tractor this time. He also delivered a batch of dried fish to the city and went to the textile factory to see if the curtains were in good condition.
He has one more thing to do when he goes to the city.
Jiang Xia sat on a cushion with moderate hardness and elasticity. She lowered her head and looked at it in surprise: "When did you make this cushion?"
He even modified the seat of the tractor. Got it!
Several thick springs are added to the bottom of the seat to absorb shock and prevent bumps.
There was also a backrest where she sat.
It feels comfortable for her to sit and lean on.
The tractor has been parked behind the new house, and Jiang Xia didn't notice it.
"Evening."
The tractor was quite shaky, and he had thought that one day he would need to use the tractor to take Jiang Xia to the city. Jiang Xia went to bed early at night, so when he had time, he took apart an old cotton coat and woven a rectangular cushion with cattails and stuffed it inside. The layers of cotton and straw mats are strong but a little soft, and can also provide a certain cushioning effect.
Zhou Chenglei held the crank handle and turned it hard several times, started the tractor, took out the crank handle, walked to Jiang Xia, put the crank handle in place, and got into the driver's seat.
He reached out and helped Jiang Xia tidy up her scarf and woolen hat.
Pulling the woolen hat low to her eyebrows, she also covered her ears.
Pull the scarf high again and cover your mouth and nose.
Only one pair of eyes is exposed.
Jiang Xia: "..."
She fiddled with the mirror for a long time before putting on the woolen hat and scarf to achieve the perfect effect!
"What are you doing? You messed up my look!" Jiang Xia glared at him and reached out to arrange his hat and scarf.
Zhou Chenglei took her hand down regardless of the shape: "Don't move, just like that. It's a lot colder today. The wind blows all the way to the city and your ears and nose should be red. I'll help you get them back when we get there. And It’s windy today, the road is very dusty, and the smell of diesel from the tractor is strong, so this is a good way to block it.”
When Jiang Xia heard that it made sense, he stopped moving.
"Sit down." Zhou Chenglei reminded her when he saw her sitting down, then stretched out his hand, started the tractor, and set off.
When Zhou Chenglei drove the tractor out of the village, he met two villagers on the road.
It was a woman from the next village. She was carrying two snakeskin bags and a chicken coop on her shoulders, and she was holding a seven or eight-year-old little girl with one hand.
The girl's clothes were patched but very clean.
Zhou Chenglei said to Jiang Xia: "That's Aunt Fen, the mother of one of my former classmates. Let me ask her where she is going."
"Okay."
The tractor came to the woman and stopped. Come down.
"Aunt Fen." Zhou Chenglei said hello first, and then said: "Where are you going?"
Jiang Xia smiled and shouted: "Aunt Fen."
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"Hey, Ah Lei's wife." Aunt Fen responded with a smile, and then said: "I'm going to town. Isn't today a market day? I'm going to sell some things."
Zhou Chenglei got off the tractor and said: "I'm going to the city, so I'm on my way , you get on the tractor, I'll take you there."
"No, no! I'll be there soon! I won't delay you, just go away!" With a cage of chickens! It would be bad if the chicken poops and soils the tractor.
Jiang Xia smiled and said: "No delay, I'm on my way anyway, Aunt Fen, you're welcome, you guys hurry up and get on the tractor."
Zhou Chenglei got off the tractor, took the load from the other party's shoulder, and helped the other party carry the two snakeskin bags and the chicken coop onto the tractor.
"How can you be so embarrassed! Then you can just drop me off at the intersection of the town!"
"Hey, do you have any old snake skins? Give me a cushion! I'm afraid that the chicken will poop in the car. Fight on."
"It doesn't matter, no need to worry," Zhou Chenglei said.
Aunt Fen still pulled a handful of dead grass from the roadside and placed it under the chicken coop.
Then Aunt Fen asked her daughter to climb onto the tractor.
Zhou Chenglei remembered that the child was already 9 years old and a bit old, so he did not carry her on the tractor.
After they all got on the tractor, he returned to the driving seat, sat down, and started the tractor. Seeing that the little girl was wearing thin clothes, Jiang Xia took a small blanket and handed it to the back: "Aunt Fen, cover the child to keep out the wind."
This was prepared for her by Zhou Chenglei, But she was dressed thickly and wasn't cold.
"No, no need. It's not cold. She's wearing a cotton-padded jacket. You cover her, you cover her!"
Jiang Xia smiled and said, "Cover her! It's windier when riding on a tractor than when walking. If the child catches the wind, he won't catch a cold. Okay.”
After hearing this, Aunt Fen took it and covered the child.
The thin blanket is very soft, with a faint scent of soap locust and sunshine. It has obviously been washed very clean.
She was a little embarrassed, afraid of getting dirty.
Zhou Chenglei is a man of few words. Except for coaxing Jiang Xia to talk more to enhance the relationship between the couple, he rarely talks when outsiders are around.
Jiang Xia herself is a man of few words, but it is a bit embarrassing not to speak, mainly because she is afraid of embarrassing Aunt Fen and her daughter.
Jiang Xia asked: "Why is Aunt Fen so late when she goes to town to sell things?"
"Yes, I got up late, so it's a bit late."
Actually, I have a mother-in-law at home who is paralyzed in bed and I have to take care of her. I have to wait for her to wake up and feed her before I can go out.
Jiang Xia thought that her family would be moving to a new house in a while, and she would invite relatives, friends and people in the village to have dinner.
Weddings and housewarmings are great events here. The people in the village hosted banquets for the whole village on these two happy events.
Zhou Chenglei has calculated that there may be 20 tables of flowing seats by then.
As the saying goes, there is no feast without chickens. A table requires half a rooster or a hen.
There are many hens in the house, but only two roosters. But the hens are laying eggs and they are reluctant to kill them.
Roosters, one must be killed during the winter solstice to worship the gods, and the remaining rooster must be kept for the hens to soak up rain and dew, otherwise the eggs laid by the hens will not hatch out chicks.
Jiang Xia asked: "Aunt Fen, do you raise a lot of chickens? Just in time, my family is going to buy some chickens for a banquet."
Aunt Fen immediately asked: "How many are needed? My roosters There are sixteen, and there are twenty hens.”
She makes money by raising chickens, so she keeps a lot.
Jiang Xia asked Zhou Chenglei: "Do you want sixteen roosters? Do you want hens?"
The New Year is coming soon. During the New Year, you also have to use a rooster to worship the gods. There are also annual rituals and activities for wandering the gods.
Zhou Chenglei: "Aunt Fen, we want all the roosters and hens that your family can sell."
Didn't Dr. Gao say that it is better to eat a little of everything and buy more chickens? , it is also good to eat chicken once or twice a week.
Aunt Fen smiled: "Okay, then I won't sell the chickens in this cage. I will keep them and send them to your home."
Jiang Xia smiled and said: "Then trouble Fen Auntie, we will buy this cage of chickens first and return the cage to you later. How much does it cost?”
There are two roosters and two old hens in the cage, both of them are fat!
Aunt Fen said with a smile: "We have weighed it. One rooster is seven and a half pounds, one is seven and eighty taels, and one hen is four and a half pounds, and one is four pounds. I have raised the rooster for more than a year. , the old hens have been raised for three years, and they are very good for the body. I think they cost you nine cents per catty.”
Chickens nowadays are generally sold for seven or eight cents per catty, and of course it depends on how long they have been raised. , those that have been raised for four or five months and are still unable to lay eggs are cheaper.
Roosters and old hens are more expensive, generally costing one to one pound per pound.
National prices for agricultural and sideline foods often vary, but the difference is not much different.
Jiang Xia gave Aunt Fen twenty-five yuan.
“There’s no need for so much.”
Jiang Xia: “That’s almost it. We can’t take advantage of you. I don’t need a ticket if I buy from you! That’s it! Otherwise, I’ll let you I didn’t even dare to buy it from you at a loss.”
Aunt Fen accepted it and kept saying thank you, and the cage was also given to them.
Just as the town's market intersection arrived, Zhou Chenglei stopped the tractor and helped her take the two snakeskin bags off the tractor.
Aunt Fen took her daughter and waved goodbye to them.
After the tractor drove away, Jiang Xia asked Zhou Chenglei: "Is Aunt Fen's daughter..."