The grandfather and grandson made a plan, then headed to the front yard. Old Master Xia stopped in his tracks at the back door. At this time, they could already hear the voices of Xia Xiuren and Tian Shi coming from the main hall.

  Tian still insisted on going to work and finding a wife for Zhuo. Xia Xiuren tried his best to stop him, repeatedly advising him. It seemed that he had not agreed to Tian's request to borrow money from his elder sister.

  Xia Zhi coughed softly, reminding Old Man Xia.

  Lao Laiye just walked to the gate of the main house, but didn't go in. He stood at the bottom of the steps, not even looking inside, and said with his back turned: "Who wants to go work? Looking for a wife like Zhuangzhong's is no good. If you really want to go, I'll send someone to say something."

  The noise in the house suddenly stopped. Xia Xiuren hastily came out and invited Old Master Xia into the house. "Father, you're here! Please sit inside. What Big Bridge's mother said was just nonsense, how could she let her go work?"

  "I'm not just talking." Tian rushed over, standing at the door without leaving the house, lifting the curtain to speak, "I'll go do my work, no need for you to bother speaking, old man." Not even a hint of inviting Old Man Xia into the house, instead blocking the doorway, unwilling to let him enter.

  "I thought so too. Since you married into our Xia family, you've never even stepped foot outside, talking about doing work, just trying to scare me, your honest son!" Old Master Xia still had his back to the door and said this before turning around with his hands behind his back, ready to leave.

  Tian's family couldn't bear the stimulation, and Tian Laiji rushed out of the door curtain. "Don't look down on people, old man. I, Tian Laiji, keep my word, and even my saliva can become nails. If I say I'm going to work, I'll go to work."

  Xia Xiuren hurriedly mediated, repeatedly explaining to Old Man Xia: "Lai Di was just talking out of anger, Father, don't take it seriously."

  "Is it true or false, tomorrow the master will go to work. There is a car in the village, see if you really go or not!" After saying this, Old Man Xia didn't pay attention to Xia Xiucan anymore and walked away with his hands behind his back.

  "I'm going! Your son is useless, why shouldn't I go!" Tian shouted at Xia Laoye's back.

  Xia Xiuzai looked around and finally did not go after Old Man Xia, but instead hurried back to the house, pushing Tian Shi inside.

  "Xia Yunhai, what did you say?" Tian's eyes reddened as she asked Xia Xiucan.

  "Lai Di, don't go work. As for money, I'll always find a way," Xia Xiucan said.

  Such a reply cannot satisfy Tian. The couple has been together for so many years, and Tian is very clear about who Xiaxiu can borrow money from and how much she can borrow. Except for Dajie, who would be willing to lend them such a large sum of money at once and also allow them to repay it slowly?

  Xia Xiuzai didn't say go to Dajie's house to borrow money, Tian Shi couldn't let it go. She took a deep breath, put away the white flour, and stopped cooking, sitting on the edge of the kang with her back turned.

  "Lai Di, I'll think of a way." Xia Xiuzai sat behind Tian Shi, softly and gently guaranteeing. Tian Shi just ignored him.

  Since Xia Zhi saw that the two of them would not come up with a result for the time being, she took matters into her own hands. She chose some good leeks, washed them clean with water, then finely chopped them, added some oil and salt, and mixed in a small bowl of dried shrimp to make the filling. The white flour was taken away by Tian Shi, so she used millet flour to mix the dough, but couldn't shape dumplings, so she wrapped some leek boxes instead.

  She put away the chopping board and the dough board, Xiaqiao sat in front of the stove to cook, she brushed a thin layer of oil on the large iron pot, and put the leek boxes one by one to fry both sides until the fragrance of the leeks came out, the dough skin was scorched and turned yellow, then the leek boxes were cooked.

  Scallions were picked into a small basin, and Xia Zhi washed the pot clean again. He then took some garlic, sauce, and a little oil to fry the pot, and simply made a vermicelli soup. This dinner was considered ready.

  Tian still refused to eat, and was persuaded by his family to sit at the dinner table. He only drank half a bowl of soup and then stopped eating. Xia Zhi brought Xiao Shu to eat quietly, seeing that her big brother Xia Qiao's heart wasn't in it, she also gave him a leek box.

  As for Xia Xiucai who was also eating absent-mindedly, Xia Zhi ignored him.

  Xia Xiuzai ate a leek box and smiled, praising Xia Zhi: "The culinary skills of the sixteenth are getting better and better."

  Tian's eyes fell on Xia Zhi's body with a somewhat unusual gaze after he let out a cold snort.

  Summer solstice passed quietly.

  After dinner, Xia Zhi collected the bowls and chopsticks. Not only did Xia Qiao help her, but also Xia Shu was quick to assist. Xia Xiuzai didn't think much of it, but Tian Shi frowned and glared at them, pointing at Xia Qiao and Xia Shu and telling them to go do their own work. "That's Xia Zhi's job. You're spoiling her rotten!"

  The three of them didn't say a word, Xia Qiao took Xia Shu into the main room to help Xia Zhi without being seen by Tian Shi.

  When the sky turned dark, Xia Zhi had cleaned up both inside and outside the house, fed the pigs again, and locked all the chickens in their coop. Xia Xiuzai nodded repeatedly as she watched.

  In the room, the palm lamp came, and the little black fish brought the big green again to accompany Xia Zhi. Xia Zhi took her to the east house. She put a small table on the kang, and Xiao Hei Yu, Xiao Shu, and others sat at the table, then smiled and said to Xia Xiucai: "Dad, teach Xiao Shu to recognize a few more words. I'll learn with Uncle too."

  Xiao Hei Yu glanced at Xia Zhi. He had learned many characters following Old Man Xia and would be attending a private school in town next year. Xia Shu was nine years old but had never attended school, only recognizing a few characters that his father and older brother knew. As for Xia Zhi, he couldn't recognize any characters and had never expressed a desire to learn.

  Xia Zhi wants to recognize characters, he can teach her. However, in front of Xia Xiuzai and Tian Shi, he didn't say these words out loud.

  Xia Xiuzai was delighted, personally bringing the four treasures of the study to sit down with the children at the table, teaching them to recognize and write characters.

  He taught a dozen or so words, and the little black fish could recognize them all, while Little Tree could only recognize half of them. Xia Zhi didn't know any of them. She wasn't in a hurry, quietly memorizing them with her heart.

  "Xiao Long can recognize so many characters now!" Xia Xiuzai proudly said of his little brother.

  The little black fish proudly smiled with sparkling eyes: "It's all my dad taught me. Dad also said that next year he will send me to a private school in the town." As he spoke, he scratched his head again, feeling somewhat melancholy in his heart. If he really went to a private school in the town to study, he wouldn't be able to play with his little friends every day like now, going up and down the mountains and rivers.

  But it was no use being regretful, Old Man Xia was determined to send him off to school.

  Xia Xiūcái was also smiling, but when he heard Xiao Hei Yuēr say this, his gaze shifted to his own son, and the smile on his face instantly faded a lot. Xia Shù looked up at Xia Xiūcái and Xiao Hei Yuēr talking, but at this time, he seemed unintentionally lowered his head, eyelids drooping, looking at his fingertips, then raised his head again, grinning.

  Xia Qiao sat on a long bench under the ground, the candlelight casting a soft and melancholic shadow on his face.

  For a moment, no one in the house spoke, and Tian's voice sounded particularly loud.

  Tian's wife was still quarreling with Xia Xiuzai, but when Luo's wife arrived, she went to the main courtyard to talk to her. The two sisters-in-law were gossiping about Old Master Xia.

  "There's nothing he doesn't care about!"

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