Chapter 34 Pruning Peach Branches
When Old Lady Su heard that it was the He family's custom, she immediately smiled and said, "Go get your hair cut! You can't go wrong by listening to the He family. Alas, they are rich and powerful, so it's no wonder they are so particular and know so much."
Sun Boming and Su couldn't imagine that it was Yu Ge'er who said that. No wonder Shanzi made such a request. Shanzi was the most filial and had the best relationship with Huang. The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren was very deep.
Sun Shan took Da Gen and Er Gen and followed his grandfather out of the main hall and walked to the peach tree in the yard.
As soon as Sun Shan entered the yard, he took a fancy to the peach tree. He thought that cutting a few branches would not affect the fruit at all.
Ask my grandfather to help cut it.
He smiled and said, "Grandpa, that's enough, not too much." Cut it off and keep it in a small amount of water, and it can last until the fifteenth day of the lunar year.
Old Man Su said lovingly, "Is that really enough?"
Sun Shan nodded quickly.
Da Gen and Er Gen didn't understand why their cousin Shan wanted a peach branch.
Da Gen sniffed and said, "Cousin Shan, the peach blossoms at the village chief's house are more beautiful. I'll steal them for you."
Sun Shan looked at Dagen speechlessly. He actually said he was stealing so openly. He glanced at his grandfather but didn't react. He was used to it.
I didn't dare to teach him in person, fearing that I would embarrass my grandfather. I smiled and said, "Dagen, that's enough. It's not good to be too beautiful. The flowers will wither before the New Year."
Grandfather nodded and said, "No wonder Shanzi asked me to cut the ones that were not fully opened."
He patted Shanzi's head and said with satisfaction: "You are a smart boy, just like your aunt."
Sun Boming and Su who were standing nearby were also happy. It would be best if their son looked like the eldest sister, as the eldest sister was the most capable person in the family.
The group chatted for a few more words, and Mrs. Su and Old Lady Su saw that little Liu was in a panic in the kitchen, so they went to the kitchen to help.
Old Man Su and Sun Boming chatted about farming.
The farmers had little to talk about except their fields.
As for the four sisters, they also followed Su to the kitchen to busy themselves. There was no rural girl who didn't do housework.
Sun Shan took out two candies from his pocket, which were brought by Aunt Sun from the capital, and gave one to Dagen and Ergen. Although the two little guys were a bit sloppy, they were not naughty and were not the kind of naughty boys who would make trouble or throw tantrums.
Without saying anything, Da Gen stuffed the candy into his mouth. An unprecedented milky aroma conquered the tip of his tongue, and he muttered loudly: "Cousin Shan, the milk candy is delicious."
Ergen on the other side also nodded and said, "It's delicious. I want to eat more."
Sun Shan handed them one more pill each, spread his hands and said, "No more. Once we finish eating, they will be gone."
The two brothers didn't make a fuss and finished the candy in no time.
Sun Shan looked around. The yard was big, but the house was shabby, and his grandfather's family could barely keep from starving to death.
Thinking of Second Aunt Su, who was even older than Mrs. Su, Sun Shan sighed. She was a woman with a tragic fate.
Aunt Su's story is also very simple. When she reached a certain age, she got married. After she got married, she gave birth to her first daughter. The mother-in-law could even barely say that she hoped the daughter would blossom and bear fruit.
When the second daughter was born, the mother-in-law immediately changed her attitude, but it was too difficult for a poor family to find a daughter-in-law, so she endured it.
When her third daughter was born, her in-laws became completely furious and started beating and scolding Aunt Su.
A daughter who is married off is like water spilled. Old Man Su and Old Man Su asked Second Aunt Su to be patient until they gave birth to a son. For example, like the eldest sister, she also had a son in the end.
Aunt Su thought the same and had to grit her teeth and endure the domestic violence from her husband's family.
But before she could have a son, her husband had an affair with a widow from the next village, and the widow became pregnant.
The husband's family also disliked the widow, but the widow had a son before, which proved that she could give birth to a son. But she was still better than Aunt Su who could not give birth to a son, so they wanted to divorce Aunt Su.
Old Man Su and Old Lady Su would definitely not agree, but unfortunately the Su family only has Uncle Su, and they have no other relatives. They are outnumbered and weak, and cannot beat or scold them, and they are not in the right.
There was no choice but to ask my eldest daughter and son-in-law to go over to cheer.
Even if Sun Boming and his wife came, the Xu family would still divorce.
Sun Bomin thought that the fact that Second Aunt Su was divorced could not be changed, so he made trouble for the Xu family, demanding dowry, daughter, and compensation.
The Xu family was definitely unwilling, so Sun Boming raised the banner and pulled out Aunt Sun.
Everyone in the surrounding area knows that the daughter of the Sun family married into the provincial capital and is particularly protective of her parents' family.
Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, the village chief from the Xu family decided that the three girls and Second Aunt Su should take back all their dowries. After all, the Xu family was in the wrong, so they paid one tael of silver as compensation.
From then on, the two families owed each other nothing.
The Xu family was not convinced, but there was nothing they could do so they had to pay money and drive the people away.
Second Aunt Su was divorced and returned to her parents' home, becoming a laughing stock in Huling Village. Little Liu didn't want to have a divorced girl in her family, and Old Man and Old Lady Su also felt ashamed.
But my daughter is my own flesh and blood after all, and I can’t just watch her die.
Finally, he and Su's sun Boming built two thatched huts at the entrance of the village, let their daughter live there alone, and he would help look after the baby from time to time.
Su was worried about her sister's livelihood. How would a woman with three daughters get food and drink?
Sun Bomin was a kind person and he felt sorry for Aunt Su's family. Hulingshan Village was surrounded by mountains and there must be mountain products on the mountains. So he asked Aunt Su to go up the mountains to pick mountain products, such as bamboo shoots, mushrooms, fungus, etc. After drying them, he would take them to Sun's house and send them to the provincial capital to sell on her behalf.
Over the years, Second Aunt Su has been barely surviving by living off the land, and she has made a 32-year-old middle-aged woman look like an old woman over 50.
Sun Shan sighed, turned around, and saw Second Aunt Su coming with her three daughters.
Aunt Su saw Shanzi and said with a smile on her face, "Shanzi, where is your mother?"
Sun Shan called out to his second aunt, pointed to the kitchen and said, "She's cooking."
Dagen and Ergen were playing with Sun Shan. When they saw Aunt Su, they didn't call for help.
Sun Shan felt that this was very rude, so he said to the two brothers, "You two, call me Second Aunt."
Ever since Dagen and Ergen ate two candies from Sun Shan, they did whatever he said and shouted crisply, "Second Aunt."
Aunt Su was a little excited. She touched the big and second roots and said with red eyes, "Okay, okay, okay."
Aunt Su asked her three daughters to call him Sun Shan.
Sun Shan saw that his eldest sister, second sister, and third sister were thinner than himself, so he smiled and said, "First sister cousin, second sister cousin, third sister cousin."
Rural kids, that’s what my sister called them. Sun Shan knew they had no names.
The three little girls responded shyly and followed Aunt Sun in silence.
At this time, Su came out and saw her second sister. She smiled and said, "Shanzi, play with your cousins. Second sister, come with me into the kitchen and help."
Su pulled Aunt Su into the kitchen, and Sun Shan looked at the three girls who stayed behind.
He took out three candies from his pocket, handed one to each of them and said, "Candies are delicious. My aunt brought them back from the capital."
In fact, Sun Shan didn't want to emphasize that the candy came from the capital, but every time he said that, people who ate it were very happy and felt that they were eating something that no one else had eaten.
The three girls blushed, and the eldest sister quickly waved her hand and said, "Shanzi, you eat, we don't."
Sun Shan pretended to be innocent and said, "Eat it all. I still have some."
He took out three more from his pocket.
The big one and the second one each. Only the older sisters dared to take the fructose.
Da Gen complained, "Cousin Shan, didn't you say there was no candy?" His little eyes rolled around towards Sun Shan's pocket.
Sun Shan said calmly, "It was gone just now, but now it's back. If you listen, I'll give it to you."
Little foodie Ergen said hastily, "Cousin Shan, I am the most obedient." He looked like he was asking you to praise me and give me some candy.