Chapter 70 Xiaoman gets beaten
After practicing for a while, it was getting dark and Sun Boming and others came back from outside. Sun Shan put away his study tools, brought out a few bowls of water from the kitchen and gave them to his grandmother, father and mother.
Huang smiled and stroked Sun Shan's yellowish hair, and asked with concern, "Did you learn everything the teacher taught you today?"
Sun Shan nodded and said, "Grandma, Master has explained it very clearly. I understand it all."
The three sisters in the family carried back a few small trees and placed them under the awning in the yard. The weather was bad, so they couldn't just leave them in the yard to get wet in the rain.
Hanlu was the most lively of the four sisters and asked hurriedly, "Dad, have you sold the big water snake?"
Sun Bomin finished drinking the water in his hand and said with a smile: "I sold it to a restaurant for 500 coins. The restaurant owner also said that if I catch such a big snake next time, I can sell it to their restaurant."
When Lixia, Xiaoman, and Hanlu heard that it was sold for 500 Wen, their eyes lit up.
Xiaoman exclaimed: "Next time I see a big snake, I will catch it and sell it."
As soon as she finished speaking, Huang immediately said, "What are you selling? How can you catch such a big snake? Although water snakes are not poisonous, they can cling to people. If they wrap around your neck, they can strangle you to death. Next time you see one, run away quickly. Do you hear me?"
Sun Bo also taught him a lesson: "Grandma is right. Dad dared to catch it because there were many people in the field that day. Even if he was strangled by the snake, there would be people to save him. Why would a child catch a snake? If you get entangled by a snake, it will definitely strangle you to death."
The eldest sister Guyu also came out of the kitchen. When she heard that the third sister wanted to catch a snake, she said anxiously, "Third sister, don't go catch a snake. First, snakes can strangle people. Second, if you see it wrongly, it may be a poisonous snake. If it bites, you will definitely die. Don't lose your life for a few copper coins."
Without saying a word, Su took a stick from the firewood pile and hit Xiaoman's calf directly, cursing and beating him: "I told you to catch snakes, I told you to catch snakes, you are not afraid of death, right? Let me beat you to death first."
Xiaoman didn't dare to hide, because the more she hid, the harder Su would beat her. Tears flowed, but she didn't dare to cry out loud.
Upon seeing this, Sun Shan quickly grabbed Su's stick and winked at his second sister. Lixia quickly pulled Xiaoman into the kitchen. Su hit them too quickly and no one could react.
Sun Shan said anxiously, "Mother, please stop hitting me. Third sister wanted to catch the snake for my sake. I mentioned to her before that I wanted to buy a copybook to practice calligraphy. At that time, Third sister also said that when she went to the mountains to pick bayberries, she would sell them in the county town and buy it for me when she earned copper coins. Third sister wanted to catch the snake to sell in order to buy the copybook for me."
Sun Shan was not told about the calligraphy copybook, but he accidentally mentioned that there was not enough paper. Xiaoman knew about it, and she secretly gave the 10 copper coins she had earned with great difficulty to Sun Shan so that he could buy paper.
Su also couldn't figure out whether what Sun Shan said was true or false.
In the end, they stopped, firstly because the head of the household and mother-in-law tried to stop them, and secondly because they were diverted by Sun Shan's words.
He hurriedly asked: "What is a copybook? Why do you want to buy it? Is it required by the teacher in the school?" Although Su Shi did not understand Sun Shan's studies, he was very concerned.
Huang and Sun Boming also asked if you wanted to buy things for study, why didn’t you say anything?
Sun Shan gritted his teeth and explained: "You don't have to buy it. My handwriting is not good no matter how I write. Master Zheng said that it would be good if I had a copybook so that I can copy it. This way my handwriting will improve."
Huang nodded Sun Shan's little head and said lovingly, "Since the teacher said so, go and buy it back."
Sun Boming asked, "Is it very expensive?" Shanzi was more sensible than other children. He did not tell his family, probably because of the price.
Sun Shan shook his head and said, "I don't know if it's expensive or not, but I don't need it now. I'll buy it back when I can recognize more characters and then slowly copy it. The Master said that the main task now is to learn characters, and there's no need to worry about other things."
Huang didn't know much about reading, so she said seriously, "If you really want to buy it, you have to speak up. Grandma still has money, so don't worry."
Sun Bomin and Su also echoed.
Sun Shan said with a sour nose: "Grandma, Dad, Mom, I know, but I don't need it now. Look how long I have been learning, there is no rush for these."
The three of them felt relieved only after they were sure there was no need to rush.
The incident of Xiaoman being beaten came to a temporary end, and everyone continued to do what they were supposed to do.
Sun Shan quietly walked to the kitchen and whispered, "Third sister, don't catch the snake. It's dangerous."
Xiaoman was also afraid. Su had hit her with a stick a few times just now, and it hurt. She nodded and said, "I know, Shanzi, thank you."
Dinner was ready quickly. Tonight we had fried pork with garlic, which Sun Boming brought back from the county town.
Everyone sat around the table eating. Xiaoman's eyes were swollen, but everyone pretended not to see it.
Su didn't mention what happened just now anymore.
Huang asked, "Bomin, are you going to worship your ancestors early tomorrow morning?"
Sun Bomin nodded and said, "Yes, the clan has notified us. We will go to pay respect to the grandfather tomorrow morning."
Yesterday, the village chief and the elders went door to door to collect the fees for worshipping the mountain, 20 coins per household. They also notified everyone to worship their ancestors the day before Qingming Festival, and each household had to send a representative to do so.
Of course, if your whole family wants to go, that is fine. The clan welcomes you very much. The more people, the better. If your ancestors see you with so many descendants, they will be pleased in the afterlife.
Huang continued to ask: "Have you bought the gold and silver paper for the family's grave worship?"
Because Sun Bo was going to the county town to sell snakes, Huang told him to go directly to the county town to buy the offerings. After all, there were many varieties in the county and the prices were more favorable.
Sun Bomin took a bite of rice and said, "I bought it, mother. Nowadays, the incense and candle shops are very smart. They distribute the ingots, candles, and paper in batches. You can take as many as you have. You don't have to buy them all and divide them up yourself."
Huang was also surprised when she heard this and asked, "Is the set complete?"
Sun Bomin nodded and said, "Qi, I've checked, they have everything you need, and it's cheaper to buy them one by one than to buy them all and divide them up. A lot of people are buying them, so I bought 12 as well."
There are 9 mountain tops in the house, and the other 3, one is burned in the ancestral hall, one is burned at home, and one is to be burned at Wild Boar Hill.
Huang was relieved as long as everything was complete. However, the store owner, who specialized in this kind of thing, must know more than the average person. Since they sell by portion, he must have thought it through carefully.
When Sun Shan heard Sun Boming talk about how the store does business, he was amazed. He didn't expect the boss to have such a strong sense of service and such advanced thinking. He can help you with everything you know and don't know, saving you a lot of trouble.
After dinner, Huang took out one tael of silver from the bedroom and handed it to Sun Boming, saying it was the money for the Qingming Festival grave-worshipping ceremony.
Sun Bomin refused, and Huang said seriously: "Your second and third brothers also have a share in the grave visit. You can't pay, it has to be your mother."
Sun Bomin had no choice but to take the silver, hand it to Su and ask her to keep it.
The family sat in the main room, Huang was mending clothes, Sun Shan was patiently teaching his sister to read, and Sun Bomin and Su were pounding rice.
Huang said to Sun Bomin, "Tomorrow you take Shanzi to kowtow to Grandpa, and ask him to bless my grandson with good health and growth."
Sun Bomin nodded and said, "Mother, I understand. I will definitely take Shanzi with me."
Sun Shan has become accustomed to this activity. Unless there are irresistible natural factors such as windy and heavy rain, Sun Boming will definitely take Sun Shan to sweep the graves.
Because he firmly believed that the ancestors of the Sun family would definitely bless his son to grow up healthy, safe and happy.
Even though Sun Shan was not included in the family tree or registered, he still had not added any lights to the ancestral temple.