Bachelor

Chapter 38
The home is still the same home, and we have only been separated for seven days, but it feels like a long time has passed.

Sun Dan let out a long breath, got down from the ladder, and looked at his nest with satisfaction.

The roof was re-covered with tiles removed by the wind, and the open walls were also re-nailed with wooden boards, so that the sound of the northwestern wind howling intruded was no longer heard.

Walking into the room, the floor was swept clean, and the tattered tables and chairs were also wiped by Mother Zhi with a rag, making it so bright that people could be seen.The wooden window is propped up with a wooden stick, and the setting sun shines in, making this dark and dilapidated room bright and clean.

Finally, it looked like a place where people lived, and Sun Dan looked at the fruits of his and Zhiniang's labor with satisfaction.

Adapt to the times, drift with the tide, try to integrate into the society, and live with all your strength.

Don't blame the sky, don't favor others.

Just like there is a fucking song sung in later generations: no matter how hard it is, you must be strong, just for those expecting eyes.

When he first traveled to this era, Sun Dan felt at first that he could not live in this era without Internet, electrical appliances, and feasting.If it wasn't for Zhi Niang's presence, he might still not be able to find his purpose in life.

Suffering makes people grow, and responsibility makes people mature.

This sentence is especially true for men.

No matter whether he is willing to accept the woman in front of him or not, at least she cares about him wholeheartedly, wants to grow old with him, and is willing to suffer for it for the rest of his life.The presence of such a woman is the driving force for his progress.

Gou Fugui, don't forget each other, don't let her suffer anymore.

If there were no accidents, "Journey to the West" would be on sale in a month's time, and with the manuscript fee, the situation at home would be improved.

Relying on this money, he should be able to support him for a year, and have a certain amount of money to go to Beijing to take the exam.

As long as you win the Jinshi, all the suffering will pass.

It seems that I must refuel.

In the house, Zhi Niang is lighting a fire to cook, and the fire is very hot.

Seeing Sun Dan enter the room, Zhi Niang hurriedly put down her work, took out a handkerchief and lovingly wiped the sweat on Sun Dan's forehead: "Sun Lang, you have been busy for a long time, you should rest first. By the way, put on your clothes, Take the cold carefully."

Sun Dan chuckled, lifted the robe on the chair and draped it over his body.Question: "I have already paid you this month's wages, but I have collected them. I can only go home for two days a month. When you are not at home, you have to take care of yourself. Don't be too tired at ordinary times. You should eat. I just eat and wear what I need. Anyway, I have a salary now, and I haven’t paid attention to the little wages you get for weaving.”

"I've already collected your wages, and I hid them in a mouse hole under the bed."

"Ah, so hidden!" Sun Dan was greatly surprised.

Zhi Niang covered her mouth and smiled sheepishly: "I haven't seen so much money for a long time, and I panicked when I got it in my hand. Just now when you went to the roof to turn over the tiles, I started to hide the money. I just put it under the pillow. Later, it was hidden in a water tank. But for some reason, I always felt that it was inappropriate, and after thinking about it for a long time, I put it in the mouse's nest."

"It's just a few coins, do you need to be so nervous?" Sun Dan was sweating profusely, sitting on a chair with his hands on the back of his head, and said leisurely: "I will make more money in the future, you say, If I earn more than ten taels of silver a month and go home, where will you hide it?"

"More than ten taels!" Zhi Niang was startled: "So much money, where do I put it?" She looked at the dilapidated house in panic, as if she was a little worried.Calculated according to the actual purchasing power of silver in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, one tael of silver at that time was worth more than 1000 yuan in later generations, and more than ten taels was more than 1.

The daily consumption of people in the Ming Dynasty was not high, and it only cost two or three renminbi to eat in a month.More than ten taels of silver is enough for ordinary people to eat for two years, no wonder Zhi Niang has such an expression.

"So, what if I earn 100 taels a month?" Seeing Zhi Niang acting like a frightened little mouse, Sun Dan found it very interesting and asked with a smile.

"Impossible, how much salary can you earn a month as a flower worker?" Zhi Niang smiled and shook her head: "Sun Lang, you always like to make me happy."

"Three poor and three rich don't reach old age. I'm only 16 years old this year. Life is long. Anything can happen. Who stipulates that I, Sun Dan, can't get ahead and let my women live a life of luxury?" Sun Dan looked at Zhiniang solemnly.

"Who is your woman?" Zhi Niang blushed and said embarrassedly: "Actually, I don't want you to make much money, I just want you to be safe and sound. It's enough to see you twice a month... that's enough. .”

She sighed softly: "People say that a man is a piece of heaven. In the past, you had to keep a filial piety for three years and you couldn't go out to work. The life at home became more and more difficult every day. Now it's better, God is sorry, you finally have a job. I took so much money back home today, how many pieces of cloth can I weave? I finally understand that if there is a man in the family, life will be hopeful, and I will have strength to live."

Probably thinking of the hardships of the past few years, and seeing that his man is finally promising.Although this promise was not very promising, she was still so happy that her eyes were red, and she was about to cry.

Seeing that Zhiniang was about to cry, Sun Dan quickly straightened up and said seriously: "Don't cry, if you see this little money, you will cry. In the future, your husband will become famous, and when you bring home a load of money, you don't know what to do." What are you crying for?"

"Sun Lang, you made me laugh again with your jokes." Zhi Niang whispered.

She doesn't want to talk about personal finances anymore, Zhi Niang is an honest woman, talking too much scares her.Besides, I haven't got the money yet, and I haven't passed the exam, so it's useless to talk about it.Sun Dan hurriedly changed the topic, and said with a smile: "Mother Zhi, you now know the importance of having a hard-working man in your family. Fortunately, the sun has been shining all day long these few days, and there has been no snow or rain. It's spring, and when it rains in spring, this dilapidated house will leak everywhere. If I didn't come here today to clean up the house, I'm afraid you won't have a place to sleep."

Zhiniang finally laughed: "I never thought that Sun Lang would be so capable and know how to turn tiles."

That is, I used to spend every year in the countryside renovating tiles and purlins with the old man at home, and I am proficient in this job.Sun Dan thought so.

Niang Zhi said again: "Actually, my father came over this morning and said he would help me repair this house!"

Sun Dan was very surprised: "Why did your father change his mind and come to me?"

Zhi Niang suddenly fell silent.

"What's the matter with you?" Sun Dan felt something was wrong, his nominal father-in-law was not a kind person, and he would never let it go and come here.To put it bluntly, it is "night owls come into the house and come for nothing", and nothing good will happen when they come.

When Zhi Niang saw Sun Dan asked, she knew that sooner or later she would have to talk about it, and she couldn't avoid it.

After being silent for a long while, he finally bit the bullet and said softly: "Father came here today to ask when you and I will formally marry. He said that if you want, he is willing to pay for the banquet. But..."

"How about it?" Sun Dan looked at Zhi Niang quietly: "Zhi Niang, you and I are a family, if you have anything to say, just say it."

"It's just...just...Father said that he pays for the banquet and invites the guests. However, the friends and relatives will return to him."

When Sun Dan heard this, his lungs exploded with rage.To be honest, he didn't pay much attention to those who were picked up at the wedding.However, the old man Wan Butcher did this, obviously he was playing with his own ideas and bullying others.

Sun Dan smiled lightly: "My Master Taishan is really scheming!"

Seeing her husband's calm face, Zhi Niang felt panicked in her heart, and said in a low voice, "Father...Father, he also has reasons for doing this."

"Difficulties? Tell me, what are the difficulties of Master Taishan?" Sun Dan looked at Zhi Niang, and said seriously: "Zhi Niang, just say it, although I, Sun Dan, am an ordinary person, if anyone wants to take advantage of you, Let you be wronged, even if it is your father."

Zhi Niang was a little ashamed, and it took a long time to explain the reason.

It turned out that this matter had to start from Zhiniang's half-brother.

Zhiniang's elder brother passed away this year. When he was a child, he limped when he walked because of polio.Therefore, I have not married yet.

It's not that Butcher Wan and his wife haven't found a matchmaker. In fact, everyone in Zouping County knows that Butcher Wan's son is physically disabled, and Butcher Wan is mean.

Therefore, it is impossible for a daughter of a good family to go to Wanjia, so she can only retreat and seek other things, and see if she can be said to be a poor family, and she will live with a crooked melon and a broken date.

But Zhiniang's elder brother is a high-minded person, and he doesn't like women with ordinary looks, so he wants to marry a beautiful woman.

Once you come and go, you will be delayed.

A few days ago, a distant niece from Mrs. Tang's family in Beimenqiao came to Zouping to visit relatives.

Mrs. Tang's niece, surnamed Tang Sufen, was originally from Nanchang. Her parents died early, and she met King Ning's rebellion. Jiangnan was in chaos, so she came to Shandong to join Mrs. Tang.

Although Tang Sufen's name is very vulgar, she is from the south after all, and beautiful women are born in Hunan.This 15-year-old girl is tall, long-legged, and has good features. She is a pretty little beauty.

It just so happened that brother Zhiniang sent the meat to Mrs. Tang's house that day, and when he saw it, he lost his mind. After returning home, he asked his parents to go to Mrs. Tang's house to propose marriage.

Wan Butcher's wife thought about it, her son would grow up like this, and a woman from a good family would not be able to marry him.The niece of Mrs. Tang's family is an outsider, and she will live in Zouping sooner or later. She should not be too picky about her family. The most important thing is to have a place to settle down and recite Amitabha.

So, as soon as the husband and wife made up their minds, they went to a matchmaker to talk about the matter.

Mrs. Tang's family had an extra person to eat for nothing, and she was already unhappy, and she was looking for an opportunity to get rid of Tang Sufen.Seeing Wan Tufu entrusting someone to come over as a matchmaker, it hits his heart.

His niece is a little beauty, brother Zhiniang is a lame man, and the Wan family has a small fortune, so it's just a matter of knocking him off.

So, Tang Pozi came to a lion and opened his mouth wide, asking for 20 taels.

To be honest, Wan Butcher could still afford this little money.The store in his hands also has a few taels of rent recorded every year, and the meat stall can also earn some scattered money a year.But his husband and wife usually value money more than life, so how could they be willing to be blackmailed for nothing.

But the son's problem was in front of him again, and it had to be resolved.

After pondering for a long time, Wan Butu put his mind on Sun Dan.

Sun Dan has just been busy with his three-year mourning period. According to the rules, he and Zhi Niang can formally pay homage to marriage.

And in the past few years, Wan Tufu has also gone out with many humane elements.If he handles the collection of money, he should be able to get all the money back.At that time, when the son gets married, he will receive another sum, so it will still be profitable.

Anyway, Sun Dan was poor and had no place to stand, and he couldn't afford the money for the wedding banquet. Speaking of this matter, I still helped him!
Wan Tufu played his wishful thinking, which can be said to be both good and bad.But it made Sun Dan feel an indescribable disgust in his heart. He had to admit that Wan Tufu, the father-in-law, was really a smart person. Most people who deal with him would fall into his trap accidentally.

After listening to Zhiniang's words, Sun Dan let out a sigh of relief and shook his head: "Zhiniang, sooner or later the marriage will have to be done, and I will give you an explanation sooner or later, but it's not now, the time is not yet ripe."

He looked at Zhiniang sincerely: "In the future, I will let you be a bride in a glorious manner, and I feel sorry for you if you get married rashly now. If you believe me, just wait for me for a while. Do you believe me? ?”

Zhi Niang gave an "en" and said in a low voice: "I believe in you, and I will listen to you. However, if father comes again, how should I answer?"

Sun Dan said: "If you want him to come to me, I'll tell him." He didn't want to bring up the matter any more, and asked, "Is the meal ready? Give it to me quickly, and you're still waiting to go back to Sun's residence?"

"It's ready." Zhi Niang hurriedly opened the steamer lid, filled six steamed buns, and served Sun Dan to finish.

After dinner, look at the sky, it is not early.Sun Dan hurried back to the mansion, stood up: "Zhi Niang, I'm going back, this month is probably very busy, and I may not be able to come back on the fifteenth day, you should pay attention to your body on weekdays, don't get tired."

After speaking, he lifted the burden and said, and walked out of the house.

"Wait." Zhi Niang picked up the steamed buns in the steamer one by one, put them all in the bag, chased them out, and stuffed them into Sun Dan's hands: "Take them back, you are tired from work, you need to eat more." Some things, I am a woman, eating white flour and steamed buns is a waste.”

At this time, Sun Dan realized that Zhiniang had lost a lot of weight compared to seven days ago, and recalled how greedy she was eating that day, her heart suddenly felt hot, and then it hurt again.

Then came sudden anger.

"Women don't need to eat, and women are not human anymore?" Sun Dan lifted the burden and threw it on the ground, and the steamed buns scattered all over the floor.He raised his foot to step on it, and said angrily on purpose: "If you don't eat it, I won't eat it, so just step on it and let it go."

"Don't!" Zhi Niang squatted down in shock, and kept picking.

"Don't pick, don't pick if you don't eat."

"Okay, I'll eat, I'll eat..." Zhiniang knew that Sun Dan was doing it for her own good, so she grabbed a steaming steamed bun and took a bite, tears streaming down her face, and forced a smile, "It's so sweet, I'm I didn’t expect white flour steamed buns to be so delicious.”

Sun Dan also squatted down, "I'm sorry, I really just..."

"Stop talking." A gentle little hand covered Sun Dan's mouth, and the face in front of him was full of tears.

Sun Dan's heart was sour and sweet.

Or, this is the happiness of the family!
Even if I have bad luck in the future, end up poor and achieve nothing, with such a wife, this life is enough.

……

After packing up the things and rushing to the pier, Sun Hao and Sun Jia were already waiting on the boat.

The two couldn't help complaining, saying that Sun Dan had delayed for too long, and if he went back late, he might be taught a lesson by his mother.

Sun Dan didn't explain, just staring at the river in a daze.

The setting sun is like fire, and the small waves of a river are shining golden.

After a long time, Sun Dan suddenly yelled: "The sea and the sky are bright, all the way forward, always believe, the road ahead is glorious!"

Sun Hao smiled and said, "Brother Dan is going to tell a story again, waiting for your update!"

(End of this chapter)