Stepmother

    Zhong Erwa choked, then looked at Song Zhaodi pitifully: "Mother, I'm going to cry."

    "Daddy, go get a towel and wipe your brother's tears." Zhong Jianguo replied.

    Erwa suddenly wanted to hit someone: "Dad!"

    "Mum and Dad are teasing you." Zi Li laughed, "Whether she is making new clothes or new shoes, she always makes five copies each time, and there are three babies. It's ours."

    Erwa thought about it carefully: "Yes." Turning to Song Zhaodi and Zhong Jianguo, he hummed, "The worst father and mother in the world."

    "It's not that we are bad, it's you that are stupid." Zhong Jianguo said, "Don't pout and be unconvinced, the three brothers were not fooled."

    Song Zhaodi said with a smile: "It's called being careless, or timid." Then she looked at the three eldest sons, "You understand what it means. "

    Self-reliance, Dawa and Rebirth nodded.

    "I don't understand." Erwa said loudly.

    Sanwa put down the spoon and said old-fashioned: "You will understand when you grow up."

    Song Zhaodi smiled bitterly: "It seems that this sentence cannot be said in the future."

    "I can't say it." Zhong Jianguo passed Song Zhaodi and pinched Sanwa's face, "Our little brat is very unhappy."

    Sanwa glanced at his dad: "I'm not happy today."

    "Yes, yes, Dad is wrong, Dad should have noticed earlier." Zhong Jianguo said, "Let's eat, I will take you to school."

    Sanwa's eyes rolled: "Is Dad holding me?"

    "Hold you." Several children rarely act like a spoiled child, including the youngest Sanwa. It was a rare occasion when Zhong Jianguo didn't want to reject his son, because he had to go through the school to go to the camp anyway.

    After dinner, Song Zhaodi rushed the children upstairs to pack up their schoolbags, and washed the pots and dishes with Zhong Jianguo.

    When the child was not in front of her, Song Zhaodi thought and asked: "Leader Zhong, how much do you know about the lady next door?"

    "Why did you suddenly mention her?" Zhong Jianguo was curious.

    Song Zhaodi: "Shen Xuancheng's mother gave us a pack of tea, I think she wants to have a good relationship with us. But she is so old, she is so disrespectful, half The person who only stepped into the coffin, you and Shen Xuancheng are on the same level again, there is no need to please us, she must do it for her daughter-in-law."

    "I know." Zhong Jianguo said, "However, I don't understand the use of looking for us."

    Song Zhaodi thought about it: "I don't understand either, so it may be troublesome in the future."

    "Help if you can, or refuse if you can't. Anyway, he, Shen Xuancheng, an 'outlander', doesn't dare to trouble me." Zhong Jianguo poured a ladle of hot water into the basin "Don't think too much, wash the dishes first."

    Song Zhaodi nodded: "You are right." Then he pushed the basin in front of Zhong Jianguo, "You told Shen Xuancheng, I wash the pot, you wash the dishes ." Pointing to the pot for cooking, "I've done the brushing."

    "The steel pot for cooking porridge is not brushed." Zhong Jianguo Road.

    Song Zhaodi: "There is porridge in the pot. After drinking it in the afternoon, I will brush it."

    Zhong Jianguo was so angry that he wanted to curse, but unfortunately, he didn't dare.

    Around 7:30, the family set off.

    The four eldest sons wore the same clothes and walked in front with schoolbags made of rags. Song Zhaodi carried the cloth bag, and Zhong Jianguo walked behind with Sanwa in his arms.

    Mother Shen, who was sitting in the main seat, saw this scene, raised her hand and patted her son: "Look at Teacher Song."

    Shen Xuancheng looked out, quite envious: "Five sons—"

    "I'm not talking about my son." Mother Shen frowned, "I'm talking about Teacher Song."

    Shen Xuancheng couldn't help blinking: "What's wrong with Teacher Song?"

    "Mr. Song cooks a meal for a family of seven, and has to go to school." Mother Shen didn't want to speak too harshly, so she stopped.

    Shen Xuancheng coughed lightly: "Mr. Song is from a rural area and is used to doing housework."

    "How come I heard that Teacher Song is still a college student and an intellectual?" Mother Shen said, paying attention to her daughter-in-law's expression. Seeing her daughter-in-law raised her head, Mother Shen picked up the chopsticks to pick up the vegetables.

    Shen Xuancheng opened his mouth, looked at his wife, looked at his mother, and rubbed his nose: "Mr. Song is very good."

    Mother Shen's hand paused for a while: "Amazing, right? I think a daughter-in-law should be like Teacher Song."

    "Mother!" Shen Xuancheng knew that his mother would not mention Song Zhaodi for no reason, and he was careful to deal with it and still fell into his mother's pit, very helpless, "Human Unlike people, you can't ask for that." After a pause, "Wengzhou Island is so big, and there is only one teacher Song, don't talk about it in the future. I'll eat and go to the camp." After that, he put down his chopsticks.

    Mother Shen took a deep breath and turned to her daughter-in-law when her son was far away. But as soon as she saw her daughter-in-law bow her head and say whatever you want, I look like this, and Mother Shen was too lazy to say anything.

    Coconut milk candy and Kudingcha and Shen Xuancheng washing clothes, let Song Zhaodi see that the relationship between the Shen family is not good, the problem lies in Shen Xuancheng's wife Sun Wanru is more likely.

    Song Zhaodi thought that Mother Shen would talk to Sun Wanru. However, when the first month was over, Song Zhaodi not only did not hear the quarrel next door, nor did she see Sun Wanru.

    I chatted with Zhong Jianguo about the Shen family earlier, and Song Zhaodi was ready to help the Shen family solve minor troubles, but half a month later, she was stunned The neighbor next door is a human being or a ghost... Even though Song Zhaodi hates trouble and doesn't like to meddle in her own business, when Zhong Jianguo set fire to the fire in the morning of February 2, Song Zhaodi couldn't help but ask, "Is Sun Wanru still on the island?"

    "Yes." Zhong Jianguo said, "When I came back yesterday evening, I passed by the door of Shen's house, and I also saw Head Shen's lover in the house. Sit. Wait, you haven't seen her?"

    Song Zhaodi smacked her lips: "You don't believe it when you say it, I haven't seen it once."

    "Exaggerated." Zhong Jianguo said.

    Song Zhaodi said seriously: "It's really not. Hey, Captain Zhong, tell me about that lady."

    Zhong Jianguo opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped and looked at her, "Comrade Xiao Song, you are not such a woman. To be honest , what's wrong with holding back?"

    Song Zhaodi: "When you just told me that Shen Xuancheng's wife is a lady, something flashed in my head."

    "Continue." Zhong Jianguo Road.

    Song Zhaodi: "I'm proficient in everything about piano, chess, calligraphy and painting." After a pause, "Although I can draw some things, I only know how to sketch, and I have nothing to learn in my spare time. Yes, I can't teach Erwa much. At that time, whether we were drawing pictures or modifying renderings, we used computers.

    "In this era, there is no computer, and there is no fabric for Erwa to practice. Trying to form in one time. This requires the second baby to learn to draw, and to draw very well. If Sun Wanru can give Erwa some pointers, it will be much easier for our second baby to design clothes in the future.”

    "You think a lot." Zhong Jianguo was surprised, "Have you ever thought that Sun Wanru would ignore you?"

    Song Zhaodi nodded: "I thought about it. I also thought about it, as long as the Shen family asks me for help, I will ask Sun Wanru if he can paint. Shen Xuancheng's mother Find me once, I will find Sun Wanru once.

    " But the point is, I've been thinking about how to chat with everyone, but she's been in the room, and she doesn't give me a chance to find out the enemy's situation. unacceptable."

    Zhong Jianguo: "Isn't that right? You don't want to get involved with the Shen family anyway."

    "But I didn't figure it out, and I took things from the Shen family. I always felt that there was something I didn't do." Song Zhaodi said, "I figured it out sooner. , teach us two babies earlier, wouldn't it be better to kill two birds with one stone?"

    "Your abacus is really good." Zhong Jianguo was convinced, "If Shen Xuancheng knew about your idea, they wouldn't give you that. Kuding tea."

    Song Zhaodi snorted: "I'm here for your son, you figure it out."

    "It's also your son." Zhong Jianguo refused to allow her to speak, and added, "Don't say it's not biological. It's also your son who isn't biological."

    Song Zhaodi choked: "No nonsense, help me get people out."

    "I can't help it." Zhong Jianguo waved his hand, "If you have any tricks, just use them. I will never stop you."

    Song Zhao raised his eyebrows: "Do you really want me to take action?"

    "If you want to make a move, make a move." Zhong Jianguo looked at her and said with a smile, "You said before, even if I don't agree, I stay home all day and want to stop it. You can't stop it either."

    Song Zhaodi: "Then I'm welcome."

    "Let me remind you." Zhong Jianguo said, "This neighbor is different from the last one."

    Song Zhaodi: "I know."

    Mr. Xiao Song is an activist, and she does what she says.

    Today is the second day of the second month, and the dragon looks up. It is not a big day, but a small festival. When she came back from school in the morning, Song Zhaodi cooked lunch and killed two hens.

    When the big baby came back from school, he stared at the dead little hen and swallowed: "Mother, are both of them stewed?"

    "It's all stewed." Song Zhaodi said, "Don't look at it, come and eat. I'll stew it when you go to school in the afternoon, and it's just right to eat when you come back from school. I'll use chicken soup to make chicken noodle soup for you later."

    Da Wa licked her lips: "I don't want to go to school anymore."

    "You dare!" Song Zhaodi stared at him.

    Dawa shivered: "I don't dare, I don't dare. I'll go wash my hands now."

& nbsp; Pian Jiang, Song Zhaodi went to do her own thing.

    Around four o'clock, when Song Zhaodi was upstairs repairing the clothes of several children, she smelled a strong fragrance, and she was curious, where did the fragrance come from? It suddenly occurred to her that it was her own doing.

    The reinforced pot is not a pressure cooker. The hen at home is almost five years old, and it will definitely not be stewed for more than half an hour. Song Zhaodi didn't go down to look either, and continued to sew and mend upstairs.

    At half o'clock, the self-ranging bell in the living room will ring once, Song Zhaodi hears the sound, knows that it is 4:30, and the chicken is almost ready, so she rubs her sore neck , stretch out, move your muscles and bones, and go downstairs slowly.

    As soon as she appeared in the courtyard, Song Zhaodi heard someone calling her. Song Zhaodi looked west subconsciously.

    "Little Song, this way."

    Song Zhaodi turned her head: "Auntie, is something wrong?"

    "What are you stewing?" Sister Duan pointed to the stove under the porch, "I smell like chicken."

    Song Zhaodi walked to the fence: "It's chicken."

    "Why is it so fragrant?" Sister Duan wondered.

    Song Zhaodi: "Because it's a hen."

    Sister Duan's eyes widened in disbelief: "How did you kill the hen that lays eggs?"

    "We have more than ten hens now, and we can't sell the eggs we lay, and we can't eat them all by ourselves." Song Zhaodi said, "I think there are The four hens are also getting older, so I will kill two of them first, and then I will kill two more on August 15." After a pause, "Saving will die of illness later, so I can't eat it, and it would be a pity to throw it away."

    Sister Duan: "Did you raise it in the year you arrived on the island?"

    "That's right." Song Zhaodi said, "Auntie, go get a pot, I'll serve you a pot of chicken soup, and I'll leave you to make a snack at night."

    Sister Duan was not polite to Song Zhaodi, took an aluminum pot to Zhong's house, and said, "I also remembered what you said just now. Some of the hens are almost seven years old. I'll have to kill them tomorrow too."

    "When Liu Ping was confinement, you didn't bring it to Liu Ping?" Song Zhaodi wondered.

    Sister Duan: "Why didn't I take it, I took four. But I helped her hold the child once, she thought I couldn't hold it, I was angry and left I didn't take any of the ones that I had." When talking about Liu Ping, Mrs. Duan became angry, "It's better to feed her a dog than to feed her something without a conscience."

    Song Zhaodi smiled and did not answer her words.

    Opening the lid of the pot and seeing a layer of oil floating on it, Song Zhaodi said, "Auntie, I'll put more oil for you, you don't need to put it in the next noodles. oil."

    "Whatever you want." Sister Duan said, "But don't put any meat, save it for a few children."

    Song Zhaodi said with a smile: "I know. Those skin children were divided at noon, each one with a drumstick. Because the three babies are young, they can't compete with them. Give Sanwa two chicken wings. Jianguo and I each have one chicken wing and chicken head."

    "The baby is divided?" Sister Duan affirmed.

    Song Zhaodi said with a smile: "Yes. Our five children are self-reliant and sensible, and the second child doesn't care about what to eat, only the eldest child dares to do so. Minute."

    "The old saying goes that you have a thick skin and eat a piece of meat." Sister Duan said, "Your eldest child is like this—aunt, how can I hear a child cry."

    Song Zhaodi stopped and listened carefully: "It seems to be next door."

    "Headmaster Shen's house?" Sister Duan pointed to the west.

    Song Zhaodi nodded: "There are no children in the family behind us, there is a road in front of us, only the children of the Shen family are small." After speaking, she suddenly thought, "Auntie, Has Uncle Liu told you about the head of Shen's family? I asked Jianguo, he doesn't know anything."

    "I'm also curious, how can Shen Xuancheng marry such a wife, how can he still be on the front line." Sister Duan said, "Your Uncle Liu said that Shen Xuancheng participated in the Vietnam War, and it seems that He made a great contribution. When the troops were discussing the merits and rewards, Shen Xuancheng took the initiative to request to go to the South China Sea Fleet, saying that it was close to his home.

    "Because of the war, the marriage was delayed. When he went to the South China Sea Fleet, the army leader would introduce him to someone. Shen Xuancheng directly refused, saying that he had a fiancée."

    Song Zhaodi subconsciously glanced westward: "Isn't she his current daughter-in-law?"

    "Listen to me slowly." Sister Duan said, "When you and Xiao Zhong got married, the army didn't investigate much because they knew from the beginning that you were Xiao Zhong's cousin, your family is a poor peasant. Shen Xuancheng's mother-in-law is a rich lady, and the troops have been very careful.

    "The Sun family is a famous local family, and I don't know how many acres of fertile land. Among them is Shen Xuancheng and his family."

    Song Zhaodi couldn't help but open her eyes: "Then Sun Wanru still hates Shen Xuancheng?"

    "There are a lot of people who divide the land of the Sun family. She can't hate it if she wants to." Sister Duan said, "The old man of the Sun family can be a man, and the land is gone. When the money was still there, he gave out money to help the poor around him. When the revolution was raging a few years ago, Mr. Sun was pulled out to parade through the streets, and no one scolded him and threw rotten eggs at him.

    "But not every village neighbor reciprocates their kindness. I heard that a few illiterate farmers took the opportunity to marry the eldest lady of the Sun family. That is Sun Wanru. Listening to what Uncle Liu said, those families are looking at the eldest Miss Sun's knowledge of books, literacy, and hyphenation, so that they can teach children well in the future. Grandpa Sun thinks that those families are not good match, so he drags them out and gives them to Sun. It's like finding someone."

    Song Zhaodi continued: "And then find the Shen family?"

    "No." Mrs. Duan said, "In the summer of 1966, Shen Xuancheng heard that there was also a revolution in his hometown, so in September, he asked the army for it. When I went home to visit relatives, I actually went to see if there was anything wrong with the Sun family.

    "I just said that Shen Xuancheng told the army leader that he had a fiancée, and it was this Sun Wanru. He was thinking about the eldest lady of the Sun family, thinking that he would be able to marry him when he returned home. People, that's what I told the leader. It's a pity that Sun Wanru doesn't look down on him."

    Song Zhaodi was curious: "Then how did you get married?"

    "The old man Sun agreed." Sister Duan said, "I heard that the old man of the Sun family personally delivered his daughter to the door on the wedding day."

    Song Zhaodi tutted: "No wonder Shen Xuancheng's mother doesn't like this daughter-in-law, and she hasn't heard the old lady quarrel. It turns out that her son likes others too much. By the way, the army How did the leadership go?"

    "The grandfather of the Sun family, also known as Sun Wanru's grandfather, is very righteous." Sister Duan said, "The old grandfather helped the revolutionary army before, and a distant uncle of Sun Wanru also Sacrifice. The army leaders found out this and agreed to the marriage of Shen Xuancheng and Sun Wanru."

    Song Zhaodi couldn't help but sighed: "This is what the predecessors planted the trees and the others enjoyed the shade."

    "Yes." Sister Duan said, paused, "Why is the child still crying? Is Shen Xuancheng's mother not at home?"

    Song Zhaodi didn't understand: "Does it have anything to do with her being at home?"

    "I met Shen Xuancheng's mother when I was shopping for vegetables." Sister Duan said, "I asked why my daughter-in-law didn't come out to buy vegetables, and the old lady shook her head and sighed, Said that his daughter-in-law can't do anything. I doubt that Sun Wanru can't take care of the child either." After a pause, "The child cried for a long time. If the old lady is at home, she will definitely coax the child."

    Song Zhaodi raised her eyebrows: "Auntie, let's go take a look."

    "Don't go." Sister-in-law Duan didn't even think about it, "That kind of woman, when we go, will think we are nosy."

    Song Zhaodi said with a smile: "Not necessarily. Auntie, let's go and have a look. If she doesn't know what's good or bad, we just don't walk with her house in the future. "