Carpenter's Lady

Chapter 33

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Azhu went back to the county academy. In early September, he had to take the entrance examination for children. Azhu was only 13 years old this year. He originally planned to wait another two years for the exam, but the teachers of the college thought he could give it a try first.Although it was said to be a try, Azhu still braced himself and prepared to go all out, but cousin Xianglan didn't come to his house until after eighteen, so Azhu had to miss it this time.

Seeing that Ah Zhu liked the snowy mooncakes she made, Zhang Mu made many more for him to take with him the next day. When Ah Zhu saw Brother Ah Ling coming over with a big basket, he stepped on his feet and glanced at it, with a smile in his eyes. He couldn't hide it any longer, and said, "It's so much, I'll have to eat it for a month or two by myself!" At the same time, he stretched out his hand anxiously, touched one, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Ding Erniang couldn't see it, so she went forward and twisted Azhu's ear, and scolded: "It's really a little mouse reincarnated, just thinking about the ration, this is not for you alone, I will divide it into a few parts later, and pack it up. You go back and give some to your husband and classmates!" Ding Erniang saw the basket of pink and green cakes, and felt in her heart that this daughter-in-law A Ling really married the right one, and she didn't say anything to A Ling, she was dexterous, sweet-talking, and right Ah Zhu also used a little bit of attention.Thinking of this, the smile on Ding Erniang's face became more sincere.

Azhu's ears were twisted by his old mother, while showing helpless embarrassment to Zhang Mu and Wu Ling. Wu Ling was used to seeing Azhu being scolded by his teacher and mother, so he just watched it as a joke, but Zhang Mu couldn't help it. Pleading for Azhu, said with a smile: "Azhu will leave now, mother, if you twist his ears again, he won't think about coming back next time, you won't have to think about it so much!"

"He dares!" Ding Erniang gave A Zhu a hard look, but let go.Taking the basket from Wu Ling's hand, he took it and wrapped a few portions in oiled paper. Zhang Mu made two more fillings this time, one was red bean and the other was sweet taro. He wanted to make custard filling, but I couldn't find suitable milk for a while, but goat's milk was available in the town. Every morning, someone from the vegetable market brought a vat over to sell, and it cost two yuan a bowl, but the smell was so strong that Zhang Mu felt that he lost his appetite when he smelled it.

After the mid-autumn festival, the weather was a bit chilly. Ding Erniang was afraid that Azhu would catch cold when reading at night, so she prepared two sets of thicker cotton robes for Azhu early in the morning, and sewed a layer of lining, which was also prepared in the past, but Azhu When I was growing my body, I couldn't wear last year's clothes this year.

Zhang Mu saw that although Ding Erniang was a bit aggressive towards A Zhu, but she arranged everything in detail, he couldn't help but turned around and looked at Wu Ling, Xianggong, how much he must have envied A Zhu at that time!Although the Ding family has always treated their husband like a parent and child, even if they have no worries about food and clothing, and no blood care, it is difficult to be so caring and meticulous!
Wu Ling seemed to have a sense of it, turned around and looked at Zhang Mu, with a smile on his face, he knew that his wife loved him, in the past, whenever he saw his wife and A Zhu being so affectionate, he was envious in his heart, Sometimes he couldn't help but think that if the woman hadn't left, she would have treated him like this, but now, looking at his wife's distressed eyes, Wu Ling felt that the bitterness and longing in the past were not as strong as the ones in his chest now. The warmth made him feel real.

Xianglan came here at [-]:[-] am on the eighteenth day, and the shop was busy. Wu Ling and Zhang Mu also came here early in the morning. Zhang Mu suddenly saw Xianglan and reacted for a while. Xianglan lived in another town. Come on, it's only an hour away from here, this girl won't leave in time!

Xianglan really set out at Maoshi, she received a letter from Ah Zhu yesterday, brother Ling got married less than half a month ago, she never thought that elder brother Ah would get married soon.She didn't sleep all night last night.

Seeing Xianglan, Ding Erniang was also surprised, and said with a smile: "You girl, you didn't stay at my door last night, did you? Why did you come here so early?"

Xianglan was preoccupied with Brother Ah's marriage, so she didn't joke with her aunt as usual, she took Ding Erniang's hand and walked into the backyard, "Auntie, I have something to tell you!" Ding Erniang Looking at the tight hand held by my niece, I felt a little dazed for a moment, this girl is usually crazy, what could be so anxious to tell her?

In the backyard, Erye Ding was weaving bamboo baskets, and Wu Ling was planing wood. Xiang Lan called out: "Uncle", "Brother A Ling", and she lowered her head and dragged Erniang Ding to the back room.Wu Ling responded, and saw that the two of them seemed to have something to talk about, so he didn't say anything more, and continued to plan wood.Ding Erye looked at Xianglan's hurried footsteps, and his wife was being dragged away by her, he shook his head and smiled, this girl is so big and still so quarrelsome.

In the wing room, Feng Xianglan pulled her aunt over all the way. At this time, there was no one around. Facing the curious eyes of her aunt, she was suddenly a little ashamed to speak. She bit her lip, remembering Brother Ah's marriage, and felt that if she didn't catch her again this time Chances are, there is really nothing to do with her. She took a deep breath, and the little girl blushed, "Auntie, I like big brother! Can you tell me about the match?" She closed her eyes and vomited out her thoughts one after another .

Xianglan felt that after she said it, her heart seemed to be a little clearer, but she didn't hear her aunt's body voice for a long time, and slowly opened her right eye, hey, there was no one!Only then did he open his left eye, looked back and forth, and found that he was really gone.The door was open, as if it hadn't been closed when I came in just now.

"I don't know when my aunt went out. Did she hear what I said?" Xianglan hesitated in the room for a while, and she was too embarrassed to go out. She didn't know that her yelling was so loud that uncle and brother A Ling heard No?
At this time, Erniang Ding was in the yard, pulling Erye Ding's sleeve, unable to speak for a while, she felt that her mind was a bit confused, did she hear wrong just now? "Xianglan has taken a fancy to Ada? Ada has taken a fancy to Wang Moli? Does the elder brother and sister-in-law know?" Ding Erniang was confused just now, and her first reaction was to find her husband. Before Xianglan finished speaking, she ran away out.

"Miss, what are you mumbling about?" Erye Ding patted Erniang Ding's hand, and asked in a daze, did he make a mistake just now? Why did he seem to hear the lady muttering about Miss Xianglan and Ada?
Wu Ling also put down the wood, got up and walked over. "Ada and Pandan?"

Ding Erniang was slapped by her husband, and she regained her composure. Facing his blank eyes, she simply closed her eyes and said: "Xianglan has taken a fancy to Ah Da, please be a matchmaker!"

With a sound of "bang dang", the knife used to cut bamboo sticks fell from Erye Ding's hand. Erniang Ding reacted quickly and pushed Erye Ding, otherwise, if the tip of the knife touched his feet, he would have to suffer!
"Tell me, what should I do? You know, my brother and sister-in-law treat Xianglan like a treasure! If something happens to me, how can I explain to them!" Ding Erniang thought of her family The whole elder brother, who is like a slave to his daughter, feels that Tianling Gai is in pain.

"Then mother, let's talk about matchmaking!" Wu Ling understood the cause and effect, and said in a calm tone. He thought Xianglan was very good, and was more suitable for Ah Da than Wang Moli.Ah Da is a bit introverted, and because of her appearance, she has been in a gloomy mood for the past two years. Xianglan is lively and cute, although sometimes she is a bit unruly and willful, but being with the dull Ah Da is really perfect.

Ding Erye and Ding Erniang both looked at Wu Ling with burning eyes when they heard Wu Ling speak. Will my precious daughter marry her nephew who kills pigs?Besides, Ah Da is still entangled with the eldest daughter of the Wang family!But Ding Erye still preferred him to look at the grown up Xianglan, and glanced at the lady without any trace.

Ding Erniang also noticed Xianggong's gaze and gave him a blank look.She also understands that Xianglan is better than Wang Moli, but where is her brother and sister-in-law?We have to ask Xianglan about this first!Ding Erniang stomped her feet, turned around and went back to the wing.

Seeing her aunt going back and forth, Xianglan hurriedly greeted her, and eagerly held her aunt's hand, ready to act like a spoiled child. Erniang Ding helplessly tapped her niece's forehead, sat on the chair, and swept her skirt with her hands , said calmly: "Honestly invite me! When did it happen? Do your parents know? Does Ah Da know?"

"Father and mother don't know, neither does Big Brother Ah." After a pause, seeing that my aunt didn't look at me, she continued to bravely say, "I liked to stick to Big Brother Ah when I was young. I am very happy, even happier than seeing Ah Zhu and Brother A Ling. In the past two years, I felt as if I would blush. Until March this year, when I heard that Brother Ah proposed marriage to the Zhang family, I suddenly felt very unhappy. It’s so hard, it’s hard, and it’s only then that I realized that I really like it.” After Xianglan finished speaking intermittently, she stood there a little at a loss, although she was very active on weekdays, but she opened her heart like this, and in In front of my aunt, I felt awkward and embarrassing.

Ding Erniang looked at the girl in front of Tingting after listening, maybe it was because Xianglan was always like a tomboy, so she didn't seem to realize that it was time for this girl to fall in love, and she had to come forward to say this. and!It's just that if my brother knows that the man whom his daughter likes has taken a fancy to other women, he will be annoyed, and he has to talk to his uncle about it first.

When Zhang Mu was eating at Ding's house at noon, he felt that the atmosphere was a bit weird. Xianglan didn't come out to eat, and her mother didn't say anything, and she couldn't ask, but no one at the dinner table asked. She glanced at Mr. Wu Ling. He smiled reassuringly at her, and gave her a piece of braised pork.Looking at the braised pork in the bowl, Zhang Mu didn't understand what Xianggong meant for a while, so he could only gnaw on the meat.

After leaving the shop, Wu Ling told Zhang Mu the whole story. He heard that Xianglan girl had taken a fancy to Ding Da. Zhang Mu thought it was weird. So, that girl almost became a rival in love with him?

(End of this chapter)