chapter xi - sweet girl

　　When Lian Man Er opened her eyes, the sky had long since dawned. I don't know if it was because of the bowl of medicine she drank last night, Lian Man'er felt in good spirits and her body wasn't as weak as it was yesterday. 　　"Man Er is awake?" 　　Lian Man'er nodded and sat up from the bed. The family was all up, and she was the latest one. 　　Lian Zhi'er then walked over to help Lian Man'er put on her clothes, and quickly folded up the bedding and put it away in the cabinet against the wall at the end of the kang. 　　"Man'er, wait, I'll bring you some water to wash your face." Lian Zhi Er said and went out, and in a moment's time, she brought in a basin of fresh water and a small box of green salt. 　　This family's hygiene habits were quite good. Lian Man Er thought in her heart, so she brushed her teeth and washed her face, Lian Zhi Er took the comb again and untied Lian Man Er's braid. 　　"Man'er, the injury on your head is still not well, you can't get wet, you have to wait for some days before you can wash your hair." Lian Zhi'er combed Lian Man'er's hair, gently, trying not to touch the injured piece of Lian Man'er's head, and then braided Lian Man'er's two braids. 　　"What did father and mother do, as well as brother and Xiao Qi?" Lian Man Er asked Lian Zhi Er. 　　"Father accompanied the eldest uncle on the old gold family to cash silver, mother outside to you boil medicine, Wulang and Xiaoqi early in the morning went out, did not say what to do." Lian Zhier said. 　　The two sisters were talking when Zhang came in from outside with the boiled medicine. 　　"Man Er, drink the medicine first, so you can eat later." 　　Lian Man Er looked at the dark medicinal soup, her mouth felt bitter, and she hesitantly refused to take the bowl of medicine. 　　Zhang's naturally saw Lian Man'er's thoughts and could not help but feel a sourness in her heart. She went to the upper room early in the morning, wanting to ask Lian Man'er for an egg and a bit of sugar, but was scolded back by Zhou, saying that she was too spoiled for the child, and that she didn't have an old man in her eyes. 　　"I'm all better, there's no need to take medicine, right?" Lian Man'er whispered. 　　"Man Er, this medicine is not bitter, mother just tasted it, you are so easy ...... to endure, just drink it in one gulp." Zhang could only coax Lian Man Er. 　　This medicine seems to have some effect, in order to have a good life in the future, you also need to get your body well first. Lian Man'er thought so, and took the medicine bowl. 　　At this time, Lian Wulang ran in through the door with Xiao Qi. 　　"Man'er, for your sweet girl." Lian Wulang poured out a large handful of small green fruits from the lapel he was holding. 　　Lian Man'er put down the bowl of medicine and picked up a small fruit to look at it. Outside of this sweet girl's child was a layer of hemp yarn-like outer skin, which was already a bit yellowed and dried up. This layer of outer skin torn open, inside is full of already a little yellow sweet girl child fruit. She had eaten it in her previous life when she was very small, it was very sweet, and she could also scoop out the pulp inside and chew on it. 　　"Man'er you taste it, it's sweet." Lian Wulang also tore one open and handed it to Lian Man'er. 　　Lian Man'er pulled the fruit off and put it in her mouth to chew, then nodded, it was sweet. 　　"Second sister, after you drink the medicine, eat this, your mouth won't be bitter." Xiao Qi tilted her face and said. 　　Lian Man'er then couldn't help but smile. Zhang, Lian Zhi'er, Lian Wulang and Xiao Qi looked at Lian Man Er and smiled. 　　Lian Wulang and Xiao Qi were covered in vapor, having gone out early in the morning, picking sweet girl's children for her, fearing that she would find the medicine too bitter. However, this sweet girl child is wild? 　　"So many sweet maidens, where did you guys get them from?" Not waiting for Lian Man'er to ask, Zhang's already asked first. 　　"From Er Ya's house." Xiao Qi replied with a quick mouth. 　　"Who picked it for you guys, does his family's adult know about it?" 　　"Mother don't worry, Xiao Qi and I caught several crickets early in the morning and exchanged them with Erma's her brother, Erma's her mother knows about it too." Lian Wulang said. 　　Zhang's then relieved. 　　So it's not wild, Lian Man'er thought in her heart, this girl's child fruit is also called sour berry, there are two varieties. One was sweet, and it was sweet when it was green. The other is bitter, but wait until after the frost, fully matured into a red, is sweet and sour, very tasty, and also has medicinal value. It is particularly effective for sore throats, and is also able to treat colds, dysentery, menstrual cramps and gynecological infections. 　　"Only sweet girlie, no bitter girlie?" Lian Man'er muttered to herself. 　　"Bitter girl child?" Xiao Qi heard it and busily said, "We have Bitter Girl Child, but Aunt Xiu'er won't let us touch it." 　　"The Bitter Girl's Child is still bitter now, and it will take a few more days before we can eat it. If you want to eat it, brother will go to the mountains and pick it for you, there's a big piece of it there." Lian Wulang said. 　　So there are wild ones too, Lian Man'er thought, maybe she can pick them for some pocket money then. 　　"When the time comes, pick some more, you can sell them for money." Lian Man Er said. 　　In their place, sweet girl's children were rare, but bitter girl's children were common. Almost every family had a few, and people rarely ate them, mostly the girls in the family chewed them for fun. The piece in the mountain, which he discovered, no one even bothered to pick it. This thing can also be exchanged for money? Lian Wulang didn't believe it, but in order to coax his sister, he nodded along. 　　"Okay, when the time comes, brother will pick them all for you." 　　"Man'er drink the medicine quickly, it should get cold in a while." Zhang's said. 　　Lian Man'er obediently picked up the medicine bowl this time, and before she drank it, she heard Zhou's mid-air curses coming from the upper room. 　　"...... Black hearted, lazy and greedy slut, sleeping until the sun is on her ass and still doesn't know to come to work, wanting to starve our old ......" 　　Zhang's busy standing up, about to go to the upper room. 　　"Mother ......" Lian Man Er hurriedly called out to Zhang. She knows that several daughters-in-law in the Lian family cook in shifts, yesterday was Zhang's shift, and today, no matter whose turn it is, it's none of Zhang's business. Zhou's is also an unreasonable, Zhang's this time to rush up, can only be no fun to be scolded, but also have to take the blame for others. 　　"It must be that your second-uncle mother forgot to cook, mother had to go over to help. Otherwise, this family doesn't know when they can eat, your eldest uncle, second uncle and your father, still have to go to the town." Zhou said to Lian Man Er, still going out. 　　Lian Man Er secretly stroked her forehead, still really bursting with responsibility, but unfortunately out of place. 　　"Mother, I don't want to take the medicine, mother you feed me." Lian Man Er looked at Zhang with wide eyes. Directly not allowing Zhang's to go, definitely not, can only be pampered. 　　Sure enough, Zhang looked at her own little daughter's head wrapped in cloth, her big eyes flashing expectantly looking at herself, her heart softened, and the leg that had stepped out was also retracted, she simply sat down on the kang, and really picked up the bowl, and began to feed Lian Man'er the medicine. 　　"Mother, I want to drink it one bite at a time, one bite, eat a sweet girl." Lian Man'er deliberately said. 　　"OK." Zhang was no longer anxious to go to the upper room, but seeing her daughter like this, she could only be patient. 　　Lian Man'er drank the medicine that Zhang fed into her mouth while eating the sweet girl child that Lian Zhi'er and Xiao Qi peeled for her. In the upper room, Zhou had already flipped around and cursed once, but no one responded, so she finally lost her voice. 　　"Fourth sister-in-law, Mother is calling you over." Lian Xiu'er came in with a dark face and left a sentence, then turned around and left, going to call Zhao and He again. 　　Zhou's this was to teach her daughters-in-law a lesson, Lian Man'er secretly spat out her tongue. 　　There was no more reason to stop Zhang, so Lian Man Er followed Zhang to the upper room. 　　Lian Laozi wasn't in the room, Lian Laozi Zhou straightened her back and sat on the kang, staring fiercely at the several daughters-in-law standing on the ground floor. 　　"Who should cook today?" Zhou asked. 　　He wiped the corners of her eyes with her hand, flung a piece of eye poop onto the ground, and fell silent. Zhao shrank back and lowered her head, not daring to speak. Gu didn't come, I heard that she wasn't feeling well. 　　Zhang Clan then wanted to speak. 　　Lian Man'er hurriedly tugged Zhang's sleeve vigorously. Zhou can not know who should cook today, so ask, obviously a trap. 　　Zhang looked down and saw Lian Man'er's anxious eyes, and was not wanting her to speak. Thinking that her youngest daughter was well-behaved, understanding, and filial, she couldn't help but shut her mouth. 　　The eldest daughter-in-law said she was not feeling well and did not come, the second daughter-in-law looked like a scoundrel, and even Zhang, who was usually the most honest and generous, refused to speak up, so Zhou's heart became even more irritated. 　　"Are you all mute? Did you not hear me when I asked you?" Zhou roared. 　　Lian Man'er only tightly pulled Zhang's hand to prevent her from speaking. 　　Seeing that no one still answered, Zhou had to hold back her anger, glancing at several daughters-in-law and finally pointing at Zhang. 　　"Old fourth daughter-in-law, you say, who should cook today?" 　　What is this called, persimmon picking the soft pinch, or specializing in loud drumsticks? 　　"Mother, today ......," Zhang's busy opening her mouth. 　　"Mother, yesterday it was our family that did the cooking." Lian Man Er was busy cutting off Zhang's words, "Who should do it today?" 　　Zhang's wanted to give her daughter support, so she responded, "Yes." 　　Zhou was furious and threw herself backwards, but Zhang didn't take the bait, so she could only turn to He. 　　"Yesterday it was Lao Si's daughter-in-law who was on duty, today it shouldn't be your turn, why are you getting up at this hour, want to starve me and your father to death?" 　　He's prepared for this. 　　"Mother, you also said that yesterday it was the old fourth family on duty, why is it my turn today, my man is the second in line." He said, "When sister-in-law is in town, let's not talk about it, it's not easy to come home, that's still not father and mother's daughter-in-law, shouldn't cook for father and mother." 　　"You!" Zhou pointed at He, this daughter-in-law was usually the laziest and a bit of a jerk, and didn't take her words seriously. However, what He said today made sense. Gu had been following the boss around town for years and rarely served her. Now that she's back, she shouldn't serve her. 　　Now she can say that she is not feeling well and ask her not to come, then in the future? Zhou's heart sank, then relaxed. Even if Gu became an official wife in the future, she was still her daughter-in-law. She was the old lady, the mother of the eldest of the Lian family. 　　She really should set up rules now, lest Gu's eyes lose even more of her in the future. 　　Thinking of this, Zhou made up her mind. 　　"Go and call your sister-in-law over." Zhou ordered.