Chapter 12 first quarter

Mother!From the yard came the joyful shouts of little girls. "Mom, it's terrible! The spinning top bit the sweet potato!" "Who taught Spinning Top to be a glutton?" A six people are in the kitchen.The green vegetable shop uncle who often comes to the door has just brought beautiful wild yams, and is starting to teach her how to make the most delicious yam paste in the world. "The girls are shouting about sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, did you plant the seed potatoes I gave you?" The uncle who runs a vegetable shop not only sells vegetables, but also grows them himself.Although this area is in Edo Castle, it is still quite desolate and remote. There are patches of vegetable gardens between the samurai mansions and merchant bungalows.

"Well, I planted it." Ah Liu replied with a smile. "But what the children are talking about is the sweet potatoes they bought from the uncle yesterday, and they are drying in the yard. Didn't the uncle teach me that it tastes better after drying them?" As they said that, the two girls, A Dao and A Xing, ran into the kitchen with laughter and fuss.A Dao held a spinning top in his arms, and A Xing held sweet potatoes in both hands. "Mom, look!" Ah Xing brought the sweet potato in front of Ah Liu. "The top bites! Here, look!" The children's yelling must have frightened the spinning top, and saw its ears stand up straight, twisting its body to escape, but was pulled back by A Dao.

"The spinning top doesn't like you hugging it like this, let it go." "Oh, but..." Even so, A Dao let go.The three-haired cat rushed out and jumped onto the dirt.As soon as his feet touched the ground, he walked through the kitchen and went straight to the door. "The spinning top has no rules!" A Dao yelled at the cat loudly, making the uncle laugh. "Okay, okay, don't scold it. Uncle's sweet potatoes are so sweet that even the cat wants to steal it." "Raw is sweet too? Don't you need to roast it?" Seeing that Ah Xing wanted to bite off immediately, the uncle took the sweet potato from her hand.

"Oh, don't bite, uncle will bake it for you later." "You two, don't you need to learn needlework? Today is Sunday! It's already past noon, Mr. Fachunyuan is waiting!" Listening to the mother's nagging, the daughters shrank their necks and said "Yes—" and "We're going to learn how to sew", and hurried to the hut. "The spirit is really good." The uncle narrowed his eyes. "A Dao's eyes are all right?" "Yes, thank God." Ah Liu nodded with emotion. "I'm better at needlework than Ah Xing!"

"Ah Xing is my sister, right?" "Yes. But it's only one year old, so I can't tell." Ah Xing is nine years old and A Dao is eight years old. The uncle who sells vegetables showed a smile on his wrinkled and tanned face, and said in a singing voice, "There is nothing better than a healthy and lively child." "Ah Liu, how long have you been here?" "Three years." "It's been so long, how time flies." "Thanks to uncle for taking care of me." "Where, I didn't do anything, it's all thanks to Madam!"

In this regard, Ah Liu also deeply felt the same.Three years ago, she was penniless and had no one to rely on. She was terrified and didn't know what to do.But now life is simple, but it is peaceful and happy.All this was given by Mrs. Kui.For Ah Liu, mother and daughter, the wife is the life-saving Bodhisattva who can save all sentient beings. Because of this, in the past month, Madam's complexion is not good, she is getting haggard and depressed, which makes Ah Liu worried.Wanting to make yam and wheat rice tonight is also the conclusion of Ah Liu's racking his brains: Let Madam use some things that nourish yin and nourish qi, and see if her mood will be brighter.

"Is Ma'am going out today?" "Yes, someone came to greet you early in the morning..." The vegetable seller showed a knowing expression. "Oh, then it's with the master." "The madam said that it might be too early to enjoy the chrysanthemums, but she still went out excitedly." "If you sit in a sedan chair, you don't have to worry about climbing the taro washing slope, so you don't have to worry about it." The last time I saw Madam, her feet seemed uncomfortable, the uncle added. "Yes, Madam's left knee often has a dull pain. I have mentioned it since the beginning of spring. She also said it's really annoying and I don't want to grow old."

"Oh..." The uncle rubbed the wrinkles around his eyes, tilted his head and asked, "Speaking of this, how old is Madam?" Ah Liu couldn't see it either.Of course, it is certain that she is older than Ah Liu, but the lady's skin is as delicate as that of a young girl, and the contours of her face are not slack.When they met for the first time three years ago, Ah Liu was astonished as a man of heaven; and today, three years later, she still firmly believes that no matter how big Edo City is, no matter how many people there are, and a person with both good looks and good looks like Mrs. two.

"However, people like us can't count the age of Master Guanyin." The uncle said with a smile, and clapped his hands. "Okay, how about the yam mud..." Ah Liu also fastened the sleeves of the kimono in response, ready to study hard. Ah Liu was born on the edge of Xiangdao, the sixth in the family, so he was named Ah Liu.Her father was not even a tenant farmer, but a poor farm worker called "Dan Xia", who was hired to help different farms every day and lived on the wages of the day. Born into this kind of family, Ah Liu started working at a young age.Apart from going to the fields with my parents to help out, I do whatever I can do, whether running errands, babysitting or other chores.When she was twelve years old, she went to a famous local restaurant "Pinghe" to work as a rough maid. Soon after leaving home, her father died.The family of theirs had no fields where fallen leaves could return to their roots, so the brothers and sisters separated and went their separate ways.She is best friends with her elder sister, who is two years older than her, but her elder sister once secretly went to Pinghe to find her, saying that something went wrong at the master's house and wanted to escape to the capital, and she needed travel expenses, and asked her if she had any valuables to pawn.That was the last time they met.She didn't think much about it at the time, but her sister must have been cheated by a bad man.

Ah Liu worked hard in "Pinghe", and soon reached the age of youth, and fell in love with Xinji, a young man in the kitchen.However, after the owner learned of this, the two were scolded severely and both were expelled from the restaurant.At that time, Xinji was eighteen and Ah sixty-seven.The two had no one to rely on, but Xinji was very capable. He borrowed some money from a distant relative who sold lunch boxes in Yushima, and found a way to rent a courtyard.He said cheerfully: "Okay, then we will be a family. This is our home." Then work hard.Ah Liu was also influenced by him, and unknowingly started a married life.

Although the two had stayed in restaurants, they did rough work and didn't learn the skills.Find some piecework or odd jobs to make money every day.Ah Liu is the same as when he was in Mukoshima, he can do whatever he can. Looking back now, it was a tough time, but they were young and happy.Even if it is a small and dirty courtyard house with poor sunshine and smell of a hut all year round, for Xinji and Ah Liu, it is the first time they have their own home. After living like this, Ah Liu's belly grew bigger.Xinji is overjoyed, but they can't just be happy.Having a baby is like having an extra mouth.With a baby, Ah Liu can no longer work as hard as he used to. Shinji makes a decision.He negotiated with the oil dealer who usually helped move the goods, and he wanted to be an oil seller.This requires a considerable amount of royalties, which of course they cannot afford, so they have to borrow money, deduct it from the business income every day, and pay it back bit by bit.Even so, Xinji is still very happy, thinking that this time he can finally settle down and work hard in his career.Xinji is meek and honest on weekdays and doesn't talk much, but he is the most courageous and determined at important moments, and he never makes mistakes.Although Ah Liu followed him ignorantly, she was also glad that she followed him with a good husband. In this way, A Xing was born, and A Dao was born the next year.Xinji's oil business was getting better and better, and the tenderness on Ah Liu's face gradually faded, and she began to look calm and stable as a mother.Xinji said that after paying off the existing loans, he will work hard to save money to open a small shop and have a third child with handles. However, after saying these words, Xinji left. Ah Liu still doesn't understand what went wrong.It was a day of drizzling rain. When Xinji came back, he complained that he was cold, complaining that his body was frozen, he didn't eat, and he was in a bad mood. He said he had a terrible headache and wanted to lie down for a while.Once I lay down, I never woke up again. He is not yet that age, and there was no abnormality the day before, so how could he just leave like this?Do people leave this world so simply?Ah Liu couldn't believe it.Or are these days a dream?Is it just a good dream because of the witchcraft of the fox fairy and raccoon? No, it is not.There are two young children left by my side, this is not a dream. She can't cry.When she was driven out by "Pinghe", Xinji led her.This time, she could only lead the two children to find a way out by herself. So Ah Liu San spent his days doing all kinds of work and barely making ends meet.Fortunately, the female relatives of the Zayuan were willing to help take care of Ah Xing and Ah Dao, saying that everyone came to help each other in this way, and asked her not to be polite.I don't know how much encouragement these cheerful words gave Ah Liu.The oil company also stated that the money borrowed by Xinji when selling oil has been almost repaid, and the remaining money should be divided more subtly and repaid slowly.For this proposal full of human touch, Ah Liu did not know how many courtesy and thank you. I want to live a good life and raise two daughters——Ah Liu has only this thought in his mind.Sometimes thinking of Xinji brings tears to my eyes, but I can immediately smile when I wipe the corners of my eyes.If you cry all the time, you will be teased by Shinji. Because of this, Ah Liu never thought of remarrying.There is only Xinji as my husband, he used to be him, and he will be the only one in this life—she has already decided so in her heart.Therefore, she couldn't help being taken aback when someone mentioned the remarriage to her. "Me?" She pointed at the tip of her nose and burst out laughing. "Who on earth is so whimsical?" The other party was a man named Sun Ba, who was exactly forty years old, and also an oil dealer who peddled goods. He bought goods in the same oil store as Xinji.Ah Liu didn't know Sun Ba, but the other party was said to have seen her several times and knew the ages of Ah Xing and Ah Dao. The person who told her about this was an old man who took good care of Xinji.This man also knew Ah Liu well, he was old enough to be Ah Liu's father, and he was a peaceful and steady man.Seeing Ah Liu's involuntary laughter, a shadow appeared on his gentle face, and he continued: "Ah Liu, this isn't funny at all. You don't know how hard I tried to get Sun Ba to dispel this idea after Xinji's death, but I couldn't stop it anymore, so I had to tell you the matter." Sun Ba is a man with a bad nature, it would be a big trouble for him to get involved. "If it's the kind of idiot who eats too much, spends his time drinking and beating his wife, it's easy to deal with. He's not. He works very hard, doesn't touch gambling and hardly drinks, but..." Very jealous. "Oh, you laughed again. That's right, men are jealous. This kind of boring plot is not even performed on the stage. Anyway, it has nothing to do with yourself. But once it happens to me, I'm afraid I won't be able to laugh. " Sun Ba has married three wives so far.Two of them had been through the door for less than a year, and finally escaped from his hands and saved their lives.The remaining one suddenly disappeared one day. "I think it was probably strangled to death by him and thrown into the river." "How on earth is he jealous?" Ah Liu asked, feeling slightly terrified, but still half-smiling. "I eat all kinds of flying vinegar. It's like my wife calling the water seller. When filling the water, I can't help saying a few words about the good weather. Then he lost his temper and beat his wife unconscious with his fist. It's also like going to the manager to pay Rent, salute and smile, say a word of thanks, this is terrible, scolding you, a bitch, for winking at the manager behind my back, who do you think you are relying on to eat and live..." The senior said sternly, that is really unusual. "What's worse, Ah Liu, when Xinji was still alive and loving you, Sun Ba was interested in you. He said to everyone: If it weren't for Xinji, Ah Liu would have gone straight to my arms. I don't think so. A coward who has never seen the world, but Xinji left so suddenly, I was trembling all over, thinking that maybe it was Sun Baju who died." "Listen to my advice, no matter how softly Sun Ba persuades you, you must never take it for granted. If you refuse it outright, you'd better take A Dao and the others to move, and never talk to him." After the senior advised, the second Tiansun Ba really came to Ah Liu's courtyard. Ah Liu was already mentally prepared. When they met, Sun Ba's voice was really gentle, and he was very kind to the smiles on Ah Liu and his daughters, but Ah Liu could clearly see the coldness hidden deep in his eyes.God bless, the evil spirits are gone!Ah Liu told him as calmly as possible that he had no intention of remarrying, and bowed his head. "So, Liu, your heart is still on Xinji?" Sun Ba's voice changed somewhat, and Po Dou's chin protruded forcefully. "If you are a widow for your dead husband, you won't be able to keep a chastity archway." "But it's my responsibility to work hard together for his sake and raise the kids." "So, it's too hard for you as a woman, so you said I'll help take care of your mother and daughter!" "I appreciate your kindness, but I can do it on my own." Even with a smile on his face, Ah Liu still didn't budge. "How do you live a day-to-day job?" "I got a job as a servant." Although there was no need to tell him about it, Ah Liu couldn't help but slipped his tongue. No other place, it is the restaurant "Pinghe".Just recently, Ah Liu ran into a partner who used to work with Xinji in the kitchen.Talking about the situation since leaving, the other party was very sympathetic, and even made a special visit a few days later. "Kicking you two out, the proprietress regretted it too. The proprietress said that at that time, because you were still servants, you messed around in private in the shop. I just felt disgusted when I saw it. I didn't expect that you were not playing for fun, but you really became one." Home. What happened to Xinji is very regrettable, and Ah Liu is also suffering. So, the proprietress asked, if Ah Liu is willing, do you want to go back to the store? Of course, you can take care of your food and housing, and you can take your children with you. What do you think? " Really wish for it.This may be Xinji's blessing in the dark, so Ah Liu can show a tough attitude at this time. After listening to her words, Sun Ba groaned, and the corners of his mouth curled down.Then, after seeing Ah Liu's whole body from head to toe, he left with regret. Ah Liu thought it was hard to get rid of this evil spirit, but she didn't expect to hear the news that Sun Ba made a big disturbance in "Pinghe" soon, which scared her out of her wits.It is said that Sun Ba forced his way into Pinghe, shouting, "I am Ah Liu's man, you bastard in the kitchen dares to seduce Ah Liu, I will never let you go", turned the kitchen upside down, and even the shopkeeper who came to stop him was arrested. He was severely injured. Ah Liu's face turned blue, and hurried to "Pinghe".Although the other party was willing to listen to her desperately explaining, the job proposal was cancelled. "Ping He" said that he wanted her to break off completely with that jackal-like man, otherwise she would not take a step closer to "Ping He". "I have nothing to do with Sun Ba! It's his wishful thinking!" It doesn't help that Ah Liu's voice is hoarse. Although "Pinghe" suffered heavy losses, even if he reported the case to the local Gang and asked for the arrest of Sun Ba, as long as Sun Ba insisted that Ah Liu was his woman, it would be an emotional dispute.Not only will Gang Yin not have a good face, but he will insist on standing still without paying money.Of course, "Pinghe" couldn't let "Pinghe" pay this money, but Ah Liu had no money. Now Ah Liu regrets too much, he only blames himself for underestimating the old man's advice. On the other hand, Sun Ba made a big fuss and cut off Ah Liu's way. He must have been very proud of himself, so he went to the courtyard every now and then.On the grounds that he happened to be nearby, he showed his face several times a day, with a triumphant smile on his face, and brought snacks and candies to A Xing and A Dao.The child was young and ignorant, so naturally he ate happily, Ah Liu scolded angrily, and Sun Ba stepped forward to be a peacemaker as if he wanted to. "Children like to eat sweets. It's not easy for you to support your family as a woman. How can you afford their favorite food! Aren't children pitiful?" When Ah Liu went out to work, Sun Ba would enter the courtyard without authorization, or take the children out, and his behavior became more and more unscrupulous.He always greeted the neighbors attentively, saying that our Ah Liu is usually thanks to taking care of Yunyun, and the neighbor who doesn't know the inside story will assume that Sun Ba is Ah Liu's man.No matter how Ah Liu defended, he only got ridiculed. One day, when Ah Liu went out and came home, he saw the boss Sun Ba sitting in the house unceremoniously, letting Dao sit on his lap, stroking Ah Xing's head, and talking to them. "Oh, you're back." Sun Ba smiled maliciously and looked up at Ah Liu, those were the eyes of the double snakes.The hand touching Axing's head slid down to his chin.Over the years, he has carried the burden of selling oil, and he has trained his hands to be extremely strong. It must be effortless to break Ah Xing's weak neck. Ah Liu trembled. She would rather die than marry such a person, but in the current state, there is nowhere to escape if she wants to.If it continues, the children's situation will become more and more dangerous. For a while, Ah Liu worked as a commuter maid during the day, and served food at restaurants at night. During this time, she also took up odd jobs of cleaning and sewing.Zhenri was worried that the fear would also affect his body, and one night he finally couldn't hold on and collapsed in the restaurant.Seeing that everyone was worried about her, this kind of warmth made her confide everything like breaking a dike.One of the guests present was an old man who was running a small business in Nihonbashi. He said that his friend was looking for a maid who would take care of food and lodging, but the conditions were so strict that no suitable candidate could be found.He thinks that as long as he agrees to the other party's conditions, it should be fine to bring the child, and he can intercede for Ah Liu if he is willing.Ah Liu immediately expressed his willingness. The house that was looking for the maid was at the top of Roppongi Yam Aishipo.In the huge detached courtyard, only the merchant's wife lives there alone. The opponent's conditions are as follows: "The main job is to take care of my wife, but everything must be served by the maid alone. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. are all undertaken by one person. Living in the mansion, except for daily necessities, you are not allowed to go out, and it is strictly forbidden to visit temples to worship gods. Buddha. Even if there are family members away, they are not allowed to communicate with each other." There is also a somewhat mysterious condition attached: "In the past, there were rumors that were unfavorable to the government, so the neighbors still continue to spread rumors, so they should be ignored." These conditions were indeed unusual, but Ah Liu didn't care.For Ah Liu, who only wanted to hide his whereabouts, the condition of prohibiting going out was something he could not wish for. "If the child is taught well and doesn't cause trouble to others, it's fine to take it with you. How about it? Do you want to try it?" There is no reason to refuse.Ah Liu didn't even say hello to the manager of the courtyard. The next day, he held Xinji's tablet in his arms, took the children's hands, and climbed up the taro wash slope. Then, she met Mrs. Aoi.Then three years passed.