Chapter 4 fourth quarter

At dusk, my father came back with a gloomy face.After dinner, he sat under the lamp with a stack of account books spread out in front of him.I know that it is the last ten days of a season, and he has to review the tax money of the whole town.At the end of each season, he is as busy as an ant moving before a rainstorm.Strictly speaking, my father's job title is "Huaiju Township Coward", and the name "Huaiju Township" is named after the community tree in Fuguili.That community tree is a big locust tree, very thick, and it takes five or six people to hug it. Its roots are intertwined, and its crown is like a huge green cloud, covering the area with a radius of several acres.There are also many red ribbons hanging on the branches, which are all offered by the villagers who come here to pray for blessings.Huaiju Township is the capital township, that is, the township in Xiaqiu County, which is in charge of ten miles.At the end of each season, my father would send small officials to each ri to collect the import tax, land rent and draft tax, then carefully calculate, make charts, and report to the county magistrate.

Father seems to be in a bad mood today, his brows are tightly frowned.His eyebrows have always been thick, so they are always furrowed like two balls of dog dung, which looks very funny.Mother stepped into the back hall, not knowing what she was doing inside.Not long after, he brought out a bowl of hot soup, went straight to his father and knelt down, and asked softly, "Changru, what's so unpleasant today? Let's take a rest and drink some hot soup, don't get tired .You know, you have been working continuously for more than an hour." Changru is my father's name, and my mother has always called him that.I envy my mother very much. From the tenderness in her eyes, I can clearly see the sense of happiness in her heart, which rattles like bamboo shoots on a spring night.She has a man she loves, and they can be so loving and warm together every day.I thought of Zigong again. I will also light a chandelier oil lamp in the future, let Zigong sit under the lamp, and he can do anything.I slowly stepped out of the back hall, holding a lacquered tray in my hand, and on the tray was a bowl of steaming amaranth soup.I gently put down the lacquer tray in front of Zigong, held the bowl of amaranth soup with both hands, and said softly like my mother: "My son, I brought you soup for my wife." Amaranth soup is my favorite dish. Soup, every time I drink it, my lips are dyed red, and I see myself in the bronze mirror, which is indescribably beautiful.That crimson lip powder can't give me this effect.

As I was thinking about it, I suddenly heard my father say loudly: "You go first, I'm not in the mood to drink soup now." As soon as I fell from fantasy to reality, my father didn't lift his head, his eyes were fixed on the account book, Ten fat fingers quickly waved on the abacus, making the beads of the abacus crackle, and there was nowhere to escape.The mother looked at him in embarrassment, like a frightened mouse, at a loss.The father dialed for a while, stopped, and said to his mother with a hint of apology: "Ah Qun, please forgive me, I was in a bad mood just now. I have confiscated all the tax money for this season, so it is not easy to explain to the county court." He took another account book, pointed to one of the slips and said: "Look, Chen Hei's family can't collect the money, land rent and draft tax this time. Chen Hei, I'm sure, This rogue will definitely be arrested and imprisoned. No one can save him. And his rogue son, an out-and-out refugee, may not be able to escape. The next time the emperor conquers the Huns, this father and son will come in handy Yes. They're good trench stuff."

Chen Hei is Zigong's father, my heart suddenly sank.I turned my eyes to my mother, and my mother happened to look at me. Her eyes were very dim, and she shook her head slightly at me.I can understand what she means, and there is no hope for her to help me with the matter of marrying my son-in-law.