Changan looked at the little porcelain doll again and again, and shook it again, and heard a sound like something bumping inside.
There is something inside!
Changan was curious about what was inside, and it was so heavy. After fiddling with it for a while, he found that the base was a wax seal.
After removing the wax seal, a small golden ingot fell out.
Changan was a little dumbfounded, but she didn't run to give it to her uncle and aunt immediately.
She looked at the gold ingot for a long time before stuffing it back into the porcelain doll. She
rewrapped these toys and bracelets and took them to the room to put them away.
When she came out, she heard her aunt calling her.
Changan walked over and saw her aunt busying herself with the pots. She also took a chicken liver and two pieces of chicken from the steaming pot and put them in the bowl, and whispered: "It's cooked, eat it quickly."
Whenever there are guests at home, women and children are not allowed to sit at the table. Wu was afraid that her little niece would not be able to eat the chicken, so she had to pick two pieces for her in advance.
Changan sat at the small table with the bowl in her arms, eating chicken while watching her aunt busying herself.
I have to grow up quickly so that I can help my aunt cook in the future.
An hour later, the meal was ready.
Wu roasted a chicken and added some radish cubes.
She boiled a few eggs, cut each into four pieces and put them on a plate, arranging them into beautiful shapes. She
blanched radish and spinach and made them into cold dishes. She also boiled a pot of winter melon soup and fried a plate of lentils with lard.
In another large pot, there was also fragrant brown rice, and the fragrance of rice filled the whole kitchen.
Wu packed the dishes and served them on the table one after another.
There were five dishes and one soup in total, all served on a large plate. It looked quite rich, but it was a pity that there was no wine, otherwise it would be more perfect.
After the meal, the clan leader and the elders went home first, and Zhang was about to say goodbye. Wu quickly sent several large radishes: "These are all grown by our family. Please take them to moisten your throat on the way."
Zhang was savoring the food of the Song family, and finally couldn't bear to refuse, so he took a few large radishes.
Before leaving, he fed the horse some grass, drank enough water, and filled the water bag he brought with him.
After climbing on the horse, he assured Chang'an: "Don't worry, niece, I will definitely bring your things to you."
"Thank you, uncle." Chang'an thanked Uncle Zhang in his uncle's arms and waved goodbye: "Uncle, have a good trip."
Zhang smiled and urged the horse to leave.
Watching the big horse go away, Song Sanshun was about to go home with his little niece in his arms. Song Laoliu suddenly asked: "Sanshun, where did you get the water at home? Why is it so clear?"
He had talked to the guests before and drank several cups of tea. Even if the tea was boiled with bamboo leaves, it was still clear and transparent. It was very refreshing and sweet when it entered the mouth, unlike the water at home, which was muddy, thick, and astringent, and had a faint fishy smell, which was very difficult to drink.
Song Sanshun made up a lie: "I got it at the clan leader's house last time, and I have been saving it and not using it up."
"Oh, no wonder." Song Laoliu scratched his head and went home regretfully.
Song Sanshun and his wife looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief.
After closing the door, the couple started digging the cellar again.
This time, Song Sanshun bought an old windlass from another family and installed it on the cellar. A basket was tied to one end of the rope of the windlass. He dug the soil below, and his wife only needed to shake the windlass to bring the soil up, which was very labor-saving.
Before they knew it, it was dark. Song Sanshun squatted in the basket and was shaken up by his wife. Looking at the pile of soil next to the vegetable garden, he sighed deeply.
It seems that there is really no water to be pumped out.
Oh, forget it, let's go to the small river a few miles away tomorrow.
The couple washed a little, heated up the leftovers from lunch, and the three of them sat around to eat.
Chang'an looked at his uncle, then at his aunt, pushed the porcelain doll on the small table, and said mysteriously: "Uncle, there is something in the doll."
Sanshun was soaking the rice crust in vegetable soup and asked: "What is it?"
"You will know when you see it." Chang'an laughed. Song Sanshun picked up the porcelain doll, and with a click, a golden object fell out.
"Gold ingot?" Wu was surprised. She picked it up and looked at it. It was bigger than the golden stone that Changan picked up last time.
Song Sanshun looked at her niece: "Is this thing inside the porcelain doll?"
"Yes." Changan nodded: "It must be put there by Dad."
Song Sanshun took the gold ingot and looked at it carefully. "Changan is right. It should be your father who put it in the porcelain doll and brought it back."
The journey to send the letter was long. It was probably that the brother was afraid that the thing would be lost halfway, or worried that the silver and money would be embezzled by the stepmother, so he used this method.
Fortunately, the stepmother's family went to the county town, otherwise these things and letters would fall into the hands of the stepmother today.
Song Sanshun handed the gold ingot to his wife: "This is Changan's, you put it together with the money, and give it to Changan as a dowry in the future."
Wu responded and took the gold ingot.
After dinner, Wu dug up the ground, put the gold ingot into the jar underground, and buried it again.
Changan was very happy today, and lay in bed for a long time without falling asleep.
It was great that Daddy didn't die, and she brought Xiao Zhuzhu to him.
Daddy will be protected by Xiao Zhuzhu in the future, and he will definitely not be injured by bad guys.
Thinking of this, Changan gradually fell asleep.
At night, she dreamed that her Dragon King clay doll turned into a real dragon, and clear springs kept
coming out of its mouth. Changan was so happy that she swam around in the water.
The next day, Changan was still muttering in her dream, and suddenly she felt that she was flying into the air and was picked up by someone.
When she opened her eyes, she saw her uncle laughing happily, holding her and spinning around: "Changan! Water has come out of our cellar! Hahahaha! We will have water to drink in the future"
Changan rubbed her eyes, looking confused.
"Come on, uncle will take you to see it!" Song Sanshun ran to the backyard holding his little niece.
In the shed in the backyard, Aunt Wu was shaking the windlass and drawing a bucket of extremely clear water from it.
After bringing the bucket over and untying the rope, Chang'an saw his aunt scoop up a handful of water and drink it.
"It's so cool!" Wu waved to Chang'an: "Come over and wash your face." From now on
, the family would no longer have to be stingy with water. Recently, the family didn't even take a bath. They could only wipe their faces with some water at random. The water for washing faces was also used by three people in turn. After washing, the water was all black.
At this time, the chicks and geese also ran over, pecking at the water spilled on the ground and swallowing a few mouthfuls.
When Chang'an saw that the water was mixed with mud, he couldn't help but get anxious. He pointed at the goose and said, "Scoop water for the goose."
Wu smiled and brought a broken basin, filled it with water and put it in front of the chicks and geese. "Drink it quickly, our family will not lack water in the future."
Huahua also came over, sniffed the basin, turned her head away without interest, glanced at the little master, and meowed.
Chang'an rubbed his eyes and asked his uncle to carry him back to put on his shoes.
Wu followed her husband and asked in a brisk tone, "Should we tell others about this?"
Song Sanshun pondered for a while and said, "Wait for now."
He was afraid that if others knew that he had water, they would all rush in, and then he would be left with no water.
Just like the clan leader's uncle's family, after his well was drained, he could only run with everyone else to get dirty river water several miles away.
Fortunately, the clan leader's uncle's family had an ox cart that could carry several buckets of water at a time, otherwise they would have to carry it on their shoulders.
"What about Sister Qian's family? Should we tell them?" After all, Sixth Brother's family had always helped him, and it would feel wrong if he didn't tell them.