Isn't there any village in Shanglin Village? "According to Shen's grandmother, it's best not to marry a wife from the village. It's too close to her parents' home. If the couple quarrels, the brother-in-law will not let you go. Thinking of this, Shen's grandmother really considered the character of the wife that Zhuangzhuang and An'an would marry in the future. It would be best to see each other now.

Yu Ge'er didn't know whether to laugh or cry. His own head of the family was unreliable and his grandmother was also confused. The two children in the family were barely two years old and it would take another ten or twenty years for them to get married.

Speaking of children, his belly has not moved since he gave birth to twins, and he doesn't know if he will be lucky enough to have another little boy in the future. He knows his own Dachuan, and every time he goes to Yao Ge'er's house, he will hold Xiaoyun Ge'er and tease him for a long time, and he is reluctant to let go even after leaving.

However, there are indeed too few girls and boys in the village. It has not just been the case in the past two years. Most of the boys born in the village are boys, eight out of ten are boys. Everyone is happy, but after a few decades, it will be difficult for them to find a wife!

At this moment, the three of them had something in mind.

As we enter the twelfth lunar month, the new year is getting closer and closer. No matter what the outside world is like, everyone has a happy look on their face.

During the Chinese New Year, no matter whether there is food or not, the family has to buy some, but it is not easy to go to each family to ask for what they need. The villagers came up with the idea of setting up a small market in the drying yard, where they could buy eggs, vegetables, salt, oil, sauce, vinegar, rice, flour, snacks, needles and thread, cloth, lip balm, and cotton insoles. There was always someone who was short of something, so everyone would exchange with each other and finally find what they needed.

Now that the weather is cold, there are fewer snakes and rats outside, so people who live outside the village can also come to the village to attend the market and join in the fun.

Yang Dachuan's family has everything except meat. The main meats in the family come from chickens, ducks and geese, but they can never keep up with the speed of consumption. The wild duck eggs they hatched a few days ago also failed, so Grandma Shen thought about going to the village to exchange them for some chickens and ducks to eat during the New Year. If they don't have any, she could exchange them for some chicks and ducklings, or at least some eggs.

Early in the morning of that day, everyone in the family packed up and prepared to go to the village together. Grandma Shen had to go to the market to exchange things, while Yuger and Yang Dachuan went to visit the third brother's wife, and took the twins with them to give holiday gifts to each family. They also had a meal with the two brothers Yang Dashan and Yang Dalu. They did not come in on New Year's Day.

"Dachuan, did you have any part in the matter of outsiders returning to Nanhai City to get salt a few days ago?" After the family had finished their meal, the three brothers gathered around the brazier and chatted.

A few years ago, outsiders came to their village to lobby, saying that now eight kilograms of grain could be exchanged for one kilogram of salt. You should know that the price of salt outside has risen to fifteen kilograms of grain for one kilogram of salt, and eight kilograms for one kilogram is really very cheap. Of course, the salt can only be obtained after they return. If they can't come back, the grain will be wasted.

"No, there's still salt at home, so I won't join in the fun." Yang Dachuan was surprised, "You two are both joining in?"

"Hehe, most people in my family eat delicious meat now, and we have some grain stored, so we'll take a few pounds to have fun!" The two brothers rubbed their hands and answered a little embarrassedly, but now it's the New Year, and there has been no news, so they don't know what's going on outside.

"Have you signed a written agreement?" After asking, Yang Dachuan secretly cursed himself for being stupid. Nowadays, it doesn't matter whether you sign a written agreement or not, and whether you admit it or not is just a matter of a word. Anyway, there is no government office.

"We established it together with the village." Until now, they are a little regretful. These dozens of kilograms of grain are enough for the family to consume for a long time. At that time, they didn't know if they were bewitched or not, but handed over the grain all at once. Now they can only wait at home and worry.

To be honest, Yang Dachuan was not optimistic. The journey was long and arduous, and the danger was unpredictable. The food that outsiders collected from the village might be the life-saving money for the travelers, and it ensured that no matter whether they returned or not, there would always be some food for their families.

Chapter 55: Growing Rice at Home

As for the exchange of salt, it was not only the two brothers Yang Dashan who were eagerly waiting, but also many other families in the village who were waiting for the salt to be cooked. When the outsiders came to their village to lobby, they thought that since they didn't have to go out by themselves, it would not be a loss to exchange eight kilograms of grain for one kilogram of salt, so they handed over the grain in a fit of excitement. Now there is no news, and they don't know whether those outsiders ran away with the grain.

Grandma Shen said, "Whether you can run or not, just go to Qiuli Town and you'll know." After dinner, the family gathered around the fire, warming themselves by the fire and talking about gossip in the village during the day.

"Who's going? No one in the village is willing to move in this cold weather. They all want others to take the lead." Yu Ge'er pouted, and everyone had a plan in mind. He used a lead to poke the fire in the fire pit, and continued: "The villagers will probably have to argue about it. In the end, it's possible that the village chief will have to lead the team!"

To be fair, it is quite difficult for Village Chief Xu to be the village chief. He still had some benefits in good times, but in this year he is still willing to take care of things, which shows that he really cares about the village.

The village chief's family did not contribute to the outsiders' donations before the New Year, but it was the village chief who helped in signing the document. Now, when something happens, everyone comes to his house, saying that it must be him, his eldest son Xu Dazhuang, who has to go to Qiuli Town.

Today, someone sneaked into Yang Dashan's house, thinking of asking Yang Dachuan to go to Qiuli Town with them through the mouths of the two brothers Yang Dashan and Yang Dalu. He refused without hesitation. What's the point of going to Qiuli Town now? It's okay if the people from Nanhai City come back, and they can ask for some salt. If those people don't come back, can the village still come to the door to snatch the food back? And their family didn't contribute, why bother about it.

Grandma Shen asked, "Are Dashan and Dalu also planning to go to Qiuli Town?"

"No, I can't go!" Yang Dachuan shook his head. The third son's wife was pregnant, and Yang Dalu couldn't leave home. Although Yang Dashan was a straightforward man, he was no less thoughtful than others. He would not take the lead in such matters.

"It's all nonsense, no one can go!" Although the villagers clamored to go to Qiuli Town to seek justice, but under the current conditions, if the villagers were asked to send someone, they would be silenced. By the end of the year, it was estimated that Qiuli Town would have some news.

"Hey, why should we bother with that? Let's just think about what we are going to prepare for the New Year!" Yu Ge'er pulled out a roasted sweet potato from the fire pit, broke it open to let it cool a little, then tore it a little and fed the sweet potato pulp to Zhuangzhuang and Anan who had been waiting on the side.

Grandma Shen couldn't help but grumble: "We just had dinner, and you're feeding the child these! What if he has indigestion?"

"Grandma, this sweet potato is just a small one, it can't fill them up!" Yang Dachuan smiled. The two children at home are never quiet, and such a small sweet potato is just enough to satisfy their cravings.

Yuger gave the sweet potato in his hand to Yang Dachuan, asking him to feed the two children, and continued to discuss with Grandma Shen: "We have lost all the livestock this year. What can we eat for the New Year?" The few old hens that lay eggs cannot be moved. The only sheep raised at home are ewes and lambs. The big pig they originally raised was replaced when Aunt Lu's nephew got married, and there are two immature piglets left. It would have been better if the big fat pig that was raised in good condition had not been replaced.

"I exchanged two chickens in the village today, and it will be enough to slaughter a goose at home!" Grandma Shen thought about what could be moved at home and made a decision.

"We're going to kill a goose.