Chapter 395: Aunt Fen
Chapter 395: Aunt Fen
Zhou Chenglei was driving the tractor, intending to buy some items and deliver a batch of dried fish to the city. He also wanted to check if the curtain fabric sample was ready.
He had another errand to run in the city.
Jiang Xia was seated on a comfortable and elastic cushion, marveling at the headrest, "When did you make this cushion?"
He had even modified the tractor's seat!
Several thick springs were added to the bottom of the seat, providing shock absorption and reducing jolts.
A headrest was added to her seat, making it comfortable for her to lean against.
The tractor had been parked behind the new house, and Jiang Xia hadn't noticed it.
"In the evening," he said.
The tractor was a bit bumpy, and he had anticipated the need to take Jiang Xia to the city on it. As she usually went to bed early, he took the opportunity to dismantle an old down coat and weave a rectangular cushion from reeds. He stuffed it with layers of cotton and straw padding, making it firm yet slightly soft, providing a certain degree of cushioning.
Zhou Chenglei vigorously turned the crank a few times to start the tractor, then withdrew it and walked over to Jiang Xia's side. He placed the crank properly and sat in the driver's seat.
He reached out to adjust her scarf and knit cap.
Pulling the knit cap down low, he covered her eyebrows and ears.
Then, he raised the scarf high, covering her mouth and nose, leaving only her eyes exposed.
Jiang Xia: "..."
She spent quite some time in front of the mirror, finally achieving the perfect look with her knit cap and scarf.
"What are you doing? You're messing up my style!" Jiang Xia glared at him and reached up to adjust her hat and scarf.
Zhou Chenglei, unconcerned about her style, grabbed her hand, "Don't move, leave it like this. It's much colder today, and by the time we reach the city, your ears and nose will be red from the wind. I'll help you fix it when we get there. And with the strong wind today, the dust on the road is heavy, and the diesel smell from the tractor is strong. Covering up like this is just right."
Jiang Xia thought it made sense and stopped moving.
"Sit tight," Zhou Chenglei reminded her as he started the tractor and set off.
As Zhou Chenglei drove the tractor out of the village, they encountered two villagers.
It was a woman from the neighboring village, carrying two snake-skin bags and a chicken cage on her shoulders, and holding the hand of a seven or eight-year-old girl.
The girl's clothes had many patches but were very clean.
Zhou Chenglei said to Jiang Xia, "That's Aunt Fen, my former classmate's mother. I'll ask where they're going."
"Okay."
The tractor stopped in front of the woman.
"Aunt Fen," Zhou Chenglei greeted her first, then asked, "Where are you headed?"
Jiang Xia smiled and called out, "Aunt Fen!"
"Oh, Zhou Chenglei's wife," Aunt Fen smiled and responded, then said, "I'm going to town to sell some things today."
Zhou Chenglei climbed down from the tractor and said, "I'm going to the city, and it's on the way. You can ride on the tractor, and I'll take you there."
"No, no! It's not far! I can walk there myself!"
She had a cage of chickens! If the chickens pooped in the tractor, it wouldn't be good.
Jiang Xia smiled and said, "It's no trouble, we're going that way anyway. Aunt Fen, don't be polite, get on the tractor quickly."
Zhou Chenglei climbed down from the tractor and took the two snake-skin bags and the chicken cage from the woman, placing them on the tractor.
"That's too kind! Just drop us off at the town entrance when you get there!"
"Do you have an old snake-skin bag? I'm worried the chickens will poop in the tractor bed."
"It's fine, no need to pad it," Zhou Chenglei said.
Aunt Fen still grabbed a handful of dry grass from the roadside and placed it under the chicken cage.
Zhou Chenglei remembered that the girl was already nine years old, a bit old, so he didn't carry her onto the tractor.
After they all got on the tractor, he returned to the driver's seat, started the tractor, and set off.
Jiang Xia noticed the young girl's thin clothing and handed a small blanket to the back, saying, "Aunt Fen, cover the child to keep the wind out."
This was prepared by Zhou Chenglei for her, but she was dressed warmly and didn't feel cold.
"No need, no need. It's not cold, she's wearing a padded jacket. You use it, you two use it!"
Jiang Xia smiled and said, "Go ahead and use it! Riding on a tractor catches more wind than walking. It's better to cover the child to prevent a cold."
Aunt Fen took the blanket after hearing this and covered the child.
The blanket was soft and carried a faint scent of soapberry and sunshine, clearly washed very clean.
Jiang Xia felt a bit embarrassed, worried about dirtying it.
Zhou Chenglei was a man of few words. Aside from talking more to foster their marital bond, he rarely spoke in front of others.
Jiang Xia herself was also quiet, but the silence made her feel awkward, mainly because she didn't want Aunt Fen and her daughter to feel the same.
Jiang Xia asked, "Aunt Fen, you went to town to sell things. Why are you so late?"
"Yes, I woke up late, so I'm a bit late."
In fact, she had a bedridden grandmother-in-law at home who needed care. She had to wait for her to wake up and feed her before leaving the house.
Jiang Xia thought about her family's upcoming housewarming in the new house and how they would invite relatives, friends, and villagers for a meal.
In this village, weddings and housewarmings were grand celebrations, and the entire village was invited to such events.
Zhou Chenglei had calculated that they might need 20 tables for the banquet.
As the saying goes, no banquet is complete without chicken. Each table would require half a rooster.
They had many hens at home but only two roosters. However, the hens were laying eggs, and they were reluctant to slaughter them.
One rooster would be slaughtered for the Winter Solstice, and the other would be kept for the hens to ensure fertilization, or else the eggs wouldn't hatch.
Jiang Xia asked, "Aunt Fen, do you raise a lot of chickens? Perfect timing, as our family plans to buy some chickens for the banquet."
Aunt Fen immediately asked, "How many do you need? I have 16 roosters and 20 hens."
She made money by raising chickens, so she had quite a few.
Jiang Xia asked Zhou Chenglei, "Do we need 16 roosters? What about hens?"
The New Year was approaching, and roosters were needed for worship during the festival. There were also annual rituals and parades.
Zhou Chenglei said, "Aunt Fen, we'll take all your roosters and hens."
Doctor Gao had said that it's better to have a varied diet, and buying more chickens to eat once or twice a week was a good idea.
Aunt Fen smiled and said, "Okay, then I won't sell this cage of chickens. I'll keep them and send them to your house when the time comes."
Jiang Xia laughed and said, "Thank you, Aunt Fen. We'll buy this cage of chickens first, and we'll return the cage to you later. Did you weigh these chickens? How much are they?"
In the cage were two roosters and two old hens, all plump!
Aunt Fen smiled and said, "I weighed them. One rooster is seven and a half pounds, and the other is seven and three-quarters. One hen is four and a half pounds, and the other is four. The roosters have been raised for over a year, and the old hens for almost three years. They're very nourishing. I'll give them to you for nine cents per pound."
Chickens are usually sold for seven or eight cents per pound, but it also depends on how long they've been raised. Those raised for four to five months and still unable to lay eggs are even cheaper.
Roosters and old hens are a bit more expensive, usually costing one yuan to one yuan and ten cents per pound.
The prices of agricultural products set by the state often vary, but not by much.
Jiang Xia gave Aunt Fen twenty-five yuan.
"You don't need to give so much."
Jiang Xia said, "It's about right. We can't take advantage of you. I don't even need a receipt to buy from you! Let's leave it at that! Otherwise, I'd feel bad for making you lose money, and I wouldn't dare to buy from you again."
Aunt Fen finally accepted the money and kept thanking them, also offering to give them the cage.
Just as they reached the town's market intersection, Zhou Chenglei stopped the tractor and helped her unload the two plastic bags from the tractor.
Aunt Fen waved goodbye to them with her daughter.
As the tractor drove away, Jiang Xia asked Zhou Chenglei, "Is Aunt Fen's daughter..."
(End of Chapter)
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