Ji’s mother arrived at eight o’clock in the morning, just as the workers had finished eating for the week. Ji Congzhe went to the town to purchase, leaving Lin Zhen alone at home while taking care of the children and frying tea leaves.
After Ji Congzhe went out with the money, Lin Zhen didn't bother to clean up the dishes and chopsticks eaten by the workers on the table, and took the time to feed the children. After the watermelon was finished, he wanted to play with his father for a while, but Lin Zhen didn't have the time to do it. He put it on the small bed next to him, then used the charcoal fire to stir-fry the tea, grabbed a handful of green tea and started frying it.
Xigua was lying on the bed with his little feet kicking on the bed board, muttering to himself. If Lin Zhen remembered, he would turn his head and respond to him. If he finished frying a pot and was free, he would hold his hands and feet and tease him for a while.
On the way, Master Liu came over from the construction site and asked Lin Zhen about the height of the foundation. Lin Zhen had to tell him to wait a moment, then after frying the tea leaves in the pot, he swept it into the basket, picked up his son in the crib and followed Master Liu there.
Master Liu took Lin Zhen around the filled foundation and gave him a general explanation. Since they were going to build a bungalow, they had to build a higher foundation so that it would not be too wet in rainy and snowy days. , then just build a few steps in front of the courtyard gate.
The moso bamboo on the east side grew tall and lush, with long bamboo branches hanging down. The workers cut off part of it, but as time went by, after the house was built, the cut part would still grow and cover the roof.
After determining the height of the foundation, the workers then had to go to the quarry to purchase foundation stones.
Lin Zhen took the watermelon home and continued to fry tea. However, just halfway through frying, his son, who was lying alone on the small bed quietly and obediently, cried.
Lin Zhen stir-fried the nearly dry tea leaves in the pot with one hand, and reached into the cot with the other hand to gently coax, "Watermelon, stop crying, daddy will finish frying the tea leaves soon."
But Watermelon kept crying, and Lin Zhen subconsciously explored him. Underneath my butt, sure enough, there was pee.
"Wait a minute, Xigua. Daddy is going to change your diaper right away."
So Ji's mother heard the child's cry and Lin Zhen's anxious voice in the house before she even walked into the house.
The door of the room was open, and half of the tea-frying stove could be seen outside the door. Lin Zhen was busy making tea while still having his hands free to coax his son.
"Lin Zhen." Ji's mother called out.
Lin Zhen was disturbed by the child's cry and was a little absent-minded. When she didn't hear it, Ji's mother called out again.
Lin Zhen turned his head and stared blankly for a few seconds at the middle-aged woman who came in carrying large and small bags.
It's no wonder that he didn't recognize his mother-in-law. He had only seen her twice in total. Let alone him, even Ji Congzhe, a son, would probably pass by his mother if she met her on the street.
"You...why are you here?" Lin Zhen paused even with his hand in the tea pot.
Ji Ma quickly reminded, "Hurry, tea leaves."
"Oh." Lin Zhen hurriedly turned his hands and followed Ji Ma's figure as he walked in.
Ji Ma carried two bags. In the big bag, you could see exposed clothes, and in the small bag, there seemed to be some dry goods and the like.
"Ouch, why are Xigua crying like this? Come on, stop crying. Grandma will hold her..." Ji's mother picked up Xigua, whose face was full of tears from crying, and reached out to wipe his little face with distress.
Lin Zhen said hurriedly, but he didn't know how to call her at the moment. Calling her mom was a bit stiff. If he didn't call her, he wouldn't think of calling her, so "Well... let him lie down. He peed. I'll give it to him later." Change the diaper."
Ji Ma said angrily, "I'm already here. If you want to change any diapers, just make tea."
She asked again, "Where are the diapers?"
Lin Zhen pointed to her.
Ji's mother quickly pulled off Xigua's dirty diaper with both hands, went to get a basin of hot water, asked Lin Zhen which towel was for children, then wring out the towel and carefully wiped Xigua's butt, and put on a clean one. diapers.
Lin Zhen was a little confused at the moment, but he didn't know what to talk to her old man. He could only focus on the tea in his hand, and occasionally glanced at Ji's mother, who was wandering around the house with her child in her arms.
Xigua became well-behaved after changing his diaper. At first, he was a little nervous and resisted when Mama Ji hugged him. But after all, Mother Ji had given birth to so many children, and she was quite good at coaxing children. After a while, she coaxed Xigua into laughing out loud.
"Um... do you want some water? There is fried rice in the cupboard, why don't you soak some?" His son was being coaxed in his arms, and Lin Zhen felt that he had better be polite.
"It's true that you are so polite to me. Just concentrate on frying the tea, and don't fry the tea leaves." Next, Ji's mother has completely integrated into this family, and she has become a woman who has lived with the young couple for a long time and then left. Elders who have been at home for many days will inevitably complain when they see the messy house when they come back.
Ji's mother said "Tsk" three times in a row.
"Oh, look how you two are living these days." She glanced around and saw the piles of dishes and chopsticks on the round table, the stove was full of oil stains, and the firewood in the stove was loose and fluffy. It was a mess. Although it was a mud floor, it could be cleaned if it was swept properly. However, there were a few cigarette butts and melon seed shells left by the workers on the floor, as well as wilted vegetable leaves that were too late to clean up.
She carried the watermelon and went up to the second floor. The quilt and sheets were all wrinkled, and the cabinet had not been wiped for several days. When she touched it, even her fingers were covered with a thin layer of dust.
After going downstairs, she carried the watermelon and went to the door and the small ancestral hall. There were children's dirty diapers piled in the basin under the eaves, and chickens were roaming around. When she saw a few chicken droppings on the ground, she couldn't help but frown. All deeply wrinkled.
Everything she saw revealed the hectic and embarrassment the young couple was living.
Hearing Ji Ma's long sigh, Lin Zhen really felt a little guilty. He asked towards the door, "Why don't you sit down for a while? Ji Congzhe went to town and should be back soon."
Ji Ma nodded and asked him, "Worker Are you all eating at home?"
Lin Zhen said, "Yeah."
Ji's mother looked at the clock on the wall. It's half past eight now. She guessed that she would have to cook at ten o'clock. While there was still time, she prepared the watermelon. Then she put him back on the crib and patted him, "Little Watermelon, be good, grandma will hug you later."
Then, under Lin Zhen's slightly embarrassed gaze, she found a soap scrubber in the room, walked to the door and picked it up A tub of dirty diapers.
Lin Zhen almost stood up and stopped him, "Leave it alone, I will wash it later."
Ji's mother said, "You kid, how can you have time to do this? The family is so busy, you and the third child don't even have time to do it. " Just be quiet, it was someone from Gaoshan Village who came to our place for a stroll and told me, okay, you don't have to worry about me, just go about your business."
Lin Zhen continued after watching her carry the basin to the river. Sit down.
After more than ten minutes, Ji's mother finished washing the diapers and hung them to dry on the rope, but before she could stop, she quickly put away the dishes on the round table and put them on the stove to wash.
Ji Ma is a person who works all year round and has quick hands and feet. After washing the dishes, I wiped the stove several times with a rag, and then used a broom to sweep away the loose hair on the stove. After stacking the firewood petals, the ground was swept clean and refreshing.
This was not enough. After cleaning the first floor, she went to the second floor. Lin Zhen heard the movement of the floorboards, moving tables and chairs. He saw her holding a dustpan in one hand and a broom in the other, sweeping the stairs step by step. Come down.
Lin Zhen finished frying a pot of tea and hurried over to help, but was blocked by Ji's mother's elbow. "No, no, no, I've almost finished sweeping it."
Lin Zhen could only lower his hands and feel uncomfortable.
In less than an hour, the home looked brand new, clean and tidy.
When Ji's mother went out with a dustpan full of garbage to throw away, Ji Congzhe came back and piled the vegetables he bought at the door.
After walking into the house, he was stunned, with uncontrollable surprise in his eyes. He looked at Lin Zhen in admiration and said, "Fuck, you Thousand-Armed Guanyin, you fry tea and clean the house. How did you do that?"
Lin Zhen looked at him. Said, "Your mother is here."
"Huh?" Ji Congzhe tilted his head and didn't react. "My mother? Uh... the one from Xiaohe Village?"
Lin Zhen twitched the corner of his mouth, "Who else could it be?"
"She " What are you doing here?"
"I don't know. I didn't have the nerve to ask her. She started cleaning the house after she arrived."
The young couple had never thought about Ji's mother coming to act as a nanny for them. At least after staying in this world for so long, this nominal mother is far less affectionate than Aunt Yang next door. But the mother in name is also a mother.
She comes to her son and son-in-law's house to do some things, clean the house and take care of the children. For a traditional woman like Ji's mother, she is very familiar with her and does not feel any sense of restraint at all.
"Lao San, you're back."
Ji's mother came over after taking out the trash.
Ji Congzhe said with an unnatural expression, "Ang... um... why don't you take a rest."
Ji's mother laughed and scolded, "You two are really vindictive. How long has it been, and you are still talking about you, and you don't even know how to call me mom anymore."
"..."
" ..."
Ji Congzhe: "Mom."
Lin Zhen: "Mom..." Ji's mother smiled with satisfaction, put the dustpan in the corner, then moved a bench and sat down to read what Ji Congzhe had brought from the town.
Came back with a basket of vegetables. Seeing the young couple still huddled at the door and staring blankly, he urged, "Lin Zhen, I see there are so many tea leaves on your round dustpan, why don't you fry them?"
"Frying..." Lin Zhen pulled Ji Congzhe in. House, pointed to him. Ji Congzhe walked over and opened the two bags Ji's mother had brought.
The clothes also contained dry goods such as mushrooms, dried millet, mung beans, and some small apples at the bottom, which were quite heavy. Lin Zhen put tea oil into the tea pot and was about to stir-fry the next pot. He turned his head and asked Ji Congzhe quietly, "I see she brought clothes. Are you going to stay here tonight?"
Ji Congzhe bent down and got close to him. "A lot of clothes, probably more than one night."
"..."
Lin Zhen asked again, "What do you think?" Ji Congzhe's subconscious thought was that he was naturally unhappy. After all, she is not a biological mother, but even if she is a biological mother, living together is not very comfortable.
But... the house is now in order, clean and tidy, and the two of them are really thinking about the beginning and not the end.
It will be much easier to have someone to help at this time. Moreover, he and Ji's mother were both mother and son, so there was no grudge between them. Everyone was in harmony, and he couldn't do anything to drive people away.
"Since she's here, let her stay at home."
Lin Zhen nodded, "Okay, I'll pay her then."
"Yeah."
" But..." Lin Zhen said worriedly, "We only have one at home. Bed, how can I sleep at night?"
However, this problem has not yet been solved, and the workers have to prepare lunch. Needless to say, there is a housework expert in the family, which is really different from before.
Ji's mother moved very quickly and had already finished choosing the vegetables while they were chatting quietly. She divided out several plates of vegetables and told the young couple, "From now on, these vegetables will be picked and washed together. The dishes of the day will be divided into two plates, so Dinner will be much easier."
With Ji's mother helping in front of the stove, Ji Congzhe only needs to light the fire and occasionally coax his son in the crib, while Lin Zhen doesn't have to be distracted and just fry the tea leaves.
Ji Ma is a person who loves cleanliness. After cutting the vegetables, she cleans the chopping board and puts it aside. She can still use her hand to wipe the stove with a rag while cooking. After cooking a lunch, there is no mess on the stove.
The taste of the food cooked is naturally much better than that of Ji Congzhe and Lin Zhen. After lunch was ready, Ji Congzhe went to call the workers to come back for dinner. The atmosphere became more lively when Mother Ji was here.
She talked a lot and asked the workers to pick up food and pour wine. With her here, Ji Congzhe and Lin Zhen can have lunch easily. Ji's mother sat on the side holding a watermelon and feeding her baby with a bottle. Lin Zhen told her to eat first and he would feed the baby.
As a result, Ji's mother gently pushed her, "You sit down and eat, and drink some wine with Master Liu and the others." This made the young couple feel embarrassed for a while. Lin Zhen had to finish her meal quickly and feed the child on her behalf.
Since Ji's mother was taking care of her children at home, Ji Congzhe was going to work on the construction site with the workers in the afternoon. However, his son, who had just been calm for a long time, became disobedient again and cried all over the small bed.
Ji Congzhe felt that Ji's mother might not be able to take him with him, and Xigua would have to annoy her by then, so he picked up his son and patted and coaxed him. Ji's mother finished washing the dishes and wiped the hands. "You can go ahead and take care of him. I'll take him."
"He needs to be coaxed for a while when he cries. This kid just loves to cry and is very annoying." Ji Congzhe complained about himself mercilessly. son.
Ji's mother smiled and said, "Isn't this the same as when you were a child? Your brother and younger brother are obedient, but you were difficult to take care of when you were a child. He learned this from you."
Mom made the same complaint, leaving Ji Congzhe speechless. Ji's mother touched Xigua's belly, "You can't blame him for crying all the time. It's not that you two are inexperienced. Come on, give me the watermelon."
Ji Congzhe looked at her with confusion as she took the crying child and put it on the crib. He turned him over and let him lie on the bed with his butt sticking out.
Unexpectedly, with just such a move, Xigua gradually stopped. The young couple were stunned. Ji Congzhe asked in confusion, "What's going on?"
"Children this age have flatulence. He's uncomfortable and can't speak, so he can only cry and let him lie down for a while." Ji's mother said, patting Watermelon's cheek.
"How can we, Xigua, cry all the time? We only cry when we feel uncomfortable, right?" Xigua raised his head and looked at her, opening his mouth to smile. "Go and get busy."
Not to mention, with Ji's mother, the young couple can concentrate on their work. At least they don't have to take care of their son.
It's really no different from being single again. The young couple also changed a lot from Ji's mother's image of a shrew crying on the street the year before last. Ji's mother cooked dinner, so Ji Congzhe took the weighing beam to the village entrance to collect the tea.
After collecting the tea, Ji Congzhe came back just in time to have a hot meal. At the end of the day, the young couple felt as if they had never been so relaxed in their eight lives. Ji's mother took care of the housework all day long. After dinner, Ji Congzhe took the initiative to wash the dishes.
Ji's mother sat on a chair holding a watermelon and asked Ji Congzhe to bring over the freshly steamed hard-boiled eggs. Ji Congzhe saw her taking off Xigua's clothes and gently rubbing the eggs on his round belly.
Lin Zhen stir-fried tea leaves and turned around and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
Mother Ji said, "If he cries in the future, roll him an egg. Don't make the egg too hot. Rolling like this for a few minutes can help." If he has intestinal flatulence, he will feel comfortable sleeping at night, and the children will not cry for no reason.
Xigua kicked her little legs comfortably.
Because he could concentrate on frying tea, Lin Zhen finished early tonight and had fried all the tea leaves in a round dustpan before nine o'clock.
When it was time to go to bed, Ji Congzhe and Lin Zhen looked at a bed on the second floor and felt worried.
With the area clearly visible at a glance, four people can't squeeze into one bed, but in this weather, do they have to sleep on the floor?
……………… Ji’s mother was still downstairs feeding Xigua before going to bed. Lin Zhen shook Ji Congzhe’s shoulder, “Come on, think about it.”
“ Don’t shake me...”
Ji Congzhe rubbed the center of his eyebrows in annoyance. , he checked every corner of the second floor, and finally concluded, "Give the bed to her and Xigua." Lin Zhen asked, "What about the two of us?"
"You can go and lie down wherever you like in the house. "Ji Congzhe joked. In fact, he had no countermeasures at all.