"Sure, what shall we play?" Lian Manman thought for a mont, her eyes lit up, and she whispered into Zhang Caiyun’s ear, "Let’s find my brother and go ice sliding... Don’t let my dad and mom know."
"Okay, great," Zhang Caiyun said, delighted.
"It’s so cold outside, you two better just stay inside the house," Lian Zhizhi said with a laugh, having heard Lian Manman and Zhang Caiyun’s conversation.
"Sis, we’re just going to play for a bit, you have to keep it a secret for us," Lian Manman quickly said.
Lian Zhizhi laughed softly.
Then Lian Manman and Zhang Caiyun put on their shoes and got off the kang (a traditional Chinese heated bed).
"Where are you two going? It’s almost alti," Lady Zhang asked, looking concerned.
"We’re going to find my brother and tell him to co ho for dinner," Lian Manman said, "and incidentally, Sister Caiyun will take a look at our family’s shop."
"Go quickly and co back soon, don’t play outside," Lady Zhang said.
Lian Manman and Zhang Caiyun agreed and ran out.
"Where is Fifth Brother, why isn’t he at ho?" Zhang Caiyun asked as they walked.
"My brother is in the shop," Lian Manman answered, "With so many people at ho these past few days, my brother said it’s too noisy, and he can’t settle down.
When there’s nobody in the shop, he’s there reading and writing."
Wu Lang loved to read and greatly cherished the opportunity to study. Whenever he had ti, he would imrse himself in his books. He not only studied diligently himself but also encouraged Xiao Qi to learn alongside him.
"Fifth Brother reads and writes?" Zhang Caiyun’s eyes widened.
"My brother can already write quite a few characters. My sister, Xiao Qi, and I, we all learn to read and write too," Lian Manman told Zhang Caiyun, "Next spring, our family is planning to send my brother and Xiao Qi to the town’s private school to study. My brother is afraid he won’t keep up so he’s studying extra hard now."
As she spoke, Lian Manman kicked away a chunk of snow at the side of the road.
"It’s a pity that my sister and I can’t go, as the private school doesn’t accept female students."
Zhang Caiyun fell silent for a mont.
"Manman, you’ve also recognized quite a few characters, right? I don’t know a single one," she said.
"I’ve learned so, but not as many as my brother," Lian Manman replied. The Zhang Family hadn’t produced any scholars, and inside they held a great respect for the educated, even though their own family didn’t put much emphasis on reading. "Sister Caiyun, if you want to learn characters, I can teach you."
"That would be wonderful," Zhang Caiyun giggled, "I’m a bit slow, though."
"Sister Caiyun, don’t say that. Why don’t you stay with our family? We can learn to read and write together. You don’t know how much my mom adores you. Whenever she’s mad at us, she says we’re nothing like her and that you are. She ntioned talking to your uncle and aunt about trading you to our family, to have you as her own daughter."
Chatting and laughing, they soon reached the doorstep of the breakfast shop.
Lian Manman walked up to the window of the back room and knocked.
"Brother, open the door, Sister Caiyun and I are here to see you," Lian Manman called out.
"Alright, I’m coming," Wu Lang imdiately responded from inside.
Wu Lang and Xiao Qi rushed to open the door, welcoming Lian Manman and Zhang Caiyun inside.
"So this is your breakfast shop, it’s quite big and tidy too," Zhang Caiyun comnted as she looked around.
"Caiyun, co inside and sit down. Uncle just arrived, who else is here?" Wu Lang asked.
"Only Uncle and Auntie are here, Grandma and Grandpa didn’t co." Lian Manman said, taking out two Balixiang and handing them to Wu Lang and Xiao Qi, "Uncle brought us a lot of things, just the frozen pears fill a whole basket."
A few people walked to the inner room and all sat on the kang. They had to burn a lot of firewood every day; this room was even warr than the old house.
Zhang Caiyun curiously fiddled with the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table for a while, then lost interest.
"Then we should head back, I didn’t know Uncle and Auntie had co." Wu Lang began to pack up his writing materials.
Xiao Qi, fond of Zhang Qingnian, was even more eager to return.
"No rush, Mom said we can go back after dinner." Lian Manman made up a fib, "Brother, Xiao Qi, you two hid that ice sled here, didn’t you? Take Sister Caiyun for a ride first."
Zhang Caiyun eagerly nodded.
"Yeah, let’s go play for a while, I want to see what that ice sled you made looks like?"
"Alright, let’s play first, then we’ll go ho for dinner." Xiao Qi also said. After all, he’s still a child; with sothing fun at hand, he put his beloved uncle aside for later.
"Manman, you’ve been thinking about that ice sled for days now, haven’t you? Bringing up Caiyun, it’s really you who wants to play." Wu Lang gave Lian Manman a sidelong glance.
Lian Manman giggled.
"Brother, the ice has been frozen solid for a while now, even a horse cart can travel on it without a problem, are you still worried about Sister Caiyun and falling into an ice hole?"
Wu Lang rubbed his forehead.
"Enough, let’s not talk about it, I’ll take you two to play." Wu Lang said.
Lian Manman and Zhang Caiyun excitedly high-fived each other.
The so-called ice sled was just a foot and a half square, topped with a plank made of a few wooden bars pieced together. On two sides underneath were two rectangular pieces of wood, and on the side that touched the ground, two strips of iron were embedded, protruding outward.
The joining of the wooden planks was aided by Lian Shouli, as for those two strips of iron, they were made from so discarded iron pieces from the household, taken to the town blacksmith to be reforged and shaped.
The ice sled also ca with two supporting sticks, each with an iron nail at one end.
Whether sitting, squatting, kneeling, or standing on the ice sled, one would hold the sticks in both hands, the iron nails jamd into the ice to serve as propulsion, propelling the sled to glide swiftly forward.
Don’t look at this little ice sled; it’s highly coveted among the kids of the rural families. Just by looking at the envious glances from the children playing on the ice, you could tell.
"Lian Manman..." A young teenager ca rushing over fast.
******...*******
Ruoyan recomnds a completed farming novel:
Title: "Rebirth: When Flowers Bloom and the Moon is Full" (With completed main text and extras) (Link below, click to go directly)
Summary: Transmigrated as a wrongfully maligned woman, carrying a little bun, she starts a sweet life with an economically savvy man.
****......*****
These past two days, the support hasn’t been strong, 555, please support (to be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to vote for recomndation tickets, monthly tickets, on qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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