The next day, Xia Zhi woke up to the sound of scratching outside her door. She looked out the window and saw that it was still dark. Then she felt a big, fluffy paw. Turning her head, she found that Da Qing had also woken up, its two front paws propped against the edge of the bed, its black eyes staring at her.

  Summer solstice in the morning, Da Qing made a "shh" gesture with her hand, telling it not to cry, then quietly got down from the kang.

  Pushing open the door, Xia Zhi was stunned.

  Tian's family was also stunned.

  The mother and daughter looked at each other for a moment before both of them shifted their gaze away.

  Tian's family seemed to have gotten up for a while. She wore a long red velvet jacket and a bean green pleated skirt, which was obviously not the dress of a peasant woman. It wasn't until then that Xia Zhi thought, Tian's identity was still a Xiucai daughter.

  Today, Tian Shi is going to the prefectural city to find Xia Xiuren, so she wore such a suit of clothes and, under the candlelight in the main hall, Xia could see that Tian Shi had dressed up carefully, with powder on her face, and her eyebrows and eyes were finely painted. Even her hair was combed differently than usual. In addition, she also put on two pieces of jewelry that she rarely wore.

  To go to the city, you need to get up early. If you want to make a round trip in one day, it's even more so, but there's no need to get up that early.

  Although she had put on makeup, Tian's eyes still showed two dark circles. Tian didn't sleep well last night, or maybe she didn't sleep at all. Getting up so early was to get ahead of Xia San, Xia Yunhan. Tian has always been a woman with great determination.

  When summer arrives, there is nothing more to say, and it's time to turn back.

  Mrs Tian shouted at her: "You cook today, don't eat eggs now, wait for your father to come back this afternoon."

  "Oh." Xia Zhi responded with a sound, and then asked Tian Shi, "So early, where are you going?"

  "Don't you worry, just stay at home today and be honest, don't go to the backyard, do you understand?" Tian Shi said with a somewhat severe tone, glancing at the big green dog following Xia Zhi.

  Summer solstice passed quietly.

  Tian's family glared at Xia Zhi, then checked the purse in his hand again, and went out through the back door. Xia Zhi hurried to follow him, just seeing Tian's family walking towards the east of the village. There is a grocery store at the east end of the village, where there are rickshaws with wheels, and Tian's family must have gone there to hire a car again.

  I don't know if Xia San Shu has set off yet.

  Xia Zhi thought so and glanced back at the backyard. The backyard was quiet, and the gate was still closed.

  She went back to sleep for a while and when Xia Zhi woke up again, the sky was already bright. Xia Zhi got up and started her busy morning.

  After finishing the meal made for Summer Solstice, Xiaqiao took up his hoe and went down to the fields.

  "Brother, will you come back home for lunch?" Xia Zhi asked.

  Xia Qiao nodded: "I'll come back at noon, and then I won't go again until Dad comes back... Dad won't agree so easily, I will persuade Dad."

  "Hmm." Xia nodded.

  "I'll also advise Father." Xia Shu said as he was about to leave with Xia Qiao, and added to Xia Zhi at the same time.

  "Yesterday you didn't say anything, what's going on?"

  Xia Shu patted his head, smiled fawningly, and then ran after Xia Qiao.

  The sky was still early, and Xia Zhi had already cleaned up the house inside and out. Just as she was about to go out, she heard a loud cry from outside the back door.

  She got up in the morning and saw that the back door was open, so she sent Daqing away. Now, Daqing has come again with Xiao Heiyu.

  "Sixteen, have you eaten yet?" Little Black Fish came in, with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face as he looked at Xia Zhi.

  "I've eaten. Uncle, have you eaten?" Xia Zhi smiled.

  "I'll eat too." Little Black Fish smiled and handed a white-faced bun to Xia Zhi with his backhand. "This is for you."

  "Keep it for yourself, Uncle," Xia Zhi hastily declined.

  The Xia family was a wealthy household in Daxingzhuang, and the old master Xia's several mouths lived quite well. However, since wheat wasn't produced locally, white flour was still precious. Little Hei couldn't often eat small black fish either.

  "I've eaten already, this is for you." Little Black Fish insisted.

  "Let's split it half and half then."

  "It's all yours. I'll have something delicious soon."

  Xia Zhi thought for a moment, took over the bun, and just took a bite, her eyes lit up.

  The bun is plain, the filling is finely chopped fresh chives, minced tofu and shredded noodles, the flavor is quite delicious.

  "Delicious?" Little Black Fish saw Xia Zhi's expression and felt even happier than when he ate it himself.

  "Delicious." Xia Zhi nodded repeatedly, "Did my grandma make it?"

  "Hmm."

  Mrs. Xia's cooking skills are quite good, especially in terms of seasoning.

  "Uncle Lao, has Third Uncle gone to the provincial capital?"

  "He's gone, left early."

  Tian Laiji also got up early and left.

  "It's okay." Xiao Hei fish reassured Xia Zhi, "I inquired about it, and this morning only Lao Quai's car went to Fu Cheng. San Ge took Lao Qi's cargo truck to Fu Cheng, so he must have arrived earlier than them."

  Xiao Hei Yu said so, Xia Zhi felt at ease.

  Xiao Hei Yu'er asked again if Tian Shi had bullied her last night.

  "Just come and persuade me." Xia Zhi didn't elaborate.

  "Tonight, I'll get Daqing to keep you company. Otherwise, I can also come and keep you company."

  "Let's see about it today."

  "En, let's wait for big brother to come back and see what he says."

  After eating steamed buns, Xia Zhi weighed the small black fish.

  Little Black Fish wore a brand new bean green jacket today, with a longevity lock hanging on his chest and his heavenly braid also let down. The little guy looks good, dressed like this, simply more lovely than the Red Boy in the TV series I watched before Xia Zhi.

  "Old uncle, what are you going to do?" Xia Zhi asked.

  "Let's go eat dumplings with your grandpa later." Little Black Fish told Xia Zhi.

  Xia Lao Yezi was highly respected in the village and had studied at a private school, so his handwriting was beautiful. As a result, whenever families in the area were dealing with matters, they would always invite him to sit at the accounting table. Those who sat at the accounting table would receive special treatment and naturally also get to eat with them. Nowadays, when dealing with matters, there must be at least one dish of meatballs on the banquet table, so sitting at the banquet table is also called eating meatballs.

  A seven-year-old kid like Little Black Fish, following Old Man Xia and sitting at his seat, doesn't count as a person.

  "Which family is doing things?" Xia Zhi whispered to Xiao Hei Yu.

  "It's about Xi Tou's big elm tree under the old Tian family taking a daughter-in-law." Little Black Fish was very clear about the village affairs.

  As he spoke, a chubby little boy with a tiger-like head and body came running to find Little Black Fish.

  "Old uncle, your father is calling you."

  This is Old Man Xia taking Little Black Fish out for a walk.

  The little black fish didn't dare to be slow, and hurriedly took the big green away. The little boy fell behind, still turning his head to glance at Xia Zhi, making Xia Zhi laugh.

  "Hey Xiao Wu, what's the hurry? Want to play with me for a bit?" Xia Zhi teased Little Fatty.

  "I'm back, I'm back! My mom is calling me." Xiaohua's face turned red as she ran away with her chubby legs, stumbling a bit.

  "It's quite a fun little kid." Xia Zhi was thinking in her heart when she heard the sound of the back door curtain.

  Three little girls entered in a line, all wearing short jackets and flower-patterned skirts.

  In Xia's family, there are six girls in this generation. Except for Xia Zhi's eldest sister Da Yue who is in the capital city, second sister Liu Yue has already married, and then there are San Niang May, Wu Niang July, and Liu Niang La Yue.

  Xia Zhi and Qi Yue are of the same age, she is older than them on her birthday, Wu Yue is two years older than both of them.

  The little girl tidied up neatly and came in with a smile, sitting down on the kang.

  "Fourth sister," July had a pair of big eyes, she exaggeratedly looked around left and right, and asked Xia Zhi in surprise, "Where's the old lady?"

  Yesterday, Mr. Tian was scolding in the backyard so loudly that several little girls heard it in the yard, and now it's a deliberate question.

  After the summer solstice, lotus leaves no longer overlap.

  "Big sister came back last night, and now she's gone again so early today, where did she go, what's she busy with?" July asked with a smile, sizing up Xia Zhi, her smile somewhat meaningful.

  May is pinching a handkerchief, with a smile at the corner of her mouth, glancing at Xia Zhi from under her eyelids. In December, she slightly lowered her head and couldn't see what expression was on her face.

  Summer solstice, knife-sharp eyes. The little girls' thoughts are numerous!

  PS: Looking for recommendations and collections