inspire-indiana Chapter 195 Walking Behind Others
Chapter 195 Walking Behind Others
The women in the village had also heard that this family had a girl with hair cut like it had been bitten by a dog. It was so ugly. What girl would cut her hair so short?
Everyone is curious.
Zhou Guo touched her hair. It had actually grown a lot longer than before and it didn't prick her hands anymore. There was no mirror here, so she didn't know what her condition was like, but she wasn't annoyed if she couldn't see. She smiled and said, "Aunt, it's cool to have it cut like this, and it doesn't get lice. I think you can give your child a haircut too."
She glanced over and happened to see a little girl next to her who was about the same age as her, with long and sparse hair. She noticed a louse moving around her ear and shouted, "Look, look, look, that's your daughter. The louse has fallen into her ear. Isn't it uncomfortable? Oh my, another one has fallen!"
There were people working in the fields all around, and they all looked over when they heard what was said.
The woman said nonchalantly, "Hey, what's a couple of lice? Who doesn't have lice? It's not a serious disease, and it won't make you lose a piece of flesh. The girl doesn't know what's good for her. How can she cut her hair just for a few lice? And cut it like this? Who would say it's pretty?"
Everyone nodded, "Yes, there's nothing to be afraid of if you have lice, everyone has them. If they're really itchy, just go home and comb them. Don't cut your hair anymore. How can you cut a little girl's hair like this? It's so ugly."
Zhou Guo was stunned. She didn't expect these people didn't care about the lice on their bodies at all. When they saw people gathering around them, she quickly pulled Zhou Mi and ran away, lest the lice fall on her head and she would have to cut them again when she got back.
The old man had already hurried forward. With so many women around, he didn't want to stay, so he left Zhou Guoliang behind and ran away without any loyalty.
Zhou Mi was also scared.
The Zhou family lived a life of being well fed and warmly clothed, so they paid more attention to personal hygiene than others. They washed their faces and feet every day, took a bath every two or three days in summer, and once a month in winter. They washed their hair at the latest every ten days, which was much higher than the frequency of ordinary people who took a bath every few months and might not wash their hair even once a month.
The weather is hot now. If you want to take a shower, you can go to the river before dark. No one will see you and you don’t have to boil water. It’s much more convenient.
Zhou Guo was even more so. He sweated so much every day, and Li wouldn't let him go to the river to wash. So he had to boil some water, wet a towel, and wipe his body. Although it couldn't be compared with a good bath every day, it was much more comfortable than not taking a bath at all.
The whole family loves cleanliness. The old man is old, and he would soak in the water for a while every day when he goes into the mountains. So although his clothes are a bit tattered, he really doesn't have lice. It was only when they were fleeing, when there was no water source for hundreds of miles, and it was a problem to drink water all day, not to mention washing feet, face and hair. It was inevitable that he would get lice.
There are no basins at home, no big or small. Once they have one at home, they will have to buy a few. Otherwise, when winter comes and the weather gets cold, they can't go to the river to wash their clothes.
In winter, the rivers are frozen, making it difficult to get water. The roads are icy and you will slip when you walk. If you fall and break your bones, it will be too late to regret.
Zhou Guo planned to ask the kang digger if he knew anyone who dug a well when he got home. It would be better if they dug a well together. After all, he would have to cook for several people and many people, so he wouldn't have to do one thing and then another, making the house restless.
When the few people arrived at the place, they found that there were already people in the fields. Some plots of land had even been cleared. The areas around the land had been mowed cleanly. Even stone holes that could accommodate a crop had been dug out and filled with soil. If they planted a crop in it, they would be able to harvest at least something.
The others turned around and saw Zhou Guo and his companions coming. They greeted them with smiles. Upon closer inspection, they saw that the old man had also followed them. They all put down their work and came up to greet him.
The frightened old man waved his hands repeatedly, "Okay, okay, everyone is fine, I'm fine, fine, go to work, I'm here to work too."
"Sir, why are you still working? You only have a small piece of land. Just wait. We are so many people that we can open it up for you in no time. There is no need for you to do anything."
"Yes, yes, sir, we'll do it for you, no hurry."
The old man refused and said, "No, I have nothing to do at home, so I came out to find a job. It's good to stretch my muscles. You can do your own things."
It took a lot of persuasion to persuade him to go back.
Zhou Guo smiled and said, "Master, you are so popular. Everyone is eager to work for you."
The old man said, "I don't want this favor. I don't have the ability to repay it. I'm too lazy. Let them do the work. You can repay this favor later. I'm old, my legs and feet are not good, and my body is not in good condition."
Zhou Guo was speechless. "Master, just talk about the matter. Why do you have to use your own health as an excuse? You said that your legs and feet are not good because of your age. You have said this more than once. Really, how can you curse yourself? Can't you hope that you will get better? If your legs are really broken, will you feel relieved?"
"What are you talking about? How can you be a disciple like me? Are you afraid that I will live too long?" The old man was very dissatisfied.
Zhou Mi was too lazy to listen to the bickering between the master and his apprentice. He took off the machete from his waist, walked to his own field and started working. Their field was the only one that remained untouched. With so many people in his family, he was still walking behind others. No one knew why.
When Zhou Guo saw Zhou Mi leaving, he also picked up his knife and went to the field. "Okay, Master, I won't argue with you anymore, lest others hear and laugh at me."
The old man looked around and saw that no one seemed to be paying attention to this side, so he followed them. He was afraid that if he looked back, it would get out that a master of his age was arguing with an eight-year-old apprentice.
The three of them walked to the field and each chose one.
Zhou Guo rolled up her sleeves and trouser legs, then took out a piece of cloth to wrap the backs of her hands and palms. Although her hands were no longer as delicate and tender as they were at the beginning, it was still quite troublesome to have them scratched. It still hurt a little when they got wet. Her mother would feel distressed when she saw her hands being torn to pieces, and her brothers and sisters would also feel distressed.
It was unknown how many years this land had been left uncultivated. Some of the trees in the land were not much smaller than her wrist. When these big trees were cut down and the branches and leaves were removed, they could be taken home and placed outside in the yard to dry before being burned.
Everyone did this. Others even just picked a leaf and were reluctant to pick even the twigs, as they would just be firewood if they took them home.
Although working in the fields is not tiring, it is also boring. When there are more people, they can't help but chat. Everyone knows that Zhou Guo's family is rebuilding the kang, so they curiously asked: "Guoguo, I heard that the craftsman your family hired is very skilled and his wages are higher than others. Is it really good? If it is really good, we will find him next time we need to build a kang and see if he can get a cheaper price."