Goldfield
Chapter 39: The Sign of Thank You
Afterwards, Yu Hai explained what happened the last time they went to collect seafood. From beginning to end, he described how he awakened the royal prince and carried him through the dangerous coral reefs. After hearing this, Old Yu's eyes finally lifted off the ground and he slowly nodded his head. “Good, everything you say is true. Saving the drowning man is our job the fishermen. Luckily the nobles remembered this event. We are definitely not the type of people who demand rewards for doing something good. In the future, we can't talk about this anymore. ”
He did not expect his grandfather to have this kind of wisdom. Yu Xiaocao felt he had a completely new understanding of the usually reserved old man, who had the voice of the highest authority in their household.
Yu Dashan's expression finally turned clear and his face looked relaxed, “Second Sister, I never expected you would have the fortune to save a prince while collecting seafood from the beach. Although we are not the type of people who demand gifts from nobles, we should also not reject their good intentions, right? Quickly open it and see what kindness the prince has given you! ”
Old Yu also glanced at the cloth-wrapped object in Yu Xiaocao's hands.
This is the token of gratitude that the Chief Servant of the royal prince gave to father, what does this have to do with you guys? Yu Xiaocao felt very upset but helpless in this situation. All the good things seen by those outside their branch will never be left alone.
He inwardly sighed as he opened the wrapping on a small yet heavy object. Inside were ten shiny silver rods stacked neatly and one jade pendant. Judging from his appearance, this thank you mark had been put together in a hurry. Although the texture of the jade pendant was not bad, it was definitely not the best jade. It was probably something that was usually used to reward maids and the like.
“The nobles are really generous nobles, look, they easily give you a few hundred taels of silver. And this jade pendant was definitely worth at least around one hundred and eighty taels! ” Yu Dashan clicked his tongue in wonder. “It looks like we have enough money to pay for Third Sister's studies for ten years!”
Yu Dashan felt like fainting looking at the glittering silver and quality jade pendant. None of these are things that are usually seen by people in their homes.
Yu Xiaocao slightly sneered. This money was given in exchange for his father risking his life and limb to save someone from a hostile ocean, okay? How could in the eyes of these people that money suddenly become the school fees of Young Uncle for the next ten years?
Old Yu extended a large hand of calluses and gently stroked the transparent white jade pendant. He glanced at his second son and then made a decision, This jade “Lontin is not something money can buy. In the future, no matter how poor we may be, we cannot sell it. It would be a family heirloom, passed down from the oldest legitimate descendants of the Yu family, and serve as a memento for future generations. ”
Yu Dashan's face froze. The oldest legitimate descendant of the Yu Family? That doesn't include him! Everyone in the family knew that even though he, Yu Dashan, had changed his last name, it was not a blood and flesh relationship with the Yu Family.
Madam Zhang is the second wife of Old Yu and is the cousin of the late mother Yu Hai. When Madam Zhang had just been widowed, she had been expelled from her husband's family. Because of kindness, Yu Hai's mother brought him in. Later, Yu Hai's mother died of illness and therefore, Old Yu took Madam Zhang as his second wife.
The eldest son, Yu Dashan, was the son of Madam Zhang's first marriage and was only two months older than Yu Hai.
The oldest legitimate descendant? In other words, didn't that mean Yu Hai was the oldest in the Yu family? In the end, didn't this mean that the beautiful jade pendant would end up in the hands of his second brother?
Yu Dashan wholeheartedly did not want that to happen but he was in no position to refuse. There was nothing better than the jade pendant that Yu Hai had, which had no blood relation to him. However, he knew the situation was not in his favor. Even his mother, Madam Zhang, was unable to change the old man's mind when he made his decision. Yu Xiaocao felt his heart calm after hearing this. The eldest legitimate descendant of the Yu Family — that would be his eldest brother! Fortunately, this good deed was not done in vain! At least its branch would have a jade pendant in the end.
However, a hundred taels of silver had slipped out of his grasp. Had he been faster, he could have gotten some logs. Yu Xiaocao cried inwardly: a hundred taels of silver is a lot of money!
As soon as they all arrived home, Yu Xiaocao saw that all the shiny silver had disappeared into his grandmother's cheap purse and felt sad again. Madam Liu noticed her daughter's lethargy and couldn't help but feel Xiaocao's forehead for fear that she would get sick again.
The past three months was the most comfortable span of time that Madam Liu had experienced in the previous seven to eight years. Although her workload had not diminished and she was still scolded every day, her usually sickly daughter had not been sick once in the past few months. In fact, he was able to run and play like the other village children and even learned medicine from Doctor You.
In fact, they can always eat enough to fill their stomachs even though it's not always the kind of food they crave. In addition, children have also learned how to set traps and occasionally catch some animals. They would cook the meat outside and throw a big party, but they were filial and never forgot to secretly give the roast to him and their father.
Looking at the reddish cheeks of her children and their once thin bodies filling up during the bath, Madam Liu felt their lives had finally changed for the better.
“Dashan's wife and Dahai's wife, there was frost on the ground this morning. We have to harvest the sweet potato tomorrow to be stored in the basement. ” After receiving a hundred taels of silver, Madam Zhang finally had a smile on her face.
Yu Hai loved his wife, so he put down his bowl full of rice and interjected, “How about we men not go to sea and instead harvest sweet potatoes alone?”
After hearing her suggestion, Madam Zhang's expression immediately darkened, “We only have three plots of poor and rocky soil. I was able to harvest everything myself in my youth. What's the point of delaying fishing in the real sea? You need to take advantage of the days when you can get out of the house before the weather gets too cold. ”
The next day at daybreak, Yu Xiaocao groggyly put on her thick cotton coat after being awakened by Madam Zhang's loud voice. It is only the 10th month of the lunar calendar but there is already a thick layer of ice on the ground. If he didn't wear his winter coat during the day, he didn't think he could put up with the cold air.
“Smaller sister, you should go back to sleep. I'll help mom dig a yam. ” Yu Xiaolian quickly woke up but when she saw her sleepy sister, she quickly returned to push her back to bed.
The warmth of his bed and blanket made it difficult for people to leave him in the morning. However, the original daughter of an eight-year-old family had already woken up to go to the fields, how could she, a woman in her thirties, stay in bed shamelessly?
After washing his face and gargling, Yu Xiaocao yawned as he followed his mother listlessly from behind. She turned her head slightly to look at her fat aunt, Madam Li, also yawning and wiping the drowsiness from her eyes. Seeing that made Yu Xiaocao immediately feel better about himself. Look, it's not just me who wants to stay in bed and not get up.
Everything was walking on a narrow path and winding towards the fields. After walking for about half an hour, Yu Xiaocao could finally see their plots of land filled with lush green sweet potato vines. The green plants, blue skin, and the smell of the fertile soil that came with every cold breath he breathed in all helped wake him up.
“Dashan wife and Dahai wife, you are here to harvest yams!” An average-looking man with a warm smile on his face greeted the group of women excitedly.
“Good morning, Third Uncle! Are you also here to dig up some yams? ” Yu Xiaocao has a good impression of his father's cousin. Shortly after she first moved in, she was even taken home by this man.
Yu Jiang grinned as he ruffled his hair. She noticed that she had a small hoe in her hand and teased, “Oh! Looks like our Xiaocao is a bit of an adult now. Third Uncle's family has finished digging up our sweet potatoes. After we do the final sweep of the courtyard, how about we come and help you guys? ”
“No need, we only have three plots of land to pass through. We'll be done after all day. Please continue with everything else you have to do. ” Lady Liu gracefully declined her offer before Li Guihua. The Xiaocao extended family also had many people at home and all of them were busy in the season. How could they delay their work? Madam Li glared at her sister-in-law. Rejecting the offer of help from others only means you will be tired at the end of the day. If only you were tired, that would be one thing. But why do you have to drag me into this too?
Yu Xiaocao noticed the large pile of sweet potatoes that others dug up lying by the roadside and remembered all the sweet potato food he had eaten in his previous life. The shadow of the roasted yam, the soft and sticky sticky sticky sticky sticky sticky sticky sticky sticky balls made from yam, and the crisp and sweet yam pancakes floated in his mind. Excited at the prospect of food, he excitedly took his hoe and stepped into the fields. Harvesting time!
As his mother and third uncle continued to talk, he put away the vines and pointed his hoe to the thickest part to begin with. After he lifted the hoe, he was rewarded by looking at the half-buried sweet potato. Yu Xiaocao trembled in excitement. Although his family owned the land in his previous life, they only grew wheat and soybeans and never planted yams. They would only occasionally come across a few that were at the border where others were partially planting and reaping the benefits.
Yu Xiaocao carefully used his hoe to push the ground around him and continued digging deeper and larger holes. To avoid damage to the sweet potato, he left his hoe and dug up the rest of the soil with his bare hands. Finally, he could feel the yam loosening from the ground. From his point of view, it looked as big as a volleyball. He gripped her and pulled with all his might as if he was pulling a daikon from the ground. Finally the yam poked from the ground.
The attempt caused him to just fall on his buttocks as he lost his balance. Fortunately, all the vines and dirt he had cleaned up before protected him from his fall, so he did not feel too sick. He casually patted the ground off his butt, picked up the sweet potato he had harvested himself, and announced, “Mother! Look look! I dug a very big yam !! ”
Third Uncle also came and a surprised expression was seen on his face, “Oh! Xiaocao actually had the talent to be able to dig out such a large yam on his first try! I have to say, this one might be able to take his crown for size. ”
Yu Xiaocao was overjoyed as he held onto his “” war spoils, but the sound of a small holy stone suddenly rang out in his mind,
[Why are you so excited? Did you forget? Roughly two months ago and it had started to dry, so you took some of my special water and mixed it with other water and used it to water the rice fields. Without my help, how could this barren, sandy land produce a sweet potato of this size?]
“So mystic stone water can also promote plant growth, uh!” The farmer's son, Yu Xiaocao, felt his heart beating fast at the thought of this. In the future, if he could plant crops out of season, wouldn't he be able to make a lot of money?
[Plants in season? Whatisit?] The little holy stone was flabbergasted at the strange term he had taken from his mind.
Yu Xiaocao continued digging yam while replying, “It is ... planting spring vegetables in winter.”
[Oh it's not hard! As long as there is no blizzard, I, this Stone of Gods, can naturally accelerate the growth of vegetables.] If that little God Stone had a tail, he would have long since been raised to the sky proudly. Although only a small part of the innate strength of the stone had been restored, it was more than enough to accelerate the growth of the plant.
Yu Xiaocao dug a smaller sweet potato nearby from his initial discovery and ruined his excitement and said, “If what you told me was true, it is true, I will make sure to let you absorb some of the energy from Grandpa You's potion. ”