Goldfield
Chapter 70: Growing Vegetables
Yu Hai's eyes sparkled and the first one understood, “Do you really know how to grow vegetables this time?”
Yu Xiaocao patted his chest and assured himself, “I can guarantee that there is absolutely no problem! Dad, Mom, rest assured! ”
The next day, Xiaocao spent twenty copper coins to buy two straw carts from a villager who came from a village that had more farmland. He personally taught Yu Hai and Lady Liu how to weave straw. Although the Little Divine Stone had promised that the vegetable seeds soaked in the mystical stone water would definitely be able to overcome the severe cold in early spring, Yu Xiaocao was still worried. Straw was widely used in greenhouse farming in his previous life to keep vegetables warm. Better to be prepared than to feel sorry later!
With the help of the skeptical Madam Liu, Xiaocao spread the seeds she soaked last night in the plowed fields. On half an acre of front yard land, they grow vegetables with a relatively shorter growth period, such as bok choy, spinach, and mustard. They go to great lengths to get their first buckets of gold by taking advantage of the fact that others have not grown their vegetables.
After sowing the seeds, Lady Liu brought Xiaolian to dispose of the soil in the backyard. Madam Mao, who was herding ducks by the pool, looked at them and reminded them, “You cultivated the land so quickly? Not suitable for growing plants next to the pond. The water level will rise during the rainy season in late spring, so they will sink in the flood. ”
Madam Mao had a sharp tongue, but she had no ill intentions. Madam Liu smiled at him and said, “We are preparing to plant some bok choy and mustard, and then harvest it before the water level rises.”
Madam Mao nodded and said, “Then, you should close the field with a fence. We usually breed our ducks in ponds, so if they eat your vegetables, I'm not going to compensate you! ”
As expected, Madam Mao spoke in an unwelcome manner. He clearly reminded them out of kindness, but why would he have to say it in such an annoying manner?
Madam Liu smiled kindly and said, “Thank you for reminding us, Mrs Mao. I'll set up the fence tomorrow. ”
By night, Xiaocao and his father had filled over ten haystacks after working all afternoon. Yu Hai had a mat woven before. Straw is easier to weave than a summer bed because he does not need to be too meticulous. He learned very quickly and had even weaved two more tares than Xiaocao.
Xiaocao and Madam Liu spread straw over the vegetable fields, as if they were covering the fields with a blanket. Little Shitou, who also helped a lot, asked with a little attention, “Second Sister, can we warm vegetables like this?”
Xiaocao stroked her little head and laughed, “Don't you feel warmer when covering yourself with blankets in winter? It's the same logic. The soil absorbs the heat of the sun during the day, so when we cover it with weeds, the heat will not dissipate at night. So, vegetables will not be afraid of the cold now. ”
The little boy nodded in realization and exclaimed, “So we covered the vegetable fields with blankets! But, wouldn't an area without straw freeze? ”
“No problem. The seeds have just spread and have not sprouted, so it will not be cold. We will make more straw tomorrow, and then cover all the fields with a blanket so that the vegetables will quickly sprout and grow! ”
Xiaocao vaguely recalled his younger brother from his previous life when he saw the six-year-old Little Shitou. When her younger brother was the same age as Little Shitou, she was disobedient and smart. His parents were still alive at the time, so as the only boy, he would act like a spoiled child in his mother's arms…
It took them three days to cultivate all the land in the front and back yards. As the water level rises, a lot of black mud will accumulate on the ground beside the pond. After cultivating the land, it would be a good fertile field. Unfortunately, at the end of June there is a lot of rainfall every year. The water in the pond will also rise, so they can not grow plants that have a long growth period.
With four months before the rising water level, Xiaocao planted plants with a growth period of about two or three months on the ground beside the pond, which had about an acre of land. So, winter melons, chickpeas, eggplants, and kidney beans are planted next to the pond. In the backyard, he planted leeks, cucumbers, garlic, and chili peppers. There are also spongy gourds and gourds on the edge of the fence.
The whole family worked overtime for exactly three days before they finished making all the hay they needed for the vegetable garden. Little Shitou had also weaved some smaller weeds. Although their density and thickness were not as good, they could still be used.
For the past few days or so, the food at home has been just coarse wheat pancakes and peanut paste soup. For vegetables, they only have cabbage, radishes, and pickles. They should carefully chew on coarse-grained pancakes because the pancakes can scratch their throat when swallowing. Peanut paste soup also has a pungent nut smell. If they were not hungry, they would absolutely not be able to eat it at all. The boiled vegetables that were lacking in oil and seasoning really gave Xiaocao a headache when eating.
With the current living conditions of the Xiaocao family, even with such food, they still needed to arrange their food rations carefully for fear of using too much food. If their current food supply is not enough to support them until they can harvest vegetables, their entire family may have to starve.
In addition to washing clothes every three days, Lady Liu also got a sewing job from the embroidery shop. So, she burned the midnight oil every day to sew. Yu Hai asked Hunter Zhao, who lived at the foot of the Western Mountains, to help him cut down some bamboo and bring it back for him. He made bamboo baskets and parcels, then sold them in public stores in the city.
Xiaocao was unemployed after he finished planting vegetables in early spring. Xiaolian had been doing all the housework at home and had not let her interfere. Little Shitou followed the youngest son of the Qian Family from next door, climbing the mountain and exploring the river. However, he was not just playing around and would sometimes bring back some eggs. He would also wisely bring back two bundles of firewood each day.
The two sons of Madam Mao have very different characters. One is silent, while the other is active. His eldest son, Qian Wen, is a bookworm who carries books with him wherever he goes. Sometimes she was so focused on reading that she would walk up to the tree without even realizing it. Xiaocao once saw him reading while walking, and then accidentally fell into a ditch. Fortunately, there was no water in the sewers. Otherwise, the idiot would be cold.
On this day, Xiaocao carried a basket and took a shovel to see if there were any wild herbs that could be dug up nearby. Based on his knowledge, the wild shepherd bag should have been out during this year. In his previous life, he loved digging into the shepherd's purse and making steamed soup or sandwiches that tasted so good.
Along the way in front of the door and all the way to the Western Mountains, Little Shitou cheerfully jumped behind him. He was very happy in his heart: ‘Second Brother said he would make bread stuffed with a shepherd bag for me. Everything that was made by big brother was both high quality and definitely delicious. Although this was not the season to dig for wild herbs, it was good for Second Brother's health to be out for a walk. ‘
Little Shitou had rejected Qian Wu's invitation to go dig up bird eggs in the mountains and voluntarily become her second sister's bodyguard. As long as they did not go far into the Western Mountains, it would not be dangerous. She was only afraid that her second sister, who rarely left home, could not find her way home.
Qian Wen, who stayed at home during the break from school, casually walked out of her house with a book in hand. Little Shitou warmly greeted him, “Brother Xiaowen, will you read in the mountains again?”
The Qian Family nurtured over a hundred ducks and they were very noisy the entire time. Every time Qian Wen came back during a break, she liked to go to the mountains with a book and choose a quiet place to read. They had not expected to meet him when he came out today.
Eleven-year-old Qian Wen has bright skin and elegant features. He had a delicate attitude and was a clean and handsome young man. Although this was the second time he had seen her, Xiaocao still felt she was pleasing to the eye.
Hearing her voice, Qian Wen lifted her head and looked at Xiaocao and her younger brother. He greeted them with a smile, “Yes, I want to find a quiet place to read. What are you guys doing? ”
Little Shitou said, “Second Sister wants to see if there are any wild plants. He wanted to dig and make soup. ”
Qian Wen glanced at Xiaocao, who she originally thought was Xiaolian. He had long heard that Uncle Dahai's second daughter had a weak and often sickly body. The doctor said he would not live long since he was born. She initially thought that she was a sick and lethargic little girl who would not even be able to get out of bed. However, looking at him today, he did not seem like a sick person at all. Even though he was a bit thin, he had rosy cheeks and walked vigorously.
“You may have to wait until March to collect wild plants. Right now, the ice in the river has yet to melt, so this is not the time to pick wild plants. ” Qian Wen kindly reminded them.
Yu Xiaocao had a faint smile as he said, “That's okay. I was just looking for an opportunity to go for a walk. You have to go back to what you did. We don't want to delay your reading. ”
Qian Wen had heard from her mother gossiping about Uncle Dahai's family separating from the main family. If not for the help of her in-laws and the villagers, their house would probably still be damaged and filled with cracks! now that they were out to look for wild vegetables at the moment, there was bound to be a lack of food at home.
Qian Wen touched the dry food her mother gave her in case she was hungry while reading. It was a steamed bun made from wheat flour mixed with millet flour. He started talking, but ended up saying nothing.
After all, this was only the second time he had met the young girl. If she suddenly gave him steamed bread for no reason, she would probably feel that she ‘gave him food out of pity and disgust’. Forget it, he should have been looking for an opportunity to help her in the future as they became more familiar.
The weather in February is still quite cold. Yu Xiaocao felt unable to bear the shivering as a gust of northeast wind blew. The jacket is old and worn. The old cotton inside was taken from his older brother's old clothes, and then put in his sisters' jackets. Therefore, the cotton is so stiff that it can almost be put together. Not only does it feel stiff and uncomfortable when worn, but it is also not too warm. Why didn't he think of buying new cotton to put in their jackets when he had the money?
Xiaocao blew his hand, which hurt from the cold, with his warm breath. He carefully searched for known plants along the edge of the roadside trench. Little Shitou was full of energy as she jumped and ran all the way. She saw her older sister shrink her neck as if she was very cold, so she held her hand with her warm little hands and said with a grin, “Second Brother, I am full of heat, I am full of heat, so let me warm your hands!”
Xiaocao was so touched that she hugged him and kissed him on his gentle face. The little boy's face immediately turned red. Older people usually express their love in more subtle ways, even their own parents have never kissed it before.
Little Shitou timidly let go of her second sister's hand and ran away quickly. Xiaocao ran behind him, but still could not catch up to him even when he was panting. However, his body was finally warming up now.
“Wait a minute! Brother, I found the shepherd's wallet! ” On the dry river bank, there is a small grayish brown plant growing on the ground. The jagged leaves were exactly like the wild shepherd's purse he knew.
Little Shitou turned around, went to have a look, and said, “Second Sister, the shepherd's wallet doesn't look like that. The leaves are green and long. It also has a white flower in the middle. ”