Spring scenery in the fields

Chapter 211 Picking Winter Melon

In the evening, everyone dispersed. Ji Wenhe and Shen Wenshan went home to prepare dinner, and then took a walk in the wasteland. They found an egg in the nest.

"I've raised you for so long, and finally you laid eggs."

I carefully held the egg in my hand. It was a little bigger than the ones I bought in town.

When we arrived at the field where the experiment was taking place and lifted the thatch, we didn't see a single insect.

I turned it over again and found a few bugs.

“Could it be that the thatch has dried up and is no longer useful?”

I have to go cut some fresh straw tomorrow and cover the ground with it when I come back to see if white worms can still grow in the ground.

Walking out of the wasteland and turning to look to the east, Shen Rongshan and Shen Yuanshan came back pushing a cart.

When they came closer, he smiled and took out the eggs in his hand: "Look, the chicken laid eggs, and they are bigger than the ones sold in town."

Both were very happy.

"Sister-in-law, should we keep it for ourselves or sell it on the street?"

"The chickens have just laid eggs, and I don't know how long it will take to save enough to sell in town. Besides, it's hot in the summer, and eggs go bad easily."

Looking at the eggs in my hand.

"Eat what you want at home, and save some to sell in town."

When the chickens lay more eggs, you don't have to make soup, just cook one for each person.

Shen Rongshan came out of Lan Qiuhua's house and took the eggs from her hand: "They are bigger than those sold in town. Are you running out of eggs at home?"

"It's almost done. There are still a few left. I just told Yuanshan to keep them for ourselves first."

Ji Wenhe tried to hook his arm, but he dodged.

"I've been sweating a lot today and I stink of sweat."

She pretended to be disgusted and took two steps to the side, teasing him: "You stink, I won't get close to you."

Shen Rongshan smiled dotingly and said, "Okay, you walk ahead of me."

"Aren't you afraid that I really dislike you?"

"Afraid? I'll go wash it clean, and then you won't dislike me anymore."

Ji Wenhe hummed softly, raised the corners of his mouth, put his hands behind his back, and walked in front of him humming a song.

Looking at the person who was one step away from him, he smiled and said, "Wen He, when No. 9 goes to town, pull a few more colors and make a few more clothes for yourself."

"I have clothes to wear. It would be a waste to wear good clothes when I go to work in the fields."

She kept changing the clothes Lan Qiuhua gave her and only wore new clothes when she went to town.

"By the way, can we each have one cotton jacket? Or two."

Wearing only a cotton jacket for the whole winter would make your skin very dirty.

Shen Rongshan closed the gate and said, "Make one this year, and do it next year when you have more money. Save the money for buying a donkey cart."

"But after a winter, it's impossible for the cotton-padded jacket not to get dirty."

"Sister-in-law." Shen Wenshan came out of the room and closed the door. "Wear a thin shirt over the cotton-padded jacket so it won't get dirty."

Ji Wenhe nodded in understanding. Why didn’t she think of it?

"Okay, make one for each of us this year, and also make a thin cotton jacket, and next year make two more for us to wear alternately."

I got up early the next morning, pulled out the radish, cut it into strips, sprinkled some salt on it, and then put it in the sun to dry.

This is how everyone in the village does it, but unfortunately there is no cumin powder here.

Add cumin powder, five-spice powder and coriander, then add soy sauce and vinegar, and marinate for seven or eight days. It will be delicious.

The 9th was going to town and there were still three days until the delivery time.

"Aunt Li, are you home?"

"I'm here." Li Chunhong came out from the house, "Wen He is here, come in and sit down."

"Hey."

The door of the master bedroom was open. Ji Wenhe glanced inside and saw Shen Xiaoxian lying on the bed with his eyes closed, seemingly sleeping.

Four little girls were embroidering dolls with great effort. When they saw her enter the room, they all shouted.

"sister in law."

"You guys are busy, I'll come over to take a look."

The embroidered dolls were neatly stacked in the basket.

Li Chunhong brought a bowl of water and a stool: "Wen He, come, sit down and talk for a while."

"Thank you, Aunt Li." Ji Wenhe took the bowl and the water was warm.

The four little girls had been embroidering at their home for a few days. They were always served hot water, and they were also told about the disadvantages of drinking raw water.

I guess he listened to me, because he only drank hot water when he got home.

"Aunt Li, I'll leave it at your house when I'm done. I'll come pick it up in the morning."

"Okay, number nine can finish it anyway." She wasn't as good at embroidery as the four little girls, so she just helped with the sewing.

"Your Aunt Jiang came to me before and asked me about it. She said she wanted her two daughters to come and help with the embroidery."

"I said I can't make the decision, and neither can you. The boss wants someone with good embroidery skills, and she never asked again."

"Oh, by the way, you asked me if I made it. I said no, the boss asked you to bring it here, so give me some hard work money."

"Aunt Li is right. I can't make the decision on this job. You said I should introduce her to you."

"In our village, only these four have the best embroidery skills. Other bosses look down on them. I can't force them to do so. I'll introduce someone to her."

Li Chunhong nodded in agreement: "Yes, so I said you can't make the decision either."

"If someone asks you this again, just tell her that. If she doesn't believe it, let her ask me."

He is jealous of others making money, but doesn't want to teach his own daughter well.

Ji Wenhe stood up and said, "Aunt Li, I'm going back to pick the winter melons in the field."

Li Chunhong stood up and walked her to the door: "We will also pick them in a few days, cut them into thin slices and dry them in the sun, and save them for winter."

"It's the same in our house. It just so happens that the weather has been nice these past two days. Aunt Li, you don't have to see me off. I'm leaving now."

"Hey, come back tomorrow."

He waved at her: "Okay, go back and get busy."

These two days everyone has been busy working in the fields, some are mowing the grass, and some are planting vegetables.

When I walked to Lan Qiuhua's door, I saw her cutting winter melon in the yard: "Aunt Lan, I see that your family doesn't grow many winter melons. I grow a lot at home. Come to my field and pick a few."

"My family grows so much every year, enough for us to eat, but you haven't picked your winter melons yet."

"I'm just about to go there to see if I can free up some land. I still have some cabbage left to plant at home."

Looking to the east, Shen Wenshan was picking winter melons in the field. No one came to buy anything at the moment.

It’s okay if someone comes, they just have to pass by the edge of the field and see it.

"Aunt Lan, I'm going to be busy."

"Go."

Then she heard a shout.

"Xiaoya, come out and put the winter melon slices on the fence to dry in the sun."

Ji Wenhe walked to the foot of the mountain, with several winter melons in the basket: "Wenshan, how can you lift it if it's so heavy? Put fewer in."

"I can carry it." Shen Wenshan came out of the field holding the winter melon. "Sister-in-law, you pick it. I'll carry the winter melons back and come back later."

There are more than twenty winter melons, it feels like a bit too much.

Plant fewer next year and plant corn instead.

All the corn stalks were chopped, dried and piled under the shed to be used as firewood in the winter.

After pulling out the radishes, cabbages were planted.

I heard from the aunties in the village that green vegetables are particularly prone to infestation by insects. They will be eaten by insects before people can even eat them, so green vegetables are rarely grown in the village.