stingy landlady

Chapter 26 Raising Chickens

Back in the village, Dazhu, as usual, drove the oxcart to the east end of the village first. Zhou Mingzhi was still at the old house and hadn't returned yet. Zhou Niangzi and Zhou Xing came out and, together with Dazhu and the others, carried the soybeans into the storeroom. They also distributed some rice and flour there, making it more convenient for Zhou Niangzi's family to cook and eat.

Zhou Qiong and Guizhi couldn't help, so the two little girls put the chicks into the coop and locked them up. Seeing the dozens of fluffy, yellow chicks, the two little girls were very excited, jumping around. One went to fetch water to feed the chicks, and the other went to get millet to feed them. They were quite busy and happy.

Guizhi thought for a moment. It was still cold in the mornings and evenings at this time of year. The chicks were too small, and without a mother hen to incubate them and keep them warm, they might freeze.

Looking up and seeing Dazhu and Zhou Niangzi, Zhou Xing came out of the storeroom and asked, "Dad! Aunt Zhou, the chicks are too small, I'm afraid they'll freeze tonight! Is there anything we can do to keep them warm?"

Madam Zhou used to be a head maid, so she knew how to serve people, but she had never raised chickens before.

Dazhu hadn't really paid much attention to this issue. In the past, when his family raised chickens, they would carry the chicken coop outside in the summer and put it in the outer room in the winter.

"Your grandma seems to have put that blanket on the chicken coop. Should we go back and ask your mother?" Dazhu wasn't sure either. As the eldest son, he hadn't really paid attention to some of the small things in household chores. He had done lifting the chicken coop before, but feeding the chickens was a woman's job.

Zhou Xing was also trying hard to think of ways to help the young lady.

"Ah! I remember now! Mother, the straw mats we used to sleep on could keep the chickens warm!" Zhou Xing exclaimed, and everyone's eyes turned to him.

Madam Zhou said, "At the brokerage, they don't give us blankets. They only have straw mats. When it's cold, several of us huddle together inside the straw mats to keep warm, which at least blocks out some of the wind." Thinking about unhappy things still makes her feel uncomfortable.

The two children also recalled the days of hunger and cold. Every day was filled with the fear of being sold at any moment, and the worry that the matchmaker would become impatient and forcibly separate the family. It was heartbreaking to think about.

Seeing that several people looked like they were about to cry, Guizhi quickly broke the somber atmosphere.

"That's a great idea! Zhou Xing, you're so clever!" Guizhi then looked at Dazhu, "Dad, why don't you move the chicken carcass to the outer room? Zhou Xing, let's go get some dry grass to put in the chicken carcass later."

Madam Zhou also hurriedly went inside to tidy up the place and put the chicken coop.

"Aunt Zhou, the chicken carcass shouldn't be put too far inside. Just put it by the door of the outer room, where it'll be well-ventilated. Clean it up and leave it out for a while, then the room won't smell anymore," Daya said loudly from inside the room.

Daya and Erya had already started sorting soybeans inside. Hearing voices from the outer room, they knew they were about to bring the chicken coop inside. Before the family separated, Daya and Erya were the ones who mostly fed the chickens. They were experienced in this area.

"Third Sister! You and Zhou Xing find a wooden board and put it in the chicken coop. Just put plenty of sawdust from when Fourth Uncle was chopping firewood on the board. When you get home, ask Mom for some old cotton quilts and cover the chicken coop with them. Aunt Zhou or Zhou Qiong should keep an eye on it and check on it often. Add water if the chicks run out of water, and add rice if they run out of rice. That should be fine." Daya said everything she could think of.

"Finally, I have a mentor! Big sister! You're amazing!" Guizhi went into the house, hugged Daya, and gave her a thumbs up.

Er Ya laughed and said, "Big sister knows a lot more! You little girl, you should learn from her!"

"Yes, yes, yes! My two older sisters are amazing! I have to learn from them! Hehe!" Guizhi said with a smile.

"Go and get the sawdust with Zhou Xing, don't keep me from picking beans." Da Ya laughed and pushed Gui Zhi out.

"Third Miss, you don't need to go. Xiao Xing and Xiao Qiong have already gone to get the sawdust. It's just a little bit of stuff, we don't need so many people." By this time, Madam Zhou and Da Zhu had already carried the chicken carcass into the doorway and laid it flat. She washed her hands and went inside to prepare to pick beans.

"Let them handle the rest! They'll have something to do, like feeding and watering," Zhou Niangzi said softly. "The master and young lady are kind-hearted; they don't look down on us, the old and the young, and they even help my father with his medical care and medicine. My husband and I remember it all. The two children also want to do what they can for their masters. They don't want to be freeloaders in this family."

The three sisters looked at each other, understanding each other perfectly. Girls' hearts are always tender, and Guizhi, picking up some beans, thought for a moment and then said softly, "Aunt Zhou, you've seen our family's situation. We're just farmers; our parents only had us sisters. We're really poor, and there's so much farm work. Bringing you here to suffer like this, I don't know if it's the right thing to do. I heard your previous employers were officials, so they must have been wealthy. Just don't regret it later. Maybe if you persevere a little longer, you can marry into another rich family!"

Neither Da Ya nor Er Ya said a word, finding Zhou Niangzi quite touching. But after Gui Zhi said that, they realized their younger sister was right.

"Cough cough!" A coughing sound made everyone turn around, and Zhou Chang, the old man, had woken up at some point.

Guizhi hurriedly asked, "Grandpa Zhou, you're awake! Would you like some water? Aunt Zhou, do you have any warm water? Please give Grandpa Zhou some water first."

Madam Zhou said, "There is water. I'll go get some right away."

Zhou Chang slowly sat up, looked at the girls picking beans in the room, and nodded with a smile: "Three young ladies! You are all good children. I just heard that the old master is a thing of the past. Even if they are reinstated, they will no longer be the masters of my family."

Madam Zhou handed over the water and called softly, "Father! Have some water!"

Old Zhou took the bowl, took a sip of water, and handed it to his wife: "Mingzhi, my dear wife! When things get really tough and tiring in the future, don't regret coming to the village to farm. The only regret you're allowed to have is marrying into the Zhou family. Cough cough."

Madam Zhou put down her bowl and hurriedly knelt on the ground: "Father! Eldest Miss, Second Miss, Third Miss! I have no regrets! Really! I am willing to follow the master family to farm. Master, Madam, and Misses, I will do whatever you arrange for me to do!"

Old Zhou nodded and continued, "Mingzhi's wife, we used to enjoy wealth and luxury, but we also endured corresponding hardships. Now, the master and young lady treat us with utmost sincerity, as family. We eat, dress, and use the same things as the masters. We do the work together, without overly emphasizing the difference between master and servant. The masters treat us truly well! From now on, we must serve the masters with sincerity and do our best for the good of this family! Only when the masters are well can the servants be well."

Madam Zhou knelt on the ground and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

As Zhou Xing and Zhou Qiong were rushing into the inner room when Zhou Niangzi knelt down, they saw their mother kneeling and their grandfather reprimanding them. They then silently knelt behind Zhou Niangzi.

"Get up, all of you! Go and work with the young ladies! Do what you're supposed to do!" Old Man Zhou waved his hand, signaling his wife to get up and pick beans.

The three sisters were a little confused, but they didn't say anything and listened quietly, without putting down their work.

The room was completely silent.

After resting for a moment, Old Man Zhou continued, "My dear ladies, I don't need to boast of my loyalty, but I know that if I hadn't met you, I, Zhou Chang, might not even exist today. Whether I'm poor or rich, I'm staying here in our house and won't go anywhere else!"

The three sisters were overjoyed.

"Grandpa Zhou, get well soon! We're waiting for you to help us with the chores!" Da Ya said with a smile.

Er Ya chimed in, "Grandpa Zhou, when you're feeling better, tell us more about the lives of wealthy families, and teach us to read while you're at it! My fifth uncle went to academy, and now there's no one to teach us!"

"Good, good, good! This old man will definitely take good care of his health. There are so many things I can do! Anything that I and Mingzhi and his wife know, we'll teach you if you want to learn! Haha!" Old Zhou was also happy; the masters and ladies of the house were all kind and honest people. Things would be better from now on.

Guizhi laughed along. She felt that Old Zhou had said everything, and she had nothing more to say. So, she'd just take it slow and see what happened!

Old Zhou didn't underestimate Guizhi; he thought the Third Miss was quite clever. It's a good thing that her master is clever!

Madam Zhou went to the outer room and cried silently for a while. When she washed her face and went back into the inner room to pick beans, Daya spoke up: "Aunt Zhou, that's all the beans we'll pick today. Please soak these picked beans."

Er Ya and Gui Zhi put the beans they had soaked the day before into jars, ready for the beans to sprout. They also watered the bean sprouts in the other jars.

After instructing Madam Zhou to brew medicine for Old Man Zhou on time and take good care of the elderly man, and to let her cook for herself, the three sisters took Zhou Xing back to the old house.

They needed to find an old quilt for Zhou Xing to bring back to cover the chicken carcass. Da Zhu had already driven the oxcart back home after helping carry the chicken carcass. There were still many things to unload from the cart. The sisters, from the same village, walked home chatting and laughing, playfully teasing each other.

When they arrived home, they saw that the oxcart had been unloaded. The ox was still tied up in the cowshed, and Dazhu wasn't inside. Li had just lit a fire; one pot was boiling water, and the other was cooking rice.

"Mother! Where is my father?" Guizhi asked.

“Your father went to the garden to discuss buying wheat seeds with your grandfather,” Li replied.

"Huh? Mother, you're not angry?" Guizhi carefully observed Li's expression.

Li asked in surprise, "Why am I angry? Your father's farming and seed purchases are big matters! How can your mother, who doesn't understand, give orders? How can we live like this? You always pretend to know what you don't. In your eyes, your mother is just an unreasonable person?"

Then, after carefully examining her three daughters, the third sister shook her head. Who would dare speak ill of their mother? They weren't out of their minds.

"Sanya, your father said you should go herd the cattle as soon as you get back." Li Shi was interrupted by the children and almost forgot, so she called Guizhi to herd the cattle.

"I know, Mom. Did Dad tell you to find your old quilts and put them on the chicken coop so the chicks won't get cold? Mom, we bought thirty chicks today. If they all survive, we can eat eggs and chicken when they grow up!" Guizhi said excitedly. If she could eat eggs and chicken as much as she wanted... it sounded wonderful!

"You! You're so useless! All you do is eat! We found the quilt, it's on the north kang, go and get it! Go herd the cattle as soon as possible! Come back for dinner!" Li scolded, still urging Guizhi.

Leaving aside Zhou Xing carrying his quilt, Guizhi led the ox to herd the cattle. Meanwhile, Dazhu mentioned in the vegetable garden that he was going to plant wheat, and the old man, Erzhu, and the fourth brother were all quite agitated.

"Can we buy wheat seeds?" "We can plant them now? That's great!" "Buy them! We have to buy them!" The group chatted back and forth, agreeing on the same thing: plant wheat and buy wheat seeds.

"Dad! Wheat needs base fertilizer, but we don't have any! I want to buy two cartloads of cow dung to take to the fields," Dazhu said.

“Dazhu, I’ve saved up some cow dung, but it’s not enough to use in the fields. Fertilizer helps crops grow better and yield more grain. This is an experience passed down from our ancestors. Tomorrow, go to the village where you bought the cattle. They raise horses and cattle, so they should have some manure. Buy a couple more cartloads, and I’ll buy some from my side too.” The old man could be considered an expert in farming, having spent his entire life working the land.

"Dazhu! It's so hard for you to always think of your parents no matter what you do!" the old man said with emotion.

"Dad, we're planting thirty acres at once. I'm afraid this ox won't be able to handle it," Dazhu said embarrassedly, worried that his father and brothers would think he was being stingy.

“You’re so stubborn! You still have to do business. Your oxcart can’t move. Just keep doing what you’re supposed to do! The village chief has two oxen that he rents out every year. Rent them out; it won’t cost much.” The old man lectured his son.

"After doing business for so long, how can I not tell the difference between more and less!"

Seeing their eldest brother being reprimanded, Erzhu and Lao Si quickly buried themselves in their work!

Having two more strong laborers really makes a difference; they managed to dig up and plant everything in the garden on the old house side in just one day!

The old man was so happy that he wouldn't let go of Dazhu and Zhou Mingzhi, insisting that they go to his place for a meal and drinks. He even said, with a perfectly legitimate reason, that there's no such thing as working without eating.

Unable to refuse the old man's insistence, the two agreed. Dazhu went back and said to Li, "Honey, Dad wants Xiao Zhou and me to go to the old house for a meal and drinks. Do you think we should bring some dishes and food over? After all, with two more people, I'm worried that my second son's wife might not have prepared enough for everyone!"

"Okay! Should I cook it and deliver it, or should I just send the vegetables over to them to cook?" Li was a little unhappy. Having to deliver both the food and vegetables to the restaurant to eat was unsettling, even though she knew Dazhu was right.

"Hmm, let's make it and send it over! My wife's cooking is delicious!" Dazhu took advantage of the fact that no one was in the house to steal a whiff of the aroma.

Li patted him lightly and said, "You're so unserious! Let's stir-fry some bean sprouts then. Have Er Ya go to the east end to get some bean sprouts and tell Xiao Zhou's wife while she's at it, so no one will be thinking about it. Also, make a cold dish to go with the wine, shredded cabbage and vermicelli, our kids love it too. I'll have Da Ya serve you rice later."

A small sweet feeling welled up in Li's heart. Dazhu still had feelings for her.

Because the well in the old house had dried up, cooking was inconvenient, so they were temporarily cooking and eating in the second-pillar house. When they were having dinner and drinking, the three sisters, Daya, Erya, and Guizhi, each brought something over. Daya brought rice, Erya brought stir-fried bean sprouts, Li added some shredded meat, and Guizhi brought a small bowl of cold dishes.

"Grandpa, Grandma! My mom said to add some dishes!" Er Ya said as she placed two plates of bean sprouts on the two tables.

Daya put the food on the kang (a heated brick bed) and said, "Grandpa, Grandma, we cooked enough for two extra people over there, and Mom asked us to bring it over."

Guizhi held the small bowl high, "Grandpa, Grandma, and me! My mom made this cold dish, it's so delicious! Mom said Grandpa and Dad both love it, it's refreshing and goes well with drinks! We just don't have enough plates to hold it all, so I took a bowl!"

The old lady smiled and said, "Your mother is so thoughtful! Your father and your Uncle Zhou just came home for a meal, and she brought so many things! Please thank your mother for me!"

The fourth son's wife went to the outer room to get two plates and divided the cold dish into two plates, one for each table.

"Da Ya, Er Ya, San Ya, why don't you stay here for dinner? There's enough food for you!" The old lady gestured to her three granddaughters.

The three sisters smiled and shook their heads, saying, "Grandma, we're going back now. Mom's waiting for us to come back for dinner! We'll come back tomorrow to get the plates and bowls!"

The second son's wife had been wanting to visit her eldest sister-in-law for a long time, and finally found an excuse. She quickly said, "Da Ya, you should go back! I'll bring the things to you tomorrow!"

Daya nodded, and the three sisters walked home. Once home, they told her that their second aunt was coming the next day to deliver plates and basins. Previously, Zhao and her mother had a falling out over finding out about Dazhu's business. Li always kept the door locked, afraid they might suddenly barge in again.

“Come on over! Sisters-in-law can’t stay apart forever, can they? If you’re here early, I’ll just greet you at the door. There’s nothing to see in this house after you leave,” said Madam Li.

"I've come to terms with it, but I can't change it anyway. Your second aunt is just a shameless, ungrateful person!"

The old man felt genuinely happy that his son's family was filial and reasonable!

"Dazhu! You should go do your business tomorrow, don't let it interfere with your trade. I'm taking Xiao Zhou to Erdaogou to buy cow dung, the village where we buy cattle. We've never bought it before, so we don't know the price. It'll probably cost around fifty to one hundred coins." The old man pondered.

“We’ve been farming this land for so many years, and we know how much fertilizer we’ve used. This year we’re planting two crops, so we’ll definitely need to use more fertilizer. One cartload of fertilizer per acre! I’ll have to buy ten cartloads. To be honest, since you bought the cow, I’ve accumulated about three cartloads of cow manure, enough for three acres. I can’t give this to you, so don’t be angry.” The old man said, sounding embarrassed at the end. There was nothing he could do; the manure was scarce and not enough to go around, but after all, it was Dazhu’s cow.

“Dad! How could I be angry about this! Dad helps me herd cattle, cleans the cattle pen, and does so much work for me! I’ll listen to you! I’ll buy twelve cartloads of cow dung!” Dazhu hurriedly comforted the old man.

He then said to Zhou Mingzhi, "Tomorrow morning, Xiao Zhou, come and get the copper coins. Go with your father to buy cow dung! Deliver it directly to the field. If you don't understand anything, ask your father!"

Zhou Mingzhi nodded in agreement!

"Dad, you'll have to take care of the work in the fields for your son!" Dazhu raised his glass to the old man.

"Alright, alright! I'm not old yet, I can still do things. I may not be able to do heavy work, but can't I do something that just requires talking?" The old man was pleased with his son's trust.