Chapter 121

In late autumn, the crops in the fields have all been harvested. Before turning over the winter wheat, Mu Jin spread the manure she had saved for two or three months into the fields while turning over the soil.

Following Mu Jin's instructions, Mu Youyu and Lin Huzi planted two mu of winter wheat in the field.

The trellises for cucumbers and tomatoes in the vegetable gardens at home and behind the house have all been pulled up, and radishes, cabbages, spinach and other seasonal vegetables have been planted in their place.

Because the family no longer needs to rely on the money earned from selling grain, and there are many people in the family, although the harvest in the fields is better than last year, it is still not as good as the fertile fields in the village.

Of the harvested grain, apart from the potatoes which were more than enough to eat and sold for five bushels, the remaining hibiscus was kept and stored in the newly built granary of the new house.

With the new house completed, Wen Zhaoran bought quite a few extra bricks and tiles, so he built two smaller rear-facing rooms near the courtyard gate and next to the peach tree.

One room was reserved specifically for Zhou Lin to do carpentry.

The remaining room can be used to store farm tools, carpentry tools, or other miscellaneous items.

Now the house is being paved with bluestone slabs. Once the courtyard is paved, Wen Zhaoran will follow the example of the Qian family's house and dig a small pond not far from the peach tree in the house.

While we were at it, we bought a stone table and stone benches and placed them under the peach tree.

When the family built a new house, Wen Zhaoran paid the bulk of the expenses. Mu Jin and Zhou Lin insisted on covering the meals for the craftsmen who came to work and the money needed for digging the well.

Unfortunately, once the construction of the new house began, there was no way to stop Wen Zhaoran from spending money like water.

Secretly, he had the only person who could help him buy a lot of things from the town in the wooden boat.

By the time Mulan came to her senses, everything she should and shouldn't have bought was piled up in the yard.

What should have been fifty taels of silver has now probably cost over seventy taels.

Mu Jin was helpless. The deed was done, and the money spent couldn't be recovered. She could only think of making up for it for Wen Zhaoran in other places later.

A single autumn rain brings a chill, soaking the fallen, withered leaves on the ground.

On August 26th, early in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, the whole family was woken up by the squealing of their sow.

"Ah Lin, hurry, go get a basket of soot from the bottom of the pot. It looks like she's about to give birth to piglets."

"Zhaoran, quickly go to the woodshed and get a bundle of firewood. We'll make a fire in the pen later. It just rained yesterday, so the newborn piglets won't get cold."

"Brother Li, could you please bring me a stool?"

When speaking to Wang Li, Mu Jin's tone unconsciously softened as if she was afraid of frightening him.

Wang Li opened her big, round eyes and nodded obediently.

Wen Zhaoran ran over carrying firewood, "Big brother, the firewood is here."

Hibiscus stood in the middle of the pigpen, slightly close to the sow struggling to give birth, piled up firewood, and gently touched the flint to ignite the sorghum stalks.

Wang Li carried two small stools and ran over in small steps.

"Big brother, here you go."

Mu Jin smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Li."

Wang Li smiled shyly, turned around and ran back to the courtyard, bringing back two more stools.

Zhou Lin also rushed over, carrying a full basket of soot from the bottom of the pot.

"I'm finally about to give birth. I wonder if the extra twenty or so coins were worth it."

Mu Jin smiled slightly, "This year, our family's first piglets will be born, but I reckon there won't be too many."

Zhou Lin took the stool that Wang Li handed him and sat down next to Mu Jin.

It was getting late, and not a single piglet had been born yet.

Judging from the looks of it, we'll have to wait a while.

Mu Jin said softly, "It's getting late. I won't have time to make breakfast today. Hurry up and pack the vegetables so we can go to town early and have breakfast there."

"It looks like it will take a while. One person can stay here and keep an eye on things. I'll go and cook the porridge first. You should eat your breakfast first."

Now that Mu Jin couldn't go hungry, she nodded upon hearing this, "Cook three more salted duck eggs."

Zhou Lin smiled and said, "Okay, I'll also make a bowl of steamed egg custard."

Mu Jin's eyebrows immediately curved into a smile. "Go quickly."

Zhou Lin got up and left the pigsty, leaving the three boys around the fire. Wang Li, having somehow obtained some corn husks, lowered his head and looked serious, seemingly weaving something.

For a moment, apart from the sows' grunting in pain, there was no other sound in the pigpen; everyone was quietly waiting for the first piglet to be born.

In the village, smoke gradually rose from the kitchens. Mu Jin hurried back to the kitchen and drank a bowl of millet porridge with a salted duck egg.

After filling their bellies, the first piglet in the pigpen was born successfully. It was completely black, so black that you couldn't see the piglet's black bean-like eyes.

Mu Jin chuckled as she directed Bai Qiqiu, who had just arrived, to use soot from the bottom of a pot to clean the amniotic sac from the newborn piglets.

The birth of piglets by a sow is not something that happens overnight. The noise from the pigpen only stopped after the family had finished lunch.

Ten plump piglets, some spotted and some black, were nestled under their mother's belly, drinking milk.

They look really cute and delightful.

"The extra twenty or so coins that my brother-in-law spent were worth it. The family usually has seven or eight piglets, and nine is considered a lot. We made a profit."

After finishing his work at the dye shop, Bai Qiqiu came over to the pigpen and gently poked the chubby little body of the newborn piglet.

Mu Jin smiled and said, "Looking at it this way, we really did make a profit."

Fearing that the newborn piglets would get cold, Mu Jin took Bai Qiqiu to Mu Nianjun's place and bought a cartload of straw. They swept the pigpen a little and then quickly put the straw in, making a thick layer.

When Zhou Lin returned from town and heard that ten kittens had been born, he was overjoyed, feeling that the money hadn't been wasted.

Before long, it was the end of August. When Mu Bai went to town to meet the young master of the Liu family, a light drizzle began to fall early in the morning.

The drizzle wasn't heavy, but it was still quite annoying.

"What kind of lousy day is the Liu family planning?"

Mu Bai put on three layers of clothes, took out all his best clothes from the bottom of his trunk, looked at the drizzle outside the courtyard, and muttered something with a dissatisfied expression.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling, who was helping him straighten his clothes, lightly slapped him.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Let me tell you, don't cause any trouble when we get to town. Just have a good chat with Young Master Liu. I've heard that he's very favored at home. When you marry into the family, you won't have to deal with the fields all day like you do in the village. You'll live a life of leisure, being the head of the household."

Mu Bai said helplessly, "It's nothing, let alone being the head of the household. My elder brother said that young master Liu is very picky, so father, don't have too high expectations."

Zhou Ling patted him with a smile, "My boy is very handsome. If that young master Liu doesn't like you, it's because he has no taste. Anyway, you're still young. We can find a good match next year."

Upon hearing this, Mu Bai's tense heart immediately relaxed a little.

Fortunately, Zhou Ling was not blinded by the Liu family's wealth and forced him to win over the young master Liu.

After Zhou Ling finished packing, she took her sleeping youngest son to be looked after by her sister-in-law, Mu. The whole family then drove their oxcart to town early in the morning.

Mu Jin was also thinking about it at home. Last night, she wanted to talk to Zhou Lin and ask him to take some time at noon to visit Manager Liu's bookstore.

But then she thought that since her family was marrying off a boy, they should be more reserved. If they were too eager, their in-laws would look down on them, so she gave up on the idea.

Unexpectedly, before noon, Mu Bai came running over with a long face, carrying a small bundle that Mu Jin recognized very well.

Seeing this, Mu Jin understood everything. Suppressing her slight disappointment, she smiled gently at Mu Bai.

"How many days will you stay at my house?"

Mu Bai skillfully placed the bundle into Wen Zhaoran's room and sighed deeply.

"Big brother, please don't say that. I angered my father today. I reckon he won't want to see me during the New Year."

As Mu Bai spoke, he sat down on the edge of the bed, looking utterly exhausted.

"What's wrong?"

Mu Jin, now showing signs of pregnancy, slowly walked over and sat down next to Mu Bai.

"It's all because of today's matchmaking. Liu Chengye is handsome and not fat, but his mouth is really infuriating. Today is the first time I've met him, and he said that I'm just a little bean sprout, how old am I, and I'm already out here looking for a partner."

Mu Jin was speechless. No wonder Manager Liu had said that Liu Chengye had driven away many young men and women; even Zhou Lin couldn't match his sharp tongue.

"They even said I have a small face, with my eyes taking up half my face, like a little calf."

"puff."

Mu Jin couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Mu Bai objected, "Big brother, you're still laughing!"

Mu Jin smiled and took a closer look at Mu Bai. His eyes were big and bright, and they really took up a lot of space on his small face.

"The calf is so cute, with big, bright eyes. Maybe it's praising you."

Mu Bai pouted, "I was so angry back then. I pointed my finger at him and berated him from head to toe, just like a monkey in the mountains that can't speak."

"And then what?"

"Later, when we had been arguing for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, I was about to hit him. But I figured we were making too much noise, so my uncle and his uncle came in and took us away separately."

As Mu Bai spoke, he raised his fist and said, "My little father came in way too quickly. Otherwise, I would have definitely punched him."

Mu Jin chuckled. The two looked at each other, as if they were playing around. They were still just two kids, so it was normal for them to bicker.

"Stay here with your elder brother and wait until your father calms down before going back."

Mu Bai smiled and nodded, then hugged Mu Jin's arm and said coquettishly, "Big brother, you're the best."

Unexpectedly, Zhou Ling came over happily just as her brothers had finished lunch.

"Bai'er, hurry home with your father."

Mu Jin was surprised; Zhou Ling's anger had subsided far too quickly.

"Little Daddy, you're not angry anymore?"

Mu Bai looked completely bewildered. In the morning, his stepfather had poked his forehead and scolded him all the way.

What are you saying? What kind of man is so fierce, arguing with a man? If word gets out, how will he find a wife in town next year? It will be difficult even in the village.

Zhou Ling's eyes were full of smiles. "When did I get angry?"

Mu Bai: "..."

My own father has such a bad memory; he's already forgotten something that happened just an hour ago?

Zhou Ling smiled and said, "The Liu family in town sent word that the young master Liu has agreed to the marriage. If you are also interested, I will go back to them and find an auspicious day in September to finalize the marriage between you two."

Mu Jin and Wen Zhaoran were both shocked. Could it be that this young master Liu has some kind of masochistic disorder?!

Mu Bai's expression was one of utter disbelief.