Chapter Seventy

After Mu Qing left, Wen Zhaoran pouted.

This guy really doesn't come unless he has a reason; he even tried to steal his brother-in-law's carpentry work before.

How dare you have such a big face?

Mu Jin didn't care much; she had too much chores to do at home and didn't have the energy to focus on other people.

As the sun gradually rose, Mu Bai searched for many insects and grasshoppers in the vegetable garden in the yard.

Despite his small size, he was incredibly brave. He reached out and put the item in the bamboo cage, intending to throw it into the chicken coop to feed the chickens and ducks later.

The cicadas chirped incessantly. The cicada shells from the vegetable garden and peach trees were collected and put into the burlap sack that was already more than half full in the kitchen.

In late summer and early autumn, during the first month of autumn, warm winds arrive, and the power of the "autumn tiger" (a period of late summer heat) is no less than that of midsummer.

Mu Jin wiped the sweat from her face, finished weeding the last bunch of grass in the field, and went home to wash her face.

Bai Qiqiu was so impressed by the praise that he was really into cooking, and he made lunch today.

Fried cicadas and tomato and green bean noodles taste really good.

Mu Jin praised him again, and seeing Bai Qiqiu's enthusiastic appearance, he didn't need to cook dinner tonight.

Mu Jin chuckled. He was naturally pleased to have food without having to lift a finger.

After having a pleasant lunch, he quickly went back to his bedroom to rest for a while.

The peach trees at home will probably be empty after another six or seven days of picking.

Wearing only her undergarments, Mu Jin lay on the bamboo mat on the bed, gently fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan, pondering ways to earn money.

This month, with less income from peaches and cicadas, and after another seven or eight days of harvesting, it's time to dig up most of the vegetables in the garden and plant seasonal autumn vegetables instead.

The autumn green beans, along with the late-season eggplants and peppers he planted, can be harvested for another twenty days or so.

The pumpkins, winter melons, and gourds planted in the vegetable garden are ready for harvest.

This month, Zhou Lin also needs to buy the vegetable seeds for early autumn planting in town.

After careful consideration, Mu Jin decided that cabbage and radishes were definitely necessary to be planted, as they were essential winter vegetables.

The owner of the rice noodle shop in town naturally needed to grow more mustard greens and spinach.

He really likes lettuce, so growing a small patch is enough for his family.

As the saying goes, "Pears and dates in August, hawthorns in September, and chestnuts in October bring smiles to your face."

Next month, when the mountains are stocked with autumn produce, we can gather more and sell it in town to earn money.

Thinking this, the palm-leaf fan in her hand gradually stopped, and the soft sound of someone falling asleep drifted off to sleep.

Perhaps because she was a little tired last night, Mu Jin slept very soundly and deeply during her afternoon nap this time.

When I slowly woke up, more than an hour had passed.

When Mu Jin woke up after sleeping too long during the day, her head was still fuzzy.

After lying down for a while to recover fully, I got up, put on my coat, and went out.

Bai Qi cut a lot of pig feed in the autumn and summer, and now he has dried nine large sacks of it.

Fearing it wouldn't be enough to feed the three pigs at home, this afternoon, Mu Bai, Wen Zhaoran, and I harvested a lot more.

As soon as Mu Jin stepped outside, she smelled the strong odor of pig feed throughout the yard.

Bai Qiqiu and the others were probably still at the foot of the mountain. Night Owl was dozing under the big peach tree, and the courtyard was empty.

Mu Jin scooped up some water, washed her face, picked up her hoe, and went out to clear the remaining weeds in the field.

After finishing his day's work, Zhou Lin, following Mu Jin's instructions, drove the oxcart with Mu Heng to the shop and bought five catties of mutton.

Uncle Mu was naturally very happy yesterday, as it was the day he was paid.

Today, Mu Heng was also following her husband's instructions to buy a lot of seafood that she had never tried before from the shop.

After paying the money, Zhou Lin asked the shop assistant to cut off a pound of meat and put it into the basket that Mu Heng had brought.

When Mu Heng saw this, he simply smiled and didn't stand on ceremony with his apprentice.

When putting the basket on the cart, he picked up a handful of seaweed and put it into Zhou Lin's basket.

Zhou Lin learned from his mistake and this time covered the basket tightly with the burlap lining he had used to cover the vegetables and peaches that morning.

Outsiders must never be able to see what's inside from the outside.

Seeing this, Mu Heng asked him for a piece of linen and used it to cover the things he had bought.

Because he was the only carpenter in the village, he knew many of the villagers.

If you encounter someone shameless enough to ask for money, you might feel obligated to give them some.

During this period, I worked under the sun and in the wind, and earned quite a bit of money.

Of course, I wouldn't be willing to give away such good food to strangers who aren't very close to me.

After getting ready, Zhou Lin cracked his whip, and with the sound of ox hooves, slowly walked towards home.

"I estimate that the work at the Zhao residence will be finished by the end of this month."

Mu Heng said, still feeling a pang of reluctance to give up this job.

The host family was kind; if it was too hot in the summer, they would not only provide ice, but also send ice cream to help them cool down.

Every day, Zhou Lin's lunches consist of meat, and he has gained quite a bit of weight recently.

The three carpenters in town were all kind and honest people.

The group worked at the Zhao residence, free from the usual scheming and infighting.

These past few months, Mu Heng and Zhou Lin have gotten along very well with them.

The thought of parting ways makes me really reluctant to leave.

Working at the Zhao residence meant good food and company, making the work less boring and more engaging.

Honestly, working at the Zhao residence is much more enjoyable than working at home.

Zhou Lin sighed, "The crops in the fields should have been harvested by then. After we're done with the work, we might be able to find new jobs in town."

The thought of his husband's greedy and happy face made him want to find more work, do more jobs, earn money, and make his husband even happier.

Mu Heng smiled, patted him, and said, "There's no time for you to rest. In the autumn, many families in the village will be holding wedding banquets. Your master has already taken on several jobs at home, doing dowry work for the young men and women in the family who are getting married. You'll be busy until late autumn. Although you don't earn as much as you do working at the Zhao family, you'll be able to make it through the New Year."

Muqiang, who lives at home, mostly takes on jobs from villagers. To save money, he often cuts down trees from the mountains himself.

Although the amount they earn is not much compared to those in town, it is still much better than that of most families in the village.

Zhou Lin nodded slightly, feeling somewhat relieved.

His biggest fear is not having a job and not being able to support his family.

The master and apprentice chatted as they drove the oxcart, and a familiar figure gradually appeared ahead.

"Second brother."

Zhou Ming turned his head, saw Zhou Lin, and gave a slight smile.

"Brother, are you going home after work?"

Zhou Lin nodded, glanced at the wooden beam, and wondered whether he should call Zhou Ming to get on the oxcart.

Although Mu Heng didn't particularly like Zhou Ming, he still spoke up for Zhou Lin's sake.

"Erming, come on up, let's go back together."

Zhou Ming was exhausted from carrying bricks all day. He thanked Mu Heng and climbed onto the oxcart.

The three of them looked at each other in silence for a while.

Zhou Lin spoke first, "Second brother, did you go to town to find some odd jobs and just came back?"

Judging from his tired appearance, he must have gone to town to look for work.

Zhou Ming smiled and said, "Yes, the Zhao family is building a new mansion and happened to be hiring, so I went and carried bricks and tiles all day. It was really tiring."

Zhou Lin was unaware that Zhou Ming was also working as a laborer at the Zhao residence. Upon hearing this, he said, "The laborers at the Zhao residence are paid well, and most of the work is done by people. Since you have this job, you should cherish it."

"My work isn't as easy as my elder brother's, and he doesn't earn as much money at the Zhao household. I'm just working hard to earn a living for your unborn nephew."

Zhou Lin didn't know what to say, so he only said, "Things will get better slowly."

Zhou Ming sat on the oxcart, rested for a while, and smiled at Zhou Lin.

“Brother, I heard you’re quite familiar with the steward of the Zhao family. Could you tell him that the Zhao family has a large estate not far from our village? If I could work there, I wouldn’t have to worry about not finding work. Your unborn nephew has nothing to eat or wear.”

Mu Heng chuckled and said, "Who told you that? You don't know your older brother's personality. He can barely say a few words to acquaintances, and he can hardly utter a single word to important people. Let alone acquaintances, Steward Zhao is too busy to even remember your older brother's name and appearance."

Zhou Lin remained silent. Although it wasn't as exaggerated as his master had described, he and Steward Zhao were indeed not very familiar with each other.

Zhou Ming smirked, his contempt for Zhou Lin growing even stronger. He couldn't even seize such a good opportunity while working at the Zhao residence.

It's better to rely on him than to try to build a good relationship with the steward at the new mansion himself.

Thinking this, Zhou Ming shut his mouth and said nothing more.

Mu Heng, too lazy to look at his snobbish attitude, followed Zhou Lin and sat down at the front.

He disliked Zhou Ming's behavior from the start—calling him "Big Brother" when there was trouble, but acting like Da Lin when there wasn't.

Seeing him today, I disliked Zhou Ming even more; I found even a single glance annoying.

As the sun gradually set, Zhou Ming was taken home first. When they arrived at Mu Heng's house, Zhou Lin picked up the bamboo basket and walked back by himself without letting his master take him.

"Brother-in-law, you're finally back."

As Mu Jin said, Zhou Lin would buy mutton from northern Xinjiang this afternoon.

The brothers in the family had been looking forward to it all afternoon.

To them, Zhou Lin, who had just stepped into the courtyard, was like a piece of mutton that smelled delicious.

Zhou Lin chuckled and handed over the bamboo basket in his hand.

"The meat is inside."

Staring at him like that made me feel like a piece of lamb waiting to be cooked.

It's weird and creepy.

The boys happily took the bamboo baskets and cheerfully returned to the kitchen.

I made a pot of seaweed soup, a large plate of braised pork and mutton, and several plates of cold dishes.

After a sumptuous dinner, the group ate until they were completely full and let out a satisfied burp.

The setting sun and a lone wild goose flew together, and the whole village was quiet and peaceful.

Night fell as expected. Zhou Lin and Mu Jin, along with the three of them, searched for cicadas for a while before returning to their house.

"I ran into my second brother on my way back today. He's also working at the Zhao family now, and he wanted me to help him find some work."

Mu Jin laughed and said, "Oh? I didn't know you had such skills."

Zhou Lin smiled and turned over to lie on the inside of the bed. "I don't know either. Later, Master said that I wasn't actually familiar with Steward Zhao, so my second brother didn't say anything more."

Mu Jin lowered the bed curtains. "My second brother came to visit today. I was just saying, with his intelligence, I was hoping he'd give you a hand, but I never expected he'd come all the way here."

Zhou Lin sighed, "It's because I'm incompetent."

Mu Jin lay down beside him and smiled, "Now that you have a skill and can support your family, in my heart you are already a very capable man."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "You must not actually ask Steward Zhao about your second brother's matter. If you offend him, the family's income will be gone. Besides, your second brother is eloquent and can certainly make a name for himself on his own. Didn't you also slowly support your family with your skills? Being eloquent is also a skill. If you can win the favor of noble people, you won't have to worry about not having work."

Zhou Lin nodded slightly in the darkness. He knew he could only do what he was capable of. He had already done his best to support his family, and he truly didn't have the ability to help others anymore.