Chapter Sixty-Two

Because Zhou Lin had to take a lot of vegetables to town every day, Mu Heng asked him to bring back the handcart that had a hole in it but could still be used to haul goods.

Harvesting wheat requires oxen to pull the bundles home, but Zhou Lin couldn't borrow an ox.

Zhou Lin was incredibly grateful when Mu Heng lent him the cart.

It was the busy farming season, and even if Mu Heng lent him the oxcart, he would absolutely refuse.

Even a broken cart is better than nothing.

Days passed slowly, and the ramie in the river was soaked.

Because it was convenient to use water, Mu Jin and Bai Qiqiu peeled the ramie bark by the river.

After soaking for about ten days, the ramie bark is easy to peel.

After peeling five or six ramie roots, he had Wen Zhaoran soak the ramie bark in the river to wash it clean.

Put it in a bamboo basket, carry it home, and hang it to dry.

On a sunny day like these, the hemp can be sorted after drying for two or three days.

"Brother, after using the ramie to make fishing nets, we might be able to weave half a bolt of fine linen cloth."

Bai Qiqiu tossed aside the ramie stalks he had peeled, then carried them back to the yard to dry so they could be used as firewood.

Mu Jin nodded, thought for a moment and said, "The cotton in the fields can be harvested in the fall, and the ramie can be harvested again. At that time, let Brother Nianjun weave two bolts of cotton and linen cloth together, so that each person in the family can have a set of clothes in the winter."

In Mujia Village, everyone grows cotton, which they mostly sell to earn money for household expenses or to buy New Year's goods.

There are still relatively few people willing to use cotton for their own families.

Especially in families with many children, it may not be noticeable when they are young, but when they grow up to be half a pound of food a day, they can really eat their father out of house and home.

Because the villagers were willing to spend money, they would add some cotton thread when weaving cloth, making cotton-linen cloth, which was more comfortable to wear.

In the courtyard, during winter, Zhou Lin buried two wooden stakes and strung up a rope next to the vegetable garden to hang clothes to dry.

Now it is covered with ramie bark, swaying in the wind.

A while ago, Bai Qiqiu shaved bamboo strips, wove three mats, washed them clean, put them in the house, and laid them on the bed so that it would be cooler when sleeping at night.

Besides the bamboo mat, there was also a large bamboo mat used for drying things.

Now the ground is covered with locust blossoms, and the fragrance of locust blossoms fills the air.

"Big brother, come quick! The peaches are ripe!"

As Mu Jin was turning over the locust flowers drying in the yard, she heard Wen Zhaoran's shout coming from the vegetable garden.

After finishing flipping through the last piece, Mu Jin got up, her eyes showing a hint of joy, and followed the sound to the peach tree.

"That's true."

On the peach tree branches, on the branches that receive the most sunlight, many peaches have already ripened.

This attracted many birds, and you could vaguely see that several ripe peaches had already been pecked by them, leaving the peaches pitted and uneven.

"Qi Qiu, make two big straw figures today, and when your brother-in-law comes back, have him tie them to tree branches."

Bai Qiqiu nodded and grinned, "Big brother, shall we pick the ripe peaches now?"

Mu Jin looked again and shook her head helplessly.

"It's too high. Let's wait until your older brother comes back before we talk about it."

Bai Qiqiu rolled up his sleeves. "It's not high. I'll climb up. Big brother, you and Zhaoran can both cut a piece of cloth and catch me from below."

Just as Bai Qiqiu was about to climb the tree after speaking, Mu Jin quickly stopped him.

"Are you sure you can do it? If you fall, it's no joke."

"Don't worry, brother. When I was at home, I used to climb up the persimmon and jujube trees and knock them down myself."

Mu Jin still didn't want him to go up, but Bai Qiqiu was too strong, and before she could grab him, he had climbed to the middle of the tree.

They are as agile as monkeys in the forest.

Helpless, Mu Jin went back inside and brought over Zhou Lin's summer clothes, which were covered in patches.

They took one and put it in the bamboo basket, the three of them moving in perfect unison.

Throw, catch, put, throw, catch, put...

Today I harvested two bamboo baskets of peaches, but nearly half of them were pecked by birds. I'm really heartbroken.

Bai Qiqiu took a knife from the kitchen and used it to cut out the spot where the bird had pecked.

"The peaches that have been pecked by birds are the sweetest."

As Bai Qiqiu spoke, he rinsed the food slightly with water and took a big bite.

The peaches are fragrant, sweet, and juicy—truly delicious!

Mu Jin sighed and smiled, selected some good peaches, and seeing that it was still early, gave some to her friends.

Thinking of the Mu and Zhou families, on his way back from Mu Sheng's house, he made a detour and went home to call Mu Bai over.

During this period, he helped carry bundles of wheat in the fields every day, and his fair skin turned into "Little Black Mu" from the sun.

When Mulan arrived, she grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth. Her face, which had darkened slightly, made her eyes appear even brighter for some reason.

"The peaches at home are ripe, come with me to get some."

He didn't make this trip specifically for Mu Laoqi and Zhou Ling; he just wanted Mu Bai and Mu Zhou to have a taste.

Upon hearing this, Mu Bai shook his head. "Big brother, no need. The peaches at home are ready to eat."

Mu Jin smiled and said, "The peaches from one family taste different from those from another. Take some and try them."

Mu Bai thought for a moment. He remembered that Mian Ge had mentioned that the peach tree in his older brother's house bore the sweetest and freshest fruit.

He thought about it and realized he was really craving it, so he went with Mu Jin back to her house.

As for the Zhou family, we can have Zhou Lin send some over in a couple of days after he returns.

Mu Jin originally wanted Mu Bai to take some good peaches back with him, but unexpectedly, he didn't take the usual route.

After eating a peach that had been pecked by a bird, he carried several peaches with dents home.

Mu Jin felt rather helpless, but thinking that it was for him to eat anyway, she could just give him whichever he liked.

It must be sweeter than a perfectly good peach.

Early the next morning, Mu Jin carried a small bamboo basket full of peaches and followed Zhou Lin, pushing a cart, to the town.

After selling the vegetables, Mu Jin waited in the shop for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, she got up and went to the beverage shop not far away.

Before leaving, I left seven or eight rice noodles for the shop owner to try.

"Please come in, sir."

As soon as Mu Jin arrived at the beverage shop, she was led inside by the smiling shop assistant.

He smiled and said, "I have a business deal I'd like to discuss with your manager. Is your manager here?"

The shopkeeper glanced at the hibiscus twice and examined it carefully.

Seeing that he had clear eyes and a handsome appearance, he didn't seem like a madman.

She couldn't help but be surprised. It seemed that her husband was quite a bold man, daring to let a husband like him go out to do business with other men.

Mu Jin remained calm as he scrutinized her, but secretly pinched her index finger under her thumb.

"Please wait here while I go and call my manager."

As he spoke, he glanced at Mu Jin again with an inscrutable expression.

Mu Jin was filled with doubt and, for some reason, felt somewhat uneasy.

The shop wasn't crowded yet; it wasn't hot in the early morning, and a few employees were scattered around, tidying up tables and chairs.

Before long, the shopkeeper came out. He was pot-bellied, with a fat face and his eyes were squeezed into slits.

With a smile that made Mu Jin quite uncomfortable, he deliberately didn't sit opposite Mu Jin, but squeezed onto a bench with her.

Mu Jin quickly changed to a different stool, managing a weak smile.

"Shopkeeper, do you need peaches? My peach trees have just borne fruit. Take a look, they are all plump and sweet."

As Mu Jin spoke, she peeled off the burlap covering the peach, revealing the tender pink peach inside.

Unexpectedly, the shopkeeper didn't even glance at the peaches in the bamboo basket, but stared at Mu Jin's face, carefully sketching it.

Mu Jin immediately got goosebumps all over her body and felt impatient.

To everyone's surprise, the shopkeeper, in broad daylight, actually touched his hand.

Before she even touched it, Mu Jin was so startled that she pulled her hand away, stood up abruptly, and her eyes showed a hint of annoyance.

"What does the shopkeeper mean by this?!"

The shopkeeper wasn't annoyed. He withdrew his fat hand and looked Mu Jin up and down.

He said with a lecherous grin, "Whether my shop needs peaches or not, let's see what my young husband does."

Mu Jin stared wide-eyed, but the shop assistants ignored her, as if they were used to it.

With mixed feelings, Mu Jin quickly picked up the bamboo basket and prepared to leave the shop.

The shopkeeper wasn't in a hurry; he tapped the table.

“With your looks, my young husband, how could coarse clothes be a match for you? Once you leave this door, you won’t find another like it.”

Without looking back, Mu Jin hurriedly left the shop.

Despite the sweltering heat, I was startled and broke out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, the drink shop owner wasn't about to do anything in broad daylight, with people coming and going on the town streets.

Mu Jin breathed a sigh of relief. The rice noodle shop owner and Steward Zhao she had met before were both kind-hearted people.

Spending time with them made him relax and he began to think that everyone in town was a good person.

After warming his slightly weak legs, Mu Jin hurried to the Zhao residence; he desperately wanted to see Zhou Lin.

The peaches in the bamboo basket were given to Steward Zhao. A short while later, Zhou Lin arrived at the pavilion looking anxious and hurrying along.

"What happened?"

Mu Jin shook her head, and seeing that no one was paying attention, she hugged Zhou Lin's waist and buried her head in his stomach.

This terrified Zhou Lin. "What's wrong? Don't scare me."

Mu Jin sighed and said sullenly, "I feel bad because the peaches didn't sell."

Zhou Lin breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and awkwardly let him hug her.

"It's alright. The peaches are coming in season now, and even if you sell them, they won't be worth more than a few copper coins. Don't be sad about this."

Hibiscus nodded in his arms.

There was more than one beverage shop in town, but Mu Jin was frightened by the shopkeeper and dared not go alone again.

Zhou Lin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was feeling better.

When Butler Zhao told him that Mu Jin looked unwell, he thought something had happened and was truly terrified.

After hugging for a while, Mu Jin raised her head shyly.

"Okay, I'm fine now. I'll go home in a bit. You can go to work."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lin sat with him for a while longer. The work was urgent, and seeing that Mu Jin's complexion had improved considerably, he gave her a few more instructions before heading back to the neighboring woodworking yard, turning back every few steps.

Mu Jin breathed a sigh of relief, picked up her empty bamboo basket, and got up to go home.

Just as I reached the west gate, a servant hurried over, panting.

"Brother Lin, wait a moment, the old lady invites you."