His eyes were filled with uncontrollable admiration.

This child looks quite big, but he's actually about the same age as Jiajia. What's rare is that he's meticulous and has a strong body along with a quick mind.

For men, physical strength is important, but to live a good life, especially one that is comfortable, one must also be intelligent!

While Ding Heli and Hu Wenhua were discussing the upcoming sale of rabbits, Butcher Hu was also talking to Fan Jin about farming.

Butcher Hu looked at his daughter and son-in-law, recalling what he had overheard on his way to deliver potatoes, and said earnestly, "It's August now, and the fields can be started to be cultivated."

"Your fertile fields are gone. I heard from the men in the village that they're thinking of transporting soil from unclaimed barren hills and wastelands to fill them in, but it'll be hard work for everyone."

They originally planned to go back after the rain stopped, but they didn't expect the flooding to be so severe that safety became an issue. Since they were going to stay for a long time anyway, and their son was earning money so they didn't have to worry about him, they could help their daughter and son-in-law transport soil.

“Your mother and I don’t have anything to do. Your mother will cook for you, and I will go to the barren mountain to transport soil. Speaking of which, Wenhua’s job is very good. He only goes once every few days, and each time he can finish in half a day. It won’t interfere with his work at all.”

Fan Jin disagreed: "Father, carrying soil is too tiring. You are old, and I would be very grateful if you could stay at home and help Shui Qing with Mother."

"The task of transporting the soil can be left to Feng Da and Feng Er."

My parents-in-law helped raise livestock, slaughter pigs and sheep to make food, and plant cuttings on the mountain. Except for rainy days, they were busy but not physically demanding. However, carrying soil was a real physical task!

My father-in-law is strong and healthy, but he is getting old, so we can't let him do heavy physical labor for our family.

Upon hearing that he was old, Butcher Hu flew into a rage!

He immediately retorted, unconvinced: "What nonsense! When I delivered potatoes, that cartload weighed several hundred pounds, and I pulled it just as fast as those young men!"

Hu's mother rolled her eyes to the sky.

He couldn't even tell that his son-in-law felt sorry for him.

You might have noticed, but men can say anything, except say he's no good.

Shui Qing suppressed a laugh and tried to smooth things over: "We have a lot of land now, and relying solely on manpower is too tiring. How about we buy a batch of donkeys?" The number of cattle is limited and they are not easy to buy, but there are many donkeys, and the price is much lower than that of cattle.

Donkeys can't carry as much weight as oxen, nor can they work as long, but they are good at walking on mountain roads, faster than oxen, and can also pull plows and millstones, making them very cost-effective.

Hu's mother's first thought was, "Won't this be too conspicuous?"

Fan Jin thought for a moment and looked at Shui Qing, “With the help of livestock, we can all have an easier time. We can also bring back some black masks. It would be even better if there was a girl to help Shui Qing.”

Shui Qing understood immediately; this was a way of spreading the word to the villagers.

She said she needed someone?

What does the black face do?

When Hu's mother heard that the black flour was being transported, she thought that the family was running out of food and that they would mix black flour into their diet from now on.

Dark flour is tough and doesn't taste good, but I heard that grain prices have risen sharply outside, especially dark flour, which has increased by more than half. It's normal for my daughter and son-in-law to set aside money to buy a donkey and a cart and to live frugally.

Butcher Hu, on the other hand, felt that buying a donkey was like acquiring household items and adding to his family's wealth!

"Alright, we'll buy both the male and female donkeys. That way, we won't have to spend money on new ones when they have foals."