Chapter 217 Wedding Dress

"Aying, Aying!" Just after breakfast, Madam Zheng and others came.

"Here we are!" Su Ying came out carrying a hoe, "Let's go!"

"Sister, wait for me!" Atang, Xiaotao and other little kids dropped their bowls and followed, curious about how sugarcane was grown.

A group of people came to the shady place where the sugarcane seedlings were buried, dug up the sand and sugarcane leaves, and found that the sugarcane tails that had been buried for several months were still fresh. They dug them all out and moved them away.

Large areas of dry land in the village are used to grow winter wheat, and the remaining paddy fields are used to grow two crops of rice.

The village has been busy in the past few months. In addition to the daily production of vermicelli, they also have to repair lime kilns, ponds, and roads.

Since there was no extra energy to reclaim the wasteland and there were not many sugarcane seedlings, Su Ying decided to use the scattered plots of land from each family for planting.

Su Ying planted vegetables in the corner of the courtyard of her former dilapidated house, and dug a new piece of land in the new house to grow vegetables.

All the women in the village came and dug the small yard into ditches and ridges one foot deep in a few seconds.

Pour water into the furrows and ridges, and trample the soil into mud. The mud retains water and can increase the germination rate of sugarcane seedlings.

Remove the leaves from the sugarcane tail, chop off the excess part, lay it horizontally and gently press it into the mud with the buds facing upwards, half of it exposed to the mud and half to the ground.

"Hey, Aying, didn't you say to plant it vertically? Why is it horizontally?" Madam Zheng asked.

"Both are fine. Planting vertically will allow for larger spacing between plants, eliminating the need for tilling the soil and making fertilization and management easier.

Planting horizontally with smaller spacing between plants can increase sugarcane density and yield, but attention should be paid to soil fertility and drainage." Su Ying replied.

He also briefly talked about the matters that need to be paid attention to during the subsequent growth of sugarcane.

She had never actually grown sugarcane before, but she had some knowledge of the theories behind large-scale and scientific sugarcane cultivation.

Knowing a little more than the ancients, these planting techniques are enough to improve sugarcane yield and quality compared to free and wild growth.

After the Su family finished planting, they distributed the remaining sugarcane seedlings to everyone, and everyone happily took them home to plant.

The children were more excited than the adults. They ran back quickly and dug a piece of land in the vegetable garden behind their house to plant.

"Mom, let me do it, let me do it!" Hu Zi, Asang and A Mu were digging the ground and refused to let the adults intervene.

"Okay, mother will watch you grow the crops!" Madam Wang and Madam Pei Wu smiled helplessly.

"Mother, my son can't do farming, but he can do this little bit of sugarcane!" Hu Zi said seriously to Mrs. Pei Wu.

There was only one or two mu of dry land, and the ditch was only a foot deep, but the three boys worked hard to finish it.

We had a lot of fun filling water, stepping on mud, and releasing sugarcane tails, with our hands and feet covered in mud.

You wipe my face and I wipe your face, and we laugh and play around.

It feels completely different when you grow it yourself.

Not only will I strictly follow Su Ying's instructions for daily management operations, but the first thing I will do every morning when I wake up is to check whether the sugarcane has sprouted and grown taller.

"Is this how sugarcane is grown?" Yang Chunhua came out with the help of a cane, watching with great interest.

After almost three months, my leg has almost healed, but the healed area is still relatively tender and cannot bear gravity, so I still need to use crutches for support.

"Auntie, we'll have sugarcane to eat in October!" Hu Zi said happily, "We grew this ourselves."

"Well, Hu Zi is capable!" Yang Chunhua said with a smile.

"Aunt, we planted it too!" Amu and Asang were unwilling to be left behind and took credit for it.

"Well, Amu and Asang are both better at doing things! Our Yang family will be counting on you from now on!" Yang Chunhua touched his nephews' heads one by one.

If Abao were still alive, he would be this old, would be able to grow sugarcane, and would be able to go to school. He would also be as naughty as he is now, with his face and body covered in mud.

Po was such a clever and cute child, it's a pity that he didn't live to see this day.

When Yang Chunhua thought of Abao, she felt inexplicably sad.

"Aunt, what's wrong with you?" Hu Zi was the first to notice that something was wrong with Yang Chunhua.

"It's okay. I'm happy because we can eat the sugarcane you planted by the end of the year." Yang Chunhua smiled.

It's all in the past, why keep thinking about those sad things? Life must always move forward!

"Sister!" Su Ying came to visit with Xiao Tao and Atang, carrying a bundle.

"Aying is here, come in quickly!" Gao greeted everyone warmly.

When Yang Chunhua heard this, he came to the main hall on crutches, "Aying!"

"Sister, is your leg okay?" Su Ying stood up and helped Yang Chunhua sit down.

"He's almost well. He doesn't need a cane anymore. My mother insisted that he should rest for a few more days." Yang Chunhua said softly.

"You silly child, how about you take care of it for a few more days? Your injured leg is not as good as before. You can't use gravity, otherwise you will grow legs of different lengths, which is really ugly."

Gao came in with some sweet soup and said angrily.

I have to take care of my own child and suffer for so many years. I have only had time to rest for the past two months. Now life is better and there is no shortage of food at home. Otherwise, I would not be able to stay at home to recuperate.

"Mom!" Yang Chunhua rarely acted coquettishly towards her mother.

"Silly child!" Gao said with disdain, but had a doting smile on her face.

Su Ying picked up the honey water and drank it. Honey, which used to be precious and not easily shown to others, is now a must-have for every household when entertaining guests.

"How come Ah Ying has time to come and sit here?" asked Gao.

"Grandma, this is a piece of red cloth that Magistrate Hu gave me last time. I've been so busy that I forgot about it.

My sister is getting married soon, and this piece of red cloth is the perfect color for her wedding dress." Su Ying handed the bundle to Gao.

Gao opened it and found a piece of bright red gauze cloth with fine and even texture and bright color.

It is not as good as silk and satin, but it is the best fabric for ordinary people.

"Oh, Ying, this is not possible! It's a waste to use such good fabric for a wedding dress!" Gao rubbed the fabric and shook her head.

Gao used the cloth, cotton and other betrothal gifts sent by the Su family last time to sew two new clothes for her daughter, and planned to take the rest back to the Su family as a dowry.

"Yes, Ah Ying, it would be a waste to use such fine fabric for a wedding dress. Besides, at my age, I don't need to wear such brightly colored clothes. It would be better if you children made clothes for me. They are so fresh and tender!"

Yang Chunhua was both moved and distressed. She was moved by the Su family's kindness, but also felt sorry that the good fabric was wasted to make a wedding dress.

Rich families can choose the most extravagant wedding gown, even if it is only worn once in a lifetime.

But poor people have to be frugal, and it would be a waste to wear something only once, especially if it is made of high-quality cloth.

"Grandma, Sister! This is the only chance in life, it's worth it! We still have some good fabric at home, and this red is perfect for Sister's wedding dress!"

Su Ying smiled and said, "We have other colorful ones at home. Atang and Xiaotao can make new pink clothes for my sister to wear on her wedding day."

"Really?" Atang and Xiaotao's eyes sparkled. The little girl loved beautiful new clothes the most.

"Of course!" Su Ying teased, "When has my sister ever lied to you? Then, you can welcome Second Aunt with style!"

"Aying!" Yang Chunhua's face flushed with shame. Her eldest niece dared to say anything.

"Haha, when my sister comes in, I will have to call you Second Aunt!" Su Ying said mischievously.

The two families have agreed to hold the wedding after the busy spring farming season is over.

Counting the days, it’s only a few days, maybe half a month at most.