Chapter 327 Sugarcane is so sweet

"Gudong, gudong!" Su Ying came back in a hurry and drank a full bowl of warm water in one breath.

He fanned himself with the straw hat in his hand, his face flushed from the sun.

A Niang, Second Aunt and Third Aunt were drying the millet in the yard and plowing the fields. They couldn't do the work themselves, but they managed to serve tea and water.

It was really hot in June. The fields were filled with steam and my body felt sticky.

It's hard enough for me to stand at the edge of the field, and it's even harder for the men working in the fields.

Su Ying felt bad for asking others for help for nothing. It was okay once or twice, but she couldn't ask others for help every time!

Su Ying decided to pay them for their labor, which was higher than for pressing oil and making vermicelli.

"What's the matter?" Mrs. Du saw her eldest daughter running back in a hurry.

"It's okay!" Su Ying opened her brother's room and counted the money.

"Do you need money?" Mrs. Du asked.

"Well, uncles, please help us. We can't pretend to be ignorant. We must pay them the wages they deserve. This is harder than harvesting wheat. We are steaming and soaking wet." Su Ying said.

They say every grain of rice on the table is the product of hard work. I didn’t experience it before, but when the rice is harvested, on a hot day, the taste is so good...

"Well, that's great! I always feel uneasy when I take advantage of others!" Mrs. Du agreed.

During the busy farming season, everyone is rushing to harvest. Although harvesting on a sunny day is hard, the crops can be dried in the sun, ensuring a stable harvest for the year.

If you are unlucky and encounter heavy rain, the rice will get moldy and sprout in the ground, and your year's work will be in vain!

The villagers prioritized the Su family first. That was out of friendship, and we couldn't take it for granted. We should at least compensate everyone financially.

"It's been dried today, so it can be stored in the warehouse, right?" Su Ying grabbed a handful of rice and looked at it.

The golden rice has been dried and when you grab a handful and squeeze it in your hand, it makes a rustling sound.

"Hmm!" Mrs. Du looked at the sky.

"Second Aunt, don't move!" Su Ying was frightened when she saw Yang Chunhua with a bulging belly, and she hurried over to hold her back.

"Not that delicate!" Yang Chunhua said indifferently.

"Second Aunt, no matter how short of labor our family is, we can't tire you out!" Su Ying advised.

"We have everything we need at home, and we farm to avoid waste. Just take care of the land and give birth to your little brother or sister safely!"

"That's right, second sister-in-law, you are the wife of a nobleman now, and the baby in your belly is more important than anything else!" Wei said with a smile.

"Zhen'er, you are laughing at me again! Don't forget that you are still the wife of a fifth-rank official!" Yang Chunhua said angrily.

A few days ago, Su Laosan sent a letter to his family, informing them of the good news and asking them not to worry. This year, he and the Temple Minister will travel to all the states and counties in Lingnan and will not be able to return home for the time being.

After receiving the letter from her husband, Wei Zhen'er was so happy that she burst into tears. She didn't expect that her husband would be promoted several levels and become the district chief!

When the husband is rich and noble, the wife is honored. They have endured hardships without falling behind. Now that her husband has been promoted, of course she is happy. This is what a couple who share wealth and adversity should be like.

The two sisters-in-law dared to tease each other in front of the eldest sister-in-law. It was in the letter from Su Laosan that they were informed that the eldest brother had won the favor of the emperor. Although they did not know where he would be placed, he would definitely be given an important position. So the eldest sister-in-law could rest assured and wait for good news.

Come to think of it, the eldest brother has always been outstanding in the Su family. He is a role model for his two younger brothers in both his conduct and his official duties.

None of the three brothers were left behind during the exile, and now the two younger brothers have been promoted because their elder brother was pardoned.

His younger brother was promoted, so how could such a capable brother be worse than this?

A few people chatted and laughed as they collected the grain that was drying in the yard bit by bit and put it into the granary.

There was a covered wooden barrel in the corner of the granary, which was covered with dust. Su Ying was curious and opened it to see that it was a barrel of dried walnuts.

"Oh, I forgot about it!" Su Ying laughed.

"What?" The third sister-in-law came over and said regretfully, "Oh, such a big bucket, what a waste, can we still eat it?"

When I came here last year, I went up the mountain to pick them. They were so precious that I had to carry a large basket. After peeling and drying them, I only got this little.

I can’t bear to eat it, so I save it for the New Year and hide it away.

I was so busy making money during the Chinese New Year that I completely forgot about it.

"It's been stored for almost a year, I'm afraid there's oil in it!" Su Ying picked up one, and it felt much lighter.

Walnuts will slowly go bad and become oily if they are stored for a long time. The oil has a weird smell and is bitter and cannot be eaten.

"Let's knock it open and see!" Su Ying took out the wooden barrel.

After harvesting the grain, the granary was full, with several more buckets filled.

"Oh, I feel anxious when there is no food, and I worry about having too much food because I have no place to store it!" Mrs. Du sighed.

Last year, when she came, she had to count out a few bags of old rice to eat. Because she had to divide it equally, the eldest daughter was beaten by the old lady.

This year the harvest is good, and my official status has been restored. I don’t need to pay taxes, and there is so much grain that it can’t be stored!

"What's there to worry about? Just send two baskets of food to the village chief's house and the problem will be solved! Or you can sell some to the Zhou family or the Song family!" Su Ying found it funny. Who would complain about having too much food?

That's right! My second brother's wife lives in the village, so I'll send some over there. Also, I'll sell some to the Zhou and Song families at a lower price.

"Where are Xiaotao and Atang?" The house was very quiet, without the noise of children.

"It should be over at the old house. I heard some kids say they were peeling sugarcane." Yang Chunhua said.

"I'll go and take a look!" Su Ying dusted herself off.

"Wow, this sugarcane is so sweet!" Before I even got close, I heard a group of children chattering.

Beside the vegetable patch of the old house, several children were chewing sugarcane.

There was a pile of pulled-out sugarcane leaves on the ground. The purple-red sugarcane had grown to a height of one person, with a long tip. It was not very thick and tasted slightly sweet.

Su Ying said nothing, but looked at the group of children who were gnawing at their food with a smile.

"Xiaotao, will the master find out?" Niu Xiaobao was chewing on the pitiful part of himself, worried.

The sugarcane produced in Wu County is concentrated in the Li people's village, and the reason why there is such a thing is that it has a good relationship with the Jinfeng village.

This is the first time he has eaten sugarcane since he was a child. It’s so sweet!

"No, we will throw away the residue later. No one is allowed to tell. My sister won't know!" The child king Xiaotao said righteously.

"Yes, we'll listen to you!" Niu Xiaobao and his group of kids immediately expressed their obedience.

"Is it delicious?" Su Ying asked suddenly.

"Delicious!" Xiao Tao said smoothly, crunching and chewing, then suddenly stopped and turned around, "Ah, sister!"

The group of children were so frightened that they all stood up, hid the sugarcane behind their backs, and looked at Su Ying timidly, "Sir!"

"Eat!" Su Ying urged, "Is it sweet?"

"Sir, we won't dare to do it again!" Niu Xiaobao was frightened and cried.

I am here to study with the teacher, not to indulge in food.

"Why wouldn't you be afraid? If you don't eat the sugarcane after planting it, why keep it?" Su Ying smiled. "Sir, you're not angry. Do you want to cut two more?"

"No!" The children shook their heads. "This one was broken accidentally! We didn't do it on purpose!"

"Well, in a month or two, the sugarcane will be ripe. You can have one each and eat as much as you want!" Su Ying touched the children's little heads.

"Really? Sir?" The children were so happy that their eyes sparkled.

"Of course, sir, you must keep your word!" Su Ying said seriously.