Chapter Twenty-Eight: Mulberries
"Wow, some mulberries are ripe!" An Songyu exclaimed in surprise, her eyes wide with delight.
Pushing aside the mulberry leaves that were blocking her view, she discovered that most of the mulberries were still green or half-red.
There are indeed a few deep red ones, and one or two black ones.
An Songyu carefully picked them, took a large black mulberry about half the length of a thumb, and handed it to Shi Youqin:
"Grandma, this one is ripe enough, you should try it."
"I don't want it, you eat it yourself!" Shi Youqin shook her head without hesitation.
Seeing that An Songyu still insisted, she quickly explained, "I already ate last night."
"It was the people picking mulberry leaves who discovered some of the early-ripening ones and picked them directly."
"That's much more than the few you have now."
“Yesterday’s is yesterday’s, and today’s is today’s. Besides, today’s mulberries are the first batch your granddaughter picked this year!”
An Songyu wouldn't listen at all; he held the mulberry and insisted that Shi Youqin eat it before he would be satisfied.
Shi Youqin had no choice but to eat the perfectly ripe mulberry from her granddaughter's hand: "It's quite sweet."
"Mulberries actually taste quite good, and there are quite a few of them."
"That's right, it's hard to judge when to pick them."
"And it's also difficult to preserve."
“Otherwise, there would be plenty of mulberry fields in our village that no one would want to contract.” As she spoke, Shi Youqin couldn’t help but sigh.
She has been married into Jiangcun for several decades.
But I still remember it clearly.
In their youth, the vast majority of Jiangcun's income came from the snow-white silkworm cocoons produced by the mulberry groves.
It's a pity that the village has undergone development and changes time and time again over the years.
These mulberry fields are becoming increasingly neglected.
“Once we’ve finished making it, there will definitely be people who want to take over the contract.” An Songyu picked up a red mulberry to eat.
The sourness made her face scrunch up.
This also conveniently concealed the guilty conscience on her face.
Her father had indeed made up his mind to do this silkworm breeding business well.
However, the mulberry fields of Jiangcun will never exist again.
However, her grandmother didn't have to worry about these delicious mulberries going to waste in the mulberry grove.
In a few more years, as Shuncheng expands outwards, the remaining mulberry fields around the city will become increasingly scarce.
Back then, it was a time for voluntary picking of mulberries whenever they ripened.
Mulberries, whether packaged in small boxes or individually, are loved by many.
Shi Youqin then told An Songyu, "Ayu, you don't need to help out today."
“The village recently finished its May Day holiday, and some people want to come and earn some extra money, so the silkworm house isn’t really short of people.”
Speaking of this, Shi Youqin sighed again.
Most of the women in Jiangcun are actually quite hardworking.
However, with the rise of agritainment businesses in the village, they have less and less money to use flexibly.
But the amount of work they did every day was no less.
It wouldn't be accurate to say that their family members were harsh on them.
They have plenty to eat and wear, and they don't hesitate to buy whatever they want.
It's just that... as the next generation grows up, they are no longer the ones in charge of the family.
The opportunities to control money naturally become fewer and fewer.
So after their silkworm house was rebuilt, people of all ages, from the village to the countryside, liked to do odd jobs for them.
After all, the mulberry leaves are weighed and harvested fresh every day.
These people aren't particularly young, although they're just as capable as younger people at their jobs.
But with the weather getting hot, they didn't dare let these people do too much work.
An Songyu rarely returned to the village and was unaware of this situation.
She was certain that her grandmother meant well when she told her not to help today.
He went to the silkworm house, grabbed a basket, and began searching all over the mulberry fields.
By lunchtime, her basket was already more than half full of mulberries.
She specifically chose only the most mature and best-looking ones.
Mulberries are small fruits that are difficult to preserve and transport.
It also attracts a lot of insects.
Mulberry orchards like theirs, used for raising silkworms, are generally not sprayed with pesticides.
To find good mulberries, you really need a keen eye.
Especially now, the mulberries are only just ripening.
Seeing An Songyu's harvest, not only An Shunhe and his wife, but also everyone else who worked with them were all laughing heartily.
He really is a child who grew up in the city.
Even though he's been coming and going for the past month or so, he seems quite composed.
Seeing these small, ripe fruits in the countryside reveals their true nature.
An Songyu was a little embarrassed by the laughter, and she quickly explained:
"These are the first batch of ripe mulberries today. I picked a lot to take home and enjoy with my family."
Also, there's the mulberry wine her brother mentioned last time.
An Songyu also thought it would be good to take some mulberries and have her brother ask around.
However, it's still unknown how this will end.
An Songyu didn't say it directly in front of so many people.
The other villagers were even happier when they heard An Songyu's words.
Fortunately, some kind people directly invited An Songyu:
"Then Ah Yu can come to my house when she leaves later."
"My family tried planting a small patch of pineapples this year, and now is the perfect time to eat them."
"Yes, yes, come to my house too. It's the perfect time to pick the guavas there."
An Songyu had never faced such enthusiasm before.
Some children, feeling out of place, turned to their grandparents for help.
Upon receiving her granddaughter's pleading look, Shi Youqin said, "If you want to eat some, come along and pick some!"
Then he turned to look at the two men talking in the village and said:
“Your fruit is grown in the orchard and sold directly, so just give her a fair price.”
"What are you saying, old lady!" The woman, also a daughter-in-law of the An family, rolled her eyes at Shi Youqin, then turned to look at An Songyu:
"Ayu, don't listen to your grandma's nonsense."
“Things like pineapples aren’t meant for guests to pick.”
"It's just that we grow it ourselves and occasionally sell some to customers."
"If it's as lively as during the holidays a while ago, I'll cut some out and soak them in salt water, either to give to guests directly or to sell them individually."
"Other than that, I only use it occasionally when cooking."
"Or we can give them to our neighbors in the village. After all, this is our first time trying to plant them this year, and we haven't planted many."
"If the feedback from our guests is good, next year we can do what your family does and contract more vacant land in the village to plant more crops."
As she spoke, she remembered something else: "Oh right, the cantaloupes and watermelons in the vegetable garden have been growing for quite a few years."
"Now is the perfect time for them to ripen, so remember to take some back with you when they're ready."
"There are also some white gourds, green cucumbers, and the like."
This time, without Shi Youqin having to say anything, An Songyu hurriedly waved his hands to refuse.
What surprised An Songyu was that after chatting with her grandmother for a few minutes, she actually agreed.
Completely bewildered, An Songyu followed Shi Youqin to the home of this hospitable grandmother.
This grandmother is much younger than Shi Youqin; she's just of a higher generation.
Once inside the grandmother's vegetable garden, An Songyu vaguely understood the reason.
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