"Mom, my third brother and I are back." As soon as Zhang Qiurui got home, he put down his things first, and the brother and sister went straight to the firewood room in the backyard.
There is no farm work in the brigade in winter. Except for the technical team of the brigade's second group who raise chickens, ducks, geese and pigs, and repair farm tools, the members of the brigade's first and third groups basically stay at home to keep warm around the fire, or weave some handicrafts to supplement their family income.
Zhang Qiurui walked into the firewood room and saw Zhou Gui, Gao Erping, Xie Lin, Zhang Wenguo, Zhang Wenfu and the children Ming Ren, Ming Hua, Ming Duo and Ming Xia sitting by the fire to keep warm.
This year, there were more food rations, and Zhang Qiurui brought back a lot of meat from hunting in the mountains. The family has been eating well these days, and everyone, whether adults or children, has a rosy complexion and is full of energy.
"Aunt, you're back." The younger Mingduo and Mingxia rushed towards Zhang Qiurui after seeing her.
Because Zhang Qiurui would bring them some fruit candies, egg cakes and other snacks every time she went back, the two children were particularly close to her.
Zhang Qiurui bent down with a smile, holding them in his arms, one in each hand, took out two pieces of candy from his pocket, opened them, and stuffed them into their mouths.
"Why are you back at this time? Come and sit down." Zhou Guihua pulled out two small stools and let her little daughter and son sit next to her.
"Mom, there are some things I need to confess to you. I thought about growing mushrooms a while ago and tried it out in the house I rented in the county. And I actually managed to grow some.
My third brother, Mingqi, and I expanded our planting, and over the past two months, we've harvested a batch of mushrooms and made some money selling them. Zhang Qiurui carefully chose his words and slowly told his family about his mushroom farming and the profits he'd made.
"Can these mushrooms be grown? How are they grown? How much did you make from them?" Zhou Guihua seemed a little disapproving of Zhang Qiurui and the others growing mushrooms and selling them for money. Instead, she was curious about how mushrooms were grown.
Because the house they rented in the county was not big, even if there was some space left for growing mushrooms, it was only a little over one mu.
How much can be grown on a little more than one mu of land? So Zhou Guihua was a little skeptical about Zhang Qiurui's suggestion to expand the scale of sowing and sell some money.
“It’s hard to explain mushroom cultivation in just a few words.
Over the past two months, we've sold just over a hundred." Zhang Qiurui deliberately kept the amount a bit conservative. After all, the actual profit was far more than that, and she was afraid that revealing it would scare her family and make it difficult for them to accept it.
"How much? Did I hear it wrong?" Zhou Guihua's eyes widened involuntarily when she heard the number. She thought she had heard it wrong.
You have to know that in this era, the average worker's monthly salary was only 20 or 30 yuan, and more than 100 yuan was a huge sum of money for a rural family.
"Mom, you heard me right. It's just over a hundred yuan."
"Really? It sold for so much money?" There was a hint of disbelief in Zhou Guihua's voice.
Even Zhang Wenguo, Zhang Wenfu, Gao Erping and Xie Lin who were standing next to them were all shocked, and their breathing became heavy.
Everyone feels that my younger sister (sister-in-law) is really capable.
Not only did they bring back hundreds of pounds of meat from the mountains, they also read some books and figured out how to grow mushrooms. They earned more than a hundred yuan in two months, which is higher than a worker's salary. And this is what the three of them did in their spare time.
Zhang Qiurui nodded and said affirmatively, "Yes, Mom. This is all earned from growing mushrooms. In winter, there are no mushrooms to pick in the mountains, and the prices of vegetables, fruits and melons are very high in winter. The selling price is not bad, so we made a lot of money."
"You kept it a secret for two months before telling us this, and you secretly made more than a hundred yuan, but you are only telling us now. Are you in trouble?" After being shocked, Zhou Guihua remembered that not long ago her youngest son had taken six hundred yuan from her, saying that he was going to buy three spins and a ring to arrange his marriage with Yangyang.
It turns out there are so many things going on here.
"Mom, you have a keen eye.
During the day, Mingqi and I have classes, and my third brother has to work, so we don't have time to take care of the mushrooms we planted. Plus, we harvest a batch of mushrooms every seven days, and we need help selling them, so we came home to ask my eldest and second brothers for help." Zhang Qiurui first flattered Zhou Guihua, then continued.
"Where are you selling these mushrooms? How many people do you need to help you?" Zhou Gui asked. She looked at her eldest son, second son, eldest daughter-in-law, and second daughter-in-law, and began to ponder in her heart.
“We’re selling it on the black market, so we need at least two people to help.
"Third Brother's room has been cleaned up, and he's moved back into the factory dormitory, leaving it for those who come up to help." Zhang Qiurui explained slowly, a calculating glint in his eyes.
She knew that the reaction of her family was crucial, especially her mother Zhou Guihua, whose attitude often determined everything.
"You sold it on the black market? You're quite brave, aren't you? It's a risky place, so you have to be careful. After lunch today, the second brother and his wife and I will take Mingduo and Mingxia with us to help.
You two, your father, Mingren, and Minghua, stay home and watch over the place." Zhou Guihua frowned slightly when she heard this, a look of worry on her face, and then she arranged for someone to go and help.
"Okay!" Zhang Wenfu agreed with a smile.
Zhang Qiurui nodded in satisfaction at the person her mother arranged to help in the county.
Her second brother is smart, tactful, and capable. In the future, whether he is working or buying and selling things on the black market, her second brother will be able to handle things on his own.
Her second sister-in-law can not only help with the housework, but also look after the children and cook for them.
"Next, I have two important things to talk about..."
"Let me tell you what happens next!" Zhang Wenmin was interrupted by Zhou Guihua before he could finish his words.
Ever since the little girl and the little son came into the firewood room, Zhou Guihua noticed that the little son frequently winked at the little girl.
They were both her own children, and Zhou Guihua knew clearly in her mind that they would talk about the younger son's marriage, the purchase of three turns and one ring, and even the division of the family property.
Even if their family splits up, it can't be said by the youngest son. If it is to be said, it must come from her and the old man.
This is to prevent the eldest and second brothers from thinking that the third brother married an employee. They are both employees and they don’t want to hand over their wages so they split up the family business. What will the eldest and second brothers think then?
If this incident caused the three brothers to become separated and even to stop communicating with each other until they died, it would be something she, as a mother, absolutely did not want to see.
After all, they are all her children, and she has flesh and blood on her palms and backs of her hands.
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