Jiang Yimian asked curiously, "Grandpa, what are you sprinkling?"
Old Liu just smiled and said, "Sprinkle soil. The soil from the rotten branches and leaves in the forest is the most fertile. Sprinkling it on the ground is good for the crops."
The small depression only contained some chicken and rabbit droppings, which wasn't enough to make fertilizer, but the soil from the rotten, withered branches and leaves was quite good.
The forest is full of trees and fallen leaves everywhere. In addition, it rains from time to time, so the leaves rot on the ground, which is perfect for fertilizing.
Jiang Yimian responded, and seeing that Gou Sheng and Liu Dayong had finished spreading soil in the field and were now going to collect more soil, she didn't disturb them any further and went straight to the Chen family's house.
Liu Xiaoyun and Wang Fengqin went out to do laundry, leaving only Chen Tiezhu in the house.
Chen Tiezhu was sitting under the eaves weaving a bamboo basket. When he saw Jiang Yimian coming over, he just smiled and said, "Yimian, sit down quickly."
Jiang Yimian responded, then asked curiously, "Uncle Chen, where's Tiedan?"
She hadn't seen the little guy for quite some time. Only during those few days when the weather was coldest, when the little guy was warming himself by the fire inside the house, could she see his shadow. She hadn't seen him for the past few days.
Chen Tiezhu just smiled and said, "I went inside to sleep. I was making a fuss all night and wouldn't go to sleep. I only fell asleep this morning."
Jiang Yimian then stopped asking questions.
Little Tiedan is such a handful. He needs to be held and rocked every night before going to sleep. If you don't rock him, he'll wake up instantly and cry loudly. It's very torturous for him. He's only well-behaved during the day.
Whenever Liu Xiaoyun mentions it, she feels both worried and helpless.
Jiang Yimian didn't ask about Tie Dan anymore, but instead asked about Chen Tiezhu's recent situation.
She was supposed to have the surgery done before the Lunar New Year, but she was busy and wanted to see how things went, so it was delayed until now.
The weather is neither as cold as it was a while ago, nor as hot as in summer, so it's a good time to have the surgery.
In the hot summer, a wound infection could be a real problem.
Chen Tiezhu put down the half-woven bamboo basket in his hand, touched his legs covered with a blanket, hesitated for a while before saying, "It's been much better lately. Xiaoyun and Gousheng massage me often as you said, and I also move my legs from time to time, so it's much better than before when I couldn't use my strength."
As he spoke, he rolled up his trouser leg.
Jiang Yimian examined the other person's leg and saw that it was indeed better than before; at least it wasn't in a state of complete muscle atrophy.
Once the bone fragments are removed and the other person does more rehabilitation training, it's estimated that they will be able to stand up again.
Jiang Yimian took his pulse again. His pulse was stable, and his weak body had recovered a lot. He was indeed ready to have surgery.
Jiang Yimian then said, "I'll perform the surgery once I've prepared everything. I reckon it'll be in the next few days."
She needs to go to town to buy some wine.
There was alcohol in the room, but not much. It was enough to disinfect wounds, but not enough to disinfect the room. We could only extract some alcohol from the wine.
Fortunately, it's winter now, which isn't a time when bacteria easily grow.
Chen Tiezhu was stunned for a moment before exclaiming with delight, "Okay, Yi Mian, is there anything I need to be careful about?"
He was really excited. These days, he could do most things in his wheelchair, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to stand up again, he dreamed about it.
The thought of having the possibility of regaining his legs after the surgery made him tremble.
Seeing that the other party was a little excited, Jiang Yimian quickly said, "There's not much to worry about. However, you won't be able to stand up immediately after the surgery. You need to wait for the wound to heal and slowly rehabilitate to get used to your legs. This could take several months, or even half a year or a year, depending on your rehabilitation."
Chen Tiezhu nodded repeatedly, indicating that he had remembered it.
Several days passed, and the people in the small depression were busy. After spreading the soil with withered branches and leaves, they began to cultivate the wasteland.
It wasn't until the 23rd day of the first lunar month, the day of the market, that Zhao Dashu and his companions finally had a chance to rest.
Liu Dayong also came this time. The group carried a full basket on their backs and a lot of things in their hands as they walked down the mountain.
The group walked from the first light of dawn until it was fully light, intending to wait for the oxcart at the village entrance.
Last time, the village chief told a few people that if they wanted to go to town, they could just come to the village entrance every morning and wait for the oxcart; it would only cost one copper coin to get to town.
Fearing they would be late, Jiang Yimian and the others made a point of getting up early to go down the mountain.
Before I even reached the village entrance, I saw a familiar face.
Xiao Zhang was talking to several other people waiting for the oxcart.
She was carrying a basket covered with a cloth, presumably on her way to town to sell things.
Upon seeing Jiang Yimian and the others, they greeted them happily, "Hey, it's you guys! Are you going to the market too? What are you selling?"
As she spoke, she curiously looked into the baskets on their backs and the buckets they were carrying.
Unfortunately, the baskets and buckets were covered, so she couldn't see them and didn't want to reach out to uncover them. After glancing at them a few times, she looked away and asked the group with a smile, "Why don't you come and stay in the village? It's cold up in the mountains, and there are many wild animals. It's too dangerous."
All the other refugees who came to stay in the village have already arrived. The family at the foot of the mountain has even asked the village chief to help them hire a bricklayer to build a house. It looks like they're going to build a big brick and tile house. They'll be the first family in our village to be able to afford a big brick and tile house.
Upon hearing this, the other people waiting for the oxcart also quickly gathered around, their eyes filled with curiosity.
"Little Zhang, are you really sure you want to build a big brick house with tiled roof? That kind of house must cost a lot of money to build!"
“That’s right, aren’t the refugees supposed to be people who have fled from famine? Where would they get so much money? Wouldn’t it be better to use that money to buy a small house in town?”
Xiao Zhang glanced at her and said irritably, "How would I know? I only heard the village chief say that he was helping people find bricklayers. Yesterday, I saw that those dilapidated houses at the foot of the mountain had been demolished. I guess it was the village chief who helped the migrants who came to settle down."
Another woman nodded knowingly, "That land at the foot of the mountain is quite large, enough to build five or six houses. The refugee family probably has quite a few people. If they were to buy a house in town for the same amount of money, they couldn't afford such a big one."
“That makes sense. However, if you build that place with blue bricks, it would probably cost more than ten taels of silver.”
Upon hearing this, a woman with slanted eyes who had just walked over immediately brightened up. "Oh, I wonder if that family has any daughters or sons of marriageable age. My Hu Zi and Chun Hua are both about the age to get married. If it's a good match, our two families can become in-laws."
Everyone was stunned by these words.
It was Zhang Shi who reacted first and burst into laughter. "Chen Guixiang, how hard is it for your Chunhua to get married? You're in such a hurry to find her a husband. Hu Zi is only fourteen years old, and you're already thinking about finding him a wife. You just think that the refugee family is rich. Maybe they're just a couple with a child. What are you thinking?"
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