Chapter 99 You are not capable and you are not pregnant
Autumn is deep, the wheat is ripe, the ears are bulging, and the husks are turning yellow. The people who have been idle for a whole hot summer are starting to harvest.
Sui Yu stopped her stall business and took Zhao Xiaomi and Sui Liang to the wheat fields, getting up early and going to bed late to harvest the wheat.
Tong Huaer also came to help with a sickle. The child had been weaned and would not cry or make a fuss even if she didn't see him all day. She felt at peace and went out early and came back late every day. She threw away the shackles on her body and regarded herself as an ordinary peasant woman.
A passing agricultural inspector frowned and said, "Your fields are full of weeds. How's the wheat? Is it withering? Did you plant the wheat and never take care of it?"
This was Sui Yu's first time encountering an agricultural official inspecting the crops. She said honestly, "My husband is away on business, and he's not home. I don't know how to farm, so it's already difficult for me to barely get through the spring planting. I don't know how to take care of the crops."
Then she pointed at Tong Huaer and Zhao Xiaomi and said, "I'm the only one in my family. This is my aunt, and this is my sister-in-law. One of us isn't from the same family, and the other lives with my parents-in-law in Jiuquan. She only comes to help me during the autumn harvest. Before this, I was all alone. How could a woman like me manage twenty acres of land?"
The agricultural official became speechless when he saw Sui Yu's face. He said nothing more, as he didn't want to embarrass him. He stood at the edge of the field and watched for a while, then walked away.
"Third sister-in-law, you're so brave." Zhao Xiaomi patted her frightened heart and said, "You lied without changing your expression. You're not afraid that the agricultural officials will go to the village head to verify it."
Sui Yu smiled and said, "I'm not lying. You and I really can't take care of these twenty acres of land."
This year's drought has caused the village to bustle with irrigation efforts in the summer. Many people use ditches to bring water to the fields, with families carrying water for their crops. Sui Yu, for her part, is no match for this task. She used to carry cooking water on a camel, but she couldn't carry the load, so the watering job naturally fell through.
The crops were short of water, and yields were drastically reduced. Furthermore, weeds were growing in the fields, undeterred by drought and growing incredibly tall. Sui Yu and Zhao Xiaomi had been pulling them out for two days, but the busier they were, the more worried they became. Embroidery on shit is still shit, and even if they pulled out all the weeds, the yield wouldn't increase much. She didn't have the energy to devote to the fields where weeds were thick and bean sprouts were scarce. She packed up her things and went back to her bun stall.
It took eight days to harvest and bundle the five acres of wheat. When the camels took them away, Sui Yu counted them and found that there were twenty-one fewer bundles than last year. He estimated that the yield would be two or three dan less.
After harvesting the wheat, they continued to harvest millet. For millet, only the ears were harvested, and they did not need to bend down to harvest them. This job was much easier for Sui Yu and the other three.
"When will my third brother come back?" Zhao Xiaomi wailed. She sat down under the millet stalks, wishing she could lie down and take a nap. She was so tired and so hot. When she was at home, she never really worked in the fields. She was always at home preparing meals, feeding the chickens and ducks, and taking care of her nephews and nieces.
"Now that I think about it, my parents were pretty good to me," she muttered.
Sui Yu fanned herself with her hands and said, "You're my only daughter, so I'm sure she'll love you. Now that I think about it, my parents are treating me well by letting you come and help me. They've even lent me their precious daughter."
Zhao Xiaomi stuck out her tongue. She was too embarrassed to tell him that her parents refused to let her come after receiving the letter.
"Third sister-in-law, are you going back home for the New Year this year?" she asked.
Sui Yu shook her head and said, "There are so many mouths to feed at home, and I can't go anywhere without you. If your third brother can come back this year, you two can go back."
Listening to what the aunt and sister-in-law said, Tong Huaer felt a little dazed. Another year was about to pass?
In the evening, Sui Yu sent Zhao Xiaomi and Sui Liang home to cook, and she and Tong Huaer worked for another half an hour before going home.
"Sui Yu, have you visited Aunt Chun this year?" Tong Huaer asked in a low voice.
Sui Yu was stunned for a moment after not thinking about this person for a long time. She pondered Tong Huaer's purpose and said frankly, "No, I can't do much except bring her some food. I would be upset for several days if I went there. I simply decided to out of sight and out of mind. I haven't been there this year."
Tong Huaer didn't say anything else, as if it was just a casual question.
The sunset glow in the sky gradually dissipated, the sky darkened, Sui Yu and Tong Huaer packed up and left.
Tong Huaer went back first, and Sui Yu led the camel to the grain field to deliver the grain.
When I got back, the meal was ready.
"Sister, I've already sent the eggs to Uncle Niu." Sui Liang brought the food to the table and said, "Auntie Sun just sent five pounds of eggs. She didn't ask for money, but asked you to accompany her to sell grain and settle the bill tomorrow evening."
"Okay, I got it." Sui Yu pounded his arm and sat down to eat.
The next morning, Sui Yu went to see Lao Tu and learned that a large caravan was returning from the Western Regions and would depart the next day. She hurried back to buy 60 kilograms of eggs, adding them to the eggs she had saved at home, making a total of 300. She then boiled two jars of brine and soaked them.
In the evening, she finished work early and accompanied Aunt Sun and her two children to the grain shop to sell wheat. Sui Yu saw that there was new rice in the shop, so she borrowed money from Aunt Sun to buy two buckets of rice, and then returned the money to her.
"Captain Zhao hasn't come back yet?" asked Aunt Sun.
"Not yet." Sui Yu shook her head. "I don't know when he will be back. In another half month, the weather will be cold."
"Didn't I tell you when I would be back when I left?"
Sui Yu still shook her head. She didn't want to talk anymore. She quickened her pace and said, "Auntie, I'll go back and get you the money."
"No rush, it's okay to be two days late."
Sui Yu carried away two dou of rice and went back to get six hundred coins to give to Aunt Sun.
The old lady compared the copper coins and found that the six strings were the same length. She said aloud, "Isn't that too much?"
"It's not much, I still have to pay for last night's eggs." Sui Yu walked out quickly and said, "We're neighbors. I helped you with the bill without any blood or sweat, so how can I get dozens of eggs from you for free?"
"Oh, I'm sorry for delaying your work." Aunt Sun chased after him.
Sui Yu started running.
"You little girl." Aunt Sun clapped her hands and clapped her hands. She said loudly, "I'm going to settle accounts with people on the street, and it's not just five pounds of eggs that will settle the matter. I tell you, you're at a disadvantage."
Sui Yu waved her hand, ran into the house, closed the door and prepared to cook.
Just as the fire was burning, Zhao Xiaomi and Sui Liang came back with the pigs, sheep and camels. After they had eaten, they went back into their pens. Sui Liang went straight to the chicken coop, which contained two nests of eggs, eight in total.
"Sister, I'm going to give Uncle Lao Niu some eggs." he shouted.
"What Uncle Lao Niu? That's what your aunt earned from working." Zhao Xiaomi didn't know the inside story, so she corrected him.
Sui Liang ran away with a vague word.
Zhao Xiaomi closed the door, and while the drying water was still hot, she took the water and went behind the wall to scrub.
When Sui Liang came back, he saw the door was locked from the inside, so he sat outside and waited.
"Sui Liang, do your pigs still bite people?" Dongzi asked as he passed by.
"bite."
Dongzi ran away.
Sui Liang chuckled twice.
The door opened, and Zhao Xiaomi came out, leading the camel, and said, "Come with me to fetch water."
Sui Liang went into the house and led out two more camels. The little camels caught last year had grown into big camels. They could also carry loads, fetch water, and transport food and fodder.
Three camels and six buckets of water can fill a tank in one trip.
It was already pitch dark when Sui Yu and the other two finally had their meal.
The three of them were tired after a day of feeding the pigs, washing up and going to bed.
After six busy days, the ten acres of millet were harvested and the ears were carried away, but the stalks had yet to be pulled out. Sui Yu decided to leave this work to someone who came to help. If no one came, she would leave it to the end. She and three other people went to the soybean field to pick bean pods, pulling out the stalks as they went, and then tying the stalks into bundles. Every evening when they returned, they would carry back six bundles of bean stalks.
There are many camels at home, and Sui Yu plans to transport all the soybean stalks from the three acres of land back to store food and fodder.
The soybeans had not been picked yet, so the village chief sent two families to help. With four more helpers, the remaining farm work was completed in four days.
When she returned home, Sui Yu used a camel to carry away three bundles of sorghum stalks. If Zhao Xiping came back this winter, she would ask him to type another manuscript. The bed she slept on was still covered with old manuscripts, and she always felt uncomfortable sleeping there.
"Third sister-in-law, why is our front door open?" Zhao Xiaomi exclaimed. She looked at Sui Yu and Sui Liang and asked, "Who of you two came out last? Why didn't you lock the door?"
Sui Liang's face turned pale with fear. "I remember I locked it."
Sui Yu ran to the yard. At that moment, she was only worried about the silver she had hidden and the scattered copper coins in the wooden box. She hadn't thought that it was Zhao Xiping who had returned. As soon as she entered the house, she saw the man coming out of the house, exhausted. She opened her mouth in shock and rushed over with a cry of "Ah!"
"Third brother! You're back!" Zhao Xiaomi jumped up and down happily. "When did you come back?"
Sui Liang was also happy, but he was even happier that there was no thief in his house.
"Are you hurt?"
"Where's my cub?"
Both asked at the same time.
Sui Yu came out of the man's arms, patted her belly and said, "You are incompetent, you didn't get pregnant."
This mouth... Zhao Xiping pinched her.
"Third brother, you came back at the right time. We just finished our work in the fields today and you came back." Zhao Xiaomi complained, "If you had come back a few days earlier, my sister-in-law and I wouldn't have to be so tired."
Zhao Xiping looked at the two of them. Xiaomi didn't know, but Sui Yu had indeed lost weight.
"Captain Qu said he would reward me with fifty kilograms of meat. When the reward arrives, you should eat more and make up for the lost weight."
Zhao Xiaomi stretched out a hand and said in disbelief, "Fifty kilograms? That's a lot. How long will it take to finish it?"
She was grinning from ear to ear.
Sui Yu looked at the man. He knew what she meant and nodded, saying, "Captain Chang is aware of this and will report it. Supervisor Hu will also write a memorial to the emperor. We will have a response by the end of the year at the latest."
"What?" Zhao Xiaomi asked.
"None of your business." Zhao Xiping pointed into the house and said, "I brought back a sheepskin. Take it and mend it with needle and thread. When you have time, I'll make you a fur coat."
Zhao Xiaomi laughed twice, and immediately her resentment disappeared. She changed her tone and said, "Third brother, you are so kind."
Zhao Xiping felt a little guilty. He turned and saw Sui Liang. He smiled and said, "I haven't seen you for half a year. You've grown taller."
Sui Liang smiled and touched his head, feeling that he had grown taller.
"I'll go cook. We'll have soup noodles tonight." Sui Yu entered the kitchen and said, "It's getting late, and the meat on the butcher's stall probably isn't fresh anymore. Tonight we'll have fried sauerkraut with eggs and pickled mustard greens."
Zhao Xiping went in to help light the fire. When they were alone, his eyes became deep and there was greed in his gaze as he looked at Sui Yu.
Sui Yu felt her cheeks getting slightly hot. She glared at him and whispered, "Not tonight. Xiaomi is sleeping with me, and there's no extra room at home."
The man sighed anxiously as a bucket of cold water poured down his face. He said anxiously, "What should I do? Send Xiaomi back? No, if I send her back, I'll also be away for ten days..."
Sui Yuhe didn't look at him and muttered, "Just bear with it. You can sleep with Liang Ge'er tonight."
Zhao Xiping was reluctant, "How long do we have to endure this?"
"Weren't you very tolerant before?" Sui Yu teased him with a smile, "Just treat me as if I'm not your wife."
Someone else's wife? An idea suddenly popped up in Zhao Xiping's mind. He raised his hand and slapped his head, thinking it was so ridiculous.
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