In August, the rice in the fields is about to ripen, and everything is golden.
The rice on Zhang Hulan's farm was planted earlier, so it matures earlier than other rice and can be harvested after a while.
The chickens and ducks on the farm have started laying eggs.
Zhang Hulan uses wood ash, mixes it with alkali powder, quicklime, rice husks and water, and then wraps the mixed material on the duck eggs.
Zhang Hulan also uses eggs to make preserved eggs. The workshops for preserved eggs and preserved eggs are similar, but there are some differences in the materials used.
Xiang Chunhua asked curiously: "Sister, what does this egg look like? How do you eat it after it's done?"
Zhang Hulan explained, "The preserved eggs are a little black, with pine needle-like patterns on the surface. You can just dip them in soy sauce and ginger juice when you eat them.
You can also use preserved eggs to make lean meat porridge, which tastes very good.
The ones made with eggs are called crystal eggs. The eggs are crystal clear and are also dipped in ginger soy sauce. "
"You're making me drool. How long will it take before I can eat?"
"Twenty days of pickling is about enough."
Zhang Hulan’s pig farm has also grown taller.
I bought five sows and one boar, and dozens of piglets.
The lotus roots in the field have now grown very tall and the stems can be cut and fed to pigs.
Villagers could also cut pig grass and sell it to Zhang Hulan, at one cent for ten kilograms.
Usually, it was the girls in the village who cut grass for the pigs and sold it. Villagers would be willing to send their sons to school, but their daughters could only work at home. Zhang Hulan had no way to deal with this matter, as she could not intervene in other people's homes.
Those girls took time out every morning and afternoon to cut grass for pigs and could earn seven or eight cents a day. Those children were very happy.
In late August, Zhang Hulan's family began to harvest rice.
Children and women are responsible for harvesting the rice, while adults are responsible for beating and threshing the rice with buckets.
There is a threshing ground on the farm, and there are children and women in charge of drying the grain.
After pulling the millet back, the woman first used a rake to clean the grass debris from the millet, and then scraped the millet apart and spread it on the drying yard.
Dry it in the sun for half an hour or an hour, then turn it over and dry it again.
During the busy farming season, Zhang Hulan would let Yang Xiaohui have extra meals.
There was meat every day, and an extra meal was added.
The sun is strong at noon, so people usually don’t start working until noon.
Before working, you have to have a meal.
There is also mung bean soup in the morning and afternoon to relieve the heat. This treatment makes the people on the farm feel that they would be betraying their conscience if they work less.
Just when Zhang Hulan was busy with the autumn harvest, a group of people appeared on the road leading to the village.
There were quite a few people, some riding horses and some riding in cars.
The group stopped in front of Zhang Hulan's farm, and a man rode up to the door of Zhang Hulan's house and said, "Excuse me, is this Zhang Hulan's home?"
Yuan Gang looked at the person and nodded, "Yes, who are you?"
The visitor said, "Is Zhang Hulan here? Our master is looking for her."
"Who is your master?"
The man took out his badge and Yuan Gang looked at it with a serious expression.
That was the badge of the Ministry of Justice. Yuan Gang didn't know why people from the Ministry of Justice would come to Zhang Hulan.
The person who came urged, "Go and call someone quickly, don't waste time."
Yuan Gang said, "My wife is not at home. She is at the farm now. I will go and call her."
Yuan Gang shouted inside, asking the people in the yard to watch the house while he went to find Zhang Hulan.
The visitor turned back and said a few words to the people in the carriage, and then the group walked towards Zhang Hulan's yard.
When Zhang Hulan heard that someone from the Ministry of Justice was looking for her, she was a little confused and didn't know why they were looking for her.
But she didn't dare delay and immediately rushed back with Yuan Gang.
There were many people standing outside the courtyard. Zhang Hulan stepped forward and saluted, saying, "I am Zhang Hulan, a commoner. I wonder what the lord wants to see me about?"
The three people who got off the three carriages were none other than Marquis Jing'an, Wang Changming and Hong Jinhai.
They were out for more than three months and visited many places.
Two days ago, I went to the village where Luo Changqi and the other four lived. The villagers said they were with Zhang Hulan, so they came to find them.
Marquis Jing'an and Old Marquis Wang had never met each other, so they didn't know that the incident started with Luo Changqi and the other four.
Hong Jinhai asked, "Are Luo Changqi, Huang Zhong, Yuan Gang, Xu Hu, and Dong Jianyong here with you?"
Zhang Hulan nodded, "It's here with me."
"Go and call them all here. I have something to ask them."
They were looking for Luo Chang and the others. Zhang Hulan felt relieved, as she thought she had done something wrong.
Zhang Hulan had some guesses in his mind about the five people including Zhao Luochang and the others. It was probably because Old Marquis Wang told the emperor about the old campus and the emperor sent people to investigate.
Yuan Gang stepped forward and said, "I am Yuan Gang. The others are at the farm. I will go get them."
Hong Jinhai looked at Yuan Gang and nodded, "Go ahead."
Zhang Hulan said, "My lords, it's sunny outside, please go inside and take a rest."
The sun was very strong outside and it was indeed uncomfortable to stand outside. It was just as hot in the carriage.
So the group followed Zhang Hulan into the yard.
Zhang Hulan immediately asked people to prepare tea, water, and fruits.
Zhang Hulan’s farm grows melons, which taste very refreshing.
The melon was still in the well to keep cold. Marquis Jing'an felt refreshed while eating the melon.
They have been very busy in the past few months. They have no contact with the government offices and have been running around in the countryside for a long time. It can be said that they have not been able to eat or sleep well.
Luo Changqi and the others came over quickly, and Hong Jinhai said, "Zhang, please step back. We have something to ask them."
"Yes, sir."
Zhang Hulan and Aunt Tao left, and Hong Jinhai asked, "When did each of you five join the army? Are you in the same unit? And when did you leave the army?"
Luo Changqi answered first: "I joined the army in the third year of Yongsheng, and was initially in the Hedong Frontier Army, then was transferred to the Shenwu Army. In the eighth year of Yongsheng, I was injured in the thigh and retired."
The situations of the other few people were similar. They all joined the army between the third and fifth years of Yongsheng, and then were injured and retired between the eighth and tenth years of Yongsheng.
Looking at the five disabled veterans whose hair had mostly turned white, Marquis Jing'an and Hong Jinhai felt a little uncomfortable.
Hong Jinhai asked again: "Have you received any pension from the court in recent years?"
Luo Changqi looked at everyone, and then Luo Changqi answered again: "In the early years, it was issued every year, but we didn't want it. After more than ten years, it has not been issued."
Luo Changqi repeated what he had said to Old Marquis Wang. Marquis Jing'an and Hong Jinhai were both very angry.
This is not the first time they have felt angry. This has happened quite a few times among the people they have investigated in the past few months.
Hong Jinhai said to Luo Changqi and the others, "We are aware of this matter, and the court will give you an explanation."
Luo Changqi said: "It's okay, we are living well now, so we won't cause any more trouble to the court."
Hong Jinhai said: "This is not causing trouble, this is the explanation the court should give you."
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