Grandma Li was worried about her grandson, so she gave him these instructions.
"Hongying, fry some meat sauce tonight. Make some pancakes tomorrow and have your second son take them to Jiaren. That kid's always so frugal at school. Let him have a taste!"
"Okay, Mother, don't worry, I'll take care of it."
Tao Hongying took out a handkerchief and wiped her daughter's mouth.
The bowl was a bit bigger, and Jiayin ate with gusto, almost burying her face in it.
The crowd found it amusing and ate while laughing.
Zhao Yuru said, "I dried a basin of water and will give Fu Niu a bath tonight. It's so hot today, the child is suffering."
"We want some too! We want some too!" Jiaxi and Jia'an shouted.
The old lady tapped them with her chopsticks, laughing and scolding them.
"What are you yelling about? Even if you want to shower, you should do it indoors. Everyone else can't even get drinking water, but you can take a bath. Be happy in secret, or others will be jealous."
"Okay, Grandma," Jiaxi and Jia'an quickly agreed.
Jiayin ate half a bowl of porridge, her little belly round and full. Finally, she lay down on the kang (heated brick bed) and fell into a deep sleep again.
The old lady felt sorry for him; only she in the family truly understood.
My granddaughter is so young, yet she has to draw water from the well every night. Even adults would find it difficult, let alone a child who is not even a year old.
"Oh, I really hope it rains soon. If this keeps up, we can't take it anymore."
Not wanting his mother to get upset, Li Laosi said, "Mother, don't worry. We catch up on sleep during the day and water the plants at night, so we're not tired at all."
Li Lao Er and the others nodded, "Mother, we're not tired."
Grandma Li sighed. Her son and grandson were noticeably thinner and darker; how could they not be tired?
But she is happy because her children and grandchildren are filial, sensible, and hardworking.
"Then let's hold on for a few more days. It's such a waste to have such good crops."
"Yes, now it's just our family left. Luckily, we still have well water. Otherwise, we wouldn't even have the chance to help."
Everyone responded, perhaps because they had eaten pork and had indeed gained strength.
That night, the Li family watered three more rows of land.
After Jiayin finished relieving herself of the water, she saw that Daqing was panting heavily, so she pulled her grandmother over and then pulled out a lot of vegetables from her spatial storage.
Daqing was overjoyed, spitting out steam as he ate heartily.
Old Mrs. Li felt sorry for the food and tried to snatch it from the mule, but Jiayin took out quite a lot more.
Spinach, cilantro, bok choy, rapeseed, and scallions—all vibrant green and crisp. There were even cucumbers, peas, and zucchini…
Grandma Li was overjoyed and even wanted to take it to the kitchen.
Unexpectedly, the granddaughter took more and more.
She suddenly realized what was happening and tentatively asked.
"Fu Niu, there are so many vegetables, we can't finish them all at home. How about we ask your second uncle to take them to the city to sell?"
"Ah, ah!" Jiayin nodded vigorously; this was her plan.
Things are valued for their rarity.
In previous years, vegetables would be the cheapest thing at this time of year.
But nowadays even drinking water is difficult, so green vegetables have become a treasure.
If you send it to the city, those wealthy families will definitely be willing to spend money.
It just so happens that the ones who came back to fetch water this time were Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si.
Old Mrs. Li pulled her two sons and quickly twisted straw ropes. They deftly bundled all the vegetables and stacked them into willow baskets.
They stacked the items while simultaneously sprinkling water on them.
Finally, they loaded the donkey cart with the cargo, filling it to almost full.
Grandma Li whispered instructions to her son.
"Go to the city tonight and enter as soon as the city gates open. Ask around at wealthy households; if you can sell yourself, all the better. If you encounter anyone who bullies you, don't argue. The most important thing is to come back safely, understand?"
"Understood, Mother."
Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si, one steady and the other brave, were perfectly suited to make money through such speculative ventures at a time like this.
Both brothers knew the dish was strange, but neither said a word.
Fu Niu is almost one year old. Since the time we fled famine, all sorts of strange things have happened in our family, but now we're used to them.
Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si quietly set off in their mule cart.
Grandma Li carried Fu Niu to the fields and called back Tao Hongying and the others.
The old men next door were also helping out; they didn't know what was going on and kept asking questions.
Why didn't you water the plants tonight? Has the well dried up again?
Grandma Li climbed up the ladder. "It looks like there's not much water left. Let's leave some for everyone and decide whether to water it or not tomorrow night."
The old men all sighed, "Your family is too kind-hearted."
"Yes, at this time, we don't even have time to take care of our own families, yet you all have to take care of the whole village."
After talking for a while, everyone went back.
As for Jiayin, she was already fast asleep on her grandmother's back, drooling.
I'm so tired; there's always a limit to human strength.
When faced with natural disasters, we should do our best and leave the rest to fate.
Now all we can do is persevere and pray to God for mercy so that rain will fall soon.
Meanwhile, Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si waited for the city gate to open, paid ten coins, and entered the city smoothly.
The two were unfamiliar with the wealthy families in the city, so after thinking for a while, Li Laosi went to the镖局 (bodyguard agency) to ask Liu, the镖头 (bodyguard head), for help.
Liu, the镖头 (bodyguard/escort), was a kind-hearted man and Jiayi's mentor, so of course he wouldn't refuse.
He was familiar with the masters of each household, but not with the purchasing managers.
So he called on the security escort agency to help with purchasing.
This is a young man in his twenties, surnamed Zhou. He has a smiling face and is very easygoing.
Upon hearing the purpose of the Li family's visit and seeing the vegetables in the car, he couldn't help but rub his hands together excitedly.
These days, every household in the city is complaining.
Ordinary people lack food and water, while wealthy families lack enjoyment.
There's no fruit, no vegetables, and even water is scarce. Life is unbearable!
The purchasing teams were having a lot of bad luck, and they were scolded by their masters all day long.
These vegetables from the Li family are practically meat in a crow's beak; as soon as they're displayed, they'll be snapped up like crazy.
"Brother Li, Brother Li, to be honest, your goods will definitely sell well! But first, I need to ask if you have any left at home?"
Is this a one-off deal, or will it be delivered every day from now on? The difference isn't just a few coins; it's tens of taels! You need to make that clear so I can make arrangements for you.”
Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si exchanged a glance, both feeling that they had come out in a bit of a hurry and should have asked their mother more carefully!
But it's not too late now, Li Lao Er said.
“Brother Zhou, our well is deep, so there’s still water. These vegetables are all saved by my family from our own meals, hoping to sell them for some money to support our children’s education.”
We still have some at home, but we have quite a few relatives and friends. I don't know if we can sell them all. How about this, I'll have my fourth brother go back home and ask around, then we can discuss it further.
"Okay, okay, that's the best way."
Manager Zhou became even more excited; they had caught a big fish. If things went well, he would also reap the rewards.
Li Laosi hired a carriage and left, while Liu the镖头 invited Li Laoer and Steward Zhou to his home for breakfast.
Li Lao Er was generous and considerate, taking two bundles of vegetables and three small cucumbers.
Mrs. Liu cooked and served the food, which everyone enjoyed.
Li Laosi ran all the way home. The villagers were all fetching water and were surprised to see him return covered in dust.
He didn't have time for pleasantries and pulled his mother into the house.
Grandma Li didn't know if there would be any more green vegetables in the future, so both mother and son looked to Jiayin.
Jiayin had woken up and eaten her fill, and since she was free, she wasn't about to let this opportunity pass her by, especially since it seemed like there was something to be gained.
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