Chapter 110 The beans and corn in the field are almost ready...
Today, since everyone is at home with nothing to do, we ate dinner quite early.
As evening fell, Lin Chuntao and Pei Ying went to the field to check on the crops. The corn was still a deep green, with corn silks still attached to the husks. Lin Chuntao tore off two husks to examine them. The kernels inside were still very tender, and she estimated that they could be harvested in ten or twenty days.
The soybean leaves are turning yellow very quickly; many of the seedlings have already turned yellow while the bean pods are still green. The seedlings are turning yellow very fast, and they can be harvested as soon as the leaves start to turn yellow. Otherwise, if there is a light drizzle, the beans will easily get moldy and rot. Lin Chuntao looked around and said, "We have to start harvesting the beans tomorrow or the day after, in case it rains later."
Pei Ying nodded.
After looking around, the two of them each carried some corn and soybeans. Lin Chuntao then went to the vegetable garden and took two cabbages. The soybeans were still fresh, so they would take them back, cook them, grind them into bean paste, and stir-fry them. The taste was quite good.
When they returned, Lin Chunxing and Lin Chunhe were in the corridor upstairs.
They saw Lin Chuntao and Pei Ying as soon as they returned.
"Sister, why did you pull so many beans?" Lin Duo'er asked loudly from her porch.
Lin Chuntao replied, "Pick them up to eat, and peel the beans." Then Lin Chuntao asked them, "Our corn is ready to eat too. Would you like some corn pancakes? If so, we can make some and keep them."
"Sis, do you make it with sugar?"
The one who asked the question was Lin Chunhe, and Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "If you want it sweet, then put it in."
"Then I want something sweet."
Lin Chuntao nodded slightly, and Lin Duo'er beside her also said, "Then I want one too."
Lin Chuntao: "Close the door and come down to shell the beans first. We'll make cornbread tomorrow."
Okay.
They responded and then quickly closed the door and ran downstairs.
After coming down, Lin Chunxing and Lin Chuntao said, "Sister, I found that we can take the clothes we washed upstairs to dry. I saw that they left a small opening in the wall so we can put a bamboo pole up there."
Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "You can use it to dry clothes, but I asked them to leave that spot for drying beans."
Lin Chunxing looked puzzled. "Aren't the bean sprouts laid out on the ground to dry?"
Lin Chuntao said, "We'll spread the bean sprouts on the ground to dry on top, while the bottom will become damp. We can tie the bean sprouts into bundles and hang them directly on top to dry, which will make them easier to dry."
Lin Chunxing: "So you just tie the bean sprouts together and hang them up to dry?"
"Mmm," Lin Chuntao responded. Lin Chunxing turned around and looked upstairs, seeing that the eaves covered that spot. She then laughed and said, "Sister, if it hangs like this, won't it stay dry when it rains?"
"Yes, the rain in autumn and winter isn't heavy, so you won't get wet."
Lin Chunhe looked at the bean sprouts in Lin Chuntao's hand. They were covered with beans, and this year's bean sprouts seemed to be even smaller.
"Sister, should we put the beans in a winnowing basket or an earthenware pot?"
Lin Chuntao: "Bring me a small winnowing basket."
"Yes." Lin Chunhe responded and ran to the kitchen to get a small winnowing basket. Lin Chunxing went inside to get a stool, and the family sat in the yard shelling beans.
As she peeled the bean sprouts, Lin Chunxing noticed that the winnowing basket was already full of beans despite only peeling a few sprouts. She hissed and said, "Sister, have you noticed that our bean sprouts are much shorter this year, but we've produced a lot of beans?"
Lin Chunhe chimed in, "It does seem like there are more fruits than last year."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "That means this year's harvest is bountiful."
The word "harvest" makes anyone happy, and the sisters cheerfully began shelling beans.
Pei Ying sat beside them, husking corn and listening to their conversation, a faint smile on her lips.
The villagers had already finished harvesting the beans. Pei Ying had encountered villagers carrying bean seedlings back from the county town twice. Those bean seedlings were indeed more lush than the ones at home, but they didn't produce as many beans. He also saw the corn. The corn in his own field looked like it had larger husks. Aunt Guizhi had given them some fresh corn earlier, but the kernels were smaller when peeled. The kernels in his own cornfield were much larger.
The corn seeds were bought by Lin Chuntao. At the time, Lin Cunzheng said that the corn seeds were redder in color, but because the kernels were very plump, they were planted.
When Lin Duo'er turned around and saw the corn in Pei Ying's hand, she exclaimed in surprise, "Sister, is our corn this big too this year?"
Curious, she picked one up and peeled off the husk little by little. The corn that came out was quite large.
Lin Chuntao said, "I just bought the seeds from someone randomly. Maybe we bought a new variety, so they're a bit big?"
Lin Chunhe said, "It's possible."
"That's great! Does that mean we'll have a bumper crop of beans and corn this year?"
Looking into Lin Duo'er's big, expectant eyes, Lin Chuntao nodded.
"That should be true."
Shelling beans is a delicate task, and they didn't finish until the sun had completely set. They weren't going to do it tonight, so Lin Chuntao wet a gauze cloth and covered the winnowing basket with it.
As dusk fell, we prepared and set aside the ingredients needed for making soup noodles the next day. Once everything was ready, the water on the stove was heated up, and everyone prepared to wash up and go to bed.
"Sister, can we wear the shoes that Auntie made for us?"
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Sure, didn't we give you the shoes? Wear them if you want."
After hearing Lin Chuntao's words, Lin Duo'er asked Lin Chunhe with a grin, "Third sister, are you going to wear it?"
Lin Chunhe: "I won't wear it."
Lin Duo'er asked again, "Second sister, are you wearing it?"
Lin Chunxing also shook her head: "I won't wear it either."
Lin Duo'er frowned and said coquettishly, "Shall we wear them together?"
Lin Chunhe and Lin Chunxing both refused her without prior agreement. Lin Duo'er sighed, "If you won't wear it, I won't wear it either."
Lin Chuntao: "...Wear it if you want. We'll be getting winter clothes made soon, and shoes too."
But Lin Chunhe and Lin Chunxing didn't wear it, nor did Lin Duo'er.
Lin Chuntao felt somewhat helpless, but she understood her thoughts. If the sisters shared shoes, no one would have new shoes. Otherwise, if mine were worn out, yours would still be new. Even though everyone had a pair of new shoes, which was fair, it would give the illusion that others had new shoes while you didn't.
Ultimately, it was still too little—just a pair of cloth shoes. If I had so many clothes and shoes that I couldn't even wear them all, I wouldn't think this way.
Although it was October, the weather was nice and not cold, so Lin Chuntao let them be.
As darkness fell, Lin Chuntao, who hadn't slept well the night before, went back to her room to lie down after taking a shower. Pei Ying arrived shortly after she lay down, bringing in a bamboo cup and casually placing it on the bedside table.
"Are you going to the county town tomorrow?" Pei Ying asked.
Lin Chuntao said, "It depends. If we're picking mushrooms, we'll go to the county town. If we're not picking mushrooms, we won't go. Chai Xingyu's sauce shop is selling out quickly, so we need to make more. I might need to find a few more people in the village."
Pei Ying hummed in agreement and then lay down.
They were both lying on their backs, and the room was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard. Neither of them spoke, but there was something different about the room than usual.
They lay motionless for about fifteen minutes. Pei Ying turned over and placed his hand on her waist, which felt terribly hot through the thin fabric.
Lin Chuntao swallowed and then said, "I'm a little thirsty."
Pei Ying turned over, took the bamboo tube from the cabinet, unscrewed the stopper, and handed it to her.
Lin Chuntao took the bamboo tube and gulped down two mouthfuls before handing it back to Pei Ying. Pei Ying also took a sip and then put the tube back on the bedside table.
He took off his shirt and turned around to see Lin Chuntao, who was leaning back on her elbows, looking at his abdomen.
Is it pretty?
Pei Ying's voice was muffled, and Lin Chuntao pursed her lips, wanting to laugh a little. "It's alright."
Pei Ying frowned slightly: "Is it just alright?"
Lin Chuntao smiled and lay down, "It's not bad."
Pei Ying also lay down, lying on his side facing Lin Chuntao. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes with deep-set eyes, staring intently at her.
Are you feeling unwell?
Lin Chuntao was stunned for a moment, but Pei Ying's hand had already fallen. "Here."
Feeling a little itchy, Lin Chuntao shrank back.
"fine."
Before she could finish speaking, Pei Ying pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. Their eyes met, and his warm breath washed over her. Lin Chuntao felt a little hot and pulled back the covers.
It was already dark. No red candles were lit tonight, and the only sound in the pitch-black room was their breathing.
Pei Ying leaned down, and Lin Chuntao felt as if countless warm water droplets were falling on her body, making her tremble slightly.
They had to get up early tomorrow, so they both restrained themselves and finished after two or three times. They were drenched in sweat, and their recent showers were all for nothing.
Based on last night's experience, Pei Ying poured hot water into the bathtub next door, and placed a bucket of cold water next to it. In the time it took to do this, the hot water cooled down a bit, and the temperature was just right.
Lin Chuntao was a little tired, so she opened her arms and looked at him.
Pei Ying smiled, bent down, and picked her up.
Do you need help washing?
Lin Chuntao pinched him and whispered, "If you can bear it, I don't mind someone helping me take a bath."
Pei Ying smiled and lowered his head to kiss her forehead.
"Since my wife has made such a request, then I, as her husband, should fulfill it."
He acted immediately, while Lin Chuntao was just talking. Once inside the bathtub, she pushed him away, saying, "Stop fooling around, or you'll spill the water."
After bathing, the two embraced and fell asleep.
Before dawn the next day, Pei Ying woke up. Even though it wasn't time yet, he couldn't resist and kissed her. Lin Chuntao, half-asleep, responded, murmuring, "Is it dawn?"
"not yet."
Lin Chuntao felt the strange sensation below her and became mostly awake. She whispered a reminder, "Pull it in."
"Okay, all done."
After all that commotion, Lin Chuntao was panting heavily when the first rooster crowed outside.
Lin Chuntao asked the system and found there were no mushrooms to pick. She said, "I'm not going to pick mushrooms this morning."
Pei Ying, who was about to get up, bent down again.
Lin Chuntao: "..."
After what seemed like the umpteenth crowing of the rooster, Pei Ying got up. Lin Chuntao, who was also no longer sleepy, got up and started packing with Lin Chunxing. Since they were already up, she went along with them.
At the market, many people who had bought mushrooms before asked Lin Chuntao, "Mushroom Lady, why haven't you been picking mushrooms to sell lately?"
Lin Chuntao laughed and said, "It hasn't rained lately, so nothing's growing in the mountains."
The person who asked the question laughed and said, "Are there no mushrooms left this year?"
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