"Dad, they are gods. Didn't you hear what aunt said? They turned into mountains to suppress the monsters. They must be gods, mountain gods."
"Xiaoqi is really smart. If you put it that way, he really is the mountain god." Yan Bing smiled and touched Xiaoqi's head. "Which of the Calabash Brothers your aunt just told you about do you like best?"
Yan Qi tilted his head and thought for a long time, but still didn't know which one to choose.
"Grandpa, Duo'er likes Daliwa the most. He is very strong and can help mom and dad do a lot of work."
"I like the invisible baby. Once I become invisible, no one can see me. Then I can go anywhere to steal food."
"Duo'er is a simple-minded girl, unlike Shuwen, who only thinks about cheating. If you dare to cheat on other people's homes, I will beat your hands until they are swollen."
Shu Wen instinctively put his hands behind his back and said, "Isn't this just a story? How dare I go to someone else's house to steal food? I can't really be invisible."
Chunxiao finished the water Shufeng brought her and looked at the children who were still surrounding her. "Didn't I tell you to go away? I've finished my story."
Shuwen came close to her and chuckled, "Auntie, why don't you tell another story? It will be difficult for us to hear your stories again in the future."
"No, I'll tell you later when I think of it." We can't let these kids get away with it.
"Okay." Although the children did not hear the second story, they were very satisfied with the first one. "Then auntie, please tell us when you think of it in the future." The little ones then dispersed, and Duo'er and Pan'er also left with their small stools.
"Mom, do you want me to help you?"
Zhou's sheets were already half-locked. "No need. The sheets can be ready by dinner time. Wash them together with the quilt tomorrow morning and dry them during the day. Then you can use them in the evening."
Chunxiao went over to help Tian get the grass bundles.
"Just sit there and bask in the sun. I don't need your help. I'm almost done and it's time to cook again soon."
Chunxiao approached Yan Bingfa and said, "Dad, do you need the hoe at home for the next couple of days? Lend it to me. I'll go and cultivate my vegetable garden tomorrow morning."
"You can use it. I have nothing to do these two days. Dad will open it for you tomorrow. Ask Mom to pick some vegetable seeds for this season and plant them as soon as they open."
"The only things you can grow this season are radishes and cabbages. Oh, and spinach and mugwort. I'll plant some of those for you tomorrow."
"I don't need your help, I can open it by myself. Just give me the seeds, mother. Have you forgotten that I am the one who often does these farming things in the Zhou family?" She is not really a princess who has everything handed to her. She is also a pragmatic country woman.
"Your parents didn't care about you in the Zhou family before, but now that you're back, they will definitely not stand idly by if they can help you."
"I have nothing to do tomorrow, so why don't I go too?" Dashan said from the side.
"I just have a vegetable garden. Why would I need so many people?"
"Don't go to the mountains, Dashan. Take advantage of the good weather these days and go up the mountain with Dahe to chop more firewood. When the weather gets cold and snowy, you won't be able to go up the mountain for a long time."
"Okay, then I'll go up the mountain to chop firewood."
"I'll go with Dashan tomorrow." Tian said from the side, "The little ones all know how to feed the pigs."
Chunxiao thought about it and thought about her own experiment in burning charcoal. "Since my parents are going to help me start a vegetable garden, I will go up the mountain with my sister-in-law and the others to chop firewood tomorrow."
"Didn't you go to your kitchen and see that the firewood is piled up for you? There is enough firewood for you there."
"Brother, I want to cut some wood of the size I want. It will be useful."
"Okay, all of you go up the mountain. Your father and I will go and open up the vegetable garden in the yard for Chunxiao. Chunxiao, should we open the vegetable garden to the left? There's a bamboo shed on the right, so it's inconvenient to open a vegetable garden there."
"Yes, it's on the left."
Another day passed like this. The next day, Chunxiao followed the two pairs of brothers and sisters up the mountain, axe in hand. The axe was borrowed from someone who hadn't yet returned it, so it was perfect for Chunxiao. Once up the mountain, they split up and chopped wood. Chunxiao specifically sought trees with dense, firm wood, about the thickness of a man's fist. Tight wood produced a hard, heavy, and durable charcoal. Using looser wood would not only produce a light, unsustainable charcoal, but also be difficult to control and easily turn to ash.
"Little sister, what are you going to do with this wood?" Tian said, shaking the weight of a piece of wood. "This piece of wood is not light. I'll ask your brother to bring it back to you later."
"Sister-in-law, I'm useful. You might know it later. Don't worry, I'll cut a few and push them down the slope over there. When I get back, I'll move them back from the other side of the slope. It's faster than you transporting them to the village."
"That's a good idea. Now I understand that living close to the mountains is quite convenient." Da He bundled up the firewood. "But I'm worried your log won't roll down."
"That's okay. I'll drag it down there and watch it go down. I don't believe it won't go down if I push it."
"Okay. You still have a solution."
Chunxiao did just that, chopping a few logs and dragging them down the slope toward the end of the village. Once the mountains and rivers were full, they would carry their loads down the mountain, and everyone would go about their business. Her father was right. The weather had been good these past few days, and many people were coming up the mountain to chop wood. In just the morning, she had already encountered several groups of people, all too busy working to chat. When they bumped into each other, they were all chopping wood in their own separate sections.
Zhang noticed the difference in the way Chunxiao cut the trees, "Little sister, they are all the same thickness, why do you cut this one and not that one?" She pointed at the two trees, somewhat puzzled.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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