"One acre of land requires three to four kilograms of seeds. We'll probably need 50 to 60 kilograms. I don't know how much a kilogram costs, but it shouldn't be too expensive." If it's too expensive, no one will buy it. "Mom, are we going to plant all our land with wheat this spring?"
"We're planting wheat. We originally had some wheat seeds, but now we have ten more acres of land. We definitely won't have enough wheat seeds. We'll have to collect some from the villagers when the time comes. We might even have to rent cattle during the spring planting season, otherwise we'll be exhausted."
"Mom, how much does it cost to rent a cow for a day?" If it is cost-effective, she can use cows to plow the land here. Cows can pull wooden plows faster than people.
"I've never rented a cow before, and there's no one nearby who rents a cow for farming. I heard it's 50 cents a day, and I have to take care of the fodder."
"Now that we have a lot of land, we could consider buying a cow. However, I have limited money, and I'm worried about not having any income before the cotton planting is successful. I also plan to dig a well in the field ahead after the New Year, so I'll put the cow purchase on hold."
Zhou smiled and said, "Don't take all the spending on yourself. Your elder and second brothers are not pushovers either. Your father and his family also considered buying a cow a few days ago. I didn't ask in detail and let them decide whether to buy it or not. Have you mentioned the well digging issue to your father?"
Chun Xiao shook her head. "It's still early. Let's talk about it after spring. I own most of this land anyway, so naturally I'll pay the biggest share."
"Don't get involved in buying the cows. You should have mentioned the well digging earlier. You can't dig a well wherever you want. You need a well digger to come and see. He says you need suitable land. If you've already planted in the spring, it would be a waste of time for someone to dig in your field. You have to dig early. Have your father find a well digger."
Chunxiao had not considered this point. "Mom, you have thought it through carefully. I will tell Dad in the next two days that we will find someone to dig a well when the new year comes." Living like this now, she feels that she is missing a lot of things. Fortunately, she has more money now, and it is only a matter of time to do these things. In this way, selling charcoal during this period is particularly important. Without the money to buy charcoal, she can't do anything.
The next day, Zhou's father and son set out early again. When they woke up in the morning, the snow outside the yard had almost melted. Tian, Zhang and Shuwen came early in the morning. Yan Bingfa had left a message last night that if the weather was good today, they would go to the end of the village to prepare the land.
In the morning, Chunxiao was burning charcoal in the backyard while the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were preparing the ground in the front. Although the weather was cold, it was sunny.
When Chunxiao finished her work and came out from the backyard, Zhou was already cooking.
"Mom, let's stew the head meat. Everyone will be here soon."
Zhou rolled her eyes at her. "I've pickled the pig's head meat and will eat it during the Little New Year. I just had the pig-killing dinner yesterday, and now I want to eat pig's head meat again. I can't live like this. You have some dried mushrooms here. I'll stew them with pig's blood and serve them with corn rice. That's the best."
"Then put some ground ginger in the soup." They had never used ginger in their cooking before. Ever since Chunxiao bought ginger, they would add a little when cooking meat. Zhou also knew that ginger could remove the fishy smell. "I see. Your Fifth Uncle Yan just came over and brought the crib over. It's in the yard. Do you see it?"
Chunxiao had just gone straight to the kitchen and didn't pay any attention to the things in the yard. Now, when she looked outside, she saw a small bed. It wasn't that small actually, it was just a little smaller than her bed. If her bed was 1.5 to 1.6 meters wide, then this bed was about 1.2 to 1.3 meters wide.
"Then I'll tidy up the utility room this afternoon and move the wood and charcoal to the thatched shed at the back. The shed is a lot emptier now, so I can use it as a bedroom. I can keep my tools and backpacks in there as usual."
"Wait until your father and the others come back and let them do it. You can go with your sister-in-law and the others to prepare the land this afternoon. Give us your suggestions on how to make it."
"Mom, are you just giving me this bed? Where are the other things?"
"You kid, it's only been a few days, how could it be that fast? Your Fifth Uncle Yan said the table is already being made." Zhou laughed at her impatience. "He came here today with a big smile on his face. I said we'll pay you when it's done. So hurry up and figure out what else you need to do."
Chunxiao thought for a moment and said, "Mom, if I want to make a dustpan as big as a tabletop and as thin as a finger, can I make it?"
"To make a winnowing basket, you need to find a bamboo craftsman. He can make any kind of basket you ask him to make."
"I need to see how much it costs first. If I make dozens of them, I'll need them. If they're too expensive, forget it."
"Then I'll go ask you when I have time. What's the appropriate amount? How much do you want?"
Chunxiao was thinking of using it to keep warm and shade when raising seedlings in February. "If it's under 10 cents, then I'll buy 50."
Zhou didn't expect her to ask for so much, but her daughter must have her own plans for what she wanted. "Okay, if you want more, I can bargain with it. It's the size of an ordinary tabletop and the length of my finger is this deep."
"It would be even better if he could expand it, and the price could be increased a bit."
"Okay, I got it. I can ask him to make a sample for you to see and then decide whether to continue. Go outside and call your sister-in-law and the others back. The meal is ready."
Several women gathered together to talk about land plowing. Shuwen finished her meal quickly and returned to the village. When the four little ones came to eat, Yan Bingfa and the others had just returned.
Chunxiao told Yan Bangfa about digging a well and told him about the water consumption of cotton.
Yan Bingfa nodded. "If we want to grow cotton, we really need to dig a well. Otherwise, it would be a hassle to carry so much water every day. It would be best to dig a deep well so that we can survive droughts."
“Are deep wells priced the same as regular wells?”
"How can they be the same?" Yan Dashan laughed at her. "If they were the same, everyone would dig deep wells."
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