In ancient times, people grew cabbage, radishes, chives, and scallions in cellars. Why can't she grow crops in a useless charcoal kiln?
Furthermore, the charcoal kiln can also be used as a greenhouse to grow vegetables that require high temperatures.
Ye Wenxue patted Shuangshuang's head with a smile: "You've done a great job, come with your mother to dig a charcoal kiln."
In their haste to produce charcoal, they only dug a small hole in the charcoal kiln that could only accommodate two people. It wasn't deep or wide enough to grow many vegetables.
If we want to offer a wider variety of dishes, we'll have to dig wider and deeper, at least enough to cover two plots of land on the ground.
Anyway, the valley is wide enough that no matter how much you dig, you won't go beyond the boundary.
Shuangshuang, who had inexplicably caused trouble for her mother, was speechless.
She clung to Ye Wenxue's leg, refusing to let her leave: "Mother, what should we do with the soil dug out of the charcoal kiln? It doesn't look good to just pile it on the ground."
Ye Wenxue carried Shuangshuang to the charcoal kiln a few dozen meters away from the earthen house, casually remarking as she walked:
"The soil we dug out... if we spread it out in the cave, we might be able to grow vegetables there!"
Shuangshuang knew she couldn't shake her mother's plan to farm, so she struggled to get off Ye Wenxue's shoulder and ran back to the earthen house to call Sanyuan and Siwang.
Shuangshuang grabbed a large hoe, while Sanyuan and Siwang each carried a small hoe and a basket for filling with soil, and rushed down into the charcoal kiln first:
"Mom, you take a rest, we'll dig."
Ye Wenxue knew that the three children were doing this for her own good. Standing on the charcoal kiln, she directed the work while also taking the baskets full of soil and carrying them to the cave to spread it out.
After several trips back and forth, the three little ones climbed up covered in dust and dirt, almost collapsing from exhaustion in the snow.
"So tired." Siwang was not used to the bright sunlight outside and raised his hand to shield his eyes.
Ye Wenxue picked up the large hoe that had fallen to the ground and leaned down into the hole: "You all rest, Mother will take care of it."
The three children didn't dig very deep; they dug horizontally the whole time. Before, it could only accommodate two people, but after digging, it could barely squeeze in three.
Ye Wenxue quickly bent over and dug deeper, then expanded the digging to both sides. Whenever she got tired, she would drink some spiritual spring water and rest for a while.
They dug until dark, when Dazhuang and Sujiu returned.
These past two days, the mountain stronghold's accountant has been doing accounting. Da Zhuang learned accounting while Su Jiu was getting treatment, Xu Lin learned some scientific research knowledge when he had free time, and Guang Tou learned to carve small animals when he was idle.
Sanyuan went with them for two days and benefited immensely. Today, instead of consolidating his knowledge, he was called to dig in the soil, which wasted a lot of time.
Upon learning that Ye Wenxue was digging a charcoal kiln with a torch, Dazhuang remained silent for a while. He didn't blame the younger ones, and after asking Su Jiu to cook, he took a small hoe and went down to help dig the charcoal kiln.
"Dazhuang?"
Hearing the noise, Ye Wenxue turned around in surprise.
"Mother, what are you going to do with the charcoal kiln?"
Shuangshuang only said that her mother was digging a charcoal kiln, but did not explain the specific reason.
Ye Wenxue earnestly explained her ideas to him, but Dazhuang seemed unconvinced.
How come he's never heard of growing crops in a cellar?
But if Mother says it exists, then it definitely exists!
After being idle for a few days since the snowfall, Dazhuang's hands were itching to dig, so he silently joined in.
The two only stopped when they came over with umbrellas to call them for dinner.
Ye Wenxue climbed up the specially dug earthen steps and carried the excavated soil into the cave.
Da Zhuang stared at the cave where he used to sleep and the cave where he used to smoke cured meat, now covered with a thin layer of soil, and fell silent for a moment.
...Well, the chances of success are high.
Because it was a method devised by my mother.
Ye Wenxue had been digging charcoal kilns for several days. That day, Dazhuang came back and dug with her for half an hour before pressing his aching back.
"Mom, the two grandmothers said the bean sprouts are almost ready and they're feeling anxious. They want you to go check on them and give them some encouragement."
Ye Wenxue raised the torch and looked around. The charcoal kiln was several times larger than before.
But the land available for cultivation is barely enough for a small vegetable patch on the surface.
Ye Wenxue wiped her sweat, inexplicably missing a certain laborer: "Okay. I'll go check on him tomorrow."
Bean sprouts grow quickly, but it's not always successful.
Bald Man's mother lifted the cloths covering the nearest few buckets one by one, and when she looked inside, her face turned very ugly.
"Of the three wooden buckets of bean sprouts, only two were successful; the beans in the other bucket were completely wasted."
Ye Wenxue comforted her, "It's okay, it's normal to fail the first time. The rotten beans are perfect for feeding chickens, ducks, and rabbits."
Baldy's mother, Xu Lin's mother, and Lan Qing breathed a sigh of relief and continued looking inside.
The first batch of ten buckets of bean sprouts were successfully made, seven of which were completed, not including the three buckets of soybean sprouts that Ye Wenxue asked Dazhuang to look after. It was a great success.
Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, the bald man peeked out from outside the warehouse and asked, "How's it going? Which is better, soybean sprouts or mung bean sprouts?"
These dozen or so wooden tubs, each the size of a bathtub, were made by Baldy and his team working overtime.
Baldy asked Ye Wenxue and learned that the bottom could not be sealed, but had to be breathable and leak-proof. So he deliberately did not seal the bottom, but made a wooden board with holes that could be lifted.
The bean sprouts were able to grow thanks in part to Baldy's contribution.
Ye Wenxue didn't ignore him: "It's a success. As for which bean sprouts taste good... why don't you try them yourself?"
The bald man rubbed his hands together and chuckled in agreement.
At the dinner table, the bald man learned that Ye Wenxue needed help digging a cellar, and quickly ate a mouthful of fish soup with bean sprouts.
"You should have said so earlier. You could have asked Zhiwu and Zhiwang to help out. They were just sitting around doing nothing anyway."
Ye Wenxue hesitated slightly.
Zhiwang glanced at her hesitantly:
"Dr. Su and Brother Dazhuang make a round trip every day, and they've tamped down the snow. If Old Man Nian wants to know where your house is, he can just follow the footprints to find it."
Ye Wenxue: "..."
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