Chapter 198 (Bonus update for Yunqi's 170,000 recommended votes)
Before transplanting the rice seedlings, the Zhou family had already found a chance to sow wheat seeds and bean seeds in the fields. After transplanting the rice seedlings, the wheat and bean seedlings in the fields grew out. Of course, countless weeds also grew out with them.
So the busy spring season entered its second stage - weeding.
This kind of work is suitable for men, women, young and old. Even Manbao was weeding in the nearest fields.
There are basically two methods of weed control, one is extensive and the other is detailed.
The former took a hoe and hoeed gently along the way, removing the grass on the ridges by the roots, and then covered the grass in the seedling ditch with soil.
Not only can it remove some weeds, but it can also provide more soil nutrients for wheat seedlings or bean seedlings.
The latter, on the other hand, used a small hoe to hoe away all the grass in the ditches bit by bit, and then carried them out.
Even though Mr. Zhou has a large family, it is impossible for him to work all the land in detail.
They would make their selection based on how well the seeds broke through the soil and the fertility of the land.
The land with the best seedling germination rate and more fertile soil is carefully cultivated, and the rest depends on the situation. If there is spare capacity, then fine cultivation is used; if there is no spare capacity, then extensive planting is used.
Of course, Old Zhoutou didn't understand what extensive farming and intensive farming meant. These were terms that Manbao had heard when he was discussing with Keke. Old Zhoutou only had decades of farming experience, and the villagers in the village had been doing this for dozens or even hundreds of years.
Unlike farmers outside who became tenants or refugees after losing their land, in Qili Village, and even in the large village of Baimaquan Town, there are very few farmers who have completely lost their land.
Therefore, there are not many families who can fully cultivate the land under their names. Basically, local farmers have to make some choices. As a result, fertile land will gradually become more fertile, while poor land will hardly improve in decades.
Because human energy is always limited.
However, as spring planting gradually comes to an end, although it is still the busy spring season, the family will not be so busy anymore.
Manbao will no longer be like before, where he may not be able to see his elder and second brothers from the time he opens his eyes to the time he falls asleep.
Because often, when she opened her eyes, they had already gone to the fields, and when she finished dinner and was about to go to sleep at night, they might still be busy planting rice in the fields.
The copper coins in the treasure money box have been almost used up. Five very beautiful gold nuggets that could only be placed on a pile of copper coins before are now quietly staying at the bottom of the box.
So Manbao was unwilling to spend money to buy meat anymore.
Thinking that May was approaching, Qian became frugal and naturally reluctant to spend money on meat.
There was no way out. Xiao Qian felt sorry for her husband and thought of what Manbao said, that tofu was analogous to meat. Although she knew it might be false, she still soaked the beans to make tofu.
There are many wild vegetables to eat in spring, but there are very few vegetables in the vegetable garden.
Although there is no shortage of vegetables in the countryside, there is a severe shortage in the city. I heard that a handful of bitter vegetables can be sold at a high price of five cents.
Of course, it is impossible for the Zhou family to sell vegetables. There are many people in their family, and the vegetables in the vegetable garden are only enough for them to eat.
But they can sell tofu.
Thinking about how many beans I accumulated some time ago.
Xiao Qian simply soaked a little more tofu with her two sisters-in-law. In addition to eating the tofu themselves, they also asked Zhou Erlang to take it to the county town to sell.
There is no way. At the market, people basically barter, and few people are willing to spend money to buy tofu. This thing can only be taken to the county town.
Xiao Qian cut the tofu into large pieces and asked Zhou Erlang to sell them for one penny each. If they couldn't be sold, she would consider exchanging them for beans.
Basically, a family only needs two cents to eat.
Because Xiao Qian had to make tofu in the morning and cook for the school, she had no time to take care of the work in the fields.
After hearing his father mutter about how the weeds in the field were growing like crazy and what to do with the wheat and beans this year, Manbao volunteered to go to the field to weed after school.
Of course, she wasn't alone, she brought Bai Shanbao with her as well.
Bai Shanbao, who had lived in the countryside for more than a year, certainly knew how to distinguish wheat, beans and weeds, so he competed with Manbao with great interest, but was unwilling to come the next day.
He felt it was too hard, and he also thought, if he wanted to weed, why would he come to Manbao's land? He also had to weed his own land.
Manbao: ...
The two friends parted ways, and Manbao could no longer cheat for free labor.
After removing the first batch of weeds, the crops began to grow rapidly, so it was time to apply fertilizer. By the time the fertilizer was applied, May was approaching.
The two families had chosen the date long before the New Year. Qian specially went to the Taoist temple on the mountain in Dali Village to ask, and was told that the two people's horoscopes were very compatible, and the first day of May was a very auspicious day for them.
After May 1st, the next good day is May 23rd.
Of course, Qian preferred the first day of May, and the Fang family knew this and was naturally considerate. So when they announced the date, the Fang family also chose this day.
The betrothal gifts had already been given to the Fang family, but the good news still had to be announced to the bride's family before the wedding. Naturally, wedding cakes, candies, and gift meats were indispensable.
The remaining two taels of silver borrowed by Qian and Zhou Xi came in handy.
The Zhou family put up a lot of big red wedding characters. Manbao was so happy that he would run after Datou and Daya as soon as school was over every day, and put his studies aside.
This caused Bai Shanbao to run after him.
Qian looked at the two chubby white children, especially those with big black heads and two dark chins, who looked more and more like the boys sitting under Guanyin. She couldn't help but feel moved.
Qian pulled Manbao in front of her and asked with a smile, "Manbao, your fourth brother is getting married. Can you roll in his bed with him?"
Manbao's eyes lit up, "What is a rolling bed?"
"It's called the bed-rolling boy. Roll around on the new bed and ask the Lord of Heaven to bless your fourth brother and his wife to give birth to a daughter as smart and clever as you."
"Okay, okay!"
Qian looked at Bai Shanbao and asked with a smile, "Young Master, do you want to be a bed boy?"
Bai Shanbao nodded vigorously.
Qian smiled happily and took a wedding gift to the Bai family that day.
When Liu heard the servant's report, she was slightly surprised and quickly stood up and went out with her daughter-in-law to greet them.
Although there is a generation difference between the two children, their ages are actually not much different, and Qian looks older than Liu.
Liu and Qian had met several times, not to mention that the two families had a lot of interactions.
Not to mention that Manbao either follows Bai Shanbao to the Bai family to do homework and study, or Bai Shanbao follows Manbao to play, just the gifts sent back and forth between the two families can be said to be a close relationship.
But it was the first time that Qian came to visit, so Liu was very serious.
When Liu learned that Qian was going to ask her grandson to be a bed-roller, she hesitated for a moment. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but, "Manbao's mother, I won't hide it from you. In my heart, Shanbao is naturally a perfect person, but he lost his father at a young age. If he becomes a bed-roller..."
Whoosh, time flies
(End of this chapter)
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