Chapter 129 Chapter 129——
Previously, Xu Sheng and his friends thought that the neighbors on both sides bought mutton to eat. Now that they cooked the mutton, the smell of mutton was everywhere, and the adults and children from the neighbors on both sides also looked around to see who was eating mutton.
Seeing Xu Sheng and his friends happily coming in and out, his eldest cousin called out to him and asked, "Ah Sheng, are you guys cooking mutton? It smells so good."
Xu Sheng chuckled and didn't deny it, which meant he agreed.
Seeing Xu Sheng admit it, Xu Sen was a little surprised. He ran to the courtyard wall and asked, "What's the happy event in your family? Why did you buy mutton?"
Xu Sen didn't mean that people were too poor to buy mutton, but in this village, except for June 6th and big happy events, no one was willing to buy mutton to eat.
Xu Sheng said, "It's nothing happy. It's just the mutton my cousin bought."
Xu Sen: "Which cousin is yours? The one from Xiu's cousin's family?"
Xu Sheng nodded, "Yeah."
The two brothers spoke loudly, and the adults on both sides heard it. The eldest aunt heard the conversation in the house and came out to pour water. She asked Xu Sheng to go to the field to get coriander and green onions, and pick some peppers.
Xu Sheng ran away. Xu Sen's mother looked at his aunt and said with a smile: "A Xiu's daughter Chuntao has made great progress. You two are going to enjoy a good life."
My aunt said helplessly, "She's promising, but it's also been tough. She works so hard to earn some money, and I feel bad when she spends it. But this child is just like Ah Xiu, so stubborn that she won't listen to you."
Xu Sen's mother also smiled when she heard this. Xu Xiu died early, and Lin Chuntao and other girls were not liked by their grandparents, and were bullied by their biological father and stepmother. They all knew how miserable their lives were before. Later, when Lin Chuntao built a new house and held a banquet, they all went to the banquet. The house was built very well, and the banquet was also well organized. The people in the village came back after the meal and praised it highly.
It only took a few months to go from being miserable to being proud of oneself. It's incredible.
Many people are envious and jealous.
Especially since it was so close, smelling the aroma of the meat was even more torturous.
But there's nothing we can do. She's someone's niece, and it's only natural to send something to honor the elders.
There are several families of cousins, uncles and aunts, and there are nearly a hundred people gathered together, young and old. It is unrealistic for them to eat together. My aunt-in-law didn't invite anyone's family, and just ate with her family.
The weather is fine today. After picking the milk mushrooms this time, the system has not broadcast for two consecutive days, so Lin Chuntao did not go into the mountains.
The charcoal kiln ended up being the same as last time. After sealing the smoke outlet, they waited four days before opening the kiln.
Lin Chuntao did not go into the mountains, nor did she go to the county town.
After slept until dawn, she got up and had breakfast with Lin Chunhe and Lin Duoer, and took care of some chores at home. When it was gradually getting brighter, Grandma and Aunt Guizhi came to do the work. Then Lin Chuntao asked Lin Duoer to call Lin Jialang and Mrs. Fan to come and start the charcoal kiln together.
The cave was modified once. The cave was opened from the top, and Lin Chuntao knocked away the soil above the cave.
After knocking a hole, Lin Chuntao took out a piece of charcoal and took a look. It was burning well. The charcoal was hard and made a crisp sound when knocked.
Lin Jialang took a small hoe and helped Lin Chuntao pry the mud off the surface. Lin Chuntao brought a bamboo basket and prepared to put all the charcoal into it.
Madam Fan also rolled up her sleeves and prepared to take some, but Lin Chuntao hurriedly said, "Madam, don't get your hands dirty. It's not much, I can take it."
Madam Fan said, "There's nothing to worry about. I can finish it with you in no time."
After Lin Jialang pried open all the roofs, he also came over to help get the charcoal. The amount of charcoal was about the same as last time. After getting it, several people moved it into the yard together.
Lin Duoer scooped water for them to wash their hands, and Lin Chuntao asked, "Are your mud bricks almost dry?"
Madam Fan said, "It should be almost done, but we're not sure how big the kiln should be." Lin Chuntao said, "This small cave I dug takes five or six days to burn, and I can only produce three frames of charcoal. If I sell this charcoal, it won't be enough, right? The cave must be at least two or three times bigger than mine."
Lin Jialang asked, "If that's the case, wouldn't it take several more days to burn charcoal?"
Lin Chuntao nodded. "Well, I think if you decide to make charcoal and sell it, you can build two caves at the same time. The one you build first can be burned first, and then the one behind it can be built. Then you can stagger the burning times and always have charcoal to sell."
Lin Jialang's eyes lit up when he heard this, but Fan Li'niang was a little worried. If they built two kilns, the backyard would be a bit crowded, and it would be difficult to build a pigpen or something.
But since we are not raising pigs now, let’s just focus on burning charcoal for now.
After resting for a while, Lin Chuntao followed them to their house to take a look. She drew a line with putty. There was a distance of about one meter between the two kilns, and the positions were arranged diagonally, which was just right.
The middle kiln was easy to build, but a chimney and a fire hole were also needed. Lin Chuntao told them some precautions and Lin Jialang listened carefully. She looked at the mud bricks drying in the sun. If it was enough to build one kiln, it would require a lot more if it was to build two kilns.
Mrs. Fan didn't look like someone who could build a wall, and Lin Jialang was still a child. Lin Chuntao thought for a moment and asked, "Are you going to build this kiln yourself or do you want someone to help you build it?"
Lin Jialang said, "I was planning to invite Uncle Changzong, but I haven't done so yet."
Lin Chuntao nodded. "Well, if uncle comes to build it, if you have any questions, come and call me."
"Okay, thank you, sis."
Lin Chuntao responded, and Lin Jialang and the others continued to make mud bricks. Lin Chuntao went home. Before she got home, she saw eight or nine people coming to the gate of the yard, each carrying a basket on their backs. They looked like their uncle and his friends.
Lin Chuntao rubbed her eyes and stretched her neck. Before she could see clearly, the person had already entered the yard. Lin Chuntao trotted back home. Lin Chunhe and Lin Duoer were pouring water for them.
"Uncle, aunt!"
Lin Chuntao shouted as soon as she stepped into the yard.
My aunt and the others turned around and looked over. "Chun Tao, we thought you went to the county town."
Lin Chuntao said, "I didn't go this morning because I had nothing to do."
My uncle asked, "Are you busy lately?"
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Not too busy."
Uncle: "The other day I went to the cornfield on the hill behind you while cutting firewood. You haven't been there in a few days, right? The corn leaves are almost yellow. Your aunt said she was afraid it would rain before they could be picked, so she asked us to come over and take a look."
Lin Chuntao was stunned for a moment when she heard this. The two plots of land at the village entrance were close, so she didn't go to the back mountain to check. Besides, she thought the one at the back mountain was planted later and shouldn't grow so quickly.
Thinking about it, she said, "The sandy land is relatively dry, so the corn will mature faster. If you are not busy, go and take a look. If you can pick the corn, we will help you pick it back first."
Lin Chuntao looked at her family in front of her and said, "I'm not busy, I'm really sorry for making my uncle worry about us."
Hearing this, my aunt smiled and said, "What's there to be embarrassed about? We've been free lately, and with more people helping you, we can finish harvesting in a few days. But where are you going to dry the corn after you harvest it?"
Lin Chuntao said, "Let's pour it out on the main house floor to dry. It won't be afraid of the dust downstairs."
The aunt nodded. Lin Chuntao and her family's house was still new and not dusty, so they could just carry the corn back upstairs.
As she said this, Lin Chuntao went to get a backpack and a sickle. She quickly used bamboo to carve two sharp spikes, which would be more convenient for peeling leaves from corn cobs.
There were many people eating at noon, and there was enough meat for cooking. She soaked the rice, then quickly took a clay basin to scoop out some flour, added yeast and honey, kneaded the dough twice, covered it with a winnowing basket and let it ferment. It should be fermented by time for dinner, so she steamed two trays of steamed buns and set them aside so she could eat them when she was hungry in the afternoon.
She moved quickly and was ready to leave as soon as she finished her work. The eldest aunt and the others also picked up their backpacks and were about to follow. When they picked up the backpacks, they realized that there were still things in them. The second aunt laughed and said, "You almost had to carry them to the fields."
As they spoke, they carried their backpacks into the house and took out two big pumpkins, some vegetables and peppers. My second aunt also had more than twenty eggs in her backpack.
Let’s not talk about vegetables and pumpkins. Lin Chuntao and her friends also love to eat vegetables. They don’t grow much in the fields, so when her aunts and friends give them to her, she usually takes them without hesitation. But they save the eggs to sell for money.
"Aunt, why are you still carrying eggs for me? The two bigger hens at home have already laid eggs, and we have eggs to eat."
After Lin Chuntao finished speaking, her aunt said, "Put them aside and eat them slowly. We didn't save much this time, so eat them first. Chickens don't lay eggs very often now that winter has come."
Before Lin Chuntao could reply, her third aunt said, "Sister-in-law, speaking of that brown hen, it looks like she's about to start broody. Will she still lay chicks this year?"
Hearing what the third aunt said, Lin Chuntao hurriedly said, "Aunt, if you get some chicks, get me some too."
Originally, my aunt was thinking of getting another one next year and leaving this one empty. But when she heard Lin Chuntao say that, she asked, "How many do you want?"
Lin Chuntao said, "A dozen or twenty will be fine. I want to raise more chickens next year."
"So many?" asked the second aunt in surprise.
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "It doesn't matter whether it's a rooster or a hen. If you raise a lot of them, you can just catch them and kill them when you want to eat them."
My aunt said, "Then I'll get it for you when I get back."
After putting the things away, Lin Chuntao and the others didn't hesitate any longer. They all carried their backpacks and headed towards the cornfield on the back mountain.
Everyone had harvested the crops in their fields long ago, and those who were quick had even planted buckwheat. Except for their two large pieces of corn still standing in the ground, the surrounding area had flattened.
Lin Chuntao was a little surprised when she saw the yellowing corn seedlings. When she pulled out the bean seedlings, they were still very green, but they turned yellow in just a few days!
There were so many people and the corn seedlings were very deep, so my uncle and his friends took sickles and quickly cut down the corn seedlings and piled them up. My aunt and her friends found something to sit on around the piles and directly peeled off all the leaves on the corn in the field. They didn't have to do anything else when they carried them back.
The two of them broke off a pile of corn straw, and the corn straw had to be straightened out and placed neatly. When the time came, they could take it home and use it as a sleeping mat for pigs, or feed it to livestock like mules or cows.
After analyzing the corn for a while, my aunt and the others discovered that the corn in Lin Chuntao's field was different from the ones they grew at home, and they all asked her where she bought the seeds.
Lin Chuntao said, "It's from a street vendor. It's cheaper than the grain store. Aunt, if you guys want to plant some, I'll get some for you to plant later. And my bean seeds, maybe they're from a different variety, the seedlings seem smaller but the beans are more plentiful."
My aunt said, "I saw the one you were hanging. I was just about to ask you about it."
"There are so many beans, it feels like each plant has many more."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "After the harvest is over, I'll weigh it and see how many kilograms we've harvested this year."
"I think your corn harvest will be much better."
Everyone chatted. My uncle and his team had just finished felling a field. Including Lin Chuntao, there were ten of them. They were picking the corn slowly, carrying baskets on their backs. Some people carried them home first, while others continued to pick the corn in the field. On the first trip, Lin Chuntao went home first. She had to point out the specific location of the corn. After a few trips, everyone was familiar with the route.
In just this morning, Lin Chuntao had harvested more than half of the corn in the cornfield. Seeing that it was almost lunchtime, Lin Chuntao called them to go home and rest together while she went to make lunch. Her uncle and his friends asked her to go, and they continued to harvest the corn.
Lin Chuntao couldn't persuade them and had to go along with it.
Lin Qingqing and the others received their wages today. She hadn't worked for a full month, but because there were some bonuses, she still received 1,670 coins. This was the first time in Lin Qingqing's life that she had received so much money. She first counted out the money she wanted to return to Lin Chuntao, then went to buy some malt sugar snacks. She hid most of the remaining money and returned with Lin Chunxing and the others with 400 coins.
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