Chapter 31 Chapter 31-Two in One is Impossible! They...
Several people sat down on the ridge of the field. Aunt Guizhi peeled a radish for each of them. The spring radish had lush leaves and was small in size. It was not juicy enough, but very sweet.
After eating one, I actually want to eat more, but you can't eat too much raw radish. It promotes digestion and makes you hungry quickly, and it will also cause burping.
After eating the radishes, Aunt Guizhi joined in the farming. They worked until around noon, when Lin Chuntao called for it to be over.
Everyone returned home together. Aunt Guizhi helped with cooking, while Lin Chuntao squatted in the yard washing mushrooms.
The old lady looked at the basket of blue-headed mushrooms and looked at Lin Chuntao in surprise: "You went to pick mushrooms this morning?"
Lin Chuntao nodded and said, "I went to pick some up. On my way down the mountain, I met Aunt Guizhi, and I asked her to help me sell them."
Sun thought that they were all tired after working all day yesterday, not to mention young girls like Lin Chuntao, yet she could still get up early to pick mushrooms.
As long as you are diligent, your life will get better day by day.
She smiled and said, "You two aunt and nephew can work together."
Aunt Guizhi smiled and said, "I was just thinking about that. From now on, Chuntao and I will set up a stall together. If she is too busy to go, I can help her sell mushrooms."
Lin Chuntao naturally understood the implication and said with a smile, "As long as we can pick up some mushrooms, that's absolutely fine. We two aunts and nephews can find a spot and shout together."
Pei Ying came back before the mushrooms were washed.
For lunch today, Lin Chuntao stewed a mushroom in broth and added some shredded radish. It was refreshing and not greasy and very delicious.
She also stir-fried a pork liver with chili peppers. She soaked the blood in the pork liver with dried ginger and stir-fried it with onions, ginger, garlic and chili peppers. The pork liver was of just the right thickness, tender and delicious, and the fishy smell was absorbed by the seasoning. Aunt Guizhi, who loves pork liver, praised it highly. Lin Cunzheng and Pei Ying, who almost never eat pork liver, were eager to try it. They took a piece and tasted it, which opened the door to a new world: they didn't know that liver could taste like this.
As they ate the shredded radish and mushrooms cooked in the broth, Aunt Guizhi smiled and said, "I just realized Chuntao is such a good cook! You can actually cook radish like this! It's much more delicious than cooking it in cubes."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "I just stir-fry whatever I have. I'll make stir-fried tomato and eggplant for you ladies to try tonight."
Everyone thought of the sour tomatoes and the black eggplants. Aunt Guizhi and Mrs. Sun waved their hands and refused in unison.
The two talked about how this dish was served at a banquet hosted by a family in the village. Large pieces of tomatoes and eggplant were stir-fried together. Not to mention whether it tasted good or not, it looked like pig food, which made people lose their appetite.
Lin Chuntao said, then I will do it naturally.
In the afternoon, Aunt Guizhi and Pei Ying went to the fields together. There were many people working in the fields, and since they went early in the morning, they could finish work early in the evening.
Lin Cunzheng liked this cow, so after the trip he took it to the mountainside to eat grass. Lin Duoer and Lin Chunhe followed, looking for bubbles and wild fruits on the ridges.
Sun and Aunt Guizhi went home to feed the chickens and pigs. Pei Ying was assigned by Lin Chuntao to cut grass for the pigs, and the two sisters stayed at home to cook.
They had agreed to stir-fry tomatoes and eggplants. After Lin Chuntao washed the two vegetables, Lin Chunxing was stunned.
"Sister, you really have to do it."
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Of course."
Lin Chunxing looked at her pleadingly, "Forget it, can we make scrambled eggs with tomatoes?"
"If you want to eat scrambled eggs with tomatoes, I can make them, but we're going to steam buckwheat rice tonight. Believe me, the fried eggplant with tomatoes that I make is delicious."
Lin Chunxing really wanted to believe Lin Chuntao, but everyone had eaten these two things before, and they had already tasted what they tasted like when fried together. Even though Lin Chunxing was a good cook, she didn't dare to believe it.
But there was no other way, since her sister wanted to do it, she had to help.
"Go boil some hot water first and blanch these two tomatoes."
After Lin Chuntao gave the instructions, she took a knife and cut off some meat, which was 40% fat and 60% lean. She quickly cleaned it and chopped it into minced meat.
Lin Chunxing, who was standing by, had also finished blanching the tomatoes. She looked at Lin Chuntao and asked, "Sister, they're done. Do you want to cut them?"
"Don't cut it yet, peel the skin."
As Lin Chuntao spoke, she scooped noodles and prepared to start steaming buckwheat rice.
Lin Chunxing tried to peel a tomato and found that she could peel off large pieces with just a slight pull. The skin was incredibly smooth. She peeled two tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Lin Chuntao took the eggplant. The eggplant was still very tender and there was no need to peel it. She cut it into small square pieces.
The tricholoma had not been eaten up yet. Everyone loved the way it was prepared in the morning, especially the old couple, who liked to soak rice in the soup made with the mushrooms. Lin Chuntao made one in the evening.
Because she had chili oil, Lin Chuntao made some smashed cucumbers and pickled them in advance.
After the rice was steamed, Lin Chunhe and Lin Duoer followed Cunzheng back with the cattle. Lin Chuntao asked Chunxing to call Aunt Guizhi and Grandma to come for dinner, while asking Chunhe to scoop water for Lin Cunzheng to wash his hands.
After she took the steamer down, she started cooking.
Along with the sound of sizzling oil, the aroma of meat and vegetables wafted through the yard.
When Chun Xing called Sun and Aunt Guizhi to come back, she happened to meet Qian and Lin Changhe at the intersection who were returning from the fields.
Qian and the others greeted Aunt Guizhi and Aunt Sun, "What are you doing, auntie and sister-in-law?"
Sun pointed in the direction of Lin Chuntao's house and said with a smile, "Let's go to Chuntao's house for dinner."
Qian curled the corners of her lips and her eyes fell on Lin Chunxing. Lin Chunxing pretended not to see her and walked past her.
Since Sun was there, they didn't say anything and didn't call out to Lin Chunxing.
After the three men left, Qian rolled her eyes at Lin Changhe and said, "Why don't you ask that damn girl what her brother-in-law does in the county town? I heard from the villagers that he was carrying some meat when he came back yesterday."
Lin Changhe was very disdainful.
"If she doesn't call me, why should I call her?"
Qian rolled her eyes, feeling that it was a hopeless situation.
They said it casually, but the children remembered it in their hearts. Lin Chuntao and the others had meat to eat.
When they got home, those who fed the pigs, fed the chickens, cooked, carried water, and rested in the yard after washing up all had their own things to do, and the children were running around in and out of the yard.
After a busy day, adults usually don't restrain their children and let them play.
Lin Jiacai from the fourth house and Lin Jialang and Lin Jiarong from the fifth house quietly arrived outside the yard of Lin Chuntao and her friends.
Lin Chuntao and the others had already served the dishes and were inviting everyone to sit down and start eating.
Mrs. Sun and Aunt Guizhi saw the fried eggplant with tomatoes made by Lin Chuntao. It was different from what they expected. There was minced meat in it, and the eggplant cubes were wrapped in rich soup, which looked quite appetizing.
Sun smiled and said, "I have to try Chuntao's fried eggplant and tomatoes first. They look very different."
Lin Chunxing had already tasted it, and she never thought that it could taste like this.
I previously said that scrambled eggs with tomatoes is suitable for mixing with noodles, but she thinks this dish is even more suitable for mixing with noodles.
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Grandma, try it. I think it's delicious."
As she spoke, she took a pair of chopsticks and picked up the meat for everyone first. The rest could be eaten slowly, but the meat had to be picked up first.
Outside the yard, Lin Jialang and the others were not as tall as the bamboo fence, so they figured out a way to look into the yard, one carrying the other on their backs.
Among the three little brats, Lin Jiacai was the oldest. He asked Lin Jialang to carry him on his back and in an instant they were taller than the bamboo fence.
Lin Chuntao and her friends were having dinner in the yard. It was still bright outside, and Lin Jiacai saw four or five bowls of dishes on the table at a glance. The bowl of meat dumplings was particularly eye-catching!
He stared with wide eyes and swallowed his saliva.
The Lin family didn't say anything for a long time. Lin Jialang thought he didn't see it, so he asked, "Brother, did you see it? Are they eating meat?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Lin Chuntao and the others turned around to look over. Lin Jiacai was caught, so frightened that he forgot he was still riding on Lin Jialang's shoulders. Without support, he fell backwards and fell directly, taking Lin Jialang with him.
Lin Jiacai fell and broke his leg, screaming in pain.
Sun frowned and asked, "Wasn't that Jiacai just now?"
"It seems to be her." Aunt Guizhi said.
Lin Chuntao put down her bowl and chopsticks and said, "I'll go take a look."
Sun and Aunt Guizhi also put down their bowls and chopsticks and followed them out. Aunt Guizhi was the first to ask, "Jiacai, how are you?"
Lin Jiacai cried out, "Aunt, my leg seems to be broken!"
Sun frowned and looked at Lin Jialang and Lin Jiarong, "How about you two? Are you okay?"
Lin Jialang and Lin Jiarong only fell on their buttocks, and they were fine after getting up and patting themselves. They shook their heads and said, "It's okay."
Sun said, "If you have nothing to do, Jiarong, you stay here with Jiacai, and Jialang, go back and call your fourth uncle and fourth aunt."
Lin Jialang ran away as soon as he heard the words. He did not explain the reason when he returned. He only said to Lin Changhong and Yang Cuizhi: "Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt, Brother Jiacai's leg is broken!"
Upon hearing this, Yang angrily cursed, "You heartless brat, are you quarreling with your brother again and cursing him?"
Lin Jialang was so angry that he bent over, supported his knees and gasped for breath.
"My leg is really broken. It's right outside Sister Chuntao's house."
Hearing that it was related to Lin Chuntao, Lin Changhong asked bluntly: "Was he beaten by that damn girl Lin Chuntao?"
Lin Jialang shook his head: "No, it was Brother Jiacai who told us to go see if Sister Chuntao's family had any meat, and he accidentally fell."
Yang's eyebrows were twitching and she ran towards Lin Chuntao's house.
Lin Changhong and other members of the old Lin family followed closely behind.
Lin Chuntao thought that Lin Jiacai might have dislocated his arm, but she didn't go forward to check. She didn't cause the injury, and if she went forward to check, she might be blamed.
She stayed as far away from everyone in the Lin family as possible.
Lin Chuntao did not step forward, and neither did Sun and Aunt Guizhi. If Yang was there to lend a hand, they could do so, but not now. They were at Lin Chuntao's house, and Yang was so aggressive that she was afraid that they would be accused of shielding Lin Chuntao when she was unhappy.
Just stay away from it.
When Yang arrived, Lin Chunxing and Aunt Sun Guizhi were standing at the door, about ten feet away from Lin Jiacai. She watched Lin Jiacai rolling on the ground in pain, and she immediately became furious.
"Jiacai, what's wrong with you? Why did you fall?"
When Yang's voice was heard, Lin started crying and shouting, feeling extremely aggrieved.
"Mom! My legs hurt!"
Yang rushed over, looked at her son with his legs curled up, and asked, "Where does it hurt? Point it out to me."
"Here, I can't move!"
"Look, my son, who did this?"
Lin Jiacai didn't dare to say that he fell because he was riding on Lin Jialang's neck to peek. He evaded the issue by saying, "Lin Chuntao scared me! That's why I fell!"
Hearing this and looking at the mother and son, Lin Chuntao curled her lips and crossed her arms over her chest, looking as if she had expected it. She was not in a hurry and watched the people from the old Lin family hurried over not far away.
Yang looked at Lin Changhe who was rushing towards her and cursed, "Third Brother Lin, look at the wonderful daughter you raised!"
Lin Changhe grumbled unconvincedly, "I only have one son, and he's still in my wife's belly. You can't blame me for anything that happens to you!"
Qian was somewhat gloating, "Who beat Jiacai?"
Lin Changhong felt a surge of pain when he saw his son like that. He pointed at Lin Chuntao and cursed, "Lin Chuntao, why are you scaring him?"
Looking at the group of people in front of her, Lin Chuntao said in a deep voice, "You said I scared him. You need to provide evidence. I was busy all day and was having dinner. The three of them were sneaking around outside. I don't know what they were doing. They fell down by themselves, and they want to blame it on me?"
"Not to mention that I have witnesses, even if I didn't, we can still sue the authorities! Be responsible for what you say!"
Lin Jialang was more clever and hid behind the adults without saying a word.
Lin Jiarong looked at the angry Fourth Uncle and his wife and whispered, "Fourth Uncle, it was Brother Jiacai who fell down. He was riding on Brother Jialang's shoulders, wanting to see if there was any meat at Sister Chuntao's house. Suddenly, he fell down, and I was knocked down too. I fell flat on my butt."
Everyone in the old Lin family looked at Lin Jiarong in confusion, and Miao pulled him over.
"What nonsense are you talking about, you little brat?"
Lin Jiarong looked innocently up at Miao.
"Mom, I'm not lying. Just now on the road, we heard Third Aunt's mother and Third Uncle say that my brother-in-law brought back some meat yesterday. Jiacai wanted to know if it was true, so he brought us to see it. The bamboo fence was too high for us to see, so Jiacai asked my brother to carry him up to see it."
Lin Chuntao and the others heard these words clearly. The people in the Lin family knew that this had indeed happened, but Lin Chuntao didn't know. At this time, Qian and Lin Changhe's faces were burning hot.
Yang's breath caught in her throat when she heard this. She called Lin Jialang over and asked, "Lin Jialang, tell me, is what my brother said true?"
Lin Jialang glanced at Miao, pursed his lips and said nothing. Miao said in a deep voice: "Fourth sister-in-law, uncle and aunt are here. I believe they know everything. Why not ask them?"
Sun looked at Miao Feng, then at Yang Cuizhi, and said in a deep voice, "We were all eating in the yard when we heard a child outside asking, 'Did you see? Are they eating meat?' We turned around and saw someone fall. When we came out to check, we realized it was their third brother."
"Old Fourth's family, before you came, no one here had ever met your family's talent."
Yang listened to the old lady's words and said sarcastically, "Yes, you didn't meet my Jiacai, aunt, you can see the child rolling on the ground in pain!"
Sun was not a pushover either, she chuckled.
"It's because he has a mother like you. I can't bear to see him like this, but I have to watch. If it were any other family's child, I would have already sent him home in a mule cart, and even asked if we should send him to the county town for a checkup. Your child is precious, we can't afford to touch him!"
Being challenged by the old lady, Yang glared at Lin Chuntao fiercely and made indirect accusations against Lin Changhong.
Sun snorted coldly, looking at Lin Chuntao and the others and said, "Let's go back and eat. It's a waste of time to look at them any longer."
Lin Cunzheng looked at the Lin family and sighed helplessly. He said to Lin Changhai, "Take the child back first. If you want to go to the county town, go find your eldest brother to pull the mule cart."
Lin Changhai nodded and said, "Thank you, uncle."
Seeing Lin Chuntao and the others' courtyard gate closed, Lin Changhai said in a deep voice: "Fourth Brother, carry the family home first."
After a while, there was no sound outside the yard.
They rested for a while, and the dishes were a little cold. Lin Chuntao reheated the meat, steamed the pork liver and mushrooms, and then continued to eat.
After Lin Changhong carried his son back home, he asked an old man in the village who could feel bones to take a look. The old man was found to have a dislocation and could be straightened.
Knowing that it was not broken, Yang breathed a sigh of relief.
Lin Xian'er was not like her brothers and sisters-in-law who were so bewildered. She understood it immediately after hearing it. Her nephews fell because they went to peek to see if other people had eaten meat.
At this moment, she didn't care about the gloomy atmosphere at home and asked Lin Jiacai directly.
"Jiacai, have you seen the meat?"
Lin Jiacai only then thought of the bowl full of meat on the table, and his saliva began to water with greed.
"If you see it, you see it. If you don't see it, then there's no point. What are you doing by not saying anything?"
Lin Jiacai looked up at Yang Shi, pouting and aggrieved, "Mom, my feet hurt, I want to eat meat! I want to eat boiled meat dumplings!"
Lin Xian'er frowned slightly when she saw him like that.
"So, Lin Chuntao and the others are eating boiled meat dumplings?"
"Impossible! They are so poor that they can't even afford to eat, how can they possibly cook meat?"
Lin Jiacai listened to his aunt's indignant disbelief and said, "It's just meat dumplings, a big bowl full! There are also three or four other dishes on the table! It smells so good!"
Everyone in the Lin family was speechless.
Lin Xian'er felt a little uncomfortable. Those little girls who used to drool when they saw her eating meat patties were now eating meat dumplings?
She looked at Lin Jiacai's greedy look and felt that her whole family was outshined by Lin Chuntao.
"Isn't it just meat dumplings? Let's cook it and eat it!"
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the Lin family looked at her at the same time.
"What are you looking at? Can't our family afford it?"
Qian and Zhang curled their lips and said, "If you can afford it, why don't you let the old lady pay for it?"
Seeing the provocative looks from her sisters-in-law, Lin Xian'er turned back to look at Tian and said loudly, "Mother, I want to eat meat dumplings too."
When Tian heard her words, she glared at her daughters-in-law fiercely and was reluctant to say a word to her silly daughter.
Yang was furious. Seeing that her mother-in-law didn't accept her sister-in-law's words, she said sarcastically, "Xian'er, it seems that mother doesn't love you that much anymore. She didn't even mention buying you anything. But it doesn't matter. You haven't married yet. If you marry a rich man in the future, a meat dumpling is nothing good. Wearing gold and silver is not a million times better than some beggars."
Tian was holding a winnowing basket in her arms, which contained bran that she was going to feed the chickens. When she heard Yang's instigation, she grabbed a handful of bran and threw it at Yang's face.
"You want to wear gold and silver so much, why don't you let my son divorce you and let you get married?"
Yang was hit in the mouth with a mouthful of chaff, and she spat and replied to Tian angrily.
"Divorce! You tell Lin Changhong to write a divorce letter right now, and I'll take my son with me to marry him. It's like being a slave every day, asking for money to buy a piece of thread, and having to look up to people for their opinions!"
When Tian heard Yang talking back, she rushed over with a winnowing basket in her arms.
Seeing that a fight was about to break out, Old Man Lin cursed in a deep voice: "What are you all doing here? It's so late and the meal is not ready yet?"
"If you don't want to live like this, don't want to eat, just get out!"
Everyone in the room fell silent. Zhang took the old lady away, and the others gradually dispersed. Only then did Lin look at Yang and whispered, "Mom, I want to eat some meat dumplings."
Yang looked at her son, made up her mind, and spoke out.
"Don't worry, Mom will make sure you have something to eat."
Yang didn't make a fuss about Lin Jiacai's affairs anymore, and Lin Chuntao didn't pay any attention to it either.
They were busy planting corn every day. Her farming method improved efficiency a lot, and they finished planting all the corn by the afternoon of the sixth day.
Lin Cunzheng and Sun took her to return the cow, and Old Man Zheng was a little unhappy.
"Twelve acres of land, and you finished planting it in six days? Aren't you using my cow day and night?"
Lin Cunzheng laughed and said, "Brother Zheng, you're worrying too much. We finish work in the evening every day, so the oxen are definitely not tired. Chuntao and the others are planting corn, so we just plow the land, so it's faster."
Old Man Zheng looked at Lin Chuntao with drooping eyebrows: "Isn't that your land barren? Can it survive if you till it and plant some crops on it?"
Lin Chuntao looked at the old man and suddenly realized that the old man might want them to show off a little later so that he could collect more money.
Otherwise, why wouldn't he be happy if they had sent the cows back earlier?
Lin Chuntao pretended to know nothing and said with a smile, "It should be able to survive. The cow is fattening up now, so we don't want to tire it out. So we plowed the ground and used a hoe to break up the clods. Don't worry, Grandpa Zheng, we take good care of this cow."
Old man Zheng pulled the corners of his mouth with a forced smile and was about to go and examine the cow.
Seeing that the cow was intact, with the hair on its shoulders still smooth and shiny and no signs of wear, the headman smiled and tried to smooth things over.
"I can see that you really cherish this cow. Okay, that's it."
Having said this, there was no mention of refunding the cattle rent for those two days. Lin Chuntao looked at Muramasa and Sun, and smiled awkwardly as if they were used to it. Lin Chuntao raised her eyebrows slightly. This situation seemed so familiar.
It's easy to pay the money, but getting it back? Impossible!
She pondered for a moment, then smiled and asked Old Man Zheng, "By the way, Grandpa Zheng, I paid eight days' rent for the cow. Can the two unused days be extended until the autumn harvest?"
The four people in front of her, who were over fifty years old, froze at the same time when they heard her words.
Old man Zheng looked at the village head, who then looked at the village head and his wife. The old couple looked embarrassed.
The village head just chuckled and then looked at Lin Chuntao.
"Girl, you have a pretty smart brain. I'll keep it for you. If you still need the oxen after the autumn harvest, you can lead them."
"Okay, thank you, sir, and thank you, Grandpa Zheng."
On the way back, Sun and the village head looked at each other several times, but didn't say anything.
Lin Chuntao looked at their expressions, had some guesses in her mind, and then asked.
"Grandma, is this rent something that can only be paid and not refunded?"
Sun looked at her and said, "This cow, on the surface, is owned by Old Zheng, but he's actually the village head. People around here rent cows, and most of them pay for grain after the autumn harvest. You said you rented it for five days, but you only used it for three, so you still have to pay for five days of grain. And you paid in advance, so there's no way they'll refund you the money."
Sun said, "It's my fault for not telling you in advance."
Lin Chuntao looked at the old lady and smiled, "I guessed it, so I said that on purpose."
Hayashimura Masaru: “…”
Sun felt it, but thought that Lin Chuntao usually acted very cautiously and would not be so rash, but she did not expect that she really did it on purpose.
"In our area, only the village headmen have cattle. It would be bad to offend them."
Sun just said it was not good without giving any details, and Lin Chuntao could probably guess what it was.
She smiled and said, "That's why I didn't ask him to return the money to me directly." For such people, they are happy when they get the money, but feel unhappy when they return it. Lin Chuntao understands their mentality very well.
After they left, Old Zheng complained to the village head with a look of displeasure on his face: "This little girl has no idea what's going on. She's still thinking about returning the money! Why did you promise to give her two days of cattle during the autumn harvest?"
The village head looked back at Old Zheng and said, "Why not extend her term for two days? Now that she mentioned that, I've come up with a good idea."
When he heard the good idea, Lao Zheng's eyes lit up and he looked at the head of the village with anticipation.
"What's the best way?"
The village head looked at him and smiled. "What do you think? During the autumn harvest, can we go to each village and each stockade and notify them to pay the grain in advance and rent cattle? That way, cattle will be cheaper for next spring planting?"
After the headmaster said this, Old Zheng perked up. He patted the headmaster and said, "Old Third, you're smart. Should we give it a try this year?"
"Well, before the autumn harvest, find a few people to go to the village and play gongs and drums."
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