Chapter Sixty-One
The weather has been so hot these past few days that it feels like you can see rolling heat waves. If I don't water the vegetable garden for a day, the vegetable leaves will wilt a bit from the sun.
The family was about to harvest wheat, and Zhou Ming came over as instructed by Zhou Wu Shi.
Zhou Lin was too busy, so Mu Jin offered to help, claiming her family was short of food, and asked for two shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain.
As soon as this hibiscus opens its mouth, it demands the wheat from more than an acre of land in the family.
Zhou Wushi naturally refused.
The wheat in the village gradually turned yellow, and in the fields, farmers were bent over, working hard to harvest the wheat.
After pouring the last ladle of water from the wooden bucket, Mu Jin wiped the sweat from her forehead; the weather was getting hotter and hotter.
Yesterday, when Zhou Lin returned, he bought three sickles from town.
Bai Qiqiu went to the riverbank, picked up a whetstone, and sharpened it a little.
She had originally planned to go to the Zhou family to harvest wheat, but Zhou Wushi did not send anyone to invite Mujin back to help.
Therefore, today, the three brothers got ready and went to Bai Qiqiu's half-acre of ramie planted early in the morning.
Although cutting ramie isn't as prickly as harvesting wheat, the fine hairs can still cause itching when they touch your arms.
Bai Qiqiu had sharpened the sickle to an unparalleled edge; with a gentle pull, the ramie root was cut off.
Fearing that Wen Zhaoran might get hurt, Mu Jin asked him to move the ramie he and Bai Qiqiu had cut to the edge of the field.
Remove the ramie leaves and twigs, then bundle them into small bunches.
This task is much easier than those of Mu Jin and Bai Qiqiu.
The cut ramie stalks are carried to the riverbank and soaked for seven or eight days before the ramie can be peeled.
The three of them worked for a day and a half to move the half-acre of ramie to the riverbank.
The wheat harvest in the village is in full swing, and some impatient locust trees have quietly sprouted flower buds.
In the afternoon, Mu Jin went to the foot of the mountain to collect firewood and came across two locust trees with tiny white spots on them.
While the villagers were all busy, Mu Jin hurried home to tie a sickle to a bamboo pole, and then went to the foot of the mountain with Wen Zhaoran and Bai Qiqiu.
The newly grown, tender, white, and fragrant locust branches were cut off.
The first batch of locust flowers, Hibiscus quickly gathered into two bamboo baskets.
The flower buds are not yet fully open, and although the locust flowers are fragrant at this time, they cannot compare to those when they are in full bloom.
But its advantage lies in its freshness and tenderness, which is what Hibiscus prefers.
"You two stay here and work on it. I'm going to town. We'll steam locust flowers tonight."
Ignoring the green sap on her fingers, Mu Jin quickly picked up two bamboo baskets of locust blossoms and headed to the Zhao residence.
The two bamboo baskets of locust flowers weren't worth much money, and he didn't even think about exchanging them for cash this time.
The Zhao family had helped him and his husband a lot, so he naturally wanted to bring this summer delicacy to Steward Zhao and the others to try.
Every household in the farm is busy, and nowadays few locust trees are blooming, and there are only a few blooming trees in Zhao's manor.
Butler Zhao happily accepted them all, and his expression showed that he was even more satisfied with Mu Jin.
When Mu Jin arrived in town, it was already late.
Because he had delivered locust flowers, he didn't rush off. He followed Steward Zhao into the Zhao residence and waited for Zhou Lin for a while.
“Young man, you wait here for Lin. After he finishes work, I will have him come to find you.”
Steward Zhao led Mu Jin to a pavilion not far from the west gate of the Zhao residence, and said with a smile.
The carpenters who work at home are all men, and since it's hot today, most of them work shirtless, so it's not appropriate to let them come over.
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Thank you, Steward Zhao."
Steward Zhao nodded and beckoned to the maidservant waiting beside him.
"Go get me some ice cream."
Mu Jin quickly waved her hand, "No need, no need, Butler Zhao, I'm not hot."
Butler Zhao smiled and said, "The cooks in the manor made too much today, and there are a few leftovers in the ice cellar. The young masters and ladies in the family like to eat fresh food, so it would be a waste if they didn't finish it today."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Then I'll take advantage of Steward Zhao's generosity today."
Steward Zhao smiled. There were many things to do in the manor. After chatting with Mu Jin for a few more minutes, he went to attend to his work.
Hibiscus sat on the stone bench, relaxed, and enjoyed the surrounding scenery.
The lotus flowers in the pond are exceptionally red, and every now and then a few plump koi carp swim by.
Mu Jin bent down, reached out and teased the koi, and several koi fish immediately surrounded her.
They seem very affectionate and well-fed.
The maid brought over a bowl of shaved ice cream, drizzled with honey and emitting a milky aroma, topped with thinly sliced peaches.
The bowls and spoons were made of celadon, and a slight touch would produce a crisp sound.
Hibiscus scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth. The sweetness was mixed with the milky aroma, and there was also a lingering fragrance of peach.
The heat on my body dissipated considerably in an instant, and a gentle breeze made it truly pleasant.
Mu Jin sighed deeply, no wonder people often say that it's easy to indulge in luxury but difficult to embrace frugality.
With such enjoyment every day, how could one possibly endure hardship any longer?
He had only sat in the pavilion for a short while, but he had already felt envious countless times.
After eating half of it, Mu Jin put down her spoon, thinking that she would let Zhou Lin have a taste when he came.
He had heard of this ice cream; a bowl cost several tens of coins, which was beyond the reach of the villagers.
Zhou Lin was carefully planing wood in the yard, occasionally wiping his forehead with a cloth on his shoulder, his face covered in sweat from the heat.
As the sun sets, it gets a little cooler than at noon, but it's still incredibly hot and humid.
After planing the last piece of wood, Zhou Lin stood up and rubbed his back, which was a little sore from bending over for so long.
"You've all had a hard day. Young Master is very considerate of everyone. It's so hot in the summer, so he asked me to bring some ice cream to help you cool off."
Steward Zhao walked over with a smile at the opportune moment, followed by several maids, each carrying a wooden tray with two bowls of ice cream on it.
Zhou Lin gazed at the chilly ice cream, wondering if she could take some back for her husband to try.
Then, Steward Zhao said with a smile, "Young Lin, your husband is here today. He's waiting for you at the pavilion by the west gate."
Zhou Lin's eyes lit up immediately as he glanced at the wooden beam.
Mu Heng, noticing how much darker he had become over the years, smiled at him.
"Go ahead, I'll wait for you and Jin-ge at the west gate later."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Lin took the ice cream from the maid and hurried over.
The west gate was right next to the courtyard where they worked, very close by.
Mu Heng smiled and shook his head, taking a bite of ice cream to cool down.
When Zhou Lin arrived at the pavilion, Mu Jin was bending down to tease the koi in the pond.
Zhou Lin placed the ice cream in his hand on the stone table, glanced at the side, and saw that it had melted a bit, and it looked like only half of the ice cream remained.
"Are you off work?"
Hearing the noise, Mu Jin looked up and smiled.
Zhou Lin nodded, took the other half of the ice cream, ate it in two big bites, and drank the remaining slightly sweet ice water as well.
You can have this bowl.
Zhou Lin pushed the bowl of freshly brought ice cream toward Mu Jin.
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Eating too much ice isn't good either, let's each have half."
Zhou Lin thought about it and agreed with Mu Jin, as being exposed to cold could easily lead to typhoid fever. He nodded in agreement.
After sharing a bowl of ice cream, Zhou Lin led Mu Jin out of the Zhao residence.
Sitting in the oxcart, with the summer evening breeze blowing, my mouth still felt cool.
How's the housework going?
Zhou Lin sat beside him, gently supporting Mu Jin to prevent her from bumping into anything due to the jostling.
"The ramie harvest was completed this morning and has already been placed in the river."
Upon hearing this, Mu Heng gave Zhou Lin some instructions.
"You'll have to come by yourself tomorrow. Be careful in everything you do, and don't get impatient because of the heat. Be meticulous in your work."
Zhou Lin nodded. Mu Heng's family had a lot of land and a pregnant man in the family. Although they had relatives to help them, Mu Yunqian and Uncle Mu were still quite busy.
Today, Mu Heng asked Steward Zhao for a two-week leave from the busy farming season.
Excluding him, there are now only three carpenters left in the Zhao family, including Zhou Lin.
Fortunately, the new mansion has been built, and it will take some time, so Young Master Zhao and his family can afford to wait.
Zhou Lin nodded, then thought for a moment and asked Mu Jin, "Have you gone to see your parents?"
Mu Jin shook her head, her brows furrowing slightly. "I've been busy these past two days and haven't had a chance to go see her yet."
Zhou Lin thought for a moment. Yesterday, her husband had told him that her mother was unwilling to give him two shi of grain.
The wheat harvest season, though not short, can take up to a month.
There's a lot of work to do at home these days; everything we eat and use costs money, so we can't afford to delay.
If Mulan goes to see it, she will inevitably be dragged along to help out for some time.
"Don't go there. I think your uncle and his family can manage with the help of them."
Mu Heng laughed and said, "You're such a worrywart. With so many people in your family, do you really think you can exhaust your parents? It doesn't matter whether you're here or not, it just means you'll have to work a little more."
Zhou Lin smiled, shook his head, and stopped talking about it.
Mu Jin smiled gently and gave Mu Heng a grateful smile.
"Uncle Heng, the peaches at home should be ready in the next few days. I'll pick a basket of fresh ones and bring them to you and your uncles and brothers to have a taste."
Mu Heng chuckled and said, "That's great! Your uncle even said that your peach tree in the village has the sweetest fruit."
Mu Jin said happily, "Mian'er said the same thing when she came home in the spring. Uncle loves to eat it. We can eat it whenever the fruit comes out. I will send more after we finish eating it."
It's the time when peaches are just beginning to ripen, and some are already quite full.
The peach tree in Mu Jin's yard already has a few peaches with tips that have turned a light red.
It won't be long before it's ripe.
Mu Jin pondered that, after deducting the amount to give to relatives and friends and the amount to keep for home consumption, she would still have to take it to town to sell.
He wasn't very confident about selling peaches.
Peaches are very common in Qingshui Town, and many families in the town grow peach trees at home.
Even if our own peaches are slightly sweeter and larger, they are still just peaches.
But after eating a bowl of ice cream at the Zhao residence today, he had a plan in mind.
He couldn't sell many peaches by hawking them along the street, but the drink shops in town would probably prefer his peaches.
While pondering this to himself, he chatted with Mu Heng, and before long, they arrived at the village entrance.
As the sun was about to set, many villagers were still busy working in the fields.
The sun isn't so strong right now, it's the perfect time to get some work done.
The orange sky made people's faces look orange as well.
The sweat on my face glistened in the afterglow of the sun.
A few birds flew by in the sky, creating a scene of bustling activity mixed with a touch of tranquility.
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