So Song Anxin said in a rambling tone, "You all know that your mother is the daughter of a scholar. Your maternal grandfather taught your mother to read from a young age, but your mother didn't like it. Your mother loved reading strange and unusual stories, so your maternal grandfather collected a lot of strange and unusual books for your mother to read."
"I learned a lot of things from those storybooks. Didn't I just read a book about food that included something about growing mushrooms?"
Song Anxin's words were half true and half false. Although the original owner did not know many characters, she did like to read storybooks, but they were all about love and romance. That's why she fell in love with that smooth-talking scholar.
"Wow! Mom is so amazing! She can read, has read so many books, and even knows how to grow mushrooms!" Little Lin Fengyao immediately started showering her with compliments.
Upon hearing the word "books," Lin Fenghe immediately became interested: "Are these things really in the books?"
"Yes, books hold a wealth of knowledge and beauty."
Seeing that his third son looked very interested in reading, Song Anxin said, "Fenghe, do you want to go to school? After we grow mushrooms and sell them, I'll send you to school, okay?"
Lin Fenghe couldn't believe it: "Really? Mother, you really will send us to school?"
Lin Fenghe once visited the village head's house and saw the village head studying a booklet he had brought from the county government office.
He curiously leaned closer to take a look, and the words on the booklet seemed to jump into his heart. He had never dared to dream that he would be able to go to school one day.
Song Anxin could tell that this kid liked reading. That was good. He was actually planning to send a few of them to school, and he was worried that they might not want to.
“Yes, reading is very good. Look at your mother, she has read so many storybooks and can tell you stories. She even knows how to grow mushrooms. When our family earns money, we will not only buy lots of delicious food, but also send all of you to school,” Song Anxin affirmed.
Lin Fenghe's doubts vanished instantly. He hadn't believed his second brother when he said their mother was the daughter of a scholar, until yesterday when his mother told them so many stories.
Now my mother says she has read a lot of books. She even knows those words! People who can read and write are really amazing.
Growing mushrooms is something I learned from books, and he'll definitely learn that when he goes to school.
Unexpectedly, Lin Fenghe, despite his vast knowledge, possessed knowledge that his mother lacked in the books he had read.
Looking at Lin Fenghe's expression, Song Anxin knew she had succeeded! "Little brat, trying to outsmart me."
"Wow, Mom, let's quickly pick more mushrooms to plant!" Lin Fengyao was too young to think much about it; he only knew that his mother would buy lots of delicious food if the mushrooms were sold.
Lin Fenghe also said to hurry up and dig for mushrooms.
Seeing how excited the two were, Song Anxin wondered if this mushroom method would work in ancient times. She worried that her hopes might be dashed.
So he said, "We don't even know if these mushrooms can be grown into mothers, so don't get your hopes up too high."
Lin Fenghe firmly stated, "What the book says is always right, let's give it a try."
Lin Fengyao agreed with his third brother's words. Song Anxin felt uneasy when she saw Lin Fenghe's determined look. What if it gets smashed?
Thinking about it, Song Anxin shook her head, realizing she hadn't even started yet and it wouldn't be right to dampen her spirits. Having children meant thinking more, and she had to consider their feelings.
With this idea in mind, Song Anxin and her two children stopped digging for other things and focused solely on picking mushrooms.
As the sun rose higher and the weather grew hotter, Song Anxin looked up. From her vantage point, she could see a panoramic view of Linjia Village. Below, the rice paddies stretched for at least a thousand acres, a truly magnificent sight, with the wind rustling through the wheat fields.
In the distance, farmhouses dot the landscape, and a large river meanders down from the east, its surface shimmering in the sunlight—a truly beautiful rural scene.
The only downside was that the rice paddies were dry. At this time of year, the rice should be heading and flowering, and it needs plenty of fertilizer and water. But no rain was falling, and Song Anxin could see many farmers sighing as they looked out at their fields.
Farmers rely on the weather for their livelihood, and they just hope the rain will come soon.
Seeing that it was getting late, Song Anxin called the two young men who were focused on picking mushrooms home.
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Song Anxin took the two children down the mountain to go home. Lin Fengnian and Lin Fengshou also happened to be returning from the fields. The group met not far from their own homes.
The two were surprised that their mother and two younger brothers had picked so many mushrooms, but before they could even speak, a rich aroma of food wafted from their yard.
"Wow, what is Sister Mei making at home? It smells so good! My mouth is watering!" Lin Fengyao said, wiping his drool.
The Lin brothers did the same. Lin Fengshou took a careful sniff and said, "It smells like rendered pork fat. Does that mean we can eat pork cracklings?" Lin Fengshou's eyes lit up instantly.
The second sister has a pretty good nose; she definitely knew it was rendering lard. Today, when she went out, she specifically asked Zhang Mei to render all the remaining pork fat.
Having received their mother's approval, the group rushed to their kitchen, startling Zhang Mei, who was focused on rendering lard.
Then she saw the way the others were drooling and laughed. The pork cracklings were indeed very fragrant. Even when she was making them herself, she had to hold back her saliva.
Song Anxin walked into the courtyard after them. Although the oldest of these people was eighteen years old and had started a family, they were still children at heart.
"Meizi, when will the pork cracklings be ready? These kids are drooling over them." Song Anxin asked as she entered the kitchen. To show her closeness, Song Anxin called Zhang Meizi directly, so that Zhang Mei would feel more at home.
Zhang Mei smiled and said, "It'll be ready soon." She was afraid her mother couldn't wait to taste the pork cracklings.
Even after Zhang Mei said that, the boys were unwilling to leave the stove, their eyes fixed on the golden-brown pork cracklings in the pot.
Song Anxin could only urge them to wash their hands before they could eat, and the boys reluctantly left.
The pork cracklings were quickly rendered and served. Song Anxin took out a large handful, saving the rest for stir-frying in the next couple of days.
She mixed the remaining sugar with the pork cracklings, and Song Anxin couldn't resist eating a few. Each bite was oily and fragrant, mixed with the smooth sugar. Song Anxin hadn't tasted this deliciousness in a long time, which reminded her of her grandmother rendering pork lard when she was a child. She, too, was like these four boys, lingering by the stove.
Thinking of her childhood, Song Anxin couldn't help but widen the smile on her face.
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