Chapter 84: Breaking the Jade Branches for Shame
I break off the branches of the jade to make it taste good, and pick the fine jade hairs to make rice grow.
"When the wind blows, you can see the branches blooming under the moon, and you can still see the unspoken heart."
"Zhizhi, you understand what I mean, right?"
"Zhizhi?"
Xu Yu approached with a roll of oilcloth in his arms. Seeing Sang Zhixia lost in thought while gripping the hoe, he found it somewhat amusing: "What's wrong with you?"
Sang Zhixia hurriedly avoided his gaze, turned her back and said, "Nothing."
She shook her head vigorously, dismissing the words Xu Yu had whispered in her ear last night. She pretended to be calm, cleared her throat, and said, "I've just circled the areas where you'll be driving the piles with charcoal ash. Just go and drive the piles in."
"Why did you come alone?"
In order to build a greenhouse, all steps, including driving piles, erecting the roof and covering it with tarpaulin, are essential. The old man got up early this morning and made a rough plan. Except for those who were doing needlework at home, all the others were kicked out of the house.
Why is it Xu Yu himself?
Xu Yu put his things on the snow-covered ridge, grabbed his hammer and said, "Uncle San is out chopping bamboo."
"Didn't you say we should mix different varieties of grain? We only bought one kind yesterday, and Grandfather went to the village to buy a different one."
Although they are all wheat seeds, there are always some differences when harvested from different fields.
The old man attached great importance to this matter. As soon as he left home, he went to ask everyone who could buy it.
Sang Zhixia hummed, lowered her head, tore up the grass roots she had dug out and threw them aside, and said thoughtfully, "Let's build one and try it out first. Once the greenhouse is built, we'll get some rice seeds and try it out."
The cultivation of rice seeds is based on the research results of modern great men, and both the success rate and yield are very impressive.
Even if thousands of years and miles of time have passed, the achievements passed down by the Father of Rice to future generations will always be there. With the support of this great man, thousands of acres of rice will surely grow on the barren land.
Xu Yu nodded good-naturedly and walked over to put his coat on her shoulders.
A warm breath emanated from the fabric, and Sang Zhixia subconsciously pulled at it: "I'm wearing quite thick clothes, no need..."
"Help me dress even if you're not cold."
Xu Yu rolled up his sleeves and swung the sledgehammer hard at the pile. Amid the dull thud of the pile and the sledgehammer, he said with a smile, "This is such a rare treasure. I can't let it get dirty."
"By the way, don't worry about the dirty clothes you take off from now on. I will wash them together with you."
This morning, Xu Yu just went to the mountains to check the traps as usual. When he came back, he found that Sang Zhixia had washed the dirty clothes he had taken off yesterday.
Sang Zhixia was just doing it casually, but Xu Yu saw that the tips of her palms were wrinkled due to the cold and redness.
"The doctor said you can't stand the cold, so try not to touch cold water. I'll help you."
Now everyone in the family has their own work to do, and everyone can do chores like washing clothes by themselves.
Xu Wenxiu was already tired of taking care of the two little ones, so Sang Zhixia simply put Xu Yu's clothes into her own wooden basin. It didn't matter who washed them anyway.
But in the past few days, it was Xu Yu who was washing, and she often didn't notice that he had already returned from the well in the dark carrying a wooden bucket.
Today was the first time she took action before Xu Yu.
Sang Zhixia paused for a moment before responding. After a long pause, she leaned on her hoe and said, "They say a man shouldn't be involved in cooking or housework. He should put the great principles first and the world before himself. You wash clothes, cook, and do everything all day long. Aren't you afraid that people will see you and say you're useless?"
All the women who went to the well to wash clothes were from the village, but Xu Yu was the only one who chose to go there when it was getting dark. Otherwise, if he had plunged into the crowd of women, he might have caused a lot of jokes.
"Does my success depend on what others say?"
Xu Yu said subtly, "If I remain so useless, will you still be able to stop disliking me?"
"Or do you also think that I am degrading myself by hanging around the lady?"
Sang Zhixia's ears turned red at the word "Madam" he said so naturally. She lowered her head and blew a breath of hot air into her palm as if to hide something, and said vaguely, "You said that yourself, what does it have to do with me?"
Just as Xu Yu was about to laugh out loud, Wu Changgui's excited voice suddenly came from the other side of the ridge: "Xu Yu!"
"Brother Wu?"
Xu Yu was surprised and asked, "Why are you in the fields?"
Wu Changgui didn't understand what they were busy with, but he was very excited about what he was about to do. He ran over, pulled Xu Yu and said, "Come on, I'll take you to do something good!"
Xu Yu raised the hammer in his hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "What good news are you talking about, Brother Wu? I have work on hand, I'm afraid I can't leave."
"Oh, there's always a time to do farm work. If we miss this ice-breaking fishing trip, we'll have to wait until next year!"
Wu Changgui said excitedly, "Winter fishing is a big event in our village before the New Year. All the villagers, young and old, have to join in the effort. How can you not go?"
As if afraid Xu Yu would misunderstand him, he hurriedly explained, "The winter fishing nets are the treasure of the village. Only at this time of year, when the ice on the river is solid, will the village elders choose an auspicious day to pull out the nets and go out to break the ice on the river for winter fishing."
"Everyone worked together and shared the fish. The fish caught from the winter river are very plump and delicious. This is a delicious dish that every household must have during the New Year!"
Xu Yu had no idea there was such a folk custom. He was stunned for a moment and then laughed, "So everyone who can go has gone?"
"That's not good?"
Wu Changgui said cheerfully, "Your Third Uncle was intercepted on the way, so I came here specifically to call you two!"
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! If we don't hurry, we'll miss the auspicious time to break the ice and cast the nets!"
Unable to refuse the kind offer, Xu Yu and Sang Zhixia had no choice but to put down what they were holding and follow Wu Changgui.
It was obvious that Wu Changgui had been looking forward to winter fishing for a long time. He bared his teeth with joy and said, "Hey, so you two are just busy setting up the tent? What's so difficult about that?"
"No one has much work to do in winter. After these two days of hard work, I will come and help you!"
"How can I be so embarrassed?"
Sang Zhixia said with a smile: "It's just some trivial work, not a big deal, what should I do..."
"Sister-in-law, you are being distant with me, aren't you?"
Wu Changgui said generously, "It's just a small matter that requires a little effort. What's the trouble with it?"
"Come on, let's go get the fish for the New Year's Eve dinner!"
When they arrived at the place, Sang Zhixia and Xu Yu realized that Wu Changgui's words were not exaggerated at all. The frozen river surface was crowded with people. Even the old man who went to the village to buy grain seeds was enthusiastically pulled over by the village chief.
Families who went out for different purposes gathered here, but the cold wind blowing from the river could not blow away the thick smiles on people's faces.
The old man said, "This kind of folk custom is quite novel. We have never seen it before."
Uncle Xu, who couldn't hide his excitement even by rubbing his hands and stamping his feet, nodded vigorously and whispered, "It seems that there are still not many new and interesting things to see in Kyoto. This is quite interesting!"
"cough."
Xu Yu coughed to signal Uncle Xu San not to reveal the origin. Fortunately, the villagers gathered around were all excitedly looking at the big net and didn't pay attention to it.
Uncle Xu laughed and rushed into the crowd. Sang Zhixia quickly pulled back Xu Mingyang who was slipping away.
"There's water under the ice, so you guys can't run around."
"Yanran, you are all here, where are your mother and the others?"
Xu Yanran obediently held Sang Zhixia's hand, exhaled a puff of white air and pointed to where the crowd was gathered: "They are all over there."
"Aunt Wu said she needed to check the fishing nets first and repair any broken parts. They were called over there to help."
Unlike the arrogance and invisible barriers when they first entered the village, these ladies who were once pampered now realize the joy of mingling with people and get along quite well with the loud women in the village.
Chiseling ice is strenuous work, and Xu Yu was the first to bear the brunt of it.
Sang Zhixia was holding a few little ones and couldn't help here, so she simply asked them to go over to repair the fishing nets.
The person being watched by countless eyes in the crowd was Second Aunt Xu.
She is dexterous and handling needle and thread is a piece of cake for her. She can even mend such a large fishing net without any instruction. With just a little guidance, she can master the art.
Xu Wenxiu and Aunt Xu San helped on the side, and their movements were even faster than those of the women who were experienced in repairs.
Aunt Wu exclaimed in surprise, and said to Sang Zhixia across the large fishing net, "You're right, little girl. These people in your family are really skillful!"
The repair was done quickly and beautifully, so efficiently that she couldn't even catch up!
Sang Zhixia smiled so hard that her eyes curved, and soon loud shouts were heard behind her.
Breaking the ice.
It was clearly an extremely cold day in the twelfth month of winter, but what was being chiseled through the coldest ice was fiery passion.
After swinging the hammer for a while, Xu Yu was sweating profusely. He lost one piece of clothing and held all of it in Sang Zhixia's arms.
Sang Zhixia stood far away holding a few little ones, looking at Xu Yu who was working hard to break the ice not far away, then looking at the clothes in her arms, and the blurred scenes of her student days flashed silently in her mind.
The guy on the court was sweating profusely, while his girlfriend off the court was taking care of him by bringing him clothes and water.
At that time, she just glanced at it and passed it by, but now her arms feel heavy...
A trance flashed in her eyes, and Xu Jinxi, who was curious and a little scared, hugged her legs with both hands and said softly: "Sister-in-law, play!"
Xu Mingxu also shouted excitedly: "Wow!"
"What?"
Sang Zhixia turned her head in the direction Xu Mingxu pointed, and laughed out loud when she saw the scene not far away.
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