Chapter 413 Song Zhenping's Worry
When wealthy families in the Wu Dynasty gave birth, they would spend money to hire a wet nurse. In addition to providing her with good food and drink, they would also give her a considerable sum of money.
Children from ordinary families naturally do not have this treatment. They are usually fed by their mothers. They eat when there is milk, and can only drink some rice porridge when there is no milk. The mortality rate due to malnutrition is extremely high.
The reason why Mrs. Gu and Little Mrs. Gu have been able to act so arrogantly in Xiaoshi Village for so many years is because Song Lao Er told others that Xiao An was able to survive thanks to the care of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
If children who lack milk can drink milk powder, at least their chances of survival will be improved.
Moreover, the price of several hundred coins per pound is something I can afford if I grit my teeth for the sake of my child.
Song Liyun was not stingy. The next day, in addition to hosting a banquet with more than ten tables to treat the villagers, she also gave gifts to the wife of the village head and several wives and mothers-in-law who often came to her house to accompany Yang Hua.
A few feet of blue cloth and a bag of snacks brought constant laughter inside and outside the yard.
Song Liyun stayed in Xiaoshi Village for a few days.
She remembered to bring milk powder to Yang Hua, and Yang Hua did not forget her.
On the kang table, there was a pile of men's shoes and socks, and Song Liyun only needed to give them a few final stitches to complete them.
Yang Hua knew that her sister-in-law was good at riding horses and doing business, but she just didn't like needlework.
You can buy clothes, but it would be more meaningful if you make a few stitches of these underwear for your husband yourself.
In the past few months, she, the wife of the village head, and the second aunt have not only been making clothes for the children, but have also been busy making shoes and socks for Song Liyun, the new daughter-in-law, to give as gifts.
Seeing her busy with these things while pregnant, Song Liyun was both moved and angry.
On the one hand, you say that doing it yourself shows sincerity, and on the other hand, you say that sewing a few stitches is also a token of your thoughtfulness. Isn't this just deceiving yourself?
Do those embroiderers in needlework shops become brides every day?
Yang Hua covered her mouth with her hands as she laughed. The village headwoman was so angry that she came forward and hit her: "Look at what you are saying. Otherwise, you can stay at home and wait until you finish embroidering your trousseau and get married!"
Xiao An was just returning with Abu when he heard the village headman's wife forbid his sister from getting married. He scurried over, blushing, and said, "No, Brother Ashi said he'd get married before the first snow falls. My second sister definitely won't be able to embroider."
The village head's wife laughed heartily: "Xiao An! You are so reluctant to let your second sister marry so far away that she will hardly come back to see you in the future!"
Xiao An scratched his head. He thought it would only take a day to ride to the Balin tribe. "It's not far! If my second sister doesn't have time to come back, I can go see her. It's more convenient than going back to Xiaoshi Village to see my eldest brother!"
The village head's wife was stunned. "So close? It's not far, then. What does your brother Ah Shi look like? Have you seen him?"
As she spoke, the wife of the village head glanced at Abu. When she first saw this bear-like boy, she almost mistook him for the marriage proposal that Song Liyun had mentioned. She was relieved when she found out that he was just an attendant.
Speaking of Brother Ashi, Xiao An grinned: "Brother Ashi is better looking than big brother, taller than big brother, and stronger than big brother!"
He had spent a long time with Zhao Tingduo and learned horse riding from A Shi A Bu, so naturally he felt that he was better than his brother.
The wife of the village head glared at him and said, "How can you say that about your own brother?" But she was happy in her heart.
Although Song Zhenping is not tall, his features are still quite handsome.
Especially now that I have evenly distributed meals and decent clothes, I feel like a standout among ordinary villagers.
If what Xiao An said is true and she looks better than Song Zhenping, then she is a first-class talent and I can rest assured.
Seeing that his uncle and aunt glared at him for saying something bad about his brother, Xiao An stuck out his tongue and ran off to play with Abu.
He is now much more lively, especially this time when he returned to the village, everyone was smiling at him.
As they were laughing and talking, Song Zhenping came into the room with sweat on his face: "Xiaoyun, come with me to the backyard!"
After Song Zhenping came back, he built a courtyard on the empty space behind the house, and added a side courtyard next to it, using the layout of Baolinju.
The kang in the main room in the backyard has also been set up, ready for Yang Hua to use during her confinement.
Song Zhenping took Song Liyun into the side courtyard.
Looking at the room full of oats piled up to the roof, Song Liyun widened her eyes.
Song Zhenping looked a little embarrassed, rubbing his hands, which had become rough from work, and said awkwardly, "Xiao Yun, I didn't go back to Suijin Town to prepare a dowry for you.
You're getting married, and I don't know what to give you, so I planted oats."
Song Zhenping told her the reason why he didn't return to Suijin Town.
First, it is hard to leave his hometown, where his parents’ graves are, where he has the memories of his growth, and where there are kind-hearted fellow villagers.
Secondly, in Suijin Town, the honest Song Zhenping increasingly felt that he could not help his sister.
Song Liyun helped him make money at the garrison, and he had already paid all the military labor service he would have to pay for the rest of his life, so he didn't need to serve in the military.
At home, Madam Yun takes care of daily life, Uncle Han is in the workshop, and there is Manager Mu in the business. Even the vegetables in the ten acres of land and the backyard are taken care of by other people.
He and Yang Hua couldn't just sit around at home like the young master and his wife. They still felt at ease returning to Xiaoshi Village, raising some chickens and ducks, and carrying hoes to the fields every day.
Song Liyun feels that everyone has their own preferred lifestyle. Xiao An likes to watch others eat in the restaurant, and there is nothing wrong with Song Zhenping liking to grow crops in the village.
However, oats are not something that ordinary farmers like to grow, so he would lose income from corn and wheat.
"Brother, you will have no income like this, I will give you silver..." Song Liyun took out a stack of banknotes.
Song Zhenping waved his hands repeatedly: "No need, Xiaoyun, the acorn vermicelli can be processed soon and then we can exchange it for money.
The oats we harvest can be ground into flour, and the rapeseed we harvested this year can be pressed into oil and sold to buy grain. Besides, I haven't used up the silver you asked me to bring back last time!"
He harvested a lot of rapeseed from the rapeseed he planted in the spring, enough to make enough oil for a year, and the rest was bought by other people in the village.
The acorn workshop is about to start operation, and the next step is to sell acorn noodles.
Oats are not picky about the land. In addition to planting them in his own land, Song Zhenping also planted them in some thin land that others don’t like, and the harvest was good.
This way he felt he could help his sister.
Seeing that Song Liyun only smiled and said nothing, Song Zhenping hurriedly pulled aside a pile of straw curtains next to him: "Xiaoyun, look, these are the wild beans I asked someone to collect in the village, and these charcoal..."
As he spoke, he showed Song Liyun the coarse grains and charcoal he had obtained from others in the village as if he were offering treasures.
"From now on, every year when you come back to your parents' home, I will prepare plenty of oats, sorghum, beans, and charcoal for you to take to the grasslands to feed the livestock."
"Xiao Yun, no matter what happens in the future, you must remember that I am your brother and this is your home.
Although I am not as capable as you, I have land now, and I can support you and Xiao An by working..."
Song Zhenping's face flushed red. He was always clumsy with his words, but he continued, "If you don't have a good life on the grassland, don't endure it and don't be wronged.
At worst, you can just go back to Xiaoshi Village. There are houses and land here, and there is a village headman. You can live a peaceful life here.
If Captain Luo and the others claim we are military households and want to force you, then let me go to Suijin Town to be a military household. We can’t let you waste time on the grassland.”
Song Liyun felt warm in her heart and her eyes felt sore and uncomfortable when she heard this.
Finding a place to live where he won't be bullied is the only way Song Zhenping can protect his younger brothers and sisters under his wings.
(End of this chapter)
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