Chapter 41 Watching Winter Wheat Grinding [VIP]
The days passed quickly, and it was the day before the winter solstice.
The first school in the village was finally completed with everyone working together, you build a piece of mud brick, I pound and dry a handful of straw.
Huaniu, Shitou, Luo Dunzi, Zhang Chunya and many other kids would sneak into the new school every day and take a look around inside.
Pairs of little hands touch the desks, then climb onto the benches and sit down. If they see dust on the desks, they will wipe it carefully with their sleeves.
Ever since the construction of this school began, the children in the village would ask their parents every day when it would be completed and when they could go to school.
If it were completed today, wouldn’t we be even more anxious?
The adults looked at each other, unable to make up their minds.
Yes, the school has been built, and the desks, chairs and benches have been provided. When can the kids start school?
Logically speaking, this matter should be consulted with the village head, but Zhao Liangshun reacted indifferently to the school issue and let them handle it themselves.
Even Zhao Xiaofu, who had agreed to teach the kids, said that it depended on Chen Yao's arrangements.
So, Boss Luo and several other families in the village discussed it and went to the Shen family in the afternoon, intending to ask Chen Yao and Yang Wenying to choose a good day for the children to start school.
I really can't stand the kids yelling in my ears all day long.
They also took the opportunity to ask Shen Qingshan about the children's schooling and how Chen Yao grew winter wheat.
After more than two months, the winter wheat planted by Chen Yao had grown to an inch high. The green was particularly eye-catching in this winter, attracting many tenant farmers in the village to squat in her field to watch the wheat seedlings during their free time.
"Ayao and her uncle have gone to the fields to thresh winter wheat. You guys sit here for a while and we'll discuss it when she comes back." Shen Qingshan can now walk around on his own without crutches.
Ever since his leg healed, he has had endless energy. He is either chopping firewood at home or helping his wife and others grind pulp in the drying yard.
Yesterday, when he was free, he mentioned that he wanted to go hunting, but his whole family rejected it. However, they also decided that he would be allowed to go up the mountain at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month.
When everyone heard that Chen Yao was in the field, they hurriedly got up and walked out, saying that they wanted to go and take a look in the field too.
Shen Qingshan couldn't stop shouting from behind, so he quickly locked the fence gate and told Yang Wenying and Tian Baozhu, who were making cotton-padded jackets in the house, to come out and watch over the chickens in the yard and not let them peck at the vegetables. He then excitedly followed the group with a basket of chicken manure.
In winter, the weather is dry and cold, and it hasn't rained for a long time. The ground has cracked and frozen. If left alone at this time, the wheat seedlings in the field will not be able to survive the winter safely.
So Chen Yao and her uncle came to the fields to thresh wheat in the warm weather at noon these past two days.
At this time, the soil has thawed, which not only allows the hoe to easily crush the clods of earth and fill cracks in the ground, but also keeps the wheat seedlings moisturized and warm, and prevents the hard soil from being rolled into the ground when digging, which would damage the roots of the wheat seedlings.
By threshing the wheat, we can also eliminate the pests that overwinter in the fields and ensure the harvest for the next year.
Chen Yao waved her hoe, cleared the dirt and explained these things to a row of villagers squatting on the ridge of her field.
Everyone grows spring wheat every year, and growing spring wheat involves sowing, weeding, catching insects, and driving away birds.
Today was the first time I heard Chen Yao share this method of growing winter wheat. While observing it with curiosity, I did not forget to keep her words firmly in my heart.
Everyone thought that if they stayed in the village next year, they would also plant winter wheat.
At this time, Shen Qingshan took the hoe from his daughter and handed her the dung basket he had brought over. He winked at her, cleared his throat, and said, "Daughter, go to the back and spread the fertilizer. Daddy will help you clear the dirt and rubble."
Chen Yao suppressed her smile and agreed. When she turned around, she saw the villagers on the ridge of the field coming to look into the basket in front of her.
So Chen Yao took out a gourd ladle and scooped out chicken manure mixed with wood ash and explained to everyone, "Applying fertilizer before winter can promote the growth of wheat seedlings, enhance their ability to withstand the cold, and increase the harvest next year."
"Ayao, why do you need to mix it with wood ash? I see that your chicken manure has dried up and must have been stored for many days." Mrs. Shi didn't mind the dirtiness. She took it in her hand and looked at it carefully. She envied the Shen family in her heart. Raising chickens was really good. Her family also saved a few copper coins from selling soybeans. She would catch a few chickens and raise them next spring.
Chen Yao nodded in agreement. She loved Shi Pozi's eagerness to learn, so she told everyone how to use manure to fertilize the fields, and warned everyone that if they poured manure directly on the wheat seedlings, it would burn the roots.
"Ayao, if you say so, if we want to increase our harvest next year, can we also pick up manure to fertilize the fields now?" There is no chicken manure, but every family has a dry toilet!
Chen Yao nodded in the expectant eyes of the crowd, "Yes, we rent good farmland. Although plowing once a year can keep the farmland fertile, if we want to increase our income, the land must be fertile. Next year, in addition to trying to grow wheat for two harvests a year, we must also consider reclaiming wasteland and planting other crops."
In fact, it would be better for him to have his own land so that he could live a more comfortable life, but these were of no use to him.
, they were so happy that they were talking about it at once and totally ignored what Chen Yao said next.
Boss Luo, however, was more thoughtful and motioned for everyone to be quiet. "Ayao, our village's rent is going to increase next year, so we definitely won't have enough time to plant winter wheat. You mentioned reclaiming land, but if I reclaim land and plant soybeans, will your family still be able to harvest beans next year?"
Yes, this is also related to the matter. The villagers looked at Chen Yao, fearing that she would refuse.
Chen Yao pointed to the soybeans she had planted in the wasteland. There were clusters of green vines on them, and they were just waiting to be filled with grain in two days.
"Don't just wait until the soybeans are ripe before picking them. For example, as long as these edamame are ripe, you can pick them and bring them to my house to sell."
As soon as Chen Yao said this, the people squeezed in at the back cried out, "Oh my God, are they planning to eat the green grain? Aren't they afraid of being beaten for doing such a conscienceless business?"
Chen Yao looked in the direction of the shout. She wondered who it was. It turned out to be Zhou Dashun's wife. Before she could respond, the villagers all looked over angrily.
"What's the matter? Wasn't what I said right? This is just like eating green grain." Wu Guifen put her hands in her pockets and turned sideways to avoid the unfriendly gazes of the crowd.
"What do you mean by green grain or not? This is soybean. Who eats soybean as real grain?" Boss Luo waved his hand at Wu Guifen, signaling her to leave quickly and stop stirring up trouble here.
Everyone in the village knew that her Zhou family and the Shen family were neighbors and they didn't get along well, and they often spread bad things about the Shen family behind their backs.
Now the Shen family is generous enough to help the villagers. A Yao and Yang Wenying teach the children how to read and do math. The villagers all remember their kindness in their hearts.
These days, the twenty-five households in the village are working together to build a school. They are all pulling together and working as one.
Only the Zhou family did not admit their mistake first, but instead came here to disrupt their good things. No one could tolerate Wu Guifen making such a fuss. They didn't want her to spoil the whole barrel.
"Wu Guifen, you've been standing here for so long listening to A Yao talk about growing winter wheat, and you haven't even said thank you. How can you expect your family to pay the rent next year?"
"That's right, we're all from the same village, why can't you see others being better than you?"
Wu Guifen was so angry that her face turned red and her neck became thick. "Anyway, if you dare to sell the green grain, I will tell the head of the village and ask him to report it to the authorities."
"Wu Guifen, I think you are looking for a beating, aren't you!" Mrs. Shi had already taken off her straw sandals and was about to rush over to hit her, but was stopped by Chen Yao.
"Aunt, don't be angry with her. It's not necessary." Chen Yao said to the others, holding the gourd ladle, "Let's not treat these beans as real food. I've already asked Liu, the city's official, about the edamame. The county government doesn't have a rule that prohibits ordinary people from buying and selling green grain."
In other words, it can be sold and the government does not intervene.
"Did you hear that? The official said it can be sold!" Mrs. Shi put her shoes back on and spat at Wu Guifen, "Get out of here! You're not welcome here!"
Wu Guifen was being pushed around by the crowd, and she pushed back hard, still unconvinced, shouting, "Why are you leaving? I still have something to ask her. When will this school open?"
"What's this got to do with you?"
"Why is it none of my business? My family also contributed to the construction of the school. We agreed that after the school is built, all the children in the village can go to school."
"Wu Guifen, you are so shameless!"
Seeing that Wu Guifen was about to start fighting because she couldn't win the argument, Chen Yao immediately threw the manure in the bucket over to her.
Dried chicken manure mixed with wood ash flew into her mouth.
"How dare you, you dead girl - vomit -" Wu Guifen felt nauseous in her throat, tears welled up in her eyes, and she couldn't stand the bad taste in her mouth, so she ran home while picking her throat.
This caused Tian Wen to laugh.
"Everyone, please go home first. Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, which is as important as the New Year. After the Winter Solstice, the day after tomorrow at the hour of Chen, have the children bring their sandboxes to school."
"Okay, let's all listen to A Yao. I'll go back and tell the kids in the house so they don't have to grind their teeth in my ears every day."
People came and walked together in groups of three or five, and as they walked they discussed with each other how much wasteland each family would reclaim and how many beans they would plant next year.
After everyone left, Chen Yao continued to spread the manure in the basket on the wheat field. When she caught up with her father and uncle, the three of them smiled at each other.
"Ayao, we're working together pretty well, aren't we?" Shen Qingshan looked at his daughter beside him while plowing the ground with a hoe.
Chen Yao gave a thumbs up to her father and uncle and praised them generously.
In fact, she had been paying attention to the construction of the school in the village these days, and she guessed that the villagers would come to her house today, so she asked Shen Qingshan to stay at home and lead everyone to the fields to observe how to grow winter wheat and edamame.
Now her family can try to help a few villagers, and the villagers appreciate their kindness. But if they help too much and make the other party dependent, once they stop helping, they will be hated.
Instead of doing this, it would be better to give them the methods to establish themselves and protect their lives. How much they can gain depends on them individually.
Tanaka glanced at the green edamame beside him and still felt a little worried: "Ayao, can these edamame really be sold like you said?"
Unripe soybeans have a bean smell. Can city people eat them?
He was worried that A Yao's banner was too big and it would be difficult to control it in the future.
Shen Qingshan, on the other hand, trusted his daughter very much. Even if the beans could not be sold in the end, he would go into the mountains to hunt more wild animals in winter and give all the money from the sales to his daughter. He could also take care of all her matters.
"Dad and uncle helped me a lot today, so A Yao will pick some edamame and take them home to cook for you to try." Chen Yao put down the gourd ladle and was about to pick them.
Tanaka held her and waved his hands, "Can we pick them and eat them now? Uncle is just asking, dear, let the beans grow a little longer, they are still tender."
Chen Yao was amused by her uncle's words, and finally picked half a basket of edamame. Tomorrow is the winter solstice, and she can add a fresh vegetable to the family.
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