"Ordinary clothes?" Cheng Yaoyao followed Xie Zhao's line of sight and looked at Xie Fei before he reacted.
In the past year, Xie Fei has grown a lot taller, her hair has grown black, and she has become a beautiful girl. Today, she is wearing a dress and coat bought in Shanghai, and a pair of buckled women's leather shoes, which makes her look different from others. If Cheng Yaoyao hadn't been there, she would have attracted everyone's attention.
Cheng Yaoyao understood Xie Zhao's concern. Xie Fei's current clothes were all bought for her by the two of them in Shanghai, or they were Cheng Yaoyao's old clothes, all of which were too conspicuous and not suitable for wearing to work in the factory.
Cheng Yaoyao looked at the ready-made clothing counter and said, "How about buying two sets of ready-made clothes?"
Xie Fei calculated, "If I buy two pieces of material and make them myself, it will be several dollars cheaper than buying ready-made clothes."
The two of them picked out some more fabrics, including the fabric for Xie Zhao's clothes. Spring had come, and Xie Zhao's clothes were getting worn out quickly while working. Cheng Yaoyao didn't want Xie Zhao to wear a patched jacket anymore.
After buying the things, Xie Zhao left his luggage, including the thermos and basin, at the gatehouse of the fertilizer factory to avoid the trouble of going back and forth.
The three of them went to the post office again, but this time Cheng Yaoyao did not receive any letters or packages. Xie Fei looked at Cheng Yaoyao with some concern: "Sister Yaoyao, your father must have been too busy during the Chinese New Year, so he didn't write to you..."
Cheng Yaoyao interrupted her and said, "I don't care."
Xie Zhao glanced at Cheng Yaoyao's expression and said, "Do you want to call Shanghai?"
"No!" Cheng Yaoyao walked away, saying, "Are you guys leaving or not? I'll leave by myself!"
The two of them hurriedly chased after him.
The winter sun was like a piece of amber, enveloping this quiet old house. It was a rare leisure day in the year, and the sounds of children playing and laughing could be heard in the alley. Cheng Yaoyao squatted beside the small vegetable garden and watched Xie Zhao plant strawberries.
Xie Zhao brought two strawberry seedlings from the city, saying that they were imported varieties and would bear fruit in the spring. There were not many vegetables in the vegetable garden now. The fries were dug out and eaten yesterday, leaving a large hole on the ground. Xie Zhao sprinkled some plant ash in the hole, filled it with new soil, and then planted the two strawberry seedlings.
Cheng Yaoyao instructed: "Bury the roots shallower and water them more."
Xie Zhao did as he was told, patted the soil around the strawberry seedlings with a shovel, and watered them. The two strawberries looked thin and skinny, with drooping leaves, and looked even more droopy against the lush green cabbages next to them.
Grandma Xie also came over to see and asked, "Can the crops be planted in such a cold weather?"
Cheng Yaoyao said, "Strawberries are planted in winter...right?" In later generations, strawberries are mostly planted in winter or grown as all-season seedlings. Strawberry varieties are scarce these days, and Cheng Yaoyao is not sure whether these two poor little ones can survive the winter.
Grandma Xie said, "These seedlings are too weak. If there is another frost tonight, they will surely be frozen to death!"
"I haven't eaten strawberries for a long time." Cheng Yaoyao said unreasonably: "I want to eat some!"
Xie Zhao said: "I'll cover it with straw, and it should be able to survive."
The nights have been very cold these past few days, so the vegetable seedlings in the garden have been covered with straw, and even the trunks of the Chinese toon trees have been wrapped with straw. But the vegetable seedlings are tough, while the strawberry seedlings are thin and fragile, and look like they will break if touched. Can they withstand the weight of the straw?
Cheng Yaoyao said: "Build a shed for it."
Grandma Xie asked, "What shed?"
"Plastic greenhouse." A familiar term came out of Cheng Yaoyao's mouth. "Use plastic to build a greenhouse, so it won't be damaged by freezing. This is how you grow vegetables in winter."
"Where did you hear that?" Grandma Xie didn't believe it. "What is a plastic greenhouse?"
Cheng Yaoyao had seen this at his grandfather's house when he was a child, and he gestured, "...the plastic greenhouse can grow spring vegetables in winter, and winter vegetables in spring."
Grandma Xie smiled and said, "I know. It's a traitor! In the past, some people could grow vegetables in winter and sell them for more than meat. But they had a secret. It's not that easy to grow vegetables."
The wisdom of the ancient Chinese should not be underestimated. They were able to grow vegetables indoors in the winter and supply them to the wealthy. However, the growing method was a secret and the yield was very small.
Cheng Yaoyao knew the answer to this question and quickly started to sell it: "It's not difficult! I've seen it in the city. They use plastic film to build a shed for vegetables. The temperature inside can be artificially adjusted, and the output is very large."
Grandma Xie smiled and said, "Do whatever you want. Zhao'er, put up a frame to protect the seedlings. Jianjian has already set his eyes on them."
Everyone turned around and saw that the fat orange cat sleeping in the sun immediately turned its head away with an expression that said "I'm not looking at you".
Xie Zhao immediately brought thin bamboo strips and rainproof plastic sheets. Cheng Yaoyao often went to the strawberry farm to pick strawberries in his previous life. Several rare varieties were grown in plastic greenhouses and glass greenhouses. He described them to Xie Zhao in detail based on his memory.
Xie Zhao understood it quickly and built a greenhouse in a few minutes, and covered the strawberry seedlings. However, the strawberry seedlings needed to be exposed to the sun, so they were not covered with plastic sheets during the day, but only with bamboo strips to prevent crickets and chickens. At night, they were covered with plastic sheets to keep them warm and prevent frost.
After protecting the strawberry seedlings, Xie Zhao dug up a small plot of land and planted tomato and spinach seeds, and also built a plastic shed on top. When Grandma Xie saw this, she laughed and said, "You are also following in my footsteps."
Xie Zhao said nothing, studying the greenhouse seriously.
Cheng Yaoyao was curious for two days, but when he saw that the strawberry seedlings didn't look like they could produce strawberries right away, he forgot about it. Xie Zhao, on the other hand, became fascinated with the greenhouse. Xie Zhao was very serious about studying something, and he watched the vegetables in the greenhouse every day to see if they had sprouted. Unfortunately, there was no movement at all, and the only tomato seedling that sprouted was frozen to death in two days.
Xie Zhao plowed the land again and planted new rapeseed.
Seeing that he was too lazy to eat and sleep, Cheng Yaoyao racked his brains and remembered some knowledge points about plastic greenhouses. Cheng Yaoyao used his grandfather's method of growing flowers, planting rapeseed in egg shells to sprout, and then transplanting them into the greenhouse. This time, the seedlings survived.
In later generations, when off-season vegetables grown in plastic greenhouses became popular, people at that time disdained greenhouse vegetables and pursued purely natural mature crops. But at that time, plastic greenhouse cultivation was definitely an innovative act.
Xie Zhao has traveled to many places in the past six months. In big cities, especially in the north, there are almost no vegetables to eat in winter, and people have to rely on stockpiling cabbage and potatoes to survive. Tianshui Village has a warm climate, and there are only a few kinds of vegetables that can be eaten in winter. If this kind of plastic greenhouse can really grow green vegetables in winter, the profit and significance are immeasurable.
Cheng Yaoyao didn't think that far ahead. She was happy to see Xie Zhao finally relax his frown.
That day, Xie Zhao brought back a large bag of cotton from the city. When Grandma Xie opened it and took a look, she said happily, "It's all new cotton. Feel it, it's so soft!"
Nowadays, cotton is a cash crop. Anyone who grows it in their private plot will be punished for capitalism. Villagers secretly grow some cotton, but it is far from enough to make quilts. Most of the cotton quilts used by villagers have been used for more than ten years. At the end of each year, they are taken apart, stuffed with new cotton, and used again as new quilts.
This big bag of new cotton weighs at least ten kilograms. Now is not the cotton production season, and I don’t know where Xie Zhao got it from.
The quilt and bed sheets had been sewn long ago, just waiting for new cotton. Grandma Xie spread a mat on the table, Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei pulled the four corners of a piece of fine cotton cloth, tied the cotton cloth tightly and covered it on the mat, and began to stuff the quilt.
Grandma Xie is an expert at quilting. Layer upon layer of snow-white, soft cotton is pressed together and compacted, and a small, light and soft quilt gradually takes shape. The whole hall is filled with flying cotton wool, which falls all over people's heads and bodies. Stubborn Mimi cried, jumped up to swat the light cotton wool, and always wanted to swat it onto the quilt.
Cheng Yaoyao was unable to make a move and shouted, "Xie Zhao, take Jianjian away!"
Grandma Xie said, "No, it's time for it to tease Zhao Ge'er again."
Xie Fei had no choice but to tidy up the old cotton and sew a new mattress for Jianjian, which was both beautiful and warm. Jianjian liked it very much and stopped making a fuss. He held the small mattress in his mouth and swung it wildly.
Xie Fei said aggrievedly: "That's not how you use a mattress..."
Grandma Xie smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. Make your own clothes first so you can wear them when you go to work."
"Don't worry, I can finish two sets of clothes quickly." Xie Fei said confidently.
Xie Fei learned needlework from her grandmother Xie. She could not go out since she was a child, so she had to do needlework to pass the time. She was very patient, and before she finished making a quilt, a new blouse appeared in Xie Fei's hands.
Cheng Yaoyao exclaimed: "Xiao Fei, you are really amazing, this formation looks more detailed than if it were made by a machine!"
Xie Fei rubbed her neck and said shyly, "It's not that good. If only I had a sewing machine, I could make three sets in one afternoon!"
Xie Zhao said: "Brother will buy it for you."
Xie Fei's eyes lit up. Grandma Xie slapped Xie Zhao and said, "Sewing machines are so expensive! Why waste the money? We don't run a tailor shop!"
Xie Zhao said: "Xiao Fei likes it."
Grandma Xie glared at Xie Fei, who quickly shook her head: "The sewing machine is too expensive, I...I don't want it."
Cheng Yaoyao helped out, "Xiao Fei is very talented in making clothes. It would be so convenient to buy a sewing machine to make clothes! Besides, money is not a problem..."
Before Cheng Yaoyao could finish his words, he caught Xie Zhao's gaze and quickly shut up.
Grandma Xie seemed not to notice their quarrel. She was sewing the quilt quickly while calculating: "I heard from Auntie Yingui that the cheapest sewing machine now costs nearly three hundred yuan. We don't have a sewing machine ticket, so this is one more expense. Besides, Xiaopi will go to the textile factory soon, and the sewing machine will just gather dust at home. With this spare money, why not catch two piglets to raise."
Cheng Yaoyao was the first to agree: "Great, great!" Cheng Yaoyao liked the snow-white and tender little piglet as soon as he thought about it.
Xie Zhao looked at her helplessly and said to Grandma Xie: "Raising pigs is too hard."
Grandma Xie said, "What's the point of working so hard? Now that we have enough food and warm clothes at home, I have nothing to do at home all day, so what's the point of raising two pigs?"
Xie Fei also disagreed: "I went to the city, my brother had to go to work, and my grandmother was alone at home. She already had to feed the chickens and ducks, and if she also raised pigs, she would be too busy to handle it."
Cheng Yaoyao said: "And me!"
The three of them looked at her at the same time. Cheng Yaoyao said indignantly: "I can work too!"
Xie Zhao said, "Cooking pig food, shoveling pig manure, changing the straw in the pigpen... can you do it?"
Xie Fei added: "In the summer, the pigsty smells terrible and there are mosquitoes and flies."
Cheng Yaoyao immediately said that it would be good to buy pork from the city.
Grandma Xie couldn't persuade Xie Zhao, and kept on nagging: "Now that our vegetables are growing so well, we can feed the pigs with what we can't eat. The pig manure can be worth about 100 centimeters a year. At the end of the year, we can kill the pigs and sell them to the production team, and we can make some money."
Cheng Yaoyao said: "We already have a pig at home."
Grandma Xie was surprised: "Where is the pig?"
Cheng Yaoyao pointed to the patio, dragged the small mattress out to the sunlight, and fell asleep soundly on it. He looked like a round ball, like a pig.
With Cheng Yaoyao and the other two opposing her, Grandma Xie's pig-raising plan failed, so she had to turn her attention to raising chicks. Now she could pick more than 20 eggs a day, so many that she couldn't finish them all. Grandma Xie was thinking about hatching chicks to raise. Anyway, she had roosters and hens at home, so hatching chicks was not a difficult task.
A pig-raising craze has quietly emerged in the village. This year, piglets are cheap, only 20 cents per piglet, and many people have taken piglets home to raise. Raising pigs and chickens are two important ways for farmers to make money.
That day, Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Zhao went to the back mountain to dig ferns. When they got to the foot of the mountain, they saw Mrs. Lin carrying a bundle of pig grass and holding a little boy in one hand. A little girl was stumbling behind her, carrying a large basket full of pig grass on her back.
When Mrs. Lin saw Cheng Yaoyao, she rolled her eyes. She didn't dare to say anything because Xie Zhao was holding her back. She just yelled at the little girl, "Hurry up and leave! The little pigs at home are hungry. I'll skin you alive!"
The little girl shivered violently, and it was obvious that she could not walk anymore, yet she was struggling to move while dragging the big basket.
Cheng Yaoyao couldn't bear it any longer: "You are such a grown-up, why don't you carry it? Why do you let a child carry such a heavy thing?"
"This is my granddaughter, what's it to you?" Mrs. Lin put her hands on her hips.
Xie Zhao gave her a cold look, and Mrs. Lin swallowed her saliva, and her arrogance immediately subsided. Xie Zhao said, "Her face is not right."
Cheng Yaoyao took a closer look and saw that the little girl was sweating all over her head and her lips were pale. It was obvious that something was wrong. Mrs. Lin pouted her lips nonchalantly and pinched the little girl hard with her skinny fingers, "You lazy idiot, you want to pretend to be dead again!"
The little girl screamed, suddenly covered her chest, and slid down softly against the big basket.
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