Newly born chicks are delicate, and they need to be raised with extra care when the weather is cold. Yang Donghu had no experience in this area, so he went to ask Zhu Cuilan for advice.
Zhu Cuilan had finally finished her post-New Year preparations, and all the relatives had left. She was now cleaning up the remaining mess at home.
Yang Donghu walked in, went straight to the kitchen and called out "Auntie".
Zhu Cuilan was washing the pot, and she spoke without interrupting her work: "What do you want to talk to me about?"
Yang Donghu told her about the chicks Zhao Luochuan brought back, and said that he didn't know how to raise chickens, and asked her what to do.
"Raising chickens? Raising chickens is good. It's becoming more and more like home. The yard doesn't seem dull anymore because of all the activity. It also gives me something to do to pass the time."
Zhu Cuilan is a good hand at doing housework. No matter if the seedlings in the vegetable garden are not growing well, or the poultry are not fat, as long as she helps to take a look, there is nothing she can't do. It is definitely better than figuring it out on her own.
She cleaned up the kitchen and went with Yang Donghu to see the chicks.
The bamboo basket was still covered with clothes. Zhu Cuilan lifted it up and saw that the chicks inside were all big and not weak. If they ate more food, they would surely grow to more than ten pounds in weight by the next New Year.
"Dachuan is really good at choosing. This chicken is much better than the one I bought back then. Where did he buy it and how much did it cost? I'll buy two more later."
"Dachuan said that it was given to him by the carpenter's grandmother. He didn't ask for money. The grandmother said she would take it to the town to sell it." Yang Donghu said.
Zhu Cuilan was more and more satisfied as she looked at it, nodding repeatedly: "Then I'll go and have a look early tomorrow. If I go too late, I'm afraid they will all be sold out."
She didn't ask Zhao Luochuan what he was doing at the carpenter's house, and thought he was going to repair something.
The chicks are still small now and are easy to raise in the bamboo basket. But after ten days or so when they grow up, they can no longer be kept in the basket. Anyway, the yard is big, so we can build a fence against the wall next to the vegetable garden so that the chicks can move around.
"Covering them with clothes alone isn't enough. You need to put something in the bamboo basket, otherwise the chicks will get sick. They're still young and can't eat feed. Use some noodles at home, mash them with water, and mix them with some vegetables. Don't give them too much at once. Feed them several times a day. Don't overfeed them. The chicks don't need too much water. Pour this amount of warm water into the bottom of a bowl twice a day. Remember to use warm water, otherwise the chicks will get diarrhea and die."
Zhu Cuilan spoke in detail, and Yang Donghu wrote it all down.
"Come on, I'll take you to Aunt Zhao's house up ahead to get some straw to put under the chicken."
Zhao Hai and Zhao He both have no land. Although they have some free time during the busy farming season, it is not good to be like this all the time. They have to go to the town to buy rice and flour for their family. If they don’t buy them, they will have nothing to eat. For example, if they grow a lot of grain at home, they can keep the wheat straw in the summer and the corn stalks in the autumn to burn for firewood, so they don’t have to go to the mountains to collect firewood.
The bran left over from threshing wheat can be used to feed chickens, ducks, cattle and sheep, saving a lot of feed money each year. Moreover, the meat of poultry raised on bran is more delicious than that raised on feed.
Zhu Cuilan would sometimes take money to the village's big grain farmers to buy wheat bran to feed the chickens.
Yang Donghu hadn't been around the village much, so he didn't know everyone there. Zhu Cuilan wanted to take him to get to know the people.
Yang Donghu sighed and followed Zhu Cuilan to Aunt Zhao's house in front.
Aunt Zhao was kind-hearted, and Zhu Cuilan always came to buy wheat bran. Moreover, they originally lived in the same village, so she would greet her warmly whenever she saw her.
"Cui Lan, are you here to buy bran again?"
Zhu Cuilan smiled and said, "Isn't it? How come you have so much free time today? Have all the relatives at home left?"
Aunt Zhao brought out a stool, saying, "Now that they've left, we don't have many relatives. My daughter-in-law has taken the children back to her parents' home to visit her mother, so I have some free time."
"I brought Dachuan's family here to introduce themselves to the family. We just raised a few chicks at home, and I thought feeding them wheat bran would be better than feed. After he gets to know the family, he can come to buy more often." Zhu Cuilan didn't hesitate and sat down with Yang Donghu.
After such a long time, Yang Donghu also learned to take the initiative to call people. Without waiting for Zhu Cuilan to introduce herself, she smiled and said, "Aunt Zhao."
Aunt Zhao smiled and sighed, and then she began to praise him politely: "This husband Dachuan is really good-looking and has a really sweet mouth. Several people have told me that he calls everyone he meets by name without any shyness. I heard it a long time ago. His name is Donghu, right?"
Yang Donghu nodded. He never knew how to react to such polite words.
"Look, how great! Fang Yu isn't a child anymore. Why aren't you in a hurry? Marrying him early and having a grandson is better than anything else." Aunt Zhao asked without meaning to.
How could Zhu Cuilan not be anxious? She was almost anxious to death, but she just smiled and laughed it off, perfunctorily getting by.
After a few more pleasantries, the few of them bought the wheat bran and took it back. She also specifically asked for a bundle of wheat straw. Aunt Zhao had a lot of land, so she generously took an extra bundle and said that if she didn't need it in the future, she could just come and get it.
The chicks, padded with straw, seemed more active, poking their pointed beaks in the straw looking for food. Their silly appearance made Yang Donghu curl his lips.
Zhu Cuilan's thoughts, which had been dormant, became active again because of Aunt Zhao's words. During the New Year, the guests who came to her house kept asking Zhao Fangyu whether he had decided on a partner and when they would get married.
She had a lot of pain in her heart but couldn't say it out loud. She always smiled and said it was still early. But Zhu Cuilan also understood that her son was too old to wait any longer. Zhao Luochuan, who was younger than him, was already married, but there was still no sign of Zhao Fangyu.
Now Zhao Fangchu is getting older and older, and is about to get married. It would not sound good to tell others that he has a bachelor brother. What will happen if it delays Fangchu any further?
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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