There were no large trees around, so it looked like it had been cleared out beforehand.
We didn't build the house by the river back then. Perhaps we were worried about the dampness and mosquitoes in the summer. Luckily, it's not far away. It's just a few steps further.
The two went to the river to wash their clothes. The river water was running water, which made things much easier.
Lu Chuan told me there's a waterfall above the house, on the east side. He said the spring water flows from there, and the family's drinking water is fetched from the river above the waterfall; the spring water tastes better than the river water.
The waterfall's water flows into the river and gathers together.
When Lu Chuan's mother was alive, they used to draw water from the waterfall using bamboo poles to irrigate their vegetables. However, those bamboo poles broke down several years ago, and Lu Chuan hasn't fixed them. If they want to grow vegetables, they can just go and reconnect them in a couple of days.
Good heavens, so that's how it is. Who says the ancients weren't clever? Look! Take a good look! This solves the problem that has been bothering Xu Han for two days.
The wisdom of the ancients is truly admirable. It turns out that what Xu Han could think of, others had already considered. Xu Han was thinking of using bamboo to draw water, but she didn't know where the water source was!
Doesn't this solve the problem directly? It seems we still can't act on our own in the future; we should ask Lu Chuan, this native, for advice whenever we encounter something.
We should not underestimate ourselves just because we stand on the shoulders of giants.
Having solved the problem of planting and watering vegetables, Xu Han was inexplicably happy. Even the speed at which she washed clothes increased significantly.
The clothes definitely won't dry today; they'll get too dark on Tianma Mountain. I'll take them home and hang them under the eaves to dry. I'll finish drying them tomorrow when the sun comes out…
After washing the clothes, Xu Han went to make dinner, while Lu Chuan hung the clothes out to dry.
I slept without any dreams...
The next morning, after breakfast, the two began their work of turning the soil. When Lu Chuan saw that Xu Han had also gone to the backyard, he didn't continue to stop them or say anything to prevent them from doing so.
After living together for so long, they understand each other quite well, and Xu Han is a woman of her word. If they told her not to do it, she'd probably get angry!
Lu Chuan took a plow from the tool shed. Yesterday he had used a hoe to dig, which was much slower. Today, the two of them could use a plow, which would be much faster.
Xu Han was quite surprised when she saw Lu Chuan take out the plow!
He said to Lu Chuan, "You have such a useful tool as a plow and harrow, why didn't you take it out yesterday? You had to spend the whole afternoon turning the soil with a hoe!"
Lu Chuan just smiled and didn't say anything more.
The two began to turn the soil, with Lu Chuan pulling the plow from the front and Xu Han supporting it from behind. Fortunately, winter had just passed, and the soil was frozen and soft, making it pleasant to step on! Turning the soil was quick.
It wasn't too difficult to manage, since it had been turned over before. Although no vegetables were planted, there weren't many large weed roots in the field, indicating that the weeds in the vegetable garden had been cleared regularly.
Although the land was easy to till, it was still more than an acre! She ate a quick lunch and continued working in the afternoon. Xu Han wanted to finish today. It was already mid-February, and she couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
They turned over all the land in the backyard. Except for the area where the chicken and duck pens were, Xu Han dragged Lu Chuan to dig up all the land. They even dug up both sides of the path leading to the backyard, making sure that no place that could be used to grow vegetables was overlooked.
Lu Chuan had many questions. The backyard already had a lot of vegetables, usually sweet potatoes, corn and other vegetables, which was enough. Why did they need to open up the passageway?
Although I don't understand why, seeing Xu Han's hesitant expression, she only said that she wanted to order more vegetables to dry and eat in winter, and then she didn't say anything more.
Let her flip through it if she wants! It's not a big deal, just let her be happy.
Xu Han was also very flustered, wondering how to smooth things over. Seeing that Lu Chuan didn't ask any more questions, she breathed a sigh of relief.
After a long day of work, dinner should be a good meal. Xu Han took out the pheasant she had just caught from the trap that morning.
I'm planning to make chicken stew with potatoes, and stewed mushrooms would taste even better. It's a pity that Luchuan didn't dry any mushrooms last year, so I must dry more this year.
First, chop the chicken into small pieces. It's too late today, so smaller pieces will cook faster. Then, stir-fry the chicken in a hot pan to remove excess moisture. Add water and potatoes, and start stewing. While Lu Chuan is out, secretly add star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, oyster sauce, chicken bouillon, and spicy seasoning to the pot...
Soon the aroma filled the air; I splurged today by cooking fluffy white rice. I'll also make a hot and sour egg drop soup in an earthenware pot. Simple and delicious.
Black Wind and Black Spot had been waiting impatiently for a while. They'd been pacing back and forth in the kitchen...
As soon as the food was served, Black Wind frantically tried to pry at the bowl with its claws, only to be thrown away by Lu Chuan as expected... before turning around and running back in.
Xu Han quickly took out the bowl with the black dough and black spots, broke the black dough into it, added the soup, mixed it, and then picked out a few pieces of chicken for them to eat...
The two then began their dinner.
The meal was eaten in silence; both were exhausted from the day and didn't have time to talk.
After dinner, Xu Han lay back in her chair and said to Lu Chuan, "It's already mid-February. Tomorrow I'll start planting the vegetable seeds and plant them directly when it gets warmer. I'll start planting the sweet potato seedlings later; it's still too cold now."
“Okay, then I’ll come back tomorrow after I’ve finished hunting and prepare the ridges so we can plant directly then,” Lu Chuan replied.
"We should also take some time to repair the chicken and duck coops in the back, so that it will be easier to feed the chickens and ducks and get their eggs later," Xu Han added.
"After I finish clearing the land, I'll go to the back mountain to cut some bamboo. That should only take about a day." Lu Chuan was also thinking of feeding some chickens and ducks, at least making it easier for them to eat eggs.
I didn't feed them before because I was always up in the mountains, sometimes hunting for days at a time and wouldn't come home. There was no one at home. The chickens and ducks had no one to feed them, and I didn't eat eggs much myself. I never thought about it.
But things are different now. Xu Han is weak and needs to eat more eggs to nourish herself. Although she can buy them, it's still too far from the county town. Sometimes the eggs she buys are broken, so it's inconvenient.
You can sometimes find them in the mountains, but it's unreliable! Finding wild eggs depends on luck. It's much more convenient to raise your own chickens and ducks. So I agreed without hesitation!
"Sigh! I really need to make some money this year! I'll gather more mountain produce and sell it in the county town. We still have so many things we need at home!" Xu Han sighed.
Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan quickly got up and went back inside!
Xu Han was taken aback! What's wrong? What did I just say? Why such a strong reaction?
Before she could think further, Lu Chuan came out of the house, carrying a mahogany box. He handed it to Xu Han.
Then Lu Chuan said, "You don't need to worry about making money. Buy whatever you want." After saying that, he gestured for Xu Han to open the box.
Upon hearing Lu Chuan's words, Xu Han hurriedly opened the box, and in the dim candlelight, the inside of the box sparkled.
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