"Alright, you go back and cook. I'll take care of the rest."
"No, that won't do. I'll pick them myself. They'll be ready in no time."
Xu Han laughed and said, "Alright, alright, don't be so polite. I did all these chores before you came, and I'm used to it."
Now that you're all here, all my work has been delegated, and suddenly I don't know what to do next.
Seeing that Xu Han said that, Dan Niang stopped refusing and carried the vegetables she had picked back home to make breakfast.
Seeing that she had gone back, Xu Han took over her work and continued picking the remaining vegetables, while also cleaning up any weeds that hadn't been pulled out properly.
After pulling up the weeds, Xu Han put the vegetables she picked at home, then went to the fishpond to feed the fish, and took the dogs for a walk around the chicken coop. Seeing that everything was going well, she went home.
This feeling made Xu Han feel very comfortable. Her home was no longer a mess; everything was orderly and clean.
She no longer had to be in a rush every day, and Xu Han absolutely loved this kind of life.
As soon as Xu Han entered the house, she smelled an incredibly delicious aroma, and her stomach immediately began to rumble. "Dan Niang, what did you make today? It smells so good!"
"Madam, I've cooked a big pot of cornmeal porridge and also fried some pancakes."
"Let me help you with that."
After Xu Han finished speaking, she went into the kitchen and started cooking with Dan Niang.
After preparing breakfast, Xu Han also brought out some of her homemade pickled vegetables for them to eat, which, unsurprisingly, received high praise and were enjoyed by everyone.
Dan Niang said, "Madam, this pickled vegetable is really well made. It tastes much better than mine. It tastes very good. Did you put something else in it? It tastes different from any other pickled vegetable I've ever had."
Seeing that everyone enjoyed the food, Xu Han was also very happy. She smiled and said, "I added some other things. There weren't many of these pickles left. I'll teach you how to make them next time."
"Yes, yes, thank you, Madam."
After breakfast, everyone got busy again. Lu Chuan led his men to continue clearing the foundation, while Xu Han went into the field with the others.
Pointing to the endless fields, she said to everyone, "The crops around here all belong to our family, including corn, soybeans, potatoes, and sweet potatoes."
The land isn't much, but it's not small either. Including the vegetable garden, it's about 26 mu (approximately 4.7 hectares). Our task for the next two days is to pull all the weeds from the crops, turn over the sweet potato vines, and remove the vegetable seedlings from their trellises.
Xu Han paused for a moment and then continued, "The orchards next door are also planted by us. After we weeding the fields, we also need to deal with the weeds in the orchards. We also need to find a place to plant the new high-pressure fruit trees. After all this work, it will be almost time for the autumn harvest."
Sister-in-law Li said from the side, "Don't worry, Madam. We are all used to farm work, so we can finish these tasks quickly. They will be done in a few days."
Xu Han smiled and said, "Alright then, you guys get started. I'll go tidy up the flowers and plants in the yard."
When the sun gets too strong, go back and rest to avoid heatstroke.
Don't just think about the work in the fields; keep working on the clothes and shoes you haven't finished yet. It'll be better when the sun is higher so you can do your needlework back home—you can do both at the same time.
"Yes, we understand, madam."
After everyone responded, they all rushed down to the fields and bent over to start working.
Xu Han didn't dawdle. She got up and went back to the yard. After putting on her straw hat, she began to trim the flowers and plants in the yard.
Just as they finished trimming half of the branches, the Taoist priest came back pushing a cart.
As soon as he entered, he called out, "Girl, I've brought back the manure you wanted. How can you use this? Let me help you. It smells really bad."
Upon hearing the noise in the backyard, Xu Han rushed over without even putting down her tools, fearing that if she was any later, the Taoist priest would harm the flowers she had been carefully tending.
"Master, just put it there and I'll take care of it. I'll be done here soon. Could you please sweep up the fallen leaves and branches that you've pruned?"
“Alright, I’ll sweep.” After saying that, the Taoist priest picked up the broom next to him and began to sweep the yard.
After pruning the last few branches, Xu Han began to fertilize the flowers.
First, dig a hole at the base of the flower, then put in the manure, and finally cover it with soil.
Seeing Xu Han burying fertilizer, the Taoist priest asked, "Do you need to water it? I'll go get some water!"
Xu Han looked up at the sweltering sky and said, "Let's not water it anymore. The weather doesn't look very good; it's extremely hot and humid. I guess it's going to rain."
Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest looked up at the sky and said, "Hmm, it's about to rain. Let's not water the plants then, to save ourselves the trouble."
Before they knew it, it was noon again. Today's lunch was prepared by Xu Han and Dan Niang together.
Simple whole-grain corn rice, paired with cold cucumber salad and hot and sour shredded potatoes, is a simple dish, but everyone enjoys it immensely.
After lunch, Xu Han made a big bowl of sweet and sour fruit jam water for everyone, which was refreshing and appetizing.
Xu Han's family all have the habit of taking a nap, so after lunch they all go back to their rooms to take a nap.
The servants didn't have the habit of taking a nap, so the women and girls would use this time to hurry up with their needlework and try to make the clothes and shoes that everyone needed as soon as possible.
The men weren't idle either. Since there weren't enough chairs at home, Han Qi led them to the bamboo forest to cut bamboo and prepare to make chairs.
Bamboo chairs are also very sturdy; a bamboo chair can last for decades without breaking.
Moreover, they're already preparing to build houses over in the valley, and they should start preparing furniture and other things there in their spare time.
However, none of these people know how to make furniture, whether it's bamboo or wood. In the end, they might need Lu Chuan's help to guide them.
Although Lu Chuan's craftsmanship wasn't superb, it was still usable, so it saved money by buying it.
The most important thing now is to prepare the necessary materials. Once the materials are ready, everything will be quick and efficient. Many hands make light work.
Of course, not all furniture needs to be made of bamboo. During years of famine, Lu Chuan and Xu Han collected a lot of dead trees from the mountains and now they are piled up in an open space in the distance.
When you need them, you can just go and get them. They're all dried, so it's very convenient to use them whenever you want.
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