Chapter 110 It would be unfair if the crops didn’t grow well
"Mr. Zheng!" Su Bucheng was leading the plowing ox and passing by Mr. Zheng's house.
"Lord Su!" Old Man Zheng said with a smile, "Which family are you farming today?"
"Mrs. Zheng's house!" Su Bucheng handed over a string of money and half a tube of honey as a thank you gift. "This is the fee for processing the land deed that day. Thank you, Mr. Zheng, for your help."
"Hey, what do you mean, Mr. Su? We are from the same village, and it's just a simple matter, why are you still thinking about it?" Old Man Zheng said politely.
"Mr. Zheng, please accept it!" Su Bucheng stuffed the money and honey into Mr. Zheng's hands.
"It's not easy to go to the county town. Putting aside the cost, it takes a whole day to go back and forth without any delay. Even a strong man like me can't handle it. How can I feel at ease when Mr. Zheng works so hard for my Su family and asks you to pay for it?"
"Mr. Su is a man of integrity and righteousness, and I, Zheng, am happy to serve you! How can I accept your help in plowing the land?" Old Man Zheng pushed back.
"Mr. Zheng, please don't refuse. You've taken the trouble and expense to come here to get my land deed. These expenses should be paid by my family. This is the same principle everywhere.
"We can't break this rule. If we help other families handle it in the future, will Mr. Zheng accept it or not? Farmland is different. This is mutual help between neighbors. It has nothing to do with money!" Su Bucheng said seriously.
"This, this!" Zheng Lao'er was deeply moved. "Thank you, Mr. Su!"
To help the Su family, Old Zheng got up before dawn, hurried all the way, and returned home after dark.
When you go to the county town to do business, you not only have to smile but also bribe people. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, you will be asked to run back and forth but your business will not be done.
Old Zheng took all the little money he had at home with him. Except for the ox cart fare, he also brought his own food and drink.
If the Su family doesn't pay back the money, Old Zheng will feel embarrassed to ask for it, as he won't be able to get a single penny from them.
Fortunately, the Su family is a respectable family, and they returned the money as soon as they had money.
As a village elder, one cannot just pursue personal gain for his family. The daughter who lost her husband has to take care of her parents-in-law and raise two children alone.
He could help out at ordinary times, but during the busy farming season, Old Man Zheng was unable to do anything.
Several families were buying oxen together, but only three could queue up at a time. My daughter could hardly get a queue, so she had to wait for her family to have more manpower before she could help.
Now that the Su family has oxen for plowing, who wouldn’t want to ask the Su family for help?
The Su family is really kind and impartial. They help every woman a little. Although four or five acres of land is not much, it makes things a lot easier.
After paying back the money, Su Bucheng and Zheng Laoer both resolved a problem.
After a few more pleasantries, they each went about their business.
"My husband is here!" Madam Zheng and her family had been waiting in the field for a long time, and they had prepared water and placed a few bowls.
This is all the money a poor family can afford to entertain or help out.
"Good morning, Madam Zheng!" The two brothers of the Su family greeted her and drove the cattle to the fields to work.
One person was in front, using a hoe to hoe the un-hoeded ground and pick up stones, branches and other debris.
One followed behind and plowed the land.
Seeing this, Madam Zheng hurriedly took the hoe and went to the front to hoe the ground. Her face was flushed. Women were not strong enough, so the ground they hoe was shallow.
"Madam, just go to the back and break up the plowed mud blocks. I'll do it here." Seeing Madam Zheng struggling to hoe the ground, Su Laoer hurriedly advised.
"Ah?" Madam Zheng came back to her senses. She needed help to plow the fields at the back, so she hurriedly took a hoe and went behind Su Bucheng.
Zheng's parents-in-law, one son and one daughter also came to help, throwing the picked up stones, branches, etc. far away.
The few people cooperated well and finished plowing four or five acres of land in half a day.
After finishing the plowing, a few people sat on the ground to drink water. The cow was also very thirsty. It drank up a bucket of water alone and then slowly ate grass on the side.
The land has been plowed deeply, the soil has been broken up, and it will be dried in the sun. We can sow seeds tomorrow.
Madam Zheng felt happy as she looked at the carefully cultivated land.
Not far away, Yang Chunhua's family was working hard to hoe the fields. Her parents-in-law were old, and Yang Chunhua was thin and petite, which was heartbreaking to see.
"Chunhua, Uncle and Aunt Wang come over and have some water!" Madam Zheng called out.
"Oh!" Yang Chunhua stood up and pounded his waist hard, with a large patch of sweat on his back.
"Father, mother, come on, let's sit over there!" Yang Chunhua dropped the hoe.
The family arrived at Madam Zheng's field, and Yang Chunhua said enviously, "Look at this field! It would be unfair if the crops don't grow well!"
"Hehe, isn't it your turn to go home in the afternoon?" Madam Zheng poured water for the three of them.
"I'm not as capable as you. You've already plowed the land, but mine is still far behind." Yang Chunhua said with a smile.
Old Man Wang smiled at the two brothers of the Su family and said, "Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen!"
"You're welcome, you're welcome! Mr. Wang!" The two brothers moved and squeezed out a seat, and the three men sat together.
Old Man Wang is also one of the village elders. After his last son passed away, he almost collapsed and became taciturn.
When their only grandson, Abao, passed away, not only their daughter-in-law Yang Chunhua, but even the old couple lost the motivation to live.
The Wang family's main home is in Langya. Old Man Wang's official position in the previous dynasty was not as prominent as Old Man Yang's. The two were political enemies. Wang's family background was higher than Yang's. It was a prominent family with hundreds of years of history and deep roots.
When we were exiled, there were several brothers and dozens of people in our family, young and old. But here we are, with only about thirty people left. Later, some fell ill, some died, and only about twenty people are left.
After the family split up, they married into the Yang, Pei, Xie, Zheng and Zhao families, and managed to gain a foothold.
These companies used to dislike each other, but in order to survive, they had to put aside their past grudges and stick together.
Old Man Wang admired the new Su family very much. They were courageous and energetic, and they were not willing to sit and wait for death. They were full of vitality.
Perhaps because Su Bucheng was a grassroots official, the Su family knew more about daily life and farming than those of the wealthy families.
They haven't changed much in the past twenty years here, but the Su family has made great progress and changed dramatically in just a few days.
The Su family is kind-hearted. When they get benefits, they don't keep them to themselves and instead drag the whole village along.
Old Man Wang has often wondered these days: if the Su family had been there, would his youngest son and only grandson have survived? Would he have had a happy old age?
Late at night, when everyone was asleep, Old Man Wang couldn't sleep. His son's flattened face and his grandson's dark, thin, and withered body alternately flashed before his eyes, causing him to ache in his heart.
Everything he has now is just a lingering existence for him. If it weren't for his old wife, he would have wanted to leave long ago.
"Mr. Wang, we will help you hoe the land first, and then plow the land tomorrow. Is that okay?" Su Bucheng said.
The oxen have been working hard for several days, so let them rest and catch their breath. The Wang family's land is not well hoeed, so it will be more difficult to plow it.
Old man Wang was lost in his thoughts and didn't hear what Su Bucheng said.
"Mr. Wang, Mr. Wang?" Seeing that the old man Wang's eyes were blank and he didn't react, Su Bucheng stretched out his hand and waved it in front of his eyes.
"Ah? Ah!" Old Man Wang came back to his senses and responded randomly, "Well, okay, okay!"
"What are you doing, old man? Mr. Su asked to help us hoe the fields, how can you have the nerve to agree?" Old Mrs. Wang said to her husband.
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