After several busy days of wheat harvesting, the weather cooperated perfectly, with sunny skies all day long, and the wheat was all dried and stored away.
"Wife, did you save all the wheat this year?"
"Yes, we have enough land this year, so we must reserve enough grain just in case. Besides, twenty acres of wheat isn't much; forty percent of it belongs to Uncle San's family."
"Okay, I'll listen to you. You have experience. My third uncle and his family rented some dry land from someone else this year and planted corn."
“The corn yield is high, and their families are large, so they can’t eat only refined grains like our family. Jiangjia Village is considered quite good; basically no one goes hungry. Even if they eat coarse grains and wild vegetables, they can still have enough to eat.”
Mu Yi'an planted watermelons on all the dry land this year, and only planted some corn in the vegetable garden outside the yard, to eat as green corn.
"Mom, look, I'm as dark as Tie Niu next door."
Shao Yun ran in from outside the courtyard, stretching out his little arms to show his mother.
"Yes, you've really gotten tanned. That means Shao Yun has worked hard. Otherwise, how could she get so tanned? This year, Shao Yun and her brother picked a lot of wheat ears. They're really capable. One day, Mom will collect the wheat ears you picked, grind them into flour, and make dumplings. They'll be delicious."
"Mmm, mmm, it must smell delicious. Thank you for your hard work, Mother."
Shao Yun was a little embarrassed, her little face flushed, and she ran out to play.
"Little guy, are you embarrassed?"
"You're really acting like a mother now, you're doing a great job!"
Jiang Shuyun vividly recalled the look of despair on Mu Yi'an's face when she first arrived, upon hearing that there were three children in the family, one of whom was still breastfeeding.
"Shaopin, you stay home and look after the children. Jiang Qi and I are going out for a bit."
Mu Yi'an was also a little embarrassed. She had grown up amidst her mother's criticisms and rarely received praise.
Where are you going?
"Go to town to buy some needles and thread. It's getting hot, and the kids' clothes are too small. They need alterations or two new ones."
"Then you two go ahead. Shall we have Shuhe drive the carriage?"
“No need, he’s been busy loosening the soil and weeding the melon patch these past few days, he doesn’t have time. Jiang Qi, the neighbor’s wife, and I will do it together.”
Mu Yi'an went inside and changed her clothes. She wore neat trousers instead of a traditional Chinese dress, as she felt it would be inconvenient.
"Be careful, I'll keep an eye on the children."
Jiang Shuyun picked up her chubby daughter and told Jiang Qi and his wife to hurry up, otherwise the little girl would start crying when she realized what was happening.
The two women, sister-in-law and aunt, quickly left.
Jiang Shuyun's cousin was a year older than her and had two children, a son and a daughter. The son was a year older than Shao Ming and also studied at Jiang's father's school. The daughter was about the same age as Shao Yun and stayed at home, being looked after by her aunt.
"Yi'an, Jiang Qi, let's go."
Jiang Qi's cousin's wife is a year older than him. She is quite capable and a very good worker.
The three of them walked towards the town, a distance of five miles, which shouldn't take long.
There were three people. My cousin's wife was rather plump and was wearing pants. Mu Yi'an was neither fat nor thin, and was quite pretty, better than average, but not a beauty.
Jiang Qi, after the divorce, was in a good mood, her complexion rosy, no longer wearing a bitter face like before. Although not as beautiful as Jiang Lan, she was still the most attractive of the three. She was used to wearing skirts, a habit she developed in the Fan family.
The three chatted and laughed, walking quite slowly, and it felt like it didn't take long before they arrived in town.
"Let's go to the fabric store."
My cousin's wife comes here often and is quite familiar with the area. Mu Yi'an followed behind; it was her first time here.
The three entered the fabric shop, where the owner greeted them warmly.
"Aunt Lan, we need some needles, thread and cotton cloth to make clothes for our children. Can you recommend some affordable options?"
The proprietress, known as Aunt Lan, was in her forties, with a round face and a smiling demeanor; she seemed quite approachable.
"Okay, Aunt Lan has never cheated anyone. She's a regular customer, and the ones she recommends are all suitable for you."
Aunt Lan brought over several bolts of cotton fabric from behind, including dark colors suitable for men, bright colors suitable for women, and some with small floral patterns...
Mu Yi'an's family had no shortage of fabric; she only wanted to buy some embroidery thread.
My cousin-in-law needs to buy some fabric. It's changing seasons, and with over ten people in her family, including adults and children, she'll need quite a bit. But she won't be getting everything new; usually, older children wear outdated clothes and pass them on to younger children, one after another. If she were to get everything new, it would cost a fortune.
After buying the fabric and embroidery thread, the three of them left the fabric shop with their purchases.
Xinyuan Town isn't large; there's only one street with businesses. It has clinics, taverns, general stores, cloth shops, grain stores, oil shops... It's practically unique; there aren't any other shops like it, so there's not much competition.
Xinyuan Town is 15 li (approximately 7.5 kilometers) from Xinyuan County, which is a large county town with a wide variety of goods and many shops. Therefore, there is no competition or overcharging in the town; business is mainly done with regular customers.
Mu Yi'an wanted to buy some fruit, as well as some pork bones and meat. She had been so busy lately that she hadn't had a chance to cook properly.
"Oh my, where did this pretty young lady come from? Hiccup... Come keep this old man company for a while, this old man has money."
A man suddenly appeared, blocking their path. Mu Yi'an thought to herself, "We've run into a lecher."
"Where did this drunkard come from? Watch your mouth. If you keep talking nonsense, don't blame me for taking action."
Jiang Qi's cousin-in-law stood in front of her, her expression menacing. She knew that this drunkard had taken advantage of Jiang Qi because she was pretty.
"You fatso, get out of my way. I don't have time for you. I've got my eye on the young lady behind me. You big, burly guy like you are not for my taste."
The man reeked of alcohol and said disgusting things.
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