My village can't be like this

Chapter 343 Ploughing
Because he went to bed too early last night, he woke up before dawn this morning.

Sleepiness is a thing. If you sleep too much, you will have a headache. If you sleep too little, your head will also hurt.

Zhang An has become accustomed to getting up early in the past two years, and has never slept in. He was full of sleep and climbed out of bed energetically.

It's still dark, and the big rooster in the chicken coop crows at three or four o'clock.

It is resting now. It is estimated that in another hour, the big rooster will get up and start blowing the morning bugle again.

Everyone else in the family was still sleeping, so Zhang An quietly went downstairs, washed up, and prepared to pack breakfast.

The morning stove fire was still sealed by a large lump of coal, so Zhang An took the tongs to remove the lump of coal.

I cleaned up the carbon ash at the bottom of the stove and let the sparks in the middle get access to oxygen.

Then break the coal into small pieces, put it on the stove and touch the coals inside. In a short time, the stove will light up.

After putting away the stove, Zhang An found the porridge casserole from the cabinet and scooped out half a bowl of millet.

That's right, Zhang An plans to cook a pot of millet porridge for breakfast today.

He hadn't eaten millet porridge for a long time, and he still missed the taste of millet porridge.

Wash half a bowl of millet twice with clean water, and then add delicious space spring water.

Then grab a handful of Huangjing that has been steamed and sun-dried for nine times and put it inside, then put the casserole on the fire and cook it slowly.

After about an hour and a half to two hours, it will be almost ready to be served. At that time, other people in the family will probably be up and ready to eat.

After looking at the time, Zhang An got into the space and started working before five o'clock.

Yesterday, on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, some people in the village started working in the fields. There must be more people going out to work today than yesterday.

Although many people say that the New Year is not completed until the 15th Lantern Festival.

But privately, on the seventh and eighth day of the lunar month, everyone started to carry tools and start working in the fields.

Because the sixth day of the lunar month is a difficult day, especially for business people, they will open their doors on this day.

Light up a bunch of cannons, blow them up, hold a simple opening ceremony, and start business.

Over time, everyone followed their lead, and after the sixth day of the lunar month, they were ready to go to the fields and start working.

Zhang An's family is no exception. There are a lot of things going on this year.

After seeing someone starting to work yesterday, he had already arranged today's schedule.

Many people in the village ordered new kiwi fruit seedlings from their place a few years ago, so they had to start preparations at the beginning of the new year.

Especially since the old uncle had told him before that the open space on the other side of the river at the entrance of the village was given to him to raise seedlings.

Therefore, Zhang An planned to wait until dawn and lead Dahei over to plow those few acres of land.

Zhang An spent a long time in the space and finally gave birth to the kiwi fruit seedlings promised last year.

After coming out of the space, Zhang An placed these freshly grown noodles in last year's melon field.

The land over there had been plowed during the previous cultivation of the medicine garden.

In the past, Zhang An would place them directly in the vegetable garden in the backyard.

But the demand for tender seedlings is very high this year, and the land in the vegetable garden cannot meet such a large demand.

So when Zhang An was tidying up the medicine garden, he plowed the watermelon field.

Anyway, there will be floods this year. The watermelon patch is on the bank of the river and will definitely be flooded. Zhang An has no intention of worrying about it.

Therefore, the freed land can be used to raise seedlings, and the land is fertile anyway.

Zhang An spread these young kiwi fruit seedlings that had begun to sprout on the ground and covered them with a thick layer of soil.

In the days to come, Zhang An only needs to carry a sprayer to sprinkle space spring water on them, and they will grow back quickly.

When they grew to a certain height, Zhang An hired a group of people to move them to the other side of the river.

After doing these things, the sky is no longer gray. This scene is what everyone knows as dawn.

Zhang An was covered in sweat when he got home. After finding some clothes, he got into the bathroom and took a hot shower.

When he came out of the bathroom, it was already dark and Wang Fang and Zhang Jianguo had already gotten up.

"Huh? Why did you get up so early today and cook millet porridge?"

Watching the steam from the casserole on the fire, Wang Fang opened the lid and saw that the pot of millet porridge was almost done.

So Wang Fang knew that his son must have gotten up early.

"I went to bed too early yesterday, and I woke up right after the first rooster crow today."

Wang Fang was helpless after hearing this. Young men from other families always felt that they didn't get enough sleep in the morning.

My son is fine. If I want him to sleep more every day, he is afraid that the bed will collapse.

Sometimes as a parent, I feel very conflicted. I am afraid that my children are not sensible, but I am also afraid that my children are too sensible.

"Dad, Mom, this porridge has been cooked. You can eat it after washing up."

After nearly two hours of cooking, the millet porridge in the casserole has become as thick as milk.

Even before opening the lid, you can smell the fragrance of millet spreading everywhere.

Su Ying hasn't gotten up yet, and Zhang An has no intention of waking her up.

During this time after the New Year, Su Ying became a little lethargic.

But school hasn't started yet, and there's nothing going on at home, so she will naturally let her sleep until she wakes up naturally.

Soon, a family of three gathered around the table, drinking fragrant millet porridge.

After the grains of millet are boiled, they become delicate and soft, sticky and soft in the mouth, refreshing and filling the intestines.

Wang Fang took out a small bowl from the cupboard and took out a piece of moldy tofu from an earthen jar, which is also known as bean curd.

This jar of molded tofu was made by Wang Fang when the family first introduced tofu a few years ago.

After fermentation, it is pickled with pepper powder, salt and other condiments, and finally stored in earthen jars.

After pickling, many people will add salt water and store it in it.

But Wang Fang did not use salt water here, because the molded tofu itself is very salty, and soaking it in salt water will only make it saltier.

She used boiled red oil and soaked the pickled molded tofu in it, so that it would last longer.

Zhang An picked up a piece with the tip of his chopsticks and put it into his mouth, enjoying the taste very much.

In the past, there were few dishes on the table of rural families. Flavored foods like molded tofu and tempeh were very satisfying to eat.

Sometimes there is no food at home, so Zhang An will eat two bowls of white rice with molded tofu and cold black beans.

Zhang An quickly drank two bowls of fragrant millet porridge with moldy tofu.

After drinking, Zhang An changed his clothes and prepared to lead Dahei out to plow the fields.

"Xiao An, where are you going to plow?"

Seeing his son carrying the plow and leading the horse out, Zhang Jianguo asked, and then prepared to change clothes and follow.

"It's just the open space at the end of the bridge. There's nothing to do today. I'm going to plow it."

Zhang Jianguo knew about the acres of land at Qiaotou because Zhang Jianwen came to tell him about it a few years ago. "Wait a minute, I'll change clothes and go with you."

The clothes I am wearing are good clothes. My daughter-in-law bought them for the Chinese New Year.

Zhang Jianguo didn't want to go to the ground in his clothes, otherwise it would be a real waste.

"Dad, those few acres of land are not enough for me to plow, so why are you following me?"

A few acres of land was indeed a lot, but Zhang An held Dahei and plowed it in half a day at most.

"Go and stretch your hands and feet. I feel really uncomfortable after staying at home for so long."

Regardless of what Zhang An said, Zhang Jianguo changed his clothes, put on military green Jiefang rubber shoes, and went to the ground with Zhang An carrying a nail rake.

When they got to the field, Zhang An was holding the plow shackle, and Dahei consciously dug in and took the initiative to lasso the plow.

The huge body shook, and the plow sheath that was not firmly tightened was tightened.

Dahei has been staying in the pen since he cultivated the medicine garden years ago, and his wife is pregnant.

It was so full of energy that it couldn't find a place to vent its energy. After holding it in for so long, it had already gone crazy.

After putting on the plow harness, it started running in the field dragging the plow when Zhang An shouted.

Knowing that it was Zhang An who was in charge of the plow, this guy started to vent his anger in the ground unscrupulously.

After all, if it were anyone else, if it let go and ran, no one would be able to keep up with it.

Looking at its powerless appearance, Zhang An thought about cutting off spring water and fodder for it in winter.

This will save you from having to go in and out in the middle of the winter, and repair the damage when the time comes.

Dahei didn't know that the unscrupulous owner behind him had already sentenced him silently in his heart.

It is still running wildly on the ground, like a boy in the wind, exuding endless vitality.

Looking at the packhorses tied by the villagers in the fields below, Dahei neighed at them with his head held high while running.

The mares below, after hearing Dahei's neighing, started prancing in the field as if they were in heat.

Zhang An saw it in his eyes and sighed in his heart, Dahei is really not a thing.

He teased other people's mares wantonly, but when others took them over, he didn't make them feel comfortable.

It's typical to arouse people to the point of burning with desire, and then finally say, "I'm sorry, I'm a very serious horse."

This is simply a scumbag, no, a scumbag.

After dragging the plow for more than an hour, Dahei was finally satisfied.

After releasing its inner excitement, it slowed down.

Seeing Dahei slowing down and slowly plowing the plow, Zhang Jianguo came over and changed hands with Zhang An.

This winter, not only Dahei was depressed, but Zhang Jianguo, who had been used to working all his life, also had trouble staying at home.

After taking the handle of the plow, he raised his right hand habitually, and then he realized that there was no whip in his hand.

Before we bought Dahei, our family used oxen to plow the land, and we had to hold the plow handle with one hand and the whip with the other.

Because the old cow had a weak temperament, when it was dragging the plow to plow the land, it stopped walking.

At this time, they have to swing the whip in the air, and only when they hear the sound of the whip being drawn out will they continue to move forward.

Very few people would whip the cows and horses directly. If the cows were their own, they would definitely feel distressed when whipped.

If it is borrowed, then it is even more forbidden to smoke it, lest others look at it and say that they do not care about their livestock, and it will be difficult to borrow it in the future.

Another reason is that some animals have very bad tempers when they are really whipped.

If you slap it, it will definitely stick its hooves at you. It will not feel good if you accidentally get kicked.

Especially some bulls with bad tempers will turn around and use their big horns to fuck you if you make them sore.

When Zhang An was a child, he saw someone whipping a cow on the butt with a whip, and the cow was gored to death.

In the end, the person was hospitalized and the cattle were sold to dealers and slaughtered.

Therefore, ordinary old farmers with common sense will not use whips on animals.

Here in Hongyan Town, it’s quite fun when cattle are used to plow the land.

When plowing, one person, one ox and one plow are all it takes. Unlike other places, an extra person is needed to pull the ox.

When a person is harnessing an ox to plow the fields, and the ox doesn't know which way to go, the owner behind it will shout "Bao Bao Li Li".

The bag goes to the right, and the bag goes to the left.

Every time the plowing comes to an end, the owner behind will shout a trumpet, and the cow will turn around after listening to it.

In this way, one person's effort is saved.

When Zhang An was young, his family also had a cow, and he did the same thing when he went to the mountains to herd cows.

When riding on the back of a cow, you shout like this when you encounter a fork in the road, and the cow under its butt will find its own way.

Later, my family bought Dahei, and was trained by Zhang An to be very sensible.

Basically every time it drags a plow, it will tell the difference on its own without anyone having to shout, which is very worry-free.

Zhang Jianguo used to farm a lot with cattle, even though his family's old water buffalo had been sold for many years.

But these memories, which had become habits, lingered in his mind, and he remembered them as soon as he held the plow with his hands.

"Dad, Zhang An, go home for dinner."

Unknowingly, it was noon, and Zhang An, Zhang Jianguo and his son were immersed in plowing the fields.

It wasn't until Su Ying came over to shout that she realized it was time for lunch.

Mountain people are like this. When working in the fields, it is easy to lose track of time. Unless they are hungry, they only think about whether it is time to eat.

"Here you go, go back first, we'll be right back."

Zhang An took a look and found that only half of the land had been plowed in one morning, leaving about two or three acres.

The plowing couldn't be completed in one time, at least three or four hours, so Zhang An untied the plow and went home to eat first before coming back in the afternoon.

“I didn’t expect the land at Qiaotou to be so fat. It’s almost the same as the land next to it.”

Zhang Jianguo is an old farmer. As soon as the land was plowed, he knew how fertile the land was.

"The mud in this field is black mud from the mountains. It must be very fat."

This place is not actually a piece of land. When Zhang An was a child, this place was a small patch of terraced slope.

But every year when there is flooding, a wall of mountains collapses on the hillside behind.

The mud that collapsed on the road was transported here to fill up the small slopes.

After so many years, this place has been filled in into a very wide open space.

And because all this mud comes from the slope behind, it is all dark humus soil, so it can't be fertile.

Many people in the village know that the land here is good, but this is the collective land of the village, and no one dares to come and occupy it.

So when Zhang An and his son came over to plow the fields in the morning, many people came over to watch, probably thinking about whether they could take advantage.
(End of this chapter)