Reborn under the White Mountain

Chapter 13 Spring Ploughing

The corn roots that have been attached to the columbine for several days are finally almost done.Mr. Tong decided to start digging and planting. The Tong family has more than 60 mu of good land and more than 75 mu of poor land, a total of [-] mu of land.The family raises cattle, so they can save some effort on spring plowing.It is said that a flower in a crop depends entirely on fertilizer, so what can we do without fertilizer.The family has a big excrement pit exclusively, and the excrement and urine of cows, pigs, chickens and people accumulated this year are all fermented in it.Every once in a while, the fermented dung will be taken out, mixed with some soil and dried in the sun, which is convenient for transportation when planting.The dried manure was piled up on the side of the big pit, and some grass was covered on it to prevent rain.Tong Yunsong put wooden boards around the bullock cart, which were made according to the size of the cart, and there were slots at the joints of the wooden boards, so that it became a cart full of dung.When farming, except for Mrs. Tong, a few children, and the cooks in shifts, the whole family has to go to the field, even the fourth and fifth children.A large family followed behind the car, carrying pickaxes and carrying baskets, and went to the field in a mighty manner.

When they got to the field, they unloaded the ox cart and put on the plow stick. Da Lang led the oxen in front, and the fourth son of the Tong family helped the plow behind. Plow support was an important job, and it was up to the plow supporter whether the ridge was straight or not.Because there was only one cow, at the beginning we could only wait. At this time, Mr. Tong asked other people to put some manure into the basket.There are a total of more than 70 mu of land. Of course, this fertilization cannot be spread to the ground in a large area. It can only be fertilized randomly, which requires manpower. It just so happens that these juniors come in handy.Each person holds a small basket in his hand, which contains manure. The person in front digs a hole and then fertilizes. The manure cannot be used too much, or there will be not enough.

After a while, two ridges of land were plowed, Tong Yunsong was digging in front, Xiao Si and Xiao Wu followed suit, adding more soil to cover the dung every time they applied, otherwise the seeds would be burned, Fang then ordered Plant the seeds, and finally Erlang covers the seeds with soil and tramples them firmly.For Tong Yunbai's group, because Mrs. Liu took turns cooking today, Tong Yunbai planed the ridge, Junxi Juntao fertilized, and Junjie planted.In Tong Yunfeng's group, Yunfeng planed, Sanlang Yuyan fertilized, Zhou's planted, and finally Mr. Tong stepped on the hole.Yuyan loves beauty the most, with a basket in her hand, she kept covering her nose, "It stinks to death." Seeing her dislike, Sanlang said to her, "Without this stinky food, how can we produce food? No Grain, let's see what kind of spirit you have to be so beautiful?" Yuyan pouted, and just about to reply, Old Master Tong coughed, Yuyan was so scared that she didn't dare to speak, she lowered her head and went to apply fertilizer.The noisy old man doesn't care about it on weekdays, but as long as he is able to work during the spring rush, he has to work in the fields, and there is no need to discuss it.

Today, corn is grown, and the yield of corn is high, so the Tong family grows more.At that time, farmers were still small-scale farmers, they produced and sold themselves, and rarely bought anything, so they had to grow a lot of things.For example, sorghum needs to be planted in several varieties, for broom use and waxy ones.Because there is corn, so the sorghum that is not waxy is not grown. The glutinous sorghum stewed with sorghum rice is very fragrant.There is also millet, that is, millet, which may be used by several daughter-in-laws in the family to give birth to children.Then there is millet, that is, big yellow rice, which is necessary for wrapping sticky bean buns in winter and zongzi for Dragon Boat Festival.Of course, don’t forget to plant soybeans, red beans, etc. Anyway, just plant some samples, and arrange the crops according to the types planted in the previous year.

Da Lang and the fourth uncle cooperated well. They plowed out more than ten ridges in a short time, stopped the cattle, and rested for a while.It has to be said that the brothers of the Tong family are all good at farming, and even these small ones are quite capable.After resting for a while, I continued to work.In one morning, about six or seven acres of land were planted.A group of people went to the house for dinner.

Yuxian is only five years old, and she doesn't have to go to the field yet, but she is not idle at home.After breakfast, I went out to dig wild vegetables. There were more than a dozen hens laying eggs at home, and nearly [-] chicks were raised in spring.I went out and dug a big basket of dandelions, and when I got home, I chopped vegetables on a chopping board specially made for chickens, and mixed them with some bran to feed the chickens.Turning around and entering the house, Mrs. Qin looked at Junqi in the house, "Grandma, I'm going to pick some wild vegetables and come back. Farming is really tiring, so it's good to add some food to the table." Yuxian said to grandma.

"Well, let's go, today your second aunt cooks, eats with the whole family, helps to light the fire at noon and so on, don't delay working in the fields when it's spring time." The old lady took a look at Yuxian and ordered with. "Go out and pay attention, don't forget to go in the forest that is too deep, just grab some on the side."

"Hey," Yuxian agreed and went out.

There are a lot of wild vegetables in the mountains and forests in spring, Yuxian doesn't have the time to pick celery alone, and picks whatever she sees.Mountain spinach, Yan Eryi, Cantonese cuisine can make whatever it sees, and it took half an hour to collect a full basket.Yu Xian staggered with the basket in her hand, walked for a while and rested, and finally arrived home.

The second aunt, Mrs. Liu, was cooking and was worrying about what to do with the lunch dishes, when she saw Yuxian, a small person carrying a big basket, stumbling into the yard, and hurriedly took the basket from Yuxian's hand , "Hey, I'm still a sweet girl. I knew my second aunt was having trouble with this dish at noon, so I made such a big basket. Good girl, take a break and drink some water."

Yuxian followed Second Aunt into the kitchen, "Second Aunt, let me help you pick out the dishes. Can we cook some dishes today? I'm tired from work, so I need to get some greasy food."

"Okay, yesterday your grandma bought some meat from the town to cook vegetables for these few days. Farming is a tiring job, so what if you don't have oil and water?" Mrs. Liu looked at the vegetables in the basket, "Let's cook some meat." Big leaf celery, how about stir-fried Cantonese dishes and boiled spinach soup?"

"Well, listen to the second aunt." Although the second aunt loves to compete with the mother, it is the same between the sisters-in-law of everyone.The second aunt's family has only three sons, and she and Yuyan are still good to her.While talking, Yuxian didn't stop her hands. She sorted all the wild vegetables she had picked, and picked out the grass leaves and small wooden sticks caught in them.After finishing, I found a basin, washed everything, and waited for Mrs. Liu to chop and fry until cooked.

Mrs. Liu is also quick at work, and after a while, a few dishes were prepared.The dishes are served on the table, together with the freshly made corn tortillas and porridge, scallion sauce, and pickled cabbage, the lunch is ready.The people who happened to be working also entered the yard, "Wash your hands and eat." Mrs. Liu shouted at the people who came in.

Everyone was hungry after finishing their lunch work, so they sat down to eat after washing their hands, except Yuyan who washed her hands over and over again. "Yuyan, what are you doing? Don't come over for dinner." Zhou called her.

"Mom, my hands stink, I'm washing my hands. I won't go tomorrow, it's too smelly." Yuyan rubbed her hands red, and she was still washing there.

"It's okay if you don't go. Tomorrow it happens that your mother is cooking, so you can help feed the chickens and cook at home. This morning, Yuxian was digging wild vegetables to feed the chickens, and gathering vegetables for us to eat. She is not idle, and all the dishes on the table are collected by herself. If you are at home tomorrow, it will be okay if you have less dishes than today, can it be that you are not as good as five-year-old Yuxian?" Because Yuxian helped the second Because of my aunt's cooking, the second aunt is even more kind to Yuxian now, so she directly helps Yuxian to claim credit, don't think that we are idle at home since we were young!
Yuyan immediately lost her temper when she heard what the second aunt said, and went to farm with a group of people. She did the least, and ran to be lazy from time to time. If she helped cook at home, it would be as much work as Yuxian did. She still has to die of exhaustion?She forgot that she was three years older than Yuxian.I didn't wash my hands anymore, so I quickly found a place to sit down and eat. "Isn't it okay if I go to farm tomorrow?" He muttered unwillingly. "It shows that you can, you are born to work."

Yuxian heard what she said, and she was amused: "I was born in the countryside, who is not destined to work? Could it be that you thought she was a daughter of some family?" Because the second aunt had already praised her a lot , I'm in a good mood, so I don't know as well as Yuyan.

But Xiaosan quit: "You are not destined to work? Then you are reincarnated into an official's house. If you don't want to work in a farm house, what's wrong with my sister who can do it? Like you, you know how to do foreign work all afternoon?" Xiaosan was fertilizing with her, and she was not pleasing to the eye a long time ago.

That's when Mrs. Qin spoke up: "Hurry up and eat, and you have to go to the field after eating. Which of the women in our farm yard is not destined to work?" Today, he said something decent.

Everyone bowed their heads to eat, and after eating, they all went to the field with their belongings.Yuxian helped Second Aunt clean up the dishes, and turned to Second Aunt and said, "Second Aunt, I still have to go and pick some food. We have a large family and we don't have enough food."

"Good girl, Second Aunt will go with you. Let's gather more vegetables so that you won't have to carry the strange ones alone." Liu shi carried the basket on her back, and Yuxian went to gather vegetables with the basket on her back.Of course the speed of the two of them was faster, but after a while Liu Shi's carrying basket slowed down, and the two of them filled Yuxian's basket again.While walking back, Mrs. Liu said, "Girl, let's make cabbage buns tonight, it's easy." "Well, listen to my second aunt."

When the two returned home, they picked out the vegetables quickly, and then boiled the water to scald the vegetables.Then Yu Xian and Qin Shi changed hands, Yu Xian looked at her younger brother, Qin Shi made noodles, and Liu Shi chopped vegetables. They were busy making steamed buns.

The dinner turned into vegetable steamed buns with cornmeal. There was no meat in the steamed stuffed buns, only some lard was put in, and everyone ate very delicious. Mrs. Liu praised Yuxian for helping with the work, Mrs. Fang didn't say anything, But my heart is also happy.The provoked Yuyan muttered again, everyone used to praise her, but now no one pays attention to her and praises Yuxian, of course she feels uncomfortable.

After a few more days of busy work, the land was almost planted. The 62 acres of good land were mainly planted with corn, millet, millet, and sticky sorghum, and the less than [-] acres were planted with soybeans, red beans, melon seeds, and brooms. Sorghum and more.For the remaining land that cannot be opened when the plow stick turns around, it is necessary to use a pick to dig the ridges, and these are the only things left.When I came home from work that day, the sky was overcast. The old man looked at the sky and said, "It will rain tonight. Thanks to the rush to plant all the land, the rain is timely. Spring rain is as expensive as oil, good." The old man was smoking a cigarette beautifully.

The old lady Tong was doing the calculations, today is April [-]th, oh, isn't it Junqi's first birthday the day after tomorrow?

(End of this chapter)