Ma Erniang's Splendid Pastoral

Chapter 54
Ma Min'er said: "Aunt Guo, it takes several months from planting to harvesting!"

"Oh, who is not like this, as long as there is land, there is hope." Guo Li replied indifferently.

Yes, as long as there is land, there is hope. Ma Miner cheered up, "Aunt Guo, I can't do without your help in the future."

"What's the matter, leave it to Aunt Guo."

"Okay!" Ma Min'er happily returned to her yard, and said to Ma Qifeng who had already stood under the eaves, "Father, I want to visit our fields after lunch."

"But we don't know where it is?"

"Father, there are place names on the land deed, let's ask Father Shi."

"Will Daddy Shi know?" Ma Qifeng wondered.

Ma Min'er smiled: "Father, Daddy Shi has lived here all his life, he doesn't know what's around!"

"That's right." Ma Qifeng laughed.

In order to save medicine and food, at noon, Ma Miner did not paste cakes, but made batter, and put a handful of chopped horse teeth vegetables, which were tender and fresh. It would be better if there were a few drops of oil.

It's a pity that there is no seasoning except salt. Even if it is salt, Dad bought it back in the county, which cost a lot of money.

Hey, what are you thinking, isn’t the field already divided, and it’s [-] acres, which can not only support a family, but also make a fortune, great!
The wooden sign of the inn was removed, Ma's family had servants, and they quickly cleaned up the yards they entered and exited. Since there were only two sons-in-law, the population was not large, and they were crowded, and the family was finally settled. Mrs. Ma relieved.

It was getting late, and the crowd of onlookers finally dispersed. Mrs. Ma was about to have her servants prepare dinner, when she looked up, there were actually quite a few people standing in the yard.

"Why don't you leave?"

The housekeeper Lao Ding replied, "Madam, it's the second master and others."

"They..." It turned out to be a group of sons and daughters-in-law, Mrs. Ma lowered her eyelids and snorted coldly.

Butler Ding sighed: "Madam, they..."

"Let them go back." The old lady's expression was very bad.

"Madam, I'm afraid they won't leave."

"Really..." The old lady wanted to scold a few words, but she stopped after thinking about it, and waved her hand impatiently, "Tell them, the family has been separated, and the things Master Yao sent don't have their share." Butler Ding had a bitter face. Wrinkled, had no choice but to come out to be a villain—to drive people away.

He is an old man who can drive away the concubines of the Ma family.

Ma's family kept making noises until midnight. As for the result, Ma Min'er didn't know, and she didn't want to know, anyway, no matter what, she didn't belong to her family.

After lunch, Ma Min'er, who was thinking beautifully, braved the light rain to arrive at the edge of the allocated field, but when she saw fifteen acres of land, she was dumbfounded.

"Shi... Father Shi... whose family used to own this field?" Ma Min'er felt that she didn't know how to farm, and she knew that this field couldn't be worse.

Old Man Shi squeezed out a smile: "This... This place used to be a wild pond."

"What, wild pond..." Ma Min'er turned around angrily, "At that time, I thought Li Tingchang glanced at Xu Shuli, so it was not my illusion."

"Min'er, don't talk nonsense." Ma Qifeng stopped his daughter.

Daddy Shi has never seen the excitement of the Ma family in the town, and of course he doesn't know about their relationship with Li Tingzhang.

Ma Min'er suppressed her anger and looked at Barren Cao Batan, "Father Shi, what should my family do now?"

"What can we do?" Father Shi replied: "Go to the grass roots first, then pick up the gravel and gravel, then dig deep, let the overturned loess expose to the sun, after all these are done, then think about how to fertilize the field."

"How long will it take to grow food?" Ma Min'er asked.

"No three to five years, I'm afraid this field can't be raised well." Father Shi replied.

"What... three years... five years?"

Not only Ma Min'er was surprised, but Ma Qifeng was also surprised, "It will take so long to grow food?"

Father Shi nodded: "Brother, don't think that the land is easy to grow!"

"I know!" Although Ma Qifeng is a native of the capital, he has also been to the farm at home. He has seen the farmer grow crops. In addition to hard work in farming, it also depends on whether God rewards him.

Mrs. Guo Li is an authentic farmer. He can tell the state of the field just by looking at it. He turned his head to the place where his family lived, "It's quite far from home."

Yes, the fields are not good, and it is still far from home. It is the westernmost part of Xiaowang Village, four or five miles away.

"No, Dad, let's move the wooden house here." Ma Min'er pouts.

"What... move... move the house?" Father Shi stuttered in shock.

"Yeah!" Ma Min'er nodded, "Only when we are close to the fields can we cultivate the fields carefully."

Everyone looked at Ma Min'er in shock.

"Min... Min'er..."

"Father, I have made up my mind to cultivate the field well."

Ma Qifeng blinked, his mind couldn't keep up with his daughter's rhythm.

Father Shi was frightened by the little lady from the capital, and half-opened his mouth to look at the brothers of the Ma family. The children are young and ignorant, and they are messing around, adults will not mess around.

"Okay, Dad listens to you."

"what……"

"what……"

Old man Shi and Mrs. Guo Li opened their mouths wide open. Could it be that the people from the capital are crazy?Can this house be moved?

I don't know if I'm crazy or not, but Ma Qifeng asked someone to demolish the wooden house, and at the same time went to the town to ask Xu Shuji to measure the site of an acre of house near the wasteland. Feng then yelled to go to Pingding County to seek Master Yao's comment on why he gave fifteen acres of wasteland.

Can Li Tingchang not give it?Master Yao went to Pingding County, and as long as he said a word to the county magistrate, his official position would be over. The county magistrate is not a new official who has no one in his hands. People topped it.

Li Tingchang was discouraged and asked Xu Shuli to approve it.

When the concubine of the Ma family started to tidy up the empty house of the Luo family and began to move in, they found that Ma Laoliu, who was not far from them, had left the wooden house.

"What's the sixth one doing?" Ma Qiyun was also frightened by the behavior of the sixth one, and actually demolished the house and moved it. What kind of operation is this.

Ma Qiguang chuckled: "I know, we have allocated more than ten acres of wasteland and are going to raise the fields."

"Ah..." Ma Laojiu opened his mouth directly, "What else is there?"

"Do you think Li Tingchang will let him go by robbing the back office and instigating us not to stay in the hotel?" Ma Qi Guangyin said.

"..." Ma Laojiu narrowed his eyes, trying to smile, "It's really interesting!"

That's right, it's really interesting, they got the benefits, and the old six got rid of it, so can you be upset.

Mrs. Guo has always relied on Ma's family to survive. She originally thought that Ma Erniang's move was just for fun, but she did not expect to move. The wall made of logs was scraped and the rattans were scraped, and then fell down again. Qi Yun Xiang Ma's new foundation.

"Second... Second Niang..."

Ma Min'er was watching Shen Hou'er and the others transporting logs, when she heard Guo Li's voice, she turned her head, "I'm sorry, Aunt Guo, the field is too far away, our family can't do it with talent."

"..." Guo Li didn't know what he wanted to say, what he could say.

If she wants to keep them, this is other people's life, so what is she? But to herself, she can say that she doesn't know how to live without them, and she can't seem to say such words.

Ma Min'er seemed to know what Guo Li was thinking, and smiled slightly, "Aunt Guo, don't worry, although we don't live together, we are the same as before."

All fools know that there is no blood relationship, just meeting by chance, once they move away, how could it be the same as before, the corners of Guo Li's mouth tightened.

Seeing that Mrs. Guo and Li didn't say a word, Ma Min'er smiled and said, "Aunt Guo, our family has fifteen acres of land, and we can't do without your help."

Hearing this, Guo Li said happily: "Yes, yes, that's for sure." The lost Guo Li finally found a sense of existence.

Ma Miner grinned, the middle-aged woman in front of her was very simple, but she did not invite her to live with her family again, for the sake of her father, it was too inconvenient to live together, let them continue to maintain this most simple emotion .

Three days later, Ma Qifeng's family lived in the west end of Xiaowang Village. From a distance, there were only three cabins of their family on the high slope.

Shen Houer led the crowd back to the town, clicked his tongue, turned his head again, and glanced at the single courtyard, "What do you think, my benefactor? I can't live in a good village, so I have to live at the end of a village where no one is there?"

"His family's field is divided there. If you don't put the yard beside the field, it will be convenient to transport the grain when it grows." Someone replied.

"But..." Shen Hou'er always felt something was wrong.

The wooden house was erected in three days, looking at the house, Ma Qifeng felt all kinds of feelings in his heart.

"Father, what are you looking at?"

"I owe brother Shen another favor."

Ma Min'er giggled: "Father, let's work hard to farm, and when the time comes, we will make a lot of money and return it to our benefactor."

Ma Qifeng stared: "Don't think that Dad doesn't know about your little abacus."

"Father..." Ma Min'er, who was cleaning the floor of the corridor, stood up quickly, her eyebrows twitched, and she looked strange: "No wonder you agreed to move the wooden house."

"You, you..." Ma Qifeng tapped his daughter's forehead with his finger, and smiled angrily, why is this child so smart.

Ma Min'er looked serious: "Father, we live too close together, I don't want those uncles and uncles to make fun of you if they have nothing to do."

"Father understands." Ma Qifeng didn't know why.

Ma Min'er said helplessly: "And dad, there are people coming and going in the village, and you live so close to Aunt Guo, I don't want you to hide in the house all day making clothes for us, with no lights on and hurting your eyes."

"Min'er..." Ma Qifeng looked at his daughter moved.

"I know that tearing down houses and moving houses is a toss-up, and I owe people favors, but I'd rather toss and don't want to live a meager life." Ma Min'er pursed her lips and looked into the distance, full of worries.

Ma Qifeng's throat choked, "Okay...good daughter, just like your mother, always thinking so thoughtfully."

Ma Min'er lowered her head. In fact, she had thought farther than these, but she didn't dare to say it.

Ma Dalang reached out and touched Sanlang's head, and looked towards the east of the village, yes, we just want to live a life where no one disturbs us, even if we are poor, we can feel at ease.

The rain kept falling, and the five members of Ma's family quickly adapted to the life without neighbors. Sitting on the porch watching the rain, Ma Min'er began to sigh again. Can the rain stop so that I can grow something to earn some income.

"Sister, what are you looking at?" Ma Dalang had already cleaned up the front and back of the house.

"I'm thinking about what can be planted in the wasteland."

"What can you grow?" Ma Dalang asked back.

Ma Min'er replied: "I want to go to the county bookstore with my father to buy two agricultural books and study them." She was not a farmer in her previous life, so she had to learn from scratch.

"Ah... you still need to read books when farming?" Ma Dalang was incredulous.

"Of course." Ma Min'er stood up, turned around and entered the cabin, "Father, when are you going to the county again?"

"The rough noodles at home are almost gone, I should go too." Ma Qifeng pinched the end of the thread, and his daughter's cloth shoes were finally ready, "Try it."

"Okay." Ma Min'er happily sat on the floor, picked up the shoes and put them on, "Wow, they look good and comfortable." Standing on the floor, she jumped up and down like a happy little swallow.

Ma Qifeng smiled, stood up, walked to the porch, stretched his waist, and refreshed his body. It feels good that there is no one around, so what do you want to do.

"Father, your craftsmanship is amazing, the flowers on the toe cap look like real ones."

Ma Qifeng smiled again, "You are also a big girl, and it's time to learn from female celebrities."

"Father, I understand, wait until there is more fabric, and then let me waste it." Ma Min'er said playfully.

"Slide."

"Whee!"

"Father, I also want to go to the county seat."

"Father, Yue'er also wants to go."

San Lang and Si Niang all want to go.

Ma Qifeng looked at the sky and said, "If it doesn't rain tomorrow, Dad will take you there."

"Oh, go to the county town Luo, go to the county town Luo..." Sanlang and Siniang happily chased and frolicked in the corridor.

"Da Lang, you will go tomorrow too. When you arrive at the county seat, father has something to do. You and your younger siblings will wait for me." Ma Qifeng said.

"Oh, Dad."

Hearing her father's words, Ma Min'er pursed her lips and leaned on the railing, looking up at the misty distance, bet, father is using bets to support us!My mood unknowingly became heavy.

On the second day, Siniang woke up early, rubbed her little eyes and stretched out her hand to open the door.

"Yue'er, what are you doing?"

"I'll see if the sky is clear."

Originally thinking about going to the county seat, she got up quickly and helped her tidy up her clothes. Since they had no clothes to change, the clothes on them hadn't been changed for several days. To make money, this girl wants to make money.

Pushing open the door, the fresh air blows in, the morning sun in the distance, the clouds and the sunrise.

"It's really sunny!" Ma Min'er hurried out of the room, went to the corridor, looked up, it felt really good.

The Ma family father and son also woke up, and they also came out of the room one after another, "It's really a sunny day!"

"I'll make breakfast." Ma Min'er happily went to the small kitchen. This time, the kitchen is much larger, with a stove on one side and a small table on the other, so you don't have to eat in the room anymore.

There is no other tricks, it is the batter made of horse teeth, sprinkled with some salt, soup and water, and eaten together, it is full and warm.

After tidying up and fixing the door bolt, Ma Qifeng took the children to the county town. Since the path was muddy, they were all barefoot. They walked all the way to the official stone road, and then found a water to wash their feet and put on straw. hit shoes.

Ten miles away, whether it was far or near, an hour later, when the sun was fully rising, they arrived at the gate of the county seat, and entered the gate with the flow of people.

Ma Qifeng took out a handful of copper coins from his pocket and gave it to Da Lang, "Take your younger siblings to the street and wait for me at the noodle soup stand in front at noon."

"Yes, Dad."

Ma Min'er quietly glanced at her father, and secretly asked herself where would he go?Is it a casino?He found that his father looked a little disgusted, but he had to cheer up.

She lowered her eyes, father is not a person who gambles for the sake of gambling, he gambles for survival, for his children.

"Father is gone, Da Lang takes care of his siblings."

"Well, Dad, I understand." Ma Dalang seemed to have gotten used to it, and replied naturally.

Ma Qifeng turned his head one by one in three steps, and didn't look back at all until after walking for a short distance.

Strange city, strange street, put the child here, how can a father leave with peace of mind?
For some reason, Ma Miner thought of her father in her previous life. When she was young, during vacations, she stayed at home alone, and her father went out to work, always looking back, back, and back again. How could he rest assured that a little girl was alone at home? Woolen cloth?
The sunshine at the end of July is shining golden on the bustling streets, but Ma Miner's heart is suddenly desolate. Why is life always so difficult?

"Big sister, big sister..."

"..." Ma Min'er turned to look at Ma Dalang who called him.

"Why are you following Dad?"

Ma Min'er was stunned for a moment, then raised her head, she had unknowingly followed his father.

"Big sister, dad won't let us follow."

Dad didn't want the children to see his bad side of gambling, Ma Min'er didn't listen to Ma Dalang, on the contrary, she followed quickly.

"Big sister..." Ma Dalang saw that the big sister didn't listen to him, so he quickly took the hands of Sanlang and Siniang and followed her.

Her small steps are also short, so Ma Min'er trotted without following Diu's father. She followed him not too far away, and after turning around two or three streets, she saw his father stop.

At this moment, his father is completely different from his usual appearance, one shoulder is high and the other is low, walking leisurely, stopping from time to time, or bowing his head.

Ma Min'er stood on the street, looking at her father in this world with a good look. At this moment, he is what people call a skinny bastard.

This street is full of small grocery stores, behind the grocery store there are some low-end inns, the place where the standard three religions and nine streams stay, and all kinds of gadgets in the name of gambling are placed on the side of the street.

For example, Wansa, Dou Chong, etc., she guessed that his father was looking for an opportunity to attack, and sure enough, after a while, he stopped at a place where he was knocking down a bowl to guess the game, and took out coins to play.

There were no more than five before and after, and his father hugged a dime of silver and left with a smile.

"Big brother, why are you leaving? Come two more, maybe you can win more?"

"Come back tomorrow, I want to play some other games today." Ma Qifeng smiled at the stall owner with a playful smile, but he glanced around quietly from the corner of his eye to see if there were any accomplices around the stall owner. He took a breath and continued to swing forward.

Going down the street, there are winners and losers, but Ma Miner knows that his father must have secretly left the money he wanted to keep, and lost the extra money in front of people to get away. Sure enough, when the sun was shining at noon, he Get off the street.

"Brother, bring your siblings back." Ma Min'er was so frightened that she ran back quickly. After crossing a street, she pretended to stop in front of a stall selling purses.

Ma Qifeng looked left and right, and suddenly found that the children were not far ahead, secretly relieved, and walked over with a smile, "Min'er, why didn't you wait for dad at that soup stall."

"Boring, I turned to this street without knowing it."

Ma Dalang looked at the eldest sister who was lying and did not write drafts, and secretly lowered his head.Sanlang and Siniang also tightly pursed their small mouths, afraid that they would say something if they couldn't help it.

"Father will take you to eat noodles." Ma Qifeng was looking around vigilantly, but he didn't notice his daughter's little lie.

"Great, I have noodles to eat." Ma Min'er was as happy as a child.

Ma Qifeng smiled slightly, and took the children to have lunch. Each person had a bowl of noodles. Although it was simple and had no toppings or seasonings, it was better than enough noodles. It was very practical for hungry civilians.

"Father, I'm full." Sanlang rubbed his belly, cute and naive. He hadn't been hungry for a while, and the flesh on the little guy's body grew at the speed of the naked eye, white and tender.

"Father, I'm full too." Xiao Yue'er also said delicately.

Ma Qifeng stretched out his hand and pulled the two little ones, and took out a cloth towel to wipe their sweat. Although he didn't say anything, his careful and gentle movements made Sanlang and Siniang enjoy themselves, and looked happy.

Ma Min'er couldn't help but grinned and looked at the street. The street shop stood quietly under the bright and hot sun, like a corner forgotten by time, everything seemed so peaceful and serene.

After resting for a while, Ma Qifeng said: "Wait a minute, father will take you to a bookstore in front, you will wait for me there, before the city gate closes, father will come to find you."

"Bookstore?"

"Well, didn't you say you want to buy agricultural books, dad will take you there."

"That's great, Dad."

After paying the bill, Ma Qifeng took the children out of the shop, walked along the corner of the wall in the shade, and arrived at the bookstore after half an hour.

"Treasurer, are there any books about farming?"

"Ah..." The shopkeeper, who was dozing off on the head of the counter, was awakened by someone's questioning.

"No?" Ma Miner asked worriedly.

The confused shopkeeper finally woke up, "Yes, but I rarely want it. I don't know where to put this book. I'll look for it."

"Trouble shopkeeper." Ma Qifeng cupped his hands and said: "Ma has some other matters, can these children stand under the eaves in front of your door?"

"It's okay, it's okay, you stand!" Anyway, it was late afternoon and there were no customers, so the shopkeeper said indifferently.

"Thank you, shopkeeper." Ma Qifeng turned around, "Da Lang, when you need to pay for the book, you can pay the shopkeeper."

"Well, Dad, I know."

Ma Qifeng nodded, turned around and left the shop, probably to rest assured of the bookstore, this time he only looked back once before leaving.

Ma Dalang looked closely at the little girl.

"Brother, look what I'm doing."

"No...it's nothing." Ma Dalang thought that the little girl would follow again.

Ma Min'er pouted lightly. Gambling shops are usually open all night long, and they don't open for a long time, so Dad went to play a few games in the alleys and streets. It's afternoon, the gambling shop must be open, and Dad must go there , I can't follow even if I want to, a nine-year-old girl, let in by that gambling house.

The shopkeeper of the bookstore searched for a long time before finding two copies, "Do you want it?"

Ma Min'er didn't care what was inside, "I want it all, it's just the cover and the paper that's pressed under it, it's like this, can it be cheaper."

The shopkeeper smiled, "Little lady is amazing, okay, these two books are old, I don't mean to forget to make money, two books cost sixty coppers."

"Treasurer, fifty."

The shopkeeper shook his head and smiled, "Come on, I don't care about one child anymore, just fifty."

Ma Dalang took out fifty coppers from his bosom to buy a book, and the brothers and sisters flipped through it in the shade by the door, and Ma Dalang explained to his brothers and sisters while reading.

The shopkeeper did not expect that these children could read and write, "Then why do you buy agricultural books?"

"Farming."

"Farming?"

"Yes!"

"But why do I think you..." The shopkeeper wanted to say, why do you think you are the children of a rich family, but the clothes don't look like you, and finally he didn't finish his sentence.

Ma Min'er took the shopkeeper's words: "The family is in decline, so I have to farm."

"Oh, that's how it is." The shopkeeper felt it was a pity.

Ma Min'er entered the bookstore again, "Shopkeeper, is there a place to sell seeds?"

"I really want to farm!" Looking at the little man, the shopkeeper felt both funny and sympathetic.

"of course it's true."

The shopkeeper smiled: "It's really a coincidence. Two days ago, I was catching up with an old friend. I heard that he bought some grain and seeds in the south. I don't know if he made a move."

"On that street?" Ma Min'er was very excited and asked hastily.

The shopkeeper pointed to a certain direction outside: "It's two streets away from me."

"What's the name of the store?"

"Qiu Ji Grain Shop."

"Thank you, shopkeeper." Ma Min'er made a four-faced gift, and led the brothers and sisters out of the bookstore.

Looking at the backs of the little ones, the shopkeeper shook his head, "It's a pity for the good seedlings who study."

Ma Dalang glanced at the bookstore with nostalgia, and followed his elder sister out of the bookstore, "Eldest sister, after reading the book, will you plant seeds?"

"of course not."

"then you……"

Ma Min'er said: "Brother, you can only know if something is done if you do it."

"Oh." The 11-year-old Ma Dalang seemed to understand.

The brothers and sisters strode forward and hurried all the way, and after a quarter of an hour, they found Qiuji grain shop.

Zhang Nianmei did not expect to see the interesting little lady again at the grain store, "Are you here to buy grain too?"

Ma Min'er did not expect to see Zhang Nianmei here, "It's just you, what about the others?" The little head with the double bun looked around, it was very interesting.

"Just me, no one else." Zhang Nianmei replied with a smile: "Little General has no appetite for the past two days, so I'll come here to buy some rice and cook porridge."

"Oh." Ma Miner smiled slightly.

"What are you buying?" Zhang Kanmei didn't see the grown man, and he actually left a group of children alone in the county town. Could it be that people in the capital raise their children free-range like farmers?
Ma Miner replied: "I want to buy seeds."

"What, what to buy?"

"My family has divided the fields, and I want to buy some seeds for farming." Ma Min'er replied.

"Haha..." Zhang Nianmei laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten up when she heard some funny joke.

"why are you laughing?"

"Will your daughter from the capital know how to farm?"

"Everyone is born with the ability to farm, don't they all learn it?" Ma Min'er gave him a dissatisfied look, she was not sure what to do, so he just exposed his old background.

"Haha..." Zhang Nianmei laughed even wider.

Ma Min'er glared at him and entered the shop, "Shopkeeper, do you have those seeds?"

The shopkeeper didn’t intend to take care of these little kids. Seeing that the popular general Zhang next to the little general looked very familiar with them, and also heard that they came from the capital, he took a high look at them and quickly introduced them enthusiastically, “There are all kinds of vegetable seeds. , fruit tree seedlings, hemp, wheat, millet and beans..."

"This... so many!" Ma Min'er thought that modern ingredients were abundant, but she didn't expect that there were so many types of ancient seeds.

As expected, the little lady was really frightened, the shopkeeper Qiu was a little proud, "Little lady, what kind of seeds do you want to buy?"

Ma Min'er blinked, "I want to plant the seeds of this season." She didn't know what to plant at all, so she could only say this.

Unexpectedly, the little lady is quite smart, so she threw the question to herself, and the shopkeeper Qiu asked with a smile: "Oh, that is wombat (Chinese cabbage), mallow (not like the okra we eat in modern times, it is similar to Rapeseed was the main vegetable on people’s tables in the Song Dynasty, and it was gradually eliminated after a long period of time.), or onion scallion (its leaves are green onion and its root is like garlic, also called fire onion), coriander (coriander) , turnips (turnips, according to the author, isn’t it just a radish!), lettuce..."

"Uh..." Although Ma Min'er is good at cooking, she doesn't know whether the names of these dishes are called in ancient times, or whether they are species that are eliminated by modern people.

Seeing Ma Miner's embarrassment, Zhang Nianmei smiled unkindly again, "Haha...my mother, I'm dying of laughter...I don't understand anything, I want to farm..."

Ma Min'er blushed so much that she wanted to find a hole in the ground to get in, it was... really embarrassing.

"Then... can you sell me some of that?" No matter how embarrassing it is, or how difficult farming is, you have to take the first step, Ma Min'er asked softly.

"every?"

"Yes, as long as it can be planted this season." Ma Min'er nodded.

Shopkeeper Qiu kindly reminded: "Little lady, there is a severe drought in Yizhou, and seeds are not cheap."

Ma Min'er asked dejectedly, "How do you sell that kind of seeds, such as the womb cabbage you just mentioned?"

"Twenty coppers."

"So expensive?" Zhang Nianmei was also surprised, "It's only two coppers for a catty of rough noodles, so much for one or two seeds?"

"That's right, General Zhang. There is a severe drought in Yizhou. Mr. Qiu brought these seeds back from the south. If the housekeepers of several aristocratic families asked me to bring them, my grain store wouldn't even sell the seeds."

"It's true, farmers keep their own seeds, and no one buys them except them," Zhang Nianmei said.

Ma Min'er stood aside with her mouth pursed. Could it be that fifteen acres of land really became wasteland?
Manianmei glanced at the little lady with a smile, and then at shopkeeper Qiu.

The shopkeeper Qiu who does business is a fine person, who is the biggest in Yizhou Prefecture, who else is there besides the Zhenguo General's Mansion, and the young man in front of him is the most powerful celebrity in the General's Mansion. When he moved, his face was full of smiles: "General Zhang——"

Zhang Nianmei understood that with just one look from her, shopkeeper Qiu knew what to do, and said with a smile, "My sister—"

"Oh, so it's the general's younger sister, what a neglect." Shopkeeper Qiu smiled kindly.

Ma Min'er frowned at first, but who is she, a professional elite, the eye contact between the two did not escape her, "General Zhang..." means that this is not right.

"Haha... I'm the youngest at home, and I just want to repay the feeling of being an older brother, little lady..." Zhang Nianmeijun's eyebrows twitched straight away, meaning, admit it, admit it, I am a very good person elder brother!
Ma Miner's eyebrows twitched a few times. For the sake of the seeds, she gritted her teeth and recognized this cheap brother.

Many years later, Zhang Nianmei wanted to die, what kind of girl would I know if it's okay!He beat his feet and chest, but it was too late to regret it!

Seeing that the little lady acquiesced, Zhang Nianmei was so embarrassed that she snarled at the shopkeeper, "Give me two taels of every seed."

Witnessing the young man's recognition of a girl with his own eyes, the shopkeeper Qiu's mouth almost cramped, but he said respectfully, "Okay, General Zhang!" He hurriedly asked the clerk to take the seeds, but he said in his heart, these young people are not suitable for farming at all, and these seeds are afraid that they will be in the field. Can't get out of the soil.

"Treasurer...can you write the name on the outside of each seed?" Ma Min'er reminded with a cautious smile.

"Okay..." The seeds are all given, so what's the point, Shopkeeper Qiu nodded quickly and asked the little shopkeeper to write his name.

This favor is too great, Ma Min'er felt her scalp numb, grinning and said: "General Zhang..."

"Well, what's it called?"

"..." Ma Min'er looked at Ma Dalang and touched her nose guiltily.

"Ahem..." Zhang Nianmei raised her eyebrows.

"Zhang...Brother Zhang..., when my vegetables grow, I will definitely give you the first one." Ma Min'er's little flattery immediately delivered it.

Shopkeeper Qiu curled his lips secretly, as long as you can grow vegetables, if it weren't for the popular people around the little general, these seeds would not be used to spoil you.

The guy took out a small cloth bag, "Shopkeeper, there are a total of twelve kinds of seeds, all wrapped in it."

"Thank you shopkeeper." Ma Miner thanked quickly.

"And brother?" Zhang Nianmei Hou called anxiously.

"Of course I have to thank Brother Zhang!" Ma Min'er raised her head slightly, and smiled brightly at Zhang Nianmei, "When my vegetables grow, I will give them to Brother Zhang as compensation."

"Then brother is waiting." Zhang Nianmei was in a beautiful mood, and said to the shopkeeper, "Hurry up and put my grain on the carriage."

"Yes, General Zhang!" The shopkeeper hurriedly asked his assistant to carry the grain to the carriage.

After a while, the polished rice, refined noodles, and brown rice and rough noodles were all loaded onto the carriage, and finally the sack that got on the cart slid down and its mouth was loosened.

"Hey, why does Shopkeeper Qiu have two bags of unhulled rice?" Zhang Nianmei asked back.

Shopkeeper Qiu hurriedly said hello: "Oh, sorry, these are the seeds that the housekeeper of Mo's house doesn't want. I put them aside, but the boy accidentally brought them here."

"Mo House?"

"The county grandpa's house."

"Oh." Zhang Nianmei didn't take it seriously, straightened her clothes and prepared to go back to the barracks.

Ma Min'er was curious about all kinds of seeds, so she asked, "Why doesn't he want such a good rice seed?"

Shopkeeper Qiu shook his head and smiled: "This is Champa rice brought back from the south by my buddy. I heard that it only takes two months from planting to ripening, and don't wait for it."

I have never heard of other things, but I have heard of Champa rice. When I traveled to the south, some scenic spots specially introduced this rice. This was the key to the fierce population competition and vigorous economic development in the Song Dynasty.

She asked excitedly, "It's so good, why doesn't the housekeeper want it?"

Shopkeeper Qiu smiled helplessly: "People don't believe it. They say that the rice growth period is at least five months, and it is the most difficult to handle. Sometimes it requires a lot of water, and sometimes it has to be left in the field without water. How could it be possible that it only takes two months? Waiting, it must be a lie."

Ma Min'er felt her heart beating violently, and the accident happened at the right time, "Then...does anyone else want it?"

"It's probably gone. I'm going to sell it as ordinary rice."

"No..." Ma Min'er shouted hastily.

"This..." Shopkeeper Qiu glanced at Zhang Nianmei who had already left the shop.

Zhang Nianmei looked at Ma Min'er, with anticipation in those beautiful phoenix eyes on her small face, if the seeds just now were easy to do, then these two bags of rice are no small matter, the smile is still on her face, her gaze Still on the face of the little lady, that childish and cute face made him blurt out: "How much is the two bags, keep it on my head."

"Since General Zhang has spoken, let's take it away first!" The favor has already been given away, and shopkeeper Qiu doesn't care about it anymore.

"Then how can I do it?" The smile on Zhang Nianmei's face never seemed to disappear.

"General, you are welcome, the sun is about to set, hurry back."

Zhang Nianmei looked up at the sky, "It's really getting late." After speaking, she bowed her hand to the shopkeeper, which meant that I remembered you.

"General Zhang, go slowly!" Shopkeeper Qiu politely sent him down the steps of the door.

Ma Dalang was puzzled, the people of the world are so good, not only got all kinds of vegetable seeds, but also got two sacks of rice seeds for nothing.

Ma Min'er waved her little hand until the carriage turned the corner and she couldn't see her before she let it go, mother, I was so sore, she bent her neck, and she looked at another street corner, "When is dad coming!"

Ma Dalang walked up to the elder sister and said in a low voice, "Eldest sister, how can you want...to ask for something from a stranger?"

Ma Min'er shrugged, "Brother, don't worry, when we plant it, we will double the amount and return it to General Zhang."

Ma Dalang didn't know what to say, although he couldn't say it, he knew it wasn't a matter of doubling or not, so he turned his head and looked at the seeds, as worried as a little adult.

Glancing quietly at the worried elder brother, Ma Min'er doesn't know what what she has done means?

Of course she knows that this is not a matter of whether to pay double or not. They are newcomers and have no connections in Yunshui and Pingding counties. They have to pay a lot to integrate into the local circle, although they don't know what Zhang Nianmei is like. But because of his title of 'General', she felt that when the other party extended an olive branch, as long as he was not stupid, he would seize this opportunity. The shopkeeper Qiu of the grain store was the same, and so was she.

As for whether she will be able to repay the favor in the future, Ma Miner feels that she should have it. Since she has it, she should accept it calmly and move forward step by step. Life will always get better and the favor will be repaid one day.

When Ma Qifeng ran to the grain shop, he was sweating profusely.

"father--"

"father--"

The two little ones ran towards Ma Qifeng together.

"Dalang, Miner—"

"Father, did the shopkeeper tell you that we are here?"

Ma Qifeng nodded, "Father just needs to buy some food."

"Father, you should buy a scooter first."

Ma Qifeng was stunned by what his daughter said.

"General Zhang sent us two sacks of Champa rice." Ma Min'er looked at his father cautiously.

"Zhang...General..."

"Father, it's the general in the well. Last time he helped us beat up the bad guy who kidnapped my sister."

For some reason, looking at his beautiful daughter, Ma Qifeng felt that she was not nine years old, but 19 years old, no... no, even... he didn't dare to think about it, and immediately moved his eyes to the shopkeeper, "how much money, shopkeeper, I Pay you."

Shopkeeper Qiu waved his hand: "This is General Zhang's business. I can't tell you. If you want to pay back the money, you can return it to General Zhang."

"Then... how much are these things worth?" Ma Qifeng asked after thinking about it.

"Seeds are [-] cents and [-] cents. Champa rice is [-] catties per bag, and two bags are [-] catties. Each catty is also worth ten coppers and one tael, for a total of one tael and four cents."

For the ancients who kept and planted themselves, more than one tael of seeds was indeed a luxury. Ma Miner also secretly converted these seeds with modern coins in her heart. Calculated on the basis of one copper and one yuan, one tael, two quarters and four quarters of silver It's [-] yuan, which is really not cheap.

What can be done?The day finally passed.

Ma Qifeng wrote down the amount of silver and said to the shopkeeper, "Give me thirty catties of rough noodles and five catties of fine noodles."

"Okay!" Shopkeeper Qiu happily asked the boy to weigh the food.

Ma Qifeng said again: "I have to trouble the shopkeeper, can I put these with you first, I will go to the carpenter's shop to buy a cart."

"Are you going to drive out of the city gate?"

(End of this chapter)