Chapter 15: So Many Radishes in the Rocky Field

Seeing how enthusiastic Zhou Daniu was, Du Wanchun felt embarrassed to refuse any further. She expressed her gratitude sincerely, “Thank you, Mother.”

Hearing her call her “Mother” filled Zhou Daniu with joy. “Just wait, this outfit will be ready soon.”

After saying this, she turned to Zhou Zhao and called out, “Zhao’er, go get the medicine we bought and show it to your sister-in-law to see if it’s the right one.”

“Alright, Mother!” Zhou Zhao cheerfully carried the bag of rice into the house before fetching a few small packets of medicine.

Zhou Daniu took the medicine and handed it to Du Wanchun. “I’m not sure if I bought the right one. Take a look.”

Du Wanchun held it in her hands, took a sniff, and smiled. “Yes, this is the right one.”

Hearing this, Zhou Zhao was overjoyed. “Then let’s hurry to the field and spread the medicine. Let’s see if we can save the crops!”

Zhou Daniu put down the needle and thread in her hands and nodded. “Let’s go now. Once we finish tending to the field, I’ll sew your sister-in-law’s new clothes.”

Zhou Zhao turned around and went inside to grab a basket and a hoe, his face full of excitement. Ever since his hearing had improved, he had been full of energy for everything he did.

The group quickly gathered their things and prepared to head to the fields.

Originally, Zhou Daniu didn’t want Du Wanchun to go, but Du Wanchun insisted, so she let her be.

Since Zhou Ruiyuan had trouble with his legs and Zhou Feng couldn’t see, they stayed home to chop firewood and cook.

By the time Du Wanchun and the others finished spreading the medicine in the field, it was already evening.

Zhou Daniu wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at the golden glow of the setting sun over the mountains. Her face was filled with joy. “This is a good sign! When the weather is good, the crops grow faster.”

Sure enough, just as she had said, the crops grew at an incredible rate.

The next day, when Zhou Daniu and Zhou Zhao arrived at the field, they were stunned by the sight before them.

The rice plants that had previously been yellow and withered were now lush green, appearing taller than they had been the day before.

The bok choy and lettuce in the field had also grown large, healthy leaves.

Overjoyed, Zhou Daniu admired the vegetables. “Wanchun’s medicine really works! Look at these crops that were rotting before—they’ve come back to life. And look at this bok choy, we can even pick some to eat today!”

With that, she squatted down and plucked a handful of bok choy leaves, shaking them in her hand.

Zhou Zhao nodded repeatedly, grinning. “That’s right, Mother! Sister-in-law is amazing. If not for her, we would’ve uprooted all these crops!”

As he spoke, he walked to the far end of the vegetable patch to check if there were any more surprises. Suddenly, he noticed a large patch of leaves growing in a neighboring plot of land. “Mother, come look at this!”

Hearing his call, Zhou Daniu hurried over. To her amazement, the barren, rocky land next to their field was now covered in radish leaves.

“This is unbelievable! Something actually grew in this field!”

When they first bought their fertile land, they had been tricked into purchasing the adjacent barren plot as well. That land was filled with hard, unyielding rocks, making it impossible to dig or plant anything.

They hadn’t checked on the field for a long time, and now—somehow—radishes had sprouted!

The sight left Zhou Daniu and her son utterly speechless, their mouths agape in astonishment.

Zhou Zhao quickly walked over to the radish field, grabbed a handful of leaves, and pulled out a radish. It wasn’t very big, with a dark pinkish-red skin, round and plump, looking quite appetizing.

Zhou Daniu frowned in confusion. “Could it be that your aunt and her family planted this land?”

While peeling the radish skin, Zhou Zhao shook his head. “I don’t think so. If they knew there was such good land next to ours, they wouldn’t have given it back to us so easily.”

Zhou Daniu couldn’t figure it out and asked in puzzlement, “Then how did this happen?”

Zhou Zhao, who had received some education, thought about it for a long time but couldn’t come up with a definite answer. Finally, he offered a possible explanation, “Mother, maybe this land was abandoned for so long that it naturally became fertile. Since no one took care of it, these radishes might have just grown on their own.”

Zhou Daniu was half convinced, staring at the radish in deep thought for a while.

Zhou Zhao took a bite of the radish. It was crisp and sweet, just like the fruits of July—absolutely delicious. “Mother, you should try it! This radish tastes amazing, just like the crabapple fruit we used to eat.”

Crabapple fruit was a small red-skinned fruit that no one in their village grew. Usually, only wealthy families could afford to eat it.

“Really?” Zhou Daniu, full of curiosity, also pulled out a round radish, peeled it, and took a bite.

The radish was incredibly juicy. As soon as she bit into it, its fresh sweetness quenched her thirst. There wasn’t even a hint of the usual spiciness of radishes. Instead, it carried a faint fruity fragrance.

She quickly took a few more bites, savoring the taste carefully. “This radish really is delicious.”

Zhou Zhao grinned. “See? I wasn’t wrong, Mother.”

Zhou Daniu stood up and glanced at the basket behind him, smiling. “Come on, let’s pick a few more and take them home for your big brother and sister-in-law to try.”

“Here you go, Mother.” Zhou Zhao handed her the basket and passed her a small hoe.

The mother and son squatted down together, using their hoes to dig up the radishes.

The small radishes in the field seemed endless—no matter how many they dug up, there were always more.

Before long, they had filled a large basket with radishes.

Once they finished digging, Zhou Daniu grabbed a larger hoe and cleared away some of the weeds in the field. Then, she cut down a few small shrubs around the edges, joining this newly discovered field with their original one.

Although their land was surrounded by forest, there was a small pond at the lower right corner, making it quite a convenient location.

By the time they were done, it was almost noon. Zhou Daniu and Zhou Zhao carried the basket full of radishes back home.

Du Wanchun had already cooked the rice. When she saw them return, she quickly stepped forward to greet them. “Mother, third brother, what are you carrying?”

After entering the house, Zhou Daniu set the basket down on the ground, took out a peeled radish, and handed it to her. “Wanchun, try this radish.”

“Mother, where did this radish come from?” Du Wanchun asked curiously as she took the radish and examined it. Then, she took a bite.

The refreshing sweetness and fruity fragrance spread across her tongue, instantly lifting her spirits. She couldn’t help but exclaim, “This radish is delicious!”