Chapter 23 Growing vegetables

Zhang Xiu also dusted off his clothes and came out from behind. He smiled at the few people in the mule cart and said:

 “ You guys towed a lot of things with this cart. Oh, our brother Lin also went to the county town for a tour, Xiu Amo feels envious.” He hugged Ah-Lin and teased him.

Ah-Lin had just woken up. He was a little confused and a little shy. After struggling a few times he turned back to his mother and said, “Mom, candied haws.”

He wanted to give Da Mao and Er Mao the candied haws he brought for them.

Tang Chunming took two wrapped candied haws from the basket and gave them to Da Mao and Er Mao, smiling, “ Ah-Lin bought these for you guys. Take them, tomorrow there will be some good stuff when you come over.”

Da Mao was very happy while Er Mao was a little covetous. Normally, his mother would not be willing to buy candied haws for them, he was older and couldn’t take it directly. Tang Chunming raised his eyebrows at Zhang Xiu and said: “ This is what Ah-Lin thought of buying along the way, so you can’t refuse it.”

“You, you don’t even know how to save money. Okay, Da Mao and Er Mao, why don’t you thank Ah-Lin quickly? Remember to save some.”

Zhang Xiu asked them to take it and the two quickly thanked Ah-Lin, Zhang Xiu then placed Ah-Lin down.

While they were talking, Li Feng had already jumped out of the cart and carried Tang Chunming’s basket into the courtyard gate for him. He also called Yu Mu to come over and unload their things. Shen Fulang also joined Tang Chunming and they cheerfully chatted, later Li Feng sent him back.

Zhang Xiu entered the yard and said to Tang Chunming:

“Even this little puppy can pick on people, I was worried that it would be hungry and tried giving him something to eat, but it didn’t even look at it. But this is fine, from now on, it can only eat what you and Ah-Lin feed it.”

“I took on the obligation of looking after the house, I helped you burn the kang, boil the water and some porridge. The chicken and goats have been fed, and goat milk has been squeezed, you’ve had a long day and must be tired. Eat early dinner and rest. Your body is feeling uncomfortable after the long journey, I will come tomorrow morning to see if something happens.”

The house is properly organized, and the county folks are as good as the people in the city. Tang Chunming had also lived in the countryside in his previous life. There was no need for thanks because he could also help take care of Zhang Xiu if he had something to do.

So after Zhang Xiu discussed the matter clearly, he left with Da Mao and Er Mao. After Zhang Xiu said everything was completed, Tang Chunming felt relieved, he sat down on the warm Kang and didn’t want to move.

On the contrary, Ah-Lin had slept all the way and was now more energetic and awake, but he was still too young to take care of his mother. So, even if he was tired, Tang Chunming still managed to stir fry some vegetables to eat with porridge, padding their tummy, tidied himself up, stuffed Ah-Lin into the quilt, and went to sleep.

Da Mao and Er Mao came early in the morning, On the table there was goat’s milk left by Tang Chunming as well as the snacks he had bought back yesterday. Tang Chunming left a bag for Zhang Xiu and DaShan. As the two were eating their food, Tand Chunming took out a piece of paper and brush that he had bought yesterday, because the ink and inkstone were expensive. So he used his old set, of course, he also bought a drawing book yesterday.

Da Mao and Er Mao sat quietly on the kang after drinking the goat’s milk and eating the snack. They then obediently practiced drawing under the guidance of Tang Chunming, as Ah-Lin watched from the side.

Da Mao and Er Mao were very excited, they carefully wiped their hands over and over again afraid of soiling the paper. Later their mother also came.

Dashan had finished the work in town, and would no longer be going out early every day and returning late. He stayed at home and prepared for spring plowing.

With Dashan at home, Zhang Xiu felt much more carefree, so he planned to go to Tang Chunming’s house today to help him with fieldwork.

Seeing Zhang Xiu trying to hold back laughter, Tang Chunming knew something had happened in the village again. He thought of the episode that had happened in the mule cart yesterday and asked Zhang Xiu: “ Is there trouble already between Zhang Lanhua and Li Conggen’s family?”

“Huh? How did you know?” Zhang Xiu asked curiously.

Tang Chunming recounted what had transpired in the car yesterday, and said:

“How could there be such a stupid person? He thinks that the things he said won’t reach Zhang Lanhua’s ear, or thought those words weren’t nothing at all.” 

Tang Chunming thought that he couldn’t understand his brain circuits, just like the middle-aged women in the countryside on earth, it’s shocking.

“Hey,” Zhang Xiu waved his hand and said:

“ It’s the same as before, Just wait now that Zhang Langhua ran to Ling Conggen’s family and caused a ruckus, after a while those two will still be friends. That’s why I don’t sympathize with a guy like Zhang Lanhua. He deserves to be beaten, You don’t know when I first got married, I heard he was beaten by his husband and was only stopped by some people. After some time Zhang Lanhua said how his husband is good and considerate and those who had tried to persuade them were meddling.”

Tang Chunming looked at the sky speechless. He had also encountered such people. There used to be a couple back in the countryside. While fighting the woman scratched bloody marks on the man’s face and neck, not long after, they became very affectionate again and criticized those who tried to stop the fight.

Later when they fought again, everyone just watched the fun from a distance, and no one came forward to stop them.

Zhang Xiu helped Tang Chunming carry out the baskets of seedlings he had prepared saying:

“I didn’t expect you to do it quite well, Let me give it a try as well.”

To conceal the existence of space and the extraordinary spring water, Tang Chunming found a few broken baskets filled with soil and placed them inside the house. The heated kang made the temperature of the house higher than that outside. After soaking the seeds in the spring water from the space, he sprinkled them into the soil. Within two to three days the seeds had already sprouted.

Now that they had been growing for more than two days and the temperature outside was getting higher, he planned on transplanting all the germinated vegetable seedlings to the backyard.

Zhang Xiu was worried that they would not be able to make it through, so he filled the top layer of the basket soil from the space, After transplanting he poured some diluted spring water from space every day. Making them withstand even if the temperature lowers.

“The lot is still too small, I will send you some after raising more batches.”

Tang Chunming said.

Now the house is full of seedlings and chicks. It looks quite disorganized fortunately, they can all be moved out soon.

“That’s it, the vegetable seedlings are very good. I don’t know how you raised them. Forget it, I won’t ask after planting them you will earn money.”

Although Zhang Xiu was envious, he also knew that it was not good to cut off Brother Ming’s financial path, not to mention Brother Ming’s benevolence to his two sons.

“Of course, no one can achieve it,” Tang Chunming said proudly, “Something is added to the soil for planting seedlings, so they can grow well after transplanting without a problem.” Zhang Xiu believed this.

After a while, Wang Mo also came to help, Tang Chunming closed the yard. The three of them were busy inside for a long time and transplanted all the vegetable seedlings. The people outside didn’t know what was going on, but Shen Fulang vaguely knew something about it.

Later he came over and saw that the vegetables in Tang Chunmig’s yard were growing faster than others, there’s were still climbing. Whereas Tang Chunming had already picked his cucumbers and sent them to town to sell.

The people in the village were surprised, many people came to inquire about the situation but were persuaded to go back by Zhang Xiu and Shen Fulang.

After planting the vegetables, Tang Chunming felt that his road to riches had just begun.

He could not go back to the exhilarating vegetable-selling expedition, it was likely that if he showed up again, he would be spotted by Tingjing Pavillion and even Lanjun Pavillion might be keeping an eye on him.

He heard from Zhang Xiu that Li Feng had settled down and invited the clansmen who had assisted and the village leader, Li Zheng, to have a big meal. Li Dashan’s family was also invited. After Dashan came back, he listened to Zhang Xiu’s advice and went to help a few times.

After settling down Da Mao and Er Mao often took Ah-Lin away from home in the afternoon. Tang Chunming and Zhang Xiu didn’t mind, now Yu Mu’s fighting skills are well known in the village.

 Zhang Xiu feels that it is enough if his two sons can learn how to hunt in the mountains, but it is not necessary to be a serious hunter. Occasionally going to the mountain to hunt wild animals can add some meat to the house, and it can better their skills to establish family in the future.