233 Harvest
Ruyi clumsily held the child and quickly said to Auntie Zhang, “Auntie Zhang, carry him. He’s so soft that I’m afraid of hurting him.” Everyone laughed when they saw Ruyi’s nervous look.
After Ruyi handed the child to Auntie Zhang, he rushed into the delivery room. Seeing Xiaoyu lying there with a pale face and even her hair drenched in sweat, he gently wiped her with a handkerchief. “Bad child, why didn’t he choose a cooler day to be born? You’ll have to confine yourself for more than a month during such a hot season!”
When the midwife heard Ruyi’s words, she laughed. “Little brother, how can one choose the time of birth? It’s all destined. It’s fate!”
Ruyi nodded in agreement. “Yes, it’s fate.” Only then did he remember that he had not given the midwife a red packet. He took out two pieces of silver from his pocket and handed them to the midwife. “Thank you,” he said with a smile. “Please come again after three days.” The midwife took the silver happily. “I’ll definitely come.”
The midwife tidied up the delivery room and walked out the door. When Li Yu gave her another red packet, the midwife accepted it happily and bowed. “Thank you, Madam. Thank you.” The midwife took the pouch and was sent out by Old Madam Liu.
Three days later, the child was cleaned in a ceremony in the county office. Ruyi gave the child a nickname, Seven Pounds. Everyone looked at the child every day and were heartened that he grew fair and fat in a few days.
In the blink of an eye, it was late June. Li Qing was going back to Tongzhou to attend Zhaodi’s wedding. Li Yu went to the farmstead and broke off a few packets of tender corn to cook for Li Qing. Li Qing nibbled on the cooked corn and felt poignant and sweet in his heart. He said to Li Yu, “Sister, I’m not a child anymore. You cooked such precious seeds for me.”
Li Yu looked at Li Qing, who was slender and taller than her. She distributed a set of jewelry bestowed by the emperor and placed them in several boxes. Some were given to Zhaodi as gifts, and some were for Li Mei and Laidi.
Li Yu placed the gift in Li Qing’s bag and said reluctantly, “You’ll always be that Little Ah Qing in my eyes. You have to be careful on the way. Don’t be too anxious. The Xu brothers are old friends. You have to listen to their opinions and not be rash. Give the jewelry and gifts in the box to Aunt and tell her not to tire herself out.”
Li Qing held back the tears in his eyes and turned to look out the window. He said in a hoarse voice, “I’ll remember. Don’t send me to the city gate later. Brother-in-law and Brother Ruyi will send me.”
Zhou Jia entered the house and said to Li Qing, “It’s time to set off. There are things to pay attention to in the village examination. It’s all recorded in the notebook that I gave you previously. Go back and study hard. We’ll meet again after the village examination. Yu’er, stay at home. I’ll send Ah Qing out of the city.”
Li Yu nodded and reluctantly sent Li Qing to the door. When she saw Li Qing get into the cart, her tears couldn’t help but fall. Li Qing sniffed and the siblings waved goodbye. As the car drove away, Doctor Wen said to Li Yu, who was standing at the door, “Xiaoyu, go back! You’ll meet again soon.”
Yes! All good things must come to an end. Li Yu sighed in her heart and smiled at Mr. Wen. “Yes! I just can’t bear to.”
After sending Li Qing off, it was the end of June and the beginning of July in the blink of an eye. The corn in the cornfield had already ripened, and the leaves on the corn stalks had also dried up.
Ruyi and Yang Wei led the long-term workers in harvesting and looked happily at the field full of corncobs. Everyone quickly broke off the corncobs and carried them back to the drying field. Following Li Yu’s method, they tore open the corn leaves and tied four to five corncobs together. They hung them on the bamboo rack they had set up in advance and dried them in the drying field.
After the corn was taken home, Yang Wei led the way in collecting the beans from the fields. The beans were planted in the ridges, and only twenty or so bundles of beans were collected from the two acres. Everyone still felt happy, because these beans were the additions to the harvest of these two wastelands.
After the fields were cleared, Yang Wei brought the long-term workers to plow and fertilize the wasteland that had long been opened up to dry, preparing to plant the second season of corn.
In early July, the fragrance of rice flowers filled the entire land. Li Yu brought Ruyi to the four-acre breeding field with Yang Wei at the end of the day and said to the two of them, “I discovered that the rice flowers are in the flowering period when the seedlings reach the end of the day. After this hour, they should be harvested. Moreover, the flowering period only lasts a few days. We have to take advantage of this period of time to work in the pollination so we can increase the success rate and yield.”
Ruyi and Yang Wei noted it down carefully. Under Li Yu’s supervision, they pulled the rope and pollinated the wild rice. It took Ruyi and Yang Wei two hours to finish the four-acre field.
When Li Yu returned to the manor, she saw that the corncobs in the drying field had also dried up. Madam Li and Yu Niang brought a few long-term workers’ wives and sat in the shade of the eaves, rubbing the corn kernels. Li Yu said to them, “Remember to put the bad ones aside so that you don’t have to choose again when you plant.”
Yu Niang pointed at the selected husks and said, “Madam, most of the husks were removed from the top of the corncobs. Let’s separate the kernels from the top and put them in a separate basket. We’ll use the wind-grain engine to choose again. It’ll save a lot of effort.”
When Li Yu heard this, she raised her thumb and said, “I didn’t expect our Yu Niang to be a smart woman. You’re worthy of praise.”
Yu Niang looked at Li Yu reproachfully and smiled. “Madam is getting more and more glib-tongued. You only know how to bewitch me.”
“Madam, how dare you say that? Is your skin itchy?” Madam Li threw a corn cob at Yu Niang and everyone laughed.
Li Yu estimated that she had collected nearly 20 stones of corn seeds from two acres of land. After selecting the seeds, she could plant them in more than 20 acres of land. Seeing that the corn was almost finished, she planned to look at the newly opened sloping ground.
When they reached the slope, they saw that the land that had been opened up was already fertilized. When Uncle Dashui saw Li Yu coming to the slope to check, he said to Li Yu, “Madam, fortunately, we dug more than ten deep pits to fertilize the soil. Ever since the nearby villagers found out that the compost on the mountain can be used to fertilize the soil, they pulled all the compost on the mountain home. Now, we can’t even dig a basket of fertile soil from the mountain.”
Li Yu smiled and said, “We can achieve the same effect with leaves and rotten vegetables.. There’s no need to go up the mountain to find fertilizer. The wasteland has just been opened, so we have to fertilize the soil ourselves before the crops will yield.”
Dashui and the other long-term workers all knew that Li Yu was better at farming than them. They smiled and said to Li Yu, “Madam, don’t worry. We did everything according to your instructions. When we plowed the fields, we scattered the fertilizers.”
Li Yu nodded and smiled. “Everyone, work hard. I’ll give everyone red packets during the new year.”
When the long-term workers heard that there was a red packet for the new year, they smiled happily. “Thank you, Madam. We’ll look forward to your red packets for the new year.”
233 Harvest
Ruyi clumsily held the child and quickly said to Auntie Zhang, “Auntie Zhang, carry him. He’s so soft that I’m afraid of hurting him.” Everyone laughed when they saw Ruyi’s nervous look.
After Ruyi handed the child to Auntie Zhang, he rushed into the delivery room. Seeing Xiaoyu lying there with a pale face and even her hair drenched in sweat, he gently wiped her with a handkerchief. “Bad child, why didn’t he choose a cooler day to be born? You’ll have to confine yourself for more than a month during such a hot season!”
When the midwife heard Ruyi’s words, she laughed. “Little brother, how can one choose the time of birth? It’s all destined. It’s fate!”
Ruyi nodded in agreement. “Yes, it’s fate.” Only then did he remember that he had not given the midwife a red packet. He took out two pieces of silver from his pocket and handed them to the midwife. “Thank you,” he said with a smile. “Please come again after three days.” The midwife took the silver happily. “I’ll definitely come.”
The midwife tidied up the delivery room and walked out the door. When Li Yu gave her another red packet, the midwife accepted it happily and bowed. “Thank you, Madam. Thank you.” The midwife took the pouch and was sent out by Old Madam Liu.
Three days later, the child was cleaned in a ceremony in the county office. Ruyi gave the child a nickname, Seven Pounds. Everyone looked at the child every day and were heartened that he grew fair and fat in a few days.
In the blink of an eye, it was late June. Li Qing was going back to Tongzhou to attend Zhaodi’s wedding. Li Yu went to the farmstead and broke off a few packets of tender corn to cook for Li Qing. Li Qing nibbled on the cooked corn and felt poignant and sweet in his heart. He said to Li Yu, “Sister, I’m not a child anymore. You cooked such precious seeds for me.”
Li Yu looked at Li Qing, who was slender and taller than her. She distributed a set of jewelry bestowed by the emperor and placed them in several boxes. Some were given to Zhaodi as gifts, and some were for Li Mei and Laidi.
Li Yu placed the gift in Li Qing’s bag and said reluctantly, “You’ll always be that Little Ah Qing in my eyes. You have to be careful on the way. Don’t be too anxious. The Xu brothers are old friends. You have to listen to their opinions and not be rash. Give the jewelry and gifts in the box to Aunt and tell her not to tire herself out.”
Li Qing held back the tears in his eyes and turned to look out the window. He said in a hoarse voice, “I’ll remember. Don’t send me to the city gate later. Brother-in-law and Brother Ruyi will send me.”
Zhou Jia entered the house and said to Li Qing, “It’s time to set off. There are things to pay attention to in the village examination. It’s all recorded in the notebook that I gave you previously. Go back and study hard. We’ll meet again after the village examination. Yu’er, stay at home. I’ll send Ah Qing out of the city.”
Li Yu nodded and reluctantly sent Li Qing to the door. When she saw Li Qing get into the cart, her tears couldn’t help but fall. Li Qing sniffed and the siblings waved goodbye. As the car drove away, Doctor Wen said to Li Yu, who was standing at the door, “Xiaoyu, go back! You’ll meet again soon.”
Yes! All good things must come to an end. Li Yu sighed in her heart and smiled at Mr. Wen. “Yes! I just can’t bear to.”
After sending Li Qing off, it was the end of June and the beginning of July in the blink of an eye. The corn in the cornfield had already ripened, and the leaves on the corn stalks had also dried up.
Ruyi and Yang Wei led the long-term workers in harvesting and looked happily at the field full of corncobs. Everyone quickly broke off the corncobs and carried them back to the drying field. Following Li Yu’s method, they tore open the corn leaves and tied four to five corncobs together. They hung them on the bamboo rack they had set up in advance and dried them in the drying field.
After the corn was taken home, Yang Wei led the way in collecting the beans from the fields. The beans were planted in the ridges, and only twenty or so bundles of beans were collected from the two acres. Everyone still felt happy, because these beans were the additions to the harvest of these two wastelands.
After the fields were cleared, Yang Wei brought the long-term workers to plow and fertilize the wasteland that had long been opened up to dry, preparing to plant the second season of corn.
In early July, the fragrance of rice flowers filled the entire land. Li Yu brought Ruyi to the four-acre breeding field with Yang Wei at the end of the day and said to the two of them, “I discovered that the rice flowers are in the flowering period when the seedlings reach the end of the day. After this hour, they should be harvested. Moreover, the flowering period only lasts a few days. We have to take advantage of this period of time to work in the pollination so we can increase the success rate and yield.”
Ruyi and Yang Wei noted it down carefully. Under Li Yu’s supervision, they pulled the rope and pollinated the wild rice. It took Ruyi and Yang Wei two hours to finish the four-acre field.
When Li Yu returned to the manor, she saw that the corncobs in the drying field had also dried up. Madam Li and Yu Niang brought a few long-term workers’ wives and sat in the shade of the eaves, rubbing the corn kernels. Li Yu said to them, “Remember to put the bad ones aside so that you don’t have to choose again when you plant.”
Yu Niang pointed at the selected husks and said, “Madam, most of the husks were removed from the top of the corncobs. Let’s separate the kernels from the top and put them in a separate basket. We’ll use the wind-grain engine to choose again. It’ll save a lot of effort.”
When Li Yu heard this, she raised her thumb and said, “I didn’t expect our Yu Niang to be a smart woman. You’re worthy of praise.”
Yu Niang looked at Li Yu reproachfully and smiled. “Madam is getting more and more glib-tongued. You only know how to bewitch me.”
“Madam, how dare you say that? Is your skin itchy?” Madam Li threw a corn cob at Yu Niang and everyone laughed.
Li Yu estimated that she had collected nearly 20 stones of corn seeds from two acres of land. After selecting the seeds, she could plant them in more than 20 acres of land. Seeing that the corn was almost finished, she planned to look at the newly opened sloping ground.
When they reached the slope, they saw that the land that had been opened up was already fertilized. When Uncle Dashui saw Li Yu coming to the slope to check, he said to Li Yu, “Madam, fortunately, we dug more than ten deep pits to fertilize the soil. Ever since the nearby villagers found out that the compost on the mountain can be used to fertilize the soil, they pulled all the compost on the mountain home. Now, we can’t even dig a basket of fertile soil from the mountain.”
Li Yu smiled and said, “We can achieve the same effect with leaves and rotten vegetables.. There’s no need to go up the mountain to find fertilizer. The wasteland has just been opened, so we have to fertilize the soil ourselves before the crops will yield.”
Dashui and the other long-term workers all knew that Li Yu was better at farming than them. They smiled and said to Li Yu, “Madam, don’t worry. We did everything according to your instructions. When we plowed the fields, we scattered the fertilizers.”
Li Yu nodded and smiled. “Everyone, work hard. I’ll give everyone red packets during the new year.”
When the long-term workers heard that there was a red packet for the new year, they smiled happily. “Thank you, Madam. We’ll look forward to your red packets for the new year.”
