Spring scenery in the fields

Seeing her lower her head, she asked in a low voice: "Child, tell me the truth. Don't worry, I'm not a big mouth and won't tell anyone."

"Aunt Lan, I want to live a good life with Brother Shen. Where else can I go if I leave here?"

She didn't want to live a life of wandering, worrying and unrest every day.

Lan Qiuhua smiled: "Hey, just figure it out. The three brothers are good-natured and can endure hardships."

"From now on, we don't have to hand in the crops we grow, and our lives will be better. If you don't understand anything, just come to me and I will help you if I can."

Her hands were a little rough and warm.

Ji Wenhe smiled and nodded: "Thank you Aunt Lan, but I heard from Yuanshan and the others that the family's land has been sold, so I'm afraid we can't farm this year."

The land in the yard is too small and it’s in the mountains, so the soil is poor and I probably can’t grow any vegetables.

"Alas." Lan Qiuhua sighed, "Your family's land was mortgaged to the village head's family. Save some money and buy it back from the village head."

"We are all from the same village. The head of the village won't ask for more. Otherwise, you can buy some wasteland. There is a large piece of wasteland in the village."

“Isn’t wasteland cheaper?”

She didn't understand much. When she was a child, she followed her grandmother to grow vegetables and transplant rice seedlings, but she only knew a little bit. In fact, she didn't know a lot about farming.

"Yes, the wasteland is full of weeds. Because it is close to the foot of the mountain, there are many small stones in the soil, which makes it difficult to grow crops, and the harvest will be less."

No matter how small the harvest is, the villagers are willing to plant. However, no one has extra money to buy land, so they keep it in hand in case of emergency without having to borrow money everywhere.

"I understand. I'll ask Brother Shen when he comes back. It's up to him to decide whether to buy it or not."

She has no money and can no longer be the head of the household or make decisions.

Lan Qiuhua patted her hands and smiled gently: "I saw Rongshan yesterday and asked a few more questions. Your household registration will be processed soon."

"Don't leave the village during this period. I heard that there is chaos outside. The government is already resettling refugees, but I don't know where they will be sent to."

"Oh, I remember that. Thank you, Aunt Lan."

It can be seen that she sincerely hopes that Shen Rongshan's family lives a good life.

"Don't be polite to me, my house is at the foot of the mountain. Come to my house someday to get to know me. Come talk to me when you're free."

Ji Wenhe smiled and nodded: "Okay, I will go when I get better."

At this time, Shen Wenshan pushed the door and entered the room.

Lan Qiuhua put her hand into the quilt and tucked it in for her: "You take a rest. I have some clothes to wash at home. The sun is nice today. I'll go back and dry the quilt."

"Hey, Aunt Lan, take care. Come back when you have time."

She responded with a smile: "Okay, Wenshan, take good care of your sister-in-law. I'm going back now."

Shen Wenshan saw her out: "Aunt Lan, take care."

Lan Qiuhua waved her hand: "Go back."

Her house was at the foot of the mountain and they would arrive there in a moment. It was very close to them.

Ji Wenhe heard the door open and asked in confusion, "Wenshan, where is your brother?"

I haven't seen him for a while now, and he doesn't seem to be at home.

"He's gone to collect firewood and will be back before noon."

Shen Wenshan left the door ajar, letting in a little light, and sat not far from the door, starting to twist a hemp rope.

There was a rustling sound coming from outside. Ji Wenhe endured it for a long time and couldn't help asking curiously: "Wenshan, what are you doing?"

"I'm twisting hemp rope, sister-in-law, am I disturbing you?"

Looking at the hemp rope in my hand, I wondered whether I should take it to the kitchen to cook?

"It's okay, don't make a fuss, I'm just asking."

Ji Wenhe put on his shoes and went out.

Shen Wenshan raised his head: "Sister-in-law, why are you awake?"

He had just finished twisting a hemp rope and was about to make a twine.

"It's okay. It's uncomfortable to lie down. Get up and walk around to warm yourself up."

She was curious because her family had never made twine when she was a child, so this was the first time she had seen it.

Rub your palms together continuously, adding numbness, and then continue rubbing. After a while, the palms will begin to turn red.

"Wenshan, how much does hemp rope sell for here?"

The original owner's memory was incomplete, and many of them were fleeting. What he remembered most clearly were the days when he was scolded, hungry, and beaten at home.

Shen Wenshan kept his hands busy: "A pound of hemp rope is eight cents, and a pound of hemp thread is thirteen cents."

Ji Wenhe thought for a moment: "This... is too..."

Cheap labor.

"Well, the money is low, but we don't do it. There are plenty of people who do it. The boss is not worried about not having people, so he keeps the price low."

Even at the lowest price, five cents per pound of hemp rope, there are still people rushing to make it.

Seeing her standing there, Shen Wenshan advised: "Sister-in-law, please go into the house. There is wind blowing in from outside."

Ji Wenhe wanted to help, but he didn't have much strength: "Yeah."

Back in the inner room, covered with a quilt, he asked, "Wenshan, during the years when your elder brother was away, did you make money by twisting hemp ropes and twine?"

"In the winter, when there was no work, my brother and I would bring back some hemp ropes to make things. In the summer, we would go to town to find work and do it for money."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Building houses, doing hard labor, collecting medicinal herbs... and going up the mountain to chop firewood and carrying it back to town to sell."

It's hard to find good jobs, but those people have connections and can use them to introduce jobs to people they know.

If they want to establish a relationship, they have to spend a lot of money first, and they may not be able to establish a relationship in the end.

He didn't want to work hard for a long time, not only not find a job, but also lose money.

Ji Wenhe understood that people at the bottom of society could only do cheap jobs.

Before noon, Shen Yuanshan came back with branches and started twisting hemp thread with Shen Wenshan.

During this period, I asked a lot of questions about their family's past and this dynasty.

In the evening, Shen Rongshan returned from the market.

Ji Wenhe heard Shen Yuanshan's cry.

"Brother, you're back. The meal is ready. My sister-in-law is in the room."

I didn't hear his answer.

After a while, the door opened and a man walked in. From the footsteps, I knew it was Shen Rongshan.

"Brother Shen, you're back."

"Well, let's eat."

He was holding a bowl and a meat bun in his hand.

The aroma of meat spread throughout the house, and Ji Wenhe's stomach growled.

She looked up awkwardly, but he wasn't looking at her and his expression was indifferent.

"Put it on the table after you finish eating, and I'll collect it."

"Ah."

The meat bun looked very small in his hand, not even as big as his palm.

Ji Wenhe held the bowl in one hand and took the meat bun with the other. Well, it was not just because his hands were big, but the bun was small to begin with and she could finish it in one bite.

"Brother Shen, is there only one meat bun?"

Shen Rongshan didn't answer: "You need to nourish your body, eat quickly, or it will get cold soon."

After saying this he turned and walked away, leaving the door slightly ajar so that it wouldn't be too dark in the room to be seen.

Looking at the meaty bun in my hand, I swallowed.

The buns were made from a mixture of coarse and rough flour. They were too small to be shared by four people. When I gently pinched them, the amount of meat inside was pitifully small.

Does she... count as eating alone?

Just when she was struggling over whether to eat or not, Shen Rongshan came back and she heard him talking outside.

"I bought some vegetable buns, you can eat them at ease."