New ink fragrance in old times

As soon as the sky turned pale, a gentle breeze blew slowly across the Lin family courtyard, bringing with it the lingering coolness of the night, which lifted people's spirits.

Old Mrs. Lin got up early, stood in the yard, looked at the sky, and felt a little worried.

She turned to Old Man Lin, who was busy tidying up farm tools, and asked, "The sky was so gloomy yesterday, but not a drop of rain fell. It's really hard to guess what the heavens are thinking. What do you think, if it rains today, how will we arrange our work? Should we go harvest the rice, or pick the corn first?"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Lin pondered for a moment, then turned to Mrs. Lin and said, "My dear, we have to follow the farming season and can't just rely on the weather. I think the cool breeze today is a good omen. It's cool this morning, and the dew is heavy. Let's go harvest the corn first. Once the dew dries up, it won't be too late to harvest the rice."

Mr. Lin put on his backpack and said to Mrs. Lin, "My dear, while it's still cool, my eldest brother and I will go to the cornfield first."

Hearing this, Mrs. Lin nodded and said, "Okay, then be careful on the road."

Mr. Lin smiled and patted the back of Mrs. Lin's hand. He turned to his three sons who were sorting farm tools and said, "Let's go. Let's do more work while it's still cool."

"Okay, Dad." Lin Xueqin and his brothers followed Grandpa Lin to the fields.

Old Mrs. Lin turned and walked into the kitchen with a smile on her face.

The second daughter-in-law, Han, sat in front of the stove, concentrating on making a fire.

The daughter-in-law, Mrs. Lu, was standing in front of the chopping board, skillfully cutting fresh vegetables. The crisp sound of the knife echoed in the kitchen.

The eldest daughter-in-law, Shen, stood aside, her hands covered in flour, intently kneading the dough. The dough gradually became soft and elastic in her hands, and beads of sweat oozed from her forehead, but it did not affect her smile at all.

Hearing Mrs. Lin's voice, she quickly looked up and said with a smile, "Mom, please sit down for a while. Breakfast will be ready soon."

Mrs. Lin walked over to Shen with a smile and took the dough from her hand: "Let me knead the dough, eldest daughter-in-law. You go cook later. I trust your cooking skills the most."

Upon hearing this, Shen's face lit up with an even brighter smile.

"The noodles mom makes are much chewier than ours." Shen said as she stepped aside to make room for Old Lady Lin.

Mrs. Lin smiled and nodded, then began to knead the dough carefully. Her technique was skillful and powerful.

At this moment, there was a rapid knock on the door, accompanied by Qian Xiufang's familiar voice: "Sister-in-law, are you home? We are here to help!"

"I'm here." Old Mrs. Lin responded quickly, walked quickly to the door, and said with a smile as she opened it, "Oh, Xiufang, you're here so early, come in, come in!"

As the door opened, Qian Xiufang stepped in with a smile on her face. "Sister-in-law, we originally planned to come yesterday, but it looked like it was going to rain, so we didn't come. I didn't expect it was just a bluff yesterday," Qian Xiufang explained.

Lin Wenru put down the cart in his hand, patted the dust off his body, and said with a smile: "Yes, sister-in-law, look, I came early this morning."

Mrs. Lin said, "I'm very grateful and happy that you're willing to help me."

Lin Xuerui parked the cart steadily aside. He had carefully tied the thresher, backpack and basket to the cart, and every piece of farm tool looked in good order.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up at Old Mrs. Lin: "Aunt, where are uncle and the others?"

Old Mrs. Lin said, "Shuisheng, your uncle and his family went to the fields to pick corn. They left not long ago."

Lin Wenru urged, "Shuisheng, Shuizhi, come with me to the fields and help your uncle."

Mrs. Lin smiled and said, "There's no need to rush. You must be tired after coming all the way here. Rest your feet first and have breakfast before going."

"Aunt, it's okay. We can get more work done if we go earlier while the weather is still cool." Lin Xuezhi said as he picked up the sickle.

"Qian, go tie the cows in the backyard. Remember to be careful and don't let them run away." Lin Wenru instructed his daughter Lin Xiqian.

Lin Xiqian responded, "Oh, I got it, Dad." Then she swiftly took the reins and led the two strong cows slowly towards the backyard.

Lin Wenru and his two sons carried their backpacks and sickles and left the yard together.

Qian Xiufang smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me, but they are just like that, very stubborn."

Qian Xiufang and Old Mrs. Li smiled at each other.

Qian Xiufang suggested enthusiastically: "Sister-in-law, let me help you cook." As she said that, she took brisk steps and walked towards the kitchen.

After hearing this, Mrs. Lin said with a look of satisfaction, "That's great. Your cooking skills are recognized by everyone."

In the kitchen, Shen, Han and Lu were busy, each with work on hand.

Seeing Qian Xiufang come in, they all stopped what they were doing and greeted her with a smile: "Auntie is here, come in and sit for a while."

Qian Xiufang responded with a smile: "Well, I'll help out."

She looked around the kitchen, and finally her eyes fell gently on Han, and asked with concern: "My dear daughter-in-law, how is the baby in your belly? Is it bothering you?"

Han gently stroked her bulging belly and replied with a smile: "The child is very well behaved and didn't make me upset. It made me worry less."

After hearing this, Qian Xiufang smiled with relief and said repeatedly, "That's good, that's good."

After Lin Xiqian tied up the cow, she walked lightly into the kitchen. Her arrival made the already warm atmosphere even more lively.

"Aunt, Sister Shen, Sister Han, Sister Lu, you are all busy." She greeted everyone sweetly.

Shen responded with a smile: "Qian, you're here. Girls really change a lot when they grow up, and they are getting more and more beautiful." These words made Lin Xiqian lower her head shyly, and two red clouds appeared on her cheeks.

Seeing this, Han changed the subject and asked gently, "Aren't Sister Ling and Sister Juan here?"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Lin also sighed and said, "Yes, if they were here, our family would be so lively and cheerful."

Mrs. Lu chimed in, a loving smile on her face: "Speaking of this, I really miss Mao Wazi. The little guy always makes everyone laugh every time he comes."

After hearing what Lu said, Qian Xiufang's mouth corners unconsciously rose and she laughed heartily. She continued:

"That naughty boy Maowazi is probably still curled up in bed dreaming sweet dreams. I asked Shuisheng and Shuizhi's wives to stay home to look after the children and to take out the newly harvested grain to dry in the sun to prevent it from getting moldy."

Old Mrs. Lin nodded in agreement: "The newly harvested grain must be dried well. We must prevent moisture from invading the grain."

Chapter 54 Brother Douzi, here I come!