It's hard for my elder sister. I rely on the mountains to farm and pay off my debts.

The stall selling summer drinks is doing very good business. Some customers, after trying the drinks, think they taste good and buy a jar of apricot jam to take away.

On the one hand, drinking bland water has no taste, and drinking tea while traveling is not realistic.

This apricot jam is sour and sweet, which is very good and can also replenish physical strength. Therefore, most of the apricot jam brought by Song Zhi was sold out in a short time.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law obviously didn't expect that the business here would be so good, and she was so happy that her eyes and eyebrows were full of smiles.

After Song Zhi saw that the three of them could handle it, she said goodbye and left.

Xue wiped her hands quickly and said, "Wait, I'll calculate the principal for you first."

Song Zhi hurriedly stopped her action of counting the money, "We are outside, don't show your wealth, it will be the same when you count it later."

Xue was persuaded by Song Zhi and turned to her daughter-in-law and said, "You guys watch over the stall first. I'll take Ah Zhi and the others to the car."

Song Zhi wanted to refuse, but the man had already walked ahead with big strides.

After confirming that there was an oxcart heading to Xiaohezi Village, she took the initiative to pay the fare and asked the driver to take them to the village entrance. She then took Song Zhihao by the hand and thanked him before leaving.

When Song Zhi brought her younger brother and sister-in-law back home, she saw Wu picking apricots. A thick pile of peels was piled on the ground beside her.

These are all good materials for making compost and cannot be wasted. It seems that she has to spend some time in the afternoon to utilize these peels!

When Mrs. Wu heard the noise, she looked up and saw that it was her granddaughter who had returned. She asked curiously, "How is the summer heat-relief drink selling?"

There was no need for Song Zhi to answer, Song An vividly recounted the situation of the sale.

Yang, who was busy in the kitchen, also listened curiously at the door for a few times. After hearing that her mother's business was good, she felt relieved and went back to work in the kitchen.

In the next few days, in addition to making apricot jam and going to Doctor Zheng's house to learn medical skills, Song Zhi was busy making compost.

She dug a deep pit behind her eldest brother's new house and started to make compost.

While the eldest brother was digging the hole, Song Zhi was not idle either. She led her younger brothers and sisters to the bamboo forest in the back mountain and dug some rotten and loose black soil to make compost later.

It was not enough to just dig up some rotten soil, Song Zhi also specifically picked up some dead branches and leaves rotten on the ground in the mountains.

In order to speed up the decomposition of dead branches and leaves, Song Zhi did not throw all of them into the deep pit.

She first chopped up all the fruit peels and dead branches and leaves.

Then fill the bottom of the deep pit with some rotten soil mixed with rotten leaves, first pour in a layer of chopped fruit peels, then cover with a layer of rotten soil, then pour in a layer of rotten leaves and then a layer of covering soil, alternately pouring the compost materials into the deep pit one by one.

During this period, sprinkle some water from time to time to ensure its humidity.

Of course, in order to prevent insects from growing in the fermented fertilizer, Song Zhi also sprinkled some lime.

After digging the deep pit, Song Ping has been helping Song Zhi. Seeing his younger sister chopping up the rotten leaves and covering them with soil layer by layer, he was a little confused.

So he asked, "Little sister, are you sure this can be fermented into fertilizer?"

The fertilizer fermented at home is usually farmyard manure mixed with wheat straw and bean stalks that have been piled up and fermented for half a year.

My little sister doesn't even need to use manure water, just add some river water and it can be fermented into fertilizer? Song Ping still couldn't believe it.

Song Zhi indeed said confidently, "Brother, do you think the trees and bamboos in the forest in the mountains are growing well?"

Song Ping didn't understand why his younger sister asked this question, but he nodded subconsciously.

Song Zhi went on to explain, "Look at the trees in the mountains. Who has ever fertilized them? Yet they have been able to grow into towering trees. Don't they need nutrients?"

"The reason is that these dead branches and rotten leaves in the mountains provide them with enough nutrients. I have now found these rotten leaves and brought them back. If I chop them up and bury them in the rotten soil, I can greatly shorten the fermentation time."

"And the sugar in these rotten fruits and their peels can accelerate their decay in such hot weather. Just wait and see, big brother, maybe when the summer harvest is over and farming is over, the fermented fertilizer can be used to fertilize the fields!"

Song Ping couldn't tell what was wrong, but he felt that what his younger sister said made sense.

If my younger sister could really make fertilizer using this method, then our fields at home would never lack fertilizer!

Thinking of this, Song Ping stopped worrying about it. If it succeeded, it would be a good thing for the family. If it didn't, it didn't matter. It would just be a waste of effort.

Seeing that his elder brother seemed to have listened, Song Zhi continued to talk about his plan: "Also, I have decided that after the new house is built, I will go to the mountain to pick up some rotten soil and bring it back to pave the front and back yards."

"All these dead branches and rotten leaves have turned into rotten soil, which is much better than the mountain land we have. We can pull them back and spread them out to grow vegetables directly. It's much easier and more convenient than cultivating the soil bit by bit!"

This time Song Ping no longer had any questions, but nodded and said, "Okay, I'll help you go up the mountain to pick up rotten soil later."

Upon hearing this, Song Zhi's face lit up with a bright smile, and she poured out compliments like they were free.

Song Ping knew that his sister had become more independent, but this was the first time he had been praised by her like this.

He shook his head again in amusement, his eyes full of helplessness, "Okay, we are family, there is no need to be so polite."

The brothers and sisters were busy until sunset. Song Youshan came and called them back to eat, and they stopped for a while.

Several people returned home covered in dust. They first fetched some clean water in the yard and washed up simply to wash away the fatigue and dust.

Afterwards, the family sat around the dinner table, enjoying dinner and chatting.

Mrs. Wu first asked about her granddaughter's composting situation.

Song Zhi swallowed the corn porridge in her mouth and replied slowly, "Grandma, today's deep pit is full. I thought of digging two more pits tomorrow to make compost. This way, the rotten fruits and peels can be used and provide fertilizer for our fields at the same time. It's a two-pronged approach."

Mrs. Wu nodded and said, "Now that you've made up your mind, just go for it. Ask your eldest brother to help you with digging the pit."

After talking about composting, Mrs. Wu brought up the completion of her new home.

"If there's one more thing tomorrow, your house will be finished. But it's still very damp inside the newly built house. I suggest you two don't rush to move in. Leave it there to air out for a while. I'll wait until the summer harvest is over before moving in!"

"It's better to avoid the busy farming season so that we don't have to be too busy at both ends."

Hearing this, Song Youshan nodded repeatedly: "Uncle will help you move when the time comes!"

Song Zhi had no objection to the move date. She nodded and said, "Okay, then we'll move after the busy farming season. But what I mean is, Grandma, we need to buy some more bricks, and you guys need to build a wall around here."