Farming and reading family

But there was hope in her eyes. How nice it would be if she could really eat well and have enough food every day as Second Aunt said.

After lunch, Chen Ke planned to take the children out again, ostensibly to pick acorns but actually to catch crickets.

"Wait a moment." Gao E called Chen Ke and the others.

Chen Ke felt a little nervous, thinking that Gao E wouldn't let him go out.

Gao E turned around and gave each child a handful of candy: "I see those cricket cages are empty anyway. Go to the village and catch crickets. If other children are willing to help you catch them, you can give them a piece of candy."

Chen Ke's eyes lit up.

Chen Gaozhong's eyes lit up. His mother didn't allow them to play with the children in the village before, so he could only play with them secretly. Now she is willing to let them go?

Gao E broke off a thin bamboo stick, about an inch long: "If there is one this big, give it to me as a candy."

"Okay." Chen Gaozhong agreed immediately.

Chen Duokui was not quite sure what his mother was going to do.

"Go." Gao E ordered.

Chen Duokui saluted respectfully, but Chen Gaozhong and Chen Dengke had already turned and ran away.

Watching her three sons leave, Gao E suddenly said, "Let's find some time to change the children's names."

Chen Ke was stunned. It was Gao who insisted on giving these names to the four children.

Gao E glanced at the stunned Chen Ke and said, "I was careless at first. Confidentiality is key. If the kids keep yelling like this every day, I'm afraid their luck will be ruined."

In fact, she just wanted to change her child's name and didn't want to call him that every day, but she had to find a reason. After thinking about it, she decided that this was more convincing.

Chen Ke hesitated: "Changing the name is a serious matter. I need to discuss it with Dad."

Gao E looked at Chen Ke. She was discussing this with him now. Now that she had the ability, she could inform him: "Okay, tell me when you think it's appropriate."

Chen Ke nodded.

"You can see how to clean up the cave. When you have nothing to do in winter, you can take the children to study together." Gao E suggested.

Chen Ke knew that Gao E would not give up on letting him study, and he was thinking about how to talk to Gao E.

"Just study, don't worry about getting a good grade in the imperial examination." Gao E added, "In the future, the children of my eldest and third brothers will all learn to read and write."

When Chen Ke heard that he didn't have to worry about getting a good score on the imperial examination, his pressure immediately subsided: "Okay."

It was almost dusk when Chen Jie and Lei came back, bringing various pots. Chen Jie helped move them into the cave.

"Second sister-in-law, look, this is specially selected by my father." Lei showed off while holding a pot.

Gao E took a look and found the workmanship to be quite good: "Your craftsmanship is really good."

"Of course, it's a craft passed down from my ancestors." Lei was happy. "But why does sister-in-law need two such big pots?"

“Before, I was thinking of stir-frying fish hair and dried shrimps.”

Lei reacted: "The previous pot was indeed a little small, sister-in-law, let's fry some more fish hair."

"Okay." Gao E also had this plan. "I heard that someone in the village can't sell their fish."

Lei laughed when he heard this: "Those people thought they could get rich, but now what He County lacks the most is fish. Not only is the price low, but few people are buying it."

Gao E didn't know what the specific method was, but she thought that if the price was very low, they wouldn't have to catch it themselves, they could just buy some.

After thinking about it, she decided to forget it and just stock up for herself.

"Let's stock up on some and not catch them anymore." Gao E thought that the smoked fish was not completely without an expiration date.

Besides, when I have more to eat next spring, I won’t eat this every day.

"Then fry some more dried shrimps as snacks," Lei suggested.

"Okay." Gao E nodded.

When Chen Duokui and his friends came back, they brought a large pile of crickets. The children in the village also agreed with them that they could catch big ones in the evening.

Gao E was speechless when she saw the crickets with missing limbs. The size was good enough, but the appearance was not good. "Not bad."

This was because she hadn't explained it clearly to the children, so she couldn't blame them for bringing something like this back.

Chen Ke was a little overwhelmed. Several of the snakes, about an inch in size, were either crushed flat or had their arms and legs missing. It was so painful.

The three children were very happy to hear their mother say this.

"But Mom wants a complete cricket so that she can keep it." Gao E looked at the three happy children.

The three of them felt a little lost for a moment.

"Mom didn't explain it clearly before. Can you explain it to your friends tomorrow?" Gao E looked at the three of them apologetically.

"Okay." Chen Gaozhong agreed immediately.

"Then go wash your hands and get ready for dinner." Gao E said with a smile.

The three children immediately went to wash their hands.

Chen Ke looked at the crickets and said, "What a pity."

"Life is not perfect." Gao E didn't care much. "It's okay. There are many autumn insects now. They can catch better ones."

Chen Ke had no choice but to nod.

After dinner, Chen Hanyue cleaned up the kitchen, and Gao E sat at the door of the cave thinking about something.

She planned to refine the crude salt, but she was physically disabled and Chen Ke didn't have much strength, so she had to ask someone for help.

The most suitable ones are of course the two brothers of the Chen family. After getting along with them for the past few days, I feel that they both have good character.

But this matter needs to be kept secret. It is not a good thing to let people know that they have so much salt at home.

"Second Aunt." Chen Hanyue packed up and moved a stool to sit next to Second Aunt. "Can I learn to read with Second Uncle?"

"Of course." Gao E looked at Chen Hanyue. "Your mother can do it too. Think about it, when everyone in the Chen family can read, who wouldn't look up to her?"

"Yes." Chen Hanyue laughed, "But grandma might not agree. I heard paper is very expensive."

When Gao E heard Chen Hanyue say that paper was expensive, she subconsciously thought that she could make paper herself.

After thinking about it, she decided to give up. Even the simplest raw materials, venues, and equipment would take a long time to prepare, and her current conditions did not allow it.

"Let your second uncle figure it out." Gao E didn't explain.

Chen Hanyue nodded, chatted with her second aunt for a while, and then went into the cave.

Chen Ke watched the four children fall asleep and then came out to sit with Gao E: "There is something I want to discuss with you."

"Hmm?" Gao E looked at Chen Ke.

Chen Ke sat a little closer to Gao E and lowered his voice: "I think I'll need the help of my eldest and third brothers to buy food, so I can't hide it from them."

"It's okay if I don't hide it from my eldest brother and third brother, but what if more people know about it and it spreads all over the village?" This is what Gao E was worried about.

Previously, the Chen family sold grain to help Chen Ke raise money to go to the capital, and now they are buying so much again. Others will definitely make fun of them.

"My eldest brother and third brother are tight-lipped, just give them a warning." Chen Ke promised.

Gao E thought this was a good opportunity to give it a try: "Okay, then you can discuss it with them later."

After getting his wife's approval, Chen Ke prepared to find time to discuss it with his eldest brother and third brother.

At night, Chen Ke tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. The closer it got to the time when Yutou Dam would burst, the more worried he became. The resentment he had before his rebirth had almost been dissipated in the recent peaceful days.