Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

Of course, Yang had already told Zhao Yunxia about Ji Mantun's lack of education when they were arranging the marriage.

Zhao Yunxia said at the time, "A single thought of filial piety earns eternal respect. Such a fine man moves heaven and earth."

Yang was overjoyed and boasted to everyone that she had married a daughter from a educated family, saying that educated women are always reasonable and understanding.

However, after the marriage, Zhao Yunxia would often bring up the fact that Ji Mantun had never been to school. Before the family was divided, they would argue about it, and after the division, she would still bring it up, making Yang regret her decision.

Hearing Grandpa Ji mention the events of that year, Zhao Yunxia became even angrier, her eyes red as she said, "Back then, the second son worked like an ox, cultivating dozens of acres of land all by himself. Who among you remembers his kindness? Now you've met benefactors, you even have mule carts, and you've probably received other benefits, but who has thought of the second son!"

Sitting next to Zhao Yunxia, ​​Ji Yongfei also pouted and said, "Grandpa, Grandma, your hearts are both biased to the right."

Yang glared at Ji Yongfei and said, "You're just a little girl, and instead of learning something good, what are you learning from your mother all day long!" Turning to Zhao Yunxia, ​​she gritted her teeth and spat, "That happened so many years ago, you knew about it before you even came in, and now you keep bringing it up. Aren't you just trying to squeeze some money out of your father and me again? Haven't your father and I given you and your second son enough subsidies? We'll let it go in the past, but this time it's because Manchuan and Ling'er met a benefactor. It's their good fortune, and you can't take a single cent from them!"

Upon hearing Yang's words, Zhao Yunxia immediately slapped her thigh and cried out, "Father, listen to Mother! She says she's not biased! I think her heart is completely biased! What benefits has my family received? When have we ever fallen behind the old courtyard? Even if we were picking up cow dung, we'd want to give you half. You've only gotten a mule cart, and before you've even done anything, Mother is already afraid someone will take it! Ji Mantun, why is your life so miserable!"

"Grandpa, are you really going to let Grandma bully my mother like this?" Ji Yongfei also started wiping away tears and went to hug Zhao Yunxia's arm.

"Enough! Are you tired of having too much free time? Making a scene all the time! If you had this much energy, you would have made a good life long ago!" Old Master Ji shouted, banging on his pipe.

Seeing this, Zhao Yunxia lowered her voice and continued wiping away her tears.

"Now that the family has separated, each family should live its own life. Brothers, if you have the means, help each other out, but don't just think about taking advantage of your brothers! Don't you think these things don't come from thin air?" Old Master Ji raised his eyelids to look at Zhao Yunxia, ​​then lowered them again to look at the ground, and said, "Everyone's life is not easy. If you really have difficulties, your brothers will not abandon you. As long as your mother and I are alive, we will always remember that your families can help each other, instead of becoming estranged."

Zhao Yunxia pouted: "In the end, isn't it just that they're afraid we'll take advantage of Man Chuan and Man Qing?"

"This mule cart was given to us by a benefactor. To be honest, they also gave us some grain and clothing, but all of this belongs to the Manchuan family. That's what I told Manqing too. Manchuan and Manqing haven't separated their families yet, so Manqing can only use the mule cart, not sell it. Even if it's sold later, the money will all belong to Manchuan. If you don't like it and need the cart, Manchuan and Ling'er's mother aren't stingy, so you can take it. But don't even mention asking for ten taels of silver."

Zhao Yunxia shifted her body, sat up straight, and said, "What? Yesterday, the fourth brother's wife's brothers came and took away a lot of grain. You'd rather give the grain to others than care about us? You have no idea what the second brother and the kids are eating!" As she spoke, she began to wipe away tears again.

Ji Yongfei immediately said, "Grandpa, you don't know, my dad is reluctant to eat. He only eats potatoes and alfalfa every day, saving all the grain for us. Yesterday, he almost fainted while carrying wood, but luckily Uncle Hengsheng found him and helped him back to health."

Upon hearing this, both Grandpa Ji and Madam Yang frowned. Madam Yang asked worriedly, "Is your father alright?"

"I won't die. I'm like an old ox, I can't die so easily. If I die, it'll be from exhaustion!" Zhao Yunxia snorted.

"Second sister-in-law, I won't allow you to curse my second brother like that!" Ji Manqing snorted.

"You're so kind-hearted, why don't you send some grain to your second brother? You're all talk and no action!"

Before Ji Manqing could say anything more, he was glared at by Old Master Ji, turned around and squatted down against the wall, muttering to himself, "A cow on a dung heap—arrogant and conceited!"

"Ji Manqing, what did you say? Say it again!" Zhao Yunxia turned her head and shouted at Ji Manqing.

Ji Manqing turned his head to look at the main entrance and stopped talking.

"Father, I'll go get some grain for Second Brother!" Ji Manchuan said, getting up.

"Go ahead and pack some of the flour I bought last time for your second brother."

"Wait for me, Dad, I'm coming too." Ji Yongling said, chasing after Ji Manchuan towards the cave where the grain was stored.

Zhao Yunxia's voice came from behind her: "Dad, Mom, you're eating white flour now, but your poor Erwa is so hungry he's vomiting bile every day. Sigh—it's heartbreaking, but nobody sees it."

Ji Yongling walked into the cave dwelling where the grain was stored; this was the first time she had ever seen a grain storage facility in Northwest China.

Unlike the low granaries in the south, the granaries here can be as tall as the top of a kiln. The granaries are woven from tree branches and lined with a layer of yellow mud, making them sturdy, durable, and resistant to insects, rats, and weasels.

Although the grain bins were large, with a large population, even if both grain bins in this cave dwelling were full, it wouldn't be enough to feed everyone.

For a family like the Ji family, being able to have surplus grain to eat until the summer harvest after the lean months is already considered very good in the village.

Nevertheless, the Ji family's grain bins were almost empty.

Ji Manchuan took a sack, climbed up the ladder into the grain bin, filled it halfway with wheat, carried it out, and then went to the shelf near the door to pick up a small bag of ground flour.

"Father, there's plenty of flour and wheat in the granary. Let me take some out," Ji Yongling said, stopping Ji Manchuan.

Ji Manchuan was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "Really? God of Heavenly Light, is this Heavenly Granary the place where the gods live in the play? How big is it? How come it has everything?"

"Father, Tiancang has many things, many of which we've never seen before. But we agreed that only the three of us would know about them, and we can't tell anyone else."

"I know, I know, Dad knows," Ji Manchuan replied repeatedly, craning his neck to peek towards the door.

Ji Yongling took some wheat from the grain warehouse of the reserve warehouse and poured it into the grain warehouse to mix with the grain, but he didn't dare to pour too much.

The flour in the Ji family's storeroom is all coarse flour ground by themselves with a stone mill. It is reddish or blackish in color. The flour in the storeroom is as white as snow. Ji Yongling can't take it out to mix with other flours. She can only take out a small bag and let Ji Manchuan mix it into the white flour bought at the market.

Although both are white flour, once the white flour from the storage warehouse is poured in, it immediately turns the white flour bought at the market into black flour. Ji Manchuan only needs to repeatedly turn the flour bag over and over to make the flour mix more evenly.

After doing all this, Ji Manchuan solemnly said to Ji Yongling, "Tomorrow, go to your great-grandfather's grave and pay your respects properly."

After Zhao Yunxia finished her sermon, her expression softened slightly when she saw the two bags of grain that Ji Manchuan brought out, but she still kept a straight face and said, "I'm not here to beg for food. I have enough to eat, so I don't need your charity."

Ji Yongfei, on the other hand, was filled with jealousy. She looked at the grain and felt very resentful.

Her father worked so hard carrying timber, yet he couldn't earn much money, while Ji Manchuan and Ji Yongling only needed to meet a benefactor to easily obtain grain and a mule cart. Why didn't her family have such good fortune?

Seeing Zhao Yunxia and Ji Yongfei's reactions, Old Master Ji felt a sense of helplessness.

Although the family had separated and were each supporting themselves, both sons were equally dear to them. Back then, Ji Mantun had indeed sacrificed a lot for the family. Even if Zhao Yunxia hadn't caused trouble, he would have gone to deliver food to his son if he had known he was about to run out.

He instructed Ji Manchuan and Ji Manqing to deliver the grain to Ji Mantun's house.

Zhao Yunxia sat stiffly on the stool for a while, and seeing that it was getting boring, she pulled Ji Yongfei away with a stern face.