Sisters in the Deep Forest Valley: Many Fun Things

It's perfect for keeping track of expenses and important things now, since their calligraphy is generally not very good, and the paper here is so expensive.

The wild vegetables are all dried, and a jar of chili oil and a jar of chili salt are also ready.

The next step is to plant corn.

After the corn has sprouted, dig holes, put the corn in, cover it with soil, and once seedlings have grown, transplant them, then water and fertilize them.

They planted a total of six rows in a large open space behind the outer courtyard.

It was completed in one day.

The next day, I checked on the vegetable seeds I had sown.

The strawberry and blueberry seedlings have already sprouted; they'll be ready to be transplanted once they grow a little longer.

The potato has already grown several leaves.

Most of the seeds, such as winter melon and lettuce, have grown true leaves. Those that need to be transplanted have been transplanted, and those that need to be watered and fertilized have been properly cared for.

Next, they scattered seeds of chili peppers and tomatoes, using seeds left over from last year's planting.

Then they scattered watermelon seeds.

I haven't been able to rest for even a moment; I've been busy for half a month.

With the vegetables almost planted and the end of the month approaching, they could finally rest for a few days.

"Sis, how should we celebrate our birthdays this year?"

Lin Chunyi's birthday is at the end of April, and Lin Lanshan's birthday is at the beginning of May.

"How about... we go to the county town for a couple of days?" Lin Chunyi said softly.

The county seat that governs Luoxia Town is called Yuanfeng County, which is the largest county seat in Huaizhou.

The two sisters always choose a date in the middle to celebrate their birthdays together.

Lin Lanshan said cheerfully:

"Okay, okay, let's go shopping and buy some delicious food, and also a new summer outfit."

Lin Chunyi felt a pang of heartache at the thought of spending the money.

"Before we leave, let's look for some herbs and game in the mountains that we can sell in the county town for money."

It's not good to just spend money without making any.

“We can continue selling hairpins; they might even fetch a higher price in the county town.”

"We didn't bring much. Let's try to keep this for emergencies."

Okay, Lin Lanshan thought about it carefully:

It's for sale, it can be sold for money...

correct!

"Sis, I remember now!"

"We also bought a whole bunch of loose beads, but we didn't even think to make a few strings last winter! There are so few valuable herbs in April and May, so let's not go looking for herbs or game these next few days. Let's make some beads!"

Lin Chunyi's eyes lit up, and she ran back to the bedroom, took out more than a dozen packets of colorful loose beads from the cabinet, and said:

"Oh yeah, I completely forgot about this!"

The two sisters took out three bags of the cheapest glass beads and started stringing them together at home.

"Sister, we need to make each of our skewers different, unique, so they can sell for a higher price."

Lin Chunyi nodded and selected some beads of different shades of red, adding some flower garlands.

Then I tied a knot in the elastic thread, cut off the excess thread, and strung a string of red gradient beads.

Lin Lanshan paired green and white to create a two-tone beaded bracelet, which looks fresh and serene, making it especially suitable for summer.

The two sisters diligently made beaded bracelets at home, racking their brains to make each one unique.

The glass beads feel very light on the wrist. They sparkle with tiny, shimmering lights in the sunlight, making them especially beautiful.

They spent three days making fifteen skewers.

The money-making tools are ready. Today I'll make some food for the road, and we'll set off tomorrow to explore the county town!

At the end of the 5-7 PM, the two sisters were packing the things they needed to take to the county town the next day.

"Sister, what else do we need to buy when we go to the county town? I'll write it down."

Lin Lanshan held a notebook with her left hand and a pen in her right. A shopping list was written on it:

Coarse salt, cumin, star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon, and later parts of local travelogues...

Lin Chunyi thought for a moment and said:

“Didn’t we say last year that we wanted to buy a laying hen? Let’s write that down.”

Lin Lanshan wrote "laying hen", and then asked:

"Anything else? Would you like to buy a few ducks?"

"No, no ducks! Ducks eat a lot, poop a lot, and smell bad. Duck eggs don't taste good either. But we can go buy some duck eggs and make salted duck eggs."

As Lin Chunyi was speaking, she suddenly remembered the chicken-raising methods written in the "Complete Guide to Animal Husbandry".

"Let's buy two geese! The book says that raising a goose along with chickens can prevent weasels and snakes from stealing our food. Although we probably won't have any of those things in our house, geese are easy to raise! Goose eggs are delicious when boiled, and they're also very nutritious."

Lin Lanshan said excitedly:

"Sure, buying geese is fine, they're aggressive! But don't buy large geese, let's buy the kind that's just hatched, raised as pets from a young age, they won't peck us, so let's buy geese!!!"

The two sisters unanimously agreed to buy the goose.

Lin Chunyi added:

"Buy some more wine, we'll need it to make salted duck eggs. Oh, and I don't know if we need to check our household registration documents when we go to the county town, so bring them with us, just in case."

Tear off the completed list and store it in the space along with the household registration documents.

"Sis, shall we go straight to the county town tomorrow? Aren't we going to explore the town a bit?"

Lin Chunyi shook her head.

"No, we're in too much of a rush. Let's rent an oxcart or horse-drawn carriage and head straight to the county town. If we don't make it before dark, we might have to spend the night in the wilderness."

"So what time do we get up tomorrow? Have you finished packing? Go to sleep."

After Lin Lanshan finished speaking, she climbed onto the bed.

"Yes, we'll leave at 3 AM tomorrow. At our current pace, we should be able to reach the town in less than two hours."

"Then tomorrow, we won't tie stones to our feet anymore... we can walk faster..."

Lin Lanshan's speech became slurred, and her eyes were already closed.

Lin Chunyi responded, blew out the candle, and fell into a deep sleep.

At the beginning of the Yin hour, the moon was still hanging brightly in the sky, casting a silvery moonlight on the feet of the two sisters, illuminating their path.

Lin Lanshan yawned, her eyes still sleepy, and said:

"Sis, I'm so sleepy. Every time we go to town or the county seat, we have to leave this early. It's still dark outside. Ugh. I really want a car..."

“We’ve already traveled quite fast. Let’s check the prices when we get to the county town. If they’re reasonable, we can buy a mule or a donkey and drive the cart ourselves. I’m so sleepy…”

Lin Chunyi also looked a little sleepy.

More than an hour later, they reached the entrance of the town, their foreheads covered in sweat and they were panting.

"Phew~ Let's go find a bus in the county town."

Lin Chunyi and her sister took off their water pouches, took a sip, exhaled a long breath, and then pulled her sister into the town.

It was not yet Chen Shi (7-9 AM), but the town was already quite bustling with people—those calling out their wares, those walking, and those driving carts…

The two bought several meat buns at a steamed bun shop and asked the owner where they could rent a car.

I walked straight through the crowd to the end of the town.

Under a big tree at the end of the town.

A burly man, probably in his thirties or forties, sat in front of the oxcart as if asleep.

Three young women with their hair tied up sat behind the cart. They seemed to know each other and were chatting and laughing.

The two sisters walked up quickly, and Lin Chunyi asked the big man:

"Uncle, are you going to Yuanfeng County with this car?"