Xiao Qian said in a low voice: "This year, our family has gained another twenty acres of Yongye field. It will take a lot of time just to do this. How can we have time to take care of the wasteland? And now it is winter, and the family has to do it again.
I can’t spare any time to build houses or open up wasteland.”
Zhou Dalang sighed and said, "Aren't Datou and Daya very young? Especially Daya, they will be able to get married in a few years."
The Zhou family is not divided, and the grandchildren said that the wedding gifts and other gifts will naturally come from the middle of the family. Zhou Dalang is not too worried about Datou and Santou, but Daya is a girl, and she will have to bring more dowry when the time comes to look good.
Xiao Qian thought for a while and said: "Let's wait until next year. Let's see if the family can be busy. If so, we will choose a better place to open our business. After next year, Da Tou and Da Ya will be one year older.
Yes, they can also help more with the work in the fields."
Zhou Dalang could only agree.
There are regulations on what can be grown in the allocated fields. For example, in Yongye field, only grain can be grown. Even if the county regulates it loosely, at least 80% of it must be grown in grain.
Therefore, it is impossible for them to occupy too much fertile land to grow ginger and yams, which cannot be used as food.
Besides, Lao Zhoutou is also very cautious. This year, ginger and yams have indeed brought a lot of profit to the family, but they were planted in small quantities and the quantity is small, so they can be sold. But if they plant more, they can be sold out.
?
Apart from anything else, these ginger and yams are not needed every day, so his willingness to devote several acres of land to plant them is considered a risk.
So he was not very happy about his third son's decision to open up wasteland to grow ginger.
"There is a lot of work in the fields. If we don't do it more carefully, the grain production will definitely be reduced. It's okay for the fourth child and the others to mess around. Why is the third child joining in the fun?"
Qian said: "The boss is good at cooking, and with the job in the school, he can earn money every month. Not to mention the second brother, with his bamboo weaving skills, his monthly income is no less than that of the big house. But
What to do with the third child? He has no other skills, he just knows how to farm. Now the fourth child is three years old. If he has another child, it will cost nothing to raise a child."
"There is no shortage of food and drink for them at home."
"Does raising a child only require food and drink?" Qian asked angrily: "It costs nothing to make clothes out of cloth? If nothing else, he wants to make a bowl of brown sugar water for his wife, does he have to ask for it from the boss? Let him
If they do it and open it at a rate of 70 to 80%, they will also make a profit."
"What to do in the field?"
Qian closed his eyes and said nothing.
This matter was not discussed for the time being, and they did not show any dissatisfaction. Zhou Lang knew nothing about it, so he walked to the mountainside looking for an opportunity, and finally selected a piece of wasteland not far from Zhou Xi.
.
He circled it and decided to open up wasteland later when he had time.
But he won't have time in the near future, because the Zhou family has started digging the foundation to build a house.
Stones quarried from the mountains were also sent down one after another, and the construction of the Zhou family's house began.
Man Bao was so happy that every day when he came back from school, he would walk around the house before going to Bai's house to do his homework.
With enough materials and a large number of people, the houses were built very quickly. Unlike the Bai family, the Zhou family not only built many houses, but also dug ponds in the yard, so the seven masonry houses were built in less than eighteen days.
Already.
After settling his wages, Lao Zhou looked at the remaining money in the money box and felt a little heartbroken, "I still need to prepare bedding."
"There's still a bed!" Man Bao had just visited his new room. He ran in quickly and asked Lao Zhoutou: "Dad, I want a new bed."
"Can't you still sleep in that little bed?"
"I don't want it anymore, I'll give it to Santou," Man Bao said, "I just promised Santou that I would give him my little bed when I move to a new house. Dad, please buy me a new bed.
"
Lao Zhoutou said with a grimace: "I have no money."
"I have it." Manbao ran back to the room, and soon took out two strings of money, stuffed it into him and said: "Dad, you must help me make the bed a little bigger, so that I can make the bed bigger."
Can you invite my friends to come back and hold candlelight talks at night?"
Lao Zhou almost choked. He asked with wide eyes, "Who is your friend? Girl, you are a girl, you can't lie on the same bed as a boy."
"I know," Man Bao said perfunctorily: "The friends I'm talking about are not Bai Shanbao and the others, but Miss Fu Er. She said she wants to come to our house to play, and then I can sleep with her."
Lao Zhoutou breathed a sigh of relief, but before his anger completely subsided, he suddenly remembered the identity of the second Miss Fu, and his heart was raised again, "What, the second Miss Fu you are talking about is the second miss of the county magistrate's family?
"
"yes."
Lao Zhou swallowed his saliva and looked at his wife.
Mr. Qian also sat up straight and asked, "Second Miss Fu really said she wanted to come and stay at our house?"
Man Bao nodded, "It's written in the letter."
Man Bao took out the letter and showed it to them. However, both of them were illiterate, so Man Bao read it to them, "She said that now she is detained at home to learn the rules, and it is difficult for her to even go out. She is so envious that I can be free.
When I went out, I thought it would be great if she could come and stay at our house, so I have written a letter to invite her to be a guest at our house, and she may come after a while."
Lao Zhoutou and Qian's backs relaxed and they all breathed a sigh of relief. They asked why the county magistrate's daughter came to their poor valley.
After looking at his easily deceived daughter, Old Zhou smiled and agreed, "Okay, I'll get you a new bed."
There is no need to think about a big bed, a regular bed is almost enough.
Of course, Manbao's money was not enough, so they had to add more, which made Lao Zhoutou heartbroken just thinking about it.
For a bed, not counting the wood, the carpenter's wages alone are more than 200 fen, so the 200 fen paid by Manbao is far from enough.
But Lao Zhoutou didn't say anything. The next day he took the money and went to Dali Village to find a carpenter and added another bed.
After the new house was built, they did not move in immediately. Firstly, the beds and other things had not been made yet, and secondly, the new house was always a little damp, so it had to be dried with a fire.
Man Bao was very keen on lighting the fire for his new house, and volunteered to hold the torch here and there every day.
Bai Shanbao also liked it very much, so he competed with her to play. He was so frightened that he snatched the torches from both of them, and then kicked them out, "Playing with fire and wetting the bed at night!"
Man Bao retorted: "Nonsense, what does playing with fire have to do with bedwetting?"
"That's right, I've never heard of someone who wets the bed while playing with fire."
"That's what the adults said," Datou put out the torch directly and said, "You are not allowed to play anyway. Grandpa said that baking the house is an adult's business. Sister, if you don't obey me, I will tell grandma and my mother.
.”
Man Bao dared not speak out when she was angry. What she feared most was her mother and sister-in-law.