Chen Jiang knew this would be the case. She had been plowing the vegetable patch at home for a day, and she said that she was working for others.
"Fourth brother, even if Chunlai wanted to eat, my sister-in-law didn't even give her." Chen Tong whispered to fourth brother about what happened at home in the evening.
"That's it, I'm tired and sleep."
After Chen Miao packed it up, he poured the water on the kang on the soil in the box. It should sprout soon. It has the temperature and is covered with a quilt to keep it warm.
After drinking milk, I wanted to eat something sweet, so I ate a piece of chocolate and a piece of cake.
When I got up the next day, I still made pancakes, but there was no porridge underneath, but food with skins on it for the donkeys.
Chen Jiang came over and the meal was not yet cooked, so he went to fetch water. This work was not easy either.
After the two siblings had eaten enough, they went up the mountain carrying baskets and several sacks.
Few people are willing to come to the second mountain. No one has encountered large animals, but no one is willing to come because it is too far away.
Chen Jiang followed his sister to pick up pine nuts. The two siblings had no energy to talk now. Chen Miao was hungry and called her brother over for dinner.
"Third sister, it's already full. How about we peel the pine nuts?"
"Okay. It will be easier to go back this way."
It was quite fast to peel pine nuts in the pine cone. After two hours, all that was left were pine nuts with shells. Now the two of them continued to pick them.
It was already dark by the time I got home.
"You go home and tell me."
"Third sister, I want to come over tonight and peel pine nuts."
"Go to bed. If you don't feel energetic tomorrow, let's go pick pine nuts these days."
"Then there's no need to go back and tell me. I'll go back after dinner and Chen Tong will open the door for me."
There are still three pancakes left, so let’s just make porridge. I also added some brown sugar to Chen Jiang to make it more delicious.
Chen Miao didn't want anyone to be around her, and it was inconvenient to do anything.
The next three days were spent going up the mountain to collect pine nuts, leaving early and returning late every day. The West House had already piled up a lot of pine cones, and a mouse was found, so I stopped picking them and peeled pine nuts at home.
The pine cone can also be used to light a fire. Chen Jiang is really anxious and will start going to the ground soon. He wants to peel out all the pine nuts quickly so that he can put them in the tank to save money on rats.
In two days, the two siblings peeled out two bags of shelled pine nuts.
"Third sister, I have to go to the field tomorrow."
"I'll go too. The Shen family cleared the land last year, so I'll save more effort this year.
After the spring planting, we will go to the county town and sell the pine nuts."
Chen Jiang didn't stay at Chen Miao's place for dinner today, and he went back early, so the three sisters-in-law didn't want to. It was the mother-in-law who scolded her for a few times before she stopped, but she kept a long face.
Chen Jiang is really not used to being able to eat enough at Sanjie's place every day, while only having two bowls of gruel at home.
When I came back the day before yesterday, the third sister said that she would plant some food in the mountains and that she would go with her then. It would be a good idea to eat at the third sister's house.
Chen Miao is really too tired. She has been here for almost a month and it can be said that she has no idle time.
When I woke up the next day, I saw it was raining outside. I slept so soundly yesterday that I didn’t even know it. I fed the little donkey, ate steamed buns, eggs, milk, and a piece of braised beef. I can say that I was very satisfied.
It was raining harder and harder, so she probably wouldn't go to work in the fields. She took out the tools and started peeling the pine nuts. She didn't ask, thinking that the price of selling them would be high.
When she heard the knock on the door, she knew it must be Chen Jiang, but she didn't expect that her younger brother would be followed. She already knew how many brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces there were in the family.
"Third sister."
"Well, you don't have to go to the ground today?"
"No need, why is mom scolding people at home? I blame dad and eldest brother for not spreading shit a few days ago."
He didn't know Chen Tong well, so he put away his tools and let the two of them enter the house.
"Third sister, I brought tweezers, shall we peel the pine nuts?"
"Okay, you two get on the kang, and I'll get the pine nuts."
The two brothers peeled off, and Chen Miao went outside to light the fire. It was also a cold and cold day.
Today's tweezers are not easy to use. Chen Tong is still young and can't help but eat secretly.
Chen Miao looked at her younger brother and thought that he was still not as sensible as Chen Jiang.
At noon, they still cooked porridge without pasting pancakes. They were asked to eat together. Chen Jiang only had one bowl of porridge and put down the bowl, but Chen Tong couldn't do it and drank three bowls of porridge.
"Third sister, I will come to your house for dinner in the future."
"You ate all the third sister's food. What will she eat in the future? Your food is in our house."
"Then the sister-in-law said that my brother-in-law must have left a lot of money to surround the yard. What's wrong with me having some food?"
Chen Miao looked at the child and thought that it was still crooked.
"Don't come to my house, I don't have enough food to eat." There is no sibling relationship, so I don't speak politely.
"Then how can my fourth brother eat at your house? I am also your brother." This is what the sister-in-law told him.
"If he works for me, I will feed him. It doesn't matter who works for me. Okay, you two go back. I will do it by myself. Please don't come to my house in the future."
Chen Miao felt bad saying such things to a child, but he was a child and he couldn't be allowed to think that he could just come and eat here.
"If you don't come, you won't come." After Chen Tong said that, he ran away.
"Third sister, I have to come with you."
"It's okay, Chen Jiang. From now on, if you talk about Chen Tong, my sisters-in-law and others will be uneasy. No one will pay attention to him in the future."
"Well, I would say him."
Chen Miao thought for a while, "You'd better talk to your parents."
The two siblings continued to peel pine nuts. This time Chen Miao took out his own tools. Chen Jiang looked very curious and did not ask.
In fact, he is only a thirteen-year-old boy, and he is only fifteen years old.
Chen Jiang has this kind of sensible character. In this era and in such a family, no one would teach him how to behave.
Both siblings' hands hurt when peeling. Chen Miao didn't want to do it anymore and went to cook. Knowing that Chen Jiang was not full at noon, he still made pancakes in the evening.
The rain stopped outside, and Chen Jiang went home after dinner.
After arriving home, Chen Tong snorted and ignored Chen Jiang.
It was sunny the next day, and the rain was actually quite timely. Although we can't go to the fields today, we can start farming tomorrow.
Chen Miao was a little worried. She had a little donkey, but she had never done this work independently.
She knew that one person should lead the animal in front and the other person should support the beast behind.
It's not like I haven't seen someone do it before, but I have seen it before and never done it before.
Forget it, take it slow, you have to learn it anyway, and you will be alone from now on.
The next day, the driver took all the tools to the fields. Mr. Shen's family was already working. They also had small donkeys and there were many people working.
Shen Muchun watched Chen Miao coming over with a cigarette stick in his mouth.
"Third Master."
"Chen Miao, just you, can you drive animals?"
"Third Master, I don't know how to do it. I want to try it slowly."
