Shen Muchun knocked out the ashes from his cigarette and put the cigarette stick on his waist, "I'll teach you, it's nothing, just take your time."
Taught Chen Miao step by step, especially the trick of driving a donkey.
"This donkey is very good and gentle. Do you know how to drive it?"
"Third Master, let me try."
After going back and forth, Chen Miao got a feel for it and was not as fussy as at first. This little donkey was really obedient.
"Third Master, do you think this is okay for me?"
"Okay, that's good. Let's do it this way. What do you want to plant?"
"I want to plant one acre of corn, one acre of wheat, half an acre of cotton, and half an acre of sweet potatoes."
"I told you not to plant sweet potatoes here. There is space on the west side of your house. You can plant some there. You don't need to pick up the ground for sweet potatoes. You should plant some corn."
"Third Master, I want to exchange some sorghum seeds with you."
"Okay, we don't have to pick any land for sorghum. There is a lot of wasteland in the west of our village. If you have time to open up wasteland, you can plant enough for you."
Chen Miaoxin said that this old man just wanted to grow more corn. Knowing his kindness, he felt that he was right to listen to the old man's advice. "Third Master, how should I plant? Our two families are next to each other. What do you plant?"
"Chen Miao, my family doesn't grow wheat, and the yield is too low. If you do, plant it on the ground so it's ventilated. In fact, cotton should also be planted in a ventilated place."
Chen Miao remembered that she had land on both sides and should plant corn. But if she didn't plant cotton, she wouldn't be able to survive the winter.
"Third Master, I plant cotton in the open space to the west of my house, and wheat and corn are grown on the ground."
"That's okay. You can make arrangements yourself. Just don't let the land go to waste."
Chen Miao carefully drove the little donkey to plow the ground. She was getting better and better at it. Although the speed was not fast, it was still okay. She couldn't compete with others who had more people working, so she took her time.
We have been working all morning, and one ridge after another has been plowed out. It seems that a quarter of it has been plowed out in the whole morning.
The women from the Shen family came to bring food to them, and they ate in the fields without going back. Countryside people can really endure hardship.
Chen Miao also brought food. People ate in the south and she was in the north. The food was quite rich with milk, meat, and pancakes. Let the little donkey rest, and she started to plant some seeds. She knew how to do this work, and she wanted to It saves trouble and does not plant densely. This saves effort in thinning out the seedlings after they emerge.
The planting was finished at around four o'clock in the afternoon. Shen Muchun came over. I have been observing this girl all day. She is okay, she can endure hardships and can work hard.
"Chen Miao, we have used up the earthen cover at home, please bring it over and use it."
She also knew that there would be a lot of dirt to cover it.
Shen Muchun still taught her how to stand on the earth cover and pull the little donkey, sighing in his heart that this girl was more clever at work than the boy.
That's four round trips, and today's work is all done.
She went to deliver earthen lids to the Shen family. "Third Master, where can I buy earthen lids?" She lacked this kind of tool now.
"Your dad can do it."
Chen Miao nodded, it seemed that he would have to wade through the rest of the ground with his feet.
When I got home, I really didn’t want to move. There was no idle time at the end of the day.
The wheat was planted in Nantiantou, thinking that the wheat should be harvested in August, and then some radish, cabbage and other things could be planted, which would be convenient in Nantiantou. Chen Jiang came over before the rice was ready.
"Third sister, can you do it alone?"
"Third Master taught me that it's okay. I gained almost half an acre of land today. Don't worry, you can work hard too.
By the way, if dad has time, he can help me make a clay cover."
"Then we have to wait until dad's spring planting is over."
"Well, it's okay. I only have three acres of land, so I'm not in a hurry."
He didn't stay to eat and ran home.
The next day was the same. There were a few more varieties today than yesterday, and the soil cover from the Shen family was still used.
The women in his family didn't have a good look towards him. Chen Miao knew it was probably because he wanted to return to his hometown.
I don't have the same experience as them, I know clearly that it's good when you give, but it's annoying when you ask for something.
After five days, three acres of land were finally planted. Chen Miao touched her face, even though she wore a mask and headscarf every day, she still felt dry.
There was no work in the field for a short period of time, and she was about to clean up one side of the field. In order to avoid someone coming to plant, she had already driven some donkeys at night to plow some fields. There was no other way, because cotton must be planted this year.
Because I'm used to it, there's nothing wrong with it. There's only half an acre of land to the west, and I should be able to plant cotton seedlings.
After the ground is plowed, a pickaxe is used to hook out the cage so that the cotton stalks will not fall over.
It took a whole day to lay the ridges on half an acre of land. The cotton seedlings are not big yet, so they need to be raised for a few days, but they still need to be watered when they are planted.
It was already mid-April. Chen Miao thought that she should still buy a perpetual calendar or something, but she was living in confusion these days.
The next day, move all three boxes out and dry them in the sun at noon. This will make them stronger.
The next step is to plant vegetables. Chen Jiang has already helped to turn over half of the vegetable bed, just in time to plant leeks, green onions, cabbage and everything else.
Chen Miao was thinking wildly while working. She hadn't spoken for several days! It was so lonely to be alone.
Treat yourself at noon and cook frozen dumplings, which are so delicious.
After a whole day, the yard has been tidied up. I will be able to plant Japanese melon vines in two or three days, and I am thinking of going to the mountains to plant some.
The yard is quite big, and there is definitely more food than one person can eat. It can be stored and fresh vegetables can be eaten in winter.
She didn't want to open up wasteland. Her three acres of land was already her limit. If it didn't work, she would change it. Besides, she didn't particularly like sorghum porridge.
After lying at home for a day, I felt no pain. The next day I was still lazy and did nothing.
In the afternoon, I walked around the fields and saw that the wheat planted on the first day had already sprouted into the soil. Now I am looking forward to another rain, when the seedlings will emerge more neatly, and I don’t need to water the cotton when I plant it.
Already.
She raised her head and looked at the sky. It seemed to be a little cloudy. Chen Miao prayed in her heart, let it rain, let it rain.
"Chen Miao, what are you doing here? Haven't you finished planting?"
"Let me see when the seedlings will emerge. Third Aunt, when will your land be finished planting?"
"We finished the planting in one day yesterday. I have a large family. At that time, when landlord Xing divided the land, we were divided into two pieces."
Chen Miao nodded and walked back with the Qingshi family.
"Xiuyue found a lot of sweet potato seedlings for you, but it will take some time to plant the sweet potatoes."
"Third Aunt, I don't have any land to plant. I'll buy some after autumn."
"How are you living your life if you buy everything? You don't have to pick a field for sweet potatoes. How about you open a piece of land by the river and plant enough for yourself."
Chen Miao thought about it. They are all from the countryside. It would be really different if they could buy everything by themselves. Then they would have everything they wanted, and besides, they wouldn’t have that much money.
Happy Lantern Festival! I hope your life is like the Lantern Festival, clean on the outside and sweet on the inside!
