Time flies by so fast, and it’s the end of the year again in the blink of an eye. However, this year’s climate is a bit abnormal. Until mid-December, there was no snow in the Hexi Corridor. The weather was dry and cold, and there was a constant stream of vehicles on the official road.
In the early morning, a chirping sound echoed over the Guo Song Mansion, and Mengzi hovered over the Mansion. The Guo Mansion was very lively today, which really made it a little curious. It kept circling, curiously looking at the busy people in the mansion.
Today is December 20th, the Cotton Festival in Hexi. This is a festival only held this year. Last year and this year, Gaochang and Beiting had great cotton harvests for two consecutive years. The army was far from using it, so Guo Song used cotton as a
Welfare was given to every household in Hexi and Longyou. Each household was given two kilograms of cotton. How to use it was given to everyone in advance, just like kapok and cashmere.
At Pan Liao's suggestion, everyone unanimously agreed to designate December 20th as Cotton Day. On this day, every household must use cotton to make cotton robes, shoes and hats.
The same is true in Guo Song's mansion, but they have fifty kilograms of cotton, which will be more troublesome. Fortunately, there are many people in their mansion, and everyone goes into battle together.
There were more than twenty large tables set up in the large courtyard of the atrium. All the maids, servants, relatives and friends were sitting together, including Yang Yu's widow and son Yang Xuanwu, Zhang Lei's wife and three children, and of course,
Guo Song's family consists of three children, two wives and one concubine.
The table was filled with snow-white cotton bolls, and there was a bamboo basket in front of everyone. The first step was to peel the cotton seeds. This was the most troublesome step. There were too few cotton gins, and they were all used by the military, so everyone had to use their own hands.
Come and peel the cotton seeds.
Although it was very hard, everyone was talking and laughing, and they were enjoying themselves and did not feel it was hard.
Guo Song was not in the house, and Xue Tao was the housewife, coordinating everyone's work. When she came to Li Wenyu, she only saw Zhang Lei's eldest daughter, Zhang Yu'er. Zhang Yu'er is sixteen years old this year and has grown into a beautiful girl.
, she is relatively introverted and doesn't speak much. She especially likes painting, so she paints and reads poetry with Xue Tao.
Xue Tao held Zhang Yuer's shoulders and asked with a smile: "Why are you the only one, Hu Tou and Gillian?"
Zhang Yu'er's brother is called Zhang Fu, nicknamed Hutou. He will be seven years old next year. He is a miniature version of Zhang Lei. He likes to fight and is very righteous. Gillian is Zhang Lei's little daughter, a few years younger than Zhang Fu.
Yue is also smarter and more naughty.
Zhang Yuer pursed her lips and smiled: "Those little guys went to the backyard to feed Mengzi."
Xue Tao found that his daughter Xiaowei was also missing, and she probably went with them to be naughty. There was also Yang Yu's son Yang Xuanwu, who was also an eccentric little guy.
On the other hand, his son Acheng, who was only three years old, sat on a small stool and peeled cotton seeds seriously, concentrating on it. Although he couldn't find a clue after peeling a cotton boll for half an hour, he still persisted, which made Xue Tao feel angry and funny.
I don’t know who he looks like, but he is very steady and steady at a young age, which is exactly the opposite of his sister’s lively and naughty personality.
"Ah! Sister-in-law, you have peeled off so much!" Xue Tao suddenly peeled off almost a basket of Li Wenyu, while others had peeled less than half a basket!
Li Wenyu smiled and said: "It should have something to do with me practicing martial arts since I was a child. I am relatively powerful."
Xue Tao looked at Daoyue and the other four. They also peeled off a lot of cotton. It seemed to be related to martial arts training. Xue Tao simply sat next to Zhang Yuer, peeling off cotton and talking to her in a low voice.
Ah Qiu and Dugu Youlan were sitting together. Ten days ago, Xue Tao officially made the decision and asked her husband to bring Ah Qiu into his room and become Guo Song's concubine. However, the concubine's status was not high, she just had a title.
People in the mansion still call her Qiu Niang instead of Third Lady. Of course, if A Qiu can get the royal title, her status will be higher, but she can't be called Third Lady yet.
Aqiu's full name was Zhang Minqiu. After she became a concubine, Guo Song restored her full name. Her family called her Minqiu instead of Aqiu.
"Min Qiu, I heard that your brother has been found, congratulations!" Dugu Youlan said with a smile.
Zhang Minqiu blushed and said worriedly: "Sister Youlan, their family is coming to seek refuge with me, what do you think I should do?"
Zhang Minqiu's elder brother is a refugee from Longyou. His name is Zhang Daqi. This name is a bit unusual. Guo Song accidentally saw it. He asked Cao Wannian to find out. His parents' names were the same as Minqiu's parents, and they had the same life experience.
, it is basically certain that Zhang Daqi is Zhang Minqiu’s brother.
Zhang Minqiu was happy to find her brother, but a little worried, fearing that her brother and sister-in-law would be greedy and disgust her husband.
Dugu Youlan thought for a while and said: "It's actually very simple! If he has the ability, he can be an official or a general. If the ability is mediocre, then give their family a fortune and live in peace and contentment. They can also be satisfied, and then they can live a good life.
Raise your children so that they can serve your husband when they grow up, what do you think?"
Zhang Minqiu nodded, "You are right, Sister Youlan, I would like to ask again, what is your reaction after pregnancy?"
Dugu Youlan's eyes widened, "You're pregnant, that's impossible! You just..." ten days ago.
Zhang Minqiu blushed and whispered: "I have been sleeping with you for a long time."
Dugu Youlan suddenly realized, covered her mouth and asked with a smile: "Then have you had your period?"
"I came here just yesterday."
"Then there is no pregnancy. The prerequisite for pregnancy is the cessation of menstruation. Do you understand?"
"I understand, thank you Sister Youlan."
At this time, the door suddenly opened, and the owner Guo Song's voice was heard, "Move in! Everyone, be careful."
Everyone stood up one after another, and saw five or six soldiers carrying in a huge object, which looked like a large wooden box or a waterwheel, with pedals and handrails in front.
Xue Tao stepped forward and asked her husband, "Husband, what is this?"
Guo Song laughed and said: "This is called a cotton gin, which is specially used to peel cotton seeds."
When everyone heard that it was used to peel cotton seeds, they were surprised and happy. They came to watch and saw that there were more than a dozen thick wooden shafts in the wooden box, tightly arranged side by side, but they did not know how to peel cotton seeds.
Guo Song said to several soldiers: "Show me!"
Two soldiers stepped on the pedals, held on to the railings, and started to step on the pedals. More than a dozen wooden shafts began to rotate slowly. Another soldier spread cotton bolls evenly on the wooden shafts. After a while, the cotton was pulled into the wooden shafts.
The cotton seeds were squeezed out of the box and left on the wooden shaft. The soldiers quickly cleaned the cotton seeds with a small brush.
"Have you noticed, actually two people are enough. One person steps on it and the other releases it. Our fifty kilograms of cotton buds can be squeezed out in one morning."
Everyone was immediately excited. Guo Song asked his soldiers to come down and let two strong women step on the pedals. Another servant woman was responsible for putting cotton bolls and cleaning cotton seeds.
After a box was full, the cotton was taken out from below. Two soldiers used bamboo bows to play the cotton, and then played the cotton softly again. They used extremely fine twine to make a net out of the stretched cotton.
After the cotton tire was rolled out, women began to use fine cloth and satin to sew quilts, sew cotton robes, and make cotton shoes and cotton hats.
Sewing bedding, clothes, and making shoes and hats is the highlight of the Cotton Festival. Guo Song put a small red satin cotton robe sewn by his wife on his son, touched his little face and asked with a smile: "Is it warm?
?”
"Warm!" Guo Jincheng nodded heavily.
"Husband, it seems there is not enough cotton!"
Xue Tao suddenly discovered that there was too little cotton. It would cost at least five or six kilograms to make a quilt, and at least two kilograms to make a cotton robe. How could fifty kilograms of cotton be enough?
Guo Song smiled slightly and said: "I don't know enough, so I will ship another three hundred kilograms over immediately! It cannot be said that each person has a quilt, at least each person can have a cotton robe."
Li Wenyu next to him suddenly said: "Junior brother, are you selling this cotton gin? I want to buy a hundred of them."
Li Wenyu has been working hard in the shopping mall for many years and has great business acumen. She immediately realized that this would be a big industry. The Meishou Winery has been transferred to the Hexi government. Zhang Lei is currently doing tea business in Chengdu and making tea in Bashu.
The cakes were then sold to Hexi. Li Wenyu was idle in Hexi. She had been looking for another business opportunity, and the cotton gin caught her eye.
"Senior sister, you want to open a workshop?" Guo Songxiao asked.
Li Wenyu nodded repeatedly, "I not only want to ginning cotton, but also making clothes. I also want to buy a manor to grow cotton, and the cotton sleeping bags from last time. I believe these are best-sellers."
Guo Song nodded, "Actually, the principle of the cotton gin is very simple. I will give the senior sister a drawing, and the senior sister can recruit carpenters to make it. Of course, you can also buy one from the current city. One acre of land in Gaochang and Beiting can produce
We have planted 250 kilograms of cotton on 10,000 acres, and the yield is too great."
"Okay! I have the final say on this matter, and I will start working on it tomorrow."
Li Wenyu is indeed a strong woman, she does what she says without any hesitation.
A few days later, the belated heavy snow finally arrived. The cold wind howled and the snow flew. For two days in a row, the entire Hexi and Longyou were swallowed up by the snowstorm.