Zhao Ergou was tidying up the vegetable garden at home. He had been working all day, and the soil in front of and behind the house was all prepared. The plots were divided into many small sections, each planted with a different kind of vegetable, then watered and fertilized.
Zhao Sanniu was chopping firewood in the empty space in the yard, a task he had to do every day. Zhao Sidan was playing with the ducks, feeding them wild greens.
"Mother, I really like ducklings." His eyes sparkled. "Ducklings love water, let's make a pond for them."
Cheng Loanloan found a patch of land in the yard. "The ducklings are still small, let's keep them here for a while. Later, we'll build a big pond."
The land she wanted to buy at the foot of the mountain was precisely for that pond. Raising ducks was secondary; her next plan was to specialize in growing lotus roots, which in this era were called "jade shoots."
Jade shoots were a southern variety. Those grown in Daha Village were not as crisp and delicious, and their color was a pale yellow. However, she had improved seeds from the marketplace, so the quality of the lotus roots and lotus seeds wouldn't be too poor. But they couldn't be too good, either, lest they be chosen as tribute, which would be very troublesome.
This item had always been a tribute. Local southerners had no difficulty eating it, but elsewhere, only those in high positions in the palace and a few imperial relatives were qualified to taste a piece.
If she could grow and sell them, specifically to the powerful and noble in the court, it would be a very profitable business.
In her previous life, she had visited West Lake, a place specializing in ornamental lotus flowers. Such a large lotus lake was estimated to be about sixty to seventy thousand mu, and the scenery during the lotus blooming season was beautiful.
If she had a lotus lake of her own, living in the village for the rest of her life would be fine. Watching flowers, drinking tea, and listening to the rain would be the greatest joy in life.
But now, she couldn't even afford thirty mu of farmland.
Heavy responsibilities, a long road ahead, heavy responsibilities, a long road ahead!
As the last rays of sunlight had not yet faded, the braised pork finally cooked. Nearly a catty of meat yielded more than half a bowl. Smelling the sweet and delicious aroma, eating it made one wish they could swallow their own tongue.
In an instant, the braised pork was eaten clean. Everyone had a spoonful of the gravy, mixed with plain rice, it was truly the most delicious flavor in the world.
After eating their fill, Cheng Loanloan took a pastry from her basket. "Sidan, this is for you. Take it and eat it."
Zhao Sidan was overjoyed. "Mother, you are so good. My favorite person is Mother."
He carefully peeled off the wrapper. The pastry was fragrant and flaky. Before he even took a bite, he heard loud gulps of saliva beside him.
Fearing the hungry wolf-like gazes of his three older brothers, he quickly hid the pastry in his sleeve.
Cheng Loanloan laughed, then continued to take things from her basket. "Everyone gets one, Hui Niang also has one. Eat your own share, don't snatch from others."
Zhao Dashan scratched the back of his head. "Mother, I'm so big, I don't eat pastries."
Cheng Loanloan took the pastry from his hand and put it into Wu Hui Niang's hand. "If your man doesn't eat it, then you eat it. Don't leave any leftovers."
From childhood to adulthood, Wu Hui Niang had never tasted this kind of pastry bought from the town. Her hands trembled slightly as she took the pastry, and she said with choked solemnity, "Thank you, Mother..."
She must be filial to her mother-in-law, serving her until she passed away.
Cheng Loanloan continued to take items from her basket. The people in this family had never held money and had no concept of its purchasing power, so she felt no pressure taking advantage of the situation. The items in her basket seemed endless.
"Take all the food inside and lock it up, don't let anyone else see it. As for this fabric, everyone can make a new set of clothes, and the leftover scraps can be used for underwear."
Don't think she didn't know that besides the eldest daughter-in-law, those four boys didn't wear underwear, only outer trousers. If their pants ripped, their bottoms would show, which was truly an unsightly scene.
"You four can choose your own colors." Cheng Luanluan picked up the light pink and ochre fabrics. She preferred light pink, but at her age, she couldn't shamelessly pretend to be young. "I'll take the ochre. Hui Niang, you can make yourself a light pink set. It'll look gentle and soft on you..."
Wu Hui Niang's eyes suddenly widened.
Light pink clothes were for little girls of five or six. What would she look like, a married woman, wearing them? But she dared not contradict her mother-in-law's words.
As the family was dividing the fabric, a sound came from the doorway.