It was early morning.
Before the sun had even risen, the air was at its coolest.
Zhao Xiaohua was sitting in the courtyard chopping wild vegetables for the chickens and ducks.
It was still dark, but Zhao Dashan had already gone to the fields to weed and fertilize.
Zhao Ergou and Zhao Sanniu were arranging the ice blocks made the previous night. After breakfast, they would take the ox cart to deliver them. Zhao Sidan was also helping out.
As she couldn't stand for too long, Wu Huiniang sat in the courtyard continuing to cut and sew clothes. She was cutting two garments at once: the dark blue one was for Zhao Dashan, and the earthy yellow one was for Cheng Loanloan. Both outfits were almost finished.
Cheng Loanloan was in the kitchen making breakfast. She mixed corn flour with water, cracked an egg into it, then added the finely chopped wild vegetables and mixed everything thoroughly. Once well combined, she put the mixture into a pan to bake. There were many people in the house, so each person would get two pancakes. Including Xiaohua, a total of fourteen pancakes were made.
This time, she managed the heat perfectly, so the pancakes weren't soggy. When taken out of the pan, they were still steaming hot.
Zhao Dashan wouldn't be home for a while, so his two pancakes would be kept warm in the pan. Cheng Loanloan called everyone to come and eat breakfast.
Zhao Xiaohua wiped her hands and stood up. "Auntie, I've finished chopping the wild vegetables. I'll head back now."
Cheng Loanloan quickly called her back. "Why are you in such a hurry? Eat breakfast first, then I'll pay you for today's work."
Zhao Xiaohua quickly waved her hand. At her old home, breakfast was eaten an hour later, and dinner an hour earlier. They only ate two meals a day, so she wasn't used to eating so early, even though her stomach had long been rumbling with hunger.
She picked up her basket and bag, preparing to leave.
Cheng Loanloan quickly chased after her, first giving her two *wen* coins, then pressing two wild vegetable corn pancakes into her hand.
"Auntie, I really can't take these," Xiaohua quickly said. "Taking the money is enough. Please keep the pancakes for Brother Dashan and the others to eat."
Cheng Loanloan's movements were firm. In the end, Xiaohua had no choice but to hold the pancakes in her hand.
The boys in the house had all eaten. With eggs added to the corn flour to make wild vegetable pancakes, each person could eat two, which were both delicious and filling.
After eating, Zhao Ergou and Zhao Sanniu went together to deliver the goods.
Cheng Loanloan couldn't help but repeatedly instruct them, "Be careful on the road, don't get into conflicts with others. After delivering the goods, you must personally count the copper coins. Whether there's more or less, you must speak up..."
Watching the rickety cart leave Dahe Village, Cheng Loanloan's heart still couldn't settle.
No wonder there was a proverb that said, 'When a child travels a thousand miles, the mother worries.' These two boys were only going to town to deliver goods, yet she couldn't feel at ease.
"Mother, come and try on the clothes."
Wu Huiniang bit off the thread, brushed off the clothes, and held them up to Cheng Loanloan to try on.
Cheng Loanloan couldn't help but praise her daughter-in-law's skill. In just two or three days, she had transformed a piece of fabric into an outfit.
Because it was hand-woven fabric with no embroidered patterns, the outfit was very simple. There was a tie at the waist, and whether tied to the left or right, the overall look was beautiful. The only thing that made her a little embarrassed was that the chest area was sewn a bit small, a little tight... Alright, if she hadn't worn underwear inside, this outfit would have fit perfectly. Who told her she couldn't stand the emptiness anymore, so she had to secretly buy a bra in the market to wear? When washing it, she felt like a thief...
Cheng Luanluan pointed to her chest: "Can you loosen it a bit here?"
Wu Huiniang's face flushed slightly: "Yes, Mother, I'll go fix it right away."
Cheng Luanluan took off the outfit, put on her old, patched clothes again, and began her day's work.
For farmers, no matter how tired they were the day before, the new day was a completely fresh start. There was always a lot to do, both inside and outside the house.