Zi Qing took three elder male cousins to set up a shelf, the rope and scissors in the vegetable field were readily available. Zi Fu didnt put them away every day after finishing work, so they were used by people on both sides every day. Zi Qing just helped to hold the pole, lent a hand, listened to their conversation, and learned that Zhang Fu, an elder male cousin, was 15 years old this year and had already been engaged by his family, but he didnt like the other party. However, his parents and others did not agree to break off the engagement. In ancient times, breaking off an engagement was a big deal, a shameful matter.

  Xin Fus older brother is thirteen this year and has also been engaged, but he doesnt like it either. The two of them discussed running away together to apprentice, even if its just as an accountant or something. Originally, they had both studied for a few years, but they never had any hope of passing the imperial examination, so after studying for three to five years, they didnt go anymore. They can barely recognize characters and do simple arithmetic, so they want to go out and learn how to use an abacus and keep accounts.

  Jinfus elder brother also attended a private school for two years, and Ziqing thinks that the children in the Shen family seem to have all opened their eyes, so few of the Shen familys children stay at home to farm. It seems that Grandpa is very clever and has managed his days well, which is much stronger than ordinary farming households. Otherwise, he wouldnt be able to give Mother twenty taels of silver as a dowry.

  Four people worked for half a day and were all sweating, Zi Qing looked up at the sun which was now overhead, and saw that they had only finished half of the work, and the sticks were not enough either. So she went back to see if lunch was ready. When she entered the house, Xu Shi and Zhao Shi were both helping to wrap the buns, Zi Lu was burning fire on the stove steaming them, Shen Shi used another pot to boil a large pot of water and was putting eggs into it. Seeing Zi Qing had arrived, she instructed her to call everyone to come and eat, as the buns should be eaten while hot.

  Ziying went to call her uncle and aunt, and saw that the watermelon was not yet half planted. She estimated it would be finished by this afternoon. Ziying shouted: "Uncle, Auntie, Wanfu brother, Wanfu sister-in-law, lunch is ready! The buns are cooked!"

  Shen Jianshan got up as soon as he heard, wiping the mud off his hands. The others followed him out, and Zi Qing went to call Zhang Fu and the others. After washing their hands, Shen Jianshan moved the table outside. Shens wife had already brought out a plate of steamed buns and a bowl of scallion and egg drop soup for each person. There were exactly ten bowls in the house, and He Shi and his family had just arrived with ten people. Shens wife told them to eat first, and He Shi said, "Dont push back and forth, finish eating and then do the rest of the work."

  "Mom, Im telling you, the buns made by Yumei are really delicious! Its been over a decade since I last had them, theyre so fragrant. By the way, Yumei, how do you grow your vegetables? Mine have just sprouted. You didnt used to work in the fields at home either, who taught you? And that sweet potato, San Ge told me its widely grown outside and has a high yield. Can you save some seeds for us?"

  Shen Jianshui also said: "Leave some for me too, and watermelon, you should take care of it well this year, next year tell me about it, Ill plant some too."

  "Thats right, that thing is a money-making item, no one around our house has dared to plant it before. Youre quite bold, brother-in-laws idea, huh." Shen Jianshan continued to ask.

  Then Shen said that before the New Year, Zifou and several others sold couplets to make money. These vegetables and watermelons were all made by a few children. After selling the couplets in Anzhou Prefecture, they bought back the seeds. All the seedlings were raised by three children. The sweet potatoes were Zi Qings idea. She told them how to plant them. This child is clever and knows how to ask the shopkeeper who sells sweet potatoes for advice.

  The He family was amazed, and Shen Jianshan even pulled Zilu and Ziqing into a hug, laughing: "My nephew and niece are really something else! Come on, tell your big uncle all about it, how did you do it?" Ziqing let her second brother speak first, after all, he had been involved in everything except for the warm water soaking. She added a few details from the side, but she didnt mention the warm water soaking, there was just no way to explain it.

  After dinner, they all went to work. Shen Shi called over Zi Lu and Zi Qing, gave Zi Lu a basket with a gourd inside, and said: "Luer, take your sister to the general store, use this gourd to buy five cents worth of wine, buy five salted duck eggs, also buy ten cents worth of kelp, buy ten of the cheapest bowls, two cents each, ten pairs of chopsticks. In total its about 47 cents. Mom gives you 50 cents, just in case its not enough. Got it? Go and come back early, mom is waiting to stew soup."

  After moving into the new house, Ziqing rarely had the chance to go out, so this time she followed closely behind Zirong, bouncing and jumping along. When they arrived at the grocery store, the owner still recognized them and smiled, saying that red paper was no longer selling well these days. Zirong chuckled and told him what they wanted to buy today. Meanwhile, Ziqing tried to get familiar with the owner, repeatedly asking for a discount. In the end, they didnt spend any money on chopsticks, getting them for free. Zirong picked up their things and was about to head back when Ziqing spotted a nearby butcher shop and insisted on going in to take a look. She spent two cents buying four pig knuckle bones, asking the owner to crack them open and binding them with straw before handing them over to her. Back home, she told Shen Shi about it, but Shen Shi didnt say anything, washing the bones and throwing them into the pot instead. Zirong lit the fire while Shen Shi prepared dinner. Zixi slept, and He Shi saw that there was nothing much going on, so she took Ziqing out to help set up a rack.

  At a little after four oclock, everyone had finished work and Shens dinner was almost ready, still laid out outside. There werent enough stools, so Wanfu and the others stood to eat. Shen Jianshan drank wine, but Shen Jianshui didnt like to drink. The aroma of the bone soup wafted out, and Shen Jianshan said: "Yumei, bring your brother a bowl of soup, it smells great." The creamy thick soup had green scallions floating on top, very appetizing. Zixing saw that everyone was drinking with relish.

  When everyone was almost done eating, Zeng Ruixiang returned. Shen Jianshan joked: "Brother-in-law, youre really good at timing, everythings been taken care of and dinners ready, just in time for your return home."

  Rui Xiang smiled and thanked them, He Shi and the others didnt linger either, afraid that the road back home would be difficult to walk in the dark, especially with an elderly person. When sending off the guests at the door, Zi Fu also returned, Zi Fu asked about their well-being one by one, and they left.

  After returning home, Shens wife brought her husband and eldest sons meals to the table, and then accompanied him in detail to tell her husband about everything He and others did today, and also said that her two elder brothers were also planning to try planting potatoes and other things.

  Zeng Ruixiang finished his meal and hurriedly walked around the courtyard, then came back to look at Shen Shi, very excited. "Yumei, youve worked hard, what you did is really good, much better than I thought, really." A hint of shyness flashed across Shen Shis face, as if she was not used to her husbands praise.

  At night in bed, Ziqing heard her mother and father discussing the matter of inviting guests for Zi Xis 100th day celebration. Only to hear Zeng Rui Xiang say: "Forget it, lets not invite anyone, anyway your maternal family has already come over today, the remaining ones are just my paternal family and elder brothers family as well as Chun Yus family, also my aunts family, and several families from our clan. Everyone knows that were not financially stable after just separating households, lets wait until we build a new house and then have a good celebration."

  Also heard Shen said about raising pigs, Zeng Rui Xiang did not agree, one is no place, two is too hard, three is currently nothing to feed. Then he sighed that the three big brothers of his wifes family were indeed very kind, and it was still good for the Shen familys education. Listening and listening, Zi Qing fell asleep.