noffsinger Chapter 226: Prying Corn Kernels
Chapter 226: Prying Corn Kernels
"What thigh are you clinging to, Wang Fugui? You can't talk nonsense. It's obvious that the county magistrate has a good idea and sees the good of our Lianglin Village. Besides, the thoughts of these officials are not something we peasants can guess. I dare not spend these ten taels of silver. What if he comes to ask me for it again one day?"
Wang Fugui thought about it and it was true. For example, last time, he just had an argument with the village chiefs of other villages, and they came to investigate with a large force.
But if there is a first time, there will be a second time, and he must make good use of this second time.
Strive to get the reward from the county magistrate!
Zhou Mingshu stood behind and laughed secretly. He found it very amusing to watch these older people bickering with each other.
After the matter was settled, Zhou Mingshu took the basket and went to the vegetable garden.
We planted vegetables and ate them one after another. Many of them had roots that grew very long.
For example, the lettuce in front of her was as tall as her calf.
The meals at home have been too oily recently, so Zhou Mingshu plans to make some vegetarian dishes, so she plans to pick some leafy vegetables.
Lettuce, Chinese spinach, bok choy, celery, garlic sprouts, and water spinach, they are as green and as healthy as they can be.
Some white things appeared under the green leaves. When I got closer, I found that they were actually a few chicken leg mushrooms.
The round and chubby head is at the peak of its freshness.
Zhou Mingshu was very happy. He didn't expect that he could pick mushrooms right at his doorstep.
She picked them happily, planning to wash them and throw them all into the pot later.
In addition to the hodgepodge, Zhou Mingshu also cut some pickled vegetables and mixed them with sesame oil, which smelled very fragrant.
There are so many dishes, which is more than enough to eat, and there are also some pickled vegetables to enhance the flavor, which is perfect.
Since quitting his job, Zhou Mingshu is not so anxious anymore. He takes his brothers and sisters to make soap and mugwort paste all day long. These household chores alone are enough to keep them busy.
While Old Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Feng took care of the children at home, the work in the fields was left to Old Man Zhou and his men.
The main thing is that there is no important work. If we are too busy, the whole family will have to go out.
For example, a few days ago, we were busy cutting corn stalks for planting. Many people came to ask if we wanted to burn the corn stalks.
There is no need to burn the corn stalks.
Because the wheat needs to survive the winter and the insects need to hibernate, it is better not to burn it.
Corn stalks have so many uses that most people are reluctant to burn them.
It can be used to weave fences, weave mats, and start fires. The leaves can also be used to feed cattle and sheep.
After hearing the exact news, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It would be best if the corn stalks would not be burned.
Old Mrs. Zhou was very satisfied when she looked at the straw hut. She felt that all her hard work for the past half month was not in vain.
The dried corn leaves are piled up in the straw shed, one pile after another, which makes people feel at ease just by looking at it.
……
The corn has been exposed to the sun for so long that most of it has dried out.
Boss Zhou moved a basket to the corridor, took an awl and pried it out slowly. Liu and others were there too.
Grain tax will be collected at the end of the month, and every household must sort the corn before the end of the month to facilitate weighing by the government.
Boss Zhou used a awl to pry a few rows of corn, and left the rest for others to dig out with their hands, which was less laborious.
Everyone got together and had something to talk about, so it wasn't boring at all.
"The weather is good these days. Look at this corn, it's so hard that I can't even crack it open!"
"Yes, but I'll just crush it when the time comes."
"That's right. Once the grain tax is paid, we can eat cornmeal."
There is a stone mill at home and a stone roller in the village, both of which can be used to grind flour.
The corns in the basket are golden yellow and very big!
Fortunately, I listened to San Ya and burned the straw. There are much fewer insect pests this year than in previous years, and the corn kernels are not eaten by insects.
Zhou Mingshu poured the soap in front of him into the mold, put on the lid, and finally hung the production date on it.
Then take out the soaps that have been successfully saponified and pack them one by one.
Although the soap business was not very good, it was enough to keep them busy.
If it gets hot in the future, she’ll have to hire more people.
"Saya, look what this is?" Zhou Mingqi walked in carrying a basket of things.
"Huh? Snail, did you go pick up snails just now?" Zhou Mingshu asked.
"Of course not. This is a snail shell, not a snail. It's hollow inside. I just passed by Uncle Liu Qing's house and saw him pouring something out. I saw that it was a snail shell, so I took it. It's useless to him anyway."
Zhou Mingshu looked at the basket of snail shells. There were quite a lot of them.
"That's a good idea. The uncles and aunts in the village often eat snails, so they must have a lot of snail shells. We can definitely collect a lot if we go around once."
"That's what I was thinking. Let's go there later after we get these soaps in order."
"Yeah, okay, come and help me fold the paper. There's not much left."
The two sisters sorted the soaps into storage, then picked up the baskets and walked around the village.
It's true, I collected some of it more or less.
The snail shell is hard, unlike other food that will rot after a few days.
No matter where it is thrown, it will just lie there obediently.
Zhou Mingqi and Zhou Mingshu just looked around in the direction someone pointed out and found a piece. It was a little dirty, but it could still be used after washing.
Zhou Mingqi was a courageous man. He not only ordered the food that others had eaten, but also reserved the food that they would eat in the future.
Let them keep it for her, and she can come and get it when she has saved enough.
This snail shell is of no use, and my uncles and aunts will agree to it, so it's not a big deal.
Looking at the two baskets of snail shells, Zhou Mingshu smiled knowingly. This amount was enough for the Zhou family to eat for a month.
"What do you think? This is a good idea, isn't it?"
"That's right, let's go to the river and wash it, there's a lot of mud on it."
"Yeah, let's go, wash it, dry it, and store it. You can use it whenever you want."
The two were still cleaning snail shells by the river, while Zhou Laosan had skinned a rabbit and was now gutting it.
The rabbits at home gave birth to several litters in a row, and we had to build one rabbit pen after another, but there was really no place left to put them.
Just right to kill a few for meat!
The rabbits are well-raised, and their fur is shiny and glossy. If we save a few more skins, we can make clothes and leather boots in the winter.
Besides, the rabbit meat is fat, and the rabbit meat stewed by San Ya is very fragrant. I'm drooling just thinking about it.
It is also because of this that the two children, Sandan and Si Ya, are so happy instead of crying and making a fuss like before.
I can raise the remaining rabbits and sell them in town in a few days to make a lot of money.
"Sandan, go to the wall and get me some thin bamboo sticks." Zhou Laosan ordered people.
Zhou Mingyuan immediately ran over to get it.
Zhou Laosan cut off the branches, then propped up the rabbit skin, and finally hung it on the wall, waiting for it to dry.
The rest were all bloody scenes. Zhou Mingyuan covered Zhou Minghua's eyes to prevent her from seeing. He was afraid that his sister would have a nightmare at night. What if she cried out of fear?
But Zhou Minghua was very curious and pulled at his brother's hand to see.