Chapter 358 - 358: Dinner
Chapter 358 - 358: Dinner
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Shen Mo¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and he spoke with ack of confidence, ¡°Uncle Jiang, when you look at me like that, 1 feel very uneasy.¡±
Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t avert his gaze and responded coldly, ¡°If you do nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. Your difort only shows your guilt.¡±
¡°I¡ What am 1 guilty of?¡± Shen Mo didn¡¯t even know why he felt guilty, but he began to stutter subconsciously. Even if he didn¡¯t feel guilty before, he felt it now.
At first, Shen Mo didn¡¯t overthink things. He simply wanted to find a suitable military base. The mountains and forests of Pushan vige were vast and the terrain on the mountain was perfect for a military base.
He reassured himself that he chose Pushan vige purely for military purposes.
However, after meeting Jiang Xia the previous day, Shen Mo¡¯s joy and excitement were hard to hide. Even Shen Mo himself began to wonder if he was so adamant about making Pushan vige a military base just to have more chances to get close to Jiang Xia.
Jiang Xia, now only a thirteen-year-old girl, was already bright and bing more beautiful. Shen Mo feared that if he stayed elsewhere for a few more years and then returned, Jiang Xia might have be someone else¡¯s belle.
At that thought, Shen Mo tried to restrain himself.
It was the first time he had ever been so infatuated with a girl.
Shen Mo had always been strikingly handsome since childhood, with countless people drawn to him. This made him somewhat averse to women. When his family repeatedly suggested he marry Ma Juan, he was very reluctant and hence proposed not to get married for five years as a stalling tactic.
It wasn¡¯t until he met Jiang Xia that he realized a girl could also have unique insights. In Jiang Xia, he saw a kind of resilience and unique vitality he had never found in anyone else.
So when the leaders expressed doubts about establishing a military base in Pushan vige, he firmly held his ground, leading to half a year¡¯s efforts before the relocation to Pushan vige was settled.
Therefore, when the leader had doubts about building a military base in Pushan Vige, he insisted on his opinion. It took them more than half a year to settle the matter of moving the army to Pushan Vige.
Starting something is always the hardest. He couldn¡¯t let his guilt show.
Jiang Xia was still young and hadn¡¯t begun thinking about romantic rtionships. Therefore, he needed to take the initiative to secure a ce in her heart. This way, when the young girlter considered marriage, he would be the first one she thought of.
Shen Mo rubbed his nose, cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment, and revealed what he thought was a graceful smile, saying, ¡°Uncle Jiang, I¡¯ve been thinking about Aunt Zhou¡¯s cooking for the past few months. I wonder if 1 can have another taste of her food at your home?¡±
Jiang Chuan, being a shrewd person, would have handled such a proposal very tactfully, but not when it came from Shen Mo.
Jiang Chuan, seeing Shen Mo¡¯s potentially impure motives, coldly refused, ¡°Your Aunt Zhou has farm work in the morning and won¡¯t be cooking lunch at home.¡±
¡°Uh¡¡± Shen Mo was choked up.
He wasn¡¯t sure why he had offended Jiang Chuan. Why had the friendly Uncle Jiang from yesterday suddenly changed? Shen Mo felt awkward insisting on visiting after being rejected, so he just gave a sheepish smile and got up to leave.
But Shen Mo wasn¡¯t one to give up easily. His intent to visit Jiang Chuan¡¯s home was not merely for food, but to see Jiang Xia. For Jiang Xia¡¯s sake, he was determined to visit no matter what.
If he couldn¡¯t join them for lunch, he could always go in the evening. Shen Mo quickly thought of Tian Zao, who had just changed her attitude towards him.
Tian Zao was the head of themune. If she visited Jiang Chuan¡¯s home, he surely wouldn¡¯t refuse.
And so, Shen Mo returned to Tian Zao¡¯s office.
Seeing Shen Moe back, Tian Zao looked puzzled, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already get the signature you needed? Why are you back?¡±
Chapter 359 - 359: Somewhat Cunning
Chapter 359 - 359: Somewhat Cunning
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Shen Mo courteously revealed a smile, saying, ¡°Captain Tian, I need a favor from you.¡±
Tian Zao thought it might be a significant military matter and thus invited him to sit.
Although Tian Zao had disagreements with Jiang Chuan, she was pragmatic and always had the people¡¯s welfare at heart.
Earlier that morning, due to a misunderstanding, Tian Zao had been cold towards Shen Mo. However, when she heard he was here for serious business, she immediately set aside her emotions. This made Shen Mo respect her even more.
In this era, gender bias was profound. For a woman to have risen to such a position, she certainly had substantial capabilities.
Seeing Tian Zao¡¯s serious expression, Shen Mo quickly tried to lighten the mood, ¡°Don¡¯t be tense, Captain Tian. I just want to invite you to walk around the vige with me to get acquainted with the environment.¡±
Tian Zao, having recently been transferred here, probably hadn¡¯t had the time to familiarize herself with the vige. Shen Mo guessed she wouldn¡¯t refuse his suggestion.
Indeed, Tian Zao had been considering doing this. Having been in Pushan Vige for just over two weeks and constantly busy with handing over her duties, she found this to be a good opportunity. She readily agreed.
However, she nced outside and noted the sun was already at its zenith. She suggested, ¡°It¡¯s already noon. How about we have lunch at themune first?¡±
Shen Mo happily agreed and followed her to themune¡¯s cafeteria.
Meanwhile, in the town, Jiang Xia apanied Xiao Li to the co-op store, only to find that Liu Xing had gone out. The two were left with no choice but to wait outside the store, each sitting on a small stool.
They had arrived just past eleven and had to endure the cold until Liu Xing returned at one.
Upon seeing the two, who were walking back and forth to keep warm, Liu Xing quickly approached, apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry to have kept you waiting. My wife is over seven months pregnant and went for a check-up at the county hospital. I apanied her because I was worried. How long have you been here? Have you eaten? Come inside and warm up.¡±
Liu Xing opened the co-op¡¯s door, revealing a room still warm from the morning¡¯s lit coal. They must have lit the fire early that morning but had left in a rush for the hospital, forgetting to put out the brazier.
Liu Xing added some more coal, seemingly not bothered about the coal wasted in the morning. It was clear he was doing well.
Both Jiang Xia and Xiao Li thought about their homes, where coal was scarce. They could only heat their beds at night with coal, but would often still wake up freezing.
Their only solution was to make more quilts, as obtaining coal without tickets was nearly impossible. Especially this winter, which was particrly harsh. Jiang Chuan had even tried the ck market, but there was a severe limitation.
Su Zhen had mentioned reforms restricting even those with coal tickets from obtaining too much coal, leading to scarcity.
Jiang Xia pondered that while 21st-century concerns were about reducing carbon emissions for environmental reasons, in the 1960s, these advanced ideas weren¡¯t prevalent. So, why the coal restriction?
Su Zhen rified, ¡°Because the winter is so cold, people close their doors and windows. Burning coal in such conditions can suffocate individuals. I heard over a thousand people died this way in the neighboring province.¡±
Jiang Xia internally remarked that the cause wasn¡¯t suffocation, but rather carbon monoxide poisoning due to iplete coalbustion.
Nevertheless, the government¡¯s move to reduce coal sales, aimed at decreasing the death rate, meant that people were running out of coal. Yet Liu Xing had an ample supply.
After adding coal to the brazier and serving them hot water, both Jiang Xia and Xiao Li lost themselves in thoughts.
Xiao Li envied Liu Xing¡¯sfortable life, hoping to someday run his co-op store and achieve coal independence.
Jiang Xia, on the other hand, was strategizing. Liu Xing¡¯s situation seemed even better than she had initially thought. She needed to reconsider their previous price discussions to ensure maximum benefit for her family..
Chapter 360 - 360: Negotiations
Chapter 360: Negotiations
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Liu Xing sat down by the coal basin, his palms close to the newly risen mes. The gentle fire warmed his pale, frostbitten hands, and the ice in his hair slowly melted under the heat.
Once warmed up, Liu Xing turned to Xiao Li, ¡°Brother Xiao Li, why are you here again today?¡±
In this freezing weather, many roads were icy and slippery. A trip to the town now took twice as long as usual, if not more. In winter, there were barely any people even going to the cooperative store to exchange goods.
Xiao Li hade the day before, trading half a cart of wild vegetables and pickles for a few kilograms of flour. Liu Xing thought he wouldn¡¯t see him again for at least half a month, but here he was the very next day.
Xiao Wu had been called away by the vige chief for other chores, and with Xiao Wu¡¯s wife having just given birth and still in confinement, Xiao Wu couldn¡¯t leave the vige. Therefore, all the town¡¯s business fell to Xiao Li.
Every half month, Xiao Li would gather wild vegetables others had brought and take them to the cooperative store in the town to exchange them for grains, meat, etc. Then he would return to the vige and distribute them among the households ording to their shares. It was amendable task, and he did it with enthusiasm.
A little shy, Xiao Li licked his lips which had been moistened by warm water and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention yesterday that there¡¯s arge demand for pickled vegetables? After 1 went back, I discussed with Third Brother Jiang to see if we can cooperate with the cooperative store. Both our families can take on this task, streamline the process, and make things easier for both of us. See, representatives from both our families are here.¡±
Jiang Chuan had taught Xiao Li this speech. He had practiced it all the way and now recited it word for word.
He even patted Jiang Xia, sitting beside him. She immediately sat up straight and looked at Liu Xing.
Liu Xing looked at the young ¡°representative¡± and couldn¡¯t help butugh heartily, teasing her, ¡°Hello, young representative.¡±
Jiang Xia didn¡¯t quite understand why adults always liked to tease children.
Wanting to get straight to the point, she said, ¡°Uncle Liu, how much pickled vegetables does the cooperative store need when you say arge amount?¡±
To make it easy for Jiang Xia to understand, Liu Xing used his hands to illustrate. He made the shape of a big jar in front of his chest, ¡°A jar this big, we need ten of them every month. But, you need to provide five every half month. I can¡¯t wait a whole month.¡±
Jiang Xia was taken aback. This truly was arge amount!
Normally, Zhou Lan made meat sauce in small bottles. One bottle was enough for a family of four for three days. In terms of the jars, one jar of pickled vegetables, once prepared,sted seven days and was enough for four people. But the size Liu Xing demonstrated was three times that of the jars they had at home, with one jar weighing at least twenty to thirty kilograms.
Ten jars of pickled vegetables could feed an entire vige!
It seemed the pickles collected by the cooperative store were sent to the neighboring vige.
What was so special about that vige that it received such attention from the government, with both grain and vegetables being sent? Why didn¡¯t Pushan Vige receive the same treatment?
Jiang Xia contemted. She¡¯d have to ask her father to inquire from Chen Xing, who was after all the son-inw of the neighboring vige and must know their situation.
First, the main issue at hand.
They could produce pickled vegetables, but where would the ingredientse from?
Vegetables were not a problem, as Jiang Xia¡¯s interspace was full of radishes and greens which she had been worrying about how to consume. Using them for pickles was perfect.
However, making pickles also required a lot of salt for curing and sugar for vor enhancement. Where would thesee from?
Moreover, they didn¡¯t have suchrge jars at home.
Such jars couldn¡¯t be easily found at factories like their usual pots and pans, and couldn¡¯t be bought with money. This was really challenging!
Xiao Li also realized the difficulty. He hadn¡¯t considered all these details previously, thinking only of the profit. Now, he realized this was nearly an impossible task.
Seeing the two of them in a dilemma, Liu Xing thought they were about to back out and asked, ¡°Xiao Li, do you still want to take up the pickle business?¡±
Xiao Li immediately shook his head.
He was an honest man. Not being able to sell the pickles was secondary. The main worry was that if he promised and couldn¡¯t deliver, he would feel very guilty.
Although Xiao Li had given up, Jiang Xia hadn¡¯t.. She calmly retorted, ¡°Uncle Liu, which normal household has such big jars? Isn¡¯t this a bit unreasonable of you to ask?¡±
Chapter 361 - 361: A Slip of the Tongue
Chapter 361: A Slip of the Tongue
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Liu Xing paused for a moment, finding Jiang Xia¡¯s perspective always unusualpared to most people. This made him feel as though she was more reliable than Xiao Li.
Hearing herposed tone, he felt that Jiang Xia seemed experienced, something unexpected for a vige girl like her. Most girls from the vige would¡¯ve probably reacted like Xiao Li did upon hearing his words, immediately shaking their heads and leaving.
It¡¯s not that Liu Xing didn¡¯t want to cooperate with them. On the contrary, he sincerely hoped that both families could produce such arge quantity of pickles. After all, he acted as a middleman for the pickles, collecting them and then distributing them to the neighboring vige.
This was a closed loop, and Liu Xing could only be considered an insignificant link in this closed loop.
He spoke out bluntly not to be rude, but rather he liked to state the potential problems upfront, so if any issue aroseter, it wouldn¡¯t create an awkward situation for both parties.
Addressing Jiang Xia, Liu Xing said, ¡°I can get you therge jars you need, but not many. At most, I can find three.¡±
Xiao Li began to calcte. They needed to deliver five jars of pickles in half a month. With only three avable, they would have to utilize every container they had at home to fill the remaining two. Wouldn¡¯t that mean their courtyard would be filled with jars?
That simply wasn¡¯t feasible!
Noticing Jiang Xia¡¯s growing enthusiasm, Xiao Li feared she might agree without considering the consequences. He tried to pull her away, intending to leave.
Being smaller and weaker, Jiang Xia struggled against Xiao Li¡¯s pull. In her haste, she blurted out, ¡°Uncle Li, let go of me! I¡¯m discussing serious matters. Don¡¯t cause a disturbance!¡±
Thement caught all three of them off guard.
Realizing her words made it sound as if Xiao Li was the child and she the adult, Jiang Xia looked at the surprised expressions on Liu Xing and Xiao Li. She awkwardly smiled, wondering how to exin herself.
Fortunately, Xiao Li, always one to smooth things over, quickly covered for her, ¡°Did you pick up that way of speaking from your parents at home?¡±
Jiang Xia was momentarily stunned, unsure whether tomend Xiao Li for his quick thinking or chide him for his simplicity.
Following his lead, she replied, ¡°Exactly! My parents always speak like this. Why can they say such things, but 1 can¡¯t?¡±
Blinking her innocent eyes at them, the two adults just found her adorable, attributing her words to her youthful naivety.
Chastising her gently, Xiao Li said, ¡°Silly girl, while your parents might say such things, you shouldn¡¯t. In the vige, it¡¯s considered disrespectful. You¡¯re an obedient child; you shouldn¡¯t be rude.¡±
Jiang Xia verbally agreed, but internally she remained unconvinced.
However, after the brief hup, the two finally gave Jiang Xia their full attention.
She said, ¡°Delivering five jars of pickles in half a month is indeed a lot for us. We can¡¯t meet that, but our vige has many people. Together, we might be able to.¡±
Seeming to have an epiphany, Xiao Li eagerly added, ¡°Right, Xiao Wu and Fatty¡¯s father can contribute.¡±
Jiang Xia continued, ¡°We just want to know, if we can deliver, how much grain are you willing to exchange with us, Uncle Liu?¡±
Adding his thoughts, Xiao Li said, ¡°Yesterday, we traded almost one jar of pickles for one and a half kilos of flour. So, for five jars, it should be at least seven and a half kilos of flour!¡±
The two coordinated their statements so well that Liu Xing was left momentarily speechless.
Looking conflicted, Liu Xing admitted that seven and a half kilos of flour was a bit too much for him to provide.
After hesitating, he asked, ¡°You only want flour? Don¡¯t you want to exchange for something else?¡±
Curious, Xiao Li asked, ¡°Like what?¡±
Excitedly, Liu Xing listed the options, ¡°There¡¯s a lot! Pork, vegetables, tools, and cotton. With winter being so cold this year, why not exchange for some cotton? You can make warm quilts. 1 have some stored cotton here, which 1 can exchange for your pickles..¡±
Chapter 362 - 362: Changing Charcoal
Chapter 362: Changing Charcoal
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Liu Xing¡¯s offer was incredibly enticing. The weather had turned cold this year, and there was an insufficient supply of charcoal. Currently, everyone was scrambling to buy cotton, causing the price of cotton to rise by an extra cent per half a kilos.
Back then, a cent was significant. One quilt required at least five kilos of cotton, meaning that making a quilt now cost an extra coin!
A coin could buy a pair of cotton shoes.
Had Jiang Xia been a mere child, she would¡¯ve been dazzled by such an offer and would¡¯ve instantly agreed. However, Jiang Xia was sharp-minded. What she was after wasn¡¯t just the cotton but the continuous supply of charcoal in Liu Xing¡¯s home.
Compared to cotton, the real need now was the daily-used charcoal!
Seeing Jiang Xia remaining silent, Liu Xing assumed she didn¡¯t understand the value of cotton. He thought she only cared about food and proceeded to exin the significance of cotton, from its origin to its insting properties.
After delivering a lengthy spiel, he wrapped up, emphasizing, ¡°So, you must buy the cotton.¡±
Jiang Xia just listened to Liu Xing¡¯s flowery words, his saliva almost sprinkling like rain. She waited until he took a sip of water before shing her harmless smile and replied, ¡°Uncle Liu, I still don¡¯t want the cotton.¡±
¡°Cough!¡± Liu Xing choked on his water, coughing for a while before recovering. He felt a mixture of frustration and anger at Jiang Xia. Why hadn¡¯t she said so earlier? He had been talking his mouth dry, and she just declined his offer. Who was she trying to annoy?
Indeed, Jiang Xia had a knack for exasperating people. It wasn¡¯t surprising that Liu Xing was irate. He could only me his bad luck.
When Xiao Li heard Jiang Xia decline the cotton, he was stunned, fearing that she didn¡¯t know better. He was concerned that Jiang Chuan would me him for not supervising her. So, he quickly reiterated the benefits to her.
He then whispered in her ear, ¡°With cotton, we can make padded jackets for you and Xiao Gu. Once you two start school, you can wear the new jackets to ss. No one else will have them.¡±
It felt like he was coaxing a child.
Seeing Xiao Li¡¯s earnest expression, Jiang Xia felt a pang of regret. Of course, she knew the benefits of cotton; she didn¡¯t need someone constantly reminding her. Given the circumstances, if she refused the cotton again, she¡¯d appear foolish.
However, she had to make a choice: it was either the cotton or the charcoal, and she absolutely needed thetter.
She remembered a conversation with the youngest child of the Zhang family on Grand Cloud Mountain. He had spoken proudly of their life there. Despite the inconvenience of traveling to the city, which took half a day, they had everything they needed.
Furthermore, the Zhang family lived by hunting and maintained a close rtionship with Su Zhen. The money they earned from selling their game was substantial. Every winter in the past years, they would haul carts loaded with coal back to their house. They didn¡¯t skimp on coal during the cold season. Every night, they would light enough coal to keep them warm throughout, ensuring that by the next morning, the house was cozy.
As for clothing and shoes, although there¡¯s a scarcity of cotton up in the mountains, they possessed various animal furs to make padded jackets. These jackets, tailored from animal hides, provided resistance against the cold, making them even warmer than regr cotton jackets.
It had been many years since the eldest sister had returned home. Jiang Xia did not wish for her life to be any lesser than what she had experienced in the mountains.
In the past, the eldest sister had endured much hardship at home for their sake. She had left empty-handed, but now that she was back, the Jiang family intended to make up for all that they couldn¡¯t provide for her before.
Jiang Xia believed this reflected her parents¡¯ sentiments too.
Although the Jiang family¡¯s past hardships were not closely linked to Jiang Xia and her siblings, in the hearts of Zhou Lan and Jiang Chuan, there was always a feeling of guilt towards their daughters. They hoped to make up for their previous shorings as best they could.
So, even if Xiao Li and Liu Xing praised the cotton to the skies today, Jiang Xia¡¯s only objective was the coal.
Jiang Xia sighed inwardly, then looked up at Xiao Li with a resolute gaze. ¡°Uncle Li, I truly don¡¯t want the cotton. I¡¯d like to exchange it for something else.¡±
Xiao Li stayed silent, realizing that this young girl was not one to be easily swayed.
¡°Oh? What do you want in exchange?¡±
It was Liu Xing who asked, his curiosity piqued. Seeing that both men were unable to persuade her, he became more intrigued by what she might have in mind..
Chapter 363 - 363: Want Charcoal
Chapter 363: Want Charcoal
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
After all that fuss, Jiang Xia was stubborn in her insistence. Only now did she relent, and Liu Xing couldn¡¯t help but wonder what could possibly make this obstinate little girl change her mind.
He figured, most children love to eat and can¡¯t resist sweets. If Jiang Xia wanted candies or toys that children love, perhaps Liu Xing could actually indulge her.
Normally, one would only find these items in shopping mall; the supply store wouldn¡¯t stock such non-essential items. But, fortunately, Liu Xing¡¯s wife was seven months pregnant and due soon, so he had stocked up on toys, milk powder, and candies. If Jiang Xia really wanted some, he could bear the pain of parting with a few of them.
Liu Xing had already put his hand into his pocket, searching for candies.
However, he noticed that Jiang Xia¡¯s eyes were glued to the coal brazier, watching the feeble mes lick the glowing coals, their surfaces already covered in grey ash.
Following her gaze, both men looked at the brazier. Liu Xing felt a pang of guilt. Could it be that she had her eyes set on his coal?
He knew just how scarce coal was. All his coal was obtained through connections; this type of transaction couldn¡¯t be made openly, and he certainly couldn¡¯t trade it to Jiang Xia.
Moreover, Xiao Li, initially naive in his thoughts, might now be considering the coal too because of Jiang Xia¡¯s mention.
If they wanted to barter for something else, even at a higher price, Liu Xing might consider it. But this coal, if he really parted with it, who knows what kind of trouble he might get into!
Sure enough, when Xiao Li heard about the coal, his eyes lit up with longing.
Liu Xing quickly shifted, blocking their view. ¡°This won¡¯t do. The coal is regted by the state. Without a coal tickets, I can¡¯t give it to you.¡±
Jiang Xia revealed her cute little fangs, smiling innocently, ¡°But Uncle Liu, we really need coal.¡±
Liu Xing felt a chill from her smile, as if he were prey under watch.
Jiang Xia¡¯s expression changed instantly. Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked pitifully at Liu Xing. ¡°Uncle Liu, this winter is so cold. We don¡¯t have enough coal at home. I often wake up freezing. To save coal, all four of us huddle on a single bed.¡±
This was the truth, not an exaggeration. More beds would mean more coal consumption. To save coal, they could only sleep on therge bed in Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan¡¯s room. More bodies together also meant more warmth.
Jiang Xia continued with her pitiful act, ¡°When it¡¯s cold, people getzy. When they¡¯rezy, they don¡¯t have time to make pickled vegetables. Without pickles, there¡¯s no supply. And without supply, Uncle Liu, you¡¯ll be the one worried!¡±
¡°Uh¡¡± Liu Xing inwardly praised her logical reasoning, but he still couldn¡¯t give in.
Jiang Xia was naturally cute, and now she was intentionally acting adorable and pitiful. Anyone would soften and feel sympathetic seeing her like this.
Seeing that such expressions worked, Xiao Li immediately imitated Jiang Xia¡¯s teary look.
Liu Xing frowned, thinking there was really no need for such a grown man to act like a little girl!
Xiao Li was a big, burly man, ustomed to farm work and tanned by the sun. His oily face now even reflected light. Making that pitiful expression looked absolutely ridiculous, and Liu Xing couldn¡¯t bear it.
Exasperated, Liu Xing stopped them. ¡°You¡ both of you, stop making those faces! Let¡¯s talk sensibly!¡±
Recognizing the effectiveness of their tactics, both returned to normal expressions.
Liu Xing¡¯s hand had been gripping the candy so tightly it had softened. Originally, he wanted to cate Jiang Xia with it. Now, realizing it wouldn¡¯t help, he ced it back in his pocket.
He gritted his teeth and looked at the two, making onest attempt, ¡°We can discuss anything else, but you can¡¯t expect me to break thew, right?¡±
He had coal reserves, and aside from what he needed for the winter, he had plenty left. He had considered secretly selling some on the ck market, but fearing consequences, he refrained.
If this were in the past, he might have taken the risk, but now he had a child and a family to think about.
Jiang Xia began her tearful act again.
And Xiao Li followed suit.
¡°Enough, enough! Stop looking at me like that!¡± Liu Xing was on the verge of losing it. ¡°Can we talk sensibly?¡±
Jiang Xia, with her obedient expression, replied, ¡°Uncle Liu, as long as we keep it a secret, it¡¯s fine, right?¡±
Chapter 364 - 364: Must Have It
Chapter 364: Must Have It
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Liu Xing observed Jiang Xia and Xiao Li, who seemed hell-bent on getting what they wanted, and suddenly felt as though he¡¯d been tricked and was now under their thumb.
Despite everything, he wasn¡¯t obligated to trade pickles with Jiang Xia and Xiao Li. How did theirbined efforts make it seem like he had no other choice but to get pickles from them?
Reflecting on this, Liu Xing realized the main reason was his aversion to hassles. He could acquire the five jars of pickles he needed over the span of half a month from various sources, but that would be quite time-consuming.
People from the neighboring viges who could deliver five jars of pickles in half a month were few and far between. Initially, Liu Xing doubted Jiang Xia and Xiao Li could gather that amount, but seeing their confident demeanors and hearing about their vige contacts made him believe they could deliver the jars together in half a month, sparing him a lot of effort.
What Liu Xing dreaded most was any inconvenience. He wished he could spend only a few hours a day at the supply and marketing cooperative and then hurry home to spend time with his pregnant wife and their unborn child, who was already kicking. Enjoying the soup his mother made for him brought immense joy. Who would want to waste away their days at the cooperative, especially during the bitter cold?
But with the current state of the cooperative and the pickle exchange, his presence was indispensable.
There might be those who prefer to exchange their pickles when fewer people are around, leading to missed opportunities. So Liu Xing had to stay the whole day, waiting for potential trades.
It had been about a week since he received the directive from above to collect pickles. He had been waiting here daily and had only managed to gather four jars so far. Xiao Li¡¯s significant contribution the previous day had been a great help, but spending every day at the cooperative wasn¡¯t ideal.
He heard that the cooperative in the neighboring town had a set schedule, operating only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., allowing the rest of the day for rest at home. Who wouldn¡¯t envy such a setup?
Collecting arge amount of pickles was time-consuming, but not just anyone could take on this task. Without pulling some strings, this job wouldn¡¯t have fallen into Liu Xing¡¯sp. It might have been assigned to the county or another town¡¯s cooperative.
The benefits of this task were evident by the extra charcoal at Liu Xing¡¯s house.
He nced at Jiang Xia again, frustrated at how cunning she was.
However, he quickly came to terms with his feelings.
He wasn¡¯t an ungrateful person. He clearly understood that the reason he had the opportunity to exchange for pickles was due to Jiang Xia.
Because Jiang Xia was smart. She told the Shen family that if they wished to contact her, they should look for Liu Xing. This led him to get acquainted with the Shen family.
Things are interconnected, and the origin of this matter stemmed from Jiang Xia. Since Jiang Xia helped him, he felt it was fine to be slightly lenient in this situation.
However, what finally made Liu Xing relent was his recognition of the Jiang family¡¯s capabilities.
He had heard bits and pieces about the Jiang Chuan family.
They started from scratch after leaving the old Jiang family and had been doing so for about six months. Their living conditions visibly improved. Initially, they would visit the supply and marketing cooperative to barter items, but now it¡¯s said they seldom visit the town, often trading in the city instead.
The family¡¯s status kept getting better, which was evident from Jiang Xia¡¯s appearance. This young girl was bing more and more radiant, wasn¡¯t this proof that their household¡¯s conditions were improving?
Furthermore, when Liu Xing interacted with Jiang Chuan, he felt that Jiang Chuan was extraordinary and would undoubtedly achieve great things in the future. That¡¯s why he always facilitated things for their family.
Most importantly, Xiao Wu and Xiao Li, who had close ties with the Jiang family, were also prospering day by day. Being close to this family surely had its benefits. Giving charcoal to Jiang Xia can be considered as a goodwill gesture.
Once Liu Xing hade to this realization, he repeatedly stressed to the two of them, ¡°This charcoal is state-controlled. Even 1 can¡¯t casually exchange it for vegetables. You must keep this a secret. No matter who asks, you mustn¡¯t say a word! When using the charcoal, be cautious and don¡¯t let others discover it. In short, be very, very careful!¡±
Only after both of them assured him did his expression soften..
Chapter 365 - 365: Deal
Chapter 365: Deal
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Liu Xing was a sharp-looking man, with meticulous thoughts. Jiang Xia secretly thought to herself that she indeed made the right choice in helping him. Even these little details revealed that Liu Xing was a man who would repay kindness. Perhaps in the future, he might be of help to the Jiang family. Now that Liu Xing had agreed, Jiang Xia wouldn¡¯t push her luck further. They settled on the market rate: two jar of pickles in exchange for one two and a half kilos of charcoal and an additional 5 kilos of flour. With these in hand, she could ount for her activities when she returned home.
Furthermore, Jiang Xia had already decided that when collecting pickles from the neighbors, she mustn¡¯t reveal that the township supply and marketing cooperative was buying them. She would simply say her family was collecting them.
The matter of charcoal wasn¡¯t something to be discussed openly. The fewer people who knew, the better. Otherwise, it would just be inviting trouble.
To Xiao Li, the price wasn¡¯t the concern. He originally hadn¡¯t expected to sessfully trade for charcoal, but to his surprise, Liu Xing had eventually agreed.
With charcoal in hand, everything else became secondary. Even if Xiao Li was given only half kilos of flour, he would be happy.
On the way home, Xiao Li was ecstatic, knowing that his family would soon have charcoal to use. He couldn¡¯t stop singing praises of Jiang Xia.
¡°Xiao Xia, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so clever. Third Brother Jiang truly raised a good daughter! Bringing you along was far better thaning alone. Even though you¡¯re young, you¡¯re already making decisions for the family. When you grow up, you¡¯ll certainly make a great wife.¡±
However, Jiang Xia didn¡¯t appreciate such praise. She was a girl educated with modern ideals. Her life goals weren¡¯t limited to just marrying and bearing children. She had her own aspirations! She wanted to realize her own value, not just grow up and get married casually.
But one couldn¡¯t me Xiao Li for his narrow-mindedness. Given the era he lived in, that¡¯s all many could aspire to. Even in modern times, many elders remain stuck in their conservative mindsets, resistant to modern ideologies. Only by witnessing the prosperity and strength of a new society can people¡¯s ideas progress. This was destined to be a slow process.
By the time they got home, it was already afternoon. Xiao Li and Zhou Lan discussed the details of making pickles and the required ingredients. Zhou Lan then went with him to his house.
Considering that Xiao Li and Jiang Xia hadn¡¯t eaten lunch, Zhou Lan also brought along some wild vegetable pancakes she made earlier. Leaving only Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu at home.
In winter, the sun set early. By six in the evening, it would usually be pitch dark. Jiang Xia estimated that by the time Zhou Lan and Jiang Chuan returned, it would be nightfall.
Jiang Xia suddenly remembered the ribs Shen Mo gave her. With all the excitement about the pickles yesterday, she had forgotten about the delicious ribs she had kept in storage. That was really careless of her.
It was an opportune time, with Zhou Lan not around, and no time to prepare dinner. Why not cook a sumptuous meal for the family herself?
Back in modern times, Jiang Xia was very picky about food. If something didn¡¯t taste right, she would refuse to eat it after a single bite. To tempt Jiang Xia to eat, Zhou Lan would try various dishes and even studied a cookbook.
Jiang Xia had read that cookbook and remembered some recipes and ingredient quantities. Plus, she was ustomed to Zhou Lan¡¯s cooking, so she was familiar with the tastes. With these in mind, preparing a meal wasn¡¯t a challenge for her.
Jiang Xia shared her idea with Jiang Gu, but the chubby-faced kid immediately shook her head, ¡°Mom said kids aren¡¯t allowed to light fires on their own. You¡¯re still a kid, so you can¡¯t secretly start a fire either!¡±
She almost forgot that Jiang Gu was a very obedient child, only listening to Zhou Lan. If Zhou Lan said not to start a fire, she would obey.
In that era, kitchens didn¡¯t use natural gas or induction cooktops but stoves that required wood or coal fires.
Jiang Xia found it challenging even to light wood for the fire, let alone control its intensity. However, Jiang Gu, who spent every day by Zhou Lan¡¯s side helping her cook, was adept at managing the fire.
To properly cook a meal, Jiang Xia truly couldn¡¯t do without Jiang Gu..
Chapter 366 - 366: Deceiving
Chapter 366: Deceiving
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Jiang Xia crossed her arms and propped up her chin, coaxing Jiang Gu in a gentle manner, ¡°Xiao Gu, mom cherishes you most on ordinary days. Today, our parents are busy with important matters. When theye back in the evening, they¡¯ll be so tired. Can you bear to see Mom so exhausted and still have to cook for us?¡±
Jiang Gu first caught a crucial piece of information, ¡°Mom cherishes her the most every day.¡±
This news made Jiang Gu feel a bit ted. Past experiences made her yearn even more for her mother¡¯s love. After Zhou Lan¡¯s arrival, she had always showered affection on Jiang Gu. But it couldn¡¯t make up for theck of maternal love in Jiang Gu¡¯s heart. Therefore, hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words was like a calming pill for Jiang Gu, making her realize that she truly was cherished. She couldn¡¯t help but feel joyous.
Thinking of how much her mother loved her and how hard she worked every day, only toe back and cook dinner, Jiang Gu¡¯s heart ached. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t want her mother to cook.
The naive little Jiang Gu was thus persuaded by Jiang Xia, hesitatingly asking, ¡°Then, Second Sister, how should we help Mom share some of the household chores?¡±
Jiang Xia felt a triumphant thrill in her heart, thinking to herself that kids are indeed easy to deceive. She patted Jiang Gu¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Of course, we should prepare a sumptuous dinner for her.¡±
Jiang Gu hesitated again, ¡°But we¡¯re just kids. Do we know how to cook?¡±
Jiang Xia puffed up her chest confidently, ¡°You might not know how, but your Second Sister does! The food I make is delicious. 1 just haven¡¯t had the chance to cook before. Today is a rare opportunity, and I must show you my culinary skills.¡±
Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes widened, looking at Jiang Xia with admiration, as if being able to cook was the most impressive thing in the world.
Jiang Xia took out some ribs from her interspace realm, along with green onions, ginger, and garlic. She then plucked a potato from the space¡¯s vegetable patch and ced them all in a basket.
Jiang Gu, looking puzzled at the ribs which had barely any meat and were half bone, asked in confusion, ¡°Second Sister, why did you buy ribs? There¡¯s hardly any meat on them. Usually, Grandma would exchange these ribs for vegetables at the supply store. Why did you specifically buy them?¡±
Jiang Xia thought to herself, ¡®It¡¯s because you don¡¯t understand the deliciousness of ribs. That¡¯s why you treat such a delicacy as if it¡¯s of no real value.¡¯ She pointed at the ribs and other ingredients, exining, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯ve never tasted delicious braised ribs. The vor of these ribs is way better than ordinary pork. And gnawing on a meaty bone is delightful. Imagine a bone drenched in savory sauce, exuding an enticing aroma. As you bite into the meat, you can also suck the juice from the bone. Isn¡¯t that more delicious than just eating in meat? Wait until 1 cook it tonight. Once you taste it, I guarantee you¡¯ll want it again!¡±
By now, Jiang Gu¡¯s mouth was watering, and she eagerly wanted Jiang Xia to hurry up with the cooking so she could sample the dish.
Seeing Jiang Gu¡¯s eager expression, Jiang Xia grinned and yfully ruffled her hair, ¡°Silly girl, we need to wash the vegetables first. Let¡¯s go to the river to wash them. After that, you can start the fire and I¡¯ll cook. Then we¡¯ll surprise Mom and Dad with the meal. How about that?¡±
¡°Sounds great!¡± Jiang Gu pped her small hands with excitement.
Holding Jiang Gu¡¯s hand and carrying the vegetable basket in the other, Jiang Xia headed towards the riverbank. Along the way, she mused to herself, ¡®This little girl is so easy to deceive. I hope she won¡¯t be so gullible in the future.¡¯
When they arrived at the river, a group of children was ying nearby. Some girls were washing clothes and vegetables, while a few boys were catching cicadas and looking for shed cicada skins. The ce was bustling with activity.
Jiang Xia wasn¡¯t a fan of bustling scenes. Given her maturity, she was past the age of enjoying such yfulness. However, considering that Jiang Gu¡¯s friends, like Xiao Pang, were among the group, she still led Jiang Gu closer. They chose a clean spot at the edge of the group and squatted down to wash their vegetables.
Just as Jiang Xia took out a potato, she heard a discordant, mocking voice, ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the two Jiang sisters.. With your parents climbing the socialdder through connections, aren¡¯t you ashamed to show your faces here at the riverbank?¡±
Chapter 367 - 367: Teaching The Brat A Lesson
Chapter 367: Teaching The Brat A Lesson
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Jiang Xia frowned. Who on earth was this, speaking in such an offensive manner? She flicked the water off her hands and looked towards the source of the voice. She saw a burly girl with two unrefined pigtails, wearing a bright red padded jacket, standing about two meters away from them.
This girl was naturally ugly. Wearing that bright red only made herplexion look greasier. Her trousers were dark green. Red paired with green, what a terriblebination!
Before Jiang Xia could speak, Jiang Gu stood up, hands on her hips, blocking the space between Jiang Xia and the girl.
Jiang Gu said angrily, ¡°Wang Niu, haven¡¯t you been beaten enough? You still dare to talk nonsense! Believe it or not, I¡¯ll shave your head this time!¡±
Having said that, Jiang Gu even waved her little fists a couple of times.
Wang Niu quickly shielded her pigtails, seemingly genuinely afraid of having her hair shaved off.
Jiang Xia had only heard of Wang Niu but had never met her. She knew her as a loose-tongued, ill-mannered girl. Her father, Wang Xing, tried topete with Jiang Chuan for the vige ountant position. After failing, he spread rumors everywhere, causing a ruckus involving two sessivemune chief captain, disturbing the peace in the entire vige. Later on, when Wang Niu got into a fight with Jiang Gu, Zhou Lan personally dealt with Wang Xing¡¯s family.
Jiang Xia furrowed her brow. How do these kids forget their pain after healing? They had just been beaten and yet they dare provoke again!
Jiang Xia narrowed her eyes to look, but realized her view waspletely blocked by Jiang Gu. She could only see the younger girl¡¯s back. She stood up and gazed directly at Wang Niu.
Feeling Jiang Xia¡¯s intense gaze, Wang Niu shuddered, puzzled by how this girl younger than her could have such an intimidating presence that made her feel a bit scared.
She tried to sound tough, but her voice wavered, ¡°What¡ what are you looking at? Daring to act but not allowing others to talk about it?¡±
Jiang Gu, infuriated, was about to charge at her but was held back by Jiang Xia. She looked up at her sister in confusion.
Jiang Xia stared coldly at Wang Niu, her gaze seemingly piercing through, ¡°Wang Niu, right? Your family has caused such a bigmotion that even the vige chief has gotten involved. He must¡¯ve lectured you all, didn¡¯t he?¡±
Wang Niu felt guilty. Indeed, after the spectators dispersed, the vige chief took hours to lecture them. He talked about Jiang Chuan¡¯s contributions to the vige and made it clear that they would support him in any disputes. He warned Wang Niu¡¯s family to behave, or they¡¯d be publicly criticized and denounced.
Recalling this, Wang Niu shivered in fear. She was naturally a bully and thought the two girls were easy targets. With her gang around, she dared to be brazen, only to be suppressed by Jiang Xia¡¯s words.
She turned to seek support from Jiang Hong, the daughter of another influential family, only to realize she had sneakily disappeared.
Cursing the girl who always gave bad ideas but was the fastest to flee, Wang Niu knew she couldn¡¯t create more drama now. But simply leaving would be too humiliating!
Always the leader among the vige children and known for her bullying, how would shemand respect if she left now?
Yet, Jiang Xia¡¯s gaze made her fear escting the situation further. Thest thing she wanted was to be denounced by the vige chief.
Putting on a facade, she said, ¡°I won¡¯t stoop to your level today. But watch out in the future!¡±
With that, she turned and went to forage by the river.
Jiang Xia noticed Wang Niu¡¯s tense back, aware of her internal fears.
Without uttering a word, Jiang Gu mistakenly thought Jiang Xia was scared and said anxiously, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be afraid. I can beat her! I¡¯m strong!¡±
Jiang Xia held Jiang Gu¡¯s hand, squatting down to her level, trying to reason with her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not scared. It¡¯s just that resorting to violence is pointless and makes us seem in the wrong. We should give them a taste of their own medicine and deal with her properly..¡±
Chapter 368 - 368: Reverse Isolated
Chapter 368: Reverse Isted
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Jiang Xia was by no means kind-hearted; what she excelled at was ensuring others tasted the consequences of their actions. For those who bullied her, Jiang Xia would undoubtedly make them experience the same feeling.
After hearing his second sister¡¯s words, Jiang Gu nodded as if he understood but was still confused, growing more curious about what she was nning to do.
Jiang Xia remembered hearing that Wang Niu and Jiang Gui¡¯s daughter had an age difference of eight years, but their rtionship was quite close. These two, during their primary school days, loved to form cliques and iste others. Relying on theirrger physique, they would beat up those who didn¡¯t obey them. Many children wouldply just to avoid getting beaten.
Now that Jiang Hong was about to get married and leave, Wang Niu was the only one left to oversee the children in the vige, even taking pleasure in expanding her influence.
¡°If you always iste others, then experience what it feels like to be isted.¡±
Jiang Xia noticed that these children seemed to be picking wild vegetables by the river. The boys were responsible for digging up the vegetables and looking for cicada shells, while the girls washed the vegetables in the river.
They weren¡¯t doing this for their consumption, but to exchange these for some money and stored food for the winter. Since it was the school holidays, the adults were busy sowing corn seeds, leaving the task of gathering wild vegetables to the children.
Jiang Xia realized that these children couldn¡¯t differentiate the good wild vegetables from the bad ones. They dug up anything green they saw, even the newly sprouted ones.
Given their method, these wild vegetables wouldn¡¯t sprout again by next spring, potentially ruining the livelihood Jiang Xia¡¯s family had managed to secure for the vige.
These adults just told the kids to work but never taught them how to do it properly. It was so inconsiderate. Children should be brought up well, not merely increase the poption!
She had to stop them!
An idea struck Jiang Xia. She asked the children, ¡°Are you picking these wild vegetables to exchange for food at the co-op?¡±
Everyone was busy with their tasks, and no one paid her any attention.
Jiang Xia had anticipated such a reaction, especially with the influence of Wang Niu still present. The children feared Wang Niu¡¯s threats and knew that responding to Jiang Xia might lead to getting beaten.
Jiang Xia then revealed her most charming smile, the kind she believed no one could resist, and said, ¡°I have a way to make money that¡¯s more convenient than trading wild vegetables at the co-op.¡±
The kids, being naive, grew excited about the prospect of earning money and ignored Wang Niu¡¯s threats. They gathered around Jiang Xia. A chubby kid, close to Jiang Hu, was the first to ask, ¡°Sister Jiang Xia, what¡¯s this money-making method you¡¯re talking about?¡±
Feigning mystery, Jiang Xia looked at the crowd and asked, ¡°Do you all want to know?¡±
They all nodded in agreement.
Jiang Xia stood tall and announced, ¡°It¡¯s simple. Bring the wild vegetables you¡¯ve picked to my house. We¡¯ll buy them.¡±
¡°Your house?¡± They looked puzzled.
A little girl close to both Xiao Pang and Jiang Gu tugged Jiang Gu¡¯s clothes, ¡°Xiao Gu, is your second sister trying to trick us?¡±
Jiang Gu instantly held his chin high, his face full of certainty, ¡°Not at all! My second sister never lies! If she says she¡¯ll buy, then our house will buy!¡±
Upon hearing the possibility of making money, Wang Niu¡¯s eyes lit up. After all, who would turn down money?
But she didn¡¯t believe Jiang Xia could produce so much money to buy the wild vegetables. She thought it was a bluff. How could a little kid like her make such decisions on behalf of adults?
Wang Niu scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t bite off more than you can chew. A basket of wild vegetables can be exchanged at the co-op for flour worth four yuan! Can you match that?¡±
Hearing Wang Niu¡¯s words, the children became skeptical, their eyes turning to Jiang Xia, waiting for her response..
Chapter 369 - 369: Dealing With The Pickle
Chapter 369: Dealing With The Pickle
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Jiang Xia looked at the crowd with earnestness, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. 1 am not like some who break their promises. When 1 say something, 1 mean it! The idea to collect wild vegetables from all of you was my parents¡¯ idea. However, we don¡¯t buy by weight like the co-op store; we buy based on the number of nts. We only want wild vegetables that are mature and lush green. We won¡¯t buy the smaller sprouts. Why don¡¯t you all go home today ande back in a couple of days with the vegetables to exchange for money?¡±
A little girl, not understanding, asked, ¡°Sister Jiang Xia, what¡¯s the difference between buying by weight and buying by nt?¡±
Wang Niu, fearing she might be at a disadvantage, interjected, ¡°You¡¯re not trying to underpay us, are you? Are you trying to buy our vegetables at a lower price than by weight and then sell them at a profit?¡±
The children all wore worried expressions. Trust between people is hard to establish because everyone is self-interested. Even when Jiang Chuan had helped them find wild vegetables and seeds, there were still those who gossiped and doubted him. Such rumors persisted even after he became the ountant.
Jiang Xia looked at her coldly, thinking that this girl was beyond help, her mind corroded by narrow-mindedness.
She calmly rebutted, ¡°Only those who always seek to take advantage of others think everyone else is driven purely by profit. 1 can assure you that the price we offer per nt is definitely higher than the price per weight! On average, you can earn an extra two cents for every pound of wild vegetables. But we don¡¯t have extra goods to exchange, so we can only buy with money.¡±
Upon hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s assurance, the children finally felt relieved and stopped gathering the wild vegetables. They had heard from their families that Jiang Chuan¡¯s household had been doing better and better since they separated from the main family, but they hadn¡¯t realized the extent of it. The idea of buying vegetables with money was beyond the imagination of ordinary households, and the children looked on with envy.
A boy who was originally responsible for finding cicada shells tentatively asked, ¡°Sister Jiang Xia, do you also buy cicada shells?¡±
Jiang Xia looked at the boy, his hands holding dried cicada shells and his eyes filled with hope, and shook her head regretfully.
Cicada shells can be used in medicine and are essential ingredients in pharmacies. However, those that have shed during the winter and stayed on trees for too long lose their medicinal value. Jiang Xia had no use for such shells, but she didn¡¯t have the heart to tell the kids the truth. How sad they would be if they realized the cicada shells they¡¯d spent the afternoon collecting were worthless.
She patted the slightly disappointed boy on the back and said to the children holding cicada shells, ¡°Though cicada shells can¡¯t be exchanged for money, you can give them to me. In return, I can offer some potatoes or radishes.¡±
While she didn¡¯t have extra money, Jiang Xia did have an abundance of vegetables in her storage space. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to indirectly gift some to them.
The children¡¯s faces immediately lit up with smiles, their earlier disappointment forgotten.
In truth, Jiang Xia was very clear-headed. Her proposal to buy wild vegetables wasn¡¯t solely to upset Wang Niu. Her family genuinely needed them.
Wild vegetables, along with other produce like cabbage, are primary ingredients for making pickled vegetables. Wanting to quickly find materials for Zhou Lan and make things easier, Jiang Xia came up with this idea.
Thinking of pickled vegetables, Jiang Xia had another thought. Preparing pickles wasn¡¯t easy, and if she could collect all the pickled vegetables made in the vigers¡¯ homes, wouldn¡¯t that also help Zhou Lan?
With this in mind, she told the children, ¡°A while ago, my father and I met a merchant in the city who specializes in buying pickled vegetables. If you have extra pickled vegetables at home, you can bring them to us for money.¡±
¡°How do you buy them?¡± a child asked.
¡°We exchange pickled vegetables in the city at the rate of one yuan for every pound. We¡¯ll buy yours at the same rate.¡±
By her calctions, Jiang Xia was being very generous. With a pound of wild vegetables costing twenty cents, plus sugar, salt, and other seasonings, producing a pound of pickled vegetables would only cost around fifty cents. Jiang Xia was essentially offering them double..
Chapter 370 - 370: Mud Brick
Chapter 370: Mud Brick
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Upon hearing this, several children¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. Their families often made pickled vegetables, and they had grown weary of eating them every day. Now, learning that these same pickles they were so tired of could be traded for different food, they were naturally thrilled!
Even Wang Niu felt a tug of temptation after hearing this. After all, she was just a child, quick to heal and quicker to forget the pain, no longer remembering that they had been quarreling just moments ago. She blurted out, ¡°Then, can we also exchange the vegetables from our home?¡±
Before Jiang Xia could respond, Jiang Gu stood up, ¡°Our family does not wish to associate with those who gossip about others! You always bully people and spread bad words about us everywhere. We certainly do not want to praise your pickles!¡±
Wang Niu paid her no mind; Jiang Xia was the one speaking, and Jiang Gu had no say in this. She couldn¡¯t care less about Jiang Gu.
She looked towards Jiang Xia with a hint of ttery, ¡°Sister Jiang Xia, look, our home also has a lot of pickled vegetables, and I can dig up wild vegetables, even better than theirs. Your family will definitely prefer ours over theirs, right?¡±
The other children red at Wang Niu angrily upon hearing her words. She only thought of herself when something good came up, even wishing others wouldn¡¯t make any money. She was too much!
Jiang Xia nced at her coolly and said, ¡°What my sister says reflects my thoughts as well. We won¡¯t engage with your family, nor do we like to associate with anyone of ill conduct!¡±
Fearing that Jiang Xia would refuse their wild vegetables because of their association with Wang Niu, the other children took a step back, distancing themselves from her.
Wang Niu clenched her teeth in anger upon hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s words, her lips turning pale as she bit down hard. Pointing at everyone furiously, she eximed, ¡°Who told you to back off? Do you believe I¡¯ll hit you? I¡¯m telling you, none of you are allowed to go to Jiang Xia to exchange money! We can take our vegetables back home and exchange them at the supply and marketing cooperative like before.¡±
But no one paid any attention to Wang Niu. With a more lucrative method to make money at hand, who would willingly follow Wang Niu around every day?
The other children avoided her gaze, not even wanting to look at Wang Niu.
Wang Niu was so enraged she was lost for words. Suddenly, she turned back to Jiang Xia and uttered a harsh threat, ¡°Just you wait, hmph!¡± and then she stormed off.
Lil¡¯ Fatty nced at the wild vegetables in the field; many were still not fully grown. They had to wait another two days before they could start harvesting.
The school had given them a total of seven days off, and two days had already passed. They wanted to use the holiday to do more for their families. What could they do in these two days?
Jiang Xia perceived his concern and suggested, ¡°Since you have to wait some time for the wild vegetables to mature anyway, why don¡¯t you help us gather some adobe bricks in the next two days?¡±
Another task? Upon hearing this, the children looked up at Jiang Xia with their cute little faces in unison.
Jiang Xia smiled and exined, ¡°As you know, our family is currently building a house and we need arge amount of adobe. You can gather some and bring it to our house to trade. How about I give you 20 cents for each brick?¡±
The construction of Jiang Xia¡¯s house was amunity effort, starting from the collection of adobe. It was not justbor-intensive but also exhausting.
He needed to repay these social debts. It would be better to buy the adobe outright, which would mean fewer people needed for construction, and fewer social debts, the better.
¡°Wow!¡±
The children let out another exmation. They would have to dig up how much wild vegetation to earn 20 cents? At that thought, they nodded their heads vigorously.
Worried they might pick poor-quality adobe in their haste to earn money, Jiang Xia emphasized, ¡°You must find adobe of the same quality that the adults use. Do not bring back the kind that crumbles with a simple pinch!¡±
Lil¡¯ Fatty patted his chest and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My father often helped others build houses. I¡¯ve been to construction sites with him and know how to tell if the adobe is strong. I will definitely find the best materials for you, so you can build the biggest and strongest house!¡±
Having settled the matter, everyone forgot about the wild vegetables and started ying by the river, even inviting Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu, their attitudepletely different from before.
Unable to join them in y, Jiang Xia asked Jiang Gu to stay and entertain the children while she went to the river to wash the vegetables..
Chapter 371 - 371: Personally Cooking
Chapter 371: Personally Cooking
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
As dusk approached, the sun began to set in the west, and Jiang Xia finished washing the vegetables and ced them into the basket, heading home with Jiang Gu.
Once home, the two made a beeline for the kitchen. Jiang Xia chopped vegetables while Jiang Gu tended to the fire; they both got to work with a clear division ofbor.
Jiang Xia had hardly ever set foot in the kitchen before, so her knife skills could not be held to high standards¡ªit was enough that she could chop the vegetables into small pieces.
And so there were potatoes of all sizes, some big, some small, and some even partly peeling.
Jiang Xia then ced garlic on the cutting board and, timing it right, she lifted the knife high and brought it down hard and urately on the garlic. But the garlic seemed to yfully evade her knife edge as if to spite her. When she picked up the knife, the clove had vanished without a trace. After searching around, she found it hadnded on Jiang Gu¡¯s head.
Jiang Gu looked at Jiang Xia with a wronged expression, ¡°Sister, something hit my head.¡±
Jiang Xia burst intoughter, tears nearly welling up in her eyes.
Finally, after much effort, she crushed the garlic cloves into bits and put them into a bowl forter use.
Compared to the garlic, the green onions were much more cooperative, lying there quietly as Jiang Xia chopped them into thin slices.
The ginger, which was supposed to be sliced, was left in bigger chunks by Jiang Xia, who didn¡¯t trouble herself with finesse in knife work. She simply chopped the ginger and then threw it into the wok to stir-fry with oil.
As soon as the fresh ginger and garlic hit the hot oil, they sizzled, and oil sttered everywhere. Jiang Xia quickly grabbed the lid to shield Jiang Gu¡¯s face, stepping back to avoid the oil sshes herself.
Jiang Gu looked uncertainly at Jiang Xia, blinking, ¡°Sister, are you sure about this? Should we wait for Mother toe back before we cook?¡±
Jiang Xia¡¯spetitive spirit surged; she was not about to admit defeat. She patted her chest confidently, ¡°Just watch. I was a bit clumsy at the beginning, but nothing can stop me from cooking!¡±
Jiang Gu, half-convinced, continued to tend the fire and even secretly removed the most zing piece of firewood to throw into the ash to reduce the mes.
Despite herck of practical cooking experience, Jiang Xia was quite good at stir-frying, quickly finishing a dish of fragrant mushrooms, and soon the kitchen was filled with the aroma of the dish.
This was followed by a dish of potato slices and sweet and sour cabbage. Although the appearance of the dishes was not perfect, the fragrance was irresistibly delicious.
Of course, the finale was the braised pork ribs. As soon as the ribs hit the pot, the aroma of the meat was unstoppable, wafting even into the yard.
Jiang Gu, enticed by the scent of meat, drooled, ¡°Sister, when will the dishes be ready? I¡¯m hungry.¡±
Jiang Xia pinched Jiang Gu¡¯s chubby little face, who was just too cute!
She said, ¡°Increase the heat! Once the sauce thickens, it¡¯s ready toe out of the pot!¡±
Jiang Gu, now familiar with controlling the fire, immediately intensified the mes.
After the dishes were done, Jiang Xia looked at her creations with satisfaction.
Luckily, the reticent butler had already processed the ribs, cutting them into small pieces. Otherwise, if it had been left to Jiang Xia to chop, it would have probably been another ident scene! Thus, the ribs became the only dish that looked somewhat ¡°refined¡± amongst all.
Jiang Xia had just brought the dishes into the house, waiting for Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan to return so they could start the meal, when she suddenly heard voices at the door.
¡°What¡¯s this delightful smelling from this house?¡± A woman¡¯s strong voice was heard, nothing like those of the shrill-speaking women often gossiping at the vige chief.
¡°It might be Aunt Zhou who has finished cooking. Her cooking skills are said to be even better than those chefs in the county town¡¯s big restaurants.¡±
Jiang Xia recognized the voice¡ªit was Shen Mo¡¯s.
What was he doing in the vige? And why had hee to their house at this time?
With curiosity, Jiang Xia peeked out from inside.
Shen Mo saw Jiang Xia¡¯s little head at the doorway. It was getting dark, and she stood where the light met the shadows, seemingly glowing. Seeing her, Shen Mo couldn¡¯t help but smile.
Shen Mo greeted, ¡°Jiang Xia, has Uncle Jiange back?¡±
Jiang Xia looked at the strange woman beside Shen Mo, guessing she might be here for serious business with Jiang Chuan, and so she answered honestly, ¡°Dad and Mom are not here. If you have business, you can go to themune to find him..¡±
Chapter 372 - 372: Guest
Chapter 372: Guest
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
¡°If the adults aren¡¯t here, then who cooked the meal?¡± the woman asked in surprise.
Shen Mo had already guessed that it was very likely Jiang Xia had taken the initiative to start cooking. He hurried over to check if she had burnt herself.
Seeing Shen Mo hurry over, Jiang Xia thought he was too cold and eager toe in to warm up, so she obediently stepped back to let him through the door.
Shen Mo paused for a moment at her step back.
Then Jiang Xia said, ¡°It¡¯s warmer away from the door; you alle in and wait.¡± Thetter part of the sentence was directed at the woman who had followed Shen Mo here and was still standing at the door.
Shen Mo¡¯s hand, which he intended to check on her with, froze mid-air and he awkwardly withdrew it, walking helplessly into the house.
The woman, with a knowing ¡°I understand¡± auntie smile, also followed inside.
This woman was, of course, Chief Captain Tian Zao, whom they had happened to meet at themune that morning.
After lunch, Tian Zao and Shen Mo took a stroll around the vige. Shen Mo was familiar with the vigeyout, having been there before, and had nned the route so that thest house they visited would be Jiang Xia¡¯s, which would give him a good excuse to stay for a meal.
Tian Zao and Shen Mo sat down inside, and Jiang Xia brought them two cups of hot water. They drank and looked at the three dishes on the table, which didn¡¯t look very appealing but smelled delicious.
Shen Mo was particrly interested in the braised pork ribs, thinking that Jiang Xia must have wanted ribs to make this dish.
Seeing the two of them eyeing the dishes on the table, Jiang Xia felt embarrassed to keep them waiting and took out four sets of bowls and chopsticks for everyone, saying, ¡°My parents might be busy with something today, and I don¡¯t know when they will be back, so let¡¯s eat first.¡±
Tian Zao felt it was impolite to eat the meal a child had made in someone else¡¯s house without waiting for the parents to return, so she hesitated to start eating.
Shen Mo also didn¡¯t want Jiang Chuan to have a negative opinion of him, so he said, ¡°It¡¯s alright; we can wait for them toe back and eat together.¡±
Jiang Xia thought to herself, ¡°Luckily I was in a good mood today and made plenty of dishes. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been enough for unexpected guests.¡±
Moreover, Jiang Xia had rarely cooked, and today she had specially stewed a pot of fragrant rice that had been soaked in interspace water. It was plump white rice mixed with a bit of sorghum, and it smelled incredibly fragrant!
While Jiang Chuan was still out, Tian Zao took the opportunity to carefully observe the Jiang family¡¯s house.
Jiang Chuan¡¯s affairs were not a secret in the vige, and Tian Zao had heard about them long ago. Now, seeing the decorations in the family¡¯s house and the rich dishes, she knew this family was living better and better.
But she had always had reservations about Jiang Chuan and had been instilled with a seed of suspicion by Wang Xing, believing that Jiang Chuan¡¯s good life was due to ndestine dealings with the former chief captain, conspiring to embezzle the vige¡¯s money. Otherwise, how could it be possible to leave the old Jiang family with nothing and be so well-off in just half a year?
The house was spacious, with each of the two daughters having their own room, better even than where the vige chief lived.
Tian Zao had walked around the vige that day and found that most of the vigers¡¯ houses had just two rooms and a big yard. If several generations lived together, the house might be a bitrger, with four or five rooms, but still, families would be crammed into one room.
Even the vige chief¡¯s slightly more spacious big house was nothingpared to the Jiang¡¯s ability to provide one room per person.
Tian Zao thought for a moment. Children are the least deceptive, and since Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan were not around, she might as well try to find out the truth from Jiang Xia.
¡°Your name is Jiang Xia, right?¡±
Jiang Xia answered obediently,¡± Yes, Captain.¡±
Tian Zao was taken aback that she recognized her as the chief captain and thought this young girl was indeed smart. At such a young age, she was already so observant, surely knowing what to say and what not to say, so Tian Zao gave up the idea of questioning Jiang Xia.
At that moment, she was suddenly distracted by the sound of a growling stomach, and immediately turned her attention to the owner of the belly, Jiang Gu.
Chapter 373 - 373: Chat
Chapter 373: Chat
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Jiang Gu sat on the other side of Jiang Xia, her figure shielded by her, and being especially well-behaved, she hadn¡¯t spoken, so Tian Zao hadn¡¯t noticed her until now.
Now that Jiang Xia turned slightly, Jiang Gu was revealed.
Seeing such a cute little girl, Tian Zao couldn¡¯t resist squeezing her cheek. If Jiang Xia was too clever to inquire directly, perhaps this little girl wouldn¡¯t be as reserved in speaking?
Thus, Tian Zao began to cozy up to Jiang Gu, asking, ¡°Is the little missy hungry?¡±
Jiang Gu nodded her head.
Tian Zao continued, ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, why not eat a piece of meat to fill your stomach?¡±
Longing showed in Jiang Gu¡¯s eyes as she gazed at the braised pork ribs, but she still firmly shook her head and said, ¡°I can¡¯t, dad and mom haven¡¯te back yet, 1 want to wait for them so we can eat together!¡±
Tian Zao didn¡¯t expect that the two daughters taught by Jiang Chuan would be so obedient and sensible, truly endearing.
Then she remembered that at noon, the public canteen had boiled eggs. Worried that she and Shen Mo would be too tired and hungry after the afternoon¡¯s journey, she took two eggs and put them in her pocket, but with the busy afternoon, she had forgotten to eat them. Now, she could just take them out and give them to Jiang Gu.
After receiving them, Jiang Gu politely said thank you, and then skillfully peeled an egg, even showing off to Jiang Xia, ¡°Second sister, look, the egg I peeled is intact, not even a bit of the egg white is broken!¡±
Jiang Xia looked at her younger sister with indulgence, smiling and ruffling her hair, ¡°Xiao Gu is so great, still the best at peeling eggs!¡±
Tian Zao astutely caught a piece of information: Jiang Gu must often eat eggs to speak of it in such a manner, and the two sisters might evenpete to see whose egg peeling was the most wless.
This was amon game among rural children, but now with food being scarce and almost no one raising chickens, eggs naturally became a rare supply, and the game had vanished among the children.
Tian Zao looked at Jiang Gu and asked, ¡°Does your family often eat eggs?¡±
Jiang Gu nodded, ¡°Yes, every morning mom boils an egg for each of us, and we also have a box of hot milk. Mom says we are growing, so we must keep up with nutrition.¡±
Tian Zao was momentarily stunned; this family not only ate eggs daily but also drank milk, living better than she had imagined.
Jiang Xia, listening by the side, didn¡¯t seem to intend to stop the conversation. Their family¡¯s life was getting better, and the stuff in their interspace realm was growing more abundant; they couldn¡¯t always hide it.
Since it was difficult to exin to the vigers, it was better to straightforwardly tell everyone that their life was gradually improving and to let people know that their improving circumstances were due to Jiang Chuan¡¯s capabilities.
That way, even if their family brought out anything unusual in the future, like the green-tailed prawns from Jiang Xia¡¯s interspace, the vigers wouldn¡¯t find it strange.
However, Jiang Xia also worried, as people often envied those who lived better lives than themselves. Jiang Chuan had faced difficulties before, and everyone had helped, firstly because of their sincerity, and secondly out of pity, as people tend to sympathize with those less fortunate.
But now, the Jiang family was living increasingly better lives, even surpassing other families that were originally well-off, like Chen Xing, the leader of Pushan vige. This could inevitably attract envy and give rise to gossip, something evident from the vige rumors.
Although the vige head chief stepped in to stop the rumors, there were still one or two scheming individuals who discussed these things privately.
Jiang Xia and the rest didn¡¯t care about thesements and viewpoints, but Jiang Xia worried that such rumors could affect Jiang Gu.
Children can be the most outspoken, and if Jiang Gu was teased by her ssmates because of these things when she went to primary school, would it cause her psychological harm?
This was also why Zhou Lan insisted on Jiang Xia apanying Jiang Gu to school, and why Jiang Xia did not refuse.
After listening, Tian Zao became thoughtful. Since the vige ountant¡¯s affair was directly rted to her, she couldn¡¯t help but pay some attention to the Jiang family¡¯s development during her investigation.
In the process of her visits and conversations with people, Tian Zao couldn¡¯t help but ask about Jiang Chuan¡¯s character and attitude towards life..
Chapter 374 - 374: A Happy Family
Chapter 374: A Happy Family
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Tian Zao came to understand that Jiang Chuan had always been fortunate. In the county town, he had stumbled upon some opportunities and made a bit of money through bartering. Thus, it made sense that Jiang Chuan¡¯s family was doing better and better, especially since Jiang Chuan was quite capable himself. He had handled the distribution of grain very well, which is why the former chief captain had offered him the position of ountant.
However, the thought of Jiang Chuan being the ountant was like a thorn in Tian Zao¡¯s heart. It wasn¡¯t that she insisted on Wang Xing for the role; she understood the logic that those with ability should be in charge. But with every new officiales the adage of ¡®three fires,¡¯ and it seemed some of the resulting heat had made things ufortable for Jiang Chuan.
Tian Zao was about to inquire further when she heard voices from the courtyard; it was Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan returning home.
Zhou Lan had juste out from the Li family¡¯s ce when she bumped into Jiang Chuan, and they walked back together.
On the way, they were still discussing the details of making pickles.
Zhou Lan was troubled. ¡°Talking about making five vats of pickles in half a month is easy, but what about the raw materials? We need a lot of sugar for pickling, and we simply don¡¯t have enough sugar or ration tickets at home. Maybe you could go to the county town and get some granted sugar?¡±
Jiang Chuan¡¯s voice carried a hint of difficulty, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to get away these next few days. The army is about to station in the deep mountains, and themune will probably have a lot to handle. Plus, we just nted the corn seeds, and 1 need to check on them asionally. I¡¯m worried the seeds won¡¯t germinate well, and everyone¡¯s hard work will go to waste. Our family is also in the midst of building a house; it¡¯s been a bit too hectic these days. It takes half a day to go to the town, and it would be too tiring for you to go by carriage. Let¡¯s just make do with the sugar we have for now.¡±
Zhou Lan yfully pushed Jiang Chuan with her wrist, teasingly saying, ¡°How long have we been husband and wife and you¡¯re still talking like this. We need to focus on what¡¯s important right now.¡±
Their conversation was full of the breath of life, interspersed with affectionate teasing. Tian Zao, just by listening, could already feel the happiness they shared.
Tian Zao thought to herself: a man who constantly worries about the vigers and the harvest, who lives such a harmonious and happy life at home, whose daughter is so well-educated and sensible¡ªhow could such a person be bad? Perhaps she had really misunderstood Jiang Chuan.
The conversation between the two paused briefly, then Zhou Lan spoke in a surprised tone, ¡°Does that smell like braised pork ribs to you?¡±
Jiang Chuan took a couple of deep sniffs. Indeed, it was the aroma of pork ribs, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it; the scent is identical to the ribs you make. Did you cook this afternoon and forget about it?¡±
Zhou Lan yfully pped Jiang Chuan¡¯s back, ¡°I¡¯m not senile yet. How could 1 forget if I cooked a meal? It definitely wasn¡¯t me.¡±
They looked at each other and simultaneously eximed, ¡°It can¡¯t be Jiang Xia!¡±
At that moment, Jiang Xia had alreadye out from the house, speaking in a resigned tone, ¡°Thank you for remembering me. Who else but me could make such delicious braised pork ribs?¡±
The parents couldn¡¯t help but shower their daughter with praise.
Jiang Xia had lived a life offort at home, never expecting to learn how to cook aftering here. Her parents were very relieved.
Just as they were about to spill the beans out of excitement, Jiang Xia quickly reminded them, ¡°Hurry inside, we have guests today.¡±
¡°Oh?¡±
Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan, puzzled, walked into the house and saw Tian Zao and Shen Mo, who had stood up waiting for them. They quickly invited them to sit down.
Jiang Gu had already set the bowls and chopsticks, and served six bowls of rice. The six people finally sat down to start their meal.
During the meal, Jiang Chuan almost forgot that the chief captain was there, vigntly keeping an eye on Shen Mo, making Shen Mo feel somewhat uneasy.
Noticing her husband¡¯s intense scrutiny, Zhou Lan nudged Jiang Chuan¡¯s leg under the table, signaling for him to soften his gaze, not to scare the guest. Through a look, Jiang Chuan conveyed, ¡°A child? He has his sights on your daughter; shouldn¡¯t I be vignt?¡±
Shen Mo¡¯s interest in Jiang Xia instantly energized Zhou Lan, her eyes shifting continuously between Shen Mo and Jiang Xia.
Zhou Lan felt validated; she had long suspected the handsome young man fancied Jiang Xia and now felt her suspicions were confirmed..
Chapter 375 - 375: Only Knows How to Eat
Chapter 375: Only Knows How to Eat
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Upon seeing Zhou Lan¡¯s expression, Jiang Chuan knew that her curiosity, often fueled by reading novels, was once again ignited.
Jiang Chuan gave Zhou Lan a meaningful nce, ¡°Dear, could you please not get so excited? Right now, someone is trying to whisk away our daughter!¡±
Zhou Lan red at Jiang Chuan, ¡°What do you know? This is a high-quality young man! Look how handsome little Shen is, with a good personality, warm-hearted, and capable. Isn¡¯t he just the perfect male protagonist material?¡±
Jiang Chuan was speechless, ¡°I know you¡¯re a face-judger, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be this way when ites to our daughter picking a son-inw!¡±
Zhou Lan countered, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been good-looking back then, how could I have been swayed to choose you?¡±
Jiang Chuan admitted proudly, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±
Without mentioning anything else, just think back to when Jiang Chuan was young. His good looks stood out in any crowd. Standing at six feet tall, dressed in thetest fashion, holding a bunch of flowers every day at the bottom of Zhou Lan¡¯s martial arts ss for children¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t be moved?
As the two parents were engaged in an intense exchange of looks, the female protagonist, who had sparked their heated debate, waspletely unaware, focused intently on the braised pork ribs in front of her. She couldn¡¯t help but praise the taste, indicating a real talent for cooking. Perhaps next time she could try making pork rib soup or fried sweet and sour pork?
Speaking of fried sweet and sour pork, with its crispy crust enveloping the sweet and tangy sauce, just thinking about the juice bursting in one¡¯s mouth was enough to make anyone salivate!
Indeed, the self-love and love for food seemed to be hereditary traits in the Jiang family.
Seeing the look on Jiang Xia¡¯s face, Zhou Lan was speechless. How did she give birth to such a foodie daughter? So smart, yet so clueless when ites to matters of the heart. Poor little Shen, it seems his journey to win his wife¡¯s affection is long and arduous!
While Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan each talked about their own topics, Jiang Xia¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts of recipes, and Jiang Gu was silent, focusing solely on his meal. Not a single person in this family initiated conversation.
However, Tian Zao and Shen Mo didn¡¯t find it awkward because they too were immersed in savoring the delicious dishes made by Jiang Xia.
Despite their unappealing appearance and unevenly chopped sizes, the dishes were truly tasty!
It was unexpected that someone as young as Jiang Xia could cook so deliciously, a true testament to having inherited Zhou Lan¡¯s culinary skills.
Tian Zao and Shen Mo had never thought that the discarded ribs, frowned upon by others, could taste so good that one would crave another piece after finishing one.
Seeing everyone enjoy the meal so thoroughly gave Jiang Xia a strong sense of aplishment, validating her culinary skills. Aside from herckluster chopping skills, she found nothing difficult about cooking.
Jiang Xia nced at the small bowl designated for bones, now piled into a small hill, and felt relieved that she had fried all the ribs. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been enough for dinner.
Jiang Gu nced at the dwindling supply of braised pork ribs on the te and hurried her eating pace.
This was the first time Jiang Gu had tasted such delicious braised pork ribs, and she hadn¡¯t had her fill before they were almost gone. This would not do! After all, it was meat, and if it was all eaten by others, she would have none left!
In modern times, such a thought would certainly earn a child a lecture from their parents about not being petty. But it¡¯s not Jiang Gu¡¯s fault.
In those days, food was scarce, and even adults would be petty over such things, let alone a child faced with their favorite food?
Jiang Xia thought Jiang Gu must have been starving from waiting too long and gently patted Jiang Gu¡¯s back, ¡°Eat slowly, don¡¯t choke.¡±
Jiang Xia¡¯sment actually led to Jiang Gu choking on a rice grain, forcing herself to swallow the meat before she started coughing. Jiang Xia quickly handed her a ss of water to help her catch her breath.
Amidst themotion, Tian Zao suddenly remembered she hade to the Jiang¡¯s home for an important matter.
She swallowed a piece of braised pork rib, ced the bone in her bowl, and turned to Jiang Chuan to exin thetest arrangements, ¡°Previously, the work points forboring in the fields were all recorded by the vige chief. Now, the chief has passed this responsibility to Xiao Wu. Tomorrow, you should go and hand over the work with Xiao Wu. From now on, the vigers¡¯ work points will be ounted for by themune¡¯s ountant and recorded in the books..
Chapter 376 - 376: Business
Chapter 376: Business
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
This was originally the job of themune¡¯s ountant, but since the ounting position had always been vacant, and work points couldn¡¯t go unrecorded, the task was given to the vige chief. Now that Jiang Chuan had taken the role, it was natural to reim the authority to record work points back to themune.
Jiang Chuan nodded in agreement and shared some of his thoughts, ¡°Before, we calcted work points based on the time each viger worked in the fields. This meant that even those who were present but didn¡¯t work hard would still earn points. It¡¯s unfair to the diligent vigers and also demotivates everyone from farming. I have an idea: to calcte work points based on thend. For every ten square meters ofnd cultivated, one work point would be earned. The more one works, the more they earn, which should also reduceints.¡±
Tian Zao admired this idea, wondering why she hadn¡¯t thought of it herself. Disputes over work points due tobor time weremon among the vigers, with many feeling resentful when they perceived others as receiving more for less effort. Jiang Chuan¡¯s idea could greatly reduce these arguments and seemed to be the fairest solution for the current stage.
Tian Zao was increasingly convinced that Jiang Chuan¡¯s election as themune¡¯s ountant was due to his real capabilities, and she gradually let go of any misgivings she had about him.
After the two had finished discussing, Shen Mo raised another concern, ¡°Captain, after careful consideration, I think that if the army is stationed in the deep mountains, food supply will be a challenging issue.¡±
Tian Zao was puzzled, ¡°The army¡¯s food should be supplied by the state, what does that have to do with our vige?¡±
Shen Mo nodded and continued, ¡°Our situation is the same as the neighboring vige; we have grains like rice and wheat but no vegetables. After eating this meal and tasting Auntie Zhou¡¯s meat sauce, I was thinking whether we could get some benefits for ourrades, buy some meat sauce from her to pair with steamed buns and wild vegetables.
Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan hesitated for a moment, Zhou Lan expressed her concern, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m willing if you want to buy meat sauce from me. Many vigers also make meat sauce that can be sold to the army. But with hundreds of people in the troop, the amount needed is not small. I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have enough ingredients.¡±
Shen Mo thought of this problem as well and added, ¡°Auntie Zhou, rest assured, we will take care of all the ingredients. Meat will also be delivered to your home on schedule. Whatever you need, just ask. Once it¡¯s ready, I will send someone to pick it up, or you can deliver it to the foot of the mountain if that works better, and we¡¯ll include the delivery fee.¡±
Before Zhou Lan could agree, Jiang Xia had already spoken up, ¡°Any kind of ingredient?¡±
Shen Mo nodded, ¡°If it¡¯s possible, it will be provided; if not, we will make it possible!¡±
Jiang Xia asked again, ¡°Do you also have white sugar?¡±
Shen Mo was taken aback for a moment and blurted out, ¡°Do you need white sugar for cooking too?¡±
Shen Mo, having been pampered at home, was like a young master who never had to lift a finger, so it was no surprise that he was clueless about cooking, not understanding why one would need to add sugar to savory dishes.
In modern times, it ismon to find people who are unfamiliar with seasonings and cooking, but in an era where everyone struggles to afford food, and children learn to cook at home from a young age, it was somewhat inappropriate not to know that frying dishes often requires white sugar.
White sugar is one of the mostmon seasonings in cooking because adding it to dishes can enhance vor, bnce tastes, and also help with coloring, making the dish¡¯s color look more appealing.
Realizing his question was a bit foolish, Shen Mo¡¯s face turned embarrassingly red, a feeling that probably only Jiang Xia could truly understand.
In modern times, Jiang Xia, too, had been doted on by Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan. Not to mention preparing a meal like she did today, she had never even personally made her own breakfast.
With Zhou Lan around, the father and daughter of the Jiang family didn¡¯t have to worry about anything. Whatever they wanted to eat, they just had to say it and Zhou Lan would buy, prepare, and serve it to them.
Jiang Xia¡¯s knowledge of seasonings came purely from her love of eating. Without that, she probably would know even less than Shen Mo.
This led to Zhou Lan often saying that although Jiang Xia was almost a university student, sheckedmon life skills and couldn¡¯t even fend for herself with meals when alone at home..
Chapter 377 - 377: White Sugar
Chapter 377: White Sugar
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Jiang Xia stepped in to defuse the situation for Shen Mo, exining, ¡°My mother needs white sugar to enhance the vor when making pickled vegetables and meat sauce, but we¡¯ve run out at home. Moreover, if we want to get some from the city, we need sugar coupons¡¡±
This was the topic of discussion that Zhou Lan and Jiang Chuan had just been deliberating upon entering the house. The awkwardness nowy in the fact that while the ingredients and the jars for pickling were ready¡ªwith the jars set to be delivered the next day¡ªarge quantity of spices was missing.
It was entirely unexpected that everything would be prepared but would fall short on this detail. Jiang Chuan had even begun to consider finding some free time to drive to the county town¡¯s ck market to exchange for white sugar.
Upon hearing this, Tian Zao suddenly thought of her brother, the general manager at the sugar factory. This was also an opportunity to help the vigers, so she decided to make an effort.
She said to Zhou Lan, ¡°Wife of the Jiang family, prepare a list of how much white sugar you need for me. Tomorrow I will call the sugar factory in the county town and try to get them to deliver the sugar by tomorrow evening.¡±
Everyone was surprised, not expecting the usually strictly businesslike Tian Zao to take the initiative to help solve their big problem. While everyone was curious about where the sugar woulde from, Jiang Chuan suddenly had a realization. He remembered that Auntie Tian had mentioned her eldest son worked at the sugar factory, and it all became clear.
Jiang Chuan¡¯s opinion of Tian Zao changed.
He had always thought of Tian Zao as a petty woman, but now he realized that he had been the narrow-minded one.
This meal inadvertently became the catalyst for Tian Zao and Jiang Chuan to thaw their past grievances. Although neither of them spoke of it, they both recognized each other¡¯s work capabilities.
The next morning, as usual, Zhou Lan woke up early to prepare breakfast for the family. It was nearing the end of December, and dawn wasingter andter. Zhou Lan had to get up in the dark, and it was unbearably cold.
As an adult, she could bear it, but she couldn¡¯t bear to have Jiang Gu wake up early with her every day. She told the young girl that she didn¡¯t need to help her light the fire and cook in the mornings anymore.
But Jiang Gu was very stubborn and didn¡¯t want Zhou Lan to be busy by herself. Every morning, as soon as she heard Zhou Lan getting up, she would immediately get out of the warm bed ande out to help.
Today, Zhou Lan was warming Jiang Gu¡¯s soft little hands as they walked to the kitchen. Just as they entered, they were surprised to see that the second daughter, Jiang Xia, was already waiting in the kitchen.
As soon as Jiang Xia saw Zhou Lan, she bounced over, clinging to Zhou Lan¡¯s arm with an expectant look in her eyes, ¡°Mother, what are you nning to make this morning? Let¡¯s make sweet potato pancakes. Can you teach me how to make them?¡±
Zhou Lan looked at Jiang Xia in surprise, then poked her head out of the kitchen door to look at the dawn¡¯s early light, puzzled.
Jiang Xia was confused, ¡°Mother, it¡¯s still dark outside, what are you looking at?¡±
Zhou Lan said seriously, ¡°I am checking to see if the sun has risen from the west today. Howe Jiang Xia, who can¡¯t get out of bed in the winter, has gotten up so early to learn to cook?¡±
Realizing that Zhou Lan was joking, Jiang Xia pretended to be angry and lightly punched Zhou Lan¡¯s arm, ¡°Mother, you just love to tease me! Isn¡¯t it because I want to learn to cook so I can help you out?¡±
In fact, it was because of the dinnerst night, which received unanimous praise, that sparked Jiang Xia¡¯s love for cooking. This morning, as soon as she opened her eyes, all she could think about was making a hearty breakfast, and she had no mood to continue sleeping, so she simply got out of bed and prepared to explore the kitchen on her own.
However, she found out that making sweet potato pancakes required kneading dough, and her hands-on abilities were really not up to par. Just as she was worrying, she happened to hear Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu heading to the kitchen, which made her incredibly happy, eager to learn.
Seeing her daughter so eager to learn, Zhou Lan no longer teased her. Rolling up her sleeves, she headed towards the chopping board and said, ¡°Since my sweet daughter wants to learn today, then as your mother, I will teach you properly!¡± She then turned back to Jiang Gu and gestured grandly, ¡°Xiao Gu, light the fire and boil the water!¡±
¡°Alright!¡±
Previously, it was always Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu bustling about in the kitchen, but today with Jiang
Chapter 378 - 378: Learning to Make Sweet Potato Cake
Chapter 378: Learning to Make Sweet Potato Cake
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Zhou Lan rolled up her sleeves, and it was only then that Jiang Xia noticed her wrists were bare¡ªshe had not worn the jade bracelet that Jiang Chuan had bought for her at the Locust Tree Bay ck market.
Curious, Jiang Xia asked her, ¡°Mother, why aren¡¯t you wearing your jade bracelet?¡±
Zhou Lan nced at her empty wrist, unconcerned, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy these past few days, wearing it out would surely invite endless questions.¡±
¡°But you can¡¯t just never wear it. Didn¡¯t dad buy it for you to wear?¡± Jiang Xia protested.
Zhou Lan flicked her hand, her tone casual, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely wear it, just not yet. When our family¡¯s circumstances improve a bit more and the vigers see that, wearing it then won¡¯t bring so much suspicion.¡±
It was then Jiang Xia realized that all along, she and Jiang Chuan thought they had been protecting Zhou Lan well, but in reality, it was Zhou Lan who allowed them to protect her.
During winter, when everyone is bundled up thickly, wrists are not usually exposed. Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia hadn¡¯t noticed such a small detail like the wearing of the bracelet, but Zhou Lan did. It showed that she wasn¡¯t as careless as she appeared, not taking things to heart. Instead, she let Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia feel the satisfaction of protecting a family member.
Jiang Xia felt grateful again for having crossed over to the 1960s. It was an opportunity for their whole family to be closer, to realize that even in their warm household, there were many underlying issues that hadn¡¯t surfaced. It was this time travel that gradually brought these issues to light and offered them the chance to address and mend them.
Zhou Lan waved her hand in front of Jiang Xia¡¯s face. ¡°Silly girl, what are you daydreaming about? Go get two sweet potatoes.¡±
Jiang Xia nodded and ran to the corner where the sweet potatoes were piled up.
There were two types of sweet potatoes in the corner: one was the big, round, white sweet potatoes; the other was the red-skinned, long, and slender ones with two protruding ends, resembling bull horns.
These were the first seeds they had found deep in the mountains and grown in an uncultivated field. Since the weather was not conducive to spoiling the sweet potatoes, they had stacked all the mature ones in a corner of the kitchen.
Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t quite distinguish between the two types of sweet potatoes, so she turned to ask Zhou Lan, ¡°Mother, which kind of sweet potato should we use?¡±
Zhou Lan enlightened her, ¡°The round ones are white sweet potatoes; they¡¯re fluffier and stickier, suitable for steaming directly or boiling in rice soup. The other kind, shaped like ox horns, is the Honey Horn sweet potato, which is sweeter in taste and perfect for making sweet potato cakes to enhance the sweetness.¡±
Jiang Xia took a moment to observe andmitted the differences to memory. Noting that the Honey horn sweet potatoes were quite small, she gathered four or five into her arms to carry over.
Once Zhou Lan took the Honey Horn sweet potatoes, with swift and adept movements, she peeled them. Jiang Xia watched, eyes wide and mouth agape, amazed at how these oddly shaped sweet potatoes became sopliant in her mother¡¯s hands, shedding their skins so willingly.
Zhou Lan found her usually proud daughter¡¯s bewildered expression quite amusing and said with augh, ¡°The knife skills I possess have been honed over many years. You¡¯ve just started cooking and want to match my knife skills already; that¡¯s a bit too eager. No matter how smart you are, you should progress steadily and not rush.¡±
Taking the opportunity, Zhou Lan imparted some wisdom to Jiang Xia.
Jiang Xia nodded obediently, then ced the pieces of Honey Horn sweet potato that Zhou Lan had cut into a bowl and prepared them for steaming.
While Jiang Xia was steaming the sweet potatoes, Zhou Lan had already scooped threedles of flour into a mixing bowl and waited for Jiang Xia to finish before she began to teach her how to knead the dough.
¡°When kneading dough, you can¡¯t be impatient. Don¡¯t add too much water all at once, as it can turn into batter instead. Add water little by little, stirring with chopsticks to gradually get the flour into a flulent state¡¡±
After a brief demonstration, Zhou Lan let Jiang Xia try it herself, instructing her from the side. By the time Jiang Xia had clumsily worked the flour in the bowl into a flulent state, the sweet potatoes were almost ready.
Eager to learn the next step, Jiang Xia leaned in to see how Zhou Lan would proceed..
Chapter 379 - 379: Jiang Chuan鈥檚 Past
Chapter 379: Jiang Chuan¡¯s Past
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Zhou Lan cooled the steamed sweet potatoes with cold water before adding them to the fluff-like dough, continuing to exin, ¡°The sweet potatoes are now very glutinous and crumble at the touch of a hand. The moisture and starch in the sweet potatoes will also help the dough set better. What we need to do at this point is to ensure that the sweet potatoes and flour are fully integrated. It¡¯s difficult to achieve this with chopsticks, so we need to wash our hands and knead the dough with our hands.¡±
Jiang Xia obediently followed the instructions and carefully kneaded the sweet potatoes into the dough under Zhou Lan¡¯s direction, gradually forming a smooth, pale yellow dough.
Zhou Lan nodded in satisfaction. Her daughter was indeed smart and caught on quickly when it came to cooking.
Zhou Lan instructed Jiang Xia to sprinkle flour on the cutting board to prevent the dough from sticking, then to roll the well-kneaded dough in the flour to form a long strip, cut it into equal lengths, and after rolling each piece into a round shape, to tten it with a rolling pin.
At this step, the task was essentially finished. Next, only frying the sweet potato pancakes until cooked was left.
Jiang Xia, already very familiar with stir-frying, didn¡¯t need Zhou Lan¡¯s guidance and quickly ced the sweet potato dough cakes into the hot, sizzling pan.
Seeing her daughter had fully mastered the process, Zhou Lan reminded her, ¡°Remember, they¡¯re only ready when both sides are golden brown. Take them out and ce them on a te without stacking them, or they won¡¯t be crispy.¡±
After finishing her instructions, Zhou Lan confidently went to prepare the ingredients for pickles.
Zhou Lan had an idea; if one always eats pickles, they would eventually grow tired of them, so she nned to make some kimchi to take to the supply and marketing cooperative. They had white radishes and carrots at home to use for making kimchi. Kimchi tastes sour and is more appetizing.
She had previously had Jiang Xia pile all the radishes that had grown in the interspace in the kitchen. Now, all she had to do was simply tally up how many kilos of radishes they had, how much pickle they could make, and from there estimate the amount of white sugar needed for making the pickles and kimchi.
After calcting, she instructed Jiang Chuan to take the amount to themune to inform Tian Zao, to make sure the matter was settled as soon as possible. Perhaps they could receive the white sugar by evening, and then they could start preparing tomorrow.
Zhou Lan estimated that they would need about two and a half kilos of white sugar. After finishing the calctions, she went to check on Jiang Xia¡¯s work.
She found that Jiang Xia had made the sweet potato cakes very well, golden brown on both sides, filling the kitchen with the aroma of sweet potatoes. Moreover, as the sweet potato cakes were made with water from their interspace realm, there was an additional hint of sweetness beyond the fragrance of the sweet potatoes.
Zhou Lan poked the surface of a sweet potato cake with chopsticks, and the crisp sound was very appetizing.
After frying seven or eight cakes, Jiang Xia had be skillful, no longer needing to watch the pan intently, which left her free to chat with Zhou Lan. They started talking about the events of the previous afternoon.
Jiang Xia briefly recounted how she dealt with Wang Niu and the incident of buying wild vegetables and y bricks from the children.
After hearing Jiang Xia¡¯s ount, Zhou Lan first became angry that Wang Niu had been instigated by Jiang Hong, speaking without restraint. But she couldn¡¯t help praising her daughter for her cleverness. Indeed, this solved the problem of the shortage of y bricks for building their house, and it could be said to have saved them a lot of trouble.
Jiang Xia had another idea, ¡°Mother, since we have enough y bricks, why don¡¯t we go ahead and build arge house, with five rooms and a big courtyard, all in one go?¡±
Zhou Lan was puzzled, ¡°Your sister and brother-inw would take one room, Zhang family forth son will have another. Even if we were to build arge house, three rooms would be enough for them to live in. Why would we need five?¡±
Jiang Xia exined her thoughts to Zhou Lan, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I was thinking, what if Zhang family¡¯s second son and his mother decide toe to our senses in the future, and are willing to settle down in our vige? They would need a room to live in, wouldn¡¯t they? And we could reserve another room as a guest room. If friends from Locust Tree Bay or Grand Cloud Mountaine to visit, they¡¯d have a ce to stay, right?¡±
Zhou Lan thought that Jiang Xia¡¯s idea was good; the spare rooms could also be used to store food supplies. She had just felt a headache upon seeing the pile of obstructive radishes on the ground; they did need storage space.
However, Zhou Lan became worried again, ¡°You think the y bricks found by the children are sturdy enough? I am afraid they might not be strong enough to build a house. What do we do then?¡±
Jiang Xiaforted her, ¡°These kids are very handy. Maybe they¡¯ll have delivered them by noon.. Won¡¯t we know if the y bricks are sturdy enough after we¡¯ve seen them today?¡±
Chapter 380 - 380: Gifting a Bike
Chapter 380: Gifting a Bike
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Zhou Lan nodded, then suddenly remembered something. ¡°Do you still remember meeting your great-aunt Jiang Nan at Jiang Hong¡¯s engagement banquet?¡±
¡°Of course, I remember. Auntie was very kind to us and even slipped us some money.¡± There were not many good people in the old Jiang family, so Jiang Xia certainly remembered someone who was so kind to their family.
¡°I¡¯ve always felt that your great-aunt must know something about your father¡¯s background. It¡¯s just that so many things have happened recently, I forgot to follow up on this matter. Now that you¡¯ve mentioned Jiang Hong and Wang Niu, it made me think of your great-aunt again. The mystery of your father¡¯s past has always been a hurdle in my heart, it would be better to clear it up sooner rather thanter.¡±
Jiang Xia agreed, ¡°Then let¡¯s wait until father is less busy, and we will go to see the great-aunt in person to rify this matter. We should also bring her some gifts; I heard that they are not living veryfortably these days.¡±
Zhou Lan agreed.
The sweet potato cakes were ready. Jiang Xia ced the cakes on a te, while Zhou Lan cookedst night¡¯s leftover rice with some water into a porridge, adding a white sweet potato to it.
Looking at the fragrant rice soup, Jiang Xia pondered and said, ¡°Mother, do you remember there are a few irrigation channels in the vige?¡±
¡°Yes, but the climate is dry now, and there is not much water left, probably just up to the ankles,¡± Zhou Lan replied.
¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Jiang Xia.
The rice harvest was very poor during the autumn. Many rice ears were shriveled, and the grains were very small, so the vige didn¡¯t n to continue nting rice this year. They were at a loss about what to nt when the appearance of corn seeds gave them hope. However, Jiang Xia knew that rice was still a very important staple that couldn¡¯t be reced by corn.
Moreover, Jiang Xia found that the poorly harvested rice, once soaked in water from her interspace realm, would be plump and sweet. So she had an idea to use this interspace realm water to nourish rice seeds and nt them in the vige irrigation channels. This way, they wouldn¡¯t need to expend muchbor or resources, and next year they could have a rice harvest to regain the vigers¡¯ confidence in rice cultivation.
But this matter still required Jiang Chuan to convince the vigers at themune. Anyway, corn nting only started in spring, so Jiang Xia was not in a hurry.
Breakfast was ready, and Jiang Gu extinguished the fire. The three women, one carrying sweet potato cakes, another carrying the porridge, and the little one following behind, went inside the house. It was then they realized that they had a visitor early in the morning.
The visitor was Shen Mo, who hade for dinner the previous night. However, Shen Mo¡¯s visit this early morning wasn¡¯t to freeload breakfast but to deliver something to Jiang Chuan.
Jiang Chuan saw a brand-new bicycle in the courtyard and asked Shen Mo with confusion, ¡°What does this mean?¡±
¡°This is a bicycle issued to me, but I am about to join the army and go into the mountains, where I can¡¯t ride it,¡± Shen Mo exined, ¡°so I thought of giving it to you for your use.¡±
Unsolicited generosity might imply an ulterior motive!
Jiang Chuan looked at the bicycle and knew in his heart that he could not ept it.
Aware of Jiang Chuan¡¯s hostility, Shen Mo exined, ¡°Uncle Jiang, please rest assured, this bicycle is purely for your convenience in delivering pickles. Once the army cooperates with you, we will need to frequently purchase pickles and meat sauce from your home. Considering how far the mountain foot is, it would be quite troublesome for you to deliver goods without a bicycle, right?¡± Hearing this, Jiang Chuan felt there was some sense in the words. He couldn¡¯t always be driving his car around the vige ostentatiously. Having a bicycle would indeed be very convenient, and most importantly, their home was some distance from themune, which was quite tiring to walk to every morning. With a bicycle, a lot of hassle could be saved. With this in mind, Jiang Chuan found himself tempted.
Shen Mo¡¯s words were overheard by Zhou Lan as she came out from the kitchen. Zhou Lan praised, ¡°This child is really thoughtful. Stay and have breakfast with us. Jiang Xia cooked sweet potato pancakes herself. Try them and see how theypare tost night¡¯s braised pork ribs.¡±
Jiang Xia was cooking again? Hearing this, Shen Mo naturally wanted to stay and taste Jiang Xia¡¯s cooking, especially since the vor ofst night¡¯s braised pork ribs was still lingering in his mind.
Jiang Chuan shot a reproachful nce at Zhou Lan. He hadn¡¯t agreed to take the bicycle yet, but with Zhou Lan¡¯s words, it seemed he had no choice but to ept it..
Chapter 381 - 381: Scissors
Chapter 381: Scissors
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
However, the bicycle came just in time, and Jiang Chuan found himself no longer voicing any refusal. After all, there¡¯s a saying, ¡®A favor received binds one to return it,¡¯ and since Jiang Chuan was not fond of Shen Mo¡¯s attention towards his daughter, now he could hardly refuse to let Shen Mo stay for a meal.
Jiang Chuan was very knowledgeable about cars, from parts to models¡ªhe could talk endlessly on any topic rted to automobiles. However, he knew very little about bicycles of this era, and so he didn¡¯t realize that a lot of thought had gone into modifying this particr bike.
The frame was made from the best steel avable at the time, extremely sturdy.
At that time, nearly every household¡¯s pots and pans had been collected for steel-making, so much so that initially, Jiang Xia¡¯s family had trouble even buying a pot¡ªthe bike¡¯s frame was made from that steel. The tires and chain had also been reinforced and checked so they wouldn¡¯t easily puncture or snap.
This bicycle was originally modified by Shen Mo¡¯s father for Shen Mo to use for his dailymute from the military base to the county town after his enlistment. It was this same bicycle that Shen Mo was riding when Jiang Xia met him in the town.
But they hadn¡¯t expected that the boy would scarcely stay home for a few days before announcing his intention to join the army on a deep mountain deployment. This didn¡¯t just infuriate his parents; it led to a beating. Even his brother and sister-inw¡¯s persuasion was futile, and Ma Juan had caused a scene once, but that only made things worse.
Shen Mo¡¯s parents knew him best and understood that no one could change his mind. In the end, they had to respect their son¡¯s wishes and let him follow the troops.
After breakfast, Jiang Chuan had to go to work, naturally riding his new bicycle. Shen Mo also had matters to attend to at themune, so they left together. However, the sight of Jiang Chuan leading Shen Mo away seemed increasingly odd from behind.
Finally noticing something amiss, Jiang Xia turned to Zhou Lan and asked, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t you think Dad has some objections about something?¡±
Zhou Lan waved her hand dismissively, smiling, ¡°It¡¯s normal for a father-inw to grow less fond of a son-inw the more he sees him.¡±
Jiang Gu didn¡¯t understand and pursued the matter, ¡°Mom, what son-inw? Isn¡¯t the only son-inw Dad has my brother-inw? What does this have to do with Shen Mo?¡±
Zhou Lan cast a nce at Jiang Xia, who paid no attention to the term, feeling frustrated by her obliviousness. She thought, ¡®When will this girl ever be savvy?¡¯ She decided to let Shen Mo gradually influence Jiang Xia.
Patting Jiang Gu¡¯s little head, Zhou Lan said, ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you¡¯re older. Come, let¡¯s go back inside and I¡¯ll braid your hair.¡±
At this point, Jiang Gu had no idea what was about to happen. She was just happy her mother finally had time to y with her and happily followed Zhou Lan into the house. However, just five minutester, Jiang Gu¡¯s screams could be heard from the room.
Jiang Gu stepped back in fear as she watched Zhou Lan approaching with scissors, smiling malevolently, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve had these braids for a long time, can we not cut them?¡± She pleaded as tears began to roll down her cheeks.
She didn¡¯t understand what was happening. Her mother had been happily talking about braiding her hair just moments ago. But as soon as they went inside and Zhou Lan picked up theb, she had pulled Jiang Gu¡¯s scalp painfully. Wincing in pain, Jiang Gu looked at her mother, who was also frowning back at her.
¡°My dear daughter, you¡¯ve got lice in your hair.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Jiang Gu, rubbing her sore scalp, looked at Zhou Lan in confusion.
Without another word, Zhou Lan advanced with the scissors, teasing her with a menacing expression, ¡°It means, your hair needs to be cut!¡±
¡°No, I can¡¯t!¡± Jiang Gu screamed in terror, clutching her hair, trying to run outside, but Zhou Lan was faster and blocked the door, preventing her escape. Jiang Gu¡¯s fear escted, trembling as if she had seen a ghost.
Hearing themotion, Jiang Xia quickly came in, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Mom, why do you have scissors?¡±
Realizing she had scared Jiang Gu, Zhou Lan quickly put away the scissors and exined, ¡°Jiang Gu has lice, I was just joking with her and scared her.¡±
Jiang Xia then understood what had happened and knew Jiang Gu was frightened of getting her hair cut. She approached Jiang Gu slowly,forting her..
Chapter 382 - 382: Haircut
Chapter 382 Haircut
Jiang Xia squatted down in front of Jiang Gu and began to reason with her, "Xiao Gu, I know you don''t want to cut your hair. You''re scared when you see Mother holding scissors, right?"
Jiang Gu nodded fervently. That was her hair, after all. She had never cut it since she could remember, and now it had grown to the length of her buttocks. It hadn''t been easy to grow it this long, and now to have it cut with a single snip by her mother¡ªwho would be happy about that?
Jiang Xia exined gently, "Second Sister knows you don''t want to cut your hair. Mother and I are also reluctant to cut it, but your hair now has lice, and we must deal with it."
Jiang Gu felt aggrieved. "Second Sister, what exactly are lice?"
"Lice are tiny insects that nibble on your scalp," Jiang Xia exined. "Tell me, does your head often feel very itchy, to the point where you constantly want to scratch, but it doesn''t help?"
Jiang Gu''s eyes widened in shock as she nodded immediately. Second Sister was indeed perceptive to have noticed that!
Jiang Xia continued, "This is because these insects are causing trouble, making your head itchier and itchier."
"Ah, what should I do?" Jiang Gu, now understanding, began to feel frightened. She felt her head itch every day and would constantly scratch her hair, sometimes even scratching her scalp raw. But she dared not tell her parents for fear that they would think there was something wrong with her and abandon her.
Jiang Gu remembered that the girl next door at the old Jiang''s house had been sold to the neighboring vige for this reason. Jiang Gu didn''t want to leave her parents, so she never dared tell them.
"You don''t have to be scared," Jiang Xia said. "This is easy to take care of. We just need to cut off the overly long hair and then thoroughly wash your scalp. The lice will naturally disappear."
Hearing this, Jiang Gu became less resistant and obediently went to Zhou Lan, saying, "Mom, then please cut my hair."
Filled with guilt, Zhou Lan squatted down to meet Jiang Gu''s gaze and apologized, "Xiao Gu, it''s all Mother''s fault for scaring you. You don''t have to be afraid. Whatever decision you make, Mother will respect your choice. If you like long hair, after washing it clean, Mother will also help you take care of it, so it can grow long again. But the premise is that it must not affect your hygiene, okay? Because Mother is afraid you might get sick."
After Jiang Gu nodded, Zhou Lan continued, "If you ever feel ufortable or have any problems, you must tell Mother. You can''t keep it to yourself, hiding it from Father, Mother, and your sisters, understand?"
Jiang Gu nodded, holding back her tears.
Zhou Lan stood up, took out the scissors, and with one cut, she chopped Jiang Gu''s hair to shoulder length.
Tears brimmed in Jiang Gu''s eyes as she looked at the hair on the ground, "Mother, I didn''t mean to deceive or hide it from you, I was just afraid you would dislike me and sell me to the next vige."
Zhou Lan tenderly ruffled Jiang Gu''s newly shortened hair. "Silly girl, you are Mother''s dearest treasure. How could Mother bear to part with you? Remember, no matter what, Mother will always want you, always!"
Afraid that her words were not convincing enough, Zhou Lan emphasized "always" once more. Only then did Jiang Gu smile.
Then, with the joint efforts of Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia, they boiled water and washed Jiang Gu''s hair clean.
Zhou Lan was very skilled at cutting hair. She had been cutting Jiang Xia''s hair since she was young, so she was more than capable of doing the same for Jiang Gu. The bob cut and bangs turned her into a spitting image of a doll. Once washed and dried, some stray hairs stuck out, making Jiang Gu look like a fluffy little puppy, indescribably cute.
Afterward, Zhou Lan also thoroughly cleaned Jiang Gu''s room, ensuring there were no lingering lice before feeling at ease.
It was not that Jiang Gu was unhygienic; as a child in the old Jiang family, she had not developed good habits and did not know to bathe and wash her hair regrly. At the time, Zhou Lan, consumed with the desire for a son, neglected her daughters, leaving Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu in the care of Jiang Qing. But none of this was the children''s fault.
The me could only be ced on the era¡ªan era when women were only responsible for bearing children, forgetting that bringing them into the worldes with the responsibility to educate them well.
That was also why the children of that time were only close to...
Chapter 383 - 383: Captain of the Village Next Door
Chapter 383: Captain of the Vige Next Door
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Shen Mo originally intended to head to themune, but halfway there he remembered he needed to make a trip to town, so he got off and went to the vige entrance to catch the bus.
Jiang Chuan rode to themune without parking his bicycle in themune¡¯s bike shed, fearing it would draw too much attention and provoke discussions, so he left it by the roadside not far from themune.
As he walked into the courtyard of themune, he immediately noticed that there were more than twice as many people as usual. He found it odd; he hadn¡¯t heard of any events happening at themune, so why were there so many people today? Moreover, there were many unfamiliar faces that Jiang Chuan had never seen before, not seeming like vigers.
While Jiang Chuan was pondering how to navigate through the crowd to reach his office, he spotted Captain Chen Xing striding towards themune¡¯s office building in the distance.
Jiang Chuan called out to him from afar and took a few steps towards him, asking, ¡°Why are there so many people at themune today?¡±
Chen Xing looked around cautiously, as if in a rush, and spoke quickly, ¡°There¡¯s a meeting at themune today. The captains from the five viges managed by themune need to attend.¡±
So there was arge meeting. No wonder everyone was gathering at the entrance of themune.
A singlemune managed five viges, with its headquarters in Pushan Vige. Each vige had positions like chief captain, vice-captain, vige chief, and ountant, who all needed to attend meetings.
By that count, there were at least twenty people gathered here, making the usually spacious square feel crowded.
Seeing that Chen Xing seemed in a hurry, Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t ask further and let him be on his way.
Chen Xing hurried off just as someone greeted Jiang Chuan. Turning around, Jiang Chuan recognized it was Xiao Wu.
Jiang Chuan asked, ¡°What brings you to themune?¡±
Xiao Wu replied, ¡°I¡¯m here in ce of the vige chief. It¡¯s gotten colder these past few days, and the chief¡¯s rheumatism is acting up, his knees are in such pain he can¡¯t even get out of bed.¡±
Concerned, he asked, ¡°Is the vige chief¡¯s leg condition serious?¡±
¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, just a bit of knee pain. It¡¯s an old issue, happens every year. A few days¡¯ rest and he¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Xiao Wu.
Jiang Chuan figured that wasmon with the elderly and decided to visit the chief after work with some gifts.
He then inquired of Xiao Wu, ¡°Do you know why there¡¯s a meeting today? I didn¡¯t receive any notice.¡±
¡°The notice was sent out the day before yesterday. You just happened to be away that day, so it¡¯s normal you didn¡¯t know. Today¡¯s meeting is to discuss the uing production strategy. We¡¯re short on rainwater, and the fields are too dry, nothing will grow. So, the n is to brainstorm and see what would be best to nt.¡±
With that, Jiang Chuan remembered what Jiang Xia mentioned to him during breakfast about nting rice in the canal. This meeting would be a good opportunity to bring it up¡ªif they could nt the rice in the spring, they would be able to harvest rice in the next autumn.
As the two were talking, suddenly a burly man approached them. With hisrge and sturdy build, round head topped with ck sideburns, he looked not to be trifled with.
Before he even got close, he started speaking anxiously in a gruff voice that boomed loudly, ¡°Is this Jiang Chuan?¡±
Jiang Chuan thought hard, but he had no impression of the man; he must not be from their vige. So he replied politely, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. May I ask who you are?¡±
The man¡¯sugh was hearty as he said, ¡°I¡¯m Lao Zheng, the captain of the vige next door. I heard that your vige¡¯s one thousand kilos of corn seed was all thanks to you. Impressive!¡±
Jiang Chuan modestly responded, ¡°Oh no, it was just good luck that I happened toe across it.¡±
Lao Zheng patted Jiang Chuan¡¯s shoulder with his robust hand, ¡°Luck is part of your strength too, don¡¯t be too humble. I¡¯ve heard about your aplishments these past months. Both your vige chief and Chen Xing can¡¯t stop singing your praises; it¡¯s clear you¡¯re really capable.¡±
¡°What capabilities? He¡¯s just a slick operator,¡± interjected Wang Xing snidely.
It was arge-scale meeting. Although only the officials were allowed to participate, if the vigers were curious, they could alsoe and listen. After all, this meeting was about the vital matters concerning the livelihood of the vigers, and it was only reasonable to allow them to attend..
Chapter 384 - 384: Come to Our Village
Chapter 384: Come to Our Vige
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Lao Zheng was a straightforward man. Hearing such impolite words, he frowned at the speaker, finding him vaguely familiar but unable to ce him. Offhandedly, he asked, ¡°Who is this person?¡±
Xiao Wu red at Wang Xing and introduced him in a mocking tone, ¡°This is the man who tried and failed to beat Brother Jiang for the ountant position.¡±
Wang Xing was annoyed by the introduction and wanted to have thest word, much like his daughter Wang Niu. He had forgotten the pain once his wounds healed and didn¡¯t remember the vige chief¡¯s warning at all.
He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t get the ountant position not because Icked ability, but because I don¡¯t know how to cozy up to the bosses.¡±
Xiao Wu had always been irked by Wang Xing and the sycophants from the Jiang family; it was clear to him that Wang Xing¡¯s own failed attempt to bribe someone had been projected onto Jiang Chuan without a hint of shame.
Xiao Wu retorted, ¡°If you were really capable, why didn¡¯t you step up to keep ounts when the grain was being distributed? You were all quiet and shy back then, and now that Brother Jiang has handled things well, you start spreading rumors about him!¡±
Wang Xing wanted to argue back, but Lao Zheng interjected, ¡°I seem to know about this. There were rumors flying all over your vige a while back, we even heard them in ours. I didn¡¯t expect it was Wang Xing spreading them.¡±
Lao Zheng then gave Jiang Chuan another hearty p on the shoulder, so vigorous that Jiang Chuan staggered. If not for his increasingly stout figure, he might have ended up on the ground.
Lao Zheng continued, ¡°But no one believes such talk. Wang Xing originally moved from our vige to Pushan Vige because he waszy and mooched off our work points. We couldn¡¯t stand it and chased him out, and to think he¡¯s still the same in your vige.¡±
Wang Xing now recognized Lao Zheng. It had been several years since he came to Pushan Vige, and he hadn¡¯t returned to the previous vige. Plus, Lao Zheng had grown sideburns in recent years, so Wang Xing didn¡¯t immediately recognize him.
Wang Xing had some old grudges with Lao Zheng; he had been caught stealing chickens and even swiped one from Lao Zheng¡¯s home, leading to a beating that he still feared to this day.
Seeing Lao Zheng backing Jiang Chuan, Wang Xing stopped arguing and walked away with a sullen expression, not wanting to get beaten up in front of so many people. With Lao Zheng¡¯s vtile temper, he wouldn¡¯t care about the crowd; those meaty fists woulde down regardless.
Watching Wang Xing skulk away, Lao Zheng looked at his retreating back with disdain.
Lao Zheng was a candid man and spoke his mind. He said to Jiang Chuan, ¡°Brother Jiang Chuan, the people in Pushan Vige don¡¯t appreciate you and talk behind your back. Why don¡¯t you move to our vige? People there don¡¯t gossip needlessly, and you can rest assured, the ountant position in our vige is yours if youe!¡±
Jiang Chuan quickly demurred, ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯m not that amazing. People are just exaggerating!¡±
Lao Zheng didn¡¯t buy it, saying, ¡°Getting one thousand kilos of corn seed isn¡¯t exaggeration, it¡¯s real ability. Don¡¯t be so modest. If youe, I¡¯ll arrange a house for you, definitely bigger than what you have now!¡±
Xiao Wu snickered and said, ¡°Lao Zheng, do you even know how big his current house is before you make such a im?¡±
Lao Zheng replied, ¡°How big can it be? Just a courtyard with a room, right?¡±
Xiao Wu said, ¡°That¡¯s not the case at all. Brother Jiang¡¯s house has a full three rooms and arge courtyard. Each of his two young daughters has her own room.¡±
Lao Zheng was taken aback for a moment and fell silent. Three rooms and a big courtyard¡ªsuch a setup was only found in the households of the well-to-do in their vige. It seemed he had spoken too soon.
Still, he persisted, ¡°Even if I can¡¯t find you a better house than your current one, at least I can find one that¡¯s exactly the same. Our vige has plenty of vacant houses. The main point is for you to feel better by moving to our vige! What kind of messy affairs do we have in our vige like you do here? If anyone dares to speak ill of you, I¡¯ll deal with them with my fists! Rest assured, as the team leader, I do have that much face in the vige.¡±
Xiao Wu was displeased, ¡°Lao Zheng, how can you so openly poach people?¡±
Lao Zheng, righteous and confident, retorted, ¡°What, if your vige doesn¡¯t treat Jiang Chuan well, our vige isn¡¯t allowed to be good to him?¡±
Xiao Wu was at a loss for words, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±
Chapter 385 - 385: The Meeting Begins
Chapter 385: The Meeting Begins
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Jiang Chuan was moved by Lao Zheng¡¯s sincerity and held a great fondness for him in his heart.
The people of Pushan Vige were always suspicious of Jiang Chuan because they couldn¡¯t bear to see him getting on better and better¡ªa fact that everyone knew deep down, but no one would speak as inly and clearly about it as Lao Zheng had.
Although Xiao Wu and Xiao Li also tried their best to protect Jiang Chuan, they found it difficult to show the obvious partiality that Lao Zheng did. Jiang Chuan had no intention of ming anyone; it was just that Lao Zheng¡¯s behavior was more touching.
Seeing the two quarrel like children, Jiang Chuan quickly intervened, ¡°Lao Zheng, I appreciate your kindness, but my eldest daughter is about to move back soon, and our new house is only half-built. It¡¯s simply unrealistic for me to move suddenly, but I¡¯ll keep your offer in mind. If there¡¯s anything I can help you with in the future, just let me know, and I¡¯ll be there!¡±
Indeed, Jiang Chuan had a way with words. His response pleased everyone; Xiao Wu, who was fearful that Jiang Chuan might leave, immediately felt relieved upon hearing that he wouldn¡¯t.
Lao Zheng, on the other hand, was keen on making friends with Jiang Chuan and could see his sincerity in his words, so he felt veryfortable in his heart.
After a short while of conversation, Tian Zao came over, waving to everyone to quiet down.
Once everyone had gathered around her, she said, ¡°The vige meeting room has been tidied up. It can amodate about forty people. Those vigers who wish to listen in will have to stand, I¡¯m afraid, but we¡¯ll try to keep the meeting brief so you won¡¯t have to stand too long. Now, let¡¯s head into the meeting room to start the meeting.¡±
In truth, saying the meeting room could amodate forty people was quite conservative. By squeezing in here and there, the small meeting room somehow managed to fit over sixty people.
Seeing everyone¡¯s enthusiasm for the vige development, Tian Zao didn¡¯t say much else. As soon as the meeting room quieted down, she began the meeting.
She briefly went over the recent work ns and emphasized the documents distributed by the authorities once again. The topics were the same old issues and somewhat dry, so everyone felt a little bored.
Tian Zao knew these subjects weren¡¯t of much interest, so she quickly moved on to the topic everyone was most concerned about: the seed issue.
A few days ago, after a rain that moistened the soil, everyone had urgently nted two thousand catties of corn seeds. However, these corn crops would only mature in three months, and what to nt next spring was now a worrying concern.
What¡¯s more critical is that nting corn in winter isn¡¯t its growing season, so the vigers didn¡¯t have high hopes for the harvest.
They had only nted these seeds urgently because the government had said that all grains grown in winter would be kept by the growers themselves, without needing to contribute to state quotas, which motivated them.
A distant water source cannot quench an immediate thirst. Even if the corn seeds grew into crops andbined with the state-distributed grain, it would only sustain them for a month. The pressing issue now was to nt some food that was more filling.
The crowd was abuzz with discussion; some proposed nting wheat, others rice, but most were inclined to nt wheat. Wheat could be made into flour, mixed with sorghum and cornmeal,sting longer and offering a variety of food options. In contrast, rice seemed too monotonous.
Most importantly, this year¡¯s autumn wheat harvest had been mediocre, causing people to lose hope in rice, and privately, discussions had started that the vige¡¯s soil might not be suitable for rice cultivation. Therefore, people were reluctant to continue nting rice and preferred to shift to grains like corn and wheat.
Jiang Chuan understood everyone¡¯s concerns, but he believed people should not go without rice nor be defeated by temporary difficulties, so he stood up amidst the myriad of opinions.
¡°I¡¯ve surveyed the vige¡¯snd and water channels and found that due to the drought in the past two years, the canals can no longer hold enough water. The current water levels are dangerously low, but these channels do have one advantage¡ªthey can be used for growing grain.¡±
Someone asked, puzzled, ¡°Even if the water level in the canals is low, they¡¯re still ditches full of water.. How can we grow grain there? We can¡¯t afford to waste that water!¡±
Chapter 386 - 386: Persuade
Chapter 386: Persuade
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Jiang Chuan looked at everyone, his tone resolute, ¡°We can nt rice.¡±
After hearing this, there was a stunned silence from the crowd. After a moment of quiet, they started discussing amongst themselves again, ¡°Rice can¡¯t be grown! Have you forgotten how poor the harvest wasst autumn? This is a waste of effort!¡±
Someone retorted, ¡°Right, in my whole life, I¡¯ve never heard of rice not filling the husk! If not a single grain grows in the ear, it must be because our vige¡¯snd simply can¡¯t grow rice! Let¡¯s not dy our efforts.¡±
Jiang Chuan exined, ¡°The poor rice harvest is due tock of water¡¡±
Someone immediately countered, ¡°So are you saying that by next spring, when you nt the rice, there won¡¯t be a water shortage?¡±
Jiang Chuan was momentarily unable to answer this question. Indeed, he couldn¡¯t guarantee the solution to the water shortage, but there was one thing he was sure of¡ªthe water from the girl¡¯s interspace realm could definitely make the rice grow strong! But he couldn¡¯t share these thoughts with the vigers.
So Jiang Chuan thought of a roundabout exnation, ¡°The canals are lying empty anyway, we might as well use them to nt rice. It won¡¯t dy us much, and what if next year¡¯s harvest improves? Are we not going to eat rice in our vige for the entire next year? Or are we all expecting to trade flour for rice? We should always grow our own.¡±
Speaking of rice, Tian Zao suddenly remembered the rice she tasted at Jiang Chuan¡¯s housest night. The grains were full and the vor sweet, indeed the best rice she had eaten in years. At the time, she even asked Jiang Chuan where this rice came from.
Jiang Xia told her that the rice was grown in the vige. This proved that the vige was capable of growing delicious rice.
Therefore, Tian Zao felt that Jiang Chuan¡¯s method was worth trying, so she stood up to speak for him.
¡°Everyone, please quiet down and listen to me,¡± Tian Zao said. ¡°The state has decreed that the grain nted this winter belongs to us individually. However, the rice we nt in spring, regardless of its condition, must be handed over to the state. I understand everyone¡¯s concerns; you¡¯re worried that if the harvest fails, our hard work will be for naught. But since the rice will be nted after next spring, it¡¯s as if the state is bearing the consequences for us, offering us protection. Why not be bold and give it a try? Besides, the area we¡¯re nting is notrge¡ªour vige¡¯s canals total only four, covering just twenty acres ofnd, which is less than one-tenth of thend we cultivate. If everyone is willing to try nting rice, then we¡¯ll allocate work points for the canals, two points for every fifteen square meters.¡±
People are always swayed by their interests, and Tian Zao¡¯s words had them intrigued. The promise of more work points was tempting, and since there would be no punishment from the state even if the crops failed, why not give it ago?
Furthermore, if the rice did grow well, and the harvest was decent, even after the state took its share, there would still be enough left for the entire vige.
The meeting room fell silent for a moment as everyone pondered the feasibility of this n.
The first to stand up in support of Tian Zao was Old Zheng from the neighboring vige.
The first person to stand up and support Tian Zao was actually Lao Zheng from the neighboring vige.
Patting his belly, Lao Zheng stood up and said, ¡°Our vige has three canals, not as many as yours, but I think Captain Tian¡¯s method is feasible. I am willing to support it.¡±
With Lao Zheng leading the way, others also felt encouraged and began to express their support, until gradually, the meeting room was filled with voices of agreement.
After the meeting, Jiang Chuan waited until everyone had left, leaving him alone in the meeting room with Tian Zao.
He walked over to her and expressed his gratitude. ¡°Captain Tian, thank you for helping me persuade the vigers today.¡±
Tian Zao replied courteously, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. This is for the good of the vigers. We all need to do our part; you don¡¯t need to thank me.¡±
Jiang Chuan sincerely showed his admiration, ¡°Captain Tian, thank you for always considering the vigers. I believe with you leading Pushan Vige, the vigers will have better lives. I apologize for any misunderstandings before.¡±
Tian Zao responded generously, ¡°I¡¯ve also had many misunderstandings about you and didn¡¯t recognize your capabilities. I take this opportunity to apologize and hope that from now on, we can work together wholeheartedly for the betterment of our vigers.¡±
¡°Yes!¡± Jiang Chuan nodded earnestly..
Chapter 387 - 387: Auntie Tian Is Here
Chapter 387: Auntie Tian Is Here
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Havingpleted the topic, Tian Zao pulled out a document from the pile in front of her and handed it to Jiang Chuan, ¡°The army will be stationed in the mountains in two days, and there are some materials here that need to be registered. Please trouble you to register and bring them to me. Meanwhile, let¡¯s also discuss the next steps for nting rice in the spring, and estimate how much rice seed we¡¯ll need for the canals, so we can report and apply for them.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Jiang Chuan replied, and went to work.
Jiang Chuan usually had his lunch sent by Jiang Xia, so he rarely ate in the canteen. However, this morning, Zhou Lan had specifically told him that the vegetable vat would be delivered at noon, and she had a lot of other things to take care of, so she wouldn¡¯t be sending lunch and asked Jiang Chuan to sort it out in the canteen.
When Jiang Chuan went to the canteen, he saw the seat next to Tian Zao was empty, so he took his meal and sat down next to her to discuss the content they had registered in the morning.
While the two were discussing, someone suddenly came over and interrupted, ¡°Captain Tian, your mother is here.¡±
Tian Zao, incredulous, confirmed repeatedly and, receiving affirmative answers each time, immediately put down her chopsticks and went out to meet her old mother.
It was no wonder Tian Zao found it hard to believe; Auntie Tian was not sure about the exact location of the vige and it was nearly impossible for her to take a bus early in the morning. Moreover, her mother, being the head of the vigemittee, was usually very disciplined, never disturbing Tian Zao during work hours. Today, her sudden appearance, all the way from the county town to the vige, was beyond belief for anyone.
In contrast, Jiang Chuan was much moreposed, because Auntie Tian¡¯s visit to the vige was partly his doing¡ªhe had specifically gone to the county town to persuade Auntie Tian toe.
Tian Zao rushed out and saw her mother standing lost in the center of themune square with a heavy vegetable basket on her back.
Tian Zao hurried over, helped her mother unload the basket, and realized how heavy it was. Thinking of her mother carrying it all the way from the county town, she felt a twinge of heartache.
Auntie Tian, having traveled a long distance to see her daughter who hade to pick her up, couldn¡¯t stop smiling, her face wrinkling into a bundle of joy. Her first question was to Tian Zao, ¡°Daughter, have you got used to the life here?¡±
Tian Zao quickly replied, ¡°Yes mother, why are you here? Why didn¡¯t you tell me in advance?¡±
Auntie Tian said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you call your brother asking for white sugar? Since someone needed to deliver it, I came over.¡±
It turned out that the heavy basket was filled with white sugar.
Tian Zao said, ¡°Mother, you could have asked brother to have a factory worker deliver such things. Why did you have to make the trip yourself? In this cold weather, what if you caught a chill?¡±
Aunt Tian said, ¡°It¡¯s mainly to see how you¡¯re doing here. Besides, it wasn¡¯t heavy, and I didn¡¯t walk much.¡±
After a short chat, Jiang Chuan came out from the canteen, greeted Auntie Tian enthusiastically, and helped her carry the vegetable basket.
Tian Zao was shocked, ¡°How do you two know each other?¡±
They looked at each other and smiled, briefly recounting how they had met.
Only then did Tian Zao realize that the two were old acquaintances. She was still stunned by this revtion when Jiang Chuan had already begun to warmly look after Auntie Tian.
¡°Auntie, we were just eating. Why don¡¯t you sit down in the canteen first? Have you had lunch? Shall we get a meal for you?¡± Jiang Chuan assisted Auntie Tian into the canteen.
Tian Zao snapped back to reality and followed closely behind them, knowing exactly what her mother liked to eat and went to get her favorite dishes.
During the meal, she asked Auntie Tian, ¡°Mother, what time are you nning to go back this afternoon? Why not pack up after lunch and head back early? It gets dark early in the winter, and I won¡¯t worry if you get home before dark.¡±
Aunt Tian replied with discontent, ¡°Go home for what? I n to stay for a while. Don¡¯t you wee me?¡±
Tian Zao¡¯s face showed difficulty, ¡°But the conditions here are not as good as in the city. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t befortable. Plus, I have to work during the day and won¡¯t have time toe back to cook for you at noon, nor will I have time to take care of you¡.¡±
Chapter 388 - 388: Staying
Chapter 388: Staying
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Auntie Tian words were sensible, but when Auntie Tian traveled a long distance to visit, hearing her daughter express these concerns, she felt as if her daughter was rejecting her.
The older one gets, the more childlike they be, and Auntie Tian started to feel aggrieved and began to grumble, ¡°Hmph, I think you just don¡¯t want me to stay here and bother you while you¡¯re working! Am I not an adult who can take care of myself? I have hands and feet, I can cook. I did for myself in the city, and I can do it here too!¡±
Tian Zao felt wronged and said, ¡°What are you talking about? How could I think of you as a bother? I am overjoyed that you havee to visit me, I¡¯m just worried that I won¡¯t be able to take good care of you.¡±
Jiang Chuan stepped in to mediate, ¡°Captain Tian, don¡¯t worry. My wife Zhou Lan can help take care of Auntie Tian. It¡¯s just a matter of adding a bowl and chopsticks for meals. Auntie Tian cane to our ce for lunch, and if she wants to stroll around the vige, she can join Zhou Lan.¡±
Aunt Tian, feeling indignant, retorted, ¡°Exactly! I didn¡¯te to bother you, I came to see Jiang Chuan. He invited me to visit the vige, that¡¯s why I came. Do you think I¡¯m so keen on sticking to you, the captain?¡±
Tian Zao, somewhat distressed, responded, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t be angry, how could I ever despise you. After lunch, I¡¯ll first help you settle your luggage at home, then I¡¯ll go to themune. You can stayfortably at home without bothering anyone.¡±
Auntie Tian was satisfied.
After lunch, Tian Zao took Auntie Tian home because their house was very close to themune, making it convenient to return.
The half-basket of two and a half kilos of white sugar was entrusted to Jiang Chuan. In order for Zhou Lan to start making pickles sooner, he rode his bicycle home with the sugar after the meal.
While Tian Zao was helping Auntie Tian pack at home, she inquired about how her mother knew Jiang Chuan and some details about their acquaintance. Auntie Tian was full of praise, speaking of how down-to-earth and hard-working Jiang Chuan was, even going to the city to sell vegetables among other things. Only then did Tian Zao realize that Jiang Chuan had always been considering the vigers¡¯ well-being in secret, not letting others know, truly a good man.
After finishing her praise, Auntie Tian also showed a hint of grievance, ¡°I know with your temperament, you definitely wouldn¡¯t want me to disturb your work, but I also miss my daughter. If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Chuan encouraging me, and saying he would take care of me so you wouldn¡¯t be distracted, I wouldn¡¯t have dared toe.¡±
Tian Zao, filled with gratitude, assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will definitely invite Jiang Chuan for a meal as a token of my thanks.¡±
Upon hearing this, Aunt Tian was delighted, ¡°That¡¯s very kind. Invite his whole family, I really like their second daughter, smart and clever, and also very pretty. Who knows which lucky boy will end up with her.¡±
Far away in the county town, Shen Mo sneezed out of the blue. His aide asked if he was catching a cold, but he waved his hand, looking around curiously, ¡°Why do I feel like someone is talking behind my back?¡±
Tian Zao urged her mother, ¡°These little girls are still young; don¡¯t think about such distant matters. Besides, getting married isn¡¯t the only path for girls. Jiang Xia will certainly achieve great things in the future.¡±
Auntie Tian sighed. Her daughter¡¯s marriage was her greatest worry, yet Tian Zao was like a stone b, impervious to persuasion.
Tian Zao had no idea what her mother was thinking, her mind focused solely on Jiang Xia.
Every time she saw Jiang Xia, she felt this girl was destined for more than just being a vige housewife; she was bound for greatness. Yet, she could never have imagined how far beyond expectations the futures of the three Jiang sisters would go.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chuan returned home with white sugar just in time to encounter children delivering sturdy mud bricks, even more solid than those made by adults.
It wasn¡¯t that the children¡¯s craftsmanship was superior to that of the adults, but the adults, upied with building houses, installing windows, andying tiles, were too exhausted to focus solely on brickmaking, unlike the concentrated efforts of the children.
Jiang Chuan, puzzled, looked at Jiang Xia and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with these mud bricks?¡±
Jiang Xia briefly exined the situation, leading Jiang Chuan to praise his daughter¡¯s intelligence and gave her some extra cash, saying, ¡°Remember to settle the children¡¯s payment without error; it¡¯s hard work moving these things..¡±
Chapter 389 - 389: Going to See the Village Chief
Chapter 389: Going to See the Vige Chief
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Jiang Xia smiled as she carefully put away the money, saying, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let them suffer any loss.¡±
Jiang Chuan calcted the time, figuring that Tian Zao wouldn¡¯t have returned to themune so early. He decided to sit at home a little longer and recounted the content of the morning¡¯s meeting to Jiang Xia. He then voiced his concern, ¡°I worry that the cold weather will make it hard for the corn seeds to sprout, which could dampen the vigers¡¯ enthusiasm for farming. I¡¯m thinking of using interspace water to help them.¡±
Zhou Lan was in the yard, cleaning arge jar, preparing to pickle vegetables in the afternoon. Hearing the father and daughter discuss, she became interested and eagerly asked, ¡°How can we help? Do we need to water the fields?¡± She loved sneaking around at night doing tasks, like the superpowered family in the movies¡ªthrilling, to say the least.
Jiang Xia pondered for a moment, ¡°Mixing interspace water with regr water can indeed help nts to germinate, but our entire vige has dozens of acres; surely, the three of us can¡¯t water it all?¡±
Zhou Lan hesitated, realizing the low feasibility of her n, and said, ¡°Moreover, we can¡¯t let them find out we¡¯re watering. Even if we include Jiang Gu, we¡¯re only four people. It would take days of exhausting work to finish watering!¡±
Jiang Chuan was speechless. Weren¡¯t his wife and daughter usually clever? Why were they not thinking straight now?
He countered, ¡°Is there a possibility that we can just mix the interspace water into the regr water everyone uses for irrigation, without us having to water the fields ourselves?¡±
Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia had an epiphany, pping their foreheads, ¡°Right, why didn¡¯t we think of that?¡±
Jiang Chuan said resignedly, ¡°Perhaps this is what they mean by ¡®great wisdom may appear stupid¡¯.¡±
Jiang Gu looked up curiously, ¡°Dad, what does ¡®great wisdom may appear stupid¡¯ mean?¡±
¡°Uh¡¡±
After work in the evening, Jiang Chuan took some fish and wild mushrooms from home to visit the vige chief.
The vige chief¡¯s wife warmly weed him and even invited him to stay for dinner. Jiang Chuan politely declined, ¡°Don¡¯t trouble yourself, I just came to see how the vige chief is doing, Zhou Lan has already prepared dinner at home.¡±
The vige chief¡¯s wife ced the items Jiang Chuan brought in the yard, then led him inside to see the vige chief.
The aging vige chief, hunched over, leaned against the bed under a thick cotton quilt. The room was cold as the charcoal had just been lit, not yet warm, making it ufortable to sit.
When the vige chief saw Jiang Chuan, he tried to get out of bed to greet him, but Jiang Chuan stopped him, ¡°Vige Chief, rest well if your leg is bothering you. I just came to check on you, and seeing that you¡¯re alright gives me peace of mind.¡±
Perhaps because he had moved a bit earlier, the vige chief coughed a few times before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that since winter started, I suddenly feel less energetic than before, and this old leg problem has left me bedridden and of little use.¡±
As one ages, it¡¯s inevitable to feel some self-disgust. Jiang Chuanforted him, ¡°Vige Chief, don¡¯t talk like that. You are still in your prime. The vige relies on you to lead.¡±
After exchanging a few more words, Jiang Chuan stood up to leave. Before departing, he gave the vige chief, whoy weak in bed, another look. He had a hunch that the chief¡¯s illness was not solely due to rheumatism in his legs. It could be a cold or some other sickness, and he needed to be taken to the hospital soon. With the current level of medical care being poor, even amon cold could be life-threatening.
The vige chief¡¯s wife warmly escorted Jiang Chuan to the door. As he was about to leave, Jiang Chuan couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Has the vige chief eaten anything unusual recently?¡±
¡°The daily meals are just wild vegetables and coarse grain porridge. There¡¯s nothing fresh,¡± replied the vige chief¡¯s wife.
Then, as if something suddenly came to her mind, she said, ¡°But he did have something unusual the other day.¡±
¡°Oh? What was it?¡±
The vige chief¡¯s wife began to reminisce, ¡°Didn¡¯t it rain a few days ago? A lot of mushrooms popped up on the mountain. Xiao Wu went up there and picked some mushrooms and brought us some. I cleaned them and stir-fried them with wild vegetables. The whole house was filled with the fragrance when I cooked them.¡±
The vige chief¡¯s wife¡¯s expression became wistful, surely remembering the delicious aroma of the mushrooms..
Chapter 390 - 390: Secretly Watering
Chapter 390: Secretly Watering
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
A momentter, the vige chief¡¯s wife realized that she had lost herposure and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Aside from that, he didn¡¯t eat anything else.¡±
Jiang Chuan continued to inquire, ¡°Did you and the vige chief both eat these mushrooms?¡±
The vige chief¡¯s wife shook her head, ¡°Good things are scarce these days. The vige chief has so much work to do in the future, I didn¡¯t want topete with him for it. He ate all the mushrooms, and I sent the leftovers to the neighbors. Their child is just over three years old, a time when it¡¯s crucial to eat well, so I gave them to them.¡±
The vige chief¡¯s family were good-hearted people. Even when they themselves had little to eat, they still thought of others, which made Jiang Chuan feel for them.
Possibly out of a growing suspicion, Jiang Chuan, unsure of why, pressed on, ¡°How is the neighbor¡¯s child now?¡±
The vige chief¡¯s wife thought carefully, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him for a few days. These past days, I¡¯ve been so busy taking care of my husband, I haven¡¯t had the time to go outside. But in this cold weather, who would want to go out? The child is probably bundled up at home.¡±
Jiang Chuan asked further, ¡°Do you have any of the wild mushrooms left at home?¡±
The vige chief¡¯s wifeughed, ¡°No, there aren¡¯t any left. Those mushrooms weren¡¯t enough; they were all used up in one meal.¡±
Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t press any further, telling the vige chief¡¯s wife to quickly go back inside, while he rode away on his bicycle.
All along the way home, he pondered over the mushroom matter, finding it odd. Could the vige chief have been poisoned by eating toxic mushrooms?
But then he thought, mushroom poisoning doesn¡¯t show these symptoms, so he dismissed the possibility. Moreover, the vige chief had grown up in the mountains and was surely familiar with mushrooms¡ªknowing which ones were edible and which were not¡ªso Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t dwell on it.
When he returned home, dinner was ready. Zhou Lan had also stir-fried mushrooms today, but hers were cooked with pork and dried bamboo shoots¡ª a dish that couldn¡¯t bepared with the simple wild vegetable and mushroom stir-fry at the vige chief¡¯s home.
Eating the mushrooms, Jiang Chuan felt increasingly uneasy.
But soon, his attention was diverted by Jiang Xia¡¯s words, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve calcted that there are about five wells in the vige used for irrigation. We just need to mix the interspace water into the wells.¡±
Zhou Lan added, ¡°Now that the weather is cold and it¡¯s dark after dinner, everyone usually goes to sleep. After we finish eating and I wash the dishes and put Jiang Gu to bed, we can set out, get the job done quickly, ande back to rest.¡±
Jiang Gu protested, ¡°If mom and sister are going, I want to go too!¡±
Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan objected, ¡°It¡¯s so cold and dark outside, what are you going to do? Just go to bed.¡±
Jiang Gu felt aggrieved, ¡°Then why can second sister go, but not me?¡±
Jiang Xia said, ¡°Second sister is going to do hard and tiring work. Mom doesn¡¯t want you to suffer, can¡¯t you understand mom¡¯s concern?¡±
Hearing it was out of concern for her, Jiang Gu immediately brightened up, ¡°Then I won¡¯t go.¡±
Adding interspace water to the wells wasn¡¯t a big task, so the three of them finished in just over an hour.
Concerned that the seeds might not thrive, Jiang Xia couldn¡¯t resist adding a bit more interspace water than necessary. Only after they had treated all five wells with interspace water did they return home contentedly.
The next day, Jiang Chuan heard some troubling news at themune; due to the ongoing drought, the water levels in the wells were dropping, and there soon wouldn¡¯t be enough water to irrigate the fields for much longer.
Jiang Chuan wasn¡¯t so much worried about theck of water for the fields, but rather that Jiang Xia, in her generosity the previous night, had added too much interspace water.
If the interspace water was used in excess, the fear was that the corn seeds might mature too quickly, raising suspicions among the vigers. Rapidly growing corn seeds might end up being avoided by everyone, which would be a case of good intentions leading to an undesirable oue.
However, Jiang Chuan¡¯s concerns were short-lived and soon resolved.
One might say Jiang Chuan was extremely lucky; as soon as he harbored these worries, the sky grew overcast in the afternoon, and not long after, small snowkes began to drift down.
Although the snowfall was light, it persisted for a long time, falling throughout the entire afternoon without a break..
Chapter 391 - 391: Poisoned
Chapter 391: Poisoned
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Tian Zao, seeing the heavy snowfall, deemed it unnecessary to water the fields, so the vigers¡¯bor for the day was suspended.
Jiang Chuan, of course, was even more delighted. With the addition of the snow, the water in the wells would increase, diluting the interspace water so that there would be no concern about the seeds growing too quickly!
Moreover, the vigers had already watered the fields in the morning. With the protection of the interspace water, there was no need to worry that the cold weather would damage the seeds. Jiang Chuan was aware of this, but the vigers were not, so they were still anxious.
With nothing much to do in the vige for the entire afternoon, everyone stayed indoors to keep warm by the fire or gathered on the street to chat. The mostmon topic of discussion was whether the seeds would be able to germinate in such cold weather.
The snowsted longer than expected. Although it was light, the vige¡¯s dirt roads were soaked and became muddy. Walking on such muddy roads, covered in mud, was very ufortable.
Even the children, who usually loved to y outside, stayed obediently at home to avoid getting dirty.
Despite the inconveniences, the snow brought endless hope to people during such a dry season.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking and the snow finally stopped, Zhou Lan and the two girls stepped out to see the courtyard covered in pristine snow.
Zhou Lan had often seen snow when she was young, so she was unfazed and stood with her arms crossed, exhaling warm breaths in the cold air.
Jiang Xia, who lived in a city where winters were not cold enough for snowfall, was thrilled to see snow umting on the ground for the first time.
Even Jiang Gu, although young and having seen snow countless times before, was still very happy to see it again.
Zhou Lan did not rush them to cook but watched them y joyfully in the courtyard.
Jiang Chuan was woken up by theirughter. Putting on his clothes, he came out and couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight of his daughters. He joined them in making snowmen and having snowball fights, thoroughly enjoying the frolic. They all worked up a sweat, and the family shared a warm, happy moment in the courtyard.
After they calmed down, Zhou Lan quickly ushered them inside to light the charcoal brazier and warm up, fearing they might catch a cold. Only then did she go to the kitchen to cook.
Although it was very cold and there was no need to work in the fields, the work on Jiang Chuan¡¯s house didn¡¯t stop. Several people close to Jiang Chuan actively came to help with the construction, and the sounds of their work resonated in the quiet, carrying into the courtyard.
Considering the cold weather and the hard work of the helpers, Jiang Chuan specially asked Zhou Lan to stew fish soup and send it to the new house to warm everyone up.
In the days before the snow melted, life was peaceful and quiet. People gradually saw hope in the snowfall and reimed thefort they had known before the drought.
Shen Mo and the troops were also quietly stationed deep in the mountains, not disturbing the vigers.
However, after just a few days of quiet, something happened.
One afternoon, when there was no work at themune, Jiang Chuan sat at home leisurely reading a book. It was a literary book borrowed from Jiang Xia.
Jiang Chuan mostly read political and economic books in the past and seldom delved into literature. Today, with some rare free time, he was engrossed in the book, thoroughly enchanted.
Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia were in the courtyard pickling vegetables and discussing what to have for dinner. Jiang Xia wanted to stir-fry the green-tailed shrimps from the interspace, and Zhou Lan was pondering what vegetables would go well with the shrimp.
Jiang Gu was focused on ying with a snowman the size of a palm. The snowkes had hardened, no longer the fluffy snowkes they once were, and were even showing signs of melting.
Suddenly, a frantic knocking came from the door, apanied by Shen Mo¡¯s loud shout, ¡°Uncle Jiang, something terrible has happened,e out quickly and see!¡±
Jiang Chuan, absorbed in his reading, was startled by the interruption, causing him to almost drop the book. Annoyed, he went to open the door, ready to scold the boy. But seeing Shen Mo¡¯s panicked, disheveled appearance, with his hair in disarray and his face smudged with dirt, he knew something serious must have urred.
He didn¡¯t have time to invite Shen Mo in, instead, he hurriedly asked, ¡°What happened? Catch your breath and speak slowly..¡±
Chapter 392 - 392: Curing the poison
Chapter 392: Curing the poison
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Shen Mo calmed his breath before speaking, ¡°There was a snowfall on the mountain, and as it started melting these past few days, many wild mushrooms sprouted in the fields. The soldiers went to pick the mushrooms and delivered them to the cookhouse to make mushroom soup. What we didn¡¯t expect was that after eating the soup at noon, people started feeling pain in the afternoon. An hour after the meal, soldiers began to faint one after another, writhing on the ground with stomach pains, some even hallucinating. The military doctor hasn¡¯t arrived at the camp yet, and we rough men don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. We had no choice but toe and ask you for help.¡±
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chuan immediately understood; they must have been poisoned by the food. He couldn¡¯t help but scold, ¡°How can you eat wild mushrooms carelessly! Don¡¯t you know that the more attractive mushrooms are often the most poisonous?¡±
After scolding, Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t dare to dy. He put on his cotton coat and followed Shen Mo up the mountain.
Jiang Xia, remembering that her interspace water had healing properties, also followed, hoping to be of help.
The path up the mountain was treacherous, especially after the snowfall, with the ground very wet and slippery. Jiang Chuan, with his steady footing, managed to progress, but Jiang Xia was not so sure-footed. Her small frame could hardly maintain bnce, and she nearly slipped several times, thankfully caught by Shen Mo who was right behind her.
Shen Mo, anxious not to dy, didn¡¯t consider the impropriety of the situation and carried Jiang Xia on his back, quickening their pace up the mountain.
At this point, Jiang Chuan didn¡¯t have the time to lecture him; he needed to check on the soldiers¡¯ condition first.
Seeing the condition of the soldiers, Jiang Chuan was shocked.
It had to be said, the young soldiers¡¯ symptoms of poisoning were quite peculiar. Some were like drunkards, with flushed faces and vacant expressions, grasping at the air and muttering, ¡°Mom, look at the flying fairies!¡±
Others appeared in pain, limping and constantly covering their ears, saying, ¡°What should I do? I can¡¯t hear anything.¡±
Jiang Chuan asked Shen Mo, ¡°Has he been injured in the war before?¡±
Shen Mo replied in disbelief, ¡°He¡¯s only been enlisted for less than three months; how could he have seen war?¡±
Well, it turned out to be a hallucination.
Somey on their beds, clutching their stomachs and rolling back and forth, crying, ¡°Save me, my stomach hurts so much, I¡¯m going to die, Captain, save me!¡±
Even more bizarre was one hiding behind a sandbag, throwing imaginary objects at anyone approaching, imitating explosion sounds with a ¡°boom,¡± and then shouting, ¡°These enemies can¡¯t be bombed to death, bring me my Italian cannon!¡±
Jiang Chuan felt that their poisoning was probably not too severe, but if they weren¡¯t treated soon, they might very well end up harming themselves in their delirium.
Pulling Jiang Xia aside, Jiang Chuan said, ¡°We can¡¯t dy, daughter, we must use your interspace water to save them.¡±
Jiang Xia nodded in agreement, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad, I¡¯m ready.¡±
To Shen Mo, Jiang Xia exined, ¡°They¡¯ve been poisoned by toxic mushrooms. But there¡¯s no need to worry. I¡¯ve been poisoned before, and an old traditional Chinese doctor gave me a remedy. I still have some of that medicinal powder left. Mixed with water, it will cure them.¡±
Saying this, Jiang Xia produced a pack of Lingzi spore powder from her interspace, pretending it was the antidote, ¡°Take me to the kitchen first, we need to mix this with water for them to drink.¡±
Shen Mo quickly led Jiang Xia to the kitchen. He had wanted to help her, but Jiang Xia declined. She assured, ¡°I can manage it myself. If youe in, you might just get in the way and cause mistakes. Just wait outside for me.¡±
Shen Mo obediently waited at the door.
While Shen Mo wasn¡¯t looking, Jiang Xia mixed the Lingzhi spore powder with the interspace water, stirred until evenlybined, and then poured the mixture into bowls. She instructed Shen Mo to serve it to the soldiers.
Whether they drank it willingly or had to be forced, the young soldiers¡¯ symptoms began to ease after drinking the water, and shortly afterward, theyy weakly on their beds..
Chapter 393 - 393: Going Down the Mountain
Chapter 393: Going Down the Mountain
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
While taking advantage of the moment, Jiang Xia educated them, ¡°Don¡¯t eat things indiscriminately in the future, especially when there¡¯s no military doctor around! If it weren¡¯t for the medicinal powder today, your chances would have been slim!¡±
Everyone nodded in fear, not daring to say more.
After they were done, Shen Mo escorted the two down the mountain.
On the way down, Jiang Chuan suddenly thought of the vige chief¡¯s condition that he had learned about earlier. He suspected that the vige chief might have been poisoned by mushrooms. Now, after seeing these people, he thought perhaps the vige chief¡¯s rheumatic leg pain was also due to poisoning.
Hadn¡¯t someone just been covering his ears and legs, iming he was deaf andme? It was quite possible that the vige chief had been poisoned by the same substance.
But why were the vige chief¡¯s symptoms so subtle?
After descending the mountain, Jiang Chuan refused Shen Mo¡¯s offer to escort them home, simply saying, ¡°Go back and take care of them. Jiang Xia and I have something to handle. We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± With that, he pushed his bicycle and took Jiang Xia to the vige chief¡¯s house.
Because too much time had passed, it was impossible to check what the vige chief had previously eaten. But regardless of his current condition, Jiang Xia¡¯s interspace water should be able to heal him.
Jiang Chuan exined to the vige chief¡¯s wife, ¡°I suspect the vige chief has mushroom poisoning. This is a detoxifying powder mixed with water. Having him drink this should cure him.¡±
The vige chief¡¯s wife was skeptical but led them to the kitchen.
Using the same method, Jiang Xia had the vige chief drink the interspace water. In a short while, he gained strength, his leg pain subsided, he straightened his back, and he was even able to get out of bed and walk.
Only then did Jiang Chuan have the opportunity to carefully ask the vige chief what he had eaten recently.
After inquiring, Jiang Chuan understood. No wonder the vige chief showed signs of poisoning yet not as obvious¡ªit was because the vige chief had previously eaten fish and vegetables grown with interspace water, which had some mitigating effect on the poison. That¡¯s why the symptoms of mushroom poisoning were not obvious, but this also meant that the treatment had been dyed for so long.
Jiang Chuan had just breathed a sigh of relief when he suddenly remembered the vige chief¡¯s wife mentioning that the remaining mushrooms were given to the three-year-old child next door. A child¡¯s resistance couldn¡¯t be strong enough to withstand mushroom poisoning! They had to hurry to save the child!
Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia didn¡¯t even sit down before rushing to the neighbor¡¯s door. After knocking for a long time, a man opened the door, and they could hear a woman¡¯s crying from inside, ¡°My child, what will I do if something happens to you!¡±
Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia exchanged a look¡ªit seemed they were a step toote.
The man at the door appeared stern, seemingly unweing, and asked coldly, ¡°What do you want?¡±
Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia didn¡¯t have time to exin. They pushed past the man and rushed in to check on the three-year-old child.
The childy in bed in agony, with shallow breaths and very weak. The vige doctor was also there, helpless, uncertain of the exact cause of the child¡¯s illness.
It wasn¡¯t his fault, given his limited experience and the few diseases he had seen; it was normal not to recognize mushroom poisoning. He might even have thought it was an incurable disease.
Seeing Jiang Chuan and Jiang Xia barge in, the woman cried out in distress, ¡°Jiang Chuan, you can¡¯t be rude just because you¡¯re an ountant, barging into someone¡¯s house like this!¡±
Jiang Chuan had no time for exnations, saying urgently, ¡°We¡¯re here to save him! Jiang Xia, get water!¡±
Jiang Xia hurriedly nodded and went to look for a hot water sk in the house, but found none. In desperation, she asked the man, ¡°Quick, give me a bowl of water, I have a detoxifying remedy for mushroom poisoning! It¡¯ll be toote if we don¡¯t act fast!¡±
The man, reluctantly and with a cold demeanor, did not want to pay attention to Jiang Xia. But after ncing at his son¡¯s agonized expression, he didn¡¯t dare dy and turned to get water for Jiang Xia.
Jiang Xia repeated the process and, while no one was looking, mixed the interspace water into the water and attempted to feed it to the child. However, the child¡¯s lips were tightly sealed and refused to open, making it impossible to feed them. She started to panic and could only look towards Jiang Chuan for help.
Fortunately, Jiang Chuan had experience with this sort of thing. When Jiang Xia was young, she had a serious illness apanied by a persistent high fever, and they couldn¡¯t get her to take her medicine either. At that time, Jiang Chuan could only pry her mouth open with a spoon and gradually pour the medicine in. Now, it looked like he would have to do the same thing again..
Chapter 394 - 394: Saved
Chapter 394: Saved
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Jiang Chuan had no time to exin and urgently said to the child¡¯s father, ¡°Quick, get me a spoon!¡±
The child¡¯s father, also in a panic, hastily went to find a spoon for Jiang Chuan.
Taking the spoon, Jiang Chuan turned to the child¡¯s mother and said, ¡°Help me hold him up, then pry open his mouth!¡±
The child¡¯s mother, sobbing, wiped her tears and went to prop up the child, still trembling from crying too hard.
She asked, ¡°Can this really work? Don¡¯t mess around! What if something happens to my child, who will be responsible?¡±
Jiang Chuan, out of urgency, responded with a sharp tone, ¡°You just have to listen to me right now, or it will be toote even for tears if something happens to the child.¡±
The child¡¯s mother hesitated, but at her husband¡¯s roar, she was frightened into steadying the child quickly.
Jiang Chuan used the spoon against the child¡¯s mouth, finally prying it open, then followed up by pouring the water down the spoon with a bowl.
Jiang Xia used a cloth to catch the water under the mouth to prevent the clothes and quilt from getting wet. With the concerted effort of everyone, they finally managed to get the water into the child¡¯s mouth.
In a short while, the child struggled to open his eyes, looking sleepily at his parents, not at all like someone who had just returned from the brink of death, and curiously asked, ¡°Dad, Mom, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying, Mom?¡±
Seeing that the child was fine, his mother hugged him and burst into loud tears, saying, ¡°My child, it¡¯s all Mom¡¯s fault, Mom has harmed you.¡±
Jiang Xia and Jiang Chuan both sighed in relief when they saw the child awake.
The child¡¯s father was much calmer than the mother upon seeing the child was alright and thanked Jiang Chuan, ¡°Jiang Chuan, thank you for saving Xiao Hu.¡±
Only then did Jiang Chuan recognize that this family was actually that of the former team captain Qin Ming.
Qin Ming had been the vige team leader from the age of eighteen and was very skilled in farming. The crops he grew always had the best yield and growth, and many people came to him for advice on farming.
Later, Qin Ming turned over all hisnd to the state and switched to raising poultry.
Not only was he adept at farming, but his poultry farming was also sessful, with his farm prospering and growing in scale, until he no longer had the energy to manage vige affairs. He resigned as the team captain, allowing Chen Xing to seed him.
Qin Ming also became the wealthiest person in the vige. However, due to economic downturns and consecutive years of drought, Qin Ming¡¯s farm dwindled until he stoppedpletely.
But as they say, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse; Qin Ming¡¯s family was still in a very good financial situation.
Another major reason for Qin Ming giving up the farm was the birth of their child.
Qin Ming was a year older than Jiang Chuan, but despite being married for many years, he had not been able to have children, which had always been a source of sorrow for him.
Thus, the arrival of this child was greeted with great expectation. Qin Ming adored him greatly and decided to close the farm to devote himself entirely to the child¡¯s care, with both parents focusing on raising their child.
When this incident urred, they were both prepared to apany their child in death if necessary, but fortunately, Jiang Chuan saved Xiao Hu just in time.
Jiang Chuan politely addressed Qin Ming as ¡®Captain Qin¡¯ and said, ¡°Captain Qin, no need to be polite with me. You helped me in the past; now it¡¯s my turn to help you.¡±
Before Jiang Chuan came to this world, when he was the weak Jiang Chuan, Qin Ming indeed had given him a lot of help.
Qin Ming and the vige chief were among the few who treated Jiang Chuan well. However, since Jiang Chuan came to this world, he had been busy with many things, and these details had been overlooked.
Qin Ming had initially wanted to invite Jiang Chuan to stay for a meal as a form of thanks, but Jiang Chuan declined. He said, ¡°The child has just recovered; it¡¯s more important to take care of him right now. There¡¯s no rush for the meal, we will have plenty of opportunities in the future. Our family has moved out now, but when you have the time, doe over to our ce for a visit. You¡¯ve helped me a lot in the past, and I hope we can keep in touch.¡±
Qin Ming was touched by Jiang Chuan¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t take them too seriously, but Qin Ming¡¯s wife always had her criticisms of Jiang Chuan.
She believed that their family had provided substantial help to Jiang Chuan in the past, and after Jiang Chuan had be wealthy from splitting off from the family, he ought to have kept up frequent visits to reciprocate the kindness. Instead, he acted like a stranger, never once visiting their home, which made Qin Ming¡¯s wife feel as though they had helped an ingrate..
Chapter 395 - 395: Jiang Qing鈥檚 Family
Chapter 395: Jiang Qing¡¯s Family
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Today, thanks to Jiang Chuan¡¯s rescue of Xiao Hu, Qin Ming¡¯s wife had a change of heart about Jiang Chuan and felt guilty for her previous thoughts.
After they left Qin Ming¡¯s home and had walked a distance, Jiang Xia finally expressed her worry, ¡°Dad, I was afraid I couldn¡¯t save the child, and then I might have put too much interspace water. Do you think his recovery might be too fast and raise suspicions?¡±
Jiang Chuanforted her, ¡°In an emergency, we had no choice. We shouldn¡¯t think about the consequences now; saving the child was the most important thing. If a problem arises, we¡¯ll find a way to exin it then.¡±
Jiang Xia nodded thoughtfully and followed her father home.
That afternoon, Tian Zao had the personnel in charge of poption management at themune bring Jiang Qing and her family¡¯s household registration proof personally to Jiang Chuan¡¯s home.
Jiang Chuan was stunned when he saw the proof. Was this the proof he had tried so hard to obtain? And now it had been delivered to him so easily.
Jiang Chuan felt that perhaps fortune was turning in his favor, with things moving in a positive direction.
Now everything was ready; all that was missing was his eldest daughter¡¯s family¡¯s arrival.
Jiang Qing¡¯s family arrived sooner than expected, which was perhaps the only surprise for Jiang Chuan.
He had nned for a month to finish building the house andplete all the procedures. Now, only half a month had passed, the house was only half-built, but his eldest daughter¡¯s family had arrived early.
On the day Jiang Qing¡¯s family arrived, Jiang Chuan was at work at themune. Following the map drawn by Zhou Lan, Jiang Qing found her way home.
When Zhou Lan opened the door, she was taken aback for a few minutes before realizing, ¡°My precious daughter has returned! Xia Xia, go inform your father quickly, tell him your eldest sister hase back early!¡±
Jiang Xia wasted no time and ran to themune to inform Jiang Chuan.
Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t much work that day, and Jiang Chuan hurried back. In good spirits, he even invited Chen Xing to join them at home as a guest. After all, they owed the finding of Jiang Qing¡¯s locationrgely to Chen Xing¡¯s help.
Of course, after informing Jiang Chuan, they also had to inform Zhang Ling. Zhou Lan sent Jiang Gu to the old Jiang family to tell Zhang Ling toe over for lunch, allowing the family to reunite.
Fourth Brother Zhang, upon hearing the news, shouted that he wanted to go too.
He was the youngest in the family, and Zhao Wan¡¯s personality definitely did not take the initiative to discipline him. Therefore, Zhang Ling taught him a lot when he was young. When he was young, his urine scans were changed by Zhang Ling, so the rtionship between the two siblings was better than that of other brothers. Since it was the first time he came to Pushan Vige to see his sister, Fourth Brother Zhang naturally had to go along.
When Zhang Ling saw her brother, her reaction was much like Zhou Lan¡¯s. Aftering to her senses, she patted Forth Brother Zhang on the shoulder. It had been months since theyst saw each other, and her brother had grown taller, now half a head taller than her, which made her happy.
Forth Brother Zhang urged Zhang Ling to join them for a meal, mentioning that he brought some wild animal meat and cured meat from the mountains, and asked her to invite her husband as well.
Looking at Jiang Shui picking his teeth with a grass root in the courtyard, Zhang Ling felt a mix of frustration and disdain as she decided to bring him along too.
Jiang Shui, hunched over with his hands in his sleeves and his neck shrunk into his cor, appeared timid and reluctant. He still clutched the grass he was using to pick his teeth in his mouth.
Comining about the tiring walk, Jiang Shui grumbled, ¡°Why go to Third Uncle Jiang when they are so poor? What good food could there be? Grandma might even stew a chicken today. Why leave good chicken soup to go to Third Uncle Jiang ce?¡±
Jiang Ling, with a face full of disdain, replied, ¡°Third Uncle Jiang situation is not like before; his life is getting better and better. Plus, with our cousin and his family here, they surely brought plenty of food. You¡¯ll definitely eat better there than at Grandma¡¯s house! Besides, you¡¯re not the favored one; if Grandma really did stew a chicken, you should be d to get some soup, not even expect any chicken meat.¡±
Zhang Ling spoke the blunt truth, and Jiang Shui had noeback; he could only sulk and admit defeat.
Jiang Gu could detect the protective tone in Zhang Ling¡¯s words toward their family and immediately felt affectionate towards her. A child¡¯s thoughts are simple; liking Zhang Ling, she straightforwardly showed it by reaching out and taking Zhang Ling¡¯s hand.
Zhang Ling was taken aback when a soft little hand grabbed hers, but once she realized what was happening, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart, as if she had tasted honey..
Chapter 396 - 396: Room Allocation
Chapter 396: Room Allocation
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Forth Brother Zhang looked down on his brother-inw and couldn¡¯t help but tease him, ¡°Brother-inw, you¡¯ve been married to my sister for so many years, howe you haven¡¯t changed at all? You haven¡¯t picked up a shred of my sister¡¯s industriousness!¡±
Jiang Shui, after hearing this, initially wanted to scold Forth Brother Zhang, but looking at his towering height over his own, he mumbled and held back his words.
In his mind, the Zhang family were just uneducated vigers from the mountains, and it wouldn¡¯t be worth provoking them and getting beaten up.
Jiang Shui, who had read a few books, could only console himself with the thought that ¡°A wise man does not eat the loss in front of him.¡±
Zhang Ling looked at Jiang Shui with a twisted mouth and a disdainful expression, deeply regretting her decision. She had been selective in helping her brother find a good wife but forgot to choose a good husband for herself. Now she was stuck with a man without a backbone for life, which felt like a huge mistake!
With mixed emotions, they all made their way to Jiang Chuan¡¯s home.
Jiang Chuan¡¯s house was already bustling with activity. Aside from Jiang Chuan¡¯s family, there were guests like Chen Xing, and the families of Xiao Li and Xiao Wu who hade to help. The not-so-small yard was packed with people, making it seem a bit crowded.
It was Jiang Shui¡¯s first visit to Jiang Chuan¡¯s new home, and he was surprised to find that it was even bigger than the old Jiang¡¯s yard, ites with three rooms! At that moment, Zhou Lan was busy assigning living quarters to Jiang Qing¡¯s family.
Zhou Lan said, ¡°Since you arrived earlier than expected, the rooms aren¡¯t ready yet, so you¡¯ll have to make do and stay in the main house for a couple of days. There are three rooms: Jiang Xia, Jiang Gu, and I will take one; Jiang Qing and Zhang Ping will take another; and Forth Brother Zhang can have one to himself. After we eat, I¡¯ll set up the beds for you.¡±
Jiang Gu chimed in, ¡°Mom, I want to stay with my big sister. I haven¡¯t seen her in so long. When we were in the mountains, we slept together. We should sleep together now that she¡¯s back too!¡±
Zhou Lan chuckled, ¡°Silly girl, they are a couple and should stay together. Why would you want to crowd them?¡±
Jiang Gu thought it was because of Zhang Ping that she couldn¡¯t stay with her sister, so she suddenly felt hostile towards her new brother-inw. Her chubby little face was filled with an angry look as if to say, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare take my big sister away from me.¡±
Zhang Ping was taken aback by her re, but then he couldn¡¯t help butugh, saying, ¡°Xiao Qing, then for these two nights you can sleep with your sisters, and I¡¯ll squeeze in with Forth Brother. Your sisters have missed you for so long, they must want to be with you.¡±
Jiang Qing was a very gentle person and was very affectionate towards her sisters, so she naturally agreed to this arrangement.
After the rooms were assigned, they discussed preparing lunch.
Zhou Lan was about to roll up her sleeves and head to the kitchen to cook, but Jiang Xia stopped her, ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t need to worry about today, leave it all to me. I promise to make a delicious meal!¡±
Zhou Lan teased her, ¡°Are you sure you can handle the cooking? Don¡¯t you need my help?¡±
Jiang Xia hesitated; her knife skills were not yet perfect, and she still needed some assistance.
Jiang Qing thought her younger sister¡¯s im of cooking was merely child¡¯s y and didn¡¯t expect her to actually be able to prepare a sumptuous meal. Thus, she stepped in and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom, you take a good rest. I¡¯ll help her out, you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with lunch today.¡±
With Jiang Qing present, Zhou Lan felt assured and said, ¡°Alright, you two sisters go ahead and cook. I¡¯ll go on preparing the pickles.¡±
Today, with her eldest daughter¡¯s family returning and everyone in high spirits, Jiang Xia decided to take out the half sheep left over from theirst meal ofmb dumplings.
Jiang Xia¡¯s interspace functioned like a natural refrigerator; themb meat, after a month, was still as fresh as if it had just been ughtered.
She nned to follow the recipes in her mind, intending to stew a pot of carrot andmb soup, and also to cook a dish of braised chicken.
While she was nning, Jiang Qing suddenly cleaned her hands and started to walk out of the kitchen. Jiang Xia, surprised, asked, ¡°Big sister, where are you going?¡±
Jiang Qing replied, ¡°There are many of us at home today, and we brought some wild animal meat from the mountains. It would be perfect to cook it now.¡±
Jiang Xia gestured with her hand and said, ¡°No need, rest assured, we have enough food at home, don¡¯t bring anything else.¡±
Jiang Qing was still hesitant but was quickly pulled back by Jiang Xia..
Chapter 397 - 397: A Splendid Lunch
Chapter 397: A Splendid Lunch
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
In Jiang Qing¡¯s perception, their family¡¯s situation was not very good, with nothing to their name and having been driven out of the house by their grandmother. Even after hearing their exnation on Grand Cloud Mountain, Jiang Qing still harbored doubts, so much so that when she saw the new house with three rooms and arge courtyard, she was shocked and worried that building this house might have exhausted all of their family¡¯s savings.
Jiang Xia told Jiang Qing that nothing needed to be prepared, but Jiang Qing thought it was just because Jiang Xia was too young to understand the need to economize and spoke so casually.
They hade early to help build the house, considering the family¡¯s modest circumstances and not wanting their father to overexert himself. They even brought two carts of luggage, including various kinds of game and a hundred kilograms of rice and flour, enough to feed the family for a long time. The journey took twice the usual time toplete.
Jiang Qing¡¯s concerns continued until Jiang Xia took out themb meat. Seeing how easily Jiang Xia produced half amb, wild chickens, and various vegetables, even better than what they had in the mountains, Jiang Qing finally rxed and didn¡¯t say more.
She realized she had been away from home too long and was out of touch with many things.
Jiang Xia said, ¡°Big sister, could you help me cut themb into two-centimeter cubes for stewing? And chop the carrots into chunks with a rolling cut, thank you.¡±
Jiang Qing hesitated, asking, ¡°What¡¯s two centimeters?¡± Jiang Xia then realized that she was used tomunicating with Zhou Lan and had not adjusted her speech.
If Jiang Qing had attended primary school, she would have definitely learned about the metric unit of centimeters. Unfortunately, due to their grandmother¡¯s preference for boys over girls and using the excuse of the family¡¯sck of money to dismiss Jiang Chuan, Jiang Qing had never attended a day of school and naturally did not recognize the unit of centimeters.
Jiang Xia exined, ¡°It means to cut the pieces as wide as two fingernails.¡±
While chopping vegetables, Jiang Qing casually chatted with Jiang Xia, ¡°Did Mom say anything about when you guys will start school?¡±
Jiang Xia thought for a moment, ¡°Probably in the spring.¡±
Jiang Qing¡¯s eyes held a hint of envy as she said, ¡°That¡¯s really nice.¡±
Jiang Xia sensed Jiang Qing¡¯s dispirited mood.
She hugged her sister¡¯s waist and cooed, ¡°My sister is the smartest in the world. I¡¯ll teach you everything I learn at school, so you can go to school just like us.¡± Jiang Qing was amused by her words and said, ¡°Silly girl, then I¡¯ll be your first student.¡±
Jiang Xia boasted, ¡°Not really, I¡¯ve already taught Jiang Gu how to write, along with her little friends. I have many students.¡±
Jiang Qing looked at Jiang Xia with a fond gaze.
Since iron pots were hard toe by, Jiang Xia¡¯s family only had one. With the beef and carrot stew already cooking, there was no pot left for stir-frying.
Jiang Qing suggested, ¡°Why not set up our iron pot from home? It¡¯ll make cooking faster, especially with so many people waiting in the yard.¡±
Jiang Xia agreed, ¡°Then please bring out the iron pot, big sister.¡±
At that moment, Jiang Gu ran in, smiling at her sisters, ¡°I bet you need another sister to make fire for cooking.¡±
Jiang Qing picked up Jiang Gu, pinched her cheek, and said, ¡°So my little sister has be so capable, even learning to make fire.¡±
Jiang Gu grinned broadly, then hopped down from Jiang Qing¡¯s arms to start the fire. Jiang Xia continued stir-frying, while Jiang Qing prepared some staple food.
She mixed flour and cornmeal together, kneading a pot of dough using the method for making sweet potato cakes. In a blink, Jiang Qing effortlessly pulled out several pounds of noodles and cooked a pot of pulled noodles in the soup.
Jiang Xia was astonished by her sister¡¯s skill, ¡°Big sister, do you know magic?¡±
Jiang Qing just smiled without speaking, and the meal preparation went exceptionally smoothly with her help.
Jiang Xia, fearing there wouldn¡¯t be enough food for everyone, nearly took out all the fresh meat stored in her interspace for cooking.
It turned out that Jiang Xia¡¯s decision was right. Almost everyone close to Jiang Chuan, drawn by the aroma or by word of mouth, came for the meal.
Even Shen Mo, who was training in the mountains, came to the Jiang family¡¯s home.
Unable to fit everyone inside, Jiang Chuan set up a table in the yard. Initially, they thought it might be cold in the winter, but with hot soup and noodles, plus the lively atmosphere, everyone ate warmly and happily..
Chapter 398 - 398: Likes You?
Chapter 398: Likes You?
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
During the meal, Jiang Qing noticed Shen Mo sitting outside, chatting with others, and asionally ncing at Jiang Xia. She asked Jiang Xia, ¡°Xiao Xia, does Shen Mo like you?¡±
Jiang Xia replied nonchntly, ¡°Big sister, what are you talking about? That¡¯s impossible.¡±
Jiang Qing, having experienced more of life, understood matters of the heart and said, ¡°If he wasn¡¯t interested in you, why would he keep stealing nces at you? Maybe he came this noon just for you, not expecting so many people to be here and his ns to go awry.¡±
Jiang Xia didn¡¯t take it seriously, responding, ¡°Big sister, you¡¯re overthinking it. Shen Mo is a noble young master from the county town, surrounded by countless youngdies. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±
Zhou Lan, unable to watch any longer, intervened, ¡°Silly girl, let me ask you, among all those chasing Shen Mo, has he ever treated anyone like he treats you?¡±
Jiang Xia thought for a moment and shook her head. It seemed Shen Mo hardly interacted with girls other than those in the military.
Zhou Lan then asked, ¡°Does he often visit other girls¡¯ homes?¡±
Jiang Xia shook her head again, ¡°But isn¡¯t heing to our house to discuss serious matters?¡±
Despite saying this, Jiang Xia had already started to think differently in her heart.
She began to wonder, could it be that Shen Mo really had feelings for her?
Her mind was preupied with these thoughts throughout the meal.
After the meal, Shen Mo suddenly entered the house to speak with Zhou Lan, standing right between Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan.
Jiang Xia hadn¡¯t minded Shen Mo being so close before, but today, his proximity made her face flush red and warm.
Unfortunately, Jiang Xia, who had never been in a rtionship, didn¡¯t realize she was blushing out of shyness. She hastily cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen to avoid Shen Mo.
Shen Mo, confused, watched Jiang Xia hurriedly leave and asked Zhou Lan, ¡°Auntie Zhou, did I do something wrong to upset Jiang Xia?¡±
Zhou Lan sighed, ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything wrong. It¡¯s just my silly daughter being muddled.¡±
Shen Mo wanted to ask more, but Zhou Lan had already changed the subject.
After the meal, when Jiang Chuan sent everyone away, Zhang Ping discussed with him that since they were free, they might as well help with the new house. With more people, they could finish the house quickly.
Jiang Chuan thought it was a good idea, as all the materials were ready and they onlycked manpower. With Zhang Ping¡¯s known work capability, they could surely finish the new house in no time.
When Zhang Ping went to work on the new house, Forth Brother Zhang wasn¡¯t idle either and went along to help his brother.
The progress was faster than expected; it took only about five days to finish the remaining two rooms. They left the house to air out for a day, and on the sixth day, Zhang Ping¡¯s family moved in.
To celebrate moving into the new house, Jiang Xia prepared anothervish dinner, but this time it was a simple family gathering without as many people.
Now that Zhang Ping¡¯s family had moved in, they naturally needed to contribute work points. After the house waspleted, he started working in the fields with Xiao Li next door, watering and fertilizing.
Zhang Ping was very capable, doing the work of three people by himself. Often, after finishing his tasks, he would help Xiao Li, earning Xiao Li¡¯s good impression.
Even other vigers developed a favorable view of this neer from the mountains.
As winter passed and spring arrived, the matter of Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu attending school came up on the agenda. However, considering various factors, Jiang Xia needed to stay at home, so only Jiang Gu went to school at the start of spring.
While at home, Jiang Xia made a n with Jiang Chuan. She believed that relying solely on farming was not sufficient for economic stability. To solve the vigers¡¯ problems of food and clothing and to make them prosperous, there needed to be production industries.
After a few spring rains, the ground was no longer so dry, and the water levels in the canals had risen, making a fish pond a viable option.
Jiang Xia thought of the many fish in her interspace and decided to start a fish pond in the vige. However, this fish pond was not to be managed by their family. With only four people in their family, they simply did not have the capacity to run a fish pond..
Chapter 399 - 399: Opening a Fish Pond
Chapter 399: Opening a Fish Pond
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
So, Jiang Xia came up with an idea to let Xiao Wu take on the contract for the fish pond, with Jiang Chuan providing the funding.
As the saying goes, ¡®the rich lead the way to wealth for others.¡¯ Once Xiao Wu made money, he could also help others in the vige prosper.
Apart from this, Jiang Chuan also thought that they should not just focus on the fish pond. They needed to develop a breeding farm and a medicinal herb field as well.
He still remembered the old schr¡¯s words; not just Pushan Vige, but this entire era needed a medicinal herb field.
Jiang Chuan thought of Qin Ming, who had experience raising chickens and ducks. Starting a breeding farm would not be difficult for him. Now, with just some livestock, Qin Ming alone could make the farm thrive, and when the time came to hire workers, it would also provide employment opportunities for Pushan Vige.
After discussing with her father, Jiang Xia immediately put this n into action. They approached Xiao Wu to inquire if he was interested in starting a fish pond.
Xiao Wu was initially stunned by the proposal and hesitantly said, ¡°Brother Jiang, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling, but as you know, we¡¯ve just had a few rains. Although there¡¯s some standing water, it¡¯s hard to guarantee it won¡¯t dry up again in a few days. If we stock the pond with fry and it dries up again, it will all go to waste!¡±
Jiang Chuan responded, ¡°I have concerns about this too, so initially I don¡¯t n to have you buy a lot of fry, but rather mature fish that can reproduce. This way, even if a drought happens again, these fish can be sold in time, avoiding major losses. And since this was my idea, I¡¯ll rent the fish pond as an investment.¡±
Xiao Wu, not understanding, asked, ¡°Brother Jiang, what do you mean by ¡®investment¡¯?¡±
Jiang Chuan exined, ¡°It means you have to share a part of your earnings with me.¡±
Xiao Wu generously replied, ¡°Sharing money? That¡¯s no big deal. If you want, half the money is yours, or you can take it all!¡±
Jiang Chuan hastily said, ¡°How can I take it all? You¡¯re putting in thebor, and earning money is your main goal. Besides, I trust your character. If you can be one of the first in the vige to prosper, you¡¯ll surely drive the development of the vige.¡±
Xiao Wu said, ¡°You tter me, Brother Jiang. The idea is feasible, but where will these fishe from?¡±
Jiang Xia immediately interjected, ¡°Uncle Xiao Wu, don¡¯t worry. We came to you because we found where the fish are, which is why we¡¯re discussing this with you.¡±
Xiao Wu asked, ¡°Where are the fish?¡±
Jiang Xia exined, ¡°When we went up the mountain these past few days, we found that the snow had melted and the stream¡¯s water level was rising. Many fish, many of them mature, were gathering in the stream, enough to support a fish pond.¡±
Jiang Chuan added, ¡°This winter, our family made some money by selling pickles, and I¡¯ve been doing business in town. We¡¯ve saved up some money and can allocate a part of it to help you start the fish pond. Our initial n is to introduce a hundred fish into the pond. Your wife is busy taking care of your child and can¡¯t spare the effort, so you can hire someone to help you. My suggestion is to ask Xiao Li.¡±
After saying this, Jiang Chuan paused and added, ¡°But Xiao Li also made some money selling pickles this winter, so I¡¯m not sure if he wants to join you in starting the fish pond or has other ns.¡±
Xiao Wu thought for a moment, ¡°Let¡¯s go ask him first.¡±
Xiao Wu and Jiang Chuan then went to find Xiao Li, who had coborated with Zhou Lan to sell pickles over the winter, exchanging them for various goods and coal.
That winter, after the first snowfall about a month and a halfter, there was a heavy snowstorm. The crops were covered in thick snow, making it one of the coldest winters in recent years.
Xiao Li seized the opportunity to sell all the charcoal he had and made a tidy sum of money. However, he himself endured the cold at home, and after suffering for three days, he caught a cold. If not for being timely discovered by Jiang Chuan and Zhou Lan, he might have frozen to death this winter.
After hearing the n from Jiang Chuan and Xiao Wu, Xiao Li was somewhat troubled.
He said, ¡°Brother Jiang, I of course understand that this is for the good of the vigers and can also promote the development of our vige. I really hope to join in, but as you know, I don¡¯t have much money at hand right now. I have an idea to open a supply and marketing cooperative in our vige, so that the vigers won¡¯t have to travel all the way to the town to exchange grain. It would be convenient for everyone. But I really don¡¯t have the extra money or energy to help Xiao Wu..¡±
Chapter 400 - 400: Opening a supply and marketing cooperative
Chapter 400: Opening a supply and marketing cooperative
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Jiang Chuan was surprised yet moved upon hearing Xiao Li¡¯s thoughts, and said, ¡°As long as our intentions are good and aimed at helping the vigers, there¡¯s nothing to apologize for. I didn¡¯t expect you to endure so much, even falling seriously ill, just to earn some money to help the vigers. Xiao Li, your spirit is something we should all learn from.¡±
Having a good idea is one thing, but now they faced a bigger problem: a shortage ofbour.
They wanted to start a fish pond and a supply and marketing cooperative, but they needed helpers for these endeavors. With only a few people avable, they were stretched thin. What should they do?
Jiang Chuan pondered and suggested, ¡°How about this, let¡¯s go to themune and seek help from Captain Tian. She¡¯s full of ideas and will surely find a solution for us.¡±
The three agreed and went to themune to find Tian Zao.
Tian Zao was reviewing the personnel registration list and grain production of Pushan Vige. In a couple of days, the corn would be ripe for harvesting, and she needed to allocate people for the task.
This year¡¯s corn had grown exceptionally well, and she had a feeling it would far exceed their expectations. She estimated about a ton of yield from the one thousand kilos of corn seeds nted. After setting aside seeds for the next nting, there would still be plenty to distribute to the vigers. It seemed they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about foode spring.
After listening to their ns, Tian Zao agreed, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re thinking of the vigers in addition to yourselves. However, if you¡¯re short-staffed, I can¡¯t help much either. Themune is also understaffed at the moment. You¡¯ll have to wait until after the corn harvest and then ask vigers for help.¡±
Jiang Chuan responded, ¡°Captain Tian, if we want to drive the vigers¡¯ development, we can¡¯t expect them to help out for free. My idea is to have themune issue a notice, hiring vigers to work at the fish pond and the supply and marketing cooperative. This would create job opportunities in our vige and benefit the vigers¡¯ development.¡±
This was a novel concept at the time as there were no hired workers, and everyone helped each other out of goodwill. So, when Jiang Chuan proposed this idea, the other three were surprised and couldn¡¯t help but praise him, ¡°Brother Jiang, howe none of us thought of this? You alwayse up with unique and beneficial ideas for the vigers.¡±
Jiang Chuan simply smiled and waved his hand.
Tian Zao decisively said, ¡°Jiang Chuan, I think your idea is excellent. I¡¯ll draft a notice immediately to recruit vigers. Once the hiring is settled, we can start gathering the grain.¡±
Jiang Chuan had another request for Tian Zao, ¡°Captain Tian, for this to seed, we have the people and resources, but ournd is limited.¡±
Tian Zao asked, ¡°What do you suggest?¡±
Jiang Chuan replied, ¡°This year, heavy rains and a snowstorm have raised the water levels in the ditches, making it impossible to nt rice. My idea is to convert one ditch into a fish pond and transfer the water from other ditches to it. This way, we can achieve two goals at once: grow rice and raise fish.¡±
Tian Zao thought the idea was very feasible, ¡°Then let¡¯s do it your way! I remember there¡¯s a ditch near Xiao Wu¡¯s house. Let¡¯s allocate that ditch to him. I¡¯ll also notify the vigers to help, hoping to get the fish pond up and running soon.¡±
After agreeing, the three left Tian Zao¡¯s office to discuss details in Jiang Chuan¡¯s office. Jiang Chuan said to Xiao Wu, ¡°We¡¯ll need people to help divert the water for the ditch. We can¡¯t expect the vigers to work for free. They should bepensated. I know you¡¯re short on funds initially,¡± I¡¯ll cover the cost as an investment.
Xiao Wu nervously rubbed his hands, somewhat awkwardly saying, ¡°Brother Jiang, I really thank you. I don¡¯t know how this fish pond would have started without you. In fact, you are the real owner of the fish pond; I¡¯m just managing it on your behalf.¡±
Jiang Chuan said, ¡°Xiao Wu, don¡¯t think like that. I just came up with the n. The hard and tedious work is all done by you. You are the one who deserves the credit.¡±
With Xiao Wu¡¯s problem solved, it was time to address Xiao Li¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative..
Chapter 401 - 401: Farm
Chapter 401: Farm
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
To start a supply and marketing cooperative, one must have ample reserves. Although Xiao Li had some money, hecked other items. At present, bartering goods was still necessary as money alone was not enough.
Jiang Chuan said, ¡°Xiao Li, don¡¯t worry. I can provide some rice, flour, and meat from my home for your temporary use.¡±
Xiao Li declined, ¡°No need, Brother Jiang. I can take the goods to be exchanged at the town¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative. My family¡¯s resources can support us.¡±
Jiang Chuan insisted, ¡°It¡¯s still cold, and you can¡¯t go to town every day to exchange goods. Take these items for now, and once the cooperative is fully operational, you can return them to me.¡±
Touched, Xiao Li no longer refused and nodded in agreement.
After settling the matter, Xiao Li and Xiao Wu went about their respective tasks.
Jiang Chuan, who still had to work, stayed at themune to handle affairs.
In the afternoon, someone unexpectedly came looking for him ¨C it was Qin Ming.
Ever since helping Xiao Hust time, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for a while. Though they had agreed to visit each other, their rtionship wasn¡¯t that close yet. Jiang Chuan was puzzled by Qin Ming¡¯s sudden visit.
Jiang Chuan asked, ¡°Do you need something today?¡±
Qin Ming cleared his throat, ¡°I heard you helped Xiao Wu and Xiao Li with the fish pond and the cooperative, so I want to ask for your help too. I want to restart my breeding farm.¡±
Jiang Chuan knew Qin Ming started with a breeding farm and had both experience and savings, so he didn¡¯t need financial help. What could Qin Ming want from him?
Jiang Chuan urged, ¡°Please be direct, Brother Qin. I can¡¯t think of how I could be of help to you.¡±
Qin Ming said, ¡°I know you have many solutions and contacts in the county town. I want to ask if you could help me acquire some dairy cows and sheep. I¡¯ve raised chickens and ducks, but the profit is too small to help the vigers, only enough to ensure my family¡¯s wealth. I hope to not only run a breeding farm but also produce milk and sheep¡¯s milk, creating a perfect closed loop.¡±
Jiang Chuan was impressed by Qin Ming¡¯s forward-thinking and modern business model. It was no wonder he became the first wealthy person in the vige.
Jiang Chuan believed that given time, Qin Ming could expand the farm into a provincial pir industry.
Jiang Chuan asked, ¡°Brother Qin, how many dairy cows do you initially want to buy?¡±
Qin Ming thought and said conservatively, ¡°Since I haven¡¯t raised dairy cows and sheep before, let¡¯s start with twenty cows and twenty sheep. I have the funds, and it¡¯s okay to spend more to get the cows and sheep.¡±
Jiang Chuan reassured, ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll go to the county tomorrow and find you the fairest price.¡±
After Qin Ming left, Jiang Chuan pondered. In winter, his family hadn¡¯t been idle, catching quite a bit of game in the mountains. Jiang Xia¡¯s space should currently have ten mountain goats and five dairy cows. Qin Ming needed twenty cows, which might be hard to find. If he couldn¡¯t gather enough, he could temporarily provide the ones from Jiang Xia¡¯s space.
That evening, Jiang Chuan returned home and was surprised to see Jiang Guing back from school, ¡°Why are you back today?¡±
Jiang Gu replied, ¡°School¡¯s on break.¡±
School had started early that year, and Jiang Gu only returned home once a week after going to school.
She was very smart and had excellent grades, learning quickly. Her teacher liked her and made her ss president.
The school had a break as the corn was ripe, and adults were busy with the harvest, short on hands. The school allowed children to help their parents with the corn harvest, starting tomorrow.
Jiang Chuan then said, ¡°Perfect. Tomorrow, you can go with Uncle Xiao Wu to catch fish.¡±
Jiang Gu was puzzled, ¡°Catch fish? Don¡¯t we have fish at home? Why go to the river?¡±
Jiang Chuan exined, ¡°Not for our home, but to help Uncle Xiao Wu catch fish. He needs to catch a hundred fish to start his fish pond. You can understand animals¡¯ speech, so you can definitely help him..¡±
Chapter 402 - 402: Catching Fish
Chapter 402: Catching Fish
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Jiang Gu didn¡¯t fully understand what a fish pond was, but she obediently nodded in agreement.
She lovedmunicating with animals and was happy to help Uncle Xiao Wu. But she hesitated, ¡°Dad, how can the two of us possibly carry a hundred fish?¡±
Jiang Chuan smiled and ruffled her hair, reassuring her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Uncle Xiao Wu has found others to help. You just need to summon the fish to him.¡±
Jiang Gu, concerned for the fish, instructed, ¡°Only catch a hundred, not one more!¡±
The next day, Jiang Chuan went to the county town to find Su Zhen.
Zhang Ping, being Su Zhen good friend, apanied Jiang Chuan to the county.
However, Zhang Ping¡¯s trip was also to help. Although he knew Jiang Chuan had a car that could be expanded and contracted at will, twenty dairy cows and sheep couldn¡¯t be transported in a small car. He was there to help drive the goats and cows back to the vige.
Jiang Chuan¡¯s timing was impable, as the recent ck market had just ended, and Su Zhen had stockpiled arge amount of goods to sell in the neighboring province.
Su Zhen greeted Jiang Chuan and Zhang Ping warmly, serving them the finest Biluochun tea.
He said, ¡°Uncle Jiang, it¡¯s been about a month since we exchanged the scar removal cream recipe. I thought you had forgotten about partnering with me in the ck market.¡±
Jiang Chuan joked, ¡°I thought you had made your fortune and were afraid I¡¯d want a share.¡±
Su Zhenughed, ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. How could I dare? What do you need today? Just name it, and I¡¯ll find it for you.¡±
Su Zhen, now a major yer, had leveraged the scar removal cream recipe to open doors in the neighboring province, expanding the ck market there. This had pressured the local ck markets, which gradually became untenable, allowing Su Zhen to eventually control the ck markets in two provinces.
Jiang Xia had persistently worked with an old schr to obtain the form, gradually breaking down the schr¡¯s stubbornness until he relented.
The old schr not only provided the recipe to Jiang Xia but also reconciled with his son.
Perhaps the old schr believed traditional and modern medicine were in opposition, but he shared his son¡¯s desire to advance medical science and help more people. He hoped to upgrade the scar removal cream to benefit arger audience.
Upon hearing Jiang Chuan¡¯s request, Su Zhen said with a smile, ¡°Uncle Jiang, did you check my inventory in advance? I just received dairy cows and goats after the ck market ended, and here you are. I don¡¯t have twenty of each, though, only fifteen. If you want them, they¡¯re yours, but you¡¯ll have to wait for the rest.¡±
Jiang Chuan replied, ¡°Money is not an issue. I¡¯m collecting them for someone else, so don¡¯t worry about giving me a discount. As the vige develops, we might need more items from you. Keep what you have for me.¡±
Su Zhen assured, patting his chest, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll reserve what you need. Even if I don¡¯t have it, I¡¯ll find it for you! I¡¯m off to the neighboring province in a couple of days, so I might not be in town. If you need anything, just call me. Besides, we¡¯re partners now, Uncle Jiang. You can just tell my staff what you need instead ofing in person.¡±
Jiang Chuan insisted on following protocol, ¡°Rules are rules, even if I¡¯m your partner. Some things still need to be discussed in person.¡±
Su Zhen nodded reluctantly, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll arrange for the fifteen cows and sheep to be delivered to your vige tonight. You won¡¯t need to drive them yourself.¡±
Zhang Ping was close to Su Zhen, who wouldn¡¯t dare ask Zhang Ping to do such tasks.
After settling this matter, Su Zhen said to Zhang Ping, ¡°You arrived at the perfect time. I was about to look for you. I just received a skin, and I want to give it to you.¡±
Su Zhen took out a wooden box containing genuine leather. Heid the material on the table for Zhang Ping to inspect.
Zhang Ping felt the leather and examined its fur,menting, ¡°This is premium material. Skin from a one- to two-month-old calf,pletely intact. The texture is fine, perfect for making breathable and windproof leather jackets, and it¡¯s very soft..¡±
Chapter 403 - 403: Something Happened
Chapter 403: Something Happened
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Su Zhen said, ¡°I¡¯ve got two pieces of leather here. One is for my sister-inw to make a leather coat, and the other I n to send to my godmother in Grand Cloud Mountain.¡±
Since Zhang Ping moved to Pushan Vige, he had fewer opportunities to see Zhao Wan than Su Zhen did. Knowing that Su Zhen was sending something to Zhao Wan on Grand Cloud Mountain, Zhang Ping seized the opportunity, ¡°Su Zhen, if you¡¯re sending something, can you also take something for me? Xiao Qing personally sewed a piece of clothing for her mother. I¡¯ll bring it over tomorrow. Find a chance to send it up the mountain together.¡±
Su Zhen agreed.
About a weekter, as the cornfield was fully ripe and the vige was organizing the harvest, Lao Zheng from the neighboring vige suddenly came to find Jiang Chuan.
Confused, Jiang Chuan asked, ¡°Brother Zheng, what brings you here?¡±
Lao Zheng said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the recent developments in your vige, the fish pond and the breeding farm. I came to learn from you.¡±
Jiang Chuan inquired, ¡°So, Brother Zheng, what are your thoughts after seeing everything?¡±
Lao Zheng exined, ¡°Our vigecks wealthy individuals to start a fish pond or a breeding farm, let alone a supply and marketing cooperative. But we have people! I was thinking, since your vige is hiring, why not let our vigerse and earn some wages?¡±
This was unexpected for Jiang Chuan. He originally thought that a fish pond, pasture, and supply cooperative would be enough to sustain a vige. However, the job opportunities these could provide were limited. Considering the elderly and the young, there might only be thirty or forty able young people in Pushan Vige. These three ces could employ them, with the rest working in the fields to ensure everyone had work. But if people from the neighboring vige also wanted to join, there might not be enough job opportunities.
Jiang Chuan, feeling troubled, said, ¡°Brother Zheng, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help, but under the current circumstances, it might not be possible to amodate so many people. I understand that every vige wants to develop. I have an idea: fish ponds are rtively simple to manage, and there¡¯s plenty of fish in the stream behind the mountains. If you don¡¯t mind, we can help gather a hundred fish to start a fish pond in your vige, and then the rest can work in our vige. How does that sound?¡±
This way, young people from both viges could be employed, preventing idleness.
Lao Zheng responded enthusiastically, ¡°That¡¯s great, how can I thank you for thinking so much about everyone?¡±
Jiang Chuan replied, ¡°As long as everyone can live better, thanks are secondary.¡±
About a monthter, everything fell into ce, and both viges were thriving. Just when everyone thought life was getting better, an unexpected problem arose.
This issue mainly urred at the breeding farm. While the supply and marketing cooperative and the fish pond were under Jiang Chuan¡¯s control and could receive prompt help, the breeding farm was a different story. Firstly, it was located far from Jiang Chuan, and secondly, it was privately operated, leaving Jiang Chuan unable to intervene.
After the onset of spring, as the weather warmed up, crops and wild grass grew rapidly. With less urgent work, vigers naturally sought part-time jobs for additional ie.
Among these, Qin Ming¡¯s breeding farm employed the most people, nearly half of the vige¡¯sbor force, thus solving the unemployment issue.
Moreover, the dairy cows were healthy and high-yielding, starting to produce milk just seven days after being purchased.
The peak of milk production coincided with the corn harvest and rice nting season. As a result, Qin Ming and his wife couldn¡¯t afford to hire help and had to milk the cows themselves.
Much of the milk, at risk of spoiling, was distributed to nearby vigers on the same day, yielding little profit.
However, the situation improved after vigers finished their work and returned to the farm. Due to the previous distribution of free milk, the vigers had developed a taste for it and demanded daily milk. Consequently, the orders for milk from the breeding farm gradually increased. Eventually, life improved significantly for everyone, with nearly the entire vige consuming milk from Qin Ming¡¯s farm, leading to an expansion of the breeding farm..
Chapter 404 - 404: Making Trouble
Chapter 404: Making Trouble
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
One day, a man suddenly created a disturbance, iming he had vomited and had diarrhea after drinking milk from Qin Ming¡¯s farm. He used them of selling old milk, asserting the milk was leftover from the previous day and had spoiled, and used them of making unscrupulous profits.
However, Qin Ming repeatedly assured that their milk was fresh, produced on the same day. If there was any unsold milk left, they would mix it with fodder for the cows to consume, never selling it to the vigers.
So, the man who fell ill argued, ¡°If it¡¯s not the milk, then it must be the cows. They must be diseased or unclean. You are risking the vigers¡¯ lives for profit. The breeding farm should be shut down immediately!¡±
But since this incident of vomiting and diarrhea from drinking milk only happened to him, the vigers didn¡¯t believe his usations.
The breeding farm continued to operate smoothly. However, within a few days, a dairy cow fell ill and died. It first got sick, then became thinner, and the milk it produced was very thin, almost like water. Without ess to a veterinarian, Qin Ming could only iste it, and it wasn¡¯t long before the cow died.
The situation panicked Qin Ming and his wife. They couldn¡¯t understand what went wrong in their farming process. However, when the news spread, coupled with the man¡¯s aggressive campaign, the orders for milk and sheep¡¯s milk from the farm drastically decreased, leading to a surplus of dairy products.
Subsequently, more cows fell ill, and life at the breeding farm became increasingly difficult, to the point where even the staff stoppeding to work.
Seeking help, Qin Ming approached Jiang Chuan. Jiang felt there was something suspicious about the situation, but no matter how much he pressed, Qin Ming was reluctant to disclose the full story. Jiang knew there must be more to it.
Jiang Chuan sternly said, ¡°Brother Qin, I can¡¯t help you if you¡¯re not telling the truth. I can save one cow today, but what about tomorrow? Should I save all the cows myself?¡±
After much thought, Qin Ming finally revealed the truth.
The sick person was none other than Wang Xing.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Lan, angered, threw her broom on the ground, eximing, ¡°Why is it always Wang Xing! He¡¯s always causing trouble and never settles down.¡±
Qin Ming sighed and shook his head, feeling helpless.
He continued, ¡°When he moved here from the neighboring vige, I was still the team captain. I had heard about his reputation and strongly opposed his moving in. However, the vige chief and the chief captain convinced me otherwise. They believed we should wee anyone willing to join our vige and not push them away.¡±
Young and stubborn, Qin Ming agreed verbally but dyed resolving Wang Xing¡¯s household registration, dragging it out until Wang Xing¡¯s family was driven out of their previous vige and came to Pushan Vige in a destitute state. Reluctantly, Qin Ming signed the paperwork. This led to Wang Xing holding a grudge against him.
Qin Ming felt ashamed of this, which is why he was reluctant to speak up.
After Qin Ming stopped being a team captain and started his business, Wang Xing no longer feared his authority and continuously sought opportunities to frame Qin Ming.
But back then, Qin Ming was operating independently, and Wang Xing couldn¡¯t find a way to harm him. Now, with Qin Ming reopening the breeding farm and hiring extensively, there was a mix of people, and even if Wang Xing couldn¡¯t act personally, he could nt someone inside.
Wang Xing was unscrupulous in achieving his goals, even if it meant suffering significant losses himself just to harm Qin Ming.
Jiang Chuan, furious upon hearing this, had tolerated Wang Xing¡¯s antics, even when rumors spread of his rapid advancement in themune through connections. But he shouldn¡¯t have sabotaged Qin Ming at this crucial moment!
It was a critical period forunching a new employment model. The vigers, having never seen such a hiring system, were skeptical. Any issue could erode their confidence, making the reform process even more challenging..
Chapter 405 - 405: Solve the Trouble
Chapter 405: Solve the Trouble
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
On the surface, the issue seemed to be just a conflict between Qin Ming and Wang Xing, but in reality, it had already escted into a crisis of trust.
Due to problems with the dairy cows, employees started leaving, leading to doubts about the farm and a wave of resignations.
Once employees were ustomed to working, not earning money made it difficult to survive, and it was impossible for them to stay idle at home. They were eager to find other jobs, and the only avable options were Xiao Wu¡¯s fish pond and Xiao Li¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative.
However, these ces had limited staffing needs, which were already met, so Xiao Wu had no choice but to refuse extra help. This led to rumors that Xiao Wu, with his changed status, looked down on the vigers and was unwilling to help.
Xiao Wu¡¯s fish pond was barely getting by and wasn¡¯t yet on the right track, so he couldn¡¯t afford to hire more staff, putting him in a difficult position.
Zhou Lan thought simply and suggested, ¡®Why waste words? Just beat him up, and that will solve it!¡¯
Jiang Chuan stopped her, saying, ¡®Beating him up is easy, but the issue is that the vigers have lost faith in the farm, not because of Wang Xing¡¯s troublemaking.¡¯
Jiang Xia also calmed Zhou Lan, adding, ¡®The most serious issue is food safety, which is everyone¡¯s concern. Once this issue arises, it requires significant public rtions efforts to regain their trust.¡¯
Jiang Xia tugged at Jiang Chuan¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡®Dad, the most important thing now is to cure the cows. Everything else is secondary.¡¯
Jiang Chuan nodded in agreement and told Qin Ming, ¡®Let¡¯s first see what¡¯s wrong with the cows. We¡¯ll deal with the farm¡¯s problems before anything else.¡¯
Qin Ming nodded and led the way to the pasture.
This farm, previously used for raising chickens and ducks, had been transformed into a pasture after renovations and expansions.
Jiang Xia observed the listless cows, clearly sick, while the sheep were unaffected, suggesting someone had deliberately poisoned the cows.
Jiang Chuan, sharing Jiang Xia¡¯s suspicions, asked Qin Ming, ¡®Have you checked if any vige workers in your farm are colluding with Wang Xing to poison the cows? Otherwise, there¡¯s no reason for the cows to get sick like this.¡¯
The possibility of an epidemic was another reason, but Jiang Chuan hesitated to mention it, as it would only cause more panic. Given that the sheep were fine and only the cows were sick, this possibility seemed less likely.
Qin Ming sighed, ¡®I¡¯ve checked every viger. We all know each other in this vige. There¡¯s one worker who is Wang Xing¡¯s cousin. I couldn¡¯t just turn him away, so I kept him on the farm.¡¯
Qin Ming was generally good-natured but cared too much about face, which led to trouble by keeping Wang Xing¡¯s cousin.
Jiang Chuan, stroking his chin, realized the problem was likely this person secretly drugging the cows, causing their illness.
¡®Let¡¯s focus on curing the cows first,¡¯ he suggested.
Qin Ming, puzzled, asked, ¡®How?¡¯
Jiang Chuan replied, ¡®I have some medicinal powder that might work. It¡¯s a shot in the dark, but let¡¯s see if it helps the cows.¡¯
This powder was actually Lingzhi spore powder from Jiang Xia¡¯s interspace.
Jiang Xia also used the same method to make the cows drink water from her interspace. To be safe, she gave some to the sheep as well. Soon after, the cows started jumping around energetically.
With the cow problem solved, it was time to deal with Wang Xing.
Wang Xing, spreading rumors, had be weak and bedridden after drinking Qin Ming¡¯s milk, as if one foot was already in the underworld. So, Qin Ming and Jiang Chuan decided to visit Wang Xing¡¯s house to see the situation for themselves.
However, they knew they couldn¡¯t go alone, as Wang Xing might falsely use them again, leaving them defenseless. Therefore, they decided to bring Tian Zao along..¡±
Chapter 406 - 406: Exposing the Lie
Chapter 406: Exposing the Lie
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
When Jiang Chuan and his group arrived at Wang Xing¡¯s house, they found Wang Xing sunbathing in the courtyard, enjoying thefortable warmth of the early spring sun.
Wang Xing was leisurely lounging in a sun chair, seemingly enjoying life to the fullest. His days were sofortable that he could afford to casually crack melon seeds, showing no signs of being ill or near death.
Jiang Chuan approached him with a smile and asked, ¡°Can you eat sunflower seeds even when you¡¯re sick?¡±
Startled to see Qin Ming and Jiang Chuan together, Wang Xing dropped his sunflower seeds and quickly stood up, then realizing something, he rushed into the house, shouting, ¡°Are you two here to harm me? Be careful, I¡¯ll tell the vigers!¡±
Jiang Chuan and the others had guessed right; Wang Xing was attempting to twist the truth again.
Without wasting words, Jiang Chuan walked into the house and confronted Wang Xing directly, ¡°Wang Xing, we have found out that you were framing Qin Ming. We saw with our own eyes that you¡¯re not unwell. If you continue to deceive everyone, don¡¯t me us for being unsympathetic.¡±
Wang Xing stubbornly retorted, ¡°What evidence do you two have?¡±
Tian Zao stepped forward, ¡°Am I not evidence?¡±
Seeing Tian Zao, Wang Xing panickedpletely. Tian Zao red at him, clearly ready to deal with him.
Jiang Chuan continued, ¡°If you keep lying to everyone, we will expose your actions publicly. Don¡¯t me us if you can no longer stay in Puhshan Vige.¡±
Wang Xing had no choice but to relent and exin the situation to the vigers as they had said.
Although the vigers knew that the dairy cow incident wasn¡¯t Qin Ming¡¯s fault, few were willing to help on the farm, and not many people were buying milk, leading to an economic downturn.
At this time, Shen Mo quietly appeared and offered his help.
Having juste down from the mountains and learning about the situation, Shen Mo had an idea, ¡°I can help. If it¡¯s just unsold milk, we can sell it to the army. The troops need a lot of milk for bnced nutrition, given their monotonous diet. But I¡¯m not sure if your farm has enough milk.¡±
Qin Ming quickly replied, ¡®Of course, we have.¡¯
Shen Mo decisively said, ¡°Great, pack the milk in barrels every morning, and I¡¯ll send someone to pick it up. We¡¯ll settle the payment monthly, at the beginning of each month. How does that sound?¡±
¡°Certainly,¡± Qin Ming agreed.
Thanks to Shen Mo¡¯s help, the dairy farm started doing better, and vigers gradually returned to work.
As milk became an indispensable part of life, confidence was slowly restored. People began buying milk again, and the farm¡¯s milk supply started running short. Therefore, Qin Ming decided to add ten more cows, a task which Jiang Chuan helped him with.
Jiang Chuan went to the town to find Su Zhen, but in his absence, he took the initiative and sent ten dairy cows to Pushan Vige.
Jiang Xia suggested, ¡°Now that we have so many cows producing enough milk, why not add a production line for other dairy products, like yogurt?¡±
Qin Ming thought it was feasible and decided to use an empty plot ofnd for a yogurt factory.
After resolving the issue, Jiang Chuan invited Shen Mo to their home for a meal as a thank you. Upon seeing Shen Mo, Jiang Xia blushed, perhaps because of a previous incident pointed out by Jiang Qing. Since then, she became inexplicably shy around Shen Mo and always tried to avoid him.
Shen Mo thought Jiang Xia disliked him and didn¡¯t dare to be too forward, only following her with his eyes.
Zhou Lan said to Shen Mo, ¡°You¡¯re a good boy, don¡¯t worry too much. Our girl is just shy. You two should just talk it out. Later, when she goes to the kitchen to cook, you can help her. It¡¯s a good opportunity for you both to chat. I really see you as a good son-inw.¡±
Blushing a bit himself, Shen Mo nodded and headed to the kitchen.
Jiang Qing, who was originally helping Jiang Xia, quietly left when Shen Mo entered, giving them space and time alone.
Unaware of Shen Mo¡¯s arrival, Jiang Xia was focused on cooking and reached out, saying, ¡°Sister, pass me the salt..¡±
Chapter 407 - 407: Confession
Chapter 407: Confession
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Shen Mo looked at the various bottles and jars on the counter, unable to distinguish between the salt and sugar as they looked very simr. He asked, ¡°Which one is salt and which is sugar?¡±
Jiang Xia was momentarily taken aback, almost losing grip of her spat.
She turned to Shen Mo, her face reddening instantly, and said, ¡°The one on the right is salt, and the one on the left is sugar.¡±
Shen Mo nodded, then handed her the salt. There was an awkward moment between them.
It was Jiang Xia who broke the silence first, asking, ¡°Why did youe?¡±
Shen Mo stuttered, unable to articte his thoughts at first, and finally mustered the courage to say, ¡°I wanted to talk to you.¡±
Jiang Xia was taken aback again, somewhat evasively, ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about?¡±
Shen Mo pressed, ¡°You¡¯ve been avoiding me for two or three months. Don¡¯t we need to talk and resolve this issue?¡±
Jiang Xia fell silent again.
Determined to resolve the matter, Shen Mo cut straight to the point, ¡°Jiang Xia, I like you. Everyone can see that I like you, except you. After your sister pointed out our rtionship, you¡¯ve been skittish and evasive. I just want to ask you, what do you feel about me now?¡±
At this, Jiang Xia¡¯s spat fell from her hand. Her face was beet red, even redder than the tomatoes on the shore!
Stammering, she said, ¡°Who confesses like that?¡±
Shen Mo asked, ¡°Then how should I say it?¡±
Jiang Xia pursed her lips, awkwardly replying, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
Sighing, Shen Mo said, ¡°Jiang Xia, I know you¡¯re still young and it¡¯s not time for you to think about marriage. I just want to tell you that I like you and hope that when you consider marriage, you¡¯ll think of me first. That¡¯s all. I don¡¯t want to trouble you or make our rtionship awkward. I hope we can interact as we used to, where you can share any of your thoughts and opinions with me, and I¡¯ll do my best to help you¡¡±
Shen Mo continued, determined to say everything he had in mind, fearing he might not get another chance if interrupted.
But Jiang Xia interrupted him, asking seriously, ¡°Shen Mo, what exactly do you like about me?¡±
Jiang Xia, who had never been in a rtionship and had no experience, realized after these past months of careful thought that she did like Shen Mo, at least not repelled by him.
She greatly admired Shen Mo for his conduct and abilities. If Shen Mo liked her, she wouldn¡¯t be troubled; she just wanted to rify things.
Shen Mo paused at her question, then replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know what ¡®liking¡¯ really means. I like that you¡¯re different. Your uniqueness lies in your insights, your ability to think of issues others don¡¯t consider, focusing not just on your family¡¯s immediate interests but on the life of the entire vige.¡±
¡°You¡¯re also very intelligent. You can teach all the children to read and write, help your family solve problems, and always find the simplest ways to effortlessly resolveplex issues. I don¡¯t know when it started, maybe from the first time I saw you, but I was deeply attracted to you. I couldn¡¯t help but pay attention to you.¡±
¡°Coming to Pushan Vige wasn¡¯t a necessary choice, but I stubbornly came because I wanted to see you. I hoped to see you every day. Sometimes I¡¯m really afraid that someone else will take you away, so I hope to stay by your side, and be the first one you see when you consider marriage.¡±
Jiang Xia had never felt her heart beat so fast. She listened intently to every word, every sentence Shen Mo said.
With her heart racing, she said, ¡°Shen Mo, actually, I do like you. I just didn¡¯t understand what this feeling was before. Now I know it¡¯s liking, but I can¡¯t say for sure when I started liking you. But I admire the qualities in you. I want to try being together with you, but you have to wait for me to grow up; it can¡¯t be right now..¡±
Chapter 408 - 408: Visiting Family
Chapter 408: Visiting Family
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Shen Mo nodded, ¡°I know, and I¡¯ll wait for you. Just don¡¯t avoid me, that¡¯s all I ask.¡±
Today, Jiang Xia was in a good mood, which was evident from the food she prepared: braised pork, chicken stewed with mushrooms, fried pork in sweet and sour sauce, and rib soup. The feast was asvish as a New Year¡¯s celebration.
Afterward, Shen Mo often visited their house, and each time, Jiang Xia would prepare a grand feast. Even Jiang Chuan, her father, would jokingly express jealousy, saying, ¡°My dear daughter has never treated me this well. She¡¯s been charmed away by some rascal!¡±
Both of them blushed and remained silent, but Jiang Xia continued to treat Shen Mo well, in her own way.
By April or May, when spring was nearing its end and summer was approaching, the weather became hot and everyone felt listless. The vige¡¯s economy was improving and there were no major worries, except for the mystery surrounding Jiang Chuan¡¯s origins. So, Zhou Lan decided that the family should visit Jiang Chuan¡¯s elder sister, Jiang Nan, to get some answers.
Jiang Nan lived in the neighboring vige, in Lao Zheng¡¯s vige, just an hour¡¯s journey away. After lunch, the family packed some gifts and set off for Jiang Nan¡¯s home.
Jiang Nan was surprised and delighted to see Jiang Chuan and his family bring gifts to visit her, especially since they brought such nice things like meat, wild mushrooms, and even watermelons, which were a rarity for the season.
After weing them into her house and serving them water, she asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡±
After some small talk, Jiang Chuan directly asked, ¡°Sister, I won¡¯t beat around the bush. I came here to ask if I¡¯m really our mother¡¯s biological child.¡±
Jiang Nan was momentarily stunned and didn¡¯t respond right away.
This was a long-kept secret in the Jiang family. Although she knew some details, she had never thought of revealing them and certainly didn¡¯t expect Jiang Chuan toe and ask in person.
Noticing her hesitation, Jiang Chuan pressed on, ¡°Sister, you know how our mother has treated me over the years. Even if there¡¯s the grace of upbringing, I¡¯ve repaid it through my years of hard work. Now, I just want to find my biological parents. Please help me, sister. You know that our mother will never tell me. You¡¯ve always been kind to our family; surely you wouldn¡¯t want me to be unable to find my real parents.¡±
Jiang Nan began to tear up, ¡°You¡¯re a good brother, and it¡¯s our family who wronged you. I had no choice but to make it up to you by treating you well.¡±
Jiang Chuan urged her to speak, ¡°Please tell me, sister. No matter what, I won¡¯t me anyone in the Jiang family.¡±
Jiang Nan sighed and finally revealed the truth, ¡°Actually, you¡¯re from a wealthy family in the county town. But that year, due to the government¡¯s crackdown onndlords, your family was framed and persecuted. You were so young, and your parents didn¡¯t want you to be involved, so they entrusted you to our father, who was working in your house at the time. They gave him a box of gold to raise you until you could be taken back after things settled down.¡±
¡°Butter, there was no one left from your family, so you were raised in our home. That box of gold was enough for you to grow up, but our parents were greedy. They thought the gold was theirs, and raising you was just a waste of the household¡¯s food. So they made life difficult for you. Jiang Chuan, it¡¯s been so many years; don¡¯t be angry with them anymore.¡±
Jiang Chuan was saddened and couldn¡¯t say he wasn¡¯t angry. How could he not be? He had suffered for so many years because of Jiang family¡¯s elders; how could he not resent them?
Just as Jiang Chuan was grappling with his emotions, Jiang Nan revealed another secret, ¡°Actually, you have an elder sister who also escaped. But her whereabouts became unknown, and no one knows where she went. She probably went into hiding to avoid being found. I¡¯ve kept a family photo hidden all these years. Today, seeing you, I can finally give it to you.¡±
Jiang Nan rummaged through her belongings and extracted a family photo from the bottom of a box in her wardrobe. In the photo, Jiang Chuan was only one year old, held on his father¡¯sp, while his sister, who was about five or six years old, stood obediently between their parents..
Chapter 409 - 409: Acknowledging Kinship
Chapter 409: Acknowledging Kinship
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
With just a childhood photo, finding his sister seemed very difficult, but Jiang Xia was astonished to discover that his sister¡¯s eyes and eyebrows resembled someone ¨C the vige¡¯s ¡®ice beauty¡¯!
Upon mentioning this, Zhou Lan also realized that when they had seen Zhao Xin before, they suspected she looked like Jiang Chuan and might be siblings.
With this photo, it became even more certain ¨C Jiang Chuan¡¯s sister might be Zhao Xin!
Jiang Xia wondered if their aunt had always known the truth about their father¡¯s identity but never spoke of it.
Jiang Chuan, with a determined look, said, ¡°Whether she knows or not, we just have to ask!¡±
Leaving their gifts with Jiang Nan, the family hurried back to the vige to find Zhao Xin.
When Zhao Xin opened the door and saw Jiang Chuan, she was startled and tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly held them back and simply said, ¡°Pleasee in.¡±
The familial bond made Jiang Chuan certain that this woman was his sister.
Jiang Chuan tentatively asked, ¡°Do you have a younger brother?¡±
Hearing this, Zhao Xin, who was pouring water, was so shocked that she dropped the cup, shattering it.
Unable to hold back any longer, she burst into tears. Jiang Chuan directly asked, ¡°Sister, why didn¡¯t you tell me the truth all these years, knowing who I am?¡±
Zhao Xin cried for a long time before drying her tears, her voice choked, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve always wanted to find you over the years¡ but¡ I didn¡¯t know how to make you believe that the parents who raised you were not your birth parents and that I am your sister. And now, my life is not what it used to be; I¡¯m struggling in many ways.¡±
¡°Admitting our rtionship would only burden you! You had a family in the old Jiang family, whereas following me would mean having nothing. Over time, I didn¡¯t want to disturb you anymore. Later, when you got married, had children, and moved out, I thought of finding you, but seeing your family doing well, I didn¡¯t want to be a burden.¡±
¡°After so many years of hardship, how could I drag you down with a poor sister like me? So, I kept this secret buried in my heart.¡±
Jiang Chuan replied, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re being foolish. There¡¯s nothing more important than family in this world. You should have told me from the beginning.¡±
Zhao Xin just cried and didn¡¯t speak.
Unable to bear seeing his sister cry, Jiang Chuan said, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t cry. Now that our family is reunited, why don¡¯t youe live with us? Don¡¯t stay here alone. You only have a dog forpany; we¡¯re worried about you!¡±
Zhao Xin looked at the big dog that had been herpanion for over a decade, sitting obediently at the door, and finally nodded, ¡°But I want to bring the big dog with me.¡±
Jiang Chuan assured, ¡°The dog has been with you for so many years. Even if you didn¡¯t say so, we would have brought it home anyway.¡±
The family reunion and Jiang Chuan¡¯s discovery of his origins made it a day of great joy. Zhou Lan cooked avish meal, and Jiang Xia even brought Jiang Gu back from school. Jiang Gu immediately rushed to y with the big dog.
That night, Zhou Lan stewed two pots of meat, and the family ate happily.
To make room for Zhao Xin, Jiang Chuan arranged for Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu to share a room, leaving the spare room for Zhao Xin.
Zhao Xin, with time on her hands, would sunbathe in the yard, chat with Zhou Lan, and asionally help out.
Though she had lived alone for many years, her cooking skills were mediocre, but Zhou Lan was happy to finally have someone to talk to while working.
Zhao Xin, who hadn¡¯t enjoyed the happiness of a family reunion for over a decade, found joy in watching the children y and squabble.
Jiang Chuan, after returning from work in the evening, would often be busy in the yard. One day, Zhao Xin couldn¡¯t help but ask him, ¡°Brother, what are you always busy with after work?¡±
Jiang Chuan shared with Zhao Xin his ns to develop a medicinal herb garden..
Chapter 410 - 410: The Finale
Chapter 410: The Finale
Trantor: Dragon Boat Trantion Editor: Dragon Boat Trantion
Zhao Xin, momentarily stunned, responded, ¡°You truly are from the Zhao family. Actually, there¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you. Our family has always been in the business of medicinal herbs, so I can help you with the Chinese medicine aspect.¡±
Hearing this, Jiang Chuan was pleased, as it solved a major problem for him.
Zhao Xin was also happy, having lived in Jiang Chuan¡¯s home for so long without being able to help, and now she finally found her role.
Jiang Chuan immediately discussed with his sister what it would take in terms of money and manpower to nt a field of medicinal herbs. They talked so long they didn¡¯t realize it was almost dawn.
After making their ns, Jiang Chuan quickly got the medicinal field up and running. While he worked during the day, Zhao Xin busied herself in the fields, enduring wind and sun, her previously fair skin visibly darkening.
Initially, they nted the herbs from Jiang Xia¡¯s space, including a treasured Lingzhi mushroom.
Thanks to these, the medicinal field quickly scaled up.
Later, through Jiang Xia¡¯s efforts to connect with old schrs, they began selling the grown herbs to schrs and hospitals, forming aplete sales chain.
Two monthster, as the variety of herbs in the field increased and they hired about ten workers, Jiang Chuan began to think about transforming Pushan Vige into a medicinal herb production base, abandoning traditional crops and buying food as needed.
He shared this idea with Tian Zao, who strongly supported it. Not just themune, but also the vigers were very interested.
They were tired of farming year after year with average yields. Seeing the sess of the medicinal field, who wouldn¡¯t be tempted to get a piece of the action?
Thus, everyone worked together under Zhao Xin¡¯s direction to transform all the farnds into medicinal herb fields, nting herbs like Isatis root, Polygonum multiflorum, Poria, and Goji berries.
Xiao Li¡¯s supply and marketing cooperative also lent a hand. Initially bartering goods, it now collected herbs to sell in city pharmacy, dividing the profits among the vigers. The cooperative gradually became a trading hub in the vige, not just a simple supply and marketing market.
Moreover, Pushan Vige¡¯s herbs were sold not only in town but also across the country, alleviating national medicinal shortages and making a significant contribution to the country.
As everything fell into ce and Pushan Vige¡¯s life improved, Jiang Chuan¡¯s family received more good news: Jiang Qing was pregnant.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Wan rushed from Grand Cloud Mountain to Pushan Vige and decided to settle there.
This being the first child of the third generation of their family, it naturally received a lot of attention.
With Zhao Wan¡¯s arrival, they needed more space. Su Zhen, to honor Zhao Wan, also decided to live in Pushan Vige and bought a house nearby.
Interestingly, the house belonged to Wang Xing, who had been driven out of the vige for his misdeeds.
Pushan Vige had now be a peaceful and prosperous ce. With thriving livestock and agriculture, even neighboring viges came to learn from its development model, hoping to replicate the experience in their own viges.
In just six months, Pushan Vige leaped to be the wealthiest vige in the area, attracting many new residents.
The vige¡¯s poption soon surpassed the town¡¯s and even showed signs of exceeding the county¡¯s, leading the government to upgrade Puhshan Vige to a new county city, Pushan City.
Just like Locust Tree Bay at the foot of Grand Cloud Mountain, Pushan Vige, with its growing poption, continued to develop and prosper.
Jiang Chuan, wanting Jiang Qing¡¯s child to have a good home, built a three-story western-style brick house next to themune, the most luxurious in the whole vige.
Five yearster, Jiang Xia reached the age of marriage and naturally ended up with Shen Mo, who rose to be the mayor of Pushan City.
Zhang Ping and Jiang Qing, after bing wealthy through business, often engaged in charity work, bing nationally renowned phnthropists..
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