11-20

Chapter 11

A large pot of almost full noodles with cat ears was eaten without leaving a drop of soup. Although the diced bacon was small, it finally made everyone taste the meat.

Lin Zhuzi had never eaten so full before. Although there was a lot of soup, it was oily and more filling than the dumplings he had eaten before.

He took the initiative to run over to wash the pot for Lin Zhen: "Uncle, what are we going to eat next? Can we have cat ears again?"

He is the eldest child of Sister Lin, already nine years old, and in a few years he will find a marriage and have children.

But in Lin Zhen's eyes, this nephew who was two years older than his stepson was a real child. He looked at Lin Zhuzi who had inherited his elder brother's handsome appearance and said, "How can you eat cat ears every day? You have to do hard work and you have to work hard enough to fill your stomach."

"But cat ears are delicious..."

Lin Zhen patted his furry head and said, "There are so many things that taste better than cat ears. You'll be able to taste enough in the future."

From last night's candy to today's cat ears, Lin Zhuzi and the other little ones adored Lin Zhen so much. When they heard that there was something more delicious than cat ears, they surrounded Lin Zhen and asked him what else he had to eat.

Lin Zhen counted on his fingers and told them about candied haws, donkey rolls, fried meatballs...

When Lin Zhen had talked so much that his mouth was watering and his eyes were round, he finally got out. As soon as he got out, he was caught by Lin's father, who thrust a cotton robe that had been torn apart a little in front of him: "You kid...you kid..."

Lin Zhen hugged the cotton robe and pulled him to sit down: "Dad, you and your sister-in-law should alter some clothes at home this afternoon, and try to let Chunxing, Chunxiang, Huaixiang and the others wear new clothes. My father and I will go to the fields to take a look."

"I can't convince you," Lin's father understood that his ignorant son was now very opinionated. He said, "It's up to you to alter the clothes. It's your intention as an uncle. I can't control it."

"Just Zhen'er, tell your father the truth, how much silver do you have on you?"

Lin Zhen had already prepared for the question, and said calmly, "About ten taels."

When Lin's father heard the number of ten taels, his heart finally fell, "Okay, okay, it's best if you have your own savings. By the way, you should cook at home in the afternoon. The work in the fields is tiring, so don't go." Lin Zhen blinked

, not at all flustered by saying three taels of silver instead of ten taels.

His father still underestimated the original body's extravagance. He wanted to eat well, wear well, and use good things. As long as he got money from Gu Da, he would immediately run to the town to buy things. The face rouge, lip balm, and body lotion were much more valuable than the cotton-padded clothes and trousers he brought.

Lin Zhen said, "My sewing work is just like that. For your grandchildren to wear new clothes, you should stay and help your eldest sister-in-law."

"Besides, my elder brother and second brother are taking care of it, so I won't be tired."

Lin's father wanted to say more, but Lin Zhen persuaded him instead, and finally stayed to make clothes and cook with his eldest daughter-in-law.

When the two elder brothers and Lin's father learned that Lin Zhen was going to the fields with them, they also felt strange, but Lin's father, who loved Lin Zhen the most, agreed, and they had no objection.

After dinner and a short rest, the family, big and small, carried hoes, sickles and backpacks and went out.

Liyu Village is a small village built along a river. There are some hillsides behind it and paddy fields in front of it that are convenient for irrigation. However, due to the flooding of the river in the rainy season, the villagers dare not put their minds on the fields. They all plant sorghum and buckwheat that can fill their stomachs to the maximum extent.

The fields are desolate in winter, but there are many people, all picking up the weeds in the fields and preparing for the spring plowing next year.

When the neighbors saw the Lin family coming out, they all straightened up and greeted them, "Uncle Lin's family has so many people, I'm afraid there's not enough room to stand in the fields!"

Then they saw the dazzlingly white Lin Zhen among the crowd, and exclaimed, "This is Brother Zhen, he's still so handsome, not like the peasant in our village at all."

Lin Zhen found this person from his original memory, smiled slightly and greeted, "I haven't seen this person for a few years, Aunt Zhang is still in good health."

"Hahaha, you're getting old, not like you young people," Aunt Zhang's family lived next to the Lin family, and their life was similar to the Lin family's. She and her husband had four sons and three daughters, and except for the youngest daughter, all of them got married. Now all the people standing in the fields are able-bodied men. She lowered her voice and asked Lin Zhen, "Your father and grandfather went to Datianzi Village a few days ago. How was it? Did they get everything done?"

"It's done. The child's uncle's family missed him. They were afraid that he would be bored alone, so they took him to live with them for a while."

"That's good..." Aunt Zhang was not stupid, and she did not think that this matter was as easy as Lin Zhen said.

Gu Da was a famous person in the surrounding area, with money and a house. It would be best if the child could be raised by Lin Zhen's side, so that Lin Zhen would have someone to take care of him in his old age and a roof over his head.

But Gu Da's uncle took the child away, and after a long time, the child had no relationship with Lin Zhen at all.

Aunt Zhang looked at Lin Zhen's beautiful face that looked like the lotus flowers that bloomed every summer in the mud at the east end of the village, and smacked her lips. Apart

from anything else, if the brother of the Lin family wanted to marry again, he would definitely be able to marry...

The houses in the village were densely packed, and the fields of every household were next to each other. After saying goodbye to Aunt Zhang, he met several families again. Lin Zhen came to his own field under the gazes of many people.

The Lin family had 14 people, three paddy fields, two dry fields, and a sloped land that was reclaimed. In addition to the grain that was taxed every year, they would run out of food in the spring.

If the year was a little worse, it would be even more difficult.

Brother Lin pointed at the grass roots and broken stones that had been dug out of the ground and said, "You can pick these up with Chunxiang, Xingxiang and the others. When you get tired, go sit under the tree for a while."

Lin Zhen looked at the loose, gray soil, nodded, and bent down to pick up the grass roots and broken stones.

Chunxiang, Xingxiang, and Huaixiang came to his side and told him in a chattering voice, "Uncle, these grass roots are sweet, but they are too old to chew now."

Xingxiang said, "Not very sweet, not as sweet as the candy that uncle brought."

Huaixiang was the most silent of the three children. He just shook off the dirt on the grass roots and threw them into the small backpack behind him.

Lin Zhen said a few words to Xingxiang and Chunxiang, and asked Huaixiang, "Do you want to carry these grass roots back too?"

Huaixiang nodded, "Take them back to start a fire, they will burn quickly."

Lin Zhen looked at the grass roots in his hand, each of which was almost the size of two palms, and realized that this was also a family "property" that could not be discarded.

After all, most of the mountains in the village are private property of local landlords, and the private property of landlords does not allow them, who are not tenant farmers, to cut firewood and collect firewood. They can only go to places that are not private property of landlords, but how can the firewood in those places afford the annual felling of the entire village?

The soil in the field is not sticky at all, and it will be clean after a slight shake. While picking up grass roots, Lin Zhen looked at his father, elder brother Lin, second brother Lin, and second sister-in-law, who were waving hoes vigorously in front of him, as well as Lin Zhuzi from the elder sister-in-law's family and Lin Dali from the second sister-in-law's family, and felt a sense of restlessness in his heart.

He walked up to Lin's father and asked in a low voice: "Father, how many kilograms of sorghum can we harvest from this field in a year?"

Seeing his red and sweaty cheeks, Lin's father thought he was tired and wanted to rest, and said: "About a hundred kilograms, the grass is thicker there, you can sit there." He pointed to a place on the edge of the field.

Lin Zhen said: "It's only over 100 pounds, why don't you add some fertilizer?"

"What fertilizer?" Lin's father is an old hand who has been working for many years and has never heard of any farm manure.

All they had to do was plant the seeds in the spring, pull out the weeds when they were there, and carry water to irrigate when it was dry. They had never heard of fertilizer.

Lin Zhen said, "Actually, I haven't seen anyone use it, but you know that Gu Da is often out and about. Once he got drunk and told me that he had been to a place where people used fertilizers and could harvest more than 300 kilograms of grain per mu of land." "

What!!!" Lin's father's eyes were as big as copper bells, "More than 300 kilograms!"

"Impossible, this is impossible!"

"Gu Da doesn't lie. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have made up these words." Lin Zhen silently chanted Amitabha in his heart. Sorry, Gu Da, I'll use your name for a while.

Who made him a guy who had never left the town, and Gu Da was a capable person who earned a lot of money in the eyes of others.

Lin's father was already shocked by the figure of 300 kilograms per mu. He didn't believe it was true, but he was somewhat convinced by Gu Da, a capable person.

Moreover, the yield per mu is 300 kilograms. If one mu of land can really produce 300 kilograms of food, my family won't have to starve for so long next year. We can definitely hold on until the autumn harvest the year after next.

Father Lin's breath was heavy. He stopped the hoe in his hand and asked Lin Zhen: "Do you know what that fertilizer is? Did Gu Da tell you?"

"He said that to make compost, you need to dry the fine soil first, mix it with human and animal manure, compact it and pile it up, and it can be used in two months." Before Lin Zhen became rich, his family conditions were average. When he was a child, he often worked with his grandparents and knew the ins and outs of it very well.

When Father Lin heard that the fertilizer was made of human and animal manure, he was confused.

But the harvest of 300 kilograms was too tempting. He gritted his teeth and said, "Let's do it now. When you go back, tell me in detail. If we can do it, we will do it this year!"

The Lin family has two acres of paddy fields, four acres of dry land, and five acres of reclaimed land. If they all use fertilizers -

don't think about it, don't think about it. Father Lin waved the hoe vigorously, and sweat dripped on the ground.

After working all afternoon, he went home at dawn. The grass roots were shaken out and filled the backpacks. The adults carried them on their backs, and the children followed them with their heads drooping.

Father Lin and Sister Lin made rice dumplings and a full pot of cabbage and radish soup with a few oil residues floating in the soup.

The family, big and small, took bowls and chopsticks. Except for Father Lin and his two brothers and sisters-in-law, everyone else on the table consciously soaked the rice dumplings in soup and squatted in the yard to eat.

Father Lin couldn't help it, and said impatiently while eating: "Zhen Ge'er, tell me more about the fertilizer you mentioned."

???

The others at the table looked at the father and son. Father Lin's tone was actually a bit like talking to the elders in the clan.

Chapter 12

Lin Zhen glanced at his family and said, "Gu Da said that the local people use this method all year round. The fine soil mixed with manure can emit a very high temperature, which can not only kill the small insects inside, but also burn the grass seeds and reduce pests."

"If our family wants to use fertilizer, we can do it now, otherwise the fertilizer will burn the seedlings if it is not piled for two months."

The people at the table were all farmers. They understood that Lin Zhen was talking to Lin's father about farming, but they didn't know what the manure was.

Lin's father frowned and said, "Will it burn the seedlings?"

Lin Zhen: "It will burn the seedlings if it is not piled for a long time. It will be fine if it is piled for more than two months. When planting, put a handful of manure in each pit. When the seedlings grow to the height of a finger, apply manure with water once, and apply it again when they are as high as the knee."

"And adding fertilizer will not affect the harvest next year. On the contrary, it can improve the fertility of the land. In a few years, our fields can almost become top-quality fertilizer fields."

Top-quality fertilizer fields!

Let alone Father Lin, everyone else looked like they were dreaming.

Father Lin swallowed his saliva, gritted his teeth and made up his mind: "Let's not go to the fields tomorrow, stay at home and sift the soil to make fertilizer."

"Master..." Father Lin understood everything. Zhen Ge'er heard the method of fertilizing the fields from somewhere, but his father actually took it seriously.

Father Lin was happy but also uncertain. That was the field that the family relied on. If the harvest was lost because of Zhen Ge'er's method, what would happen to the food for more than a dozen people? At that time, the family would definitely blame Zhen Ge'er.

Sister-in-law Lin, who always worked and seldom spoke, said in a muffled voice: "Has anyone used the fertilizer that Third Brother mentioned?"

Others also looked at him.

Lin Zhen hurriedly said, "It was Gu Da who saw someone using it outside, and I heard it from him."

"Otherwise, we can only cultivate two or three acres of land this year to see the harvest. If it works, we can do more next year."

He did not blame his family for repeatedly asking and questioning, because since ancient times, everyone has been farming like this, and they would definitely be afraid of a new thing without guarantee.

Finally, Lin's father slapped the table and said, "If you want to do it, do it big. All the fields in the family will use this fertilizer. Have a good rest tonight and sift the soil tomorrow!"

The pillar of the family spoke, and the matter was completely settled.

Lin Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. He knew in his heart that the fertilizer must be useful, and he couldn't help but feel happy for the Lin family's promising year.

The next day, the Lin family did not go out to turn the soil, but according to Lin Zhen's instructions, put a bamboo mat with holes on a long bench that was tilted up. Brother Lin and Brother Lin poured soil on it, and Sister Lin and Sister Lin shook the bench below, and the fine soil leaked to the bottom with a rustling sound.

Then Lin's father and Lin Zhen shoveled the soil to the corner of the wall, mixed the manure and water in the pit according to a certain ratio, and sprinkled it on the mud.

Lin Zhen, who was already a small rich man before the time travel, was almost driven away by the smell, but looking at Lin's father, Lin's father, and Lin's eldest and second brothers who were sweating in the yard, he could only keep his head down and work.

Aunt Zhang's house was next door. She smelled the overbearing smell and came over from the other side of the fence: "Oh my God, what are you doing, Lin's family? What are you doing with that dirty stuff?" Lin's

father, who was fetching water, said: "Zhen Ge'er got a method from other places, called composting, which is said to be able to fertilize the land. My family wants to try it."

Aunt Zhang got along well with Lin's father, and she didn't hide anything when she spoke, "You are all farmers, don't be fooled by Zhen Ge's few words. People in the surrounding villages have never... I've never heard of that thing being used for farming."

She then said to Lin Zhen: "Your parents love you and are fooling around with you, but you can't bring your whole family down with you!"

Lin's father quickly defended Lin Zhen: "Whether it works or not, it's just a try, it's just a waste of effort."

Lin's father also wiped the sweat from his head: "It's just some soil and water, it doesn't matter if it doesn't work."

Eleven acres of compost is a large amount. The adults and children of the Lin family worked hard for seven or eight days before they were completely done, and the compost piled up in the yard like two small hills.

They didn't hide from the public when they did it, and within a few days, everyone in the village knew about it. Some came to watch the fun, some to persuade them, and some came to ask what the fertilizer was for.

But everyone thought that the Lin family was fooled by Lin Zhen and didn't take the fertilizer seriously.

Those who were nosy would deliberately mention and joke when they met Lin's father and father on the road, saying that they were working in vain.

But no matter what they said, the two small hills in the yard were still piled up, and slowly gave off heat as Lin Zhen said.

As the Lin family's manure pile was completed, the New Year was coming.

Snowflakes fell like goose feathers, and except for the two small hills in the yard, other places were covered with a layer of white snow.

Lin Zhen, wrapped in a cotton robe, looked out the window, and many snowflakes instantly fell on his head and face.

Lin's father pulled him to sit by the fire pit and patted the snow on his shoulders: "You went out to see such heavy snow. You will know how serious it is if you catch a cold!"

The children next to him covered their mouths and laughed. Lin Zhen turned his body to let Lin's father pat him, and said lazily: "I just want to see if my father and brother are back? Should I go to pick them up on the road?" There are

still three days before the New Year. Nothing is prepared at home, so early this morning, Lin's father and the eldest and second brothers went to the town to buy New Year's goods in the heavy snow.

Before leaving, Lin Zhen secretly stuffed half a silver coin into Lin's father and asked him to buy a pig's head.

Father Lin refused at first, but finally agreed reluctantly after being pestered by Lin Zhen. He did not ask why he wanted to buy pig heads that the locals did not eat.

Father Lin reached out and took the bamboo basket of needles and thread from the shelf next to him. He pulled the thread on the yellow wax several times and then threaded the needle to make the shoe uppers: "It's still early. It takes about two hours on weekdays. It's even slower now that it's snowing."

"But the people in the village have agreed to go together, so nothing will go wrong."

The thread pulled through the yellow wax was smooth and not rough, and it made a rustling sound when it passed through the starched shoe uppers.

Sister-in-law Lin and Sister-in-law Lin also took shoe insoles to make them. A piece of yellow wax half the size of a fist was passed from hand to hand among the three.

Chunxiang, Xingxiang, Huaixiang, and the eldest son of Lin Xiaoyao and Sister-in-law Lin, who got new clothes, sat next to them, picking at the wild taro roasted in the fire pit. When it was cooked, they handed it to Lin Zhen first.

Lin Zhen peeled the skin and took a bite. He felt that the wild taro was very numb in his mouth, with a powdery texture and no taste.

Mrs. Lin smiled and said, "There's something to coax the child. There's a piece of sorghum cake in the room. I'll cook it for you."

Lin Zhen quickly waved his hand, "I'm not hungry."

He didn't know what was in the house. A few days ago, Lin Xiaoyao had talked about that sorghum cake. Father Lin said he would wait until the New Year to fry it and make a dish. After he ate this dish, it was gone.

He quickly changed the subject: "Sister-in-law, I see that the fertilizer in the yard is fermenting smoothly. Yesterday I took a hoe to dig it, and it started to soften."

The compost at home is definitely the most important thing at the moment. When he mentioned it, Father Lin and Sister-in-law Lin and Second Sister-in-law all said: "You can squeeze oil out of that soil. Have you seen the pile next to the vegetable garden? A cabbage grew in the middle of winter. The branches are fat and the leaves are thick. I'm sure it's a good place to plant sorghum and buckwheat."

"I saw it, too. It's growing really well. And it didn't freeze to death in such a cold weather." Sister-in-law Lin's parents' home is in Liyu Village. At first, he was a little worried, thinking that his family was messing around, but now there seems to be some hope.

He looked at Lin Zhen and said, "Third brother, I want to ask you, can this composting method be used by my father's family?"

Lin Zhen, who had never intended to hide it, said, "Why not? Now no one has seen the harvest and doesn't believe in our method."

"When the grain is harvested next year, there will definitely be many people who come to ask for the method. When the time comes, we will let our father become a master again."

Lin's father was overjoyed: "Your father is still a master, and he can't read a few words."

Lin Zhen raised his chin and said, "Dad, you will see when the time comes."

Lin's second sister-in-law was happy to hear his words, and pursed her lips to say thank you to him.

Lin's second sister-in-law was originally named Zhao Xiu. Her family was even more miserable than the Lin family. Her father died early, and Zhao's father raised the four brothers alone. However, the family had few fields, and only the eldest brother Zhao had married a son. The marriages of the other two brothers were very difficult. Countless marriages were put on hold because they had no money or houses.

Seeing that the two brothers were almost thirty years old, Zhao Xiu was so anxious that she couldn't sleep all day and all night.

He was raised by his brothers in turn. He knew that his brothers were all good farmers who could endure hardships and care for others. They were tall and had long legs. If they could harvest more food a year, they could marry a not-so-good sister-in-law while they were still young. It would be better than being alone for the rest of their lives.

Several people were talking and working in the house. In the evening, the fence suddenly made a noise. Father Lin and the eldest and second brothers Lin came in with baskets on their backs. Their heads, faces and bodies were covered with thick snow, and even their eyelashes were frozen together.

They hurriedly got up to take the baskets of several people, patted the snow off their bodies and pressed them to the fire pit.

The basket that Lin Zhen took was filled with a piece of pork and two taels of white flour and sorghum flour and buckwheat flour. He asked Father Lin, who was rubbing his hands, "Father, where is the pig head you bought?"

"In the basket I'm carrying." Second brother Lin pointed to the one that was taken to the wall by Second Sister Lin. He didn't know that Lin Zhen asked Father Lin to buy a pig head until he arrived in town. He didn't understand and took the things back.

Lin Zhen walked over and saw the big pig head facing upwards in the backpack. Because the locals don't eat pig head meat, there is very little meat on the pig neck, and it doesn't look big. The hair is not shaved, which looks a bit unpleasant.

He reached out and picked it up. It was about eight or nine pounds. There was about five pounds of meat without bones.

But soon he found that there was another one underneath, and turned to ask Lin Erge: "Did you buy two?"

"I didn't buy it. The butcher was originally going to throw it away. Seeing that we wanted it, he gave us two for ten cents, and also the two sets of intestines and stomachs below." "

!"

Lin Zhen looked at the two pig heads and the pig offal below, and couldn't help but give a thumbs up. This buy one get three free is simply unparalleled.

He took out the pig head first and said to the people in the room: "There are two pig heads. Let's make one today and keep the remaining one for the New Year."

No one in the local family eats pig head meat, so Lin Zhen simply didn't say much. He first scooped a few scoops of water into the pot and boiled it, and then put the pig head on the fire pit to burn.

The hairy pig hair was burned and gave off a burnt smell, and then it burned blacker and blacker, forming a layer of burnt crust on the surface.

Lin Zhen picked up the pig head and put it in the basin where he usually washed vegetables. He added hot water to soak it for five or six minutes, then used a bamboo stick to scrape the burnt crust on it, and the burnt pig head was exposed.

After eating his cat ears, the children who had a mysterious confidence in him surrounded him. Lin Zhuzi swallowed his saliva and said, "Uncle, these are all meat."

"Yes, they are all meat. Let's make a simple cold-mixed pig head meat. It's not greasy and delicious."

Lin Zhuzi and his friends didn't know what was wrong with the pig head. When they heard that it was meat, they couldn't move their eyes away.

After washing the pork, Lin Zhen took out the valuable items at home, the kitchen knife and the axe with a broken hole, and neatly separated the pig head meat from the pig bones, then washed away the blood, added water to the pot again, put the pig head meat in and boiled it for a few minutes, boiled out the impurities inside, and then changed the water and boiled it again. This time, salt, wild onions, and dogwood fruit were added.

No matter how little oil or water there is in the pig's head, it is still meat. As the water boils, it undergoes a magical chemical reaction with the salt, giving off the unique aroma of meat.

"Gulp--"

Lin Zhuzi made a noticeable sound of drooling. He greedily sniffed the aroma in the air and stuffed a few more sticks of firewood into the stove, wishing that it would be cooked right away.

In fact, it was not just him. The others in front of the fire pit were similar. The adults who had no feelings about the pig's head at first all looked into the pot unconsciously.

Meat, this is meat!

And so much meat!

When they went to buy New Year's goods today, Lin's father only dared to cut a thin, long piece of fat meat weighing only one pound.

Lin Zhen had a smile on his face. When the pig's head was almost cooked, he took it out and put it aside.

He was about to scoop out the soup from the pot, but Father Lin said, "Don't you want this soup?!"

"... Well, you don't need soup to eat this meat."

Father Lin said hurriedly, "What a good soup, how can you throw away so much oil in it?" He called Sister Lin, "Go wash some vegetables and radishes, it's perfect for cooking with this soup!"

Sister Lin and Sister Lin also agreed, and they washed the vegetables together and added a large pot of vegetable leaves and radishes.

Lin Zhen looked at the pig head in his hand, peeled seven or eight wild onions, chopped them with dogwood fruit, and then cut the pig head into not too thin slices and mixed them into two full bowls.

In Lin Zhen's eyes, this pig head had no chili oil, no coriander, and no many seasonings, but in the eyes of the Lin family, it was just the opposite. When Father Lin touched the first piece, the others couldn't wait to pick it up with chopsticks.

The taste of slightly fatty meat, spicy dogwood and peculiarly fragrant wild onions, it was simply too delicious.

The two large bowls of pork head were eaten up, and Lin Zhuzi and Lin Dali even used the bowls to mix with rice.

Father Lin, who was eating meat for the first time this year, slumped in his chair, with a rare leisurely attitude, gently stroking his belly.

Chapter 13

The Lin family had a good New Year this year. The remaining pig head was cooked and made into a cold dish just like that day. The pig offal that made them hold their noses was also made into braised pork intestines, stewed pork tripe, stir-fried kidneys, and boiled lung slices by Lin Zhen's hands. The Lin family was so full of food that they thought they were dreaming!

After the New Year, the weather was a little sunny, and the village was busy.

The Lin family also rushed to plant sorghum and buckwheat in the spring plowing, but there was an extra procedure compared to previous years. When planting, put two handfuls of fermented soil manure in the pit first, and then throw the seeds.

The news of the fertilizer had long been spread in Liyu Village. Old farmers passing by would come up to take a look, touch it, and shout to Lin's father in the field: "Is this the fertilizer?"

Lin's father, who was carrying a full load of manure on his back, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and a smile appeared on his dark face with many deep wrinkles: "Yes, I just dug it from the yard. It's still warm."

The old farmers all shook their heads: "It doesn't look magical. I'm afraid it's all in vain."

Lin's father put the backpack on the ridge of the field: "It's all mud anyway. It's nothing special except a little effort. Third uncle, do you want to take some and try?"

The old farmers waved their hands: "We only have a few acres of land at home. I dare not go through the trouble like you." He stood up and patted his trousers. "You go ahead and do your work. We're leaving."

Not far away, the voices of several people reached Lin's father's ears, saying that they were bewitched by Lin Zhen, and the whole family might starve this year.

Father Lin pretended not to hear, and took a dustpan to scoop out the manure from the backpack and handed it to other people in the field. The family was so busy that their sweat broke into eight pieces.

Sister-in-law Lin also went home once and told her family about the method of fertilizer.

However, due to lack of time, the composting method could not be used, so Lin Zhen told Sister-in-law Lin that she could try another method, picking out the manure from the manure pit, adding two buckets of water to one bucket of manure, and dredging it once before planting, once when the seedlings grow out, and once again when the seedlings are as high as the knees.

When Sister-in-law Lin went back to her parents' home, Father Lin specifically asked her to take half of the cloth that Lin Zhen brought with her, and also a small bag of sugar cubes dipped in powdered sugar.

Father Zhao was almost frightened when he saw what he brought. He pulled Zhao Xiu to a corner and said repeatedly: "Does your father know what you brought? Xiu'er, you can't be like your cousin's sister Li, who emptied her husband's family and took care of her natal family. Now she wants to go back and no one wants her."

Zhao Xiu patted him: "It was given to me by father himself, father, I am sensible."

"But it doesn't have to be so expensive, cloth and sugar." Whether it is cloth or sugar, it is too expensive in the Zhao family. To be sad, the two brothers of the eldest brother Zhao have never tasted sugar since they were born.

Moreover, father Zhao is more familiar with the situation of the Lin family. Although it is better than his family, it is just like that. Otherwise, the two families can't get married.

Zhao Xiu said, "It was brought by Zhen Ge'er during the Chinese New Year."

"Zhen Ge'er?" Zhao's father's face changed, "He is not..."

Lin Zhen's reputation in the village is not bad, but there is nothing good about it. Everyone knows about the things he did to hook up with Master Qian. After marrying Master Qian, he never returned to the Lin family. Even if someone met him in the town, he never greeted him, as if he wanted to shake off the mud on his feet and become a high-ranking town person.

Even though he was divorced by Master Qian later, he soon moved to Gu's house.

The villagers looked down on his style, but they had to admit that he did have the capital.

Zhao Xiu said, "Dad, Zhen Ge'er is different from before. He learned a good way to increase the harvest from Gu Da, and asked me to tell you."

The yield per mu increased from more than 100 catties to 300 catties. No one's heartbeat accelerated after hearing this. Zhao's father gritted his teeth and stomped his feet, and finally listened to Zhao Xiu.

The Lin family's dozen acres of land were so busy that Lin's father and his family were almost exhausted. Fortunately, God was kind and it rained a few times just after planting. Tender new shoots soon emerged from the land.

Lin Zhen also focused on his own business. He went to the town several times and walked through the streets and alleys. Finally, he decided to do Malatang, a business with low costs and risks within his own scope. He was still very confident in his skills. Even if he didn't make money, he would definitely not lose money. He did it right

away. Lin Zhen ran to the only spice store in the town and bought all the seasonings he could buy. Then he prepared the ingredients. Don't think about beef and mutton. Mutton is too expensive. Killing oxen is illegal, so he only cut a pound of pork, a pig head and two pig offal.

There are few vegetables in the fields in spring, but there is no shortage of cabbage and radishes. There are also dried mushrooms, dried bamboo shoots, and black fungus at home. Buy half a plate of tofu.

Spices are expensive, costing about one tael and eight cents of silver, and this is because Lin Zhen bought less, only a few pieces, and pig heads and offal only cost eight cents.

Now, Lin Zhen's three taels of silver are only nine cents left.

When spring comes, the spring breeze is so strong that it is hard to open your eyes. Lin Zhen walked for several hours before returning home. He put down the backpack with sweat all over his forehead and couldn't wait to drink water with the gourd ladle.

The adults were busy in the fields, and only Lin Xiaoyao, who was cooking, and Huaixiang, who was looking after the baby, were left at home.

Lin Xiaoyao handed him a handkerchief to wipe his sweat and looked at the backpack that was stuffed full: "Why did you buy so many things?"

"I plan to make some food to sell. By the way, who made the cart in our house?"

"My eldest and second brothers made it. Do you want to use it?" Lin Xiaoyao is not as tall as Lin Zhen, and his skin is dark, but you can tell that he has a good foundation.

Lin Zhen poured water on the handkerchief, wiped his face and neck, and said, "I want them to make me a new one, so I

can push it and sell things." "Then just wait for them to come back and tell me," Lin Xiaoyao had just finished speaking when the elder and second brothers Lin, who had gone to the fields, came in one after another, and asked as they put their hoes in the house, "What did you say?"

The elder and second brothers were very energetic, and their tone contained uncontrollable joy.

Lin Zhen hung the handkerchief on the wall, looked at their excited expressions, and asked, "Brother, did you pick up silver? Why are you so happy?"

The elder brother Lin's mouth was almost grinning to his ears: "San'er, our sorghum is growing well!"

It had been eleven or twelve days since the sowing, and almost all the seeds had sprouted.

At this time of year in previous years, the Lin family would replant those that had not sprouted, sometimes only a small half, and sometimes three-quarters of the chance.

Moreover, the replanted ones were shorter than the ones that sprouted first, and would be blocked from the sunlight by the sorghum and buckwheat seedlings that grew first, so they would not grow well.

But this year, the Lin family's dozen acres of land was so good that it was unbelievable. Not only did they grow neatly, but the seedlings were also stronger and greener than those of other families who planted crops at the same time. At first glance, they looked like green blankets.

Brother Lin and Brother Lin have been planting crops for so many years, but this is the first time they have seen such good seedlings. When they thought that these seedlings would grow into sorghum and buckwheat plants with ears in the future, they breathed hot!

Lin Zhen said, "Dad and Father went to see it too?"

Brother Lin nodded, "They went to Pingzidi and are probably on their way back."

"It's good as long as it grows well. When we apply fertilizer when the seedlings grow taller, we can weed out the weeds. Maybe the yield will be even higher than I said at the beginning."

"Even...even higher!" Brother Lin and Brother Lin were about to bite their tongues off.

They all remembered that Lin Zhen said that he could harvest more than 300 kilograms, and even more...

Lin Zhen, who had seen modern farming, knew that fertilizers were powerful and that seeds were more resilient than people could imagine. In modern times, an acre of land with an output of more than 600 kilograms was only considered average, and crops with high yields of 800 to 900 kilograms were common.

This was a miracle of life created by seeds and fertilizers.

Chapter 14

When they heard that Lin Zhen wanted a cart, the elder and second brothers went to the back of the house to find two pieces of wood without saying a word, and used the axe at home to split the wood boards, and then trimmed them smooth bit by bit .

Lin Zhen watched from the side. According to his needs of selling spicy hot pot, he asked them to add two wooden boards as horizontal bars at the bottom, and then sealed three sides, and erected small supporting pillars at the four corners .

He referred to those modern mobile dining carts, which not only look comfortable, but also provide a place to hide in sunny and rainy days.

It's just that Lin Zhen hasn't figured out the shielding material, so he specially asked his two brothers to make the four small pillars detachable, and install them when they find something that can block the sun and rain.

After it was finished, it was called a cart, but it didn't look like the carts that Lin Xiaoyao and his friends had in mind. He couldn't help but touch it with his hand: "It looks really good, just like a small house."

Then he asked Lin Zhen anxiously: "Third brother, what are you going to sell?"

Almost everyone in the family knew that he wanted to do business, but he had never decided what to do.

Lin Zhen said, "A new kind of food, spicy hot pot."

"Spicy hot pot?" Lin Xiaoyao couldn't imagine what it would taste like just by hearing the name, but they all knew that Lin Zhen's cooking skills were extraordinary, and they were already looking forward to it. Not

long after, Lin's father and Lin's father also came back, with smiles on their faces that almost outshined the sun in the sky. Lin's father sat on a straw bench in front of the door, his dark face stretched out, and every wrinkle was filled with joy.

Father Lin laughed heartily and gestured to Lin Zhen how tall and strong the seedlings in the field were growing. He kept saying, "Good seedlings mean a good harvest. If nothing goes wrong, our family can have a good New Year this year."

"The flat land and the reclaimed land are fine. Just keep an eye on the fields near the river." Lin Zhen didn't dare to guarantee anything about God, but there haven't been any particularly large floods or severe droughts here for decades, so he didn't think he would be so unlucky this year. He said to Father Lin, "By the way, Father, I've decided to do a malatang business. You can let me taste it later."

Father Lin's attention was instantly grabbed by the malatang. He had been worried all these days. Seeing that Lin Zhen finally had an idea, he said repeatedly, "Okay."

After dinner, Lin Zhen washed the bare bones he had bought and put them in the pot, and put the spices he had just bought today in a small linen bag and put them in it.

After the soup was cooked, it was adjusted to two flavors, spicy and clear. Since there was no chili, only the dogwood was used to enhance the spiciness. In Lin Zhen's eyes, this spicy soup base was actually only slightly spicy, but the Lin family members were sweating after eating it, and they were reluctant to let go and gulped down the water.

Lin Zhen then remembered that all the flavors related to spices were symbols of luxury in ancient times.

Because spices cannot be eaten as food, they are not important to the villagers. They will not spend time on them at all. They can't even eat enough, so how can they care about whether it tastes good or not. With

the Lin family drinking up the soup in the bowl, Lin Zhen knew that he had done a good job in business, so he rolled up his sleeves to do other preparations.

The Lin family had dried bamboo shoots, mushrooms and black fungus. Lin Adie and others asked Lin Zhen to use them directly, but Lin Zhen insisted on giving him fifteen cents, and Lin Adie almost had a falling out with Lin Zhen for this.

Lin Zhen didn't avoid telling Lin Dasao and Lin Ersao that although the things were not much, she was married and had a family after all. It was okay to eat them, but it would be difficult to explain to Lin Dasao and Lin Ersao if she used them to make money.

After all, it was not only Lin A'die and Lin's father who worked in this family. Lin Dasao and Lin Ersao's families also worked all day long. Even if they didn't care about this today, they would inevitably be separated in the future.

When he said this, Lin Dasao and Lin Ersao wanted to refute, but after thinking about it carefully, they felt that what he said was right.

What people fear most is taking it for granted. If they also go back to their parents' home to take things to make money like Lin Zhen, their sisters-in-law and brothers at home will definitely have some ideas. Even

if they don't say it now, they will explode in the future because of the accumulated resentment.

In this way, Lin Zhen asked the Lin family to make the bamboo skewers for spicy hot pot, the bamboo basket for hot things, and the charcoal for burning fire, and then spent money to buy them.

Two days later, when the stars in the sky were bright, Lin Zhen got up. Just as he got out of bed and put on his clothes, Lin Xiaoyao beside him rolled over and whispered, "Dad told me yesterday to go with you and give you a hand."

As he said this, he put on his clothes and shoes and walked out of the small sleeping compartment faster than Lin Zhen.

Looking at his rabbit-like figure, Lin Zhen raised the corner of his mouth.

Because he calculated everything very clearly, Lin's father had a fierce look on his face these days. He still felt that he had suffered a great loss. He

asked Lin Xiaoyao to help, and he must not want to be busy alone, so he would have a companion on the road.

He walked out of the cubicle and said to Lin Xiaoyao who was washing her face, "I moved the skewers to the cart last night. You take the bucket of skewers next to the water tank and put them on the cart, and I'll bring the soup base."

Lin Xiaoyao's eyes lit up and he nodded, "Okay! I'll get it right away!"

-

Today is the small market that takes place every fifteen days. People from nearby villages will go there to buy daily necessities and exchange the eggs and embroidery they have saved at home for money to add some income to the family.

Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao had just pushed the cart to the entrance of the village when they bumped into three villagers who were traveling together. They were carrying baskets and backpacks, and were startled when they saw a figure coming. When they saw a familiar face in the light of the stars in the sky, Lin Xiaoyao breathed a sigh of relief: "Brother Lin, what are you pushing?"

"Is Uncle Ji going to the market too?" Lin Xiaoyao has been in the village for many years. He is diligent and good-looking. If it weren't for the poor conditions of the Lin family and the fact that the pregnancy mole was so light that it was almost invisible, there would be people who would propose marriage. He said to the middle-aged man, "My brother made some food and took it to the town to sell. I'm going to help."

In fact, Uncle Ji also saw Lin Zhen next to him, but Lin Zhen's reputation...

Although the Lin family always said that the method of using earth manure was brought by Lin Zhen, they all felt that it was just what Lin Zhen learned from the deceased Gu Da, and it was nothing great. If Gu Da taught them, they would also be able to do it.

The sorghum seedlings look good now, but it is not certain whether they will produce ears.

Uncle Ji said, "Oh, it's Brother Zhen. I said there's no such good-looking person in our village. I thought it was a relative from your family."

"Speaking of which, Brother Zhen doesn't like to walk outside. If he comes out to chat with us more often, he will definitely recognize him."

Lin Zhen smiled and said loudly, "Uncle Ji is right. I must go and have a good chat with the uncles when I have time. By the way, Uncle, I saw Uncle Li at my house last night. I don't know what Uncle Li went to see my father for. He didn't go back until the moon reached the top of the tree. I was worried that it was not safe for him to walk at night."

The seedlings of the Lin family were in the field, and everyone could see it. It was inevitable that someone would come to ask for leave.

Uncle Ji's husband, Uncle Li, was one of them. Before going to the Lin family last night, he told Uncle Ji that if he got the method to make the seedlings grow well, he would marry a wife for the second son of the family next year.

Uncle Ji stopped talking, his face was burning.

Lin Zhen did not take advantage of the situation, and he and Lin Xiaoyao each pushed the cart.

It took more than three hours to get from Liyu Village to the town. Not to mention the two of them, even Uncle Ji and his three men and women in their prime could not hold on.

Suddenly, when Lin Zhen was about to take a break, Uncle Ji lifted the shoulder straps of the backpack, walked over to Lin Xiaoyao and offered his hand to help push the cart. The originally heavy cart suddenly became much lighter.

Lin Zhen turned around and said, "Thank you, Uncle Ji."

Uncle Ji said in a muffled voice: "We are from the same village, so it's just a matter of helping each other."

The two people with Uncle Ji also came to help. The three of them took turns with Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao, and they pushed the cart to the town with ease.

Standing at the bustling three-way intersection with all kinds of things on both sides, Lin Zhen sincerely thanked Uncle Ji and the others: "If it weren't for Uncle Ji, Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu, Xiaoyao and I would probably still be on the road now. I really don't know how to thank you."

Uncle Ji said: "It's okay, you guys go and do your business, we also have to sell things."

Lin Zhen glanced at the dried bamboo shoots, dried mushrooms and dried vegetables in their backpacks, as well as the eggs in the basket, and nodded: "Then uncles and aunts are busy, I'll go to visit you one day."

"That's great," Uncle Ji said and left, and the figures of Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu soon disappeared in the crowded crowd.

Lin Zhen suppressed the thought in his mind and said to Lin Xiaoyao, whose face was dark red, "Let's go, push the cart to Zhazi Street."

He had done his homework. Zhazi Street was the area where he brought Gu Shuanzi to deposit money at the Huiyin Money House. The shops there were a little more upscale, and the people who came and went had some money in their pockets.

After all, his spicy hot pot was not enough to fill his stomach, and the price was not particularly cheap, so it was best to sell it there.

Lin Xiaoyao had been to the town with his father before, but had never been to Zhazi Street. When he heard that they were going to do business there, his shoulders shrank.

Lin Zhen patted his shoulder: "What are you afraid of? We make clean money and do clean business. It's no big deal."

"You will cook the food later, and I will pack and collect the money. Don't panic."

The calmness on his face infected Lin Xiaoyao, who took a deep breath and said, "Okay."

As the cart entered Zhazi Street, it was obviously separated from the hustle and bustle of the three-way intersection. People on the road were obviously dressed better, and the shops on both sides of the road welcomed customers in an orderly manner.

Lin Zhen took Lin Xiaoyao and pushed the cart to the gap between the two shops he had long been eyeing. He pulled out the fire door of the clay stove that was specially made by Brother Lin and Brother Lin to control the temperature. The charcoal that had not burned all the way soon became bright.

He placed two deep and wide pottery pots on the clay stove, opened the lid, and put the shredded radish, fried tofu fruit, and dried mushrooms, which became more and more flavorful as they cooked, into the soup.

Chapter 15

As soon as Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao's cart was placed there, they were stared at by the surrounding shops. They thought that they were Yu Xi who came to steal their business. It was not

until they saw the things they took out that they realized that they were selling food.

They didn't mind selling food, because the shops on this street had been open for more than ten years or even decades, and customers would not buy if the food didn't taste good.

The fire in the clay stove was getting stronger and stronger, and the spicy soup and clear soup in the pottery pot were bubbling. The smell of the mixture of various spices spread domineeringly with the wind.

Lin Zhen looked at Lin Xiaoyao, who was looking around with a worried look on his face, and asked him: "Do you want spicy or clear soup?"

"..." Lin Xiaoyao was almost worried to death. No one came to ask about it. What if he couldn't sell it!

He said in a low voice, "Let's eat spicy food."

Lin Zhen cooked a big bamboo tube for him. This bamboo tube method was his idea. After all, their cart was not like other stores that could provide clean dishes and chopsticks at any time. Besides, the customers in Zhazi Street all had some money and certainly didn't like to stand on the roadside to eat.

It was different with bamboo tubes. First, saw them into empty sections and clean the white membrane inside. Not only did it look clean, but it could also be taken away, which was the best of both worlds.

Lin Xiaoyao was also hungry, so he started eating as soon as Lin Zhen brought it over.

The radish was stewed to perfection, the dried bamboo shoots and mushrooms were chewy, there was also slightly fatty pork belly, crispy pig ears, and the chicken was extremely tender after being processed by Lin Zhen.

Lin Xiaoyao enjoyed the food very much. His mouth was red and swollen from the spiciness, but he couldn't stop.

The shopkeeper next to the cart finally couldn't help it, swallowed his saliva, and walked to the front of the cart: "Hey, little brother, how are you selling this?"

The shopkeeper's first impression was that the cart looked small, but it was quite good. The second impression was that his heart skipped a beat, and the little boy was really extraordinary.

However, the shopkeeper had a good relationship with his wife, and the little boy was about the same age as his grandson. He just sighed and his attention was quickly attracted by the boiling spicy hot pot.

Lin Zhen said, "Vegetables are one cent a string, and meat is three cents a string."

"Wow," the shopkeeper said, "This price is not cheap. Three cents can buy an egg."

"This is what it tastes like," Lin Zhen said, "I promise you will never eat the same thing anywhere else."

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "You are quite arrogant. Give me two strings of mushrooms, two strings of bamboo shoots, and one string of radish."

He himself often eats meat and is very familiar with chicken and pork. He looked at it for a long time but didn't recognize what it was. He pointed and said, "What is this?"

Lin Zhen took a look and took the vegetables he ordered and said, "It's pig ears. It tastes very good and is crispy."

Who would eat pig ears these days? It looks so delicious. The shopkeeper gave Lin Zhen a thumbs up: "Don't want this, don't want this. Just take four strings of pork and two strings of chicken."

"Okay," Lin Zhen didn't force him and asked, "Do you want spicy or clear soup?"

"Spicy!" The little girl just ate spicy food. It looked so delicious, he also wanted to try it.

Soon, the skewers he ordered were cooked. Lin Zhen took a large bamboo tube to put it in, added a spoonful and a half of soup, and some chopped green onions, and handed it to the shopkeeper: "Enjoy it, thank you for your patronage, come again if it tastes good."

"You don't have to tell me, I will definitely come again if it tastes good." Of course, if it doesn't taste good, it will only be this time.

The shopkeeper took the bamboo tube with a handle specially left, and was tempted by the smell and couldn't wait to return to the small courtyard behind the store. He called his wife loudly: "Come and try this new thing to see if it tastes good."

The shopkeeper's wife is not from here. She lives further south. After so many years, she still can't adapt to the summer here. She can't eat or sleep well at this time every year.

When she heard that he was taking food, her stomach felt uncomfortable and her whole body was resisting.

However, the next second, an overbearing smell rushed into her nose, rich, but not greasy at all, just making her drool.

She walked over and looked at the skewers in the bamboo tube: "What is this? It tastes quite novel."

Seeing that she was actually interested in it despite having lost a lot of weight, the shopkeeper said quickly: "It's a new product today, called Malatang. Try it. If it tastes good, I'll buy more!"

He held a string of bamboo shoots, which were cut into smooth pieces. There were only two pieces of bamboo shoots on the bamboo skewers, wrapped in bright red soup, and the rich aroma was overflowing.

When the shopkeeper's wife saw that it was bamboo shoots, she opened her mouth and ate them. In an instant, the tastes of numbness, spiciness, freshness, and fragrance collided in her mouth, and instantly rushed straight to the top of her head.

She didn't need the shopkeeper to feed her, and took a skewer herself. This time it was not bamboo shoots, but a piece of chicken with skin.

She was very resistant to greasy things because of the bitter summer, but the taste of the bamboo shoots just now was so good that she hesitated and put the skewer to her mouth.

The specially treated chicken was extremely tender, but it had a special taste of chicken, which was incomparable to the chicken she had eaten before, which was a bit dry even if it was tender.

Her eyes lit up, and her hands and mouth couldn't stop eating.

The shopkeeper watched his wife eat until her mouth was red and she looked comfortable. He reached out his hand several times but kept retracting it. Finally, he looked at the soup in the empty bamboo tube and said to the cook, "Cook me a bowl of noodles!"

With the shopkeeper being brave enough to try, the onlookers attracted by the aroma couldn't help themselves.

"I want three skewers of chicken, one skewers of radish, and one skewers of mushrooms!"

"I want five skewers of pork, two skewers of chicken, and two skewers of bamboo shoots!"

"This tofu is good, give me two more!"

"..."

Today was the first day of opening, and Lin Zhen didn't dare to do much. He didn't expect the business to be unexpectedly good. When he saw that the skewers were gone, he quickly asked Lin Xiaoyao to skewer them. By around three o'clock in the afternoon, even these skewers were sold out.

Looking at the people in front of the cart, Lin Zhen said, "I'm sorry, everyone. We're all sold out today, but I'll be here tomorrow. If you want to eat, come back tomorrow."

The chubby middle-aged man, who took a big bowl and was ready to taste the delicious food his old friend had mentioned, had his eyebrows drooped. He looked into the pottery jar of soup again and again to make sure there was nothing left: "Boss, you made too little. I feel so bad that I can't eat it!"

No one doesn't like to be praised for what they make. Lin Zhen couldn't help laughing: "I'm really sorry, I will make more tomorrow."

Most of the people who came later came because they saw the feedback from those who bought first. When they saw that the spicy hot pot was really gone, they quickly dispersed.

After walking for three hours in the morning, selling things and standing for most of the day, Lin Zhen was very tired, but when he looked down and saw the small box of copper coins, he suddenly had strength again and said to Lin Xiaoyao: "Pack up your things and let's go home!"

Even Lin Xiaoyao, who was used to doing farm work, was exhausted and nodded repeatedly.

After packing up and extinguishing the charcoal in the clay stove with water, Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao pushed the cart home.

It was another three hours' journey, from before the sun set to when it was completely dark. Because the small box contained a day's income, Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao were nervous all the way, and they only breathed a sigh of relief when they were about to reach the entrance of the village.

Just as the two pushed the cart over the small dirt slope at the entrance of the village, a torch suddenly appeared in front of them. Brother Lin and Father Lin came running up, handed the torch to Lin Zhen, and took the cart from him and Little Lin.

Brother Lin said, "If you don't come back, Father and I will go find you. How is it, is everything ok on the way?"

Lin Zhen said nothing, only said, "Let's go home!"

The cart was like a small toy in the hands of Brother Lin and Father Lin, and it was quickly pushed into the gate of the Lin family.

Lin Zhen picked up the small wooden box below, walked into the house, and put the box on the table with a "clang".

The eyes of the crowded Lin family were immediately attracted by the movement. The young Lin Huaixiang had become familiar with Lin Zhen after these days of getting along. She walked to the table and shook his sleeves: "Aunt, what is this?"

Lin Zhen raised his eyebrows and patted the box: "It's all money."

As he said that, he took the dustpan leaning against the wall to the table, opened the key of the wooden box and poured the copper coins inside. The

yellow copper coins made a crisp and pleasant sound, and a thick layer was spread in the dustpan.

Everyone in the room was stunned, their eyes widened, and their mouths opened.

Lin Zhen called Lin Adie: "Ada, bring some hemp rope, I will string these copper coins together lightly and see how many there are in total."

"..." Lin Adie looked at him blankly, then looked at the copper coins, and hurriedly hit his head hard with a wooden stick.

Who is he?

Where is he?

What is he going to do? It was not

until Lin Zhen called him two or three times that he reacted. He turned around with his hands and feet a little unsteady to get the ball of twine.

He handed the ball of twine to Lin Zhen and pointed at the copper coins: "These... these..."

"Yes, they are all earned today, but we have to take out the money for buying spices, meat and vegetables to calculate how much we really earned."

"It must be earned! It must be earned!" Lin A'die had seen the wooden box when it was made. It was so big and almost full of copper coins. How could it not make money!

It's just...

Looking at the people in the room, Lin A'die was a little unsure of what Lin Zhen meant.

It is said that wealth should not be exposed. What is his plan to pour out the copper coins so openly?

Lin Zhen sat at the table and called Lin Xiaoyao, who had been teased by him for a day: "Come and count with me, one hundred to make a string."

Lin Xiaoyao, who was on a temporary basis for a day, nodded: "Okay."

"Ding-dong--"

"Ding-dong--"

The copper coins were threaded into the twine one by one, and when they reached a hundred, they were put aside.

After counting for an unknown amount of time, Lin Zhen rubbed his neck and took up the last copper coin and threaded it into the twine: "Finally finished, let me count how many there are in total."

"One, two, three, four..."

"Eleven, twelve, thirteen."

"Adding the last string I just threaded, the total is 1,357 coins, which is 1 tael, 3 coins and 57 coins."

"Excluding the money for spices, vegetables, and meat, the net profit is..." He quickly calculated the subtraction, "five coins of silver."

Spices accounted for the largest part of this, but spices were also used the least. Half of what I bought that day was left, and I could use it twice more.

Calculated in this way, the net profit is even higher.

Chapter 16

Five cents of silver, five hundred coins.

The Lin family members who witnessed all this didn't know what to say. The Lin family probably only had this much money now, and this was what they had left after working hard for a year, excluding the needs of life.

But Lin Zhen easily reached it in one day, and he would have another five cents of silver tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow.

Although the Lin family has a good family tradition, the eyes of the eldest brother Lin, the eldest sister-in-law, the second brother Lin, and the second sister-in-law looked at Lin Zhen with a burning look.

They didn't ask for more, even if they had ten coins a day, it would be enough!

Lin Zhen exhaled, took out fifteen cents from the fifty-seven cents and handed them to Lin Xiaoyao: "This is your wages for today. If you are busier than today, your wages can be increased at our discretion."

"I don't want it. I'm going to help you. I can't take your money."

Lin Zhen simply pried his hand open and stuffed the copper coins in: "Although we are brothers, let's be clear about one thing. This business is not a one-day thing. There is still a long way to go. I'm embarrassed to order you around for nothing."

He knew that Lin Xiaoyao would listen to Lin Adie, and looked at Lin Adie next to him.

Father Lin thought for a while, asked Lin Xiaoyao to put away the copper coins, and then asked Lin Zhen directly: "What are your plans for the future?"

Lin Zhen, who had been waiting for this question, immediately said: "Father, you have also discovered today that our village is too far from the town. Xiaoyao and I are both brothers, and it is not convenient to go in the morning or come back in the afternoon."

"This is what I thought," he looked at eldest brother Lin and second brother Lin, "Let eldest brother and second brother take turns to send Xiaoyao and me to the town. On the day we go, each person will get fifteen cents, just like Xiaoyao." "At the same

time, if I buy vegetables and meat and come back, the two sisters-in-law can help me wash the skewers, because this job is easier than going to town, so it's ten cents a day."

"What do you think?"

Lin Zhen had been thinking about this idea since he started his business. First, the people in the Lin family are all good. If he lives here for a long time, he will help if he can. Secondly, he is not someone who will risk his body to compete for money. His philosophy from modern to ancient times is that as long as the money is enough for him to live a good life, there is no need to make money desperately.

So he gave the tasks of washing and stringing vegetables to his two sisters-in-law, and asked the elder brother Lin and the second brother to help out, preferring to earn less in order to ensure their own health.

When the elder brother Lin and the second brother heard his proposal, they felt that they had taken advantage of Lin Zhen, and proposed to reduce the wages, eight cents in the town, and six or five cents for stringing vegetables at home.

This money was like picked up for them, after all, they could not do long-term work, and there were lands to take care of at home, and there were almost no opportunities for short-term work.

What Lin Zhen asked them to do was not only available at any time, but also allowed them to take care of the family. There was nothing better than this.

But few people could change Lin Zhen's mind. He yawned and said, "Sister-in-law, we have run out of dried bamboo shoots, dried mushrooms, dried black fungus, cabbage and radish. See how much you can get at home. If there is nothing left, go to the village to get some."

"By the way, today Uncle Ji, Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu helped me and Xiaoyao push the cart all the way. If you want to buy these dried goods and vegetables, go there and ask. The price is the same as what we give to our family."

As he said that, he gave the string of copper coins with 42 coins left to Sister Lin, took a bath and washed his face, wiped his body casually and fell asleep.

Sister Lin looked at the copper coins in her hand, and suddenly a warm current rose in her heart.

Who doesn't understand Lin Zhen's attitude? This is because she wants to help her family after she gets better. She must do everything Lin Zhen asked her to do properly.

She said to the excited Lin Ersao, "Xiu, carry the basket and let's go find Uncle Ji and his family. We have run out of dry goods at home. We will soak them and string them up when we get back. We can't let Zhen'er lose business tomorrow."

Lin Ersao was a silent person. Although she was excited, she just nodded vigorously.

Uncle Ji's family was not small either, with two brothers and a son. The eldest son had married to a neighboring village, the second son's marriage was not settled yet, and the youngest son would start looking for a husband next year. They had to ask for money wherever they went, and their life was very tight.

While eating, he asked his wife, "Did you get any advice from the Lin family yesterday? Is he sure about the seedlings in the fields? Will they only grow leaves and not ears?" "

This is the first time for the Lin family too. They are crossing the river by feeling the stones and dare not guarantee anything," Li Shi was actually already tempted. Just looking at the seedlings of the Lin family, he seemed to see a full warehouse of grain. He said, "But the Lin family has always been good in the village. They will definitely not hurt people intentionally. I plan to follow Lin Fu's advice and give some farmyard manure to the seedlings at home, and make compost after this season's grain is harvested!"

Uncle Ji felt that his wife made the decision too quickly. That was the family's food. If the grain could not be harvested, people would starve to death.

He just said that he wanted Li Shi to think about it carefully, or wait until other families have done it, when he heard someone calling in the yard, and quickly got up and walked out of the yard: "Who is it? What's the matter?"

Mrs. Lin and Mrs. Lin stood outside, raised their heads and said: "We two came to talk to uncle about something, is uncle busy now?"

Uncle Ji sighed in his heart, this Lin family is really unpredictable, they came as soon as he was told.

He opened the gate: "There is nothing busy in the village, come in quickly, have you eaten, I'll give you another bowl of rice?"

"No, no, no," Mrs. Lin and Mrs. Lin waved their hands repeatedly, jokingly, at this time every household is short of food, if they eat a meal here, maybe Uncle Ji's family will starve for a few days.

Sister Lin said, "Zhen Ge'er asked us to come here. He sells some food in town. Now he wants to buy some dried bamboo shoots, dried mushrooms and dried fungus. He asked us to come and ask if you have any at home. Dried bamboo shoots are two cents per pound, and dried mushrooms and dried fungus are five cents per pound."

"What?!" Uncle Ji thought he had heard wrong, "Zhen Ge'er asked you to buy my dried bamboo shoots, dried mushrooms and dried fungus?"

Almost every household in the village has these things drying in the sun. The quantity is not large, but they can't be sold.

After all, dry goods stores have their own sources of goods, and it is troublesome to collect them from retail merchants, so they basically add a dish to their own family.

Aunt Lin nodded and confirmed: "I will definitely accept it, but Uncle Ji, let's be frank. When we spend money to buy things, we must buy good things. If they are infested with insects or moldy, we must not accept them."

Indulging in the joy of being able to exchange the dried goods that could not be sold at home for silver, Uncle Ji immediately said: "That's for sure, Xiaocao, quickly move the stool for your Aunt Lin and Uncle Lin to sit on."

Then he quickly turned and went into the house, took out a few small sacks, untied the hemp ropes to show Aunt Lin and Second Sister Lin what was inside: "These are the bamboo shoots that were dried last year. They are all the bamboo shoots that have just sprouted. They are very tender and will taste good if they are dried casually."

There didn't seem to be many Han grandsons in the bag, but the color was light yellow, and the unique smell of dried bamboo shoots hit them.

Aunt Lin and Second Sister Lin often come into contact with these things. They knew at a glance that Uncle Ji was not lying. They were indeed the best tender bamboo shoots that were dried, and they had not been damp until now.

Uncle Ji opened the other two bags and said, "These are mushrooms and fungus. Xiaocao and his brother went to the slope to pick them. This kid is very careful and will clean up any dirt. You don't need to wash them when you take them home. Just clean them and you can use them."

Sister Lin handed the bag to Sister Lin Er, who weighed it and said, "Dried bamboo shoots are 1.8 jin, and mushrooms and fungus are 2 jin."

After all, they are not something that can be eaten as a meal, and Uncle Ji doesn't have much at home.

Sister Lin said to Uncle Ji, "Uncle, you see, mushrooms and fungus are a bit heavy, so let's equalize them with the dried bamboo shoots, what do you think?"

How much is a pound of dried bamboo shoots, how much is a pound of black fungus and shiitake mushrooms, Uncle Ji knew he had made a profit, and said repeatedly: "Okay, okay."

"That's a total of fourteen cents, please count it." Sister Lin counted out fourteen cents and handed it to Uncle Ji.

Uncle Ji counted twice: "Right, right, fourteen cents, that's right!"

Sister Lin put the things into the backpack on Sister Lin's back: "Then we will go to Uncle Qin's house and Aunt Liu's house."

Uncle Ji still had something to understand after hearing this. The eldest and second daughters-in-law of the Lin family came to collect their things instead of going to other families. It was because Lin really remembered the kindness of pushing the cart for them this morning. Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu were the best examples.

He covered the copper coins in his palm and secretly worshiped the Buddha. Doing good things really will be rewarded.

These ten cents are not a small amount. After all, every household has that thing.

Sister-in-law Lin and Sister-in-law Lin followed suit and went to Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu's homes to collect similar things, but Aunt Liu's home had more. She was a widow who had been living with her two daughters since her husband died. Her daughters were naturally less labor-intensive than her sons, and the family was even more short of food. On weekdays, she made some hard-earned money by making clothes for the villagers, and went to the mountains to look for dry goods when she was free.

When Lin Zhen got up to go to the toilet after a nap, he saw Sister-in-law Lin and Sister-in-law Lin and their two children working hard in the yard. There was a big pot of fermented black fungus, a big pot of dried bamboo shoots, a big pot of mushrooms, and radish and cabbage leaves.

Lin Zhen had already processed the chicken and pig ears, but they didn't know how to make them, so they did these first.

Lin Zhen rubbed his head and looked at the bright moon, "Sister-in-law and Sister-in-law, it's not good for your health if you don't sleep at this time."

He originally wanted to work earlier, but he didn't expect them to stay up late!

Mrs. Lin and Mrs. Lin were working hard, without a trace of sleepiness in their eyes: "It's not too late, it's faster when more people work together, look, they're about to start skewering." The

washed dried bamboo shoots, mushrooms and black fungus have been torn into similar pieces, and a large pot of bamboo sticks has been cooked, it's not fast.

Lin Zhen naturally couldn't feel at ease watching the two of them with their children to do things for him, so he squatted down to help.

But as soon as he squatted down, Mrs. Lin wiped her hands on her apron and pulled him to the compartment: "It's been a tiring day, you and Xiaoyao have a rest."

Zhao Xiu's body shape is almost the same as the tall and strong second brother Lin. Lin Zhen, a standard brother, is like a little chicken in front of him, and there is no room for resistance.

Being pressed on the bed, Lin Zhen looked at Zhao Xiu's strong arms under the thin clothes, and drooled with envy.

When will he be so handsome?

Zhao Xiu didn't know what he was thinking, and made up his mind not to let Lin Zhen go out, and stayed with him until he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Chapter 17

The next day, Brother Lin sent Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao to the town. With such a strong laborer, Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao were much more relaxed than yesterday, and arrived earlier than yesterday.

Just as the stall was set up and the charcoal fire was lit, the shopkeeper who was the first to buy yesterday came up hurriedly with a string of copper coins: "Quickly give me ten strings of chicken and ten strings of pork, and ten strings of dried bamboo shoots, mushrooms, black fungus and radish!"

"!!!" Brother Lin was stunned by the sight. What a guy, what a guy, this is holding silver to the door.

On the way, he had already asked clearly that vegetables cost one cent a string and meat cost three cents a string, which made him think he had heard wrongly. Three cents can buy an egg, and a few more cents can buy a pound of meat. The money he saw yesterday must not be a dream.

But now the scene in front of him told him that it was not a dream!

Lin Zhen quickly put the food ordered by the shopkeeper into the spicy soup, and after it was cooked, he put it into two large bamboo tubes and said, "Thank you for your patronage. One hundred coins. Since you bought a lot, I will give you three more skewers of chicken. Welcome to come again next time."

"Oh, you are so generous, little boss." After eating three skewers of tender chicken, the shopkeeper felt that he had made a profit and quickly called Lin Zhen, "Add a little more soup. I don't know how you made it, it's so fragrant. Cook some noodles and put them in. It's absolutely delicious~"

The shopkeeper who bought it for the first time yesterday didn't even taste the flavor, but ate a bowl of noodles mixed with spicy soup, which made him eat deliciously, so he came early this morning.

Lin Zhen was also straightforward and scooped two spoonfuls of soup for this big customer.

Before the shopkeeper Fa left with the bamboo tube, the fat middle-aged man who brought his own big bowl yesterday came. When he saw the shopkeeper Fa, his eyebrows were not eyebrows, his eyes were not eyes, and his eyes squinted by the fat glanced at the shopkeeper and asked Lin Zhen: "How much did he buy?"

"Ten skewers of pork, ten skewers of chicken, and ten skewers of other vegetables."

The middle-aged man waved his fat hand: "Eleven skewers of each."

"..."

The shopkeeper said to Lin Zhen: "Cook for him, cook for him. This old guy still resents that he was not as popular with girls as me back then. What a character!"

The middle-aged man did not refute. He just put his hands behind his back and stretched out his hands, revealing his round belly: "That's called me being magnanimous. I don't care about you. Only you take those things seriously."

"Yes, yes, yes, I take it seriously. I'll go first. See you later."

The middle-aged man's face suddenly became anxious, and he urged Lin Zhen: "Is it cooked? That old bastard is going to run away."

Lin Zhen, who was fishing for something, twitched his mouth. What's the matter? You still want to rush up and crush me.

He quickly packed the things, asked Lin Xiaoyao to collect the money, and then handed the things to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man was holding two large bamboo tubes, and ran to the back of the shopkeeper at a speed that was seriously inconsistent with his body shape, and hit the shopkeeper hard with his belly.

...

Lin Zhen covered his face.

Today is busier than yesterday. Brother Lin was also called over to help cook and pack spicy hot pot. After the box for copper coins was full, Lin Zhen directly took out the basket for charcoal and threw it in. There are

more customers today than yesterday, almost all of them are returning customers and those who came to join in the fun because of the excitement. However, the materials brought today are similar to those of yesterday, so we finished work earlier than yesterday.

Lin Zhen pulled the apron on his body, picked up the basket and said to Brother Lin: "Xiaoyao and I will buy some meat for tomorrow. Brother, you go to the fork in the road and wait for us. We will come to you after we buy the things."

The wooden box under the cart was full of copper coins and some small silver coins, and the basket next to it was also filled with a layer. Brother Lin's heart was like being hugged by a rabbit, up and down.

But before he could answer, Lin Zhen took Lin Xiaoyao away, and the slender figure quickly disappeared around the corner.

He could only carefully push the cart to the fork in the road, find a place against the wall and stand there, not daring to take his eyes off the cart.

In fact, he didn't need to do this. After all, in the eyes of others, although this cart was still novel, the pottery jars on it were not eye-catching at all, and it only made people think how much money could be made by selling food.

Otherwise, Lin Zhen would not have left so confidently and so simply.

With Lin Xiaoyao, Lin Zhen first went to the pastry shop and bought two kilograms of jujube paste cakes, then went to the butcher shop to buy five kilograms of top-quality pork belly, a pig's head, and a set of pig offal, and then went to the spice shop to buy spices for spicy hot pot.

When passing by a small vendor, he found that Lin Xiaoyao's eyes swept over the vendor, and following his gaze, he saw some wooden carved hairpins or brightly colored hairbands on the small vendor, which were obviously things used by young men or women.

He touched his nose and realized that he seemed to have almost forgotten that Xiaoyao was a boy. It was normal for him to like these things.

He grabbed Lin Xiaoyao who was walking in front of him and pulled him to the stall, nodding his chin there: "Which one do you like, let's buy one."

Lin Xiaoyao shook his head: "No, we don't buy it."

Lin Zhen discovered that Lin Xiaoyao was a typical hypocrite, saying no but actually wanting it!

He looked around, picked up a light blue headband embroidered with peach flowers, and stuffed it into Lin Xiaoyao's hand: "I think this looks good, it makes people look energetic."

Then he picked out a peach red, a pink, and a green one, just enough for Chunxiang, Xingxiang, and Huaixiang to each get one. As for the others, the older ones were all eight, nine, and ten-year-old boys, and the younger ones were just learning to walk and breastfeeding, so they didn't need these things, and would buy suitable ones later.

The vendor didn't expect that this boy, who was dressed in ordinary clothes but very good-looking, would be so generous. He wrapped the hairband with oil paper and said, "You have a good eye. You picked the best ones from my stall. A total of thirty-six coins."

When Lin Xiaoyao heard thirty-six coins, he wanted to take out his wages from yesterday.

"Okay, take the money." Lin Zhen directly gave the copper coins to the vendor and stuffed the hairband to Lin Xiaoyao, "You go back to give them and comb their hair beautifully."

Lin Xiaoyao took the hairband and pursed his lips, "Thank you, brother."

"You are my brother, why are you thanking me?" Lin Zhen rubbed his hair on his head, "Let's go, big brother must be waiting anxiously."

His voice was a little special, softer than most people, and the ending tone of his voice was rising. Once you hear it once, you will never forget it.

Gu Shuanzi, who was being pulled by his aunt, turned his head suddenly and saw Lin Zhen touching the hair of a handsome black boy. The two walked towards the street with a smile.

He gritted his teeth and took a step over there.

Ma immediately tightened her grip on his hand, and her

white-painted face showed some expression. She looked down at Gu Shuanzi and said, "There are so many people coming and going in this town. You have to be careful. What if you get lost?" Her red lips matched her heavily powdered face very well. As she spoke to Gu Shuanzi, she said to the shopkeeper, "Bring me that blue cloth." The shopkeeper

immediately took it down and said with a smile, "It's top-quality cotton cloth, and the color is also well dyed. If Madam thinks it's okay, take one. It will definitely make you look good if you make clothes for her."

These words touched Ma's heart, and she bowed her head and said to Gu Shuanzi affectionately, "Just take one and make clothes for us Shuanzi."

After a year, Gu Shuanzi, who was already eight years old, looked at Ma with dark eyes and said nothing.

Ma's grip on his hand became stronger and stronger, and the powder on her face seemed to have turned into a pale mask, which fell off because it was seriously inconsistent with the face underneath.

She asked her husband to take the cloth and took Gu Shuanzi back to the village in a carriage.

As soon as she got off the carriage at the entrance of the village, the old uncles and aunts who were enjoying the cool under the big tree all rushed to greet her: "Zhou Tao, your family went to the town to buy things again. Let me see, the color of the cloth is so bright!"

Ma embraced Gu Shuanzi: "I bought it for our Shuanzi. It's hot now, it's just right to make clothes."

"You two are really thoughtful. Nothing could be more appropriate than this."

"Alas, this is all we can do. If the child's parents were still alive, it would definitely be better than living with us." Ma insisted on standing and chatting with them for a while before leaving. As soon as she entered the yard, she finally let go of Gu Shuanzi.

Gu Shuanzi, who had gotten what he wanted, struggled to get away from him and ran into the house.

Ma quickly called her two sons, who were about twelve or thirteen years old, "Hey, stop him quickly, don't let him rush into the things in the house!"

Zhou Tao was a big man, and his two sons followed him. They were six feet tall at a young age. They chased and blocked the eight-year-old Gu Shuanzi and pinned him to the ground.

Zhou Tao looked at Gu Shuanzi who was pinned to the ground and wanted to say something, but Ma, who was standing next to him, spoke first: "You keep an eye on your cousin. He just went to the pharmacy and the doctor said that his madness seems to be more serious. Not only will he not be able to speak in the future, he may also hit people."

The doctor in the pharmacy did say these words, and Zhou Tao was also present when he said them.

But he couldn't figure out why his nephew couldn't speak when he came to his house, and he would throw things and smash things when he didn't agree with something.

He sat on the chair with a decadent look on his face, looking at Gu Shuanzi, whose hands were tied by his two sons and pushed to the largest and best room, and said to his deceased sister from the bottom of his heart, "Brother, I tried my best."

Gu Shuanzi, who was tied up and thrown on the bed, struggled like crazy, but no matter how he moved, his body, which had not eaten a grain of rice for two days, became weaker and weaker.

His face was half buried in the quilt, with only one eye exposed as if it was soaked in bright red blood.

He thought of everything that happened here, and thought of Lin Zhen who he saw in the town today.

He was so fast, so fast to change a husband who was younger than his father.

——

"Why are my ears so hot..." At the dinner table, Lin Zhen couldn't help but rub his earlobe.

Father Lin, who was sitting next to him, took a look and saw that Lin Zhen's face was indeed red as if blood was about to drip. He smiled and said, "Someone is thinking about you, and missing you very much."

"Everyone who can miss me is on this table. Could it be that Dad Gu is missing me?"

"How can you say such creepy words, kid!" Father Lin was scared, but Lin Zhen's words reminded him of something. He guessed and asked tentatively, "Brother Zhen, do you plan to find someone to live with in the future?" "

Puff--" The soup in his mouth sprayed out, and Lin Zhen quickly wiped his mouth.

Father Lin said, "I met someone from the village today. He told me that he has a distant cousin. His wife died two years ago when she gave birth. Now he wants to find someone who can understand and live a good life."

"Father asked, and the guy is good, handsome, and has a carpentry skill. He earns five or six taels of silver a year, and the two old people in his family are also kind. It's not hard to marry into the family."

"My good father, do you think such a person would like me?"

Lin is not really burying himself. He is a young man, but when he was at home, he seduced Young Master Qian and entered the Qian family. He was kicked out of the Qian family because of a light pregnancy mole, and then turned around and hooked up with Gu Da.

Although he didn't do it, in this era, normal people would have taken a detour when they saw him, not to mention such a bright and golden son-in-law coming to the door. What kind of great thing is this?

Father Lin obviously knew about his brother's situation. He coughed and said, "...That kid saw you somewhere and..."

Lin really understood. It turned out that he was attracted by this face.

Chapter 18

After traveling through time for so long, Lin Zhen has a thorough understanding of his face. It cannot be described as stunningly beautiful, but the combination of his eyebrows, eyes, lips and nose clearly tells men to love him, to cherish him and to have sex with him. If

this face was not born on him, he would have some thoughts.

Lin Zhen gulped down a big mouthful of soup, put down the bowl and said to Lin's father: "If you ever ask me if I will get married again, just say that I can't forget my old love for Gu Da and I have no such plan at the moment." Not in the future.

He quietly added in his heart.

He really couldn't imagine the scene of a crying baby jumping out of his belly, and his back felt cold when he occasionally thought of it.

Lin's father wanted to persuade him again, but Lin's father pulled his hand and shook his head.

The Malatang business was on the right track. Brother Lin and Brother Lin took turns to send Lin Xiaoyao and him to town every day, and helped to greet customers. The sisters-in-law and children at home collected vegetables, washed vegetables and skewered them. The wages of the adults were still as Lin Zhen said, ten cents a day, and he gave the children an additional five cents a day.

Father Lin was specialized in cutting bamboo sticks and sawing bamboo tubes, and then scrubbing the white film on the bamboo sticks and bamboo tubes clean, and drying them to remove the smell.

The profit of Malatang was higher in the first half of the month, and then fell back to a stable one or two taels to one or five taels of silver a day. Excluding material costs and labor costs, Lin Zhen's net profit was about seven taels of silver a day, and a full twenty taels of silver a month.

In the first month, the Lin family looked at the white silver and felt that they were dreaming. Although it was not theirs, they saw that they earned it, and they were happy!

In the second and third months, they all asked Lin Zhen to hide the silver. There is a saying that goes, you don't worry about thieves stealing, but you worry about thieves thinking about it.

——It

was midsummer, the sun was shining so brightly that the trees and weeds were drooping, and the cicadas were making noisy noises, making the pedestrians on the road even more irritated.

Uncle Ji was knitting a shoe pad under a tree, chatting with Aunt Liu next to him, when suddenly a woman carrying a backpack and holding a child of four or five years old asked at the intersection: "Uncles, I want to ask you for directions."

Uncle Ji saw the backpack on her back and knew what she was saying: "Are you here to sell dried bamboo shoots and mushrooms to Lin Zhen?"

The young woman didn't expect it to be so smooth, and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes, I'm from Wayao Village. I heard from people in our village that Lin's brother collects these things, so I brought them here to show him."

When Uncle Ji heard that she was from Wayao Village, his knees weakened. Their Liyu Village was remote, and the road in Wayao Village was even more difficult to walk. This young woman was carrying things and holding such a small child, and it was unknown how long it took to get there.

Uncle Ji pointed behind him and said, "Just keep going along this road. Turn left at the fork in the road and go up. The second house beside the road is his."

"Thank you, uncle." The young woman pulled the shoulder strap and walked away with the child.

Uncle Ji looked at the backs of the mother and son, and said to Aunt Liu, "Who would have thought that Lin Zhen's son would be so successful? We saw it last time we went to town. So many things could be sold out in one day. Everyone estimated that he could make half a dollar a day."

"That's right, and he is much more sensible than before. He is diligent, sweet-mouthed, and very considerate!" Aunt Liu's dried bamboo shoots and mushrooms were sold early. Although they were only a dozen or twenty coins, they were also signs that Lin Zhen had thought about them.

Uncle Ji nodded vigorously in agreement: "I met him in the fields yesterday, and he greeted me with a smile like a flower. Oh, I was so happy for a long time."

Aunt Liu was not to be outdone, "I also met him this morning. Just like what you said, he is really a good brother!"

The two chatted here, and the young woman from Wayao Village successfully found Lin Zhen's house.

But she was not the only one standing in front of Lin Zhen's house. There were also people standing in front of Lin Zhen's house with baskets on their backs like her. Everyone came to sell things.

She was afraid that the Lin family would stop accepting after collecting enough, and she would not be able to sell the things on her back, so she was anxious to pull the child to squeeze in.

Suddenly, a voice came from the front: "Everyone, don't crowd over here. These are things that can be put away. We are doing a long-term business, so we can get a lot."

"First, take the things to the open space on my side and pour them into the dustpan so that we can see if the things are good or not. If there are no bugs, you can come to me to get the money after weighing them."

Someone in the crowd shouted: "Is the price the same as in your village?"

The young woman's heart was lifted. Lin Zhen was from Liyu Village, and it was natural to give Liyu Village some benefits.

But the things she brought might not be able to exchange for so much money, and the money for the child's father to get medicine would not be enough. If the medicine could not be obtained...

The young woman held the bag on her shoulder tightly and looked at the Lin family who were talking.

Lin Zhen, who was holding a pen and a book, said loudly: "It's the same. Dried bamboo shoots are one cent per pound, and dried mushrooms and dried fungus are five cents per pound."

The big stone in the young woman's heart fell to the ground when she heard it, and her worried face finally showed a sense of relief.

She led the child to the place where Lin Zhen pointed and put down the backpack. After the people in front finished checking, she patted her child on the back and said, "Stand and wait for me for a while. After we sell the things, we will go home, okay?"

"Okay." The child with dry and yellow hair, a big head and a big belly nodded obediently, holding the corner of the woman's clothes as a small tail with a low sense of presence.

The young woman separated the dried mushrooms and bamboo shoots she brought into two winnowing baskets and said nervously, "There is a bamboo forest on the mountain behind my house. These are the bamboo shoots I just dug this year. Uncle, can you take a look and see if they can be used?"

Father Lin looked at the thin woman and the child holding her clothes, and lowered his voice, "Let me see."

He picked up the dried bamboo shoots and dried mushrooms with his hands, and the rich smell came out, especially the bamboo shoots, which looked more pleasing than others. The meat was thick, fat and tender. It would definitely be better if it was soaked in water.

Father Lin said, "Your dried bamboo shoots and dried mushrooms are all fine. Let me see." He poured the things into his pockets and weighed them, and told the young woman the quantity, "Eleven pounds of dried bamboo shoots, nine pounds of mushrooms. Go over there and tell Brother Zhen, and he will pay after he records the account."

"Thank you, uncle, thank you, uncle!" The young woman kept thanking him, and excitedly carried the two bags to Lin Zhen.

She was the only one who brought the child today, and Lin Zhen saw it at first sight. Looking at the child hiding timidly behind the woman, only revealing the patched clothes and the wrists that were so thin that there was almost no flesh, he said to Lin Xiaoyao behind him, "Pour a bowl of water for this child and add some sugar."

"Okay, brother." Lin Xiaoyao now only followed Lin Zhen's lead. In his eyes, the person he admired the most was Lin Zhen. He put down the things and turned around to get a bowl of warm water and add brown sugar to it.

"Here, drink it." Lin Xiaoyao handed a full bowl of sugar water to the child behind the young woman.

The child was shy and didn't even dare to show his face. He was completely behind his mother.

I don't know why, but Lin Zhen suddenly thought of that brat Gu Shuanzi. Compared with the kid in front of him, he was so fierce and cruel that he dared to chop people with an axe.

He had been at his uncle's house for almost half a year, so he shouldn't have caused any trouble, right?

Chapter 19

Lin Zhen took the sugar water from Lin Xiaoyao, squatted down and approached the child like playing hide-and-seek, and rubbed his dry and yellow hair: "This is what your uncle asked your brother to pour for you, please drink some~"

The young woman was nervous and flustered, and waved her hands repeatedly: "Thank you, brother Zhen, it's okay--"

"The child's mouth is so thirsty that it's chapped, it's okay to drink some water."

How could the young woman not know that the child was suffering with her, she looked at Lin Zhen and the brown sugar water in his hand, and said to the child in a hoarse voice: "Xiaofeng, thank your uncle quickly." Xiaofeng

licked his lips and carefully took the bowl: "Thank you, uncle."

"You're welcome, there is a small stool over there, you can sit there and drink slowly."

The sun at noon made people dizzy, Xiaofeng's face was as red as rouge, and his eyes were a little dull. If he didn't sit down to rest and replenish water, he would definitely get heatstroke.

After arranging the children, Lin Zhen grabbed a handful of dried bamboo shoots and soon discovered that the quality of the bamboo shoots was surprisingly good. The time for picking was also well-controlled, and the bamboo shoots were tender and thick.

He looked at the young woman: "Aunt, are there many bamboo forests where you are?"

The young woman said, "It's just behind my house. It was originally a barren mountain. My husband's parents planted a few bamboo roots in the past, and now it has become a forest. These bamboo shoots are picked in that bamboo forest."

"Zhen brother... are these bamboo shoots unusable?"

Lin Zhen put the dried bamboo shoots back into his pocket: "No, these bamboo shoots are good. If you have them at home, you can give them all."

"Really," the young woman's face suddenly showed joy, "That's great, thank you Zhen brother, you are our family's benefactor!"

"Aunt, that's serious. I pay the money and you provide the things. It's just that each takes what we need."

Lin Zhen said, "It's like this, I want to buy grown old bamboo, like this," he went to the house and got a bamboo tube, "You can saw it at home and bring it to me, three for one penny."

The Malatang business has been doing well now, with a stable customer base, and the consumption of bamboo tubes is also a huge amount.

There are few bamboos in Liyu Village, and Lin Zhen has almost harvested them all. We have to wait until the new bamboo shoots grow next year. Seeing the dried bamboo shoots brought by the woman, he mentioned it casually.

When the young woman heard him say that he would collect bamboo tubes for three for one cent, her hands were shaking with excitement.

There are few people in their village, with only a dozen households in total. The bamboo forest behind her house is said to grow on a barren slope, but in fact it is already a large barren mountain.

She only thought about it for a moment, and she felt a light in front of her eyes: "Okay, I'll cut it tomorrow!"

Eleven pounds of dried bamboo shoots and nine pounds of dried mushrooms, a total of sixty-six coins, the young woman put these copper coins close to her body, and left with her son who drank a bowl of brown sugar water and looked better.

She first went to the town to get a prescription, and then set off on the road back to Wayao Village, climbing up the slope all the way, and finally returned home when the moon fell on the treetops.

Before she entered the house, she heard a violent cough. She quickly put down her backpack, ran in and patted the back of the person sitting by the door: "Didn't I tell you to lie down? Why are you up?" "

You and Xiaofeng are not here, I'm worried," said a middle-aged man with a medium build and a flushed face. He pointed to the two covered bowls on the stove behind him, "I fried two dishes, you and Xiaofeng should eat quickly."

The young woman who got the medicine and found a way to make money couldn't hide her happiness at all. She stuffed the remaining eight cents into the man's hand: "You must take the medicine well and take care of your body. Don't worry about other things."

"..." The man's face was gloomy.

How could he not worry? Before he got sick, the family's expenses were all supported by his work in the town. Although it was a bit difficult, he could still make ends meet.

Now he is sick and has lost his job opportunity. All the money in the family has been used to buy medicine for himself.

He didn't tell his wife that when he got up today, he had the idea of ​​going into the mountains to end his life, but he just wanted to see them again.

The young woman had no idea what her man was thinking, and went on, "Today I took Xiaofeng to Liyu Village to sell dried bamboo shoots and mushrooms. The collector Zheng'er said he wanted to buy our bamboo. Three bamboo tubes for one penny!"

As she spoke, she gestured, "A bamboo tube this long, a little shorter than my arm. Saw it and clean the white membrane inside."

"Tell me, how much can the bamboo behind our house sell for?"

The man was shocked, "Really! They want to buy our bamboo!"

"Yes, he asked me to cut some tomorrow, but Zheng'er also said that we have to buy bigger ones. We can't accept the ones with too thin tips or those with worm holes."

The young woman could understand. After all, the Lin family sells food. If there are worm holes, it would be disgusting.

The man's weak body seemed to be injected with strength. He thought about the bamboo forest behind the house, the three bamboo tubes worth one penny, and the eight pennies in his hand. His voice was full of strength: "You two eat, I'll go boil the medicine, and we'll cut bamboo and sell it to the Lin family!"

Lin Zhen, who didn't know that his impromptu idea had changed things, gave the last copper coin to the man selling dried bamboo shoots and mushrooms, hammered his shoulders, and handed the book to Lin Xiaoyao: "I've recorded all the accounts, and we can settle them together at the end of this month."

"By the way, where's my father? Why didn't I see him?"

Lin Xiaoyao replied: "He was called by the village chief. I heard that many people in the village wanted to ask about the topdressing of the seedlings. Someone was sent to call my father at noon today."

In the summer, the sorghum and buckwheat seedlings in the fields have grown to their knees.

The fields of the Lin family are very different from those of other families. Not only are the stems thick, but the leaves are also fat and green. Anyone can see that this year's harvest will definitely be good.

Many people who initially thought that the Lin family wasted their time and that nothing would come out of it changed their minds. They heard that not only was composting useful, but topdressing was also useful, so they could no longer sit still and come to see Lin's father.

In fact, there was another layer. The composting method was proposed by Lin Zhen.

At that time, everyone didn't say it, but they looked down on him in their hearts. They didn't think he really understood crops and could make the crops harvested well.

But now it's different. Everyone in the village saw that he made money from the spicy hot pot business and collected those dried vegetables in the village from time to time. Anyone with eyes knew that Lin Jiazhen's brother had a promising future, and they couldn't help but believe what he said and did.

Knowing where Lin's father was, Lin Zhen stopped asking and followed the rest of the family to store the collected things, wash their hands and eat.

The family was eating enthusiastically when Lin's father came back, with a smile on his face, his mouth wide open, and he was humming a little song, which was rare.

Lin Zhen looked up and said, "Did father pick up money?"

Father Lin patted his chest and said, "I am happier than picking up money," he said, "Today the village chief asked me to teach them how to apply fertilizer. There were so many people. If it wasn't so dark, they would still be soaking in the fields." "

Virtue~" Father Lin, who had been with him for decades, knew that his wife was praised so much that she didn't know what to do. He said to the people in the room, "Hurry up and eat. He won't lack food today."

Father Lin nodded, "Hey, the chicken I ate at the village chief's house today was a big rooster, stewed until soft and rotten."

Little Lin took chopsticks and leaned close to Lin Zhen's ear and said, "I don't know how much sweet soup those people gave father. Look, he's about to float."

Lin Zhen looked at his father, who was sitting on the chair with a relaxed look on his face, and said, "As long as he is happy."

Chapter 20

In order to store these things, the elder and second brothers Lin specially built a simple wooden house next to the house. For example, the dried bamboo shoots, mushrooms and black fungus collected today were all placed there, and the more valuable things such as the cart, pottery jars and charcoal were placed in the house. It was a bit crowded, but it was safe.

Lin Zhen sat on the bed, took out the box containing the silver, and counted the family assets inside.

Lin Xiaoyao came in after taking a shower and asked while rubbing his hair: "Are there any major income and expenditure?"

"No," Lin Zhen put the silver back, "Didn't I mention it to you before, I wanted to save some money to buy a shop in town, it's too far to go to town from the village every day, it's really inconvenient to go back and forth."

"I thought you were just talking casually at that time..."

"Your brother never talks nonsense, okay," Lin Zhen put the box back in the box at the head of the bed, "There is still half missing, it is estimated that it will take the end of this year to get it together."

"Then..." Lin Xiaoyao's eyes were a little nervous, "Can I still work for you by then, it doesn't take fifteen cents, ten cents will be enough!"

Lin Zhen slapped his brother on the head who was thinking about something, "If you don't work for me, who will you work for? Go to bed, you have to get up early tomorrow."

Although he was slapped, the stone in Lin Xiaoyao's heart fell to the ground.

He hugged Lin Zhen's waist, wishing he could hang on him: "I'm going to sleep right away, right away!" After sleeping

together for a few months, Lin Zhen had gotten used to his impatient little movements. He pushed him away a little to block out the heat, leaned over and blew out the oil lamp.

Lying on the pillow, an idea came to his mind: find some time to go see that kid. After all, he was his "son", and it would be considered a fulfillment of the cause and effect of his time travel.

That day, business was unusually good, and everything was sold out after noon.

Lin Zhen took off his sleeves and apron, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and suddenly remembered his thoughts that day. He said to his second brother Lin, "Second brother, I'm going to the market to buy some things and go to Uncle Gu Shuanzi's house to see him."

"The child has been gone for four or five months, and I don't know how he is doing there."

When Gu Da died, he and Lin Zhen were still husband and wife. Gu Shuanzi was naturally Lin Zhen's son, and it was natural for him to go to see him. Second brother Lin said, "Why don't I go with you? If anything happens, I can stop it."

Lin Zhen waved his hand, "It's okay, I'm going to see the child, not to snatch the child away."

"Second brother, you and Xiaoyao, pack up and go home. I'll go home after I see the man."

Carrying a backpack, after saying goodbye to Second Brother Lin and Lin Xiaoyao, Lin Zhen bought a pound of cakes, two pounds of pork and a few feet of cloth at a shop he often passed by. He went to the fork in the road and found an uncle driving a cart: "Uncle, is your car going to Tianwan Village?"

"I'm from Tianwan Village. I'll leave after my family arrives. Why, young man, are you going to visit relatives in our village?"

Lin Zhen didn't expect that he was so lucky: "Yes, I'm going to visit relatives."

"Then you wait--" Before the uncle finished speaking, he saw his wife, daughter-in-law and son coming, and said, "No need to wait, we can leave right away."

Lin Zhen followed his gaze and looked at the four or five people who came out of the crowd. He took the things in the aunt's hand and put them on the donkey cart. He said to the aunt with a smile: "I rented your car. Fortunately, I met you who are also from Tianwan Village, otherwise my legs would have been broken."

The aunt was a little confused at first, but seeing that Lin Zhen was good-looking, sweet-mouthed, and very polite, she smiled and said, "You are a likable guy and lucky. If you take a car to our village at this time, as long as your home is not too far away, you can get back before dark."

"Yes, if I hadn't met you, I might have rented a car alone."

The auntie knew he was not short of money. She got on the car, sat down in the car, and pointed to the seat next to her: "Come up and sit here."

"Thank you, auntie."

In fact, even if she didn't say it, Lin Zhen wouldn't have sat down. There were four people sitting in the small car, an auntie, two adult men and a young wife.

Boys are different from women. Not only can they have children when they marry, but they can also make their wives pregnant when they marry women. However, the probability of pregnancy is very low.

Therefore, he can't sit next to the auntie's son, nor can he sit next to his wife. Only next to the auntie is the safest and most appropriate.

"Hold!"

The whip was swung on the donkey's butt, and the carriage immediately drove out of the three-way intersection and headed towards Tianwan Village.

Lin Zhen was very busy this morning. He leaned on the donkey cart and was drowsy, but he didn't dare to really fall asleep. After all, he was a single boy. Although this family didn't look like bad people, it was good to be a little defensive.

The family seemed tired, and only said a few words from time to time. As time passed, they dozed off one by one with their heads down.

"Jia--"

On the bumpy dirt road, Lin Zhen squinted his eyes and silently looked at the slowly receding woods and hillside.

The sun above his head was getting hotter and hotter, making his forehead hot, and there were beads of sweat that could not be wiped away.

Finally, when he turned over a small hill, the uncle driving the carriage pointed at the village in front with his whip and said, "Young man, we are about to reach Tianwan Village. Which house are you going to? Do you want me to point the way for you?"

Lin Zhen, who was tanned like an eggplant hit by frost, finally regained his spirits. He raised his head and looked at the nearby village and said, "That's great. Uncle, do you know how to get to Zhou Tao's house?"

The uncle who was so enthusiastic just now suddenly turned cold: "So you are a relative of Zhou Tao's family?"

"Get off, I won't take you!"

The few people in the carriage also looked alert, looking at him as if he were a murderer.

Lin Zhen was confused. Zhou Tao seemed to be quite reasonable, but why was he so unpopular in the village?

He wanted to ask something, but he couldn't ask anything. He took out the three cents he had agreed with the uncle from his purse and threw them into the carriage: "Thank you for driving me this way."

The three cents made a crisp sound when they fell into the carriage. The family drove away quickly.

Lin Zhen grabbed the straps of the backpack and walked forward along the only road under his feet. After walking for about four or five minutes, he finally reached the entrance of the village.

The conditions in Tianwan Village were much better than those in Liyu Village. A two-meter-wide river passed through here. High embankments had been built on both sides of the river over the years, so there was no need to worry about flooding during the rainy season.

Lin Zhen heard the sound of pounding clothes coming from under the bridge. He saw that it was a few women and boys who were washing clothes together. He asked crisply, "Excuse me, is this Tianwan Village?" "

It is Tianwan Village," a cheerful young woman straightened up, "Who are you looking for here?"

"Hello, sister. I am a relative of Zhou Tao in your village. I want to ask how to get to his house?"

"..." The cheerful woman frowned, "Are you a relative of Zhou Tao?"

Good man, what did Zhou Tao do that angered the heaven and the people? He would run into people who disliked him just by asking for directions. Could it be that he offended the whole village?

Lin Zhen nodded, "Yes, I don't know--"

"Go up here and turn left. The blue brick and tile house is his house." The cheerful young woman continued to wash her clothes after saying that, and didn't want to pay any attention to him at all.

Lin Zhen looked at the young woman squatting down to wash clothes, thinking about the four words "blue brick and tile house".

If he remembered correctly, the Zhou family was of average financial condition. Although they were better off than many other families, they definitely could not afford to build a blue brick and tile house, unless...

Holding the straps of the backpack tightly, Lin Zhen walked along the path the young woman had indicated.