No pain no gain

Doctor Niu is surprisingly easy to talk to. Those who have craft here rarely pass it on to outsiders. Most of them pass it on to their offspring like Widow Wang. What’s more, they would rather lose their craft. This Da Zhuang knows it. So I was a little surprised at Doctor Niu's straightforwardness.

"Hey, I'm a half-body who has fallen into the loess. Even if you learn my half-body skills, the old man is not afraid that he will have nothing to eat. Besides, there are not many children who are willing to learn this thing..." Niu Niu The doctor didn't wait for Da Zhuang to ask, he spontaneously explained.

"Hehe, hehe, thank you, Grandpa Niu!" Da Zhuang felt a little embarrassed, rubbed the back of his head and said, it seems that Dr. Niu has indeed gained some insight after traveling all these years, and his horizons are much wider than ordinary people. !

"Okay, come here as often as possible if you have time!" Doctor Niu said with a smile.

Da Zhuang agreed cautiously, planning to go back and have a good discussion with Er Zhuang in his heart, trying to spare as much free time as possible.

"Big strong, big strong..."

One day, Da Zhuang was teasing the twins while recalling the medicinal properties of some common herbs he had just learned, when there was a burst of shouting from outside the yard.

Da Niuer went to Widow Wang’s house every afternoon to learn needlework for an hour or more. After discussing with Er Zhuang, Da Zhuang went to Doctor Niu’s house every morning, and Er Zhuang and Da Niuer took turns to take care of them The little one, I and Er Zhuang take turns at home in the afternoon, and the eldest girl will take care of it in the evening. Everyone can arrange the rest of the free time freely. Da Zhuang also finds time to weave baskets every night, and Er Zhuang helps out. Da Zhuang used to teach carefully I learned Er Zhuang's method of weaving baskets, but Er Zhuang learned it. I guess he was impatient or something. The baskets we made always had some small problems of one kind or another. Da Zhuang didn't insist on this, as long as Er Zhuang It's good to be strong...

"Here we come, wait a moment!" Da Zhuang yelled outside, and confessed to Er Zhuang: "I'll go out and have a look, you should be more careful!"

"Big Zhuang..."

Outside the yard, there were a few children who were about the same age as Da Zhuang, you pushed me, I pushed you, but no one came out to say why for a long time.

"What's the matter with you, are you here to ask Er Zhuang to go out to play?" Da Zhuang frowned slightly and asked, trying not to show his impatience.

"Ah, no, no, that, Da Zhuang..." One of the thinner children was finally pushed out by the others, and answered Da Zhuang's words hesitantly: "We, we are here to ask you to hang out!"

Da Zhuang was stunned for a moment, and immediately recalled that the familiar children in front of him were the original good partners of this body. Da Zhuang has been busy with making a living every day since he came here, and his original memory of this body is also I only selectively paid attention to the useful parts, but never thought about playing.

"Come in and sit for a while!" Da Zhuang said with some embarrassment.

"Did it delay your work?" Another child asked hesitantly when he saw this.

"No, no, I don't have much to do now, I'm watching my brothers and sisters at home!" Da Zhuang said with a smile as he opened the fence door forcefully.

"Then Da Zhuang, when are you free? Come and play with us!"

"That's right, that's right, you haven't come out for a long time..."

"My mother said that you are going to farm, are you very tired..."

Several children chattered around Da Zhuang and asked questions, and the awkward atmosphere just now was swept away.

Da Zhuang called the children into the house, and brought out slices of steamed buns and fried hard beans for them to eat.

"Today I still want to take my younger siblings with me, and I will definitely visit you guys next time I have time!" Da Zhuang assured again and again, and the little ones left in a noisy manner.

"Brother, why don't you go and play with them for a while, San Niuer, San Zhuang, Si Zhuang, and me!" Er Zhuang led San Niuer out and said to Da Zhuang: "They used to talk to me a lot. What about you, brother!"

"Forget it today, let's talk about it next time when we have a chance!" Da Zhuang inserted the yard door and said noncommittally. In fact, it was just because he didn't know how to get along with those children. , because of the absolute authority of the eldest brother, even if the little guys feel that Da Zhuang is different from before, they only think that their eldest brother is amazing, and they don't think of anything else, but these children who came today are different... …

Da Zhuang stroked his forehead, he would rather weave a few more baskets than play with a group of children.

……

Uncle is a real person. Da Zhuang entrusted him with the work of digging depressions. Apart from doing his own work, Uncle is also seriously working as a supervisor. Da Zhuang went to see it twice. , although the depressions have been dug in different depths, the shallowest place has definitely been dug one meter deep, and the excavated soil is piled up around it, forming a big circle of dams, and we can plant some crops in the coming year Or fruit trees or something, Da Zhuang roughly estimated the area after digging, and asked the fool's father to buy the two acres of land next to the depression. Uncle asked someone to dig it up.

After the depression was dug, Da Zhuang got busy. Every morning, he went to the cattle doctor as usual, and in the afternoon, he began to put fertilizer into the dug pool little by little.

"Brother, what are we doing with this?" Er Zhuang's helper Da Zhuang asked curiously as he drove the donkey.

With donkeys to transport the fertilizer, Da Zhuang only needs to spread the fertilizer evenly to the bottom of the pond, which is much easier, and Da Zhuang's current body is not too reluctant.

"After the water flooded in spring, this field didn't dry out a little until winter. It's impossible to plant land here..." Da Zhuang scooped up the fertilizer with a long-handled wooden spoon and spread it around. Said slowly.

"Obviously Mrs. Wu gave my eldest brother two acres of good land..." Er Zhuang whispered before he finished listening.

"Who said it was a loss for us to change these few acres of depressions. What did you say that things must grow in water?" Da Zhuang had nothing to do, and spent some time trying to guide Er Zhuang to think for himself.

Due to the lack of information of the people living here, coupled with the almost absolute authority of the previous generation over the next generation, the thinking patterns of the vast majority of people have hardly changed from generation to generation. For example, rice should be planted in fields with water, sand Planting inedible crops such as cotton, and growing corn, wheat and other food crops on slightly better muddy land, I don’t know how many generations have been farming in the same way. Of course, poor families who do not have good muddy land will talk about it differently. Yes, so when Da Zhuang knew that this depression was abandoned, he was a little surprised. It was a pity in his heart for a long time. This time he had this good opportunity, of course he made it early.

Er Zhuang went through all the crops he knew in his mind, and finally looked at his elder brother and shook his head.

"What's the price of the lotus root in the market?" Da Zhuang sighed slightly, even the thinking of a child like Er Zhuang had been imprisoned.

"Ah, by the way, brother, are you planning to plant lotus roots?" Er Zhuang cried happily.

"You, don't draw conclusions too early when encountering things in the future, you should think about it from different aspects, you know? Don't be too brainy, you should use your brain more on weekdays!" Da Zhuang taught Er Zhuang casually.

"Got it!" Er Zhuang didn't pay much attention to his elder brother's nagging, his mind was still immersed in the matter of planting lotus roots, and he muttered to himself: "...you can pick lotus pods and eat them in the future, how much is the lotus root for a catty?" So, ten or twelve, wow..."

Da Zhuang smiled, seeing that it was getting late, he quickened his movements.

"Ada!"

When Da Zhuang and Er Zhuang arrived home with their donkeys, it was already quite dark. Da Zhuang saw a dark figure huddled at the gate of his yard from a long distance, and when he walked in, he found that it was a dirty fool.

"Ada, what's the matter?" Da Zhuang handed over the rope tied with the donkey to Er Zhuang, motioning Er Zhuang to go in first.

"Grandpa said, it's ok!" the fool whispered sleepily.

Da Zhuang asked a few more questions before he understood the whole story. When observing filial piety, there are various strict restrictions such as not eating meat, not drinking alcohol, not cutting hair, and having to wear sackcloth. , which is 49 days, and then there will be three years without marriage banquets, etc. It is said to be three years, but it is actually 27 months. If there is a marriage and both men and women do not object, it can also be held in the first seven days. Mrs. Wu passed away exactly 21 days ago, less than seven days old. The Wu family used to observe filial piety strictly in accordance with local customs, but the youngest child of the third uncle of the idiot did not know what serious illness he had, so he invited the doctor in the town to take good care of his body. That's all right, Mrs. Wu sent a message, everyone agrees, and the rest of the day is just a show in front of outsiders.In fact, few people in the local area strictly abide by the terms and conditions of filial piety. As long as it is not too much, everyone will not meddle in other people's affairs.

"Why are your clothes so dirty? You haven't showered for a few days?" Da Zhuang asked with a frown, even though his nose was a little dull from the fertilizer, he could smell the peculiar smell of the fool.

"Not washed!" The fool touched his belly, looked up pitifully and said, "I'm hungry!"

"You mean you haven't showered in the past [-] days!" Da Zhuang exclaimed and took half a step back.

"Hot water, no!" The fool explained with some difficulty.

Da Zhuang sighed. Now the three brothers of the Wu family live together, and there are more than ten children in total. Da Zhuang alone has four younger brothers and one younger sister. Such a big family, even if they want to take care of them, they will not be able to see it. What's more, the idiot's own mother doesn't care about the eldest son who has made him suffer. You can imagine what kind of life the idiot will live in such a family.

"Come in, take a shower first! You can eat after washing!" Da Zhuang said helplessly, then turned and walked into the yard.

The idiot cheerfully followed Da Zhuang and walked in.

After Da Zhuang came here, the small stove at home was always on, and hot water was always burning. Although it cost more charcoal, it was very convenient. When you want to drink hot water, you can add two pieces of charcoal and turn up the fire. , there will be boiling water in a while, and hot water can be used for washing face and so on. The charcoal is accumulated when cooking and cooking, so there is no need to spend any extra effort.

Da Zhuang turned up the stove, poured a large pot of hot water, and asked the fool to take a bath first.

"Wash your hair too!" Da Zhuang confessed worriedly.

The fool answered honestly.

Da Zhuang himself also fetched a small basin of water, scrubbed it a little, and changed his clothes that were stinky from the fertilizer.

When Da Zhuang was busy for a long time, the fool hadn't finished washing.

"What's going on?" Da Zhuang hesitated, opened the thick curtain and walked in.

After harvesting cotton this year, Da Zhuang asked Widow Wang to help him make several new quilts. He cut out the old quilts, made a simple frame with wooden sticks, and surrounded a relatively closed quilt in the corner of the room. The small space is surrounded by quilts on all sides including the top, so that when taking a bath in winter, the hot water is put inside, and the small space will be warm after a while. When it is sunny, the quilt frame is moved out to dry in the sun, which is very aspect.

When Da Zhuang entered, the idiot was sitting in the tub, clumsily rubbing his knotted hair, the water in the tub could no longer see a trace of heat.

"You are so stupid! I don't know how to shout when there is no hot water. After taking a shower for so long, I am still tossing my hair!" Da Zhuang brought another half pot of hot water from the kitchen and added it to the tub, helping the fool to comb it. Knotted hair, while teaching fools.

"I don't want to, trouble!" The fool said cheerfully while scrubbing his body.

"You!" Da Zhuang shook his head helplessly, these children are really real, one or two are not worrying.

After dinner, Da Zhuang started weaving baskets as usual, but the idiot was unwilling to leave no matter what, and insisted on staying to weave the baskets. Da Zhuang had no choice but to go to the landlord Wu's house to say hello, and planned to stay the idiot for a night.

"Okay, go to sleep!" Da Zhuang couldn't help scolding as he watched the fool weaving the basket again and again, nodding his head almost to his knees.

"Well, ah, we still need to weave!" The fool woke up suddenly, shook his head, and continued to weave baskets.

"Ada wants to make money, doesn't he?" Da Zhuang hesitated for a while, and finally asked.

"Well, the money is not enough!" The fool replied honestly.

"Didn't Grandma Wu leave you a few acres of land? Plant it well next year, and you'll have some extra money." Da Zhuang said without raising his head, and didn't care what the fool wanted money for.

"Uh, uh..." The fool faltered a few times, but didn't answer.

"Is it because your mother won't let you plant it yourself?" Da Zhuang knew after thinking about it that they would not give the land to a fool so easily.

"Mother said, when you get married, give it to me." The fool frowned and replied.