After dressing as a widow

Lin Zhen nodded: "The fields of my house are next to the river. I don't know if they have been flooded. If they are flooded, it will be troublesome."

The sister-in-law smiled and said: "It's only flooded to the second half, the first half is fine, it doesn't hinder the sifting of soil."

"Thank you, sister-in-law. Please turn over the ground slowly. When I have free time, I will go to your house to chat with you." Lin Zhen carried a dustpan and chatted with sister-in-law in full swing.

The sister-in-law likes Lin Zhen, a promising brother, and said happily: "Okay, if you can come, then I will cook the festival bacon for you. I made it last year. I didn't even bother to cook it a few days ago."

Father Lin, Father Lin, and Gu Lin who were behind came out quickly, and from a distance, they saw Lin Zhen talking to his sister-in-law in the village by the side of the road. He looked like a fish being put into a pond. He was so cheerful that people couldn't help being relieved just looking at him.

Lin Xiaoyao saw Father Lin, Gu Lin, and the others behind, and called Lin Zhen: "Third Brother, Father and the others have come out, let's go."

Lin Zhen glanced back and nodded repeatedly: "Well, let's go."

There are quite a few people in the Lin family now, except for Lin Chunxiang, Lin Huaixiang who cooks at home, Lin Xingxiang, and the two youngest who are only five or six years old. Eleven of them are able to come out to work. a row.

The rain that has lasted for several days has completely irrigated the fields, and the water level of the river next to the fields has almost risen to the level of the river bank, and the slightly turbid water is turbulent.

It takes four or five days for the water level to return to normal, and the sediment in the water will slowly settle.

Lin Zhen stepped on the somewhat soft field, and put the dustpan in his hand to his feet: "Father, three or four baskets of dirt in this field should be enough."

"Not enough, more than 30 backs have to be sieved." Father Lin didn't take anything, and brother Lin behind him was carrying a high long stool and a bamboo sieve.

Father Lin pointed to the fields on the left and right: "Our family bought several fields the year before last, and more than 30 sieves are enough."

"You go shake the sieve with Xiaoyao, let your elder brother, second brother, elder sister-in-law, second sister-in-law and us dig and lift the earth."

There are several processes involved in sifting the soil. First, someone has to dig the soil loose and put it into a dustpan, then lift the dustpan full of soil to a bamboo sieve set up on a long bench, and then shake the sieve to make it finer. The soil will naturally fall down, and the large pieces and even stones will be separated to one side.

Such fine soil is conducive to the fermentation of manure and the germination and growth of seeds during subsequent planting. It will not press down on the buds like large pieces of soil and stones, resulting in the buds not being unearthed for a long time.

Someone needs to shovel the sieved soil to the side to prevent the pile from being too high and preventing the soil from leaking down.

It is tiring work, but the Lin family, who have already tasted the benefits of composting, are very motivated.

Lin Zhen didn't expect that the Lin family had bought so many fields in just a few years. The thought of carrying more than 30 baskets of soil made his forehead sweat.

He was very self-aware, obediently asked Xiaoyao to set up a sieve, while Father Lin rolled up his sleeves to shovel the sieved fine soil.

Soon, the first dustpan was lifted up. It was Zhao Xiu, the second sister-in-law of Lin, who had been working all year round. His rolled up sleeves revealed a slightly dark complexion and solid arm lines.

Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao felt the sinking of the sieve, and quickly shook it to sieve the fine soil down. Behind them were Brother Lin, Lin Zhuzi, Lin Shitou and the others. If they were slow, the people behind could only wait with a dustpan. .

"Shushasha, shashashasha——."

Layers of fine soil leaked down, and another dustpan after dustpan of soil was lifted up, without stopping for a moment.

They are hands-on work, but their wrists and arms are sore. Brother Lin, Brother Lin, and Gu Lin, who have to dig and lift the soil, have taken off their shirts at some point and are working shirtless. Fine beads of sweat soaked the entire upper body into a layer of water color.

Father Lin, who specializes in digging, looked at the big guy who had been busy for almost an hour and a half, and said, "Take a break and drink some water."

Lin Zhen, who hadn't worked for many years, almost fell on the sieve, and wiped the hair off his face with the back of his hand, which was a little cleaner: "This job is not easy, but fortunately, I have strong hands."

Compared with the rest of the Lin family, he really realized how much his body was fighting against five scumbags. He had no strength, stamina, or explosive power. The most suitable thing was to lie down.

He took the bamboo cup brought by Lin Xiaoyao, and took a big gulp: "Huh——"

Lin Xiaoyao put a hoe on the ground, sat on the handle of the hoe, and patted the side: "Sit here."

Lin Zhenzhen was a little tired, and sat on the handle of the hoe next to him. The soil that had just been soaked in rain was soft, and the weight of the two of them pressed down, and the handle of the hoe was directly pressed into the soil.

Originally, I didn't want my pants to get muddy, so I used a hoe to detect the cold mud under the buttocks of the two people who were separated. You looked at me and I looked at you, and couldn't help laughing.

The great cause of soil sieving is in full swing. Lin Zhen persisted for three days and couldn't go anymore. He brought Lin Huaixiang and the others to cook food and drink, and show off all the kung fu he knew. The Lin family fed up to nothing.

In the blink of an eye, the first snow of the year fell.

In the first two days, there was only sporadic fine snow, which you couldn’t see unless you looked carefully. On the third night, it suddenly became bigger, and then it got bigger and bigger, but it fell knee-deep in just one night.

As the saying goes, auspicious snow heralds a good year, and many people are relieved to see this university.

Despite suffering, they finally welcomed the mercy of God, and next year will surely be a bumper harvest year.

At the end of the twelfth lunar month, 28.

The Lin family got up early in the morning, Lin Zhen, Lin Xiaoyao, and Mrs. Lin quickly poured out the half-sacked millet that Gu Lin got from the county magistrate, and the dried red dates from the cupboard. .

Today is the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. Every household has to make rice cracker candy. No matter what kind of rice cracker candy is made, it is a food full of New Year's flavor. Many children will come to eat rice cracker candy.

Whichever rice cracker candy is eaten more by children will be the most prosperous in the coming year.

For this kindness, every family tried their best.

The burden of making rice cracker candies for the Lin family fell on Lin Zhen. His culinary skills are recognized as the number one in the Lin family, and such important tasks must be entrusted to him.

In addition to the busy stove, the yard is also busy. Father Lin is tearing off the couplets that have withstood the wind and rain for a year, and said to Gu Lin: "Shuanzi, you can just write a few couplets for the new couplets. Let's get new ones."

The Lin family had the pens, inks, papers and inkstones that Gu Lin used before. Gu Lin went back to the house without saying a word, and Lin Shitou cleverly set up a table for him in the main room.

Gu Lin polished the ink well, and wrote the seven-character couplet on the red hair paper in a smooth manner.

Father Lin and the others said that they couldn't tell whether the word was good or bad, but they felt energetic when they saw it, and said with a smile on their faces: "Excellent, excellent, here are two more pictures, let's paste all the doors."

Lin Zhen, who happened to come outside to pour out the water for washing the jujubes, looked at the down-to-earth couplet in Father Lin's hands, and laughed so happily that he almost dropped all the jujubes in the basin on the ground.

He went into the room and told Lin Xiaoyao the couplet, and Lin Xiaoyao couldn't hold back, "Really, Gu Lin really wrote it like this..."

"Such a rustic couplet." Lin Zhen answered the second half of the sentence for him. Who would believe the dignified calligraphy of Class A of Huaishan Academy?

The two laughed and picked up the sand and stones in the millet, asked Brother Lin and the second brother Lin to take it out and grind the chaff, then put the washed rice and red dates into the pot, and slowly fried them. , Wait until the rice pops before adding sugar.

The sweet smell couldn't be contained at once, and the two youngest in the family were already guarding the stove: "Auntie, Auntie, I want rice candy."

Lin Zhen really likes these children, and he can't bear their baby voice and big round eyes. He took their special small wooden bowls that are not afraid of falling, and each of them took a small ball and put them in it: "It's hot to touch!" , Auntie will put it on the table for you, and eat it later when it is cold."

"Okay." The two little ones nodded obediently, sat on the small bench with their heads on their hands, and watched eagerly.

Soon, Lin Zhen, who was sweating profusely around the stove, asked Lin Xiaoyao to turn off the fire: "The rice cracker candy is ready, just leave a small fire in it to make sure it doesn't cool, and let everyone have a taste first."

"Okay." Lin Xiaoyao quickly turned off the fire, washed her hands to wipe the cutting board clean, sprinkled some flour on it, and placed the square mold.

Lin Zhen poured the fried rice cracker candy into the mold, pressed it tightly with a wooden board, and cut it into long strips after cooling for a while.

Lin Xiaoyao and sister-in-law Lin and sister-in-law Lin yelled at the men and boys busy in the yard: "Eat rice cracker candies!"

Father Lin put the couplet in his hand on the table next to him, and said to Gu Lin with extreme satisfaction: "Shuan Zi, let's go and try the rice cracker candy made by your Uncle Lin."

In Fucheng, Lin Zhen makes rice cracker candy every year, and the children of many shopkeepers on the street come to eat it, and it is the busiest one on Sitong Street.

Gu Lin never falls behind every year, but he can never have enough.

He nodded and put down his pen: "OK."

All the people in the house, old and young, ran to the stove and picked up their own piece of rice cracker candy. It was crispy and sweet, and it could be ironed to the heart after a bite. Everyone's faces were full of satisfaction and smiles.

And those children who come to eat rice cracker candy have already smelled the smell, and they will say auspicious words first when they enter the yard: "Gong Xi Fa Cai."

"Good luck in the coming year."

"The new year will be smooth, safe and sound."

Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao smiled, and each of them took a piece for them: "Be careful, don't get burned, if you don't eat enough, there will be more."

When it comes to food storage, the Lin family definitely has the most food in the village, and Lin Zhen is really good at cooking, so there is nothing wrong with the rice cracker candy he makes.

Seven or eight children couldn't help smelling the sweet smell, and blew and drank, "It's delicious, the rice cracker candy from Uncle Lin's is the best."

"I want a little more."

"I want a little more, too."

"..."

Lin Zhen naturally took them again.

Suddenly, when adults and children ate rice crackers so much that they didn't want to lift their heads, an uncle from the village trotted in: "Da Lin, someone is looking for him. It's a gentleman in a carriage!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a person who was one step behind him came out, followed by a servant carrying many things.

Others didn't know, but Lin Zhen and Gu Lin recognized him, the old housekeeper of the county government.