The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 179 - 168: Completion of the New House

Chapter 179: Chapter 168: Completion of the New House

Junior Ms. Qian whispered, "This year, our family has acquired another twenty mu of Yongye Fields. Just managing these will take up a lot of time; how could we possibly have any time to tend to uncultivated land? Besides, winter has arrived, and we also need to work on building the house. We really can’t spare any hands or feet for reclaiming new land."

Zhou Dalang simply sighed and said, "Isn’t it because Datou and Daya aren’t getting any younger? Especially Daya, in a few more years, it will be time to arrange her marriage."

The Zhou Family did not split their household, so naturally, the betrothal gifts for the grandchildren’s marriages also came from the common funds. Zhou Dalang was not too worried about Datou and Third, but Daya was a girl, and when the time came, it was better to give her a more generous dowry to look respectable.

Junior Ms. Qian pondered and said, "Let’s get through next year first and see if we can manage. If we can, we’ll also select a good spot to start tilling the land. Moreover, after next year, Datou and Daya will be another year older; they’ll be able to help out more with the work in the fields."

Zhou Dalang could only agree.

What to plant on the allocated land was regulated, and with Yongye Fields, they could only grow crops. Even if the county regulations were lax, at least eighty percent of the land had to be used for growing grains.

Therefore, it was not possible for them to use too much of the good land to grow crops like ginger and Chinese yam, which cannot be used as grains.

Moreover, Old Zhou was very cautious. Although ginger and Chinese yam had indeed brought significant income to the family this year, that was because they were planted in small quantities; the scarcity allowed them to sell well. But if they were planted in larger quantities, could they sell all of it?

Not to mention, ginger and Chinese yam were not something that needed to be eaten daily. So it was already a risk for him to allocate a few mu of land to grow them.

So for his third son’s decision to reclaim land for planting ginger, he wasn’t very happy.

"There’s no lack of work in the fields. If we don’t do the work meticulously, there will surely be a decrease in crop yield. The younger ones, like Four and the others, might be fooling around, but why is even Third joining the bustle?"

Ms. Qian instead said, "Eldest’s cooking is excellent, and with the monthly income from the school job, there’s always money coming in. Two doesn’t need to be mentioned—his bamboo weaving skills earn him no less than the eldest household each month. But what about Third? He doesn’t have any other skills; he knows only how to farm. Now even his fourth child is three years old, and if another child comes, rearing children doesn’t cost money huh?"

"The family hasn’t shorted them on food and drink."

"Is rearing children just about food and drink?" Ms. Qian chided. "Does making clothes from fabric not cost money? Not to mention, if he wants to boil some brown sugar water for his wife, should he have to go begging to the eldest’s household? Let him do it, get a seventy to eighty percent yield, and have some income of their own."

"What about the work in the fields?"

Ms. Qian closed her eyes and didn’t speak.

The matter wasn’t resolved then and there, and they didn’t show any displeasure either. Zhou Sanlang remained blissfully ignorant and took the opportunity to scout a spot near the mountain; eventually, he chose a plot not far from Zhou Xi’s barren land.

He marked it off, deciding to reclaim it when he found the time.

However, he wouldn’t have the time in the near future because the Zhou Family had already started digging foundations for their house.

The stones quarried from the mountain were delivered one after another, and the construction of the Zhou Family’s house began.

Manbao was overjoyed. Every day after school, she would first make a round around the house before going to the Bai Family to do her homework.

With sufficient materials and plenty of hands, the construction of the house was quick. The Zhou Family, unlike the Bai Family, whose houses were numerous and who even dug ponds in their courtyards, completed their seven rooms made of brick and stone in less than eighteen days.

After Old Zhou paid the workers and checked the remaining money in the cashbox, he felt a twinge in his heart, "We still need to prepare bedding."

"And beds!" Manbao, who had just finished touring her new room, came running in and pleaded with Old Zhou, "Dad, I want a new bed."

"Isn’t your small bed still good enough to sleep in?"

"I don’t want it anymore; I’m giving it to Third," Manbao said. "I’ve already promised Third, when I move to the new room, I’ll give my small bed to him. Dad, please make me a new bed."

Old Zhou frowned and said, "We don’t have the money."

"But I do!" Manbao dashed back to her room, and in a short while, she came back with two strings of cash, handing them to him. "Dad, make sure to build my bed a bit bigger, so I can also invite my friends over for candlelit night talks."

Old Zhou nearly choked, staring wide-eyed, he asked, "Who are your friends? Girl, you’re a girl; you can’t be sharing a bed with a boy."

"I know," Manbao replied flippantly, "The friends I’m talking about aren’t Bai Shanbao and the others; it’s Second Miss Fu. She said she wants to come over to our place to play, and then I can sleep with her."

Old Zhou breathed a huge sigh of relief, but before he could completely relax, he suddenly remembered Second Miss Fu’s status and tensed up again, "What, the Second Miss you’re talking about, is she the one from the county magistrate’s family?"

"Yes."

Old Zhou swallowed hard and looked towards his wife.

Ms. Qian sat up straighter and asked, "Did Second Miss Fu really say she wants to stay at our place?"

Manbao nodded, "It’s written in the letter."

Manbao showed them the letter. Unfortunately, the couple couldn’t read, so Manbao read it aloud, "She said that she is now confined to her home to learn proper conduct, and that it’s difficult even to go out. She envies my freedom to walk out whenever I want and thinks it would be wonderful if she could stay with us. So I’ve already written an invitation for her to visit, and she might come after a while."

Old Zhou and Ms. Qian’s tense backs relaxed, simultaneously letting out a sigh of relief. They knew it. How could the county magistrate’s daughter come to their remote village?

After seeing his easily deceived daughter, Old Zhou chuckled and promised, "Alright, I’ll make you a new bed."

There was no point in thinking about a big bed; a standard one would suffice.

Of course, Manbao’s money was insufficient, so they still needed to contribute. The thought made Old Zhou’s heart ache.

A bed, not counting the wood, just paying the carpenter’s fee was more than two hundred wen, so Manbao’s contribution was far from enough.

Nevertheless, Old Zhou said nothing, and the next day he took the money to look for a carpenter in Dali Village, adding another bed to the list.

The new house was finished, but they did not move in right away. One reason was that the beds and bedding were still not ready, and another was that a new house was always somewhat damp, so it needed to be dried out with fire.

Manbao was very enthusiastic about warming her new room with fire, volunteering every day to wield the torch inside, waving it here and holding it there.

Bai Shanbao also took great interest, so he vied with her for play, which frightened Datou into seizing both of their torches and then chasing both out of the house, "Playing with fire causes bedwetting at night!"

Manbao retorted, "Nonsense, what does playing with fire have to do with wetting the bed?"

"Exactly, I’ve never heard that playing with fire leads to bedwetting."

"That’s what the adults all say," Datou put out the torches and said, "Anyway, you’re not allowed to play with it. Grandpa said that drying out the house is an adult’s job. Little aunt, if you don’t listen, I’ll tell Grandma and my mom."

Manbao was angry but didn’t dare to show it; she was most afraid of her mother and sister-in-law.

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