The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 208 - 197: Spring Planting

Chapter 208: Chapter 197: Spring Planting

Before the month had even ended, the tail end of the spring rains started to fall, with the exception of a brief spell of clear weather on the second day of the second month when the Dragon raises its head. Other than that, it was either raining or brewing to rain.

The spring seemed to come exceptionally early this year and with considerable vigor.

After the spring rain and a gust of spring wind, the grass in the fields grew as if it had consumed the nutrients Keke spoke of, shooting up rapidly. The weeds on either side of the path, which barely showed before Manbao went to sleep, were a verdant green by the time she awoke.

Then, Manbao would set off for school with her small book box on her back and carrying an umbrella much too large for her.

The Zhou brothers weren’t so fortunate; though the sky drizzled with fine rain, they also had to go out to the fields.

Donning straw raincoats, they shouldered their hoes and plows and went down to the land.

Even Old Zhou was dressed in a straw raincoat and a straw hat. Naturally, Liulang went too.

The Zhou family’s farmland was extensive. It was difficult to achieve the meticulous cultivation that Keke spoke of, and even the wealthy Landlord Bai’s family couldn’t manage it.

All the fertile lands were planted with rice, slightly less fertile fields were sown with wheat, and beans of various kinds were scattered over the upland fields, which were also where melons and fruits were cultivated.

Such as those winter melons, loofahs, and pumpkins that Manbao very much disliked eating.

The Zhou family had plenty of land but also plenty of laborers.

Plowing was usually a task for the men, but occasionally Junior Ms. Qian and the other women would also shoulder hoes and join in to level the land.

Besides their premium fields, the three plots of barren land they opened up this year also required extra care, as these would be planted with valuable ginger and Chinese yam.

Particularly the ginger roots. Even the novice Zhou Sanlang was taking it to heart, spending several evenings spreading fertilizer in the dark, striving to enrich the soil before planting time.

To suppress the growth of weeds, they spread a thin layer of rice straw across the barren land—a trick discovered by Manbao last year when planting ginger and Chinese yam.

Last year’s erratic temperatures led them to scatter a layer of rice straw over the planted areas for insulation, and they found that the spots covered with straw had fewer weeds.

So, they did the same this year and then pulled back the straw where they sowed the seeds. After planting, the areas with seeds were revealed.

When the ginger sprouted, the weeds had yet to emerge, buying them precious time.

After all, this period of spring was a hectic one, and they were truly very busy.

With an additional twenty mu of land from Zhou SiLang this year, they probably couldn’t afford to work as day laborers for Landlord Bai.

This meant that they would forego one stream of income as spring began; of course, though income decreased now, they would reap much higher profits when autumn came, and they harvested the wheat, beans, and rice.

In theory, that is if the weather were as cooperative as in the past three years.

But the weather this year was indeed peculiar.

With drizzling rain marking the start of spring, and the water in the fields gradually increasing, Old Zhou had to lead his sons in draining the water. As he looked anxiously up at the sky, not two days later, it cleared up.

Old Zhou dared not delay, promptly leading his family to transplant the well-cultivated rice seedlings. Even Second Son and Erya had to go out to the fields. The entire family, except for Manbao, Third Son, Sanya, and Fourth Son, was busily turning in circles—including Ms.Qian, who naturally took on household chores since everyone else was working outside. Even though she couldn’t manage heavy tasks, she could still cook, do the dishes, and clean the yard.

With the help of Manbao and a few other little ones, even the sick and the young could contribute to the family’s pressing needs.

Sowing seeds in spring was as exhausting as the harvest rush in autumn. The family visibly slimmed with their efforts, and Manbao, her heart aching, opened her coin box, counted the copper coins, and took out twenty wen to buy meat.

She thought pork wasn’t as tasty as lamb, but it was cheaper.

In the long run, pork seemed like the more economical choice. Still, she felt a bit embarrassed by the decision. After all, her future sister-in-law’s family sold lamb, and both meat stalls were right next to each other.

Datou, who took on the task of buying meat, was clearly aware of this too. Before each purchase, he would ask if Zhou Si had any messages for him to deliver.

Zhou Si, exhausted from the spring labor, couldn’t muster the energy for much else. Upon hearing the question, he casually pulled a bunch of wildflowers from the roadside and handed them to Datou, "Give these to her for me."

Manbao liked to fill her room with flowers and plants; even without flowers, wild grass would do. Daya and Erya, among others, would pester Second Brother daily to make bamboo vases for their flowers.

Thus, Zhou Si concluded that all girls loved flowers and plants.

He may not have had much else, but flowers and plants were in abundance—along the roadsides, on the hills, everywhere.

When the roadside plants were depleted, he would casually pull some attractive flowers from the hill during rest breaks. After letting Manbao pick some, he would place the rest in water. The next day, he would present the refreshed blooms to Datou to bring along when he went to buy meat for Lady Fang.

So, since the start of the spring rush, Datou had to visit the market daily to buy meat, usually pork but occasionally lamb.

No matter what kind of meat he bought, he always delivered a bunch of flowers on behalf of Fourth Uncle to his future aunt Zhou Si.

Not just in the Fang household, but throughout Dali Village, everyone was aware. Over casual conversations during tea times, people would say, "Tell you what, that fourth Zhou lad does seem to care a lot for his bride-to-be. She’s chosen a good husband."

As for the Zhou Family’s practice of buying meat from the neighboring stall instead of Fang’s, there were murmurs and slight discomfort in the initial days, but after more than ten days of persistent flower-giving, only contentment remained.

In terms of not buying meat from their in-laws and instead going to the next stall, everyone eventually understood from the bottom of their hearts, because the two families sold different types of meat at significantly different prices.

On one hand, people felt that the Zhou family, being less well-off than the Fangs, could only opt for cheaper pork. On the other, there were not many rural families that could afford meat every day.

Even the village chief of Dali Village wouldn’t indulge in such a diet.

In comparison, the Zhou family’s financial situation seemed not too shabby at all.

At least Ms.Cheng felt much reassured. She said, "Although it’s only during these busy months that their family buys meat daily, and there might not be many others who do so, it’s evident that they do have savings."

At least they weren’t worse off than a few other families she had considered, which appeared to be wealthier than the Zhou family but seemingly less willing to eat meat daily during such times.

The Fang family, being butchers, got their meat customers from several nearby villages, mostly coming to Dali Village.

Therefore, they knew better than anyone about the financial conditions of each household.

Butcher Fang said, "It’s just for a couple of months now. Once the spring rush ends, she’ll be leaving. During this time, let her stay indoors more, keep her covered up, maybe she can get a bit fairer. I think Zhou Si is not too bad, at least his face and his words are decent."

Clearly, Butcher Fang also wanted his daughter to be a beauty match for Zhou Si.

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