stingy landlady

Chapter 25 Buying Wheat Seeds

In the morning, just as dawn broke, the old man went out of the house to take a walk, when he heard what sounded like movement at the front door.

When they opened the door, they were stunned. All of Zhou Mingzhi's family, except for Old Man Zhou, had arrived.

"Grandpa!" Zhou Mingzhi, along with his wife Yang Liu and two children, bowed.

"Xiao Zhou! Where are you all going so early in the morning?" the old man asked.

"Master! My wife and two children haven't paid their respects to Madam yet. We've brought them here to familiarize them with the place and see what tasks Madam has to offer."

"Oh! Oh! Come in! I don't know if they're up yet. Go in and see for yourselves!" The old man thought for a moment, then went out for a stroll.

Zhou Mingzhi and his group entered the courtyard and arrived at Dazhu's house. They didn't go in or make a sound; they waited quietly.

When Li opened the door, she was startled: "What are you doing?"

"Madam!" Zhou Mingzhi greeted her softly.

"This is my wife, Yang Liu, and these are my two children, Zhou Xing and Zhou Qiong. Come and pay your respects to Madam!"

Yang Liu and her two children hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, calling out, "Madam!"

Li quickly went to help him up, saying, "Why are you kneeling? Get up and talk to me!"

Dazhu came out when he heard the noise and said, "Don't kneel down so easily in the future. We farmers don't have so many rules! Just do your job well."

"Yes, sir!" Zhou Mingzhi and his wife Yang Liu replied in unison.

Guizhi was already awake, but still groggy from the noise, she didn't get up. Daya and Erya were already up and making their beds. Siya was still fast asleep.

Zhou Mingzhi didn't want to go into the inner room, so Madam Zhou asked Li if she wanted to go in and help the young ladies tidy their bedding and wash up. Li refused. "Our family are farmers," she said, "how can we raise pampered young ladies like wealthy families? They do nothing, know nothing, and when they get married, they won't be able to find a husband. Who would want them?"

When asked if they had eaten breakfast yet, Li said, "We usually eat breakfast and lunch together. Every morning, we prepare the food for the lunchboxes, make dumplings, cook them, and then put them into the lunchboxes. We all put them on the oxcart and send them off to the heads of the household so they can sell the lunchboxes."

Madam Zhou understood that this was something she should do every morning, and nodded in agreement.

"It's rice and vegetables again this morning. Chop up the chicken, cut the potatoes into small pieces, and stew them together later; pickle some pickled cabbage, soak some glass noodles, and cut some meat to make a pickled vegetable and glass noodle dish; go downstairs and get some bean sprouts, stir-fry them with meat; stir-fry garlic sprouts with meat; I've already told Dazhu to pick up some large pieces of tofu when he comes back. That's enough for today's boxed lunches. Let's get to work now! We'll eat together after the food is ready and packed." Li Shi counted and arranged the dishes to be made this morning, looking relieved.

"Then I'll light the fire first. Madam, would you like to start cooking?" Yang Liu asked, as it was her first time cooking and she wasn't familiar with the order of tasks.

"Light both stoves. Clean one pot and boil some water, and cook the rice in the other pot. After lighting the fire, take out the pickled cabbage, shred it, and soak it in water. It will taste good when stir-fried or used to make dumplings. It won't be too sour, but it will be very refreshing."

The two chatted as they worked, and Li felt that they were working faster than she was with her two children.

Daya and Erya came out to wash up, then went back inside to wake Guizhi. The two sisters needed to quickly knead the dough, let it rest, chop the filling, and prepare to make dumplings.

Guizhi came to the outer room and asked Yangliu, "Aunt Zhou, did Grandpa Zhou have a fever last night? How is he this morning?"

"Thank you for your concern, Third Miss! My father slept well last night and didn't have a fever. He took his medicine this morning, and I cooked some porridge and put it on the kang (heated brick bed). He said he'll eat it himself once the medicine wears off. He urged us to come and help, saying that the master's family are our great benefactors. We can't let the master and the young lady's kind heart lead us astray." Yang Liu replied respectfully.

Guizhi saw Zhou Xing and Zhou Qiong adding firewood and tending the fire between the two stoves, and greeted them with a smile: "You two are up quite early too. Did you sleep well last night? Are you cold?"

The two little ones were very happy; their young lady was taking care of them. The friendship they had just formed yesterday was blossoming even more brightly today!

Zhou Xing said loudly, "Good morning, Third Miss! Last night was the best sleep we've had in a while! The kang was so warm, and the meal my mother cooked last night was the best and most filling we've had in a while!"

Zhou Qiong wasn't to be outdone: "Good morning, Miss! I slept very well last night and ate a good meal! My mother said she'll start making new clothes when she has time!"

"Good, good! As long as you listen to me and work hard, you'll have enough to eat and wear!" Guizhi encouraged the two children.

Zhou Xing and Zhou Qiong nodded vigorously.

Guizhi went into the inner room and saw Daya kneading dough, Erya chopping meat filling, and Siya still sleeping.

"Eldest sister, second sister, do you need Zhou Xing and Zhou Qiong to help you with anything?" Guizhi asked.

"I've finished kneading the dough and it needs to rest for a while! Please wipe the kneading board clean and put it on the kang (heated brick bed) for me, we'll be making dumplings later," said Daya.

"Zhou Xing, you're strong. The work surface is over there; go and move it onto the kang (heated brick bed). Zhou Qiong, take a rag and wash and dry the work surface," Guizhi called to Zhou Xing and Zhou Qiong, pointing out the work surface to them.

"Third Sister, you and Zhou Xing go pick garlic sprouts and gather a few scallions. Ask Mother if she wants stir-fried bean sprouts for the lunchbox. If so, grab some more bean sprouts so we can stir-fry them ourselves!" Er Ya thought for a moment and then instructed Gui Zhi.

“Okay! Zhou Xing, let’s go to the east end of the village and see if Grandpa Zhou has eaten his porridge! We need to get two baskets to fill with garlic sprouts and bean sprouts.” Gui Zhi called Zhou Xing to go to the east end of the village together.

Zhou Mingzhi had already gone to the vegetable garden to dig the ground with the old man and his son. Erzhu saw that he didn't recognize him and asked who he was. The old man didn't want to cause any trouble and only said that he was a relative from the Li family who came to help Dazhu with the work.

Although having a few more people coming and going in the house will eventually make a fuss, the Zhou family currently lives at the east end and has little contact with Erzhu and his family. It's good that Zhao Shi can avoid causing them trouble.

Although Erzhu was his son, he couldn't keep his mouth shut, and he knew he couldn't hide it from his wife. The old man was taking a wait-and-see approach, figuring he'd deal with it when Erzhu's family found out themselves.

At the east end of the village, when Guizhi and Zhou Xing entered the house, Grandpa Zhou Chang had just put down his bowl and chopsticks. Zhou Xing went to wash the dishes, and Guizhi noticed that Grandpa Zhou looked quite well.

"Grandpa Zhou! You look good today! Is there anything still hurting?" Guizhi touched the kang (heated brick bed) with her hand; it was still quite warm. It must have been the kang on the old man's side that was used to brew medicine, cook porridge, and boil water this morning.

Zhou Chang, who was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), was about to get up: "Miss is here! This old servant will get up now to greet you!"

Guizhi hurriedly helped up Old Man Zhou: "Grandpa Zhou, I don't need you to greet me. The most important thing is for you to take good care of your health! You've finally started to look a little better, so we can't let it get worse!"

Zhou Chang sat on the kang and nodded: "This old servant will listen to Miss! This old servant's life was saved by Master and Miss! I won't cause any trouble, I'll wait to recover and do more for Master and Miss!"

Guizhi called to Zhou Xing: "Zhou Xing! Get Grandpa Zhou a bowl of hot water and put it on the kang. Grandpa Zhou, remember to drink plenty of water! Sleeping on the kang can cause internal heat. You are weak, so you can't overwork yourself or catch a cold. Tell me if anything happens, you can't neglect your health."

Guizhi started picking garlic sprouts and pulled up a few scallions. Zhou Xing brought a bowl into the house and placed it on the kang (a heated brick bed). "Grandpa! This water isn't that hot, please have a sip first! I'll get you more after you've finished."

"Miss, shall I go get some bean sprouts?" Zhou Xing asked Guizhi again.

Guizhi replied, "Just grab a handful from this jar! The rest of the bean sprouts are for sale!" Guizhi pointed to the small jar in the middle of the large vat.

Guizhi and Zhou Xing each carried a basket and said goodbye to Zhou Chang. On the way, Guizhi instructed Zhou Xing, "After we eat, my dad, my sister, and I will go to town to sell boxed lunches. Remember to water the vegetables we just planted in the garden. Spring rain is as precious as oil, so be sure to water them. You can take your time to dry them; it would be best if your mother could find some time to make clothes." She promised to take Zhou Xing to town once the new clothes were finished.

Zhou Xing was very happy and repeatedly said that he was strong and could work.

With a few more people working, the pace was much faster than usual. They also ate earlier than usual; Guizhi went to the garden to call out, "Uncle Zhou! Come back and eat first! We'll continue working after we eat!"

"Hey! Sanya! You only call your Uncle Zhou, but not your grandpa and your uncles? Haha!" Erzhu teased.

"Grandpa, Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, why don't you all come to my house for dinner? You'll have more energy after a meal!" Guizhi said with a smile.

"We won't go! Your second and fourth aunts have already cooked! Your Uncle Zhou is doing chores for us and you want to come to your house for dinner? That would be too much trouble!" the fourth brother chimed in.

"My Uncle Zhou didn't eat breakfast this morning, he must be hungry now! Grandpa! Why don't you come along? Have a smoke and take a break! Let my two uncles do the work! They're energetic! Hehe!"

"This Sanya's tongue is getting sharper and sharper! Dad, why don't you go eat at your eldest brother's first? My fourth brother and I will take our time!" Erzhu knew that the vegetables they planted this year were meant to be sold, so he was very motivated to work. Besides, he had a free laborer who didn't even have to provide meals.

"Sanya, we won't go to eat! Xiao Zhou, go eat first, help load the things we need to go to town onto the truck, and then come back slowly to get to work!" The old man made the final decision.

Regardless of master or servant, after the meal, everyone worked together to load the oxcart with what they needed. Reaching the east end of the village, they loaded the bean sprouts, and Dazhu set off with the three children. Li Shi, hearing that Zhou Niangzi needed clothes and quilts made, didn't let her help with the packing, only telling her to take the two children and hurry back to their eastern residence to cut fabric.

Everyone has their own things to do. Except for Siya, who is still young, but is sensible enough not to cause trouble for Li.

After collecting the food boxes, Da Zhu and the others planned to buy grain first, as their family had grown a few more mouths to feed and they were running out of food. They bought corn to process into coarse grains for themselves. They bought rice and millet to make boxed lunches, and soybeans to sprout. They also bought flour for making dumplings.

Guizhi casually asked the shopkeeper, "Uncle Shopkeeper, what is flour made of?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Sanya! Flour is made from wheat!"

"Can wheat be planted?" Guizhi asked again.

"Of course. We grow wheat here."

"Dad! Let's plant some wheat too!" Guizhi said happily.

"Dazhu! If we had land, we could plant wheat now. It would be ready to harvest in June or July, and then we could plant soybeans or corn without any problems. We just need to apply more manure to fertilize the land," the shopkeeper kindly told Dazhu.

Dazhu said, "I've heard people say that you can grow wheat, corn, and soybeans at the same time without any problems. But I've never actually done it."

The shopkeeper added, "That's how they grow it in my wife's village. Why not give it a try if you haven't tried it before? The land is just sitting idle anyway."

Dazhu agreed, "Alright! We'll do as you say, boss! Do you have any seeds?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "We only sold these because customers had already placed orders a while ago. If you want some, you'll have to go to the county town to buy them."

"Going to the county town is quite far!" Dazhu felt troubled. There were so many things to do at home, it wouldn't be easy to travel far.

The shopkeeper thought for a moment: "Dazhu! If it's inconvenient for you to go, we have people going to the county town to buy goods in the next day or two and they can bring them back for you! How much land do you have?"

Dazhu exclaimed happily, "That's great! I have seventeen mu of land. I'll go home and ask my father; he has thirteen mu of land too. How many seeds and how much money does one mu of land need?"

The shopkeeper said, "Let me calculate it for you first. Yours is done, and your father's is about the same. One mu of land yields twenty jin of wheat seeds, so seventeen mu yields three hundred and forty jin of wheat seeds. One jin of wheat seeds costs twenty wen, so three hundred and forty jin would cost seven thousand four hundred wen! That's seven taels and four qian of silver!" The shopkeeper quickly calculated the amount of wheat seeds and price using the abacus.

Dazhu indicated that it was acceptable.

The shopkeeper said again, "Dazhu, let's be business. If you want wheat seeds, you have to pay first and we'll sign a contract. I'll send someone to bring them back when I go to buy the goods. If I don't pay first, I'm afraid you might not want them after I get them, and then I'll be stuck with them. Let's be gentlemen first and then petty men later."

Dazhu nodded in agreement. He had intended to go home and discuss it with Li, but then he remembered that Li never cared about the farm work. He decided to make the decision himself this time.

Da Zhu took out one tael of silver from the money he had earned selling boxed lunches and bean sprouts and handed it to the shopkeeper. "Shopkeeper, I'll pay a deposit first. Please order wheat seeds for seventeen acres of land for me. Make sure to choose the best seeds!"

"The seeds must be all carefully selected. I'll write you a receipt, and you can take them home as soon as they arrive." The shopkeeper said as he wrote the receipt and stamped it.

"Dazhu! If you're going to plant wheat, you have to find a way to manage it well! Don't be idle these next few days. Bring a few cartloads of manure to the ground, and then have the oxen plow and harrow it. I reckon we can sow the wheat seeds as soon as they come back. It won't waste any time!" The shopkeeper earnestly advised Dazhu, emphasizing that he had to be attentive in everything he did.

Da Zhu kept it in mind: "Shopkeeper! Thank you so much! I'll go back tonight and ask my dad if he's going to plant it. If he is, I'll come over and give him the money when I sell the boxed lunches tomorrow. Could you please bring back some extra wheat seeds while you're at it? If I'm going to the county town tomorrow, please wait for me. I'll let you know whether my dad is going to plant it or not!"

The shopkeeper agreed.

Dazhu drove off to buy chicken and meat, and when he returned, he had almost no coins left from selling boxed lunches and bean sprouts. Looking at the few dozen coins in his hand, he weighed them and said, "Girls! Why do these coins disappear so quickly? There's no money left for your mother to save today! I wonder if she'll complain! Hehe!"

"Dad, I saw someone selling chicks! Hurry, hurry! Over here, over there by that old woman. Shake your coin and you'll hear the sound!" Guizhi wanted to buy chicks; with so many people in the family, raising chickens for meat and eggs would save money.

Dazhu didn't object to raising chickens. Daya and Erya also agreed. What farming family doesn't raise chickens, ducks, geese, or pigs? They didn't have room to raise them before, so they had to kill the chickens they had taken from the family. Now that they have a place to raise them, and someone to look after them and feed them, they might as well raise them.

Dazhu looked at the dozens of copper coins in his hand with a wry smile. It seemed he was really going to spend them all today.

On his way home, Dazhu listened to the three sisters' excited chatter as he drove. He also heard the chirping of the chicks and imagined them growing into a flock of big chickens – not bad at all. He cracked the whip, a smile spreading across Dazhu's face. Life would get better and better! With something to look forward to, his mood improved even more!