The skilled widow is busy farming

Chapter 63

It’s the New Year and it’s snowing again. This is the second snow this year. Xiu Niang has stopped knitting and plans to take a break. Now that it’s easy to save money, there’s no need to be so urgent and hard. It’s all about what you like. That’s it.

She sat in the main room by the window, set up a table and tea sets, and drank a bowl of tea alone.

Brother Qun bought tea for them last time when he went to the Yamen Transfer Farm. He also bought snacks for them, and almost all of them were eaten secretly by Brother Chun.

I set up a small red clay stove and a clay teapot with a funnel. I placed a few red dates and peanuts beside the stove for roasting and eating. My sister-in-law made puff pastry rings with sugar specially put in them. They were crispy and delicious, and it was great to drink tea with. very.

Keep the remaining oranges and frozen pears aside.

This is the last bit of fruit saved, there are still cans of fruit, and a few preserved fruits. This is this year's new recipe, and it was developed by Xiu Niang and her aunts together. Xiu Niang came up with the recipe, and it's in ancient books.

There are fruit trees at home, as well as wine grains and other things, so you can make a lot of cans for food, and you can also store some fish in cans.

This year's fruits are stored in ceramic jars, sealed with yellow mud, and water is put around them. If they bubble, it means there is air leakage. The same is true for pickles. Clay jars are breathable and suitable for making pickles, such as pickled fish, pickled fish, and pickled fish. Meat and minced meat, as well as pickles, etc.

I made a lot of things this year, including peaches, hawthorns and other fruits, and kept some at home to eat.

Today I am brewing Yunnan black tea, which is not expensive. Now the Li family can afford tea. There is tea at home all year round. The second uncle and second aunt buy it and give it to them regularly.

Everyone is busy, grandpa is at the wine shop, grandma and mother-in-law are visiting for a walk. Brother Chun was brought up by grandma and mother-in-law. He is very close to the old man and runs around from house to house like a follower, without worrying about being hungry. Then, after walking around for a while, my stomach will feel full.

Grandma Wang and the children went to clan school. Now she takes the children to learn common affairs, clan banquets, housekeeping, accounting and accounting, etc. She takes them hand in hand to work, and she won't come back so early after school. Busy now.

She was the only one left at home, so she had a quiet sip of tea.

Put two roasted red dates in the tea, pinch the peanuts and eat them. It tastes sweet with the oil rings and fruits. It's rare to have half a day's leisure.

The water for making tea today is snow water. I got up early to collect the snow water from the bamboo leaves when it first snowed. I also finished drinking the dew from the lotus leaves collected in the summer.

Grandma said that she and the old man were so good at doing tricks that they could make flowers out of tea water.

I held the book and savored it carefully. When I looked up, I could see the beautiful snow scene, and I felt very good.

While drinking tea, Qing'er and Brother Qun came back.

Qing'er looked for her first when she entered the door, grabbed a bowl of cow's milk and drank it like a cow.

"Ah, I'm so thirsty that my throat is filled with smoke."

"You ruined my tea and let you drink it."

"Isn't it just big black tea? I'll buy you something good later."

Qing'er pouted.

"What are you busy with today?"

"I was busy calculating the general accounts, and there was a clan banquet to be held during the Chinese New Year. Grandpa chose me, Yingzi, and a few others to attend the clan banquet. This time, no one will help us. Let us take charge of the overall situation. If we do not do well, we will be punished. If you do well, I will reward you with an ink note."

Qing'er washed her hands and sat down to eat the oil rings.

"Hey, your uncle is bleeding this time, so he is willing to reward you with this good thing."

Lijia Village is not that wealthy yet, and the rewards are usually given to pen and ink books and other items, which are also bought with money, and the villagers are very happy.

"Let's have some fun during the New Year, and reward those who have done well in their studies. It's still the same way to start the New Year, and the money spent on family studies is still useful."

The brothers also came over to warm themselves by the fire.

Xiu Niang made another cup of tea for the two children.

"Auntie, grandpa asked me to ask what our family is doing during the Chinese New Year."

"I ordered a batch of ink sticks and paper from the bookstore in advance, as well as ten sets of books, and several sets of the Four Treasures of the Study Room as rewards for the family study. Your grandfather and your father donated 20 taels of silver to the family study, and our family prepared them for the family banquet. I bought two pigs, a beef cow, and ten jars of good wine. This is from our family and does not come from the winery." "Okay, I will write it down and report it later."

Qing'er nodded, kept the things in mind, and made a note later, which was to be recorded in the genealogy diary.

This is an old tradition. In the past, when conditions were not good, it was still difficult. In order for the children to study nearby, a place was opened from the ancestral hall and a house was built for ethnic studies. At that time, ethnic studies were very difficult.

Even the books were taken in turns by everyone. The eldest child copied them by hand for the younger brothers to use, and the younger brothers copied page after page. Before the Chinese New Year, everyone took turns donating something for the family education.

The Li Family School relies on the whole village, young and old, to tighten their belts and get food and money from their mouths. The first batch of fame was really hard earned, but there were no officials, such as grandpa, who finally chose the craft of wine-making. , to support the whole family in studying.

Even the father-in-law's generation has made sacrifices and concessions. The eldest sons of Li Mao have been sacrificing and giving better opportunities to their brothers below, so that they can concentrate on studying and striving for fame.

Therefore, there are not many eldest sons in the Li family who are in the early stages of life. They are all the second and third sons in their early years. This is because the conditions were not good at the beginning.

It is an old tradition to hold a clan banquet before the Chinese New Year and donate things to the clan and clan schools. This year it will be your family and next year it will be my family.

Or I could give some lessons to the tribe, and my family would pay for the food and drink needed for the tribe’s banquet, so I pieced it together like this.

Later, a habit was formed, and Lijia Village gradually had no difficulty in raising food and money. Every household agreed to donate something, and even a bowl of rice had to be recorded in the diary.

Even the lonely elderly people with poor family conditions have to bring a bowl of meat or a piece of ink to express their feelings. The whole village helps with the work, killing pigs and sheep, repairing the ancestral hall, etc.

This year, the village winery made some money. Although there was no cents, there was still a small amount of money. The villagers sold the wine grains, and some people went to the dock to set up stalls selling wine, junk goods, preserved fruits, etc., so they made a little less money. .

Every household has donated a lot to the clan and clan education, because the children are very sensible this year and seem to be able to set up a family, settle accounts and go shopping in a savvy manner, like men.

The villagers were happy and grateful to the clan school, so they were naturally willing to contribute money to the clan academy and the clan.

Xiuniang donated a hundred ink sticks, a hundred rolls of fine knife paper, two new sets of the Four Books and Five Classics, and five sets of the Four Treasures of the Study. The father-in-law and the others directly gave 20 taels of silver to the clan, and gave pigs, cattle and sheep to the clan banquet.

"What do you want to eat in the afternoon, I will make it for you."

"There's no need to do it. Grandma is delivering food to the winery today. Let's go help and have a bite on the way."

Qing'er shook her head.

"You dislike me."

Xiu Niang complained dissatisfiedly.

Qing'er immediately hugged her and coaxed her, "Auntie, I like you the most, but your cooking is really not delicious. The Chinese New Year is almost here, and every house has delicious food. You should take a rest. You have been busy for a year. , we’ll be full after just one bite from any one of them.”

"By the way, help me deliver the gifts to your great-grandfather's house. I'm ready."

"Okay, what did you give me?"

"I gave you a set of four books and five classics. Do you want to study too, brother? There are also paper and ink sticks that can be used, as well as tea and candies, plus a tapestry fan made by me. Your sister Yingzi knitted the fan. I sold it for 30 taels of silver, which according to the rules is my master's money, but we are close, so I want to return the favor."

Qing'er listened and nodded, "I understand, the rules can't be broken, but you have to take care of the favor, and you can return the favor elsewhere."

She raised her chin to show that she understood her aunt's intention. This also taught her that the bottom line of principles should not be touched and that human relationships should also be scrupulous.

"My dear, you go and give me a gift. I have some delicious sweets. Bring me some."

When Xiuniang came back from outside, she smelled that her uncle was making fried food at home. It was so delicious that she was craving for it.

"Third brother, let's go get fried goods for aunt."

"Let's go."

The group of brothers smiled and put on their long coats and followed their sisters out.

(End of this chapter)