sjar Chapter 44 Harvesting Sweet Potatoes
Chapter 44 Harvesting Sweet Potatoes
"Eldest sister, second sister, Mother is fine. She's just feeling a little unwell, she'll be better in a few days."
Mu Xue looked up, tears still clinging to her cheeks, her red eyes filled with unease. "Really? Mother, won't you stay asleep for a long time like last time? I don't want you to leave me."
Thinking about how the human slave incident had left a shadow on Mu Xue and Mu Qing, Song Jiaojiao spoke even more gently, "No, Mother won't leave Second Sister. Mother's condition is due to her health, you'll understand when you grow up. How about you take care of Mother today?"
Knowing that Mu Xue was scared, I had no choice but to find her something to do to distract her.
“Okay, I’ll stay with you today, Mom. We won’t go anywhere. Mom, does your tummy still hurt? Let me warm it up for you.” Mu Xue said, rubbing her little hands together to warm them and placing them on Song Jiaojiao’s lower abdomen. She remembered that her mother had done this once when her stomach hurt.
Looking at Mu Xue's serious face, Song Jiaojiao felt a warmth in her heart, thinking that this sweet little girl was now hers.
Thinking back, the original owner didn't have menstrual cramps. But ever since Wang Chi was taken to join the army, even though she was pregnant, Wang Pozi would make her do all sorts of things, which caused Mu Xue to give birth more than half a month early. After giving birth, she hadn't even rested for two days before Wang Pozi made her do all sorts of chores again. From then on, every time she had her period, it felt like it was taking half of Song Jiaojiao's life.
Song Jiaojiao suspected there was something wrong with her uterus, so she went to Huichuntang in town that day to see a doctor.
After drinking the brown sugar water, Song Jiaojiao and Mu Xue went back to bed. Seeing the sleeping girl beside her, her nose still red from crying, and feeling the warmth in her stomach, Song Jiaojiao also fell asleep without realizing it.
When Song Jiaojiao woke up again, Mu Xue was no longer by her side, and it was extremely quiet outside. Just as she was about to get up, she felt a rush of fluid from her lower body.
After changing her menstrual pad, Song Jiaojiao clearly felt that her stomach was not hurting as much, but her face was still a little pale.
When Song Jiaojiao came out of the house, she saw that only Xu Fang was tidying up the yard. The vegetables from the small vegetable garden that she, Mu Qing, and Mu Xue had cultivated last time were ready to eat.
When Xu Fang saw Song Jiaojiao come out, she went to the kitchen and brought out the brown sugar millet porridge that had been kept warm in a small pot.
"Madam, please have something to eat first. This is some porridge I cooked. I thought it would be better for you to eat something light," Xu Fang said to Song Jiaojiao as she placed the porridge on the table.
"You're so thoughtful," Song Jiaojiao said to Xu Fang, looking at the porridge on the table.
"It's my duty, Madam. Please eat. I've kept it warm, and the temperature is just right," Xu Fang said happily upon hearing Song Jiaojiao's words.
Song Jiaojiao nodded and drank the porridge. The millet porridge was very thick, and it was clear that it was made with care. The rich aroma of rice combined with the sweetness of brown sugar made Song Jiaojiao feel extremely comfortable after finishing a bowl of porridge, and even her complexion regained some color.
"Have He Fan and Xu Da returned?" Song Jiaojiao asked.
"He's back. He should be chopping wood on the back mountain right now. The young master bought a lot of meat and some offal, but I didn't know how to use it, so I didn't do anything. The village chief just said the house is finished. Carpenter Wang is installing the bed and windows now, and it should be done by tonight," Xu Fang whispered, recounting the day's events.
"Okay, I'll go to the village chief's house tomorrow and ask. I'll settle the wages there and also ask which day is a good day to start preparing to move." Song Jiaojiao thought that it had been almost a month, so it would be good to settle the wages there. After that, she could clear the barren mountain, transplant some fruit trees, and buy some translucent tarpaulin to set up the vegetable greenhouse.
At this moment, Aunt Lin led several families to the courtyard. Not knowing whether Song Jiaojiao had gotten up or not, they came in to check and happened to see Song Jiaojiao putting down her bowl.
"Jiaojiao, you're awake. Are you feeling better?" Aunt Lin asked kindly.
"Feeling better, Aunt Lin, are those people selling sweet potatoes behind us?" Song Jiaojiao looked at the people standing outside, each with washed sweet potatoes next to them.
"You look better. Yes, are you free now?" Aunt Lin looked at Song Jiaojiao's face, which had regained some color compared to her pale face in the morning.
Song Jiaojiao got up and asked Xu Fang to bring out the scale. Looking at the sweet potatoes in the basket in front of her, they were indeed prepared according to her instructions.
"Jiaojiao, are you really going to buy these sweet potatoes for two coins for three catties?" a woman who looked about the same age as Song Jiaojiao asked.
"Yes, sister-in-law, this is the price for anything that meets my requirements," Song Jiaojiao replied with a smile.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. If they hadn't trusted Uncle San's family, they really wouldn't have dared to wash and send the sweet potatoes over. After all, unwashed sweet potatoes could last all winter, while washed ones would spoil in a week at most.
"Come on, let's not waste any more time and start now. But I'll have to trouble you uncles and elders to help us weigh things, as all the men in the family are out." Song Jiaojiao didn't beat around the bush and let everyone begin.
When everyone heard what Song Jiaojiao said, they all laughed and said it was a small matter. After all, she was helping them weigh themselves, so they were naturally willing to do it.
"Sister-in-law, this is yours, 180 jin, 120 wen in total, can you count it and see if it's correct?" Song Jiaojiao put the money in the hand of the woman who had asked the question at the beginning.
"Yes, yes, that's the number, Jiaojiao, do you want to collect more later?"
The woman was surprised that she could actually sell them. She recalled how her mother-in-law hadn't believed her at first, saying that two pounds only cost one coin in town, and how could anyone be so foolish as to refuse a low price and buy at a high price? If she hadn't trusted Aunt Lin's character, she wouldn't have dared to try.
"We accept them. Anyone with extras at home can wash them and bring them over, as long as they meet the requirements." Song Jiaojiao knew that at first, people weren't very skeptical, and those who could bring much didn't bring much.
"That's fine, don't worry, I'll do it exactly as you ask." The woman asked for the answer she wanted, then quickly left.
Listening to Song Jiaojiao's words, everyone sped up their work, thinking they could finish as soon as possible, go back to wash the sweet potatoes, and deliver them tomorrow.
Soon after, everyone left Song Jiaojiao's house with smiles on their faces, and the villagers who returned home couldn't stop smiling.
"Wang Gao, you found some money! You're smiling so happily."
Looking at Wang Gao, who was grinning from ear to ear, Wang Yuan from the village asked, "Hehe, it's almost like picking up money."
"What good news? Don't forget your brother." Wang Yuan asked, looking at Wang Gao's expression.
"That's Wang Chi's wife, Song Jiaojiao. Her family is harvesting sweet potatoes. They're selling them for two coins for three jin. Today, she carried 120 jin and sold them for 80 coins."
"What?! Two coins for three catties? That's more expensive than in town? Is this for real?" Wang Yuan looked incredulous.
"Of course, this is the money I got from selling them, but she wants only the cleaned sweet potatoes, none of them are bad. Okay, I'm not talking to you anymore, I have to go back and wash the sweet potatoes."
Wang Yuan watched Wang Gao walk away, still unable to believe it. But looking at Wang Gao's impatient appearance, it didn't seem like he was lying.
In no time, the news spread throughout the village that Song Jiaojiao's family was going to harvest sweet potatoes. Some people scoffed at it, while others thought they could try harvesting a small amount.