The Little Widower (farming)

67

The leisurely New Year passed like this. After the first lunar month, Li Tiejiang handed over the shop to Li Xin to take care of it. Li Xin has now left the army, so he decided to take Zhang Yin and Niu Niu to visit Zhang Yin's parents' home.

In recent years, he had almost never gone back with Zhang Yin because of his work in blacksmithing, so this time he planned to stay at his father-in-law's house for a while.

Zhang Yin once hung on by a thread, but now she misses her relatives even more and wants to fulfill her filial piety in front of her parents again.

Li Xin sent them away, and Qi Shuning returned to the academy after the year, leaving Li Xin alone in the family.

On February 2nd, Zhou Yuan also went out. This time he didn't take Chen Qing with him because spring plowing was about to begin and Chen Qing had to stay at home to help Aunt Sun.

Li Xin's shop is not that busy anymore. He only needs to go there in the morning. If there are people, he can just write down what they want in the morning and do it the next morning.

Chen Qing knew that Li Xin didn't like silence, so he invited him to his home to keep him company. When Li Xin refused to sleep with him, he went to Aunt Sun's house to sleep in the room where Chen Qing used to sleep.

The three of them lived in harmony and beauty.

When he wasn't doing farm work, Chen Qing would go to the shop with Li Xin, and Li Xin would do ironwork while he did embroidery work. Occasionally, when Li Xin was too busy, he would help Li Xin remember what the customers wanted.

He no longer stutters when talking to people as before, and will carefully ask the guests what they want.

Although Chen Qing cannot read or write, he can listen to the descriptions of his customers and draw what they want. This is inseparable from the fact that he always embroiders things. If he couldn't draw the appearance, he wouldn't be able to embroider those handkerchiefs. .

Li Xin insisted on giving him a share, but Chen Qing, who always had a good temper, gave him a scolding.

It was spring when the flowers were blooming. Chen Qing and Li Xin went to the back mountain to pick locust flowers. Their lives seemed to have no worries. The biggest worries seemed to be this year's harvest and what to eat tonight.

After they picked the locust flowers, they didn't want to fetch water, so they went to the well to wash.

Zhou Yuan has really made him lazy these days. He used to be out of breath when carrying water home, but now he feels tired after carrying two buckets of water.

They washed the locust flowers over and over again. Li Xin said he wanted to fry locust flower cakes, and Chen Qing followed him.

Anyway, these days, they are either eating or playing, and some of them don't know what the world is.

When they came back from the shop one day, Li Xin and Chen Qing discussed what to eat for lunch. Chen Qing scratched his head: "You just ate so many snacks, why do you want to eat them again?" "

I Hey, I'm so tired. Why should I eat more?" Li Xin held Chen Qing's arm and looked at the rising sun. He exclaimed, "I should go to pick up Qi Shuning today, but I forgot about it!

" When studying in the school, there are three days off in a month, and it just so happens that Qi Shuning is supposed to come back today.

Chen Qing looked at him in disbelief: "Have you forgotten about this?"

Li Xin scratched his head: "Forgot. Oh no, never mind, he will come back on his own." Anyway, it was too late to pick him up now.

"Are you going home today?" Chen Qing was a little worried about him. Li Xin had been staying at his house for more than half a month, and his house had not been cleaned much. When Qi Shuning came back, there was not even food at home.

"Call Qi Shuning to come here for dinner later, and you can go back and clean up in the evening." Chen Qing arranged for him.

Li Xin nodded: "Let's go back quickly, I'm so hungry."

Aunt Sun had already cooked for them to eat when they came back, but she didn't wait for Chen Qing and Li Xin, but Qi Shuning waited.

"Auntie, is Xinxin at home?" Qi Shuning was a little disappointed not to see Li Xin at the gate of the academy, but thinking that he might be busy in the shop, he took the ox cart back, but it seemed that no one had lived in the house for a long time. Looking a little panicked, Qi Shuning searched around and finally came to the door of Aunt Sun's house.

"They went to the shop. They should be back now. Li Xin has been living here recently. You come in first, eat and then go back to clean up."

As soon as they finished speaking, Li Xin and Chen Qing came back. Qi Shuning didn't care about anything else and hugged Li Xin gently, which made Li Xin feel a little embarrassed.

Chen Qing hurriedly followed Aunt Sun in first. It took them a while before they came in. Aunt Sun cooked two more dishes, and Li Xin ate them happily.

Qi Shuning looked at Li Xin more. He felt that Li Xin's appetite was much better now than before. Before, he always thought that Li Xin was so tired from forging and ate very little. This time, his appetite was much better.

After eating, Li Xin packed up her things and went home with Qi Shuning. Chen Qing was still not used to it.

"Seeing that my husband is back but yours is not, are you envious?" Aunt Sun laughed at him, "Where is Zhou Yuan going this time?"

Chen Qing shook his head: "He said it before he left, but I forgot "

You are as forgetful as Li Xin." Aunt Sun washed the dishes with him.

"I think I have to wait another month or two before I come back." Chen Qing said bitterly, "I never felt that time passed slowly before."

"I have worries in my heart, so I live like a year."

*

Qi Shuning stayed at home for three days , it was Li Xin who sent him back to school on the fourth day. When Qi Shuning returned to school, Li Xin packed his things back and lived with them again.

Two and a half months passed in the blink of an eye, and the wheat harvest in Luohe Village had begun. Chen Qing did not go to the shop with Li Xin during this period. He harvested wheat with Aunt Sun.

The training he had gained some time ago made Chen Qing a little uncomfortable on his first day of work. However, after the first day, he felt that he had regained his previous feeling.

The weather was not too hot yet, so they went out very early. From dawn to sunrise, they almost finished cutting a piece of land.

The whole village was caught up in the busy wheat harvest, and the villagers didn't even have time to say hello and relax. And it happened to be such a busy time, the village chief actually asked the entire village to go to the ancestral hall, saying that he had something to do. Announce.

When Chen Qing and the others arrived at the ancestral hall, it was already full of people. The village chief also knew that everyone was busy, so getting straight to the point was the key.

"I went to Fucheng some time ago and discussed with the Yamen. After this year's wheat harvest, our village will also start planting rice."

These words caused a stir, and even Chen Qing and Aunt Sun were discussing it. This question: "How do we grow rice here?"

Chen Qing remembered that when he was wandering, he had seen vast rice fields filled with water. It seemed that water was the most important condition for the growth of rice.

"Our village of Luohe is surrounded by mountains and rivers. The use of Luohe is definitely not just for washing clothes." Village Chief Jiang said, "I am going to Fucheng this time to invite two old leaders back. One is good at improving farmland, and the other is good at... Planting rice."

"If you have a field near the Luo River, please pay attention to it in the past two days. We will use the water from the Luo River to fertilize the field. We will start planting rice later."

"It's not like we don't know how to plant it! "

What if we can't grow anything?"

"Yeah, if nothing can be grown, how can we pay taxes?"

Chen Qing and Aunt Sun didn't talk, but they were worried. After all, Zhou Yuan had a few acres. The fertile fields are all close to the Luo River. If you want to grow rice, the first thing to do is to use Zhouyuan's fields for experiments.

Zhang Xu and his wife also joined Chen Qing. They had only been settled for less than a year, but they suddenly changed and they didn't know what would happen next.

"Everyone, please be patient and don't be impatient." Village Chief Jiang said, "As an experiment, our village will definitely be compensated."

Village Chief Jiang coughed twice. Over the past few days, he has made several sacrifices for this matter. Tian didn't sleep: "In exchange, anyone who has a household registration in our village can be exempted from taxes for two years."

Two years of taxes, that's two years. If they can successfully grow rice, they can keep two years of food rations. This is not coarse grain, this is polished rice!

Sure enough, as soon as the village chief said these words, everyone was already eager to try it.

Chen Qing has never been a person willing to change. He thinks it's good now, but he suddenly has to plant rice, and he doesn't know what it will be like in the future. It would be great if Zhou Yuan was here now and he could listen to his opinion.

But he still doesn't know where he is or when he will return.

Everyone was discussing this matter on the way back. Li Xin said: "This is probably caused by the previous war. The national treasury may still not have enough food and grass. Our village is close to the Luo River, so it may be suitable for growing rice."

"There is only one Boss, when will it be our turn to learn?" Aunt Sun sighed, they had been planting crops all their lives, and suddenly they had to plant something new, and they didn't know if they could do it well.

"Don't worry, Auntie, I asked Qi Shuning to study." Li Xin patted Aunt Sun's hand, "Even if he doesn't understand, he can write it down and repeat it to us."

"Isn't he in a school anymore?" Chen Qing asked.

"I'm not going. Their school said they can no longer teach him, so he can prepare for the exam at home." Li Xin said, "I'll probably be back tomorrow."

Chen Qing turned to look at Li Xin. On weekdays, the two of them He didn't notice that everyone was together. He went to farm these days and hadn't seen Li Xin for several days. Only then did he realize: "You are so fat!"

When Chen Qing said this, Aunt Sun also opened her eyes wide. Eyes: "Yeah, Li Xin, what's the matter with you?"

Li Xin shook his head: "No, I don't feel it. Maybe I ate too much some time ago?"

Chen Qing raised his hand and squeezed Li Xin's cheek. face, and touched his belly: "No, Li Xin, your belly is a lot bigger."

Li Xin also lowered his head to look. Chen Qing didn't say that he didn't notice it, but by saying this, he really found his. The belly no longer had the four-piece outline, and was bulging out a bit.

Aunt Sun exclaimed: "Li Xin, are you pregnant?"

Now it was Chen Qing and Li Xin's turn to be dumbstruck, pregnant, pregnant?

"Let me tell you, I liked eating so much some time ago and was lazy and forgetful all day long. This is not pregnancy!"

"Ah?"

Aunt Sun blamed herself too much. She had not fulfilled her responsibility as an elder. , Chen Qing and Li Xin are still young and inexperienced, so naturally they will not think about pregnancy.

"No way?" Li Xin wanted to put her hand on her belly, but was a little scared, "Is it possible that I just gained weight?"

Chen Qing nodded dumbly: "Mom, Li Xin still works hard every day, I heard He said that it is very difficult for my brother to be pregnant. If he works hard every day, will it hurt the child? Or is he not pregnant? "

Aunt Sun originally wanted to go to the field to cut wheat, but seeing Li Xin like this, there was no one in the village. Village doctor, she made a quick decision: "Let's go to the town and see the doctor."

Chen Qing nodded quickly: "I'll hitch the ox cart."

After saying that, Chen Qing hurriedly ran home. Li Xin was also a little nervous. He didn't even know how to move. Yes, I can walk smoothly.

Aunt Sun went home and changed her clothes. After watching Chen Qing put on the car, she asked him to take out a soft cushion from home and let Li Xin sit on the cushion. Chen Qing drove the car, and Aunt Sun helped Li Xin sit on it.

Chen Qing had never thought that the road to the town was so far by bullock cart. When he arrived in the town, it was almost dark. Chen Qing went straight to the medical clinic. He happened to meet the doctor packing the medical box and was about to leave. Chen Qing didn't care much and hurried to stop the doctor. .

The doctor was startled by the husband who suddenly ran over and thought it was an emergency. Unexpectedly, he just asked him to check his pulse.

The doctor glanced at Li Xin: "What else do you need to see? You're just pregnant. Look at this belly, four months?"

Li Xin shook his head. He and Qi Shuning only consummated their marriage during the Chinese New Year. It's only been less than four months since the Chinese New Year. Woolen cloth.

The doctor started taking his pulse now, and he pinched his beard again: "The pulse is like a ball falling on a jade plate. It is indeed a slippery pulse. It looks like the belly is four months old. If you say the time is not right, there is only one situation."

Three Both eyes were fixed on the doctor.

The doctor shook his head: "They are twins."

Li Xin:!

Chen Qing:!

Aunt Sun:!

Chen Qing blurted out: "It's so awesome."

Li Xin patted his forehead: "Of course it's me who is awesome!"