Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 27

  Aunt Zhang was looking for her for a small matter. She just wanted to say that tomorrow she'll be making a trip to the county city, so she asked her if she want to go together?
   Of course Lian Fang Zhou wanted to go, but she had more important things to do, so she could only say "next time"!
   "Aunt Zhang, I can't go tomorrow," Lian Fang Zhou smiled and said, "Can I trouble Aunt Zhang to help me buy some things?"
   Aunt Zhang did not ask why she's could not go but  frankly nodded and grinned. "Just speak, what do you need to buy, Aunt Zhang ah, promises to buy them while being both of good quality and cheap for you!"
   That being said, and both of them burst out laughing.
   Actually, Lian Fang Zhou didn't have any other things to buy, just the hemp paper for the window,  some cloth to make clothes, and a pair of shoes for everyone at home.
   The others are fine, but when Aunt Zhang heard her mention buying shoes, Aunt Zhang glared at her, saying "You girl, using money is like being on the knife's blade, there can't be big hands big feet (meaning loosely handing out money)! What need is there to buy shoes? Isn't it fine to make them yourselves? There's plenty of things that money will be needed to be spent on in the future! You can't be so wasteful! Such a coincidence that I also have to make shoes, so when the time comes, I'll request for more  leftover cloth from the tailor shop's master. When I'm back, I'll give you some. I guarantee there will be enough for you. You just need to buy a pack of inner soles and do some needlework!"
  "Aunt Zhang, I ..." For a moment, Lian Fang Zhou couldn't speak.
    Aunt Zhang talking like this and not treating her like outsider, made her very grateful, grateful from the bottom of her heart. But d.a.m.n, she doesn't know how to make shoes ah!
    Whatever inner soles were, she had never seen them before ah!
    She hadn't even seen the simple ancient chinese commoner clothing style, so when the time comes, she'll invite the village aunt or sister who are good at their work to help give pointers and it'll be fine. Otherwise, she can't even make clothes ah.
    Only the thought that the original Lian Fang Zhou could do it, so for a moment she did not know what to say.
    "Oh!" Aunt Zhang gently sighed and said in 'such a pity' tone: "No wonder you said it like that. Qing er is still small; you, one person having to manage the family, and also having to work on the field, definitely won't have much time to make shoes! Let's not mention anything else, just the inner sole is a lot of work na!"
    Lian Fang Zhou mentally sighed out in relief. Although Aunt Zhang misunderstood, such a misunderstanding is what she was begging for!
    So she smiled and was about to speak –
Who knew that Aunt Zhang continue on and said, "How about this! Ah Juan and I will help you with the soles! And when you're free, just stick the front on and it's done – Ah, you're not allowed to decline! That's how it'll be settled! "
   Since Aunt Zhang said it like this, Lian Fang Zhou couldn't really say any words of rejection, so she only nodded and agreed, giving her thanks.
   The next day after breakfast, using a dustpan Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze spread out the mushroom which were picked yesterday, left at the front to sun-dry and told Lian Fang Qing and Lian Che to watch the house. If it is going to rain, they had to bring the mushroom into the house; as the sun moves, also move them a bit.
   The two of them then went to Mount Xian Teng again.
   Sun Zhang Xing went really early to get more time to hunt. They don't need to hunt and the mountains have plenty of mushrooms, so they don't need to go out too early.
   There were seven-eight consecutive days of good weather, so the two siblings went to Mount Xian Teng every day. Every day they brought back four large bags of mushrooms looking like groundhogs as they transported them home.
   Due to walking and exploring  the mountains frequently, they also became a lot more familiar with it. Their courage also grew, and, the scope of the activities they completed widened.
  The two sibling's luck was good; later on, they found a lot of Tremella fuciformis, as well as some precious Porcino and Hericium erinaceus. But, they also accidentally found a tremendous amount of Tuber fleeceflower. These are good stuff, making Lian Fang Zhou feel overjoyed.
   The two also caught a good amount of river shrimp. Three fingers big fish can also be seen occasionally, but this wild fish is very sneaky and slippery with its streamlined-like body shape and ability to move lightning fast in the water. Lian Fang Zhou and Lian Ze crept around, before they could catch this fish, it already flashed to another place!
   They just have to give up.