bayedsolid Chapter 137 Returning to Zhuangzi to Plant Grapes
Chapter 137 Returning to Zhuangzi to Plant Grapes
"I have nothing else to do these days except taking care of Wen, and the villagers are helping me plant trees. When I have nothing to do, I'll make you some clothes! I'll use the brocade the emperor gave me. You're right, cloth is meant to be made into clothes. We can't just leave it in the warehouse and let it rot."
"Mother, it's really not necessary. I have enough clothes to wear."
"I told you to rest for a few days, but you didn't listen to me. It's just a small matter. If you refuse again, I'll be very sad."
Shen Wanning had no choice but to agree. "Okay, then I'll listen to you. Don't overwork yourself."
"Okay, Mom knows. Take care of yourself when you go out. If you get sick outside, there won't be anyone to take care of you, ah!" Aunt Zhang held Shen Wanning's hand tightly and sighed.
"It's okay, mother. Even if things get tough in the county, we still have Qinqishuhua and the others. Don't worry. By the way, mother, when you select forty people to help manage the mountain, remember to choose twenty from our own village, and the other twenty from the refugees. That way, the refugees will feel that we truly treat them as family."
"Don't worry, mother knows all about these social customs. Your father will go to the top of the mountain every day to check. When the time comes, let your father take a look and help you decide which ones are suitable to stay."
"As for other people, we don't need to worry. A few days ago, the village head and I decided on the hundred acres of fertile land in our family. We can ask other refugees to help plant wheat, and the wages will still be paid on a daily basis. Our villagers have already earned some money, so we won't compete with the refugees for this for the time being. The wheat can be planted in three days at most." Shen Wanning thought for a while and said.
"Okay, I'll explain the situation to the village head when the time comes. The people in our village are all reasonable people, and they won't care about such a small matter." Aunt Zhang replied.
"Okay, Mom, I won't say much more to avoid keeping them waiting for too long." After Shen Wanning said that, she let go of Aunt Zhang's hand and went back to the county town with the people who brought the saplings.
Except for the car she was riding in, which arrived at the farm with her, the owners of the other cars all found an inn in Qinghe County to rest.
"Thank you for your help." Shen Wanning got out of the car, walked to the owner of the ox cart and said something.
Seeing the two of them coming, Mrs. Xu and Lin Dashun, together with three other couples, helped to move the grape vines off the truck.
With strength in numbers, the tree was brought down in no time. It happened to be evening, a perfect time to plant trees.
After the car owner returned, Shen Wanning watched the livestream show her how to plant grapes and planted a single grape seedling in the field. The others followed suit and began helping plant the grapes.
Even the two oldest of their six children (four refugee children and two from Xu's family) came to help. By dusk, they had already planted half of the grape vines.
"Okay, it's getting dark, everyone go back and rest! Sister Xu, Brother Dashun, I won't come tomorrow. Wait for He Zhao and his sister-in-law to come, and then we can help plant together. I'll go to the milk tea shop tomorrow. I haven't been there for several days." Shen Wanning and the others took the remaining grape saplings to the yard together.
Over the past few days, they had already built three thatched huts on the farm, one for each couple. As for He Zhao and Yao Hongxia, they would come to the farm in the morning and go back in the evening.
"By the way, after the grape trees are planted, we have to rebuild our farm. These few thatched houses are definitely not enough. We have to build at least a few brick houses to store or process grapes in the future." Shen Wanning said as he looked at the farm.
Grapes don't taste very good whether used for milk tea or juice. So she prefers to use them for winemaking. To make wine, she needs a workshop and a place to store the jars.
The trees weren't planted densely; only five acres were planted, leaving seven acres unplanted. She planned to plant watermelons on the remaining acres, but that would have to wait until next spring.
Mrs. Xu thought for a moment and said, "If Wan Ning isn't in a hurry, why not wait until winter to build the house? In winter, we don't have to take care of the grape vines, so we can free up our hands to build the house."
"Mrs. Xu, I'm not in a hurry to use this house. But they might not be able to survive the winter in a thatched hut. They'd better live in a brick house. I'll lend them the brick house for the winter. When they earn enough money next year and build their own brick house, they can vacate our house."
"Wan Ning has thought of this very well. I hadn't thought of this before. Then tomorrow when we are not planting trees during the day, we can buy some bricks to build a house. It should be quick for just a few of us." Lin Dashun continued.
"No need to rush. We have more important things to do tomorrow. These grapevines have just been planted, so they need some fertilizer. Tomorrow, please ask Brother Dashun to go to the nearby village and bring back some wood ash to use as fertilizer under the grapevines."
"Okay, wait for He Zhao to come tomorrow, and I will take He Zhao with me to collect them. He is familiar with this area, and if anyone in their village wants to sell, it will be a good opportunity to help their village." Lin Dashun agreed.
"I'll trouble you with these, Brother Dashun. It's getting late, so I'll go back to the house first."
"Hey, wait, it's so late, you can't go back alone. Let Dashun give you a ride." Mrs. Xu called Shen Wanning, frowning and looking worried.
"Yeah, how can you do it alone? I'll call Huang Zhong and others to send you off together." Lin Dashun continued.
Zhuangzi is quite far from Lin's residence, and it takes nearly an hour to walk back from here.
"It's okay. It's not curfew yet, so there should be a lot of people on the road. Besides, I won't take those deserted roads, so I'll be fine." Shen Wanning insisted and refused.
There were so many things in her express station that she wasn't afraid. Moreover, although she was walking alone on the road, she could always chat with netizens in the express station, so she wasn't lonely.
"Okay then, be careful! Go back early." Although they were still worried, seeing Shen Wanning so determined, Lin Dashun and his wife had no way to persuade her.
Since it was night, Shen Wanning quickened her pace and walked towards Lin's house. In less than fifty minutes, she arrived at the door of Lin's house.
She stood at the door and knocked several times but no one answered.
After about five or six minutes, someone called out from behind the door, "Who is it?"
Shen Wanning shouted back, "Mo Dong, it's me."
"Miss, is that you?" Mo Dong asked again.
"It's me, open the door quickly." Shen Wanning was wondering why Mo Dong asked again, but she still answered Mo Dong's question.
Mo Dong carefully opened the door a crack and looked out. Seeing Shen Wanning standing at the door, he asked again, "Miss, is that you?"