They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 90 The Little Girl Hiding Behind the Woodpile
Liang Chunfen came early in the morning, filled the water container, and with the two steamed buns and two flower rolls that Xu Zhichun had given her, she happily turned over and went to dig for konjac seeds.

Once she was out of the village and saw that no one was around, she took out the steamed buns from her small cotton bag and ate them with relish.

Both her mother and her sister-in-law Zhichun said that she shouldn't let others see her eating steamed buns and mantou every day.

She actually really wanted to show off her food in front of others, what a pity.

Not long after, Xu Zhichun and the others also set off.

Liang Mingxuan wanted to go with them, but the three women refused in unison, each saying something that left Liang Mingxuan speechless. He had no choice but to obediently comply.

The three of them talked and worked, and in half a day they dug up enough for three days' worth of supplies.

The three of them carried baskets today, divided among themselves, each carrying several dozen kilograms. They walked and rested along the way, feeling tired, but within an acceptable range.

Xu Zhichun felt a sharp pain in her chest, and her throat burned after walking for a while. She really couldn't do any heavy physical labor.

That's unlikely.

Fortunately, I had planned ahead and the konjac field was already being prepared, so the hardship was only temporary.

I made lunch, busied myself making konjac tofu and konjac noodles, and life went back to normal.

I had plenty of time today, and I finished all the work in the afternoon.

Xu Zhichun then specially took Aunt Zhu'er and Zeng Xiaoyan to see the tomato seedlings and strawberry sprouts in the backyard, and Liang Mingliang also went along to join in the fun.

Zeng Xiaoyan had absolutely no recollection of it. "What is this?"

Aunt Pearl couldn't remember either. "Is this some kind of seedling? I've never seen it before. Will it bear fruit? Will the fruit be delicious?"

The thin, dark red stems and tiny leaves were covered with a dense layer of fuzz. They probably weren't meant to be eaten for their tender shoots and leaves, right? If they weren't tasty, Zhichun wouldn't have bothered to call them over to see them.

Zeng Xiaoyan wasn't as meticulous as Aunt Zhu'er, nor did she analyze so much at once, but her judgment was very simple: Sister Zhichun treasured it and specially enclosed it to plant here, so whether you eat the leaves and buds or the fruit, it must be delicious.

"Although I don't recognize it, it must be good stuff, and it must taste delicious!"

Xu Zhichun was about to nod but stopped himself, only smiling and saying, "I don't know if it tastes good or not. This is the first time I've ever seen this stuff. Have you forgotten? It was on Master Zeng's birthday."

When she mentioned it, the two of them remembered.

"So it was grown from the seeds of those two fruits."

"Sister-in-law Zhichun, you really managed to grow them?"

Aunt Zhu'er and Zeng Xiaoyan were both surprised and impressed. That day, Zhichun had said she wanted to get some seeds to plant, but they thought she was just saying it casually.

After all, who knows what those two fruits are? We've never even seen them before.

Maybe it was picked by a relative's child to play with, and it's not edible?
Xu Zhichun nodded, his heart pounding with excitement but his outward appearance was casual: "It's nothing to try, it's easy. One of the seedlings has grown this tall, I think it's ready to be transplanted, do you want to take some back and plant them? They won't get in the way of any corners in the vegetable garden. Another kind only sprouted these past two days, I'm so happy, I originally thought that the seeds weren't mature enough and wouldn't sprout."

When Xu Zhichun said that, Aunt Zhu'er and Zeng Xiaoyan also thought it made sense. They decided to give it a try and plant some in the corners of the vegetable garden, which wouldn't hurt.

"In that case, I'll take a few seedlings back to plant."

"I want a few too."

"I'll pull it out for you now."

Xu Zhichun carefully pulled up the tomato seedlings. She had bred quite a few, with at least a hundred seedlings in a small patch. She pulled up about twenty seedlings for each of them, but not for the others.

After all, given the facts, she herself doesn't even know if this stuff is edible, so how could she just give it away? Aunt Zhu'er and Zeng Xiaoyan are best friends, so they're different from outsiders. Most importantly, her best friend trusts her; she'll definitely plant and care for the seedlings properly if she takes them back. If she gives them to someone else, that "unknown thing" might not be taken seriously, and they might even be too lazy to plant it and just throw it away.

Isn't that a pity?

Tender seedlings, like young children, are especially endearing, making people feel tenderness and affection for them.

When the little seedlings were received, Aunt Zhu and Zeng Xiaoyan held them carefully.

"Sister-in-law Zhichun, let's go back first. We'll go to the vegetable garden to plant now."

"Yes, yes, I'm leaving now too."

"Okay, I'm planning to plant some in the vegetable garden too."

The three of them smiled and went back to their homes.

Plant it now, water it, and after a night to recover, it will be alive by tomorrow morning. Water it once a day for the next two days to take good care of it, and it will grow very quickly.

Xu Zhichun left seven or eight tomato seedlings in the original spot, and planned to plant the rest next to the potato field behind the reclaimed house.

Mix organic fertilizer with soil to form a base, carefully plant each seedling, water them, examine them closely, and it's as if you can smell the special aroma of tomatoes. Satisfied, I go home and cook.

Once strawberry plants sprout, they grow very quickly. Once they grow a bit bigger, apply some fertilizer and don't let them divide too quickly. It's a typical case of one plant giving rise to two, two giving rise to three, and three giving rise to all sorts of things. Soon, one plant will cover a large area.

She counted them briefly, and there were probably thirty or fifty trees in that small patch. The germination rate was quite good. Once they grow, they will grow into a large patch, and she will have to find a clearing in the wasteland behind the house to make sure they grow properly.

The chicken that was killed yesterday was used to make noodles in chicken soup this morning. The remaining meat was also eaten at noon. In the evening, Xu Zhichun steamed egg custard, stir-fried eggplant and green beans, and made a stir-fried cabbage with vinegar.

I'm going into town tomorrow to sell konjac tofu and konjac noodles. I'll also buy some meat and bones to bring back. Maybe I should bring a bucket too, and if there are any fish, I'll buy a couple as well.

I haven't had fish in a long time, and I really miss it.

Besides, fish is good for children too.

After the uncle and aunt finished dinner, it was just getting dark. The konjac tofu and konjac noodles were already cooked, so there was no need to cook them anymore. They just needed to boil a pot of water and take a bath.

With little firewood left, Liang Mingxuan went out to move more firewood from under the thatched shed.

Xu Zhichun, who was tending the fire in the kitchen, heard Liang Mingxuan exclaim in surprise, "Who are you? What are you doing in our house?"

"Shh—keep your voice down, can't I stay here for one night? I didn't steal anything from your house."

"But you, you—"

Xu Zhichun rushed out: "What's wrong?"

Xu Zhichun froze when she saw a little girl, even shorter than Liang Mingxuan, standing face to face with her Mingxuan.

The little girl secretly cursed. She had been secretly observing the family for a long time and saw that there were only the uncle and aunt. She secretly heard them speaking in a gentle and amicable tone, without shouting, scolding, arguing, or fighting. She thought that the two of them must be good people, so she mustered up her courage and hid behind the woodpile in the family, waiting for dawn to make a plan.

I didn't expect to be discovered.

The little girl stared at Xu Zhichun in fear, instinctively backing away, her heart pounding wildly. What if, what if they were bad people?
It's pitch black; if they tie themselves up, no one will know.

Thanks for your support

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(End of this chapter)