Wang family small peasant girl

Chapter 7

Zhou Laishui's words made everyone in the room stunned. In previous years, there had never been such a price. Generally, cotton with seeds was always available for one or two loads of cotton. The price of cotton without seeds was raised, which was two times higher than in previous years. Hundreds of dollars, but how many cotton farmers can hand in the seedless ones, and how much effort it will take.

"The officials in the imperial court are too dark. In previous years, they didn't charge such a price. This is not to crush us people to death." Zhou Min didn't have the mood to drink anymore, put down his bowl and began to curse.

Mrs. Chen was taken aback by these words, she hurriedly stood up, went to close the door of the main room, and said in a hurry: "You think your life is too long, be careful if someone listens to you, and I will sue you to the Shangguan."

"Bah, sue if you can, that dog officer surnamed Tong, who doesn't know the wicked things he has done in the past few years, desperately peeling off the skins of our common people, and all the oil and water have been scraped into his own small coffers, if it weren't for him In this way, life in Changlai County can be so hard." Zhou Min's voice rose instead of falling, and the anger in his stomach burst out.

Mrs. Chen is a woman, knowing that she can't suppress her man's temper, she can only turn to Zhou Laishui and Mrs. Li, "Father, mother, look at his arrogant temper, tell him to keep his voice down. , for fear that people might not be able to hear you clearly."

"Boss, don't say a few words, it's useless for us ordinary people to scold you any more. It's better to think about what to do now." The misfortune came from his mouth, and Mrs. Li hurriedly reprimanded a few words , He just suppressed Zhou Min's temper.

As soon as this incident happened, all the lively energy was lost. The two brothers Zhou Shan and Zhou Ping also put down their wine bowls. They were no longer in the mood to drink. The whole family gathered around the table full of wine and vegetables, but no one moved their chopsticks All head buried in trying to find a way.

Zhang Yun's table was not much better, the women were also discussing the method in low voices, and Zhang said: "If only the people in our family pick cotton seeds day and night, they can't finish picking them in two or three months." , We will definitely not be able to pay the ones without seeds, if there is no other way, we will have to pay the price with seeds no matter how low, so much cotton can’t be piled up at home.”

The daughters-in-law and girls sitting around all nodded in agreement, and Mrs. Ma next to him thought about it and interjected: "If we pay the wages and hire people to pick them, the older mother-in-law in the village is still willing to do it for a few big money." of."

"At this moment, which family in the village is not so busy. After picking the crop of cotton, they have to hurry to order some wheat. How many people can spare their hands, and besides, how much money does it cost to spend so much cotton? After deducting the money for hiring people , even if we hand in the one without seeds, it will be much better than the one with seeds, and maybe it will be even worse." Chen shook his head again and again, thinking that Ma was young after all, and had little experience, so the score here is not bad. unclear.

After Mrs. Chen mentioned this, Mrs. Ma also felt that this method would not work. As a result, everyone was bored, and looking at the table over there, the father, son, grandson and grandson were also at a loss.

The main room was filled with gloom and mist for a while, only Zhang Yun thought differently from them. She wondered why picking cottonseeds had to be done by hand. Didn’t there have been special tools for removing cottonseeds in ancient times? She clearly remembered that when she visited the Agricultural Museum, I have seen the old style of utensils, but look at the people in the family, but no one mentioned it. Could it be that the dynasty she traveled through did not?
In this way, Zhang Yun was hesitant, afraid that he would be too out of line and make some great invention to confuse time and space. The conflict in his heart would not be worth the importance of his relatives, so Zhang Yun whispered, "Grandpa, uncle, Isn't there a device for removing cottonseed?"

Zhang Yun's voice was very soft, but in the quiet main room, it was still very clear. Zhou Laishui and the brothers of the Zhou family all looked over, and Zhou Laishui sighed and said, "I heard a scholar in the village mention it in the past, saying that the village near the capital is It seems that there are such utensils, but he has only heard of them, and has never seen them, such precious things, how can there be such a poor place like ours. "

"Yeah, our place is too remote. Few people in the poor country go out to see the big world. They stay here for generations. They can't bring in any good things. How can we not be poor?" The youngest Zhou Ping couldn't help feeling a little bit emotional. He just felt that no one from his ancestors had ventured out for generations. It was really difficult to develop if he just guarded this world.

After hearing what they said, Zhang Yun was overjoyed. As long as she was not the first to invent it, there would be no problem, so he smiled and said: "Grandpa, uncle, don't worry, I have seen the equipment for removing cottonseed, you can Do as I say."

This is terrible. Everyone in the main room stared at Zhang Yun, unable to recover for a while, but Zhou Ping was the quickest to react, and hurriedly asked: "Yun'er, have you seen it? The cotton grower in your village There are also several households, why have I never seen anyone use it?"

Zhang Yun had already thought of an explanation, so he said calmly: "It's not that someone in our village uses it. It's because a stranger passed by a few years ago and lived in the dilapidated ancestral hall in our village for two days. I was playing outside." , I just entered the ancestral hall, and I had a few words with that person, and the person was carrying a cottonseed removal tool with him, he told me himself, so I can’t be wrong.”

After telling this set of sayings, Zhang Yun was really nervous, wondering if his family members would be suspicious, so he couldn't help holding his breath, and looked at them with wide eyes without blinking.

The Zhou family didn't say they were suspicious of Zhang Yun, but she was young after all, and she said that she had only met once, which made them feel uneasy, a little dubious, no one spoke up for a while, and after a long silence, it was Zhou Min who opened the door first. "Father, it doesn't matter if it's good or bad, let's try it. The worst thing is that it's useless, and it's not a big loss."

"Yes, his father, why don't we try it." Mrs. Li also played the side drum, and when Zhou Laishui saw that his wife and son agreed to try it, he slapped the table and said, "Okay, then Just try, Boss, you will go up the mountain and drag a tree back tomorrow, Yun’er, what do you say to grandpa, I will do it myself.”

Zhou Laishui made the decision just like that. After dinner that day, several girls gathered around Zhang Yun, asking questions curiously. Aunt and grandma grinned happily, and started to tidy up her place so that she could stay with her. Zhou Lan opened a kang, and took a new quilt for her, and they settled her properly together.

As soon as Zhang Yun got up the next day, Zhou Min had already cut down the tree from the mountain and dragged it back to the yard. After that, he, Zhou Shan, Zhou Ping and his daughter-in-law went to the field to collect cotton. I heard Zhou Lan mention it last night. Cotton always takes two or three days before it can all be picked.

"Yun'er, the corn paste has been cooked on the stove, and the leftover vegetable dumplings from yesterday have also been reheated. Go wash and eat." Mrs. Li came out of the kitchen to make breakfast, and hurriedly cleaned the chicken in the yard. Catch it back into the chicken coop, put the mixed chicken feed beside the chicken coop for them to peck, just happened to see Zhang Yun coming out of the house, and hurriedly called out.

Zhang Yun responded, and walked to the well with the wooden basin and cloth towel that Zhou Lan gave her. After washing her face with the well water, she saw Mrs. Li going to the pigsty with a whole bucket of pig food.

"Grandma, let me feed it." Zhang Yun saw that Mrs. Li was busy, and even Zhou Lan started to tidy up the yard after getting up, sweeping away the chicken manure and dog manure on the ground, cleaning the yard inside and out It's clean, and she's going to dry the cotton in the yard later. Seeing it like this, she's the only one idle, which makes her feel embarrassed.

Seeing Zhang Yun approaching, Mrs. Li quickly waved her hand and said, "It's okay, you go to the kitchen to eat. After you finish eating, I have to pretend to take it to the field for your uncle and aunt to eat. I'll go." Replace your grandfather, and when he comes back, you and he will think about the equipment for removing cottonseed, that is the most important thing."

As soon as Zhang Yun heard that the time was tight, he went into the kitchen by himself, filled the corn paste, grabbed the vegetable dumpling on the stove, and started to eat.

Halfway through eating, Zhou Lan also came in, moved a small bench and sat down beside her, and the two of them ate together. When the bowl was finished, Mrs. Li came in with an empty bucket. The corn paste was put into clay pots, Zhou Lan helped to fetch the bamboo basket, and put the bowls containing the vegetable dumplings into it. After Li’s corn paste was packed, he took several bowls and a pair of chopsticks, and put them into the basket together with the clay pots Li, carried it and went to the field.

Everyone else had breakfast in the cotton field, and there were only two bowls at home, Zhou Lan and Zhang Yun. Zhou Lan quickly washed them clean, wiped his hands, and then went to pick out the cotton burden placed in the main room and relieve them. Untied the bundled hemp rope, pulled out all the cotton, and dumped it on the ground in the yard.

Zhang Yun hurriedly helped to lift out the cotton load and dumped it all in the yard. Following Zhou Lan's example, he plowed the clumps of cotton with his hands so that the cotton could be spread out evenly. Some, so that they can fully dry.

There was indeed a lot of cotton. After picking out all the ones in the hall, Zhou Lan went to the back. There was a bamboo shed built over there, and there were also many loads under it, all of which were filled with cotton.

Zhou Lan and Zhang Yun had just picked out the cotton load at the back together, when Zhou Laishui came back, saw Zhang Yun, and hurriedly said: "Yun'er, let Lan'er do it here, you follow Grandpa, and I will tell you about that thing in detail later." I'll listen." As she spoke, she took the cotton load dragged by Zhang Yun's hand, but she couldn't lift it, so she had to drag it.Zhou Laishui took the burden to the yard and put it down in a few steps, and ordered Zhou Lan to do the rest.

Zhou Laishui stretched out his hand and led Zhang Yun to the fence outside the kitchen. The tree dragged from the mountain was placed here. He turned and went into the kitchen, took out saws, planes, axes and other tools from the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves and began to cut branches.

In Zhang Yun's memory, although my grandfather never followed the master closely, he usually loves to tinker with wooden utensils, and his first-hand woodworking skills are not bad. This time, he saw that his movements were neat and tight, and he cut off all the branches. , leaving a bare trunk, and then sawing and planing wood.

During this period, Zhang Yun took the time to help Zhou Lan. After Zhou Laishui sawed and planed all the planks and pillars as she said, he stopped running around and stayed by his side. Think carefully about the utensils you have seen before, what the specific parts look like, and how to assemble them.

(End of this chapter)