"Girl, do you want to hear a story?"
"Hear a story? Sure, sure." She loved to listen to stories. Zhao Zhitong instantly perked up.
"Yes, okay. Today, I'll tell you a story about how the seedlings grow faster. Legend has it that there was a farmer in Song Country who planted seedlings in his fields, but he always complained that the seedlings he planted didn't grow high.
"Therefore, he thought of a way to go to the fields and raise them one by one… In the end, all of them died."
After the story was finished, Grandpa Bai paused and asked, "Girl, tell me, what does this story tell us?"
Zhao Zhitong held her head in her hands, her eyes sparkling like stars. She said softly, "The farmer wanted his seedlings to grow taller, so he pulled them himself. However, not only did the seedlings not grow taller, but they all died.
"Well, this means, oh, I know. It means that the farmer is a little fool. The method he used was wrong because he didn't have the spring water from Grandpa Bai's space, right?"
Grandpa Bai paused as he stroked his beard. "… Yes, if you understand it that way, that's fine too."
"However, Grandpa Bai is telling this story today because he wants to tell the girl another reason. We can't be impatient in everything. We can't go against the rules of development. If we are anxious to succeed, in the end, things will go against our wishes and we won't achieve anything.
"The spring water in the space is equivalent to fertilizer for plants. Even if you fertilize the vegetables, you have to wait for the vegetables to absorb it themselves before they can slowly grow taller."
Zhao Zhitong said, "Oh, is that so? I don't want my vegetables to die. Then I'll wait slowly. I'm not in a hurry anymore."
…
When it was close to evening, Zhao Dong, who had gone to the market, returned.
When he left, the cart was filled with bamboo baskets. When he returned, there were quite a few missing. It seemed that he had sold a lot.
"Yo, Brother Dong, you're here at the market."
"That's right. I'm selling some bamboo baskets to supplement my family's income. Have you eaten?"
"No. Heh, your skills are getting better and better. This basket is so dense that it can directly hold wheat. Leave one for me. My family's one is broken."
"No problem. Just take one back."
…
At that moment, Zhao Zhitong heard Zhao Dong and the neighbor's voices outside the door. She immediately jumped up and went outside. "Father, it's father."
The door opened and she saw Zhao Dong talking to Zhao Shitou outside.
"Hello, Uncle Shitou."
Zhao Zhitong greeted Zhao Shitou sweetly and hurriedly climbed onto the cart.
This cart was from her space. No, it should be said that the body of the cart was from her space.
In his previous life, before they transmigrated, they happened to be in time for the wheat harvest. Sun Mei decided not to sell this year's wheat and asked Zhao Zhitong to store it all in her space.
A few bags of grain were placed on the cart. When Zhao Zhitong collected them, she even brought the cart with her.
The wheels of modern hand carts were made of iron wheels and rubber. They could not be used directly.
However, they could not afford a handcart now. They often used it, and they could not always borrow one from the village chief's family.
Zhao Dong thought for a moment and went to look for the village head carpenter. He spent money to make wooden wheels.
That was how he got the current handcart.
Zhao Zhitong hurriedly climbed into the cart, scaring Zhao Dong so much that he quickly steadied the cart.
Shitou said, "Hey, don't fall."
Shitou hurriedly put down the basket and supported the little girl. He placed her in a bamboo basket in the middle of the cart.
At this moment, Sun Mei walked out with both hands and said with a smile, "Shitou, have you eaten? Do you want to come to our house to eat? Your sister-in-law steamed buns."
"No, no. Thank you, Sister-in-law. Liuniang made dinner at home."
Zhao Shitou waved his hand and said goodbye. He was about to go home. "Brother Dong, I'll send you the basket money later."
With that, he turned into the house.
Sun Mei looked at the things on the cart. Some bamboo baskets were missing, and there were a few more cloth bags. She did not ask immediately. She just turned around and opened both doors so that Zhao Dong could push the cart in.
"Stop standing outside. Let's push the car back to the courtyard first."
Zhao Dong had just parked the cart in the courtyard when Sun Mei, who had closed the door, casually asked, "How was the ancient market? Did it go smoothly?"
"It's alright. It's quite lively." Zhao Dong smiled and carried Zhao Zhitong out of the car. He patted her face. "Oh, I haven't seen my daughter for a day. Let me see if she's grown taller."
Sun Mei glared at her daughter's slave angrily. "Your daughter didn't get any hormones and grow taller in a day."
Zhao Dong chuckled. "No, my daughter is cuter after eating. The more I look at her, the cuter she becomes."
Zhao Zhitong giggled at Zhao Dong's beard, but she didn't forget to praise herself. "Yes, yes. I'm invincible in the universe and the cutest."
Sun Mei shook her head at the narcissistic father and daughter. "…I can't bear to watch."
"Hurry up and wash up. I'm almost done cooking."
With that, she went into the kitchen.
Zhao Dong put Zhao Zhitong down and washed his hands. Then, he went into the kitchen and went to Sun Mei's side. "Mmm, it smells so good. I can smell it even before I enter the house. My dear wife, your cooking is so good. I'm so lucky to have such a clever wife and such a cute daughter. I must have saved the galaxy in my previous life."
Sun Mei rolled her eyes at him and pushed him away in disdain. "Go, go. Don't be a hindrance here. You're always glib-tongued. Your daughter has been led astray by you. If you're free, help me arrange the steamed buns."
"Yes, my dear wife."
…
"Let's eat, let's eat."
At dinner time, it was usually almost dark. It was relatively bright outside, and it was cooler. They usually ate in the courtyard.
At the dining table, Zhao Zhitong sat on a stool and was overjoyed.
Sun Mei held a bamboo basket covered with a steamer cloth and placed it on the table mysteriously. "Tongtong, guess what's inside?"
"They're steamed buns, big steamed buns," Zhao Zhitong blinked and shouted happily.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
When Sun Mei untied the steamed cloth, she saw a few vegetable rolls in the box.
"Wow, vegetable wraps. Long live Mother."
Sun Mei asked. "Are you happy?"
"I'm so happy."
Sun Mei broke off a piece and handed it to Zhao Zhitong. She smiled and said, "Hurry up and eat. This is your reward for watering the vegetable garden today."
She had borrowed these vegetables from Sun Liuniang. It was not much. There were seven or eight of them.
Zhao Dong, who was serving porridge, heard their conversation and said exaggeratedly, "Wow, so it was Tongtong who watered the vegetables today. When I came back, why did I feel that the vegetables were much higher than when I went out?"
Zhao Zhitong looked proud. "Right? I watered them."
Sun Mei pursed her lips and glared at Zhao Dong. "Don't exaggerate. The child will take it seriously."
After saying that, she subconsciously looked at the vegetable garden. However, she did not know if it was her imagination, but the vegetables seemed to be much higher than in the morning.
After dinner, Zhao Dong pulled Sun Mei to the courtyard.
He unloaded the bamboo baskets from the cart and took out a few cloth bags.
Sun Mei went forward to help. "What did you buy? Are bamboo baskets easy to sell?"
Zhao Dong placed the two bags on the table and said, "It's ok. There are a few basket sellers in the market, but the frames I made as your man are of the best quality, so they sell well."
After showing off, he suddenly changed the topic. "However, this can only be considered extra pocket money. Selling baskets is not profitable."
The profit he was talking about was naturally a lot of money.
"After that, I closed my stall in the afternoon and wandered around the market to find a way to earn money. Then, I discovered a big business opportunity."
Sun Mei was also interested. "What business opportunity?"
Zhao Dong opened a bag for Sun Mei to see. "I'll have to rely on your good hands."
"Gypsum?" Sun Mei looked surprised. "What do you want to do? Don't tell me you want to sell tofu! I'm not doing it. It's exhausting and not profitable."
Zhao Dong replied. "Wifey, you're so smart. It's tofu."
Seeing Sun Mei's unwilling expression, Zhao Dong hurriedly advised, "Honey, didn't you realize that you've never eaten tofu in your memory?"
Sun Mei recalled that it was true. "Could it be that tofu is very expensive and even rural people can't afford it?"
"How is that possible?" Zhao Dong shook his head. "No matter how precious it is, there should be such a thing in my memory. Moreover, I walked around the market and didn't see anyone selling tofu. I even asked two vendors, but they didn't know what tofu was."