"Nonsense, who would laugh at you? If anyone dares, watch as your older brother beats them flat." Wenhan pulled Wencheng along, heading towards the school. In fact, the incident had just occurred, and the villagers didn't know about it yet, so no one had laughed at Wencheng. They listened attentively to their lessons in the school.
Jinghan, Wenchang, and Wenxuan were going together to pick jujubes. Mrs. Xue had already agreed to follow them up the mountain, so she carried a basket with her and walked with everyone.
Mrs. Chen felt a bit stifled staying at home, so she led Wenchang, and they all went to the meadow northeast of the village. The meadow was vast; even if the whole village came to pick jujubes, they wouldn't be able to pick them all. Everyone brought their baskets and put the jujubes they picked into them. Picking jujubes was a troublesome task; the meadow was full of tree roots and fallen logs, and one could easily trip over them. Moreover, there were many puddles in the meadow, and if one wasn't careful, they might fall in, so everyone needed to watch their step.
By noon, everyone had picked quite a lot, and Zhixin and the others needed to go back for lunch, so Mrs. Xue and Mrs. Chen quickly headed home to cook. After picking for a while, Jinghan and the others also went home. They went to the same place as the day before to sell the jujubes, and then everyone took their money and headed home.
At home, the meal was just ready, and Zhixin and the old master had also returned from the fields, so everyone ate together. That afternoon, Jinghan was still eager to go back, but Mrs. Xue wouldn't allow it. "Jinghan, don't go this afternoon. Let's harvest the potatoes; it's time to plant cabbages."
They say the first period is for radishes and the second for vegetables. Here, you have to plant them early. The cabbage must sprout during the second period. Thus, they had to harvest the early potatoes first, then plow the field to plant the cabbage. Jinghan nodded, "Alright, Mother, we'll help you." She was referring to Wenxuan and Wenchang. At that moment, Wenchang was someone they paid special attention to. By working together, they would feel no different from others and would be less likely to develop an inferiority complex in the future.
Harvesting potatoes was not a difficult task; everyone first pulled out the potato plants, which brought up some potatoes with them. They detached these potatoes and piled them together. Then, Mrs. Xue took a pickaxe, dug the soil, and revealed the potatoes underneath. Jinghan and her two brothers stepped forward to collect the potatoes, picking them carefully, even the small ones. While these small potatoes were not suitable for eating, they could be washed, cooked, and fed to the pigs, saving some grain.
Their family was large, so they planted more early potatoes, about a dozen rows, which yielded a significant amount that they piled together. When they picked the potatoes, they sorted them by size, with the intention to eat the smaller ones first. Fresh potatoes didn't need to be peeled; they could just be put in a basket, taken to the river, and the basket placed in the water. Then, by scrubbing the potatoes vigorously, the skin would come off in no time. The bigger potatoes could be saved for later consumption. After a few days, the skins would dry and couldn't be washed off, so they would have to be peeled.
For farmer households, cabbage and potatoes were a year's worth of vegetables. Potatoes store well and could last until the next spring, which is why every family grew a lot of them.
After harvesting, it was best to let the potatoes dry outside for a day before storing them inside the house or the barn. Dinner that evening was prepared by Mrs. Chen. After working all afternoon, everyone was tired, and the meal was particularly satisfying.
In the following days, Jinghan and the others continued to go up the mountain to pick jujubes. When Wenhan and Wencheng got a break from their studies, they also joined the group going up the mountain. The jujube picking lasted for about ten days in total, after which it was no longer feasible; the ripe fruits would fall off with just a slight touch. Besides, there weren't that many left, as many village children had been picking them too.
These past few days, due to Mrs. Wei's matter, Mrs. Chen had not been in the best of moods, which is why she hadn't gone to see the matchmaker. While she was sitting in the courtyard doing needlework that day, the matchmaker came in from outside.
Mrs. Chen hurriedly rose to greet her, "Auntie, what brings you here today? I was just thinking of looking for you. I've been so busy these past few days, I haven't found the time." Mrs. Chen quickly poured a cup of water for her.
The matchmaker sat down without drinking the water, a hint of embarrassment on her face, "Sister-in-law, I'm afraid I've let you down. There's been a complication with Huixin's betrothal."
Mrs. Chen's hand trembled, "What happened?"
"Alas, it was my fault for not asking clearly at the beginning. Doctor Tao had taken a liking to Huixin himself and then came to me. Who would have known that a wealthy family in town, the Liu family, had a daughter who also took a fancy to Doctor Tao? The Liu family sent someone to propose to the Tao family. As soon as Doctor Tao's mother heard it was the Liu family, she quickly agreed. This affair has been handled in such a way that I didn't know how to break the news to you. The Liu family hired another matchmaker, not me; if they had, I would have never agreed to match them." The matchmaker explained the situation and was somewhat angry. "Just look at that Tao family, such poor taste. Regardless, they were the ones to propose first; they should have at least waited for a definite response from our side before agreeing to another. How could they do such a thing, ah... Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will find a better match for Huixin, and I won't believe for a second that she won't marry well without the Tao family." The matchmaker spoke fervently.
Mrs. Chen felt deflated. Only the other day Mrs. Xue had also inquired and thought the Tao family was quite suitable. But such a turn of events was unexpected. "It's alright, Auntie, this isn't your fault; it's the Tao family that lacked proper conduct. Anyway, Huixin is still young; we can take our time to find the right one. Her health has improved a lot recently, and I'd like to pick someone carefully." Mrs. Chen consoled the matchmaker.
The matchmaker stayed at the Xu family for a while and then left. Mrs. Chen went inside and saw Huixin sitting on the bed, staring blankly outside.