Lian Shouxin’s basket was brimming with tender green beans, eggplants, and two erald cucumbers.
"Dad, where did these co from? How co there are still such tender green beans and eggplants now?" Lian Manman asked Lian Shouxin.
Most of the vegetables in Lian Family’s front and back yards were out of season now, with only half-grown cabbages and newly sprouted spinach left, then there were radishes and crookneck squash ready to eat.
"You should ask your mother about that," joked Lian Shouxin with a smile.
"Mom has a vegetable plot outside the village with Aunt Chunzhu, we all forgot about it," said Lian Zhizhi, answering for Lady Zhang.
That was before Lian Manman ca into this world. Lady Zhang was soone who couldn’t sit still. She was worried that the vegetables in the front and back yards would not be enough for the family, so she planned to replant so once others were out of season. She suggested this to Lady Zhou, but Lady Zhou refused, saying that by that ti the weather would be cool and it would be a waste of seeds and land. Since Lady Zhou had the final say in the household, Lady Zhang couldn’t do anything about it.
By coincidence, there was an empty plot by the river outside the village. Lady Zhang and Chunzhu’s Wife took up that piece of land, fenced it around with nets, and planted so eggplants and green beans inside. Being by the river made watering convenient. Lady Zhang figured that even if it took extra effort and more seeds, even if there was no harvest in the end, there wouldn’t be much loss. But if there was a harvest, the family would have fresh vegetables to eat by the end of fall, which would be a worthwhile deal no matter how you looked at it.
But when those vegetables were ready to be harvested, Lady Zhang was with Xiao Yue, and everyone forgot about that plot of land.
"Thanks to Aunt Chunzhu who helped water it twice. I went to look this morning, and the harvest from that plot is quite good, enough for us to eat," Lady Zhang said.
"You picked a good spot," said Lian Shouxin, "That land is fertile."
Once the als were ready, the family washed their hands and faces before they sat down to eat. Lian Manman loved the tender eggplants and cucumbers, so she fried a bowl of sauce and ate them cleaned and dipped in the sauce.
"Manman, don’t just eat that, have so more at," Lady Zhang told Lian Manman.
Lian Manman nodded. This ti, they had specifically bought a aty bone that was stewed with kelp and soybeans, filling the air with a delicious aroma. She didn’t always buy bones just because they were cheap, but also to provide calcium for the family, especially for Lian Zhizhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi, and of course for herself too. They were all growing, and drinking more bone soup would help them grow taller and stronger.
"I must say, this kelp stewed with bones is quite tasty," said Lian Shouxin.
The family happily finished their lunch, and Lady Zhang didn’t let Lian Manman and Lian Zhizhi do any cleaning up, washing the dishes all by herself.
"We can’t finish all the vegetables in that plot, and once frost falls, they’ll no longer be edible. I was thinking, while the sun is still out these days, we should pick the tender ones and dry them to make dried vegetables to eat in winter." After Lady Zhang finished cleaning up, she discussed with everyone.
"Good," Lian Manman was the first to agree.
The family got ready and headed out toward the outskirts of the village.
Leaving the village, there was a stream. The stream was crystal clear, with no bridge, just stones laid at intervals for crossing. Stepping on the stones to cross the stream, they reached Lady Zhang’s vegetable plot.
Lian Manman looked at the plot that was about half an acre. A few patches were planted with cucumbers, green beans, and eggplants, and the nets above were covered in sesa plants, with the sesa pods turning yellow, indicating the seeds inside were ripe.
"Manman, Xiao Qi, the two of you go gather the sesa," said Lady Zhang with a smile, seeing Lian Manman looking at the sesa. Gathering sesa was the easiest task, naturally belonging to Lian Manman and Xiao Qi.
"Ah," Lian Manman and Xiao Qi readily agreed. Sesa seeds are good stuff; they can be ground into sesa paste or sesa oil, which are quite delicious.
Lian Manman and Xiao Qi wrapped themselves around the tent, picking sesa seeds, while Lady Zhang and Lian Shouxin led Lian Zhizhi and Wu Lang into the vegetable garden, beginning to pick string beans and eggplants that were nearly ripe. After picking them, they took them to the stream to wash off the dust and dirt. Lady Zhang had already set up a chopping board on an open space and cut the beans into fine shreds and the eggplant into slices. She spread them out on a mat they had brought with them, to sun-dry under the blazing sun. After drying for a day or two, the moisture in the vegetables would be gone, and then she could put the dried vegetables into cloth bags, store them in a cool, dry place, and keep them until the next sumr.
Drying vegetables didn’t involve any complex technique, but not every household would do this. It all depended on what kind of woman was in charge of the house—whether she was industrious or lazy, whether she knew how to run a household or not.
For example, the Lian Family had never dried vegetables before. This wasn’t because Lady Zhou was lazy. If she wanted to dry vegetables, all she had to do was arrange for her sons and daughters-in-law to do the work. She didn’t need to lift a finger.
"...Your grandma was from a city family, used to the good life, and she looked down on these things," was Lady Zhang’s explanation. For instance, the pork bones that Lian Manman now always bought at the market—Lady Zhou would not buy them. In Lady Zhou’s words, there couldn’t be much at on those bones, barely enough for anyone, and if one had money, they should buy at to eat. So now, Manman’s Family doesn’t bother sending stewed bones to the Upper Room anymore.
The children were sensible, her health had completely recovered, and she could live life according to her own wishes—how comfortable that was. Thinking this, Lady Zhang felt her body brimming with energy, even the kitchen knife in her hand seed lighter.
Lian Manman watched Lady Zhang chopping vegetables as if performing magic; the strings of beans and slices of eggplant were cut so evenly and quickly that she was srized.
"Manman, what are you staring at?" Lian Zhizhi laughed and said, "Wait until winter when we eat sauerkraut. In the entire village, no one can chop finer or faster than our mom."
"Mom, your knife skills are so good. Do you have any tricks?" Lian Manman felt thirsty but didn’t go back to drink water. Instead, she picked a cucumber from the vegetable patch, washed it in the stream, squatted beside Lady Zhang, and ate it while watching her chop vegetables.
"Any tricks? Just practice a lot," Lady Zhang chuckled and said.
Not until the sun began to set did Lian Manman and Xiao Qi collect two baskets full of sesa seeds. Then, everyone packed up the semi-dried vegetables, as well as the cutting boards, knives, and mats back into the baskets, and started heading ho.
On the way back, they ran into people from the village who all greeted Lady Zhang.
"Good people get good rewards. Look at you, you seem all better now," soone remarked, observing Lady Zhang.
"This ti, I really owe it to my children," Lady Zhang responded.
Everyone then started praising Lian Zhizhi, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi.
Walking ho at a leisurely pace, Lady Zhang still had a smile on her face when they reached their doorstep.
"Tonight..."
As they pushed open the front door, the noise of a quarrel ca from the Upper Room.
"Is it your big uncle and second uncle fighting?!"
******
Sorry for the late update. The author is being visited by Aunt Flo, amidst various ordeals. (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel welco to vote or cast your monthly ticket on qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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