130: Chapter 119: Tattling (Bonus chapter for my reader Snow*Flower’s donation) 130: Chapter 119: Tattling (Bonus chapter for my reader Snow*Flower’s donation) The new year was fast approaching, and the streets were bustling with people buying new year’s goods, or parents bringing their children to join the festive crowd.
Only during the harvest and the new year did adults willingly open their wallets to purchase treats for the children.
Zhou Wulang’s candy business was thriving, so much so that even Zhou Silang hadn’t expected the candy they brought to be so popular.
At one coin apiece, many children had initially hesitated to buy, but now there were queues of them eager to purchase.
Zhou Silang couldn’t help but ponder and whispered to Zhou Wulang, “Five, can we keep this business going for the long term?
Why didn’t you all co to the county town before?”
While selling candy and collecting money, Zhou Wulang replied, “Don’t bother thinking about it.
It’s just because the new year is here.
Normally, there aren’t many kids on the streets willing to spend a coin for a piece of candy.
Usually, we sell our candies to the county magistrate’s daughter and the children next door to their house.”
Zhou Silang could only utter a disappointed “oh,” as he helped sell the candies and then collect the money.
Since he had also put in the effort today, when they returned ho that evening, Manbao subtracted the costs and then divided the remaining money equally among them.
Zhou Silang received eighty coins and was overjoyed.
Then, pocketing her own share of the profits, Manbao ran ho to tell her mother, “Mom, we made money selling candy today.
Fourth brother got eighty coins.”
Ms.
Qian asked, “Why haven’t I seen you contribute your share to the family?”
That’s when Manbao realized that by reporting the situation, she had inadvertently exposed herself.
Yet after pondering for a mont, she hugged her mother’s arm and cooed, “We still need to buy candy.
If we contribute our share, there won’t be much money left.
Mom, can we not contribute our candy earnings to the family from now on?”
Ms.
Qian gently tapped her nose and said, “You thought nobody knew that you and Five have been secretly selling candy to make money?
Fine, don’t contribute, but this is the only exception.
Tell , is the money from your Fifth brother and Sixth brother with you?”
Clutching the pocket of her dress, Manbao protested in alarm, “Mom, I would never betray Fifth brother and Sixth brother.”
Ms.
Qian couldn’t help herself and tapped her daughter’s head, chiding, “What nonsense are you thinking?
Am I that kind of person?
I just want to know, how much money have your Fifth brother and Sixth brother saved with you?”
Although Ms.
Qian had yet to see the money on her daughter, she had a rough idea.
Besides, the child found it hard to resist spending money, especially on food, so there was no need for concern.
But she couldn’t guess how much Five and Sixth had accumulated.
Manbao, on the other hand, turned around and dashed off, declaring, “I won’t tell you, I promised Fifth brother and Sixth brother.”
Ms.
Qian didn’t catch her and let her slip away.
Well, there was no need to ask further.
After pondering for a bit, she called Silang into the house.
When Zhou Silang ca out again, his head was hung low.
His eyes swept through the courtyard without spotting Manbao, so he headed out.
Walking a little way, he heard noises from the vegetable garden and followed the sounds.
Upon seeing Manbao squatting and chatting happily with everyone, he stord up to her, shouting, “Manbao!
Did you and mom inform on us?”
Manbao looked up from the crowd, spotted her fourth brother, and scampered over, taking hold of his hand with grave sincerity, “Fourth Brother, I did it all for your own good.”
Zhou Silang was infuriated, thinking about his hard-earned eighty coins.
For his own good?
“Think about it, what do I gain from telling mom that you’ve saved money?
Nothing.
It would just let her know we’ve made money without contributing.”
Zhou Silang grew even more angry, “So you’re harming others without benefiting yourself.”
“Who says?
I’m harming myself for your benefit.
You still owe the family money, yet you make so but don’t offer to pay it back.
What will our parents and siblings think if they find out?” Manbao argued, “Your reputation is already not so good.
It’ll only get worse.
This is all for your benefit.”
Manbao continued, “Besides, what use is keeping the money?
You’re going to gamble it away?”
“I won’t gamble it,” he retorted.
“If you’re not gambling, then what do you need the money for?” Manbao challenged him, “Are you willing to buy at for the family?
Will you buy new clothes?”
Zhou Silang: …Not willing!
“See, I knew you wouldn’t be willing.
So in the end, isn’t the money going to be used to repay debts?
Since you have to pay it back eventually, it’s better to do it sooner rather than later.
Fourth brother, to protect you, I even got scolded by mom.
We made money and didn’t contribute, yet you haven’t even thanked yet…..”
Zhou Silang actually found Manbao’s words reasonable, but he refused to believe her self-sacrificing spiel.
How could she possibly be one to harm herself to benefit others?
Listening expressionlessly to her, he decided to rise above the argunt and tried to pull his hand away to leave.
However, Manbao grasped his hand, “Fourth Brother, since you’re here, co and look at our ginger.
It has grown so big.
After the new year, we can plant it in the ground.”
“Already?” Concerned about his wasteland, Zhou Silang beca more serious and asked, “Did you ask when the ginger should be planted?”
Manbao had already checked the ginger entry, which stated that germination could only occur at temperatures above 16 degrees Celsius.
Though Manbao didn’t understand what 16 degrees Celsius ant, Keke said it would be when spring arrived with blossoming flowers.
Anyway, since she used straw to keep the ginger warm and it had already sprouted, she believed the sa could be done in the fields.
Moreover, spring was about to start right after the new year, and she had asked her sister-in-law, who said seeding tasks would begin right after the first lunar month.
So, Manbao had already planned, “After the fifteenth, when the sun is out, we’ll take the ginger out to dry for a few days before planting it in the field.”
The ginger entry suggested cutting the ginger into pieces, removing the rotten parts, soaking them in ash water, and then drying for seven to eight days before planting.
This was to prevent disease in the ginger.
Manbao thought this thod of cultivation seed similar to that of yams.
She had also asked Keke if tubers growing underground, in general, liked to be soaked in ash water before being dried out.
After checking, Keke confird that most tuberous plants were recomnded to be planted in this way, although, in the future, people would use nutrient solutions instead.
Since no specific solutions were available here, soaking in ash water was the best alternative.
The planting of yams was even earlier than that of ginger, and they had already been sun-dried, then placed in the kitchen for seedling growth.
It couldn’t be helped; yam seedling growth required about twenty days in a relatively warm environnt.
Aside from their bedrooms, the kitchen was the warst place in the house.
Manbao couldn’t have kept the ash-covered, oddly-slling yams in the house, so they were placed in the kitchen.
Close to the stove, in a corner, heaps of straw were piled for warmth.
When the kitchen fire was lit, its glow would warm the straw, and families habitually ward themselves by the kitchen fire during the coldest days, which also helped to warm the yams.
Initially, Manbao wasn’t sure if it would work, but with the weather warming up recently and lots of sunshine, Keke reminded her it was about ti.
Manbao lifted the straw and peeked underneath, discovering that so of the yam tubers had begun to sprout.
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