Juhua felt a sense of foreboding when she heard this. Sure enough, her father continued, "When the ti cos, Juhua, Shitou’s mother, and Shitou’s grandmother will stay ho and cook. The rest of us will all go to the fields—even your mother and Huai Zi’s mother. We’ll get all the spring planting done in one go, and the rest will be easy."
Qingmu saw the look on his sister’s face and asked worriedly, "Cooking for that many people... Juhua might not be able to handle it."
Zheng Changhe quickly reassured Juhua, "It’s not that many people. If you count, our three families all together are only twelve people. That’s much fewer than when we were clearing the land. Besides, Shitou’s mother and grandmother can help you. I hear Shitou’s grandmother is a good cook."
Yang Shi was also a bit hesitant, but there was no other way. They’d never manage if they didn’t work together. She said to Juhua, "Your brother and Huai Zi will be in the fields then too. Yangzi and Little Shitou can help out at ho. They can pick vegetables, hand you things, or run errands. Besides, Shitou’s mother is a feisty one. Even though she’s pregnant, she doesn’t slack off when it cos to work."
Juhua smiled and said to her parents and brother, "I’m not complaining that cooking is tiring. It’s just that if we team up, the days of cooking for so many people will drag on. I’m used to cooking for the four of us every day, but I’m not used to cooking for a big crowd. When we were clearing the land, it was only for a few busy days. But this spring planting... if three families work together, with all the bits before and after, won’t it take a long ti? But it’s alright. They’re all people we know well, so I’ll just cook. Cooking for a dozen or so people with Shitou’s mother and grandmother probably won’t be too hectic. If we really can’t manage, I’ll just put Yangzi and Little Shitou to work."
Hearing this, Qingmu said to his parents, "In that case, let’s just do all the cooking at our house. When it’s their turn, they can just bring their rice and vegetables over. It’ll save a lot of trouble."
Yang Shi agreed. "Yes! That’s a good idea. Take Huai Zi’s family, for example. If his mother is also in the fields, no one will know where anything is in the kitchen. It’s better to cook everything at our place. It’ll save Juhua from running back and forth."
Juhua agreed too, thinking it was a good plan. ’If I have to go to soone else’s kitchen, I wouldn’t even know where to start. And with Shitou’s mother pregnant and her grandmother getting on in years, the main cooking responsibility would definitely fall on anyway. It’s better to have it at our own house.’
After a few spells of lingering spring rain, the green of the mountains and fields deepened. The weather grew warr, and the soil, now thoroughly moist, spurred all things to life. The mujin surrounding the courtyard sent out tender new shoots. The withered wild chrysanthemums sprouted fresh buds and grew new seedlings. Swallows carrying mud flew over to build a nest under the thatched eaves, bustling in and out every day. The water plants along the banks of the Little Qing River were a lush green, and Juhua even picked so wild celery to take ho and stir-fry. It was wonderfully fragrant.
If you stood near Jing Lake and looked up toward Little Qing Mountain, the layered shades of green stretching from the fields up the mountainside truly looked like a watercolor painting. Where the trees were dense, it was an overwhelming sea of green; where they were sparse, the azaleas showed through from underneath, red as fire!
In a spring like this, Juhua could never bring herself to stay cooped up at ho. But there were too many miscellaneous chores at ho. If you wanted to live a good life, you had to take proper care of the chickens, ducks, and pigs. She rushed through her work day after day, only managing to steal a mont’s rest here and there. During these monts, she would go check on the vegetable garden, or dig up so wild chrysanthemums to plant along the outer layer of the mujin fence.
So, you could say that everyone has a possessive streak; it just depends on what it is you love.
When Juhua saw the small wild chrysanthemums sprouting, she couldn’t resist the urge to transplant them all around the mujin-fenced yard, and even next to the little vegetable garden. ’By autumn, that ring of gold will surely be a delightful sight, sothing to lift the spirits.’
She chose a spot where the wild chrysanthemums grew densely and dug up a good number to transplant. She did most of the transplanting in the evening. After planting and watering them, the little seedlings would stand up straight and full of life the next day.
She was constantly busy, and seeing that she couldn’t squeeze out any more free ti, she realized the bamboo shoots on the mountain were about to get old. So she told Yang Shi that she wanted to go for a walk on the mountain and pick so wild bamboo shoots while she was at it. ’It was always better to be clear with your own family.’
When Yang Shi heard she wanted to go up the mountain to pick wild bamboo shoots, she smiled and said, "Then go ahead. This ti of spring, the young girls in our village also co out for so fresh air. You should invite izi and i to go with you. Tie up your shoes and pant legs, and be careful of snakes! I’ll watch the house for the next few days, so you should pick a lot. If they’re tasty, I’ll go up the mountain with you to pick so more after your brother cos ho from his studies in the evening."
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