The early winter sun was still quite intense. Early that morning, Juhua and Qingmu scooped out the acorns that had been soaking for over ten days and spread them in the courtyard to dry in the sun.
She then brought out a basket of wood ash and scattered it over a row of newly planted spinach in the little vegetable patch. The first crop of spinach was almost gone, so while the weather was still mild, Yang Family had sown another batch, covering it with straw for protection. That way, they wouldn’t have to worry about having nothing to eat in the winter.
The new spinach had already sprouted, and the pale green shoots were a tender sight. The mornings and evenings were still very cold, and scattering so wood ash would help protect the seedlings. ’If the spinach just grows for a few more days, it’ll be fine,’ she thought. ’It’s sure to turn a glossy, dark green and won’t fear the cold. It’s most delicious when you dig it out of the snow in winter—a fresh, sweet flavor that greenhouse vegetables can’t possibly compare to.’
By noon, the acorns had dried until they rattled. She picked one up and shook it, hearing the kernel move about inside. Juhua squinted and smiled like an old farr gazing upon a field of golden rice. ’This is all pig feed!’
Another batch of acorns was already soaking in the basin. ’I have to get all of these processed quickly,’ she thought, ’or they’ll be impossible to store!’
The manure pile for the earthworms was covered with a thick layer of straw, and she had even built a small thatched shelter over it to keep it warm and moist. ’I don’t know if this will be enough for them to survive the winter,’ she mused. ’It’s just an experint, really. I’ve never raised these things before!’
The earthworms she had dried earlier were ground into a powder, then mixed with chopped greens and finely milled acorn flour. The chickens absolutely loved it. The chicks were growing like weeds and already weighed over half a pound each. ’Won’t they start laying eggs next spring?’
Thinking about all these prospects, Juhua felt a surge of energy as she worked.
Zheng Changhe’s leg had healed considerably. He had been carried into the courtyard by Yang Family and Juhua, bed and all, to enjoy the sun. Seeing his daughter bustling about so happily made him feel a pang of guilt. "Juhua!" he called out. "Co rest for a bit!"
Juhua looked up at her father and said, "I’m just going to gather so vegetables first!"
She ran to the little vegetable garden and pulled up a large handful of cilantro, spinach, and green garlic. Sitting down on the edge of Zheng Changhe’s bed, she began plucking off yellowed leaves and trimming the roots as she asked, "Dad, are you feeling any better today?"
Zheng Changhe smiled. "I am, much better! I reckon I’ll be able to walk in a few days!"
Juhua said doubtfully, "We’ll still have to ask Doctor Qin first. Isn’t there a saying that it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone?"
Zheng Changhe’s eyes widened. "A hundred days? Your father would go stir-crazy! It won’t take that long. I’m telling you, I’ll definitely be able to walk in a few days!"
Yang Family brought out a small stool, placed her sewing basket by her feet, and started stitching a shoe sole as she said, "If you act recklessly and make that leg worse, we’ll see who’s crying then! It’s finally starting to get better after all this ti, and now you’re getting restless! The better you feel, the more careful you have to be. We only got you this far with all that bone broth!"
It turned out that Juhua had said drinking lots of bone broth helps bones nd. So, to help Zheng Changhe recover sooner, Yang Family had gritted her teeth and bought large bones to simr into a broth for him. He drank it with a mix of happiness and sha—the family was now even deeper in debt, and the new cotton quilt they had long planned to buy was just a distant dream.
Now, hearing Yang Family ntion the bone broth, he fell silent and stopped insisting he would be getting up.
Seeing his expression, Juhua knew he felt ashad and tried to console him. "Dad, just focus on healing properly. Once you’re better, I have a money-making idea, and I’ll need you to be busy with it!"
It was a small-scale venture she had been mulling over for the past few days.
Zheng Changhe was taken aback and asked eagerly, "What kind of money-making idea?"
Yang Family also paused her needlework, looking at Juhua in disbelief.
Their gazes, a clear mixture of disbelief and fervent hope, made Juhua feel a little insecure. She quickly said, "Well, soone has to co up with these ideas. I can’t guarantee this one will make money. But the saying goes, ’diligence and thrift build a ho.’ Our family doesn’t have much land, so no matter how hard we work, we can’t grow Silver out of the dirt. We have to find another way. As long as it doesn’t cost much to start, there’s no harm in trying. Look, we succeeded with the pig and the chickens, didn’t we?"
Yang Family nodded in agreent. "Juhua’s right! If you hadn’t insisted on getting that piglet, I certainly wouldn’t have gotten one—and it cost you getting new clothes made. The sa goes for these chicks. Look how well they’re growing; they’ll be laying eggs next year. So, Juhua, what’s this idea you’ve co up with?"
Juhua said, "Dad, Mom! First, let ask you sothing. In Xiatang Market, where do you find the biggest crowds? I an the laborers, the n who do hard work, not the wealthy folks."
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