Planting Ginger

Mǎn Bǎo was sent home in tears by a maid from the Bai family. Text: ### In an attempt to console her, Madame Liu gave her a lot of pastries, but Mǎn Bǎo still refused to forgive Bai Shànbǎo and decided not to be friends with him anymore. ###

The people of the Zhou family: ...

After hearing about Mǎn Bǎo's quarrel and fight with the young master of the Bai family, they ignored it, thinking that children quarreling and fighting was quite normal, wasn't it?

Even Qián Shì didn't offer much comfort; he only told her to wash up and go to bed.

Mǎn Bǎo quickly shifted her attention, and after waking up from a nap, she had completely forgotten about the incident.

When she woke up, Zhōu Èrláng had already taken Zhōu Wǔláng to the market. Today wasn't market day, but there would still be meat stalls in Dàlí Village. If you wanted to buy meat, you had to either go to the county town or to Dàlí Village.

With nothing to do, Mǎn Bǎo spent her points in the marketplace to buy the ginger she had been eyeing the day before. She then took out two pieces and decided to see if she could grow them, leaving the rest for spring.

Of course, Mǎn Bǎo couldn't plant the ginger alone, so she sought out Dà Yā and Èr Yā.

The two sisters didn't know that ginger was more expensive than meat. When they heard that their young aunt wanted to go to the vegetable garden to plant vegetables, they took her there, along with a small hoe.

Mǎn Bǎo kept muttering to herself, "We need fertile land, fertile land…"

Dà Yā pointed to a piece of land and said, "Plant it here." The soil here is thick and fertile.

Mǎn Bǎo then took out the ginger pieces and pointed with her small fingers, "Cut here, cut here, and then they will all sprout, and we can plant many pieces."

Dà Yā asked, "Can we plant in such cold weather?"

Mǎn Bǎo scratched her face and said, "Who knows, let's give it a try."

Èr Yā, feeling somewhat helpless, suggested, "We can use straw to cover it and keep it warm."

Mǎn Bǎo was surprised, "Straw can keep it warm?"

"Of course, some families even use straw to cover their beds to stay warm."

Mǎn Bǎo seemed to be lost in thought, "So tree leaves can also keep warm?" Grass can, reeds can... oh, we have so many resources at our disposal.

Mǎn Bǎo, Dà Yā, and Èr Yā collaborated to dig a hole and plant the ginger pieces. They then watered the plants lightly. They then ran back home and brought out a handful of straw to spread over the ground to keep themselves warm.

To ensure that the straw was tightly covered, Mǎn Bǎo even stomped on it a few times.

Dà Yā and Èr Yā, witnessing this, thought it was a special technique for planting ginger, so they also stomped on it.

Kē Kē, who had witnessed the whole process, thought to herself, "Well, it's already buried and won't sprout, so I'll just remind the host to loosen the soil in the spring."

After planting the ginger, Mǎn Bǎo's brothers had not yet returned, and Zhōu Dàláng and Zhōu Sìláng had already gone to work at the Bai family. With nothing to do, she took her book and went to the school to read.

As for why she had to come to the school to read, it was simply out of habit. After all, the teacher didn't close the door, so she could just go in and read.

Upon arriving at the school, she heard someone reading inside. Curious, she went in and saw Bai Shànbǎo sitting at his desk reading.

He looked up and said to Mǎn Bǎo, "You're really lazy. I've already read three essays."

"You're the lazy one," Man Bao replied. "I planted a lot of ginger this morning."

Mǎn Bǎo went over and sat down, and Bai Shànbǎo handed her a paper package, "Here, it's osmanthus cake for you to eat."

Mǎn Bǎo swallowed and opened it. It was fragrant and sweet, exactly like the osmanthus cake she loved. She took a bite and discovered that the pastry was still warm, which further delighted her. So, she also took out a piece of candy and gave it to him, saying, "Here, there are red and yellow ones." "Don't tell anyone."

Bai Shànbǎo also became happy and hid the candy in his pocket, nodding vigorously.

The two children made up as if nothing had happened.

Mǎn Bǎo said, "I'm going today." "What about you?"

Bai Shànbǎo replied, "I'm going too!" My mother prepared a lunchbox for me with lots of delicious items. "I'm just worried about the cold, but I told her we can make a fire, so we won't be cold."

Mǎn Bǎo nodded, "Today, my brothers will also be cooking." If your food gets cold, I'll ask my brother to heat it up for you.

Bai Shànbǎo expressed his gratitude.

The Bai family still sent Dà Jí and a donkey cart to follow them, but Zhōu Èrláng went to borrow a flatbed cart. The children rode in the donkey cart, but they couldn't fit everything on it. After all, it was their own business, wasn't it?

Bai Èrláng didn't want to go, but he was forced by his father to climb onto the donkey cart, which earned him the disdain of Bai Shànbǎo and Mǎn Bǎo.

Crying at such a mature age is truly shameful.

Madame Bai didn't understand this and felt sorry for her son. She couldn't help but ask her mother-in-law to plead for her son.

As soon as Madame Bai spoke, Master Bai said, "Mother, I'm doing this for the good of the child. It's better to go out and see the world than to stay at home and do nothing."

"What is there to see in a group of laborers working?" "Bye," Madame said. "Haven't you heard what Èrláng said?" The Zhou family is going to make money, not to do anything special. The two children are still very young. What special abilities do they possess?

Bai Master said, "Mother, there's a lot to see in this. You haven't seen the notebooks they brought back." Otherwise, why would Shěn Nǎinai be more concerned about her own child than you are, and yet she lets Shànbǎo go?

Madame Bai fell silent at this.

Bai Master continued, "It's a pity that this kid doesn't listen." In two notebooks of notes, apart from a few scattered pages with his handwriting, the rest are all written by Shànbǎo. "It shows how lazy he is."

Madame Bai became even more silent, afraid that her plea would not be successful and would only further enrage her son against her grandson.

Zhōu Èrláng and the others soon arrived at the official road. Today, the laborers were digging and repairing waterways, mainly focusing on excavating irrigation ditches, which was more challenging than repairing roads.

Zhōu Èrláng glanced at Zhōu Sānláng, then greeted the two bailiffs with a bow, as there was little need for conversation that day.

Mǎn Bǎo happily collected firewood from all around. She dragged the pieces together and then asked Liù Gē to come and take them.

Zhōu Wǔláng had already worked here once and knew how to work quickly. While his second brother was building the stove, he went to fetch water with a bucket.

Yesterday, they only brought one wooden bucket, but today they brought a pair.

After bringing the water, they placed the chopped bones into the cauldron and then added water to ignite the fire.

Everything else could be done, but the bone soup needed to simmer for a while to taste good.

Mǎn Bǎo and Bai Shànbǎo ran over with a large branch, then dropped it and joined in the fun. "Second brother, what kind of dishes are you making?"

"Pork stewed with cabbage, pork stewed with radish, five wen per spoon."

Whether anyone would buy it was uncertain, but it didn't matter if no one did. He didn't prepare much and planned to leave some for the third brother, taking the rest home for the family to eat.