Touching the Ginger

Mr. Zhuang noticed that Manbao had been particularly diligent lately, as if she had eaten a big chicken leg, diligently reading every day. Consequently, she asked a lot of questions.

It's not that Manbao wasn't diligent before, but she was still a child after all. Although she listened attentively in class, she would still go out to play after class. If it weren't for him giving her and Baishanbao special attention at lunchtime, she probably wouldn't have read extra books.

Recently, even when he did not explicitly ask her to focus on her studies, she would eagerly follow along.

This also motivated Baishanbao to work harder. In his words, he absolutely couldn't let Manbao surpass him.

Upon hearing Baishanbao's words, Manbao became even more excited. Yes, how could she forget? She had to defeat the person who dared to be as clever as her.

As Keke said, reading makes a person wise. Intelligence not only grows with age but also with reading.

Growing up is a slow process, and Baishanbao is older than she is. When she grows up, he will always be older than her. But if she reads more books and knows more than him, wouldn't she be smarter than him?

Keke clearly stated that she was the smartest person within a hundred miles. Why should she not be there when he comes?

Manbao was full of fighting spirit.

Watching the two children chase each other, Mr. Zhuang felt relieved as he stroked his beard.

However, the classmates who studied together didn't feel very good about it. The gap was too big. Initially, the older students in the class could rely on their age and experience to surpass the younger ones, but they soon found themselves being overtaken.

But the children around ten years old were particularly carefree. If they were surpassed, so be it. After all, they weren't studying for exams. They would have to start working at the age of fourteen, and then they wouldn't play with these two little children anymore.

While other classmates could think carefreely, Baierlang couldn't. Since the two of them had become diligent, he had almost lived in a state of intense pressure. Although his father had always been strict with him, he had also indulged him. Now, no matter how his father looked at him, it was displeasing. Even his grandmother and mother sometimes couldn't help but sigh as they looked at him.

Baierlang was almost driven mad. He had fought with Baishanbao and Manbao in the schoolyard. At first, he had the upper hand, even though it was two against one, but he was older than them.

But the second time they fought, they were evenly matched. Although he suffered a lot, he persisted and fought them to a draw.

By the third attempt, he could no longer defeat them. Despite this, he still eagerly sought out fights with them because, apart from physically striking the other party, he had no other way to compete with them.

Mr. Zhuang felt that this disciple was a bit foolish, but seeing that he had improved compared to before, he decided to turn a blind eye to it. After all, neither side was at a disadvantage, right?

Because Baierlang had thrown insects at them earlier that day, Manbao arranged to meet Baishanbao to go to Baierlang's house to do homework.

Baierlang seemed to know this and immediately ran out of the classroom, heading back home before them. He informed the gatekeeper, "Close the gate, and do not allow Baishan and Zhou Man to enter!"

The gatekeeper replied, "Young Master, the eldest young master has returned, and both the master and the eldest young master are in the main hall."

Baierlang's eyes lit up as he ran to the main hall with his schoolbag on his back. "My big brother is back." "Don't let anyone else in, got it?"

The gatekeeper was so happy that his eyes narrowed, and he bent down slightly to talk to them, "Young Master Shan, Miss Zhou, our eldest young master is back today, and the second young master probably won't have time to do homework for a while."

Manbao felt a little disappointed.

Baishanbao also felt disappointed, but if he didn't want to do homework, he couldn't force him, right?

So he turned to invite Manbao, "Shall we go to my house to do homework?"

Manbao shook her head and said, "If he's not going to do it, I'll wait until after dinner to do it." "I want to go see my ginger and yams first."

Baishanbao's eyes lit up, "I'll go with you to see if my ginger is growing well or if yours is."

"Okay."

Baishanbao first took his schoolbag home to the gatekeeper, and then returned to Zhou's house with Manbao.

It was early autumn, and the ginger had grown very tall. The ones Manbao planted in the vegetable garden were the best. Originally, she had only planted a dozen or so plants, but now they have grown into a large patch because she fertilized them well, and they have multiplied.

Baishanbao insisted, "Yours isn't as good as mine; mine is longer than yours."

"Mine is thicker than yours," Manbao said. "My ginger pieces will definitely grow more than yours."

Baishanbao said, "When I divide them, they will fill a whole flower bed, and then I'll have more than you."

Manbao took him to see her entire ginger patch in the field and proudly stated, "Even so, mine is still larger than yours."

Baishanbao felt like he was missing a piece of land.

Their patch of land was at the foot of the mountain, and there were mostly unowned wastelands nearby. The fields were further away. Currently, they were cultivating melons and beans in the fields, and rice in the paddy fields. The leaves of the beans had turned yellow and were almost ready for harvest. When some farmers came to inspect the crops, they saw Manbao and the others standing by the field. One of them smiled and asked, "Manbao, are you here to see your land again?" "How are the ginger plants doing?"

Manbao proudly replied, "They're doing great." "When my ginger is ready to harvest, my big brother can come to my house and buy some."

Someone laughed, "But it's not New Year's or a festival." What is the purpose of purchasing these items? "There's no meat to stew with them."

Now everyone in the village knew that the Zhou family had planted ginger on the wasteland. At first, everyone had laughed at it, but now, seeing the lush ginger plants, no one dared to make fun of it anymore.

They had really managed to grow it.

They recognized the significance of ginger as every household would buy it from the grocery store for New Year's and festivals, either to cook with meat or to prepare ginger soup. Some more specific families even managed to make it into tea.

Zhou Xi had more than two acres of land planted with ginger, in addition to two large patches of ginger.

But some people were worried about the Zhou family, "Can you sell all this ginger?"

Manbao was particularly open-minded, "If we can't sell it, we'll just keep planting." By the time winter arrives, the ginger will be mature, and we can harvest and dry it. "We can sell it in the spring and summer, and it will be dried ginger, which is even more valuable."

It seemed like they were guaranteed a good harvest regardless of the circumstances.

Many people looked enviously at the two patches of ginger. Some people approached Old Zhou to inquire about obtaining seeds for planting, but Old Zhou simply chuckled and remarked, "This is the children's livelihood. I cannot meddle in their affairs." The fourth child still owes gambling debts, and this is how he is paying them off. He treasures it. Sometimes, I want to take a piece to stir-fry, but he won't let me.

This was not negotiable.

Some people felt uncomfortable when Zhou Sirlang witnessed several pieces of ginger being secretly dug up from the field twice in a row. He was so angry that he decided to have his three brothers build a grass shed by the field, and he would come here every day after dinner to guard it.

Some villagers were contemplating sneaking a few pieces of ginger in the dark.