Spring is back and the weather is getting warmer.
In front of the village and behind the village, there are big trees and grass, and a little bit of new green appears.
The villagers also walked out of their homes where they had stayed all winter, put on their farm tools again, took off their heavy cotton coats and trousers, put on light clothes and walked to the fields.
Many women in the village would go into the mountains in groups every day, carrying bamboo rakes, poles, ropes and other things to collect firewood.
Why?
Because I have been burning firewood all winter, the firewood saved at home during the twelfth lunar month has almost been burned.
There are not much cotton poles, straw, pine hair, branches, etc.
In the first month of the year, relatives have close contact with each other, and a meal requires many dishes, which consumes too much firewood.
So this is the beginning of spring, before spring plowing has officially started, and the real busy farming season has not yet come, so everyone takes some time to go into the mountains to prepare more firewood.
When spring plowing begins, there will be no time to do that.
Regarding this point, Yang Ruoqing is also well aware of its importance.
Unlike later generations, there are induction cookers and liquefied gas here. This is a farming society, and firewood is an indispensable thing in life.
If you go to Wa City, there are many sellers of firewood, even by the truckload.
However, the third family of the Luo family and the Yang family do not need to collect firewood.
Just buy it with your money.
As long as the price you offer is attractive, countless people from ten miles and eight villages will gather the firewood, dry it, and personally deliver it to your backyard.
This is called 'money ability'.
But even so, several elders in the family still feel uneasy.
Look, during breakfast that day, Blacksmith Luo and Wang Cuilian were discussing at the dinner table.
Blacksmith Luo wanted Wang Cuilian to prepare some dry food cakes for him. He planned to go to the mountains to collect firewood and come back in the evening.
Wang Cuilian has no objection to this.
But Yang Ruoqing has an opinion.
"Uncle, don't go. It's not like our family can't afford to buy firewood? Why go through that trouble!"
Blacksmith Luo smiled generously, "I'm going to collect some firewood. I can save some money for my family."
Yang Ruoqing smiled, "Uncle, you don't need your help to save a few dollars. As long as you and my aunt are in good health and can run and jump, you can help Tang Yazi and me save a lot of money!"
Blacksmith Luo said: "It's not a tiring job to gather firewood. I think back then I had to gather firewood every two days."
"Besides, your father, I, and your uncle have made appointments, and we have company."
"Ah? You still have a large army?" Yang Ruoqing was really surprised.
Blacksmith Luo smiled naively, "This is the first month. I eat big fish and meat every day. I feel uncomfortable if I don't go out to stretch my muscles and bones. I go out to gather firewood and sweat all over my body. It's good for my health."
Wang Cuilian was also there to help persuade: "Qing'er, just follow your uncle. Whether he can do it or not depends on his own discretion. As long as we receive your filial piety, that's all."
Since the two elders insisted, Yang Ruoqing would not stop him forcefully.
For farmers who have been busy all their lives, the word "enjoying happiness" is only suitable for talking about.
Talk about keeping your mouth cool, but if you really ask them to do nothing and open their mouths when clothes come and go, they won't be able to adapt to it.
Take Blacksmith Luo and Wang Cuilian as examples. The first half of their lives were so miserable that I won’t go into detail here.
Later, Luo Fengtang joined the army and began to serve in the army, and Yang Ruoqing's business gradually opened up. The two got married and spent a lot of money to build such a grand courtyard at the entrance of the village.
But the two elders still insisted on staying in the old house to live, and still guarded the few acres of land.
Tell them not to farm the fields. They are too tired and the young couple cannot spare time to help them farm.
But they just insisted on planting and using the produce from their fields to provide food for their family.
He was afraid that one day Luo Fengtang would lose his job, and Yang Ruoqing's business would collapse. At that time, the farm would be the last resort and the basis for the family's survival.
Now, after seeing the achievements of Luo Fengtang and Yang Ruoqing, they know that those worries will not come true.
But they still can't relax.
Blacksmith Luo is in his early sixties, and Wang Cuilian is in her fifties.
Luo Fengtang had forcibly not allowed them to plant crops for several years. He was so desperate that he asked Blacksmith Luo to build a pond to raise fish and shrimps to kill boredom, and asked Wang Cuilian to take care of a few vegetable gardens.
However, these two elders always have a desire to do something.
The arrival of Tuan Yuan Yuan made Blacksmith Luo feel full of purity again. He wanted to pack more things for his two grandsons, so he chopped firewood and supplemented the family income. Every penny less spent by the family would be good in the future. More subsidies for reunion.
Yang Ruoqing knew these thoughts of the old people.
But she couldn't tell them clearly how huge her family's wealth accumulation had become!
It is not an exaggeration to describe it as rich as the country.
But that was secretly, and the accounts on the surface were very mediocre.
As the saying goes, wealth should not be revealed. If you are too rich, you will be easily targeted and cause unnecessary trouble.
"Okay, then aunt will make some delicious dry food for uncle to take with him later." Yang Ruoqing said.
"Uncle, you should just go to the mountains and have fun, just arrange some firewood as you like." Yang Ruoqing said again.
Blacksmith Luo smiled, and he also received the child's filial piety, "Don't worry, uncle knows what he is doing and won't be tired."
After saying this, Yang Ruoqing came to her mother's house to visit her parents after dinner. When she saw Yang Huazhong changing shoes in the yard with a hatchet at his feet, she gave her another warning.
Naturally, Yang Huazhong's reply was exactly the same as Blacksmith Luo.
He Lian'er came over to help take the bundle and carry her to the yard to play in the sun. Sun came over with dry food and water and said to Yang Ruoqing: "Don't persuade me, your father can't be idle. In his own words." He said that he lived in a village with mountains at his back, and the firewood for burning was not collected by himself but bought from others. When he burned it, he was not burning firewood, but was burning money, and he felt uneasy!"
Burning money?
Yang Ruoqing pursed her lips and smiled.
Okay, okay, she gave up. Her parents and elders had limited ability, and the effect was greatly reduced.
"Dad, I told my uncle before that I won't stop you from gathering firewood, but you must pay attention to your safety."
"You can just hang out on the surrounding hillsides and forests. Don't go into the deep mountains and forests."
"Spring has just begun, and many wild beasts in the mountains have awakened from hibernation. They have been hungry all winter, and they are fierce when they come out to look for food. You should be careful!"
Yang Ruoqing's advice also made Ms. Sun cautious.
"Why don't you go? When I talk about this, I think of Shuanzi..."
Sun covered her mouth mid-sentence. She thought this was unlucky.
Yang Huazhong smiled indifferently and glanced at his wife and daughter, as well as his young daughter-in-law and grandson who were hugging each other and basking in the sun not far away. Yang Huazhong's eyes were filled with warmth.
