The temperature dropped sharply a few days ago, and it was said that it was going to snow.
After Xu Ling returned to the village, the weather was always cloudy. When he woke up in the morning, he found that the withered grass outside was covered with silver frost, but the snow would not fall for a while.
The people Gu Litian helped find to build the house were all acquaintances in the village. Xu Ling gave each of them a salary of ninety cents a day, including two meals, and a constant supply of hot water.
People in the village are happy to do this kind of work that is close to home and not short of money. The hands of the people are short, but the building of the house is also done with care. The strength of many people is great, and the foundation is erected in less than a day. The bricks and tiles that Sun Baoyao helped buy are still slowly being transported to the village.
Xu Ling's cart was also requisitioned.
The Xu family is building a house, and the Gu family is also busy. The women help cook and boil water, and the men supervise the work to buy vegetables and fish. Xu Ling can't do anything except pay for it and rest.
Early that morning, while I was having dinner with Daya in my arms, Li Dayuan broke into Xu's house with several children outside.
He asked Xu Ling happily: "Brother Ling, are you busy today? Let's go to play in autumn!"
Yesterday they went to the lotus pond to see a lot of people digging lotus roots. There were also people catching loaches and fishing. It was so lively!
Xu Ling had nothing to do anyway, and these children were happy to play with him.
Before Xu Ling said anything, Xu Ping and Xu An could no longer sit still. They were similar in age to Li Dayuan. In the past, their family reputation was not good, and few children were willing to play with them. Now, thanks to Xu Ling, they are with these children. Running around, Fan Shiqing wanted to teach them to read, but he couldn't even catch them.
Xu Ling advised Fan Shiqing to take a good rest for a while. After the house was built and the hardware came in, he could let the two monkeys calm down and study.
Fan Shiqing hummed twice, but didn't say he was unhappy. He was still a little reluctant to teach Xu An before. Logically speaking, if a girl wants to study, she must find a female wife.
But with the conditions in Xu Ling's family, it was much more difficult to find a female wife than a male wife.
Looking at Xu An, she was more naughty and active than her brother Xu Ping. She didn't look like a girl at all, and she was a little clever. Fan Shiqing acquiesced in teaching the two children together.
When he heard that Xu Ping and Xu An were going out to play again, the old man put down his porridge bowl, wiped his mouth and said, "You two are not allowed to go out today. You must learn three words from me before you can go out to play."
Xu Ping's eyes widened: "Why!"
Xu An said with a smile: "Master, don't you want to eat lotus roots? The lotus roots made by my sister-in-law are fragrant, crispy and delicious! My eldest brother can also fish. Maybe he will be lucky enough to catch a bastard and give it to you. It’s time to replenish your body!”
Fan Shiqing, an old man who hasn't eaten good food in more than ten years, is more interested in delicious food than anything else.
After hesitating for a moment, Xu Ling said with a smile: "I can read and write in the past two days. The weather is good today. I will take you to dig lotus roots and come back. If someone kills a pig in the village, I will buy some ribs and bring them back to make soup!"
When Old Man Fan heard this, he no longer stopped him.
Li Dayuan and his children were waiting aside. After they finished their meal, a dozen or so people came out of Xu's courtyard, and the saws and hammers from next door came into action, making a clanging sound.
Xu Ling said hello to his family and told them that they were going to harvest lotus roots in autumn. Gu Tuo went back to the woodshed and found two backpacks, telling them to be careful on the way.
"It's better for me to carry Da Ya, I can still work with her on my back."
"It's okay. Xu Ping and Xu An are watching. You are tired enough from cooking."
Xu Ling hugged his daughter and refused to let go. In the past few days, she had been in love with Daya, and she was no longer afraid of him.
He hugged Xu Ling's neck and shouted, "Daddy, meat!"
Da Ya is two years old. Every time the adults chat, she always looks at this and that. Xu Ling teases her and she learns whatever he says.
Xu Ling smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of the child."
Gu Tao told Daya to be obedient and then went to the kitchen to make arrangements.
Xu Ling took the children from the village and walked for half an hour before reaching the lotus pond.
As soon as I got close, I heard the sound of people coming from the lotus pond. Some people were standing on the shore looking and pointing, and the laughter and laughter were so lively.
But digging lotus roots in this season is not an easy job.
The river water was freezing cold, and lotus leaves lay withered on the turbid water. There were at least thirty or forty people digging lotus roots in the huge lotus pond, scattered everywhere without appearing too crowded.
Li Dayuan's children also carried baskets on their backs.
On Xu Ling's side, he definitely wanted to go down to the river. Daya was handed over to Xu Ping and Xu An, and they were not allowed to go down.
He was afraid that it would be too cold and his two unlucky children would get cold.
Not to mention Old Man Fan, if it weren't for the stewed pork ribs with lotus root, he wouldn't even want to go out. Wouldn't it be delicious to squat at home and wait for the meal?
But Li Dayuan rolled up his trouser legs and wanted to go into the river.
Xu Ling saw that he was wearing thin clothes and his lips were blue, so he quickly stopped him: "You want to go down too?"
Li Dayuan wiped his nose and said with a smile: "Brother Ling, I went down to dig the lotus roots. Can I borrow your car to take them to other places to sell them? I also want to make money!"
This kid! He's really a smart guy, so that's what he had in mind!
Xu Ling also asked why this kid came to him every day.
Li Dayuan has four children in his family. His parents have not separated. There are nearly twenty people in the family, and there are seven or eight children. The adults usually work, raising chickens, ducks, pigs, chopping firewood and mowing grass. I can't talk to each other, and I don't have time to look after my children.
Li Dayuan would take his younger brothers out to run around, beat dates and touch snails, and pick up stones to exchange for candy with Xu Ling.
Xu Ling admired his character and agreed immediately.
"But you have to be careful, the water in the river is very cold!"
"It's okay, I'm not afraid of the cold!"
Li Dayuan's chest slapped loudly, he rolled up his pants to reveal his two thin legs, and followed Xu Ling.
There was no one in the area Xu Ling was looking for. He grabbed the grass on the shore and went down to the lotus pond to feel the biting water. He walked towards the middle with a grin on his face.
The mud under his feet was very soft and would sink when he stepped on it. Xu Ling was not good at digging lotus roots, but Li Dayuan was an expert at it.
His family comes here every year to harvest lotus roots, and sometimes his grandparents and uncles come to dig lotus roots when they have free time. Even if they don't sell them for money, they can still keep them as vegetables in the winter.
He taught Xu Ling how to dig lotus roots, and judge the location and growth of the lotus roots from the lotus stems. Then he dug out the mud above with his hands, felt the location of the lotus roots, and pulled them out bit by bit. It was best not to break them. Silt, hard to wash and not tasty.
Xu Ling originally thought it was interesting to dig lotus roots, but when he actually stood digging underneath, he began to regret it.
The water in the lotus pond was not completely dry, so he would inevitably touch the water when he bent down to touch the lotus roots.
He was tall and tall, and for Li Dayuan, it was inevitable that his whole face would be buried in the water.
Digging in the mud, touching the lotus roots, and then slowly pulling the lotus root joints out of the mud is time-consuming and laborious.
After Xu Ling worked for a while, his back ached. When he looked at the ten-mile lotus pond, he thought to himself, no wonder the villagers had to wait until winter when they were not farming to dig lotus roots. The weather was not that cold during the autumn harvest, but digging lotus roots was a waste of time!
