Chapter 70: Sure enough, he is a top student
The flatbed cart was piled high with pastries.
Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua sat calmly on the seats made of hay. Chen Sufen and Liu Yue'e couldn't help but twitch their lips.
This back and forth must have exhausted Gu Dashu and Gu Jingzhe.
"Sufen, you make the peach cakes, green bean cakes, and honey three-knife cakes. Don't be too tired. Yue'e, you light the fire, cook, and wash clothes. If you are lazy, I will not forgive you. If you do a good job, I will give you some private money when I earn money."
Tong Huaqiong gave some instructions to her two daughters-in-law, with the focus on reprimanding Liu Yue'e.
She was worried that if she went to the town, Liu Yue'e would act like the boss at home and throw all the housework to Chen Sufen.
When Liu Yue'e heard that there was private money, she was very excited and patted her chest to promise that she would not let Tong Huaqiong down.
Gu Dashu and Gu Jingzhe pulled and pushed, and the two brothers worked together to pull the flatbed cart out of Gu's house.
Under a big tree at the entrance of the village, Tong Huaqiong handed Uncle Xu two mung bean cakes and two date cakes to thank him for his kindness yesterday. Uncle Xu felt quite disappointed when he learned that Tong Huaqiong would not take the car anymore.
He felt that Widow Tong was a nice person after getting to know her better. Although she had a bad temper, she never defaulted on fares.
It must have been his nephew's fault yesterday, causing him to lose two passengers at once.
No, it should be four passengers, after all, Tong Huaqiong gave him the fare for four people.
Thinking of this, Uncle Xu felt so distressed that he cursed Xu Si and Mrs. Yan in his heart.
"...Tong Da Jiao."
Before Tong Huaqiong realized that she was being called, she saw an old woman in a headscarf coming up to her with a basket.
Tong Huaqiong searched in her mind and matched this woman with Liu Qiaoyun's mother-in-law, Mrs. Qin.
"Mrs. Qin." Tong Huaqiong greeted her.
"I heard from my daughter-in-law that you have been selling cakes in town these days, but I didn't believe it. Today I see that you have turned over a new leaf and are living a decent life. God has opened my eyes, and Tong Da Jiao will be able to clear her name one day, wow." Mrs. Qin's words were not very pleasant to the ear.
Tong Huaqiong squinted at Granny Qin, and Tong Da Jiao possessed her and said, "I'm living a good life, now it's your turn to mess with me. A good dog doesn't block the road. Please make way. I have nothing else to do. I'm going to the market."
This is Tong Da Jiao's speaking style. Tong Huaqiong decided to implement it in the village. If she, a widow, wants to avoid being bullied, it is not suitable for her to establish herself as a reasonable person.
"You are such a talker." Granny Qin flashed the cucumbers and mulberries she had picked earlier in the morning in front of Tong Huaqiong's eyes and said, "I'm going to give them to your family if I can't finish them at home."
Tong Huaqiong looked at the juicy cucumbers and purple-black mulberries, pure green and pollution-free fruits and vegetables, and her saliva was watering with greed. She reached out to take them.
"This is not for you to eat. I will send it to your home for your eldest wife and Maner later. If you want to eat it, you can grow it yourself, but you are so lazy that you probably can't grow it. If you were diligent, the land in your corner would not be wasted." Mrs. Qin said, covering the basket with her hands.
Tong Huaqiong: “…”
It was obvious that this old lady Qin came to thank her for saving her daughter-in-law Liu Qiaoyun from Xu Si's mouth, but she was too embarrassed to express her feelings directly.
However, although Mrs. Qin's words were unpleasant, she was indeed a kind-hearted and enthusiastic old country woman.
Yesterday, I asked my son and daughter-in-law to come to Gu's house and deliver a basket of eggs. This morning, I knew that she was going to set up a stall, so I waited at the entrance of the village to thank her.
How can it be enough to just let her look at the cucumbers and mulberries?
"Mrs. Qin, look, isn't that your Qingyou?" Tong Huaqiong said, pointing forward.
Mrs. Qin turned her head to look over, but didn't see anyone. She just felt her hand sink and loosen, and when she turned around again, the basket was in Tong Huaqiong's hand.
"Thank you, Aunt Qin! These cucumbers and mulberries are really good. I love them."
Tong Huaqiong rubbed the cucumber and took a bite. It was delicious, fresh, tender and crispy.
Granny Qin stamped her feet and cursed, "Tong Da Jiao, behave yourself. You even took away the things that were given to your granddaughter."
It shows that one’s nature remains unchanged!
Gu Taohua grabbed a handful of mulberries, waved her hand and said, "Auntie Qin, you feel sorry for Man'er, so just send another basket home."
Tong Huaqiong munched on a cucumber while ordering Gu Dashu and Gu Jingzhe to push the cart and move quickly.
Mrs. Qin smiled and shook her head, then walked towards her own vegetable garden.
The flatbed cart passed by her own wheat field, and Tong Huaqiong looked into the field.
The ears of wheat, which have not yet been filled with grain, sway gently in the wind in the morning light.
After the hard work in the fields during the past few days of Gu Jingzhe and Gu Dashu, the grass is not as thick, but the wheat ears do not look as full as those in the surrounding fields.
Of course, the ground was a little dry.
It wasn't just the Gu family's land that was dry. The entire Qinghe Bay hadn't seen much rain from spring to early summer, so everyone's land was a little dry.
Those diligent families go out early and come back late every day to fetch water to irrigate the fields, and the wheat in the fields grows obviously better.
For example, now, Tong Huaqiong saw many people carrying loads and walking towards the fields from the river at the entrance of the village.
Like the Gu family's nest of bad bamboos, when Gu Dahan was not at home, no one thought of fetching water to irrigate the fields, and they always relied on rain from heaven.
Therefore, the wheat of the Gu family did not grow as well as that of other families.
"I'm not saying anything bad about you two brothers, but look at how the Qin family's wheat is growing. Now look at our land. The third brother used to study in a private school, so I won't say anything. But second brother, you're so lazy. The reason our wheat is growing like this is because of your laziness."
"You get excited when I talk about eating, but why can't you tolerate just one kind of food? Eat two bowls less rice per meal from now on."
Tong Huaqiong couldn't help but curse when she saw her own wheat field.
Gu Dashu hunched his neck and gritted his teeth as he pulled the cart. He felt aggrieved.
These days he carried water every day to irrigate the fields, but he still couldn't catch up with the growth of the Qin family's fields next door. He didn't think Qin Qingyou was more diligent than him these days.
Gu Jingzhe pointed at the wheat field and said to Tong Huaqiong, "Mom, look at our wheat field. The wheat on the Qin family's field on the left is growing better than ours and the field on our right. Qin Qingyou is capable, so it's natural that his wheat is growing better. But on our right is my second brother Yue's family. My second brother's brother-in-law, Brother Liu, is more capable than Qin Qingyou, and his wheat field is growing about the same as ours. I've been working in the fields for a few days these days, and I wonder why the wheat on the left and right sides of our field is growing differently?"
Tong Huaqiong followed Gu Jingzhe's finger and found that the wheat fields on the left and right sides grew differently.
The wheat fields on the left generally grow better than those on the right.
The wheat in the wheat fields on the right, including those of the Gu and Liu families, is generally shorter, with leaves green with a hint of yellow, and some even have dry tips.
"Third brother, you observe very carefully."
Gu Jingzhe is indeed a top student. Even when he goes home to farm, he can discover patterns that others cannot.
Tong Huaqiong couldn't help but admire that if Gu Jingzhe were in her era, she would be able to apply to an agricultural university and might be able to achieve great things in the world.
Tong Huaqiong had never farmed in her previous life, but she had seen and heard of farming. Her grandmother's home was in the countryside, and there were large wheat fields around her parents' factory.
She has some knowledge about which season to plant and which season to harvest, how to apply fertilizer, and how to thin the seedlings.
After carefully observing the wheat field on the right, Tong Huaqiong had an idea in his mind: the soil on the right must lack certain elements than the soil on the left.
She had no idea what was missing.
"I've noticed the wheat problem you mentioned, Third Brother. I'll go ask someone in town who knows what the situation is." Tong Huaqiong said.
She decided to go into her space and search the Internet at night. It would be great if she could find a remedy.