Chapter 498: Chapter 257: Planting Vegetables_2
The weather grew warmer, and just two days earlier, a spring rain had fallen. Although it wasn’t heavy and merely dampened the topsoil, the old farmers were nevertheless very optimistic about this year’s harvest prospects.
It was another bright, sunny day, coinciding with the private school’s day off, and the Lian Manman family decided it was time to plant vegetables.
The six members of the family planned to start with the small vegetable garden at the old house.
The small vegetable garden was well-established land, having been cultivated for many years. Lian Shouxin took the lead with the iron hoe, tasked with clearing the vegetable ridges. In the small garden plot, Lian Shouxin fixed up six ridges and four furrows. Three were designated for green beans, and three for cucumbers.
The planting method for both green beans and cucumbers was roughly the same: forming symmetrical shallow pits spaced about a hand’s width apart along the sides of the ridges, then pouring a small amount of water into the pits, gently pressing the sprouted seeds with the sprouts facing up into the soil, followed by covering them lightly with dirt, nearly leveling the pits. The seeds needed to be completely buried, yet without too much soil on top to avoid hindering sprouting.
The soil in the vegetable garden was soft and loose, and Wu Lang, together with Lian Shouxin, each took a ridge and, imitating Lian Shouxin, began to dig pits. Xiao Qi followed behind, scooping water into the pits, after which Lian Manman, with a bowl in one hand, picked out the sprouted seeds and placed them in the pits, then used her hands to flatten the soil.
Accompanying Lian Shouxin were Lady Zhang and Lian Zhizhi. All six family members were busy, conveniently splitting into two groups to work.
In the opposite garden plot, Old Master Lian was leading Si Lang and Liulang in planting dry tobacco.
"They are all making themselves useful." Occasionally lifting his gaze and seeing the Lian Manman six, especially the three little radish heads, Lian Manman’s children, bent over their work, Old Master Lian felt deeply gratified. Not only was his fourth son’s family living better by the day, but seeing how sensible and diligent Lian Manman’s kids were made Old Master Lian truly happy for Lian Shouxin.
In any case, at least he no longer needed to worry about his fourth son’s family.
While Old Master Lian felt reassured, he also thought of his other sons.
"Go call your eldest uncle to help out." Old Master Lian told Si Lang.
"Just eldest uncle, not Jizu?" Si Lang straightened up and asked Old Master Lian. He was quite happy to have more people working. Today, apart from Lian Shouren, Lian Jizu was also at home. On the other side, Wu Lang and Xiao Qi, just like Lian Jizu, had school at the private institution, but they had plenty of work to do at home. So why couldn’t Lian Jizu work as well?
"Just call your eldest uncle." Old Master Lian hesitated for a moment before responding, "Your brother Jizu is preparing for his exams, it’s a critical time for him, don’t make him work and distract him."
Si Lang agreed, then ran into the Upper Room. After a while, Lian Shouren emerged from the Upper Room.
"Father, what do you need?" Lian Shouren arrived at the garden gate but didn’t step inside. The ground was messy from the planting of vegetables and the newly dug up tobacco seedlings; it was muddy, and he didn’t want to dirty his shoes and robe.
"Eldest, come here, and learn with me how to plant in the garden." Noticing Lian Shouren was dressed in his robe, Old Master Lian hesitated again, "First go change your clothes and take off the robe."
"Oh." Lian Shouren acknowledged with an ’oh’, but he stood still.
Old Master Lian looked at Lian Shouren. Lian Shouren was almost as tall as he was, but his complexion, a rarity among tenant farmers, was inherited from Lady Zhou, fair and pale. Lian Shouren’s appearance combined the best features of both Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou. When Lian Shouren had just come of age, Old Master Lian had found a renowned face-reading master to predict his son’s fortune, and upon seeing Lian Shouren, the master proclaimed he had the look of a nobleman, suggesting his rise to fortune was only a matter of time.
Old Master Lian knew a common saying: The Emperor loves his eldest son, while the commoners cherish their youngest.
The royal family needs to focus on grooming the eldest son for the sake of the kingdom, while commoners, lacking such foresight, simply follow their hearts and favor their youngest.
Old Master Lian considered himself to possess more foresight than the average person. He realized that for a family’s prosperity, the eldest son is extremely important. These years, he had indeed acted in accordance with this belief.
Only, it seemed fate had played a joke on him.
Old Master Lian sighed deeply in his heart, his gaze shifting from the distance back to Lian Shouren, feeling a pang of heartache.
Perhaps due to the oppression of these days, Lian Shouren looked somewhat sallow and lacked vitality.
"Eldest..."
"Father, I was reviewing my books. The annual exams are soon approaching." Lian Shouren said.
Right, the annual exams. Old Master Lian remembered, realizing that even if Lian Shouren couldn’t pass the Graduate exam, doing well in the annual exams would still earn them Government Granary rice each day. Besides, Lian Shouren was not used to hard labor; even if he was forced to work with him, it would not be productive and might only create more trouble.
"Go on, go back to your studies, we don’t need you here." Old Master Lian waved off Lian Shouren.
Lian Shouren, as if pardoned, turned around and went back into the Upper Room.
Lian Manman, from the opposite garden plot, saw it all. Old Master Lian still couldn’t bear to let Lian Shouren do farm work.
"How heavy are Wu Lang and Xiao Qi’s studies at the private school?" After sending Lian Shouren away, Old Master Lian asked Lian Shouxin, "It’s good the kids are sensible and help out with work, but make sure it doesn’t interfere with their studies. A year’s tuition for the private school is not cheap. If there’s too much work to handle, just let me know."
"Old Master, both my brother and I finish our lessons before we help out with the work." Xiao Qi immediately replied.
"Right, the two of them are in the intermediate class. Jizu is in the advanced class and has more coursework. And big brother, those exams are no trivial matter." Lian Shouxin said.
Lian Manman bowed her head to hide a smile, Lian Shouren’s good-hearted nature was always showing through. But this thoughtful effort, surely Old Master Lian must feel it.
"Old Fourth, about your big brother’s clerkship..." Old Master Lian simply put down what he was working on and lit a pipe of tobacco.
***...****
First update, asking for your support. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets, monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
