Each year during March and April, Fire Knife Village was always bustling with activity.
Across the fields, people were busy sowing seeds, bending over their work with fervent energy, sweating profusely without any ti to rest. If they could exchange a few words with their companions, that was considered a break.
It was a ti blessed by favorable weather, the sun warm and gentle, the temperature just right. Households with paddy fields hurried to plant the early rice, and those with dry fields were anxious to get various vegetables and fruits into the ground, all hoping for a bountiful year after months of hard work.
The two plots of land near the threshing floor had been prepared a month earlier, fertilized with manure and ash, now rich and fertile. The chili seeds had been soaked the night before; if cared for properly after scattering them into the earth, by June or July, bright red chilies would fill the fields, a delightful prospect just to think about.
ng Yuhuai knew that Hua Xiaomai treasured these chilies like gems. Setting aside the work of Lianshun Escort Agency, he stole a day or two of leisure ti to tend to them early.
As soone trained in martial arts, he had strength to spare. Combined with his experience in farming from his younger years, a re two mu of land was no big task for him. Upon arriving, he didn’t waste any ti; he hitched up his clothes and got straight to work. Following the thods Hua Xiaomai taught him, he sowed the chili seeds, and by noon, much had been accomplished.
Passing farrs would always stop to see what others were planting. Seeing the fresh seeds beside ng Yuhuai, one shouted, "Hey, Yuhuai brother, with such good land of yours, you should plant sothing profitable, but what... what are you planting with such effort?"
ng Yuhuai, turning his head, nodded at the man and simply said, "Planting chilies."
"Chilies? Aren’t those just for show?" The man on the ridge was puzzled, then slapped his forehead, "Oh I rember now, your wife used to cook a dish or two with chilies at her stall by the river. I’ve tasted it; indeed, it was not bad. But that kind of stuff, we in Fuzhe County don’t really eat much of it. When it’s ti for harvest, who are you going to sell them to—this must be your wife’s idea, huh? Tsk, I know you’ve just got married not long ago, still in your honeymoon phase, but you can’t just spoil your wife like this. Your household might not rely on these two mu of land for a living, but farming is always important. How can you be so careless?"
ng Yuhuai just smiled and went back to his work without engaging in the conversation.
The man, finding no interest in his words, shook his head, sighed, and walked away.
anwhile, Hua Xiaomai in the little restaurant east of the city was also incredibly busy.
The shop had been closed for two days, yet the business hadn’t suffered at all. By noon, it was still packed with custors. Inside the hall, people crowded; the queue at the takeaway stand outside stretched to the main road. For such a small establishnt, it was unexpectedly bustling like a market.
Hua Xiaomai shuttled between the kitchen and the entrance; passing through the hall, groups of diners stopped her to complain incessantly.
"Boss lady, your not opening for business these past few days has really caused trouble! Do you know how disappointed I was, coming down from that road and seeing the shutters of your shop closed? That’s not good, you know! Now, I’ve gotten into the habit of eating here every noon. If you keep closing so often, do you expect to travel on an empty stomach?"
Such "complaints" didn’t upset anyone; instead, everyone was rather pleased. Hua Xiaomai cheerfully made her apologies, smiling as she said, "I really am sorry. These past two days, there were so urgent matters in my Sauce Garden, and I couldn’t open the shop. I’ve caused you trouble. I’ll make sure to pay attention to it in the future. In a little while, I’ll send you a plate of our homade dessert as an apology, how about that?"
At these words, other custors naturally protested, demanding fair treatnt. A couple of desserts weren’t worth much and Hua Xiaomai felt she could afford to offer them. She imdiately promised one plate to every table, then hurried into the kitchen. She checked on the ribs stewing in the clay pot, seeing that the surface was three parts cooked, she took it off the stove to simr with the lid on for the ti it takes to brew a cup of tea, and then took over the beef Zhou Yunyun had prepared to stir-fry.
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