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Zhao Zhitong squatted happily to one side and looked at her dad. "Of course I’m going! First, I’ll reclaim land, and then I’ll go to school."
It was still early, only around five or six in the morning. School didn’t start until eight o’clock, so she had plenty of ti.
Zhao Dong didn’t bother her. Just then, Sun i ca out of the kitchen. She pulled the little girl over and checked if her clothes were on properly.
Zhao Zhitong said proudly, "Mother, I can dress myself now."
Sun i couldn’t help but laugh. "Mm, not bad, not bad. You really can dress yourself now."
At this ti, Zhao Cheng, Zhao Yu, and Zhao Ya also ran out from their room, all wanting to go help with the land reclamation.
Sun i quickly called them to wash up. "First, you all wash your faces and rinse your mouths, then co over and drink the egg soup."
Considering Zhao Zhitong’s strong resistance to having hot water poured over eggs, Sun i no longer made it for her. Instead, this was a boiled noodle soup with four eggs in it, just right for the four children to have one each.
Zhao Zhitong held the soup bowl and gulped it down in one breath. After handing the empty bowl to Sun i, she shouted loudly, "I’m done drinking!"
Then, she turned around and ran into the courtyard.
Their group first arrived at the village entrance. In a short while, her Younger Uncle arrived, carrying a hoe on his shoulder and a sickle in his hand, leading a group of little followers.
After the group t up, they headed toward the slope behind the mountain.
Although there was a lot of wasteland, most of it was sloped and barren, unsuitable for crops. Therefore, even though the County Magistrate had the village chief vigorously promote reclamation, not many people were willing to do it.
This large piece of wasteland behind the mountain belonged to the several surrounding villages. They could reclaim the land freely and then find the Village Chief to go to the village chief’s office to register the transfer of ownership.
After they arrived, they looked at all the stones and tree roots covering the ground, feeling a bit at a loss.
Sun Youcai wasn’t very good at farming, but Zhao Dong knew how to farm, both in his previous life and this one. Therefore, after walking around the area, he chose a piece of land and said, "Let’s reclaim this piece. It should be more fertile!"
Sun Youcai had no objections and nodded. "Alright."
So, they got straight to work, carrying hoes and sickles, and began clearing the area.
The first step in reclaiming land was to clear the stones, weeds, and tree roots from the fields.
Sun Daqing, Sun Daji, and the other little kids often ran around in the mountains and fields, so they were quite used to this. At this mont, they were busy helping to move stones down the mountain.
Zhao Zhitong, on the other hand, rarely ca here and was now having a wonderful ti. She was like a little monkey, looking all around, one mont helping to pick up a few stones to throw down the mountain, the next mont grunting and groaning as she helped dig out weeds.
"Wow! Look what this is!"
Just then, Zhao Zhitong discovered a plant covered in bright red berries and called the little kids over to take a look.
Sun Daqing ca over, looked, and shouted, "Ah, this is Gou Naizi! It’s not tasty at all. Little cousin, don’t pick it."
Zhao Zhitong tapped his head. "Are you silly? This isn’t for eating directly. This is also called goji berries; it has high dicinal value! Let’s pick so to take back. After drying them, we can use them in soup, or even make tea for our maternal grandfather and grandmother to drink. It’s great for their health."
Seeing the bewildered faces of the little kids, she even told them a story Grandpa Bai had shared with her. "It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a well in a temple in Zhenjiang Jianzhou. Many goji berry trees grew around the well, with thick, lush roots. People called the well the ’Goji Well.’
"People in the temple who drank water from this well developed rosy, healthy complexions. Many lived to be eighty years old without gray hair or losing any teeth. Later, word of the miraculous well spread, and people began to consider goji berries an excellent item for longevity."
The kids listened with wide eyes, looking amazed. "Wow, is that true? Then this is a treasure!"
Zhao Zhitong nodded. "Of course it’s true! If you don’t believe , you can ask Grandfather. Consuming goji berries regularly is great for your health!"
Sun Daqing and the others’ eyes lit up with excitent, and they imdiately said, "Let’s pick them all and take them back!"
"Yeah, let’s do it!" Zhao Zhitong said in her childish voice. "You guys pick them, and I’ll go check if there are any more in other places."
With that, she ran off to search again.
anwhile, Sun Daqing and the others started picking goji berries. Since they didn’t have anything to put them in, they took off their straw hats and tossed the berries directly inside.
Sun Youcai was sweating profusely as he dug up tree roots. He looked up and saw that Sun Daqing and the others had stopped working and had run off to pick fruit instead.
He shouted at them, "I knew you little rascals weren’t reliable! You said you ca to help reclaim land, but I see you’re just here to play."
Sun Daji retorted confidently, "Little Uncle, we’re not playing! We’re picking Gou Naizi. Little cousin asked us to. She said eating them can make us live forever."
Sun Youcai asked, "...You believe that?"
Sun Daji, Sun Daqing, and the others said in unison, "Of course! We believe whatever our little cousin says."
Sun Youcai sighed and decided not to bother with them anymore, continuing to struggle with digging up tree roots with his shovel.
By now, Zhao Zhitong had found another plant, but it was higher up, on a sowhat steep slope that she couldn’t climb. So, she shouted at the top of her lungs for Sun Daji and the others to co and help her.
Coincidentally, they had just finished picking the berries from the previous plant, so they all ca over to pick from this new one.
After collecting all the goji berries, Zhao Zhitong squatted down next to the goji plant and began to think.
This goji plant was small, only reaching her waist. If they reclaid this land, the plant would definitely be cut down.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up with an idea. Zhao Zhitong ran to Sun Youcai’s side and pulled on his sleeve. "Little Uncle, when you go back, can you dig up that goji plant and take it ho for ? I want to plant it in our yard so we can pick goji berries every year."
Sun Youcai tapped Zhao Zhitong’s little head. "You little girl, reclaiming land was your idea, and now you’re here to cause trouble for ?"
Zhao Zhitong pouted. "I’m not causing trouble! Goji berries are really good. If you don’t dig it up for , I’ll go ask Daddy!"
With that, she was about to run off to find Zhao Dong.
Sun Youcai sighed helplessly. "Alright, alright, I really can’t do anything about you. Wait, I’ll dig it up and take it ho for you when I leave."
"Wow, Little Uncle, you’re the best!"
Zhao Zhitong raised her little hands above her head, making a heart shape with her fingers for Sun Youcai. "A little heart for you!"
Then she turned around and ran off with her older brothers and cousins to find more goji berries.
When the sun ca out, Sun i arrived to take Zhao Zhitong ho; it was ti for her to go to school.
Zhao Zhitong took the goji berries her cousins had picked straight ho.
At ho, Zhao Zhitong carefully wrapped so of the goji berries in paper, put them in her luggage box, and then, slinging her box over her shoulder, happily went to school with her mother.
Upon reaching the school gate, Sun i bent down, straightened Zhao Zhitong’s clothes, and asked with a smile, "Are you excited about going to school?"
Zhao Zhitong puffed out her little chest and said in her childish voice, "I’m so happy!"
Just then, Qiao Muchen arrived. When he saw Zhao Zhitong, he called out loudly to her, "Tongtong!"
Hearing her good friend’s voice, Zhao Zhitong imdiately turned around and waved to him.
Then, the two of them entered the school together.
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