Read Novel Full Chapter 856: Autumn Harvest
Chapter 856: Chapter 856: Autumn Harvest
"Xiao Le, you go deliver the meal to grandpa and grandma, I’ll take the little sister to deliver the meal to mom and dad."
"Okay, big sister, you drive the cart, I can take the little sister by myself."
Zhao Xiaoling thought that this would work too, plus she could bring back a cart full of corncobs. The two sisters split up.
Zhao Xiaole put the little sister in the frame on her back, carrying a basket on her arm to deliver the meal.
Zhao Xiaoling drove the cart, took ten large vegetable buns and two large kettles of water, and headed towards the cornfield with the donkey cart.
Almost two hours had passed. The couple, along with ten workers, had already accomplished quite a lot.
Zhao Xiaoling drove the cart and loaded the corn herself. The cart had already been fitted with boards to raise the sides, allowing for more cobs to be loaded.
Zhao Qingxiang happened to be picking corn. "Dad, where’s mom? I’ve steamed some vegetable buns and brought water."
Seeing his eldest daughter had almost loaded a whole cart of corn, he felt a pang of sympathy for his children.
Sun Yun also came over, "Mom and Dad, you eat first, I’ll directly unload this cart in the yard."
"Sure, the wheat is almost dry today, once the corncobs are collected, they’ll be put in the threshing yard."
Eating the vegetable buns made by his daughter truly tasted like a delicacy. The buns the child made were as big as her little sister’s head. Zhao Qingxiang was really hungry and ate five in one go, leaving five for his wife.
Watching his daughter with a loaded cart on her way back, at this time, the ten workers also came around.
"Xiao Zhao, your two daughters are really great, so capable for such young kids. I truly envy you. My son is already twelve and doesn’t do anything."
Being complimented about his daughters, Zhao Qingxiang couldn’t help but smile broadly. "Both of my daughters are especially understanding and hardworking."
"I truly envy you."
"Not only are my two daughters hardworking, but they’re also good in their studies. Every winter, they go to study with Mr. Li, and he said my two daughters are exceptionally smart."
This prompted even more praises for the two sisters.
"Xiao Zhao, let me tell you, your two daughters will definitely be filial in the future."
"That’s right, my daughters are the best."
Sun Yun was working on the side. She wasn’t overly impressed by the compliments or her husband’s words. How could girls, who are often seen as a financial burden, be so filial? Won’t they belong to someone else in the future?
Zhao Xiaoling drove the cart home, seeing that her second sister had already tidied up the house. The two sisters unloaded the cart.
"Xiao Le, have you eaten?"
"No, I fed the little sister. Moreover, I’ve prepared a basin of corn flour and a basin of wheat flour."
"Sis, let’s make more for lunch, so mom won’t come back hungry and start scolding."
"Alright."
Zhao Xiaole went to the kitchen and brought out two large buns. The two sisters sat on the donkey cart, eating the buns as they walked.
They went to the field to load the cart, bringing back the corncobs trip by trip.
In the morning alone, they loaded four carts, and also turned the wheat over once in the threshing yard.
Only then did they go home to cook. It was still vegetable buns with chive and shrimp skins, along with cornbread. They steamed two large bowls of pickles and cooked a large pot of potatoes.
Little Hong was still small, and she liked the mashed potatoes.
The two sisters split up again to deliver food. Zhao Xiaoling didn’t bring cornbread for her parents, letting them have the wheat buns and stewed potatoes with meat instead.
The two sisters ate the cornbread, truly tired, and each scarfed down two big cornbreads, even for girls their age.
At noon, one worker went to cook, while the remaining nine continued working.
"Xiao Ling, after this cart is delivered, you should both go to the threshing yard to fill the sacks with wheat."
"Once they’re filled, set them aside. I’ll bring them home when it gets dark."
The two girls are still too young, not wanting them to overwork.
"Understood, Dad."
Once home, they quickly fed the little donkey. The two sisters then went to the threshing yard, which was close to home.
First, they piled up the wheat in heaps for easy loading.
The two sisters, with all the strength they had, filled the sacks and tied the cord. Zhao Xiaoling went back to get the cart, and the two sisters lifted a sack of more than a hundred pounds of full wheat onto the cart, hauling it home.
The whole afternoon, the two sisters were like spinning tops, constantly going back and forth.
When they had loaded a third, Zhao Qingxiang came back. Seeing how much his daughters had done, he felt a sharp pang in his heart, as if he might cry.
"You two, just load the wheat while it’s still light out, I’ll haul it back."
The three of them worked even faster. By the time it was dark, only a third of the wheat was left to be brought back.
"Dad, shall we go home to eat? After eating, we can come back to haul more."
The main thing was that the pigs at home hadn’t been fed yet. This couldn’t go on.
"You two go back to cook, I’ll load another cart."
Back home, Zhao Xiaole started the fire while Zhao Xiaoling fed the pigs. When the meal was ready, Sun Yun also returned. And it was again Zhao Xiaoling who went to deliver food to Zhao Tian and his wife.
The old couple rarely cooked for themselves since the beginning of the harvest as their two granddaughters always brought them meals.
"Xiao Ling, take this piece of meat back."
"Grandma, we still have meat at home."
"Just take it back as I said." Neither granddaughter was very plump, and after a long autumn, they were even leaner and darker. It was a pity for the two children.
Zhao Xiaoling didn’t protest anymore, considering there was still much work to be done at home.
Upon returning home, she hurriedly ate because her father was already off loading wheat.
Zhao Xiaole coaxed the little sister to sleep, and the two girls went over to help too.
The whole family worked until it was past ten o’clock, and all the wheat was finally brought home.
Zhao Qingxiang didn’t even wash up; he had to go to the field to watch over the corncobs overnight, with no choice but to leave them there.
Sun Yun was too exhausted to get up. She didn’t go.
Zhao Xiaoling continued to prepare the dough, intending to steam buns in the morning. Grandma also gave them some brown sugar today, but she was thinking of making some winter melon meat buns too, to provide nourishment for her parents and grandparents.
The next day, Zhao Xiaoling didn’t know what time it was when she woke up. Her mom was still sleeping, so she moved very quietly.
She shredded the winter melon, cut yesterday’s meat into small pieces, not daring to chop it too loud, hoping to let her mom sleep a bit longer.
The shredded winter melon was squeezed dry and set aside, with the diced meat tossed into the pot to fry and release its oil, and then she added the shredded melon. Only then did she take it out, while in another pot, she stewed potatoes with beans.
On top were steamed vegetable buns, mantou, and a tray of cornbread.
Hearing the noise outside, Sun Yun forced herself up.
At this point, Zhao Xiaoling was already cooking pig food. "Mom, why don’t you rest a bit more, the food will be ready soon."
"No, I’m heading to the field." Today she was already late, and her husband was even more tired than she was.
When Zhao Xiaole got up, she also woke the little sister. After all, soon they had to deliver the meal to grandpa and grandma.
Just like yesterday, the two sisters split up to act.
Today it actually was an hour earlier than yesterday.
"Xiao Le, you and your sister shouldn’t tire yourselves out. You’re still young, get some more sleep," said Zhao Tian, feeling sorry for his two granddaughters. Many say grandsons are better, yet the grandson never delivered them meals; it was always the two granddaughters.