The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 228: Returning the Favor

In the four years Sang Luo had been here, there was always a snowfall at the beginning of December. However, in the third year of the Wuding era, the snowfall came very late. It wasn’t until the evening of December 27 that the snowflakes began to drift down.

Shen Lie and his group returned to Daxing Village through the fresh snowfall.

As the ground became covered with a thin layer of white, the light of day brightened, and despite the late hour, they didn’t even need to use a torch.

With more than a dozen people returning at once, and leading over twenty sheep, it was hardly a quiet arrival in their own village.

Sang Luo had been waiting for Shen Lie’s group for several days, staying up late each night. Today was no exception. She had been copying books with Shen Ning until just before nightfall, still not seeing them return. The cold had made her just warm her feet in hot water and prepare to settle into bed. But when she heard the noise outside, especially the distant bleating of the sheep, she gave up on sleep, put on her shoes and socks, and ran outside.

From a distance, she could see Shen Lie, Shen An, and Shen Jin leading the sheep. Further off, she could see Old Man Chen, Chen Youtian, and Chen Ershan.

The village was bustling with activity and festive cheer, with everyone busy gathering sheep and supplies.

At the Shen family’s place, the trees that needed to be transplanted in the mountain sheepfold had been moved, but only two of the four planned sheepfolds were completed. It would still take over ten more days to finish the remaining two. The five sheep originally in the house had not been moved in yet, so the six newly arrived sheep would join them for now.

Shen Lie carried several yam tubers, fearing they might fall into the snow, and hurriedly took them to the woodshed to stack them properly. He only had time to quickly greet Sang Luo. Shen An and Shen Jin unloaded the grain they were carrying on their backs and did not dare to rest, immediately focusing on taking the six sheep, which had been on the road for several days, to the sheepfold.

Seeing that the two brothers went straight to the old sheepfold, Sang Luo quickly called them over and asked Shen Ning to boil water and prepare some food. She then lit a torch and led Shen An and Shen Jin, who were herding the sheep, up the mountain.

The mountain trail had been trodden daily, and the path was familiar. Shen An and Shen Jin were excited to hear that a new sheepfold had been built at home. The six sheep bleated, unsure if it was due to the cold or their unease at the new place.

Shen Jin, seeing the two newly built sheepfolds gleaming in the snowlight, with thick grass mats covering the wooden houses, asked in amazement, “Sister-in-law, is this for the sheep to live in?”

His reaction was identical to Shen Yin and Shen Tie’s. He recalled how Shen Tie had rushed into the sheepfold and looked around several times, almost checking where to place a bed. With an envious expression, Sang Luo laughed and said, “You wouldn’t be envious too, would you?”

Shen Jin admitted, “It’s newer than the house we live in now.”

They were currently living in an old mud house that had been occupied by the Wang family tenants for many years. As for cleanliness and appearance, it certainly did not compare to the new wooden sheepfold.

Shen An, who had also raised sheep in the mountains for several years, found it quite interesting. Sang Luo, holding a torch, led them, directing them to bring the ewes inside. He noticed immediately, “This construction is good; it won’t be cold in winter, won’t be damp in rainy weather, and it’s easier to sweep out the sheep dung. It’s much cleaner.”

“However, can these two sheepfolds accommodate more than twenty sheep?”

Sang Luo explained, “There are four buildings in total, and two more are not yet completed. Those will be for lambs and sick sheep. We have many ewes at home, and they reproduce quickly. By next year, it won’t look so empty.”

Hearing about all these details, Shen Jin was filled with curiosity. Since their family only had two sheep, he didn’t understand why the divisions were so detailed. He asked many questions, and Sang Luo, not hiding anything, shared her understanding with him.

After arranging the six sheep and adding some dry hay to the bedding and some feed to the troughs, they checked that the sheep were eating well. As it was cold and winter, they closed the sheepfold door before leaving the mountain.

Returning home, there was no time to be idle. Shen Ning was preparing food in the kitchen, and Sang Luo was cooking some special feed for the sheep on another stove.

The so-called special feed was actually the bean dregs left over from making tofu and soy milk at home, mixed with bran to make a mush. Once it cooled down enough not to burn, it was given to the sheep, who loved it. It improved their immunity compared to just eating hay, and since the six sheep had been traveling in the cold for several days, tonight they were given a special meal, more nourishing than just warm water.

Shen Yin and Shen Tie also dressed warmly and joined them. The children, still excited from their visit to the sheepfold, carried the feed buckets up the mountain together.

The Shen family had a large amount of yam, around seven or eight hundred pounds. Shen Lie, who was strong, carried a lot himself, with others helping to carry some. It took him three trips to bring everything back. On the last trip, he also brought back half a pig.

Seeing the four kids cheerfully carrying half a bucket of special feed up the mountain, he asked Sang Luo, “Are the sheepfolds in the mountains finished?”

“Two buildings are done. Xiao Jin and the others are excited right now,” Sang Luo answered, but her gaze was fixed on the meat Shen Lie brought back. She approached to take a look and asked, “Did you encounter wild boars on the way?”

Shen Lie nodded, “A herd of wild boars, over twenty heads. The noise was too loud. Fortunately, there were many people this time, otherwise, it would have been difficult to protect all the sheep. We couldn’t bring back all the meat, so we only hunted two aggressive ones. The rest escaped. We ended up with half a pig.”

Half a pig was still a lot, at least seventy or eighty pounds. Sang Luo noted, “Just in time to settle the payment with Uncle Zhao and Uncle Zhao Silang tomorrow. Fresh wild boar meat can be traded for grain in the city. With the snow falling, it’s hard to work these days, so we might as well give them a seven-day break and return after the third day of the new year.”

They had started work on the third day of the twelfth lunar month. Although it was not a full month, the New Year was approaching, and with fresh meat available, it was given early to ensure the Zhao family had a good year.

After stacking the yams and covering them with straw mats, Shen Ning cooked a few bowls of vegetable porridge and boiled two large pots of water. Shen Ning also went to heat water, and the three of them had a warm meal, washed off the dust, and went to their respective rooms to rest as it was already midnight.

Shen Lie brought back the padlocks he had left outside the village and at the valley. He was about to put them away in the cabinet when he found several bamboo slips in his room.

He easily recognized the familiar bamboo slips he often read, and when he picked up a new one to read by the oil lamp, he was stunned.

“Where did these come from?”

Sang Luo brought out the carefully stored wooden box and said, “A few days after you left, the governor’s office sent this box of silk books. Worried that they might be damaged, I’ve been copying them with A Ning.”

She briefly explained the situation regarding the Taiyuan Zeng family.

Shen Lie was taken aback, recalling the visit of the governor to Daxing Mansion. He held Sang Luo’s hand and said, “I’m benefiting from your influence.”

The yam cultivation, with its high yield, had attracted the governor’s attention, and more likely, it was because Sang Luo had shared the cultivation methods openly several years ago.

After being apart for over ten days, some affection was unavoidable. The snowy night was especially cold, but Sang Luo had slept warmly when Shen Lie returned.

After a good night’s sleep, the children woke up early due to the thick snow outside, and there were sounds of their laughter and snowball fights in the village. Hearing this cheerful noise, Sang Luo got up without lingering in bed.

The first thing Shen Lie had to do was weigh out ten pounds of fresh meat. He borrowed a scale from the Zhou family to weigh it, finding it was half a pound over. He then weighed out ten pounds of cured meat, measured the yellow beans, and counted the money. The beans were packed into bags, while the money was strung together with a rope. When Zhao Dalang and Zhao Silang arrived for work, Sang Luo asked Shen Lie to send the money, grain, and twenty pounds of meat to the Zhao family.

Zhao Dalang and Zhao Silang, carrying full hands of goods, were a bit dazed. “A seven-day break?”

After coming to their senses, they dared not accept it. They had only worked for twenty-five days but were being paid for a whole month.

“This won’t do. It’s not ideal to work in the snow. When the snow stops, we’ll calculate the wages based on the actual days worked.”

Shen Lie smiled and said, “No need. We’ll still need your help later. It’s not just for this month. This is also what Ah Luo wanted. It’s only once a year like this. We’re properly settled in now, so take a few days off and rest at home.”

When the Zhao brothers heard that they were being considered for long-term employment, they were both pleased and grateful. With the New Year approaching, they were touched by Shen’s generosity. They thanked Sang Luo and left, braving the snowstorm to return home, marking the end of the year.

Sang Luo looked at the half pig, which weighed at least sixty or seventy pounds. Their family couldn’t possibly eat that much.

Though winter was cold, this was not the North. Fresh meat could only be preserved in the snow for a few days. Turning it into cured meat would be ideal, but their family didn’t lack preserved meats.

Sang Luo looked at Shen Lie and said, “Why don’t we keep twenty pounds at home and send the rest to the governor’s office?”

Originally, it would have been best to exchange the meat for money at the eastern market, but with meat prices high and plans to open a shop next year, saving more money would be wise.

However, after recently receiving the books from Master Zeng, and with Shen Lie not being home, she wasn’t sure if there were female relatives at the governor’s office. If there were, she didn’t know them and thus wouldn’t visit. Besides the thanks she’d expressed, she hadn’t shown any further appreciation.

While several dozen pounds of wild boar meat might not be worth much, it was the thought that counted. To simply receive a significant gift without any follow-up would be very impolite.

“Is the wild boar meat not appropriate?” Shen Lie hesitated, knowing from Sang Luo that people of high status often didn’t like pork.

Sang Luo hadn’t considered this yesterday, but now that it was on her mind, she felt more at ease. “No matter how esteemed the person is, look at how little meat is available in Shezhou City now. Even Master Chu looks lean. Whether he eats it or not, it can be given as a reward. What matters is that our intentions are conveyed.”

Their family did have something more presentable, like sheep.

However, the situation was different now. In the early years, people were in danger, not to mention poultry and livestock. In Shezhou City, apart from a few big families, who could keep chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep? Even the local government only provided grain seeds and farming tools but never mentioned cattle.

Live sheep had a different significance at this time. They were much harder to come by than rabbits, requiring trips into the deep mountains. Finding them could take up to half a month, and Shen Lie had no time for that.

Thus, Sang Luo was truly reluctant to use the sheep as food for others, not wanting to kill one herself.

Hearing this, Shen Lie agreed, “You’re right. Compared to the value of that book, we can’t offer an equivalent gift.”

What mattered most was the thought behind it.