Chapter 90

After lunch, Xu Ran and his family were about to go for a stroll on the street. They would also go to Zhuo Yun’s shop to get some vegetable seedlings. Qin Shuwen also clamored to go out. Zhuo Yun and Qin Shuwu were unable to dissuade him and therefore they just accompanied him too.

Qin Shuwen and Liu Tong chatted for a long time and his feelings for Liu Tong became stronger. Liu Tong also felt well disposed towards Qin Shuwen. If both of them had not been married, they might have been able to fall in love with each other.

Liu Tong was actually very happy in his mind that Qin Shuwen had never cold-shouldered him since the first time they met. He knew that he was too tall as a Ge’er and people in the village almost had talked about him at first except Wu Mei and the others whom Liu Tong could therefore become friends with.

Qin Shuwen was handsome and had a good family background. Now even Zhuo Yun couldn’t fuss over him enough and there were many people in the town who wanted to get in with him, but Qin Shuwen just came to click with Liu Tong. Liu Tong also understood that it was just because Xu Ran was a good friend of Zhuo Yun’s, but Qin Shuwen was also not bad. At least Liu Tong liked him very much.

When they arrived on the town, Qin Shuwen also talked with Liu Tong nonstop. So Tangtang and Guoguo discreetly ran to hold Xu Ran’s hands.

Although they sauntered along the street, they didn’t buy anything else except the small toys and snacks for the two children . Qin Shuwen tried several times to buy the food on the side of the street. And he was just stopped by Zhuo Yun and Qin Shuwu. “The food on sale of the street are not clean. We’ll let the cook make it for you after going back home if you really want to have something.” The words were really reasonable and attractive.

Qin Shuwen could only swallow and grumbled at the two in his mind.

They didn’t sauntered along the street for long. Xu Ran thought that he still had things to do tomorrow, and it was better for him to go back earlier, so he and his family said goodbye to Zhuo Yun and the others.

After going back home, he found that Foreman Li and his men were all here clustering together and talking.

When they saw Xu Ran’s family came back, they greeted warmly, and Tangtang and Guoguo’s playmates also took a day off today. Xu Ran walked over and asked, “Why don’t you go to have fun? It is a rare holiday today.”.

Foreman Li shook his head and said, “My family is not here, and there is no place worth going at the village. We would have to spend money if we go to the town, so it’s better to stay here.”

It was only then that Xu Ran thought that there was no difference between work and holidays in ancient times, which was dissimilar from modern times when people would just spend every possible moment going out.

Xu Ran sympathized with him that everyone had his or her own lifestyle, so he couldn’t force them.

……

The next day, Xu Ran went to the administrative office of the county and entered for exam of the province, which would last from March 9th to March 11th of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Then Xu Ran followed Qin Shuwu to Qingyuan Town to look at the strawberry seedlings as well as bring the old man back. The old man’s surnam was Hu and Xu Ran called him Mr. Hu.

Mr. Hu was sixty-five years old but he still looked very energetic, although he didn’t smile that much, which was probably because he still missed his spouse who had just died that he was also an affectionate person.

Knowing that Xu Ran was the one who wanted to buy these strawberry seedlings, Mr. Hu repeatedly reminded Xu Ran to take good care of these the seedlings.

Xu Ran nodded, “Rest assured, Mr. Hu! Anyway, you will live with us. If I don’t treat these strawberries well, you could just give me a lecture and I promise to accept it.”

“Yeah. I will help you fix him if he turns a deaf ear to your words, Mr. Hu.” Qin Shuwu said as well.

Seeing that the two of them saying it this way, Mr. Hu believed them and laughed, although he seldom smiled.

The people who dug the strawberry seedlings were all found by Qin Shuwu. And they were paid ten pence a day, They put the seedlings in the baskets after digging, and then carried them to Xu Village by carriage.

Xu Ran reminded them not to damage the roots when digging the plants; then he went back home with Qin Shuwu and Mr. Hu.

Liu Tong also knew about Mr. Hu’s coming. When Xu Ran went out, he just started to tidy up the house and specially prepared something that Mr. Hu could use. The bed at home was also added with several cotton blankets, which was very soft to sleep.

Xu Ran came back on the fifth day after going out. When he reached the door, it was almost dark.

There were two carriages. One was carrying Xu Ran, Qin Shuwu and Mr. Hu. The other was a wooden cart specially used for carrying strawberry plants.

There was no spare room at home for Qin Shuwu and his family to live in. So, the three of Qin Shuwen’s family also went back before it was completely dark, leaving only a cart of strawberry plants.

When Xu Ran and the others came back, they were just in time for dinner. In the past few days of Xu Ran’s departure, black bricks had begun to be slowly carried from the town to Xu Ran’s home. And the workers were busy removing and piling bricks those days.

They hadn’t seen Xu Ran for a few days, and when he came back, not only did he bring a cart of strawberry plants back, but he also returned with an old man, which attracted all the bystanders.

Xu Ran introduced him to them with a smile, “This is Mr. Hu. who comes here to help me. Would you mind taking care of him, lads?”

“Of course not. When you go out, we will help you look after him.” Foreman Li said frankly.

Liu Tong came over and said to Xu Ran, “Ran, let Mr. Hu eat first! Youguys  must be tired and hungry after such a long carriage trip.”

Xu Ran nodded and introduced Liu Tong as well as his two beloved children to Mr. Hu.

Generally speaking, old people like children. Tangtang and Guoguo were very capable speakers who chanted ‘Grandpa Hu! Grandpa hu!’ which made him laughed happily.

Since the construction team came, Xu Ran’s family hadn’t made a fire to cook at their own house, so they just ate with the team that they always had three dishes and soup every day. Liu Tong also helped cook sometimes. The dishes were good and smelled marvelous. Liu Tong gave chopsticks and bowls to Xu Ran and Mr. Hu who had bad teeth in his old age so Liu Tong specially took out the soft rice from the middle part into Mr. Hu’s bowl

There were so many people who occupied three tables, and after they got familiar, they talked a lot. And they didn’t regard Mr. Hu as an outsider. Mr. Hu was also satisfied with the meal.

Mr. Hu just took a few clothes and some important things when he came here with only a pair of shoes on his feet. Fortunately, Liu Tong went to the town to buy a pair of shoes for the old man, and he also asked him to wear them as a pair of slippers at night.

Knowing that they were tired, Liu Tong quickly boiled the water after dinner. After a while, they could take baths and then directly go to bed.

Xu Ran’s family bathed themselves in a wooden barrel. Tangtang and Guoguo also used the barrel when there were adults, and when there were only the two children, they would use the wooden basin to bath themselves. Xu Ran thought that he should add another bigger basin to his family.

Xu Ran led Mr. Hu to the room prepared for him; then they had a wander around the house, making Mr. Hu familiarize himself with this place, and then they took baths when Mr. Hu almost absorbed it.

Xu Ran was worried that Mr. Hu would not be able to take a bath by himself, so he wanted to get in with him. However, Mr. Hu was reluctant to let him in no matter how. Xu Ran could only guard outside the door and prepare to rush in if he heard something wrong.

However, Mr. Hu was still able to rely on himself, and he didn’t give Xu Ran a chance to get in.

After the bath, Mr. Hu went to sleep. Xu Ran kept the oil lamp burning in the room all the time, being worried that Mr. Hu was not familiar with the room that he would bump against some solid objects when getting up at night.

In his mind, Mr. Hu liked this family very much who treated him better than his own son.

The night passed peacefully.

…

The next morning, Xu Ran went to find ten long-term labors. When the strawberry plants were carried back, they could begin to plant them. However, the plants were carried back in batches, and it was estimated that there were only two carts of the plants every day. According to the labors’ speed, two carts of plants were not enough for them to plant for a day, so Xu Ran decided to let them come over one by one in their order of the distances between their homes and Xu Ran’s field.

No one would say anything about this method. Anyway, every one of them just needed to finish his family’s work.

Xu Ran took the first family and Mr. Hu to the field with a cart of strawberry plants.

Because the holes were already dug, they just needed to scatter the ash in the holes and plant the strawberry. It was spring now and it would rain from time to time so there was no need to water the plants.

Xu Ran also knew he was not familiar with the practical planting, so he guided the family through the planting process with Mr. Hu. Given a demonstration several times, the family soon learnt it.

Xu Ran also felt secure and left it to them. And he planned to go about his own business after returning home.

But Mr. Hu was worried about it and wanted to stand over the labors. Xu Ran couldn’t dissuade him, so he let him go.

Now Xu Ran was very busy, so he had to cram for the exam of the province since the clock ticked on towards it, not to mention his house which was close to completion.

Today was February 8th of the Chinese lunar calendar. And the bricks had been carried for a few days. It was estimated that all the bricks would be in place before February 15th of the Chinese lunar calendar. Xu Ran planned to buy some firecrackers and a few books in the town as well as clothes and shoes for Mr. Hu. Since he had come to their house who was an old man alone, Xu Ran certainly had to take good care of him!

Liu Tong booked piglets from a family at the village, which could be carried back in the next few days. He just needed to buy some ducklings in the town. It was just time to raise ducks in spring.

It was just that all these things needed money; Xu Ran was so worried!

The potatoes hadn’t grown up yet, so they couldn’t do it even if they want to dig them now and sell them. They probably have to wait until April to dig them out.

Fortunately, the money they had earned last year could still last them for a while. They could also earn pocket money when the bamboo shoots grew.

Xu Ran sighed and turned to tell Liu Tong that he was going to the town.