Chapter 237 – The Lu Family’s Eldest Branch

Chapter 237 - The Lu Family's Eldest Branch

"Sure, why not?"

Shen Jin agreed without hesitation.

They didn't have many chickens at home—only nine. Raising chickens wasn't as simple as feeding them grass; they also needed to search for seeds and provide vegetable leaves. If they couldn't afford bran, they had to catch insects for the chickens as treats. Without sufficient resources, it was difficult to raise more chickens, and the three brothers already found it challenging to take care of these nine.

"Don't be too hasty. I have quite a number of chickens, and that figure will likely increase in the future. If you want to benefit from this, you should gradually raise more chickens too. That would be a fair deal," Sang Luo suggested.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jin pondered seriously before asking Sang Luo, "Is it very time-consuming and labor-intensive?"

Sang Luo shook her head. "Not really, but it can be quite disgusting."

She didn't even want to imagine the scene herself. This was also the reason why she had never used this method despite knowing about it all these years in the mountains—she was actually repulsed by the idea.

However, it was ultimately Shen Lie who gave her the confidence. Back in the mountains, they didn't have to solely rely on raising chickens; they could hunt or catch them outside from time to time. Hence, there was no need for her to go through such trouble.

But now that she wanted to start a serious breeding business—even if it was just on a small scale—it would be different. She had to use this method, and it was a good opportunity since these young ones were in need of money. She would provide the techniques while Shen Jin and his brothers contributed their labor.

Upon hearing that it wouldn't take much time, Shen Jin was relieved. "Then there's no issue. There's nothing disgusting about worms."

It wasn't uncommon for him to play with them using his own hands.

As for whether it made more sense for his family to raise more chickens, wasn't this his sister-in-law leading him to make money?

Shen Jin wasn't foolish. His sister-in-law was clearly looking out for him.

"Sister-in-law, just tell me what to do, and I'll definitely get it done," he promised.

...

Pig manure and dry grass leaves could be used to feed earthworms, and earthworm excrement was excellent fertilizer. Processed earthworms were also top-notch chicken feed.

Sang Luo explained these crucial points to Shen Jin in detail.

Shen Jin's eyes gleamed as he listened. Whenever he had questions, he would ask for clarification. After understanding everything, he patted his chest and said confidently, "This isn't difficult at all, really. Sister-in-law, even Little Tie can handle this. Leave it to us."

What was there to fear about earthworms? They were great things.

Shen Jin pondered about the abundant hills that could gradually be cleared for vegetable cultivation. With his sister-in-law's guidance, he would soon be able to selectively preserve the eggs laid by the chickens for incubation. Eventually, he could let the hens brood over them.

He could already envision a flock of dozens of chickens at home. Apart from anything else, after a few months, he would be able to collect a basketful of eggs every other day to sell in the East Market. He was so excited that he could hardly contain himself.

"Big Sister, are there other insects we can rear?"

"There are, but I don't want to," Sang Luo bluntly refused.

No need to ask; they were even more disgusting than earthworms.

Shen Jin chuckled and, remembering something, passed the IOU he was holding to Sang Luo. "Big Sister, this is for the purchase of the ox, pig, geese, and wheat seeds today. I've written an IOU. Please keep it, and I'll repay you once I have the money."

Sang Luo took the IOU and examined it. The paper and ink were gifts from Wang Yunzheng. Although the handwriting was not particularly good, the IOU was well-written without any errors. It was evident that Shen Jin had put effort into his years of reading and writing in the mountains, as well as the occasional lessons given by Manager Xu to the children.

"All right." She folded the note and kept it away.

...

After settling the five pigs and two geese, Shen Lie went up the mountain. Consulting the blueprint with Zhao Da and Zhao Si, they decided on the areas to clear for tree planting. Then, he led Shen An back home after half a morning of clearing land. After asking Sang Luo what other fruit trees she wanted besides mountain grapes, he delivered a copy of the bamboo slips handwritten by Sang Luo to the Xu family. The brothers then accompanied Shen Jin into the mountains.

Venturing out at noon wouldn't take them far, but Sang Luo's list was diverse: golden hawthorns, wild grapes, chestnuts, jujubes, sour jujubes, haws, bananas, mulberries, pears, and persimmons – she'd take whatever they could find. Thus, even with just half a day, they could still gather quite a bit from the nearby mountains.

Joining them were Chen Dashan, Chen Ershan, and Xu Wenqing, who had promptly decided to follow when he heard that the Shen family planned to plant fruit trees on the mountain.

Chen Dashan only recently found out about his wife's pregnancy, which filled him with joy for an entire day. Upon returning home, he was brimming with energy and didn't mention resting. After handing over the money he earned at the office, he seized the opportunity to stay home for three days and joined his younger brother, Ershan, in helping Shen Lie and the others plant fruit trees.

Jin Ning arrived home a little later. She entered the kitchen, grabbed the largest basket, and took a sickle. "Big Sister, I'm going with Xiao Ya, Qiao'er, Xia Tie, Ah Wu, and Zhou Wu to cut pig grass."

With the return of the second batch of pigs and geese, the children became livelier. Previously, they only cared for sheep, chickens, and rabbits; now, they had pigs and geese to tend to as well.

But the children in the village were resilient. Each one was thrilled by the addition of these new livestock, and no one complained about the extra work.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, it was suddenly the twelfth day of the first lunar month. The next morning, as soon as Sang Luo stepped out of her room, Shen Lie called out to her, "Watch your step."

It had apparently rained during the night, and although it had stopped, the ground was still damp, explaining Shen Lie's concern.

He had already completed a round of work in the mountains early that morning. The saplings he had brought back the previous evening hadn't been fully planted before dark, so he, Shen An, and Uncle Zhao, along with Uncle Zhao Si, had gone back to work at dawn. They had just finished planting.

Shen Lie looked up at the sky and said, "I guess we've entered the Rain Water solar term. In the next two days, I'll need to plow the fields and weed with Little An, Uncle Zhao, and Uncle Zhao Si after the rain. I won't be able to go up the mountain for a while. We transplanted over thirty grapevines and propagated nearly ninety more. Is that enough?"

"Over a hundred?" Sang Luo was surprised but then nodded. "That's enough. What about the jinyingzi?"

"We dug up more than forty jinyingzi and planted them around the chicken coop's fence. I initially planned to prune them and propagate them, but it seems like it takes two or three years for them to yield fruit. Uncle Zhao and Uncle Si said there are some on the hills near their place. They suggested sending their sons to dig some up for us when we return. I thought that would work too. We'll give them some money as if we're buying them."

Sang Luo smiled. "Sounds great. I want to encircle both the sheep farm and the chicken coop with them."

Jin Lie was curious. "What's the use of this plant?"

Back in his childhood, when there wasn't much food available, Jin Lie had picked plenty of these to eat. They were sweet at first, but left a bitter aftertaste. Most importantly, they caused an itch in the throat. Of course, he later learned that it was due to the hairs inside.

"It has its uses. It's considered a medicinal herb. Let's see if the pharmacy will buy them. If not, we can make our own jinyingzi paste. It's sweet and tastes good."

This plant also had another name: sugar jar.

...

After a night of spring rain, the residents of Daxing Village, or even the entire city of Shezhou, became busy.

On that day, Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang returned to Daxing Village carrying large and small bags. Two teenagers almost their height followed behind them, followed by a few others. The Xu family and Zhou family's fields were closest to the entrance of the village. At first glance, Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang were easy to recognize, but who were those behind them...

Mrs. Xu was startled, then she realized, "Is this Shuanzhu and Tiezhu?"

Indeed, it was Shuanzhu and Tiezhu. The young woman following them had matured, and that was Dahu. Then there was Huizi and Shitou, who had grown much taller. At the very back, separated by some distance, was a bearded man who looked disheveled and aged. Upon closer inspection, it was recognized as Lü Dalang.

On the other side, the Zhou family seemed to have recognized them too. Village Head Zhou had already dispatched his fifth son to inform the Lu family of their return.

Hearing the news, Old Man Lu and Old Lady Lu rushed out. After a careful look, they confirmed that all were present. The couple's eyes welled up with tears. Old Lady Lu gazed at her two grandsons, now towering over her, opened her mouth, and called out Shuanzhu's and Tiezhu's names.

They had grown up and changed in appearance, so much so that she momentarily hesitated to recognize them.

Shuanzhu and Tiezhu put down their loads, knelt down, and bowed to their grandparents, calling them Grandpa and Grandma.

Old Man Lu and Old Lady Lu nodded in delight. "It's good that you've returned safely! Good that you've returned safely!"

Lü Dahu led her two younger brothers to do the same, bowing to their grandparents. When it came to Lü Dalang, he stood there surveying the entire Xingxing Village, his gaze finally landing on his parents' faces. He opened his mouth but didn't speak.

Old Lady Lu gave him a glance, nodded slightly, and then called out to her grandchildren, "Come, let's carry the things back first."

Although the Lu family's eldest branch had yet to settle and divide their land, Old Lady Xu had long since chosen the plot for them. There were also a few rooms in the house, which the couple had cleaned before the new year and polished again recently. With anticipation, they had finally waited for the occupants to return.

Lu Erliang grew anxious. "Mother, has Lady Liu given birth?"

Ever since he entered the estate, Lu Erliang had been walking at a brisk pace, and only Lu Sanliang and Shuanzhu Tiezhu could keep up with him.

His mind was preoccupied with the thought that his wife might have already delivered, and he was eager to learn the details.

How could Lady Lu forget? She smiled and replied, "She has, she has. On the second day of the first lunar month, in the evening, a daughter was born. Both mother and child are doing well. You should hurry home too, but you're too dirty right now. Don't go straight into your room; instead, talk to Lady Liu through the window outside. Wash yourself and change your clothes before you visit your wife and child."

Lu Erliang was overjoyed and eagerly agreed. Lu Sanliang was equally delighted. "Does my niece have a name yet?"

Lady Lu's face radiated happiness. "Your second brother will decide when he returns."

Upon hearing that their second aunt had given them a cousin, the children of Shuanzhu and Tiezhu also displayed joy and congratulated their second uncle.

At the back, Lu Dalang, who had shown little emotion except when they arrived at Daxing Village, finally lifted his gaze when he heard about the new addition to the second branch – a daughter. There was a spark of vitality in his eyes now.

With his unkept beard covering his face, no one noticed the twitch of his cheek. It was due to not having spoken for a long time that his facial muscles spasmed involuntarily when he tried to express himself.

A daughter was born?

It had been three years since their family was sent away, two years and one month to be precise. How many children did this make for Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law?