After the rice is harvested, you have to choose a flat place and expose it to the sun for more than ten days. When there is sufficient sunlight, ten days is enough to evaporate most of the moisture in the rice, making it dry and easy to store.
You also need to pay attention when drying rice.
Once it is time to dry the millet, some small birds will come to peck at the millet, and usually an old man or a child has to sit there to drive away the birds.
After drying, a windmill is used to blow away impurities such as shriveled grains and broken leaves mixed in the rice.
After that, it will be OK.
After paying the public grain tax, the remaining grain was stored in the barn and would be shelled when needed.
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... ... ... ...
As time goes by, everyone's enthusiasm is growing.
After careful calculations, this year's grain has increased by one third compared to last year. After paying the public grain tax, the remaining amount is enough for the family to eat until this time next year.
Therefore, the villagers were in a very happy mood. Although the harvesting work of more than ten days was very tiring, it was all worth it.
Moreover, after the rice is harvested, the loaches and eels in the fields can be caught again and sold for money.
Although we caught them once last year, so there aren't as many loaches in the fields as last year, but I can still sell them for more than ten or twenty yuan, which can help supplement my family income.
In short, harvest brings joy.
By September, most of the work in the fields is done.
... ... ... ...
... ... ... ...
That afternoon, Wu Yousheng was resting at home when several children came running over.
"Uncle Xiaosheng..."
"It's Xiaofei, what's wrong? What's the matter?" Wu Yousheng asked casually while lying on the chair without getting up.
"Uncle Xiaosheng, we caught some loaches. Can we exchange them for popsicles?"
Xiao Fei took a bamboo basket and said.
This summer, it was too hot, with the highest temperature reaching over 30 degrees Celsius.
Wu Yousheng also got a little tanned.
The weather was hot and people had poor appetite, so Wu Yousheng brought home a refrigerator since there was electricity at home.
Popsicles, ice pops and the like are so refreshing to eat in the hot summer.
You can also cool watermelon or something like that.
After the two sisters ate, they told their friends Xiaofei and others about it, which made the group of children drool. So Xiaofei thought of an idea and wanted to exchange the loach for popsicles.
"Let me see." Wu Yousheng took a look.
"Hey, there are quite a few. Xiaofei, where did you catch them?"
Wu Yousheng was a little surprised. Last year, the land was divided. The loaches in his own field must be his. They could be exchanged for money. If others tried to catch them, they would definitely be scolded. Even children would be scolded by adults.
"Well, Uncle Xiaosheng, these loaches were caught after others had dug them out once and we dug them out again. It took us quite a while to catch them."
Xiao Fei and others scratched their heads and said.
"Uncle Xiaosheng, can these loaches be exchanged for popsicles?"
"Okay." Wu Yousheng had seen the child's perseverance. Of course, if he had nothing to eat when he was a child, he might have done the same.
"That's great." Seven or eight children cheered.
"Dump the loaches into the pond outside."
"Oh, I see."
Xiaofei led the group to pour the loaches into the pond and returned soon.
"Ling'er, bring a popsicle to Xiaofei and the others, and get me a bottle of soda."
"Okay, Dad." Ling'er responded, went to Wu Yousheng's room, and took out popsicles and soda.
"Brother Xiaofei, these are your popsicles."
"Hey, thank you." Xiao Fei and others took the popsicles, took a lick, and it was icy and sweet, and it felt very refreshing.
"Dad, your soda."
"Um."
Wu Yousheng stood up, reached out to take the soda, and unscrewed the lid.
"Chi~"
Bubbles appeared in the soda. Wu Yousheng took a sip. The soda in his mouth was like dancing elves.
Then, he gulped down half a bottle of soda in one breath and then exhaled.
"Uncle Xiaosheng, is your soda delicious?"
Xiao Fei was licking his popsicle. Seeing Wu Yousheng enjoying it, he came over and asked.
"Here, let me give you a drink."
Wu Yousheng handed the remaining half bottle of soda to Xiaofei.
"Thank you, Uncle Xiaosheng."
Xiaofei took it and couldn’t wait to take a sip.
"It's really delicious." There's no way to describe it, it's just really delicious.
"Brother Xiaofei, give us a drink too."
"I want to drink too."
Several other children also spoke up.
"Okay, let's each have a sip."
Xiaofei is the leader of this group of people, and no one likes to eat alone. Otherwise, if he does, others will not play with him.
The other children each took a small sip and then it was gone.
Just a taste.
The two sisters also went to get an ice cream and started eating it.
"Okay, go play."
"Well, Uncle Xiaosheng, please don't tell the adults about this, okay?"
Finally, Xiaofei made a request. If the adults knew about it, they would lecture him again, so it would be better to exchange it for money instead of popsicles.
"Okay, no problem." Wu Yousheng nodded.
Wu Yousheng would not take the initiative to speak.
However, based on Wu Yousheng's experience, this matter cannot be kept secret for long.
"Thank you, Uncle Xiaosheng. We are leaving now. We will come back tomorrow."
The group skipped out of Wu Yousheng's yard and went to play.
... ... ... ...
... ... ... ...
One day in late August,
This afternoon.
"A small victory."
"Well, Brother Guangdao, come, sit down and have some tea."
Wu Yousheng led Li Guangdao into the yard, sat him down, and poured him a cup of tea.
"Thank you." Li Guangdao sat down slowly, leaned his crutches against the edge of the chair, picked up the teacup and took a sip.
"Brother Guangdao, have you harvested all the rice at home?" Wu Yousheng asked.
"Well, Xiaofeng and his mother finished it." Li Guangdao nodded.
"The crops are growing pretty well this year. Shouldn't that be enough for us to eat?"
"That's almost enough. We can have a good new year this year." Hearing this, Li Guangdao also smiled.
"That's good." Wu Yousheng took a sip of tea and nodded.
"A small victory..."
"What's wrong?"
"It's like this. I looked at the beehives at my house and found that there was a lot of honey accumulated in them. I plan to cut it down tomorrow when I have time. I can cut another batch in November."
Li Guangdao thought about it and spoke slowly.
"Well, that's fine."
Wu Yousheng pondered for a while.
"How about this, Brother Guangdao, I've told you before, if you can't sell the honey produced by your bees, you can bring it to me. I'll buy it at the market price and won't let you lose money."
"Well, thank you in advance, Xiaosheng." Li Guangdao was very happy.
"Then I will start harvesting honey tomorrow."