Wei Nian didn't know that Chen Xuan secretly used the money he gave her as a 50-cent discount for the snow cream she gave him. If he knew, he would be so scared that he would vomit blood.
However, Chen Xuan is such a clear-headed person.
To be honest, Chen Xuan just got this vanishing cream, but she doesn’t know how to use it.
She, this was the first time in her two lives to use this. Although she had seen Wei Yin use it, this was the first time for her to use it. The first time Chen Xuan used the vanishing cream, she was really sneaky like a thief. Thinking that Wei Yin always washed his face before using it, she got up very early that morning, washed her face, and applied some in front of the mirror. Hey, why is it so fragrant, Chen Xuan thought in front of the mirror. This vanishing cream didn't feel anything special when applied on the face, it just smelled good. Of course, when I touched my face, it felt moisturized.
Chen Xuan was a little happy, but she had always been honest. In the village, no matter what elders said about women, they all said that women should be honest and not focus on dressing up. So, even though she was happy, Chen Xuan tried not to show it. She went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast with a happy heart. Fortunately, although she applied the vanishing cream, no one could see it, so Chen Xuan felt a little more secretly happy.
She felt that this vanishing cream was really a low-key good thing.
Although Chen Xuan doesn't know how to use the word "low-key" at the moment, this is what she means in her heart.
The Wei family kept a low profile in their strawberry business in the first year. This was mainly because it was Chen Xuan's first time growing strawberries and she was a cautious person. Not all of the seeds she bought had sprouted, so she kept half of them. Now that she had made so much money, she thought about sprouting another batch of seeds and planting them wherever they could be planted. Even if the fruits could not be produced this year, raising the seedlings would be beneficial for the fruits to be produced next year.
Chen Xuan's decision was strongly supported by Mrs. Wei.
Chen Xuan was more cautious this time than the first time when she was anxious and worried. However, she soon discovered that the strawberry branches she planted earlier spread out and when they touched the soil, they could grow roots. Chen Xuan has been farming for more than ten years and has rich experience. She understood at that time that strawberries can survive by cuttings.
Chen Xuan planted the branches and breeding ones separately and put a sign on each.
Although the strawberry fruiting season has passed, Chen Xuan is still enthusiastic about growing strawberries. The Xu family admires Chen Xuan's vegetable growing skills very much.
It can be seen that Chen Xuan is a sincere and grateful person. The Xu family often lends her books to read. Chen Xuan used to help the Xu sisters with needlework. Now she grows vegetables. The Wei family has few people and they cannot eat all the vegetables. Especially when the vegetable garden is most productive, Chen Xuan often takes out a portion and delivers it to the Xu family in the morning.
When Mrs. Xu heard that the Wei family had built a vegetable garden, she came to take a look in person.
Mrs. Xu praised it highly and said that the vegetable patch was well-tended.
Old Mrs. Wei said, "It was our second eldest son's family who did it. She knows about this."
Mrs. Xu was attracted by the Wei family's vegetable patch.
The Xu family's financial situation is not as good as the Wei family's, otherwise, they would not be able to rent the big yard to the Wei family and live in the small yard themselves. There are six children in the family who are studying. On weekdays, the family does not have any vegetables unless it is the New Year or other festivals. Seeing the large plot of vegetables in the Wei family, I can't help but envy them. This year, the Wei family planted vegetables, and Chen Xuan sent some to the Xu family every now and then. Mrs. Xu naturally knew Chen Xuan's feelings, and after getting along with Chen Xuan these days, she felt that although Chen Xuan came from the countryside, she was an honest and decent person.
Mrs. Xu made up her mind at home. When her daughter came home from school, she told her daughter about it and asked her to ask. She also had her own yard and wanted to set up a vegetable patch, so she asked Chen Xuan if she could give her some advice.
The two sisters of the Xu family were so familiar with Chen Xuan that they went to ask Chen Xuan that day. Chen Xuan simply gave them some of the seeds that she had bought but not used up. Chen Xuan also said, "You are city people and have never planted before. It's late tonight. I will go over tomorrow and teach you how to start a vegetable garden."
Seeing that Chen Xuan responded readily and even gave them vegetable seeds, the Xu sisters felt that Chen Xuan was a good person.
Chen Xuan was also very attentive to what she had promised to others. She was usually not free in the morning. She had to eat and sort out the household chores with her sister-in-law, Mrs. Li. She would go to the Xu family only after Mrs. Wei went to see a play.
The Xu family is a scholarly family, so Chen Xuan carried the hoe and other things herself, as the Xu family didn't have these.
Chen Xuan helped them to clear the vegetable patch in half an hour, and took out some stove ash to make the base fertilizer. Chen Xuan also said, "In theory, manure is the best fertilizer, but manure is a bit smelly when growing vegetables at home, so stove ash is not bad." Then she told the Xu family that rice washing water and pot washing water should be placed in a jar and not thrown away. Leave it for a few days and then water the vegetable patch. It is also good. However, soapy water or the like cannot be used in the vegetable patch, otherwise the vegetables will not grow well.
After clearing the vegetable plot, Chen Xuan taught them how to plant seeds the next evening and told them the solar terms of these vegetables. "Although it's a little late to plant now, it's not too late. You can eat them when they're ripe." Then, she told them which vegetables needed more watering, which needed less watering, and which needed more watering with small amounts of water, and to what extent. Chen Xuan also wrote down the precautions on a paper and handed it to Mrs. Xu, and told Mrs. Xu to come to her if there were any problems with the vegetables.
Mrs. Xu agreed to all of them, invited Chen Xuan into the house for tea, and thanked her again and again. Mrs. Xu smiled and said, "Although our family is not yet so ignorant of the differences between grains, we are really not good at these things."
Chen Xuan said seriously, "Your master is a scholar, and several brothers and sisters are also studying. This is the most amazing thing. Anyone can grow vegetables, but studying is different."
Mrs. Xu asked Chen Xuan how her studies were going.
Chen Xuan said, "I can recognize some characters, such as some common characters in daily life, and I can write them. I haven't read much, but I have memorized the Thousand Character Classic and the Augmented Collection of Wise Sayings that my second and third sisters lent me. Now I have memorized half of the Thousand Family Poems."
Mrs. Xu smiled and said, "It's always good to read more books."
Mrs. Xu said, "I heard that the second young master in the mansion is learning foreign languages?"
"Yes, every night I chattered and learned to speak foreign languages from my teacher. Although I didn't understand, I thought it sounded nice." Chen Xuan grinned. She had come to her senses now. She and Wei Nian were not a good match. This was a non-forced marriage, and Wei Nian treated her well. Chen Xuan knew Wei Nian's excellence in both her lifetimes. Speaking of Wei Nian, Chen Xuan was also very happy. Although they were not a good match, Wei Nian treated her well, and she still hoped that Wei Nian would be well.
Mrs. Xu said to Chen Xuan, "If it's cheap, it wouldn't be bad for you to learn a few lines from her."
Chen Xuan's eyes widened, a little unconfident, "I just learned a few words, can I learn this foreign language?"
Mrs. Xu asked her, "I see that you are learning to read very quickly. How many words do you learn in a day?"
Chen Xuan said honestly, "I can remember all twenty of them. I know them by heart."
Mrs. Xu smiled and said, "Then you can learn ten foreign words every day, or learn one foreign word every day. Little by little, it will add up to a lot. Just do it slowly."
Chen Xuan thought about it and said seriously, "Aunt, you are more knowledgeable than me. I think this matter can be done. I am just a little stupid and learn slowly. It's nothing more than putting in more effort than others."
"Persistence is the key to success." Mrs. Xu likes Chen Xuan's simple character very much.
Mrs. Xu was very grateful to Chen Xuan for teaching her how to take care of the vegetable garden, but Chen Xuan thought it was a piece of cake.
Mrs. Xu had advised her to learn foreign languages. Chen Xuan felt that it was her duty to help the Xu family with all the vegetable growing work, not to mention teaching them how to take care of the vegetable garden.
Chen Xuan went to Xu's house to help with the vegetable garden, even though she did it when Old Lady Wei was not at home. Wei Jin still complained to Chen Xuan in private. Old Lady Wei was a bit harsh as a mother-in-law, but she was smarter than Wei Jin. Old Lady Wei said to Wei Jin, "You live next door to each other. Your father and Mr. Xu are good, and the second son's family knows how to grow vegetables. What's wrong with teaching the Xu family?"
Old Mrs. Wei was unhappy about Chen Xuan's frequent and unsolicited sending of melons and vegetables to the Xu family. She privately complained to Chen Xuan several times. Chen Xuan had Wei Jin, a troublemaker, at home, so she had to be prepared. She said honestly, "It is said that a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. After all, we are not native Beijingers. I often hear the old lady say that our grandfather is good friends with the grandfather of the Xu family. We can't eat these vegetables ourselves, so we should pick them. If it's hot today, they will go bad in a few days. I will send them to you." I gave some to Aunt Xu. Don’t worry, old lady, I’ve saved the best ones for seeds, and we can continue to grow them next year. As for the beans, they will be almost ready in June when the trellises are built, and I have to buy some late beans to plant, just in time for the next crop. I don’t always give them away, and I blanch the ones that can be saved in a big pot, and dry them outside to eat as fresh vegetables in winter. Although they are not as delicious as fresh vegetables, when the time comes, you old lady and grandpa will eat fresh vegetables, and I will just eat these dried vegetables. I’m used to eating them at home.”
Old Lady Wei was impressed by Chen Xuan's nature of saving money. Moreover, Chen Xuan also had the virtue of enduring hardships first, working first, and enjoying later, which was in line with Old Lady Wei's aesthetic of a daughter-in-law. Moreover, now that the Xu family had a vegetable plot, it was thought that her family would not have to send vegetables there all the time. Therefore, Old Lady Wei did not pursue the matter of Chen Xuan sending vegetables to the neighbors behind.
Seeing that Old Mrs. Wei didn't say anything else, Chen Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. While tending to the strawberry garden, she was thinking about how to talk to Wei Nian about learning foreign languages.