Dong Mu He works

Chapter 66: The Wife's Exaggeration (Part 1)

    

othing at all. Even if you're just going to be gone for a short time, don't leave behind anything useful, not even pots, bowls, or chopsticks.Nowadays, mule and ox-carts are not common in the village...There are a dozen or so walnut trees in this valley, estimated to be over a hundred years old. Their trunks are thick and strong, their branches are lush with leaves, and they bear a plentiful harvest of walnuts, which is a delight to behold.

With Village Head Xu in charge, villagers self-organized and divided the task. Five or six people were assigned to each tree. Some wielded long poles to beat the walnut trees vigorously, and walnuts rained down onto the ground. Before they finished beating, others couldn't wait and rushed over to collect them into their own baskets.

Occasionally, he gets hit on the head by a falling walnut, only letting out a grunt and not hindering his actions or dodging.

Everyone was busy and efficient, too preoccupied to speak, only focusing on their work with utmost diligence.

These are all things that can replace food to stave off hunger. In a critical situation, they can be life-saving. Picking up more means gaining more opportunities to survive. Who would dare slack off

Everyone was busy working with great enthusiasm. Village Chief Xu was pleased to see this, and what made him even more gratified was that the villagers did not scramble for resources, but instead diligently worked on their allotted plots of land.

In just half an hour, dozens of walnut trees were completely stripped bare. The ground was littered with baskets and sacks, stuffed to the brim. When they got home, the walnuts still needed to be processed: the outer green husks removed and dried before being stored for later consumption. This way, there was no worry about them spoiling.

After finishing shelling the walnuts, the villagers sat on the ground for a while. Those who brought dry food gnawed on some to replenish their energy, while those without could only drink water. However, smiles adorned every face, reflecting the satisfaction and sense of security after harvest, the confidence and hope against drought and hunger.

At this point, looking at Xu Huaiyi, his emotions became even more complex. There was still apprehension, but undeniably, there was also a lot of gratitude.

Xu Huaiyi could have kept this to himself, he could have hoarded it all. If he couldn't use it himself, he could simply have it hauled to town or the county on a cart and sold it - it would undoubtedly sell easily enough. In that case, however much silver he earned would be his alone, nobody could say anything about it.

Now, he has generously shared it with everyone, without boasting or expecting anything in return. He does so nonchalantly, as if unaware of the magnitude of his actions and the gratitude they inspire.

Is this person truly righteous and kind, or a ruthless hypocrite

Xu Huaiyi didn't care what others thought of him. He found a clean stone to sit on, holding two steamed buns in his hands, and was enjoying them very much.

The scallion pancake is filled with his own homemade sauce, containing minced meat, beans, and mushrooms. It's savory, moist, and delicious. Paired with a golden, crispy white flour pancake, even a god wouldn't want to trade it.

The only drawback is that there are no chili peppers, which lack a bit of soul.

Meng Erdzhu gnawed on the steamed bun, inhaling the rich aroma. Never had he felt his rations so unpalatable. He silently turned his back, out of sight, out of mind.

He was honest, but if it were Xu Huai Xiao, his eyes would betray a well of sadness. This time when he went up the mountain, he brought along rice flour buns and salted radish strips pickled by his mother. Usually, they tasted quite delicious, and he could finish three or four in one go. Now, there was absolutely no flavor to them.

Several others were the same, without comparison there was no hurt. Eating the dry rations tasted like chewing wax, but towards Xu Huaiyi, he did not feel any jealousy.

"Only tall and curious asked, "Waiyi, is this cake you brought made by your sister-in-law Your sister-in-law's craft is really good, you're lucky!"

Xu Huaiyi didn't deny it, nor did he admit that he felt ashamed of cooking. Instead, he wanted to take this opportunity to praise his daughter-in-law, saying, "It was my daughter-in-law who made it. She is really a good cook. Even ordinary ingredients can be transformed into something magical in her hands. She feels sorry for me working hard outside and gets up early to prepare these pancakes for me so that I won't feel uncomfortable eating badly and ruin my health..."

She's also very capable. She's always busy at home, never having a moment to spare. She does needlework, takes care of the children, and can handle anything. Being able to marry her is the greatest blessing in my life...

The more he praised her, the more addicted he became, speaking endlessly. In his mouth, Gu Huanxi was a priceless woman, the best example of a daughter-in-law, and a role model for women to learn from. She was worthy of being recorded in books and passed down through the ages.

His companions surrounding him, "…"

Isn't that what a woman is supposed to be like Submissive, gentle, diligent and capable. Isn't this the standard for a daughter-in-law How did Xu Huaiyi make it sound like an extraordinary quality

But from this incident, they all deeply realized that Xu Huaiyi was a devoted husband, irrefutable.

After resting for two hours, the villagers couldn't sit still. They had no walnuts, but there were persimmons! Once these are cooked, they are both sweet and soft. They can be eaten as fruit in winter. Not only do they clear heat but also suppress coughs, making them great for soothing children.

So, everyone rushed to work on those persimmon trees again. Those high up could only be beaten with poles, and those low down climbed up to pick them. Soon, the sacks on the ground were full and couldn't hold anymore. When they came, they didn't dare to carry too many expectations and brought a limited number of sacks, which turned out to be completely insufficient now.

When Xu, the village head, saw this, he arranged for some people to carry the walnuts down the mountain first. He also called for others to come and work. If a household didn't have enough manpower, they had to make another trip themselves. In short, they tried their best to carry all the food back home.

Xu Huaiyi followed along, he only picked a bag of walnuts, and the persimmons weren't many, so he could carry them with a basket.

Even so, all these things add up to seventy or eighty jin. Carrying them down the mountain, the path is difficult to traverse. After more than an hour, ordinary people wouldn't be able to bear it.

Village Head Xu asked him, "Wai Yi, why did you pick so few persimmons Are you coming back"

Xu Huaiyi explained, "I'm not coming back, Village Head Uncle. You forgot that there's a persimmon tree in our backyard The ones growing on it are enough for our whole family to eat. If we pick too many, there's no way we can carry them all."

Xu Chang thought for a moment, "You're right, this thing weighs quite a bit. When we flee, carrying too much will be exhausting. The cart needs to carry food as well, and it wouldn't have much space left for this."

Xu Huaiyi added, "Tomorrow we still have to harvest chestnuts and pears. Pears aren't very abundant, but chestnuts are decent enough. That stuff is more filling than persimmons and walnuts."

Elder Xu's eyes lit up. "Yes, yes, chestnuts are much better than those things. They not only fill the stomach but also nourish the body. It's better to keep the strength and space for chestnuts. Don't pick up sesame seeds and lose the watermelon..."

After that, he shouted at the people who were still desperately picking persimmons, “Don't be greedy! You can’t take too much. On the road to escape, weigh how much each of you can carry. Are you going to abandon your food and supplies What about the elderly and children Those with oxcarts, calculate how much weight your oxen can pull. If you overload them, they will die on the way, and it will be all for nothing…”

Someone retorted loudly, "Village Head, these are our food supplies!"

Xu Chang stretched his voice and said, "There are still chestnuts tomorrow. That thing is better than persimmons for filling your stomach, right You guys weigh it carefully, you want everything, but can you even get on the road"

Hearing this, the villagers finally calmed down from their excitement. Yes, they had picked so much; how were they going to carry it on the road They definitely had to make some choices!

There was also a witty response, "Village Chief Uncle, my family is big, I'm sure we can take them all away. If we can't, selling the rest in town won't be a loss either!"

Hearing this, the others also had an idea. That's right, they couldn't take it away, so just sell it! Anyway, they weren't short of energy. It was just a couple of hard days, running back and forth a few more times.

Seeing this, the village head had nothing more to say. He waved his hand and said, "You guys figure it out yourselves. If you're not tired, just pick them and carry them out. But nobody can take anything from each other."

"Don't worry, Village Head!"ks like a dog..."Gu Huanxi couldn't help but pinch him on the waist, "You just want to be stubborn! You dare bring anything into the house, why don't you bring a tiger back to raise That would be trul...