The second day of the second lunar month is commonly known as the day when the dragon raises its head.
From that day on, everything in the land of the Northern Kingdom revived, and the rain increased, so the bustling spring plowing began.
However, the spring of the Loess Plateau seems to be much later than that of other places. It is still minus seven or eight degrees at night, and the ice in the Dongla River has not yet melted.
Instead, the barber shop in the town began to get busy. Early in the morning, people crowded and lined up, trying to take care of the hair that had been accumulated for decades.
If you can't line up, you will also take scissors to cut a few hairs, in order to get a good head in the new year... shave the head.
Even orchids are not exempt from customs. They have made noodles early and steamed twelve longan dens.
There is also a pit on the top of each nest, representing twelve months. Mark it and steam it in a pot.
Wang Manyin would not believe this nonsense prediction method, but he did not stop it.
In a word, respect tradition.
In early years, people held a rooster party on the evening of February 2. Kill cocks, burn incense, light firewood, sacrifice to the old dragon, and pray for a good year.
But now it is a new society, and no one has done this.
After February 2, the production team also went out frequently.
With the gradual integration into this era, Wang Manyin was not very resistant to working in the production team.
Now there is not much farm work in the fields. In addition to transporting muck, we plough ditches to turn spring fields.
No need to work hard, just wait for time to do some work.
Talk and laugh with people in the village. If you have nothing to do, you can squat on the ground and talk nonsense without feeling tired. By the way, you can deepen your feelings.
There is another consideration for Wang Manyin to go to work.
Although there is a commission point at home, you can't stay at home alone with Orchid.
It's OK if the time is short... If you don't work all the year round, you can live by pointing to the consignment point, and eat and drink every day. The villagers will certainly talk about it behind their backs.
Things will go wrong after a long time.
The reason why her predecessor was so handsome after marriage was that she still ran around aimlessly, mainly because orchids went out of the mountain to earn work points to support her family. In addition, my mother's constant help can barely maintain this lousy family.
Now, Wang Manyin is naturally unwilling to do so. For the sake of safety, he decided not to make his family stand out.
Of course, he asks for leave every few days.
The reason is also resounding... go to the supply and marketing cooperatives to make delivery and replenishment.
However, Lanhua wanted to go to the production team to work together several times, but was rejected by Wang Manyin, who only asked her to greet the consignment point and home.
I have nothing to do at home except cooking. Orchid plans to read and study in her spare time, and soon finds it impossible.
Some time ago, there was typhus in the village, and it snowed, so the sales outlets were quite clean.
After the first month, most of those old ladies and aunts recovered and began to become active.
After eating, they came to the agency to report with their sewing work on time. Instead of sitting in the cave, he squatted on the cliff face and basked in the sun.
A group of people chat while busy, and occasionally open a few express cars that make orchids blush.
They will not pack up and leave until the men are about to leave work.
Orchid is also very depressed. They are all villagers and can't catch up with others.
In desperation, she had to follow in sewing. During this time, I made two pairs of insoles for Man Yin in succession, plus a pair of thousand ply cloth shoes.
***
Just a few days after starting work, another heavy snow decorated the whole village.
The climate of the Loess Plateau is much colder now than that of later generations. It snows very often in February.
Peach blossom and snow in March, and cold wind during the Qingming Festival.
Even in March and April, it may snow.
The production team was suspended again due to a snowfall.
Zhao Jianhai is not idle. After he held a meeting in the commune, he called a meeting of villagers in the evening to promote in public the advanced experience of farmers in a certain place in their new invention of farming... It's called "ploughing, ditching and seed rolling".
Wang Manyin still had a correct attitude. He listened with his ears and leaned against the wall. He did not express any opinion on this.
Liu Xiangyang listened to the long introduction on the stage and couldn't help asking curiously, "Brother Wang, can this experience really increase crop yield?"
He had never planted the land, and instinctively felt that there was something wrong.
"Ho ho, I'm inexperienced in farming, so you should think about it yourself." Wang Manyin said ambiguously and continued to draw circles on the ground with branches.
The so-called "furrow ploughing and seed sliding" means that cattle are used to plow the land in the front and people are specially sent to sow along the furrow in the rear.
In theory, this can artificially control the density of seedlings, thereby saving seeds.
Of course, if you shake your hands, you can't help it.
But Wang Shouchang didn't have any scruples. He replied in a low voice: "It's all nonsense. We ancestors invented the plough to dig ditches and to slide seeds since the time of the First Emperor of Qin... Now the production team has a wooden columbine, which is not as labor-saving as this one. Besides, it can plant three lines at a time, one man is less..."
Before he finished speaking, he was slapped in the back of his head.
It was my brother Wang Fuchang.
"Every time you have a meeting, you talk a lot of strange words. You are full of food and show whether you can be good or not."
"Brother, if you have something to say, I will become a master soon. Do you still fight?" Wang Shouchang replied gloomily.
In a word, let people around poof and hiss.
Wang Junshan, the son of Wang Shouchang, was engaged only a few days after the New Year. When he got married this year, he will become a grandfather.
Those who are nearly 50 years old are still beaten by their brothers in public. It's really a shame.
"That is, when you are a master, you should fight again. If you don't fight you, you don't have a long memory and just talk nonsense."
Wang Fuchang beat and scolded again and again, and finally made Wang Shouchang shut up.
They were far away from the stage and squatted in the darkness, which did not attract Zhao Jianhai's attention.
Wang Manyin and Orchid returned to their parents' home early after having breakfast and dealing with several shopping guests.
Wang Manyin also carried a cloth bag, which contained four or five jin of noodles and several corn shacks.
Of course, candy is indispensable.
Since he opened the agency, Shaoping and Lanxiang have hardly broken the candy.
Every once in a while, there will be a meal of meat.
With sufficient nutrition, the two little boys' faces are obviously more moist than those of other children.
As for noodles, Wang Manyin made them in the space the other day.
There are two kinds in total, potato noodles are slightly lighter in color, and sweet potato noodles are brown.
When he went to the supply and marketing cooperatives to purchase goods, he brought back more than ten jin and said he bought them from the black market.
Orchids have been used to it, and there is no doubt about it.
Wang Manyin didn't have much experience in doing it for the first time and didn't master the skills well.
Therefore, the noodles are made in different thicknesses, with many lumps, which look like "toad tadpoles".
But the taste is good, especially after frying with lard dregs. It is absolutely delicious when it is oily. While I have time today, I just sent some to my father-in-law's house.
When they entered the courtyard, they found a new cave in the courtyard.
The progress was just three feet deep, and Sun Yuhou was busy inside.
"Dad, we have a new kiln?" Orchid shouted.
It seems that after listening to his man's advice, my father finally turned around and planned to start a new kiln.
At the sound, Old Sun hurriedly turned his head and said, "Man Yin, orchids, are you here?"
The sound in the yard also startled Shaoping and Lanxiang, and they rushed up and shouted enthusiastically.
For the two little boys, his brother-in-law has become the most popular person in his family. Every time he comes, he will bring them delicious food.
Then the hostess Liu Erni went out to greet her.
When the family entered the cave, they greeted their grandmother and chatted. Wang Manyin followed his father-in-law to dig the kiln.
It's normal for a son-in-law to work for his father-in-law's family these days, and he should behave well.
Wang Manyin has dug caves for his family, which is also experienced.
Sun Yuhou helped shovel and transport the earth nearby, and talked about the experience of digging kiln.
According to his statement, the cliff occupied by his family is superior... Mr. Yin and Yang of Mijia Town once saw it with a compass. It is said that the soil vein and geomantic omen in this place are the best in Shuangshui Village. In the future, college students can come out!
Knowing that his son-in-law is tight lipped and has no outsiders, the old man is not afraid of being said to be superstitious.
In the final analysis, this is the simplest expectation of the bottom farmers.
I hope my offspring can change their destiny and no longer dig from the earth.
Wang Manyin thought that Mi Yinyang was really accurate, and Lanxiang was really admitted to a national key university, which was regarded as a golden phoenix flying out of Laoli.
If not for various reasons, Shaoping's academic record would make it easy for him to enter the university.
The two men talked while working. When they had lunch at noon, the cave was moving more than two feet inside.
For lunch, I had scrambled eggs, a bowl of pickled cabbage, and noodle soup.
According to the living standard of the old father-in-law's family, he is definitely a guest of honor.
After dinner, Weng and his son continued to work.
In order to prevent accidents, they did not dare to dig more, and stopped when they reached three feet.
The snow hasn't melted yet, and the production team won't work in the next few days. Wang Manyin and Orchid went to Shuangshui Village every day to report, of course, they brought their own dry food every time.
In addition, the quality of my father-in-law's meals has been improved a lot.
In a few days, the earth kiln was dug more than four meters deep, and it was barely able to put some farm tools.