CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55: TASTING THE NEW HARVEST

Before the start of autumn, grains can’t be harvested; after the start of autumn, they’ll be too late.

The grains are turning yellow; it’s time for the autumn harvest.

"Chun Nuan, when is your family going to have the new grain tasting?"

New grain tasting?

Chun Nuan heard this term for the first time.

Does new grain tasting have to be done?

Once she learned that this was a ceremony farmers held before harvesting grain to thank the heavens, Chun Nuan decided to respect this custom.

Indeed, even the old lady had never heard of new grain tasting.

"You need to buy some meat for sacrificial offerings, like head meat; also get incense, candles, and paper, and shell some new rice. When steaming, the new rice has to be steamed alone, and you have to steam eggplant as well."

"After the head meat is cooked, sprinkle some salt on it, then serve the freshly steamed new rice in a separate bowl, arrange the eggplant and wine on the altar, and burn paper to worship heaven."

"Worship heaven?"

In family rituals, the first to be worshipped are the ancestors, followed by the heavens, the Kitchen God, and the Earth God.

"Aunt Luo said, the new grain tasting is different; it starts with worshipping heaven to thank the heavens for the favorable weather that ensures a good harvest."

"Moreover, the rules for setting the table for the new grain tasting are different."

Normally, before eating, elders start first, and after eating the first bite, then the younger ones can eat.

"During the new grain tasting, the first bite of new rice has to be fed to the dog."

Feed the dog?

No one in the Xiao family had heard of such a thing.

"Aunt Luo said, the reason we can eat rice is because a dog stole the seeds from the heavenly court; it rolled in the piles of grain in the heavenly courtyard and got covered in grains, which were discovered and chased. In its panic, it jumped into a river and swam across the heavenly river, leaving only a few grains on its tail. It shook them off into the human world, where they took root and sprouted, allowing people to eat them to fill their bellies, and thus spread them widely, enabling humans to eat full meals."

So, feeding the dog the first bite is to show gratitude towards it.

Chun Nuan shared the precautions Aunt Luo told her with her family.

"Every region has its own customs; we haven’t heard of these in the Capital."

"Maybe these rules exist in the village, and we just don’t know them."

"Since we’ve come to Shu City, let’s follow Shu City’s customs." The old lady worried that Chun Nuan might not have enough Silver Coin, and took off the only silver hairpin from her head: "Nuannuan, take this to exchange for some Silver Coin to use."

This silver hairpin was considered the most valuable possession of the Xiao family, always used by the old lady to hold her hair in place, specially replaced with a yellow cane by Chun Ning to prevent her hair from falling.

"Grandmother, no need, your granddaughter has money."

Chun Nuan put the hairpin back into her hair.

"Grandmother, rest assured, your granddaughter has made some money by processing medicinal herbs, enough to cover expenses."

Indeed, Chun Nuan discreetly made use of the herbal grind; she processed them exceptionally well, and Zhao Minghua took them to Changzhou for the old master to inspect, offering her a price of ten taels of Silver.

Only this ten taels of Silver made her feel a bit uneasy.

After all, that belonged to her sister-in-law and Yangyang.

"You’ve really worked hard."

Managing the household while processing herbs to make money as well: "In the future, if the family needs help, feel free to ask; you call the shots at home. They can’t do other things, but handling manual labor certainly won’t tire them."

The old lady gave her quite a large amount of authority.

"Understood, grandmother." Chun Nuan said: "After harvesting the grains, we can move to the small courtyard, and there are indeed tasks that require everyone to help together."

Chun Nuan had already thought about what to provide for Zhao Minghua’s teahouse: pastries.

She would add some beneficial traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients into the pastry recipes, and the pastry-making process would not be shared, making only family members do the work, allowing Zhao Minghua to send someone to collect and deliver them to the teahouse.

Though tiring, it had the advantage: the Xiao family could also develop towards business, and opening a pastry shop was quite a possibility.

The old lady patted Chun Nuan’s hand.

"Our family all have healthy faces now, only you have gotten thinner."

Chun Nuan also felt she had become slimmer.

She couldn’t help it; during the day, she carried various chores herself; at night, she thought about the future.

"I wonder how Chunyu is doing? How are your uncle and the others?"

Exiled to the Northern Desert, several sons and grandsons who had never left the Capital weren’t delicate scholars, but still grew up as pampered young masters.

She dared not hope for much, only hoped they reached safely, and could endure until the day the family reunites.

"Grandmother, don’t worry; it will be alright."

"Yes, it will be alright."

The whole family must maintain this belief.

After the new grain tasting, it was the true grain harvesting.

The Xiao family women saw the fields in the village filled with women and children, and they wanted to join in as well.

"Firstly, our family doesn’t have that many tools."

Just having two sickles was already considered wealthy.

"Secondly, you really can’t do this work." Chun Nuan said: "Your hands, with just one touch of the young grain seedlings, will be bleeding."

Is it really that frightening?

Chunyan was skeptical and reached into the sandy field, only to find blood droplets appearing on the back of her hand.

"These young grain seedlings are especially sharp, not to mention lacking strength, even with strength you can’t manage this work."

"What can we do then?" The whole family was anxious, seeing others busy in their fields, young and old bustling about, while their own family could only stand on the ridge and watch?

"Chun Ning, Chun An, go and exchange labor." Chun Nuan remembered Aunt Luo’s invitation: "Once Aunt Luo’s family’s grains are harvested, ask Uncle Luo to help harvest ours."

Two little kids could be exchanged for one sturdy laborer, without the Luo family suffering too much loss.

"Big sister, what can I do?"

Chun An felt at six years old, without strength or skill, what labor could he exchange?

"You see, the village has many children contributing to the field work."

Only, Chun Nuan was worried whether he could walk normally once he was in the field.

"Alright, I’ll go exchange labor."

When Chun Ning and Chun An reached the Luo family’s field ridge to explain their intentions, Uncle Luo laughed.

"No need, you’re still young, haven’t done this before, don’t need to help us; our land isn’t a lot, work quickly today, by tomorrow it’ll be done, at the latest the day after tomorrow, I can come help you harvest."

The Xiao family played the farming game with women and children, yet managed to grow decent crops, surprising the villagers.

"No problem, if Xiao Gang can do it, we can too."

Chun Ning knew there was no such thing as unprovoked kindness; if others treated your family well, you also had to show your sincerity.

"Chunning Brother, you really can’t compare to me." Luo Xiaogang was holding a big bundle of grain to give to his father: "I started delivering bundles when I was five, I’m an expert; if you and Chun An enter the fields, are you sure you’ll be able to walk?"

This task is called bundle delivering!

Every time grains are harvested, this task is for the children.

It’s the same in every household.

Seeing Luo Xiaogang busy, Chun Ning felt a bit unconvinced: what’s so hard about walking?

Not until the two got stuck in the mud and couldn’t pull out their legs did they realize Luo Xiaogang wasn’t mocking them but warning them.

"Chunning Brother, grab the footstalk and use it to pull out that leg."

Chun Ning grabbed the stalk in front of him, just as a fish swam forward, passing in front of Chun An.

"Fish, there’s a fish!" Chun An saw it too and directly went forward, pressing the fish under him.

"Chun An, I used this move when I was little too."