Li Chengfu's guess was correct; the rain lasted for a considerable time.
The Qin and Hou families, having planted less winter wheat last year, had already brought all their wheat back that afternoon.
Heaven seemed to cooperate, with the rain stopping for a while after only a few drops, then resuming, scaring both the Qin and Hou families into harvesting wheat non-stop, skipping lunch.
By the time the wheat was harvested, it hadn't rained.
.
Sitting at the dinner table, Qin Junyao sighed as she looked at the ladle.
She couldn't lift her right hand to pick up the ladle.
Her hand trembled with any movement, and her fingers were a little stiff, unable to grip.
Her arm didn't exactly ache or feel sore, it just couldn't be lifted.
"Little Sister, eat," Qin Erniu, using his left hand to hold the ladle, painstakingly brought the lump soup to his mouth, hissing as he blew on it to cool it.
Even so, he didn't forget to wink at Qin Junyao, implying she should pick up her ladle and eat.
He had pushed himself today to keep up with Qin Junyao's pace; it would be a laughing matter if he, a grown young man, couldn't keep up with his younger sister, who had barely done any farm work.
But harvesting wheat was truly tiring, and besides being tired, it was itchy.
Qin Erniu's neck was itchy, his arms sore, and his back and backside ached. He refused to believe his little sister was fine.
Qin Junyao watched Qin Erniu struggle with the ladle as if he had a stroke that had lasted for ten years.
After a moment's thought, she lifted her left hand, picked up the ladle, and skillfully stirred the lump soup. She waited until it was slightly cooler before scooping a spoonful into her mouth.
Tomato lump soup, delicious.
Qin Erniu: ???
Qin Junyao's left hand, apart from not being able to write, was very adept with chopsticks and spoons. She was just accustomed to using her right hand and hadn't used her left much.
"Yao Yao must be exhausted today, she worked almost as hard as a strong laborer. Second Aunt stir-fried some dried venison with chili for you, try it."
"We ate late at noon today, so we'll save the chicken for tomorrow. The large bones are stewing in the pot, we'll have them for dinner tonight," Qin Erniu's mother placed some stir-fried dried venison into Qin Junyao's bowl.
The dried venison was steamed, chopped, and stir-fried with chopped green peppers, looking very appetizing.
Qin Junyao scooped a spoonful of lump soup with dried venison. Delicious.
She picked up chopsticks with her left hand and added some more to her bowl.
Seeing Qin Junyao use chopsticks with her left hand, Qin Grandmother was startled at first, then asked Qin Junyao, "Yao Yao, you can use chopsticks with your left hand, can you write with your left hand?"
"No."
Learning that Qin Junyao couldn't write with her left hand, Qin Grandmother sighed and gave a self-deprecating smile. How could it be possible?
The others at the dinner table, eating together, now realized that Qin Junyao was using her left hand for chopsticks and spoons.
Because her movements weren't as exaggerated as Qin Erniu's, they hadn't noticed.
Seeing how smoothly she used chopsticks with her left hand, Qin Xiaoyu and Qin Sanniu both tried using their left hands. Their awkward movements, coupled with Qin Erniu's, made Qin mother and the others burst into laughter.
Qin Grandmother ate a small bowl of lump soup and then stopped, getting up from the table and going to her room.
After locking the door, she untied her headscarf and sat before the bronze mirror.
Protected by the headscarf, Qin Grandmother's hair had no wheat awns or dust, and her hairstyle from the morning remained intact.
Her graying hair was styled in a way that would only be seen on a girl Qin Junyao's age, which would surely spark further gossip if anyone saw it.
Today was the Dragon Boat Festival, and also the death anniversary of the young lady Qin Grandmother had served.
Thirty-seven years had passed, but Qin Grandmother still couldn't forget this day, the past days, the past people.
The young lady was also skilled at playing the zither, but she stopped playing after the master's concubine used the zither to entertain others.
The young lady could also eat with both hands using chopsticks, and even write with both hands, truly a talented woman.
Qin Junyao's birthday was only a day apart from the young lady's; the young lady was born on the eighth day of the sixth lunar month, and Qin Junyao on the ninth.
Alas, it was ultimately a futile hope.
The young lady, weary of the mortal world, wouldn't become her granddaughter; she must have gone to heaven to become a fairy.
In the afternoon, Qin Father and the others went to the wheat fields to plant corn, while Qin mother and Qin Erniu's mother went to pick up leftover wheat ears again.
Qin Junyao and the others at home picked mature vegetables from the garden and brought them inside, and stored the firewood properly to keep it from getting wet from the rain.
For dinner, they had zongzi and gnawed on large bones.
Tired from a day of work, Qin Father and Qin second uncle also drank some yellow wine bought from the village that evening.
Qin Junyao brought out the sweet yellow wine given to her by Ling Manshuang for Qin Grandmother and the others to drink, but she herself still abstained from alcohol.
As the lights were turned off and they prepared to sleep, the rain finally began to fall, softly at first.
It rained for two days straight.
Without seeing the sun for two days, wheat was spread everywhere in the Qin family's house. If the weather was hot and the wheat wasn't ventilated, it would rot.
During these two rainy days, the Qin family wasn't idle.
Qin Father and the others went to dig up wheat stubble, while Qin mother and the others turned over the wheat indoors, filling the room with wheat awns and dust.
Qin Junyao, with her aching arms, had to take two baths in her space every day, one in the morning and one in the evening.
Even so, she still got wheat awns on her body and felt itchy all over.
On the third day, the rain stopped, and the sun appeared.
The sun seemed displeased at being covered by clouds for two days, its scorching rays feeling like they could melt a person.
The communal threshing ground of the Qin and Hou families had long been prepared, compacted and leveled with wooden blocks.
As soon as it dried, the wheat was quickly brought to the threshing ground to be dried.
With the weather clearing up, Qin Sanniu could finally make the well cover.
This child was truly skilled in hands-on work.
After observing the village carpenter, he learned to use carpentry tools, and with puzzles like the Lu Ban lock, he could make a large one himself from wood.
The handcart the family currently used was also made by Qin Sanniu, who had disassembled the Hou family's handcart and reassembled it.
Besides walking the dog, Qin Sanniu's favorite pastime was visiting the village carpenter.
The carpenter wasn't afraid of him watching; his own apprentices were too clumsy to learn, so what could a child learn by watching?
Besides, the Qin family had bought many wooden buckets and basins from him and even had a shelf made. Qin Sanniu was quiet and well-behaved, and sometimes helped with the work, which was nice.
Little did he know that Qin Erniu had secretly learned half of his skills.
"Sanniu, do a good job. Whether our house can get its door back depends on you," Qin Erniu, carrying a pitchfork, patted Qin Sanniu's shoulder. Sudan Novel Network
He was going to the threshing ground to turn over the wheat.
Qin Sanniu smiled and nodded.
Since the vegetables in their home began to ripen and become edible, Qin Junyao had been feeding Qin Sanniu vegetables from her space.
She would give him a tomato or a cucumber when she had the chance. Unfortunately, none of the fruits in her space were tasty, so she could only eat the vegetables.
Qin Junyao felt that Qin Sanniu was now responding more to external stimuli, no longer just passively accepting and obeying.
The effect of the space vegetables was also confirmed by Ling Manshuang's maternal grandfather.
Although it didn't have a miraculous healing effect, Ling Manshuang's maternal grandfather, after eating the space vegetables for more than half a month, could occasionally recognize his granddaughter.
Ling Manshuang believed her maternal grandfather's improvement was due to acquiring his beloved orchid.
Little did she know it was those vegetables, which looked no different from those in the market.
With the wheat drying, Qin Father felt half of his worries were gone; he still had another matter on his mind.
While Qin Lin and Qin Erniu were at the threshing ground turning wheat, Qin Father found Qin Junyao tidying the house.
"Jun Yao, since it has rained, let's plant the wormwood."