It was already summer when the group returned to Shenjiazhuang. Before entering the village, they could smell the fragrance of strawberries all over the mountains and fields. The busy villagers were shuttled in the fields and had no time to take a second look at the carriage entering the village.
Su Tai got off the carriage and found that the door of her house was locked. She hurriedly opened the door to let Suchuan and the others in. Then she went to Shen Zizi's house and learned that the bridge had begun to be paved on the river, so she quickly ran there.
As soon as I arrived at the river, I found that all the tenant farmers on the farm were there, as well as some women and teenage children helping each other.
Su Tai saw Shen Yi working in the crowd at a glance and hurried over, "Shen Yi, where are the children?"
Shen Yi raised his head in surprise, "Daughter-in-law, you are finally back! My mother-in-law took the children back, and there are people watching over there. I am too busy here, and there is a good strawberry harvest, and there is no one in the village to take care of them."
When Su Tai heard that the child was in Dongmen Village, she was relieved and immediately looked at the magnificent floating bridge.
The pontoon is about two meters wide. The thick iron chains at both ends should have been installed this winter. Every ten meters there are two stone pillars thick at the bottom and thin at the top to strengthen it.
These stone pillars were processed by Su Tai at the brick kiln factory.
The iron chains rely on these stone pillars to form the frame of a floating bridge.
Su Tai suppressed her inner excitement and held Shen Yi's hand tightly, "Is it stable?"
Shen Yi knew what she was asking and raised the corner of his mouth slightly, "The stone pillars were knocked down only after the beginning of spring. When heavy snow blocked the river, only iron chains were erected. Even in the biting cold wind, the iron chains were stable. We have four seasons here all year round. The wind is stronger in late autumn and cold winter, but not much at other times. After looking at it, the two adults said it was very stable and there would be no problem.”
"That's good!" Su Tai breathed a long sigh of relief and asked, "When will it be completed?"
Shen Yi pointed to the workers laying the bridge deck, "It's half done now, and it will be ready before the autumn harvest."
This time was faster than Su Tai expected.
When Su Tai was happy, she said: "You can do your work with peace of mind. I will go with A Zhan to Dongmen Village to pick up the child."
Shen Yi nodded repeatedly, he would be very busy during this period, and he could rest assured when Su Tai took the child back.
In order to thank her mother-in-law for helping her take care of the child, Su Tai specially prepared a bunch of food and set off this time.
The carriage entered Dongmen Village and passed their strawberry field.
When Su Zhan was about to drink, all the Han family members who were working in the fields rushed back.
The carriage entered the yard.
Shen Yuezhang, who was teaching his younger siblings how to read, raised his eyes and saw Su Tai coming down. He was overjoyed, put down his pen and paper and rushed out, "Mother! Mother! You are finally back!"
"Mother!"
"Aunt!"
The children rushed out in a swarm and surrounded Su Tai who had just got off the carriage.
Su Zhan was depressed at the side, "I only saw my aunt, but not my father, right?"
Su Fengnian called him "Daddy" and continued to pester Su Tai.
"Auntie, I miss you so much!"
"This is my mother, I miss my mother!" Shen Congrong retorted.
Su Fengnian was very thick-skinned, "They are all the same."
"It's different."
The cousins got into an argument for no apparent reason.
Shen Yuezhang glared at his two younger brothers speechlessly, "Stop arguing and help mother carry things. Mother has just come back and needs a good rest." "Yes, yes, yes, aunt just got home. Aunt, I asked my mother to kill a chicken for you." ”
Seeing his son's filial piety towards Su Tai, Su Zhan felt heartbroken, "Sister, I feel like I gave birth to a son in vain, why don't I send him to your house!"
"Okay, okay! Auntie, please go back and take me with you. I'm very obedient and very diligent." Su Fengnian kept promoting himself.
When Mrs. Han entered the door, she slapped him on the head and laughed and cursed: "What nonsense are you talking about! Your uncle is so busy that he can't even look at the child. Your aunt has to wait at home and outside the house when she goes back. Who has time to take care of you?" A skinny monkey.”
Ruan Xiaoyu snickered from the side, "Sister, I'm going to kill the chicken."
Su Tai pulled her back and said, "Don't listen to what the child is talking about."
The corner of Ruan Xiaoyu's mouth raised a little more, "He is usually aloof, but today he was right. You have just come back, so you really need to make up for it. I killed two chickens, which happened to clear the fire that my mother dug a while ago. The vines are dried and stewed together, and they become very fragrant.”
The so-called Qinghuo Teng is a green herb that clears away heat and reduces fire. Dig the root, clean it, and dry it in the sun. It can be stored for a year. Occasionally, boil it in some water and drink it to prevent illness.
People in the village used to use this method to prevent poverty when they were poor.
When the children heard that they really wanted to kill the chicken, they immediately chased Ruan Xiaoyu to the chicken pen. One said that the chicken was bigger, and the other said that the chicken was fatter and the noise could lift the roof off.
Su Zhan sat down and took a sip of tea. Unable to sit still, he went to the fields with Han's farm tools.
Chen Xiang came back in a hurry and couldn't wait to ask about Shen Tian's situation.
"Sister, my second sister really married the prince?"
The last time Shen Dagou came back, she happened to be in confinement, and all the news came from hearsay.
Su Tai nodded heavily and said with a smile: "It's true, I arranged her wedding all by myself. I personally sent her to the sedan chair, and we came back after all the things over there were taken care of."
"I still find this unbelievable. How did the second sister become the prince's concubine?" Chen Xiang never dared to dream that such a noble person could be born in their family.
Su Tai funnyly reminded, "She is not the prince's concubine, but the prince's side concubine. Although the word is different, the status is completely different.
I think the sixth prince is a nice person and treats Tiantian very well. He still has a godfather in the imperial capital and can support Tiantian. You can live your life peacefully! ”
Chen Xiang nodded heavily, glanced at the eldest son who was running behind his elder brother and sister, and said thoughtfully: "Sister, do you think I should find a husband to enlighten Kang'er?"
Now that her husband's family is getting better, she has also seen the abilities of Su Tai's four children during this period. Not to mention the eldest Shen Yuezhang and the second child Shen Congrong, let's talk about the twins. At such a young age, they can recognize all the characters and can speak a few words. She had never heard of the great principles of literature.
The difference between the children was obvious, and her thoughts deepened.
Su Tai nodded in approval, "I didn't expect you to have such an awareness. Not bad! Finding a husband for the children is no small matter. We don't have such a way. I'm afraid we have to ask someone to inquire."
"I want it." Chen Xiang breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Su Tai agreed, there was no need to worry about anything else. Her children were still young anyway.
After the matter was settled, Chenxiang happily went to help Nephrite kill the chicken.
Su Tai asked Shen Yuezhang to take down the snacks from the carriage.
When the children heard about the snacks and candies, they immediately moved from the chicken pen to the main room and crowded the table.
Han and Su Chunlin understood the situation and continued working in the fields.
Unexpectedly, the village chief Su Changxi came to the door with someone.
"Xiao Tai, you're back! Oh! It's been half a year since I last saw you, and you've become even more energetic." (End of Chapter)