"Coming back? Why is it so late today! Aunt Zhou was walking around on the cobblestone road, heard the sound of the door opening, and immediately ran to open the door.

"Something is delayed on the way." Zhou Kuiruo smiled unnaturally, but Aunt Zhou didn't light the lights at night and didn't see it. "I'll put my things down and come out, there's no light in the courtyard, you go and sit first!"

Zhou Kuiruo returned to the dining table after washing his hands, glanced at Chun Tao, and his eyes were a little wrong.

Chun Tao noticed his gaze and looked up at him, and he pretended that nothing had happened.

"What's wrong? It feels like you're not right when you're eating. Back in the room, Zhou Kuiruo's expression was still very strange, looking out the window in a daze.

"Xianggong? Messire? Zhou Kuiruo! Chun Tao screamed several times, and Zhou Kuiruo came back to his senses.

"What did you just call me?"

Chun Tao didn't answer, sat next to him and picked up the book to read. "What's wrong with you? Something was wrong when I ate, and I'm still in a daze. ”

"When I came back, I met your brother."

"I don't have a brother, I only have a father-in-law and a mother." Chun Tao looked at the book, her expression remained unchanged, and she couldn't tell whether she was in a good or bad mood.

Zhou Kuiruo snatched the book from Chun Tao's hand and stared at her and smiled.

Chun Tao turned her head to look at Zhou Kuiruo, who was smiling and not talking, she was confused, and took a book again to continue reading.

"I'm very happy."

"What?" Chun Tao stopped flipping through the book and stared at one place, but didn't look at him.

"I'm glad you don't care about the past."

I don't care, I just hold grudges. "He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"No, you just saw me."

"Something must have happened, otherwise why would you be late to come back."

Zhou Kuiruo smiled and shook his head, "It's really not, it's just that I'm afraid that he will come to the door to disturb me, so I'll only come back after making sure he's gone." ”

Chun Tao nodded, read the book for a while, and asked again, "Are you going to the county seat tomorrow?" ”

"Go!"

Chun Tao frowned, not quite understanding. "Aren't you going to prepare for the county exam? There's not much time, don't you hurry? ”

Zhou Kuiruo leaned closer and spoke in her ear. "Do you really want me to get in?"

"You're not going to read, do you have other plans?" For the topic, Chun Tao chose to avoid.

Forget it, don't push it too hard, lest she get angry and coax it badly. Zhou Kuiruo stopped teasing her and said his plan seriously. "I don't plan to go again in a few days, it's cold, and no one will go."

Yes! During the Chinese New Year, there are many people who buy New Year's goods, and there are many people who buy calligraphy and paintings, and there are many people who write couplets.

Zhou Kuiruo continued: "If you can earn a little, you have to buy New Year's goods during the New Year." After paying the poll tax, the family does not have much money. Moreover, the tender cowpeas are gone, and the rest of the warehouse is estimated to not be sold for long. ”

"When I was drying vegetables a few days ago, I suddenly thought that I could make dried bamboo shoots. Isn't it a bamboo forest outside? There must be bamboo shoots. ”

"Winter bamboo shoots? But there are not many people who eat bamboo shoots, and winter bamboo shoots will be astringent. ”

"That's why it's made into dried bamboo shoots."

"Dried bamboo shoots? Will anyone like to eat it? The beginning of autumn has passed, and if you want to do it, you can start picking. ”

Chun Tao has no understanding of the growth cycle of crops, "Is it?" Not in winter? ”

"Haha!" Looking at Zhou Kuiruo, who couldn't stop laughing, Chun Tao knew that she was wrong.

"Sleeping." Chun Tao couldn't stand Zhou Kuiruo's ridicule, closed the book and left.

Zhou Kuiruo didn't chase after her, just watched her laugh all the time.

Chun Tao is a person who does what he says, and the next day he took a small basket and a small hoe and began to dig bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest.

"Do you want my mother to help?" Aunt Zhou also wanted to help, but Chun Tao was worried about her body and refused.

Chun Tao raised the small hoe in his hand, "Only this one can be used, there are not many bamboo screens, only a little at a time, I can just take my time." ”

"That's okay, that mother will cook for you. However, you should also pay attention to rest. ”

Chun Tao took the hoe and stared at the bamboo shoots in the soil, unable to do it for a long time. After squatting for a long time, Chun Tao sat on the ground regardless of her image. "How should this bamboo shoot be dug up! How deep should I dig underneath? ”

Chun Tao looked at her calloused hand and sighed. "The hand that used to hold a paintbrush now holds a hoe. I used to be alone, but now I have a home. Come on! ”

Chun Tao tried to dig and found that it was not difficult, but after looking for a long time, he only found a few.

"That's it?" In the morning, the bamboo shoots just dug up just filled the small basket.

Chun Tao grabbed her neck and moved left and right, "It shouldn't be the time for bamboo shoots to grow!" After walking so far, I didn't see a few. ”

"Let's eat first! I'll talk about it in the afternoon. Chun Tao walked away for a while.

After lunch, Chun Tao rummaged through Zhou Kuiruo's study and found no books related to crops.

If Zhou Kuiruo's father entered the court through formal channels, then there should be his previous collection of books here. Go ask your mother.

"Mother, is there a book about agriculture here?"

"I don't know, but there's Kui'er's father's study in the backyard, if you want to see it, you can look for it in the back. I'll take you! ”

"Ahem! Mother, you... You go out first! "As soon as I opened the door, dust came in my face, and it looked like no one had come in for years.

Aunt Zhou covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief and coughed non-stop. "Would you like to clean it up for you?"

"No... No need. Chun Tao covered her mouth and nose and pulled Aunt Zhou out of the room. I'll just go get a cloth and cover it, it's too tiring to clean such a big study. ”

"Okay, something called me."

"Hmm!" Chun Tao covered her mouth and nose and began to shuttle through the bookshelves.

"So many books, they haven't been classified yet." There is no category on the shelf, and Chun Tao can only be identified by some books placed on the shelf.

After searching for a long time, Chun Tao did not find a book related to agriculture. "I don't think so! Forget it, let's go down the mountain and ask someone to hurry up! ”

Chun Tao thought about it, gave up the idea of continuing to look for books, and closed the door. "But who should I ask!"

"You're going out?"

"Hmmm! I didn't find it in the study, there were too many books. ”

"What are you looking for?"

"I want to know if the growth time of winter bamboo shoots is now. I also want to know how to dig bamboo shoots. ”

"Are you going to go down the mountain and ask? I know a man in the village who has seen him digging bamboo shoots. ”

Chun Tao retracted her foot and sat beside Aunt Zhou. "Do you know which family it is?"

"Mother knows, you want me to ask!" Aunt Zhou knew that Chun Tao was not good at words, so she took the initiative to mention this matter.

Chun Tao nodded slightly, a little embarrassed.

"That's fine!" Aunt Zhou stood up, "Mother, let's go, you don't have to look for it in the study anymore." ”

"Good!"

Aunt Zhou came back after a while, and talked to Chun Tao in detail about digging bamboo shoots. It turned out that Chun Tao couldn't find the bamboo shoots, not because it was not in season, but because most of the bamboo shoots were buried in the ground and had to be found.

It is necessary to choose bamboo plants with lush branches and leaves, thick green bamboo leaves and yellow leaves, and find bamboo shoots. Where the clods are raised, loose, or cracked, there are bamboo shoots when the feet are soft. The digging process should not hollow out the surrounding area of the mother bamboo, and the bamboo shoots should not be injured.

Chun Tao silently recited the mantra that Aunt Zhou had stolen in her heart, and carefully looked for the bamboo shoots. "There really is."

Choosing a place, Chun Tao took a small hoe and began to dig tentatively, and if she really dug up the bamboo shoots, it looked more tender.

According to the method of the formula, Chun Tao didn't take a few steps to dig up a basket, and the result was even better than the result of working hard for half a day in the morning.

In a short period of time, Chun Tao took two or three baskets of bamboo shoots home.

It wasn't until it was dark and she couldn't see that Chun Tao put down her hoe and went back amid Aunt Zhou's shouts.