Farming? I'm making a killing with my fairytale vegetables!

Chapter 221 Rice Planting

The warm sunshine shone on the earth, basking in the thriving plants and also on the people who got up early to work.

The next day, Xia Shiyu didn't go anywhere; instead, she went out with her whole family to plant rice seedlings.

They arrived at several paddy fields that had been designated in advance. The fields were now filled with clean water. Xia Shiyu and his family put on long, closed rubber boots, took the rice seedlings out of the cart and put them in a basin of water. They would float on the water when placed in the field, so they could transplant the seedlings.

Xia Shiyu made sure the whole family put on their rubber boots before going into the field. "Mom and Dad, you all need to put on your boots. There are a lot of parasites in the field. It would be troublesome if you were bitten by one."

In her memory, when planting rice seedlings, adults didn't like to wear any protective gear. They would often pull their trousers up to their thighs and go barefoot into the field to plant the seedlings. But it was very dangerous. There were too many insects in the field, and if you weren't careful, you could get bitten. In severe cases, it could cause various diseases and even death.

Xia Shiyu didn't want this to happen, so she made sure everyone wore their water shoes properly.

After they were dressed, she went down to the fields. This time, she didn't let the two elderly people go down either, as she was afraid they would feel uncomfortable if they stayed in the water for too long. She decided to hire two more helpers instead.

Fortunately, there were only two jin of rice seedlings, not many. Xia Shiyu followed his parents into the paddy field, took the rice seedlings from the basin, and began to plant them in the middle of the paddy field.

The process isn't complicated. Just remember to plant the seedlings upright, not crookedly, and not too shallowly so they won't be washed away by the water. Also, pay attention to the spacing between the seedlings. If you do that, everything will be fine.

Summer is here. Rows of rice seedlings are planted. After you walk by, all you can see are green seedlings neatly arranged in the paddy field, which looks very beautiful.

Grandma and Grandpa thought that since they didn't need help, they might as well go back and cook.

Luckily, I had some beef and leftover potatoes at home, so I just made a pot of beef and potato stew, steamed an egg custard, and stir-fried two kinds of green vegetables.

She even made tofu at home, spending the whole morning on it. When Xia Shiyu returned after transplanting rice seedlings, she found a big pot of tofu in the house.

"Grandma, you even made tofu today? That's too much trouble for you."

"What's the trouble? We're just staying at home and don't have to do any physical work, it's just a waste of time."

When Grandma saw them return, she immediately started scooping out a piece or two of tofu from a large bowl.

Xia Shiyu peeked into the pot of tofu and said, "Well, there's a lot of tofu here. It'll last us two or three days."

Grandpa shook his head, "It won't take two or three days. If we can't finish them, we can dry them into tofu."

Xia Shiyu's eyes lit up, and then she added, "Dried tofu is delicious, but sometimes it's too hard and I can't bite into it."

My family used to dry tofu, but the back of the tofu was rock hard, and even she, a young woman, found it difficult to bite, let alone the rest of the family.

Grandma said, "Try to eat it first. If you can't finish it, we'll deal with it later. Besides, the dried tofu was left out for too long before. If we don't let it dry for so long this time, it shouldn't be so hard."

"Okay," Xia Shiyu said and went to help serve the dishes. Looking at the tofu in front of her, she thought about when she should go find some beans, whether it was red beans or mung beans that could be used to make porridge or soup, soybeans that could be made into various bean products, broad beans that could be used for snacks, or green beans that were used in home cooking.

Various beans have many uses, and they can be used to make all sorts of food. So you can collect all the seeds so that you can harvest them all at once later.

Her mind was racing with ideas, but right now, eating was the most important thing.

After the dishes were laid out at home, three large bowls of tofu were served, and anyone who wanted to eat tofu could get a separate bowl.

Xia Shiyu simply put a bowl of tofu into the bowl. The grayish-white tofu was placed in the bowl, and then a spoonful of secret-recipe chili sauce was added. The bright red and grayish-white tofu formed a beautiful picture.

Pick up a piece of delicate tofu, which trembles slightly in the sunlight, carefully dip it in chili sauce, making sure the entire surface is coated, and then slowly put it in your mouth.

Salty and delicate, soft and delicious, the rich aroma of tofu fills the tongue, and the flavor of the secret chili sauce spreads. Every bite is an ultimate enjoyment. Xia Shiyu squinted her eyes as she ate, "It's so delicious."

Even the other people eating nearby joined in the praise.

"Your hands are so skillful; this tofu tastes much better than the one I ordered."

"I never thought we'd get to eat tofu even though it's not a holiday. This is wonderful!"

"It's so delicious. After eating so much meat, I just want to eat some tofu to change things up."

Grandma smiled and added several more large bowls for them, saying, "Eat more if you like it. There are still vegetables and beef here, so try them all."

"If it's not enough, you can just scoop it out from the pot."

"Great, we're in for a treat today."

Putting everyone else aside, Xia Shiyu ate with exceptional joy, feeling happy for the first time in a long time.

She ate one bite after another, talking incessantly to the others. By the end of the day, the tofu that had been perfectly intact in the pot was now reduced to only one-third of its original volume.

Xia Shiyu glanced at it and figured that since everyone hadn't eaten it in a long time, there wasn't much left.

Grandma put the lid on, saying, "This is just enough for you to eat when you come back tonight."

"Okay, I can eat a few more bowls tonight."

Xia Shiyu felt she couldn't eat anymore, but she could eat again later in the evening after digesting her food.

"Okay, you can come back for dinner tonight."

After eating and drinking their fill, they rested for a while. After lunch break, Xia Shiyu stroked the heads of the two dogs and then led the people to get back to work.

They continued transplanting the rice seedlings, only stopping after planting the last one.