Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 940 - 480 Elm Money Cake_2

"The other day, Jiayu came by and mentioned that the Old Lu Family’s cat is about to have kittens. Why don’t we just adopt one from them when the time comes?" said Lian Zhizhi.

"That’s what I was thinking too," replied Lian Manman. "I heard the Old Lu Family’s cat is a tabby and quite chubby. The kittens should be tabbies too."

After chatting for a while, the sisters went to sleep.

Lian Manman always had the habit of taking afternoon naps, usually sleeping for about half a Chinese hour. She had formed a natural rhythm and didn’t need anyone to wake her up; she’d wake up on her own when the time came.

Perhaps it was due to springtime drowsiness, paired with the sheer comfort of the moment, but this time, Lian Manman slept an extra quarter-hour before waking.

Lian Zhizhi had already gotten up earlier and was sitting nearby, embroidering a pouch.

Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang were both industrious people, and their children inherited this trait. Take Lian Zhizhi for example; Lady Zhang wouldn’t let her do any outdoor chores, so her hands hardly ever left her needlework throughout the day.

"Sis, I hope that someday I can embroider pouches like yours," said Lian Manman as she tidied the bedding, pushing the still-snoring Da Hua to the side, and smiled at Lian Zhizhi.

"When you get to my age, you’ll be about there. Look at your quilt; didn’t you sew it yourself? Mother even praised how well you sewed it," responded Lian Zhizhi.

Lian Manman chuckled twice; being able to sew her own quilt was indeed a cause for celebration. Compared to her past self who hadn’t even known how to thread a needle, she had come a long way.

After tidying up the bedding, Lian Manman didn’t step off the heated brick bed but walked over to its edge, picked up the bowls where seeds were sprouting, and lifted the gauze coverings one by one to inspect.

"They’ve all sprouted. Tomorrow we’ll plant the corn," said Lian Manman. The vegetable garden had been expanded to twice its size this year, and the plot reserved for sweet corn alone was twice as large as it had been the previous year.

"Will the sweet corn we grow this year be worth any money?" Lian Zhizhi asked while she continued embroidering.

"It will," Lian Manman replied with certainty. "Right now, the only ones in Liaodong Prefecture who have corn seeds are the government and us. The government’s seeds will only be distributed during the spring planting season, and the ones we’ve agreed to supply will also be handed out during the same time."

Being able to plant early meant that only their family could have sweet corn for sale by summer.

Even if corn was no longer as mysterious or highly prized as last year, it was still far from widespread. Getting a good price wouldn’t be difficult. Beyond the simplest preparation methods like boiling sweet corn, Lian Manman planned to share several sweet corn recipes with Shopkeeper Wu. This year’s sweet corn would again bring substantial profits.

The next day, Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, and Lian Manman, along with several long-term workers, began planting the corn.

First, they used Little Yellow Ox to pull the plow and create furrows, then dug holes at specific intervals with iron hoes, then watered them, planted the seeds, and finally covered the holes with dirt.

Growing early-maturing sweet corn required far more care than planting regular corn in the main fields. First, seed selection was crucial; only the best seeds were chosen. Last year, Lian Manman had deliberately set aside the earliest, healthiest, and most robust corn cobs for this purpose. In planting, they used the method of digging holes and planting seeds individually, rather than scattering them in furrows as was done in the main fields. This approach was more meticulous and avoided the need for thinning, thereby saving seeds.

Close to noon, Wu Lang and Xiao Qi came back from private school. The brothers dropped their school bags and joined the vegetable garden to help out.

Wu Lang was studying hard these days, but he still found time to help with chores at home. Despite the family having hired long-term workers, his assistance wasn’t needed.

Both Lady Zhang and Lian Shouxin felt sorry for Wu Lang but didn’t stop him from helping.

Lian Manman also didn’t stop Wu Lang. She believed that doing some physical labor appropriately would benefit Wu Lang’s health. Moreover, it could remind Wu Lang not to forget the hardships of farming.

The lessons from the Upper Room’s Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu were too profound.

"Mother, should we start preparing lunch?" Lian Manman looked up at the sky and asked Lady Zhang.

Lian Manman could now estimate the time of day roughly based on the sun’s position.

Lady Zhang and Lian Manman left the vegetable garden, with Lian Manman also bringing Xiao Qi along.

"Mother, you’ve been talking about elm seed cakes for the past couple of days. Why don’t we make those for lunch?" Lian Manman suggested to Lady Zhang.

The elm trees hadn’t yet grown leaves, but were covered with clusters and strings of elm seeds. This was the season when elm seeds were the freshest and most delicious.

"Sure," Lady Zhang nodded.

Lian Manman and Xiao Qi cheered, grabbed a basket, and headed to the elm grove they had been eyeing.

"Be careful," Lady Zhang called out loudly to the two children running off.

Picking elm seeds was simple; you could use branches to knock the seeds down and then pick them up from the ground. Lian Manman felt this method was wasteful and thought it wasn’t as clean as picking them directly from the tree.

Xiao Qi couldn’t wait to use this opportunity to climb trees and play. Despite being plump, he climbed trees more nimbly than a monkey.

Xiao Qi scrambled up the tree and started picking the best clusters of elm seeds, tossing them down to Lian Manman.

Lian Manman caught them in the basket while occasionally picking a string of elm seeds herself, eating them straight away without washing.

During this era, there was nearly no pollution, and elm seeds could be eaten directly without any issues.

Lian Manman and Xiao Qi picked a small basket full of elm seeds and returned home. Lady Zhang had already prepared the dough, which was resting on the heated brick bed. The dough was made from cornmeal with a bit of white flour mixed in to make it more delicious.

The elm seeds were stripped from their stems, and the occasional tender elm leaves weren’t removed, then mixed evenly into the dough. Lady Zhang carried the bowl of dough to the kitchen.

Making griddle cakes was a specialty dish for tenant farming families in Thirty Mile Camp.

In the kitchen, the large iron pot had already been simmering vegetables, including kelp and tofu stew cooked with bone broth. The pot was just coming to a boil, and it was the perfect time to make the griddle cakes.

Lady Zhang placed the bowl of dough on the stove, grabbed a handful of dough, kneaded it in her palms, and then slapped it onto the iron pot’s walls, forming a neat, round pancake that stuck to the sides.

The shape of the pancake was the best measure of a housewife’s culinary skill.

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