Juhua nodded and said, "For now, you can handle it yourselves. We’ll discuss the workshop after the autumn harvest. In a few days, we’ll pick the wild bamboo shoots and give them to Jinxiang to process. That way, everyone manages one task, and it won’t be too tiring."

She gazed through the rainy mist at the hazy fields. ’Everything in nature is a gift from the heavens, meant for humanity to coexist with. Only by living in harmony can we all thrive together.’

Liu Xiaomei replied, "Alright!" In her excitement, she lifted her umbrella high. It tilted precariously, and to keep her balance, she scurried forward a few steps, leaving a trail of bright, clear laughter in her wake.

When they reached the pond, Juhua poured the small fish from the bucket into the water. She watched them scatter in a flash, vanishing from sight, and thought, ’Poor little things. Moved from the river into this pond... their world is now less than half the size it was.’

The fine drizzle fell into the pond, sending faint ripples across its calm surface. As she watched, mesmerized, she suddenly heard Liu Xiaomei exclaim in delight, "Oh, wow! Juhua, the acorns have sprouted!"

Juhua wasn’t surprised. She already knew.

She had soaked some acorns in warm water and planted them the next day, and they had sprouted just a few days later. The acorns in the field, on the other hand, had lain dormant all winter, so now was their natural time to sprout.

A green carpet had emerged in the two-mu nursery. It wasn’t just a few thousand seedlings—there had to be at least ten thousand. On top of that, she had also planted several hundred in her own backyard. When Qingmu saw that the acorns his sister soaked in warm water sprouted so easily, he said he would talk to the Village Chief about planting even more.

Juhua walked into the nursery and stood beside Liu Xiaomei. "Mei," she said with a smile, "in a few years, when these mountains are full of acorn trees, our village is sure to prosper. You won’t have to worry about a dowry then."

Liu Xiaomei, who had been laughing happily, immediately blushed at Juhua’s words. She gave her a light tap and retorted, "Who’s worried about a dowry? Hmph, so a girl can’t get married without one?"

Juhua suppressed a smile. "Of course not. But having some money of your own gives you a bit more standing in your husband’s family, don’t you think?"

The two of them looked at the seedlings, then gazed at Little Qing Mountain, now cloaked in a fresh layer of green. After chatting and laughing for a while longer, they turned and headed back.

With her grandmother staying over, Juhua had even more free time. The old woman simply couldn’t sit still, bustling about with the Yang Family and shooing Juhua aside, telling her to do whatever she pleased.

So, Juhua would watch over Laishou, teaching him a few characters and letting him scribble in his sand tray. She worked on her needlework, and from time to time, she would go out to check on the wild chrysanthemum seedlings or see if the peach tree had budded yet. The tree was still too small; it was impossible to expect it to blossom this year.

That afternoon, Qingmu hurried back carrying a load of acorns. He smiled at Juhua and said, "The Village Chief says that since the soaked acorns sprout so easily, they’re going to plant another mu. They’ll rent the land from our family."

Juhua was delighted. "That’s perfect! I was thinking we have a little too much land anyway. I was worried you, Dad, and Mom would wear yourselves out trying to farm it all. If the village rents a mu, we’ll have one less to worry about. And it’s always better to get the acorns planted a year sooner."

Qingmu nodded. He called over to the Yang Family to boil some water, then said to Juhua, "Let’s get these soaking now. The Village Chief will have people come plant them tomorrow."

Just then, Zheng Changhe came in from outside, wearing a straw rain cape and cupping a muddy Chinese toon seedling in his hands. "Hua’er," he said with a broad grin, "look what I dug up!"

Seeing it was a Chinese toon seedling, Juhua excitedly leaned in to take a closer look.

Zheng Changhe quickly sidestepped her. "Careful, my hands are covered in mud," he laughed. "Just tell me where to put it, and I’ll plant it before I wash up. It’ll take root easily with all this rain."

Qingmu quickly chimed in, "Let’s put it in the backyard. I’ll go dig the hole. If we plant too many trees in the front yard, it’ll be difficult to sun-dry grain later on."

Juhua agreed. And so, their backyard gained another Chinese toon tree.

Zheng Changhe had noticed how eagerly his son and daughter were collecting fruit tree seedlings since the house was built. He thought for a moment, then asked Juhua, "I’ve seen lots of wild chestnuts up on the mountain. How about we bring some back to plant? We could harvest a good amount in the fall. They’re delicious when they’re boiled, and they’d make a perfect snack for you."

Juhua’s eyes widened. "Oh, that’s a great idea!" she said happily. "They’re so fragrant when they’re roasted! I’m just not sure how to grow them. But, if they can grow fine on their own on the mountain, they’ll probably do well if we transplant them. We’ll figure out their habits in a couple of years."

These were a type of wild chestnut. They weren’t as large as cultivated chestnuts—much smaller, in fact—but they were just as fragrant and mealy. ’If we could grow them in large quantities and sell them roasted... hehe, that would be another wild treasure from Little Qing Mountain.’

Qingmu added, "We can start by transplanting some. Then next year, we can try planting them directly from the nuts. I bet they’re similar to acorns. If it works out, we can use this plot for chestnuts, which means one less field of crops for us to manage."

Juhua nodded with a smile. "If we can get them to grow, they’ll definitely sell for more than corn. Let’s give it a try."

Seeing both of his children were in favor, Zheng Changhe said happily, "Alright, I’ll go digging tomorrow then."

He was the kind of man who could never sit still; he was always either in the wheat fields or the vegetable patch. He had been busy for a long stretch and had only just taken two days off before he was back on the mountain, digging up wild chestnut trees.

Qingmu had wanted to help, but he was incredibly busy. He studied diligently from morning till night, as he planned to attend the academy for one more year before stopping. Even then, he would still consult with his teacher in his spare time.

Juhua saw that he was practically inseparable from his books at home, often staying up late into the night. She took the time to make him dried vegetable congee with a bit of cured meat for a late-night snack. Sometimes, she would even sit with him and discuss the philosophies of life and the politics of official careers that he read about in his books.