My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 105 Part 2

In the autumn days, everyone was bustling with great energy and enthusiasm. Unlike the transition from busy farming to leisure in Tongzhou during the tenth lunar month, here it was instead as lively as spring planting.

The autumn atmosphere in the mountains felt particularly strong. There were few evergreen trees to be seen, most were the kind that sprouted in spring and shed their leaves in fall.

The surrounding mountain peaks were either red or yellow. With each autumn breeze came the rustling sound of falling leaves, and the dried leaves on the ground could accumulate into a thick layer.

Ji Taoyu sat in the yard, brewing tea around the stove. Huo Shu had brought him some chestnuts from the mountains.

This area was deep within the forest and very secluded, allowing the chestnuts to grow large and wild. If left to settle for a day and then roasted, they turned sweet and soft. He could easily eat many of them while drinking his tea, but fearing he might overheat from eating too many, he didn't dare to overindulge.

"Where are you two going?"

After drinking some tea, Ji Taoyu leaned back into his chair, which was fitted with a soft cushion. These days, even sitting for a short while made his back ache.

He noticed Ji Wenliang and Jin Kelu walking by outside, tossing things back and forth at each other, and thought their behavior was rather childish.

Hearing Ji Taoyu's voice, Jin Kelu dashed into the yard. He familiarly picked up some chestnuts and started eating: "I heard Second Brother-in-law is developing paddy fields here, so I came to see the excitement. Caochang Village also wants to develop paddy fields."

Ji Taoyu replied, "I've heard about it. A-Shu said he would handle all the planning together."

"I heard that after you two get married, you'll be living in Caochang Village. Are you planning to build a new house there?"

Ji Wenliang plopped down heavily into a seat. "There's no need for that. The house A-Lu is living in now is quite good. Even though bandits used to live there, it can be fixed up with some renovations. No need to go through all the trouble of building a new one."

"My body is heavy now, so I can't help much with your affairs."

Ji Taoyu said: "Anyway, if you lack anything, just tell me. I'll have A-Shu find a way."

"Brother Taoyu, you just focus on resting during your pregnancy. Our matters aren't urgent. Right now, everyone is just waiting for Xiao Taohe to be born."

"Hey, why didn't Second Brother come today?"

Ji Taoyu said, "Xiao Fu has a bit of a cough. I advised him not to take the little one out for a ride in this weather."

The three of them chatted in the yard for some time before finally parting ways.

After the autumn season, the days grew noticeably shorter each day, and time seemed to pass much more quickly than it had during the summer months.

Before they knew it, Winter Begin had arrived. The weather in the mountains turned overcast and chilly. However, shortly after Winter Begin, they experienced a Little Spring. Overall, the climate in Yuchang remained milder than in Tongzhou, and the days stayed relatively clear and pleasant.

[Winter Begin (立冬, Lìdōng): the 19th solar term marking the start of winter]

[Little Spring (小春, Xiǎochūn): an unseasonably warm, spring-like period that occasionally occurs in early winter, often around the 10th lunar month]

Ji Taoyu had slept late. The winter sun, now softened of its harshness, streamed into the room, though it was still rather bright and glaring.

He carefully supported his belly and slowly got out of bed. His due date was fast approaching. His grandfather came by every single day to check his pulse, and his entire family kept a watchful eye on him. As a result, he hadn't been allowed outside for many days.

Remaining indoors for so long inevitably began to feel stifling. His mood had been somewhat low these past few days. He wasn't sure if it was simply because the baby was soon to arrive.

After ten months of pregnancy, filled with days and nights of eager anticipation, the moment was finally drawing near. Yet, instead of pure excitement, he found himself feeling inexplicably nervous and afraid.

Listening to Xin ger say there was nothing to be afraid of—that when the time came, it would hurt but then be over quickly, and besides, with his grandfather present, there was even less reason to worry—Ji Taoyu felt somewhat reassured.

Hearing this advice, though he felt a bit dizzy, Ji Taoyu's heart did indeed feel much more at ease.

Squinting against the light, he noticed that the few peach tree saplings planted by the window during the summer had actually begun to blossom.

The summer weather had been hot and dry, but fortunately, the nighttime moisture in the forest was abundant, and three of the peach trees had tenaciously survived.

He draped a thick robe over his shoulders and walked closer. The warmth of the Little Spring had tricked the trees into believing spring had arrived early, prompting them to bloom as though it were already spring.

"You're up."

Huo Shu came in from outside and saw the person leaning by the window.

Ji Taoyu made a sound of acknowledgment. He turned back to look at Huo Shu: "Just got back from outside?"

"Mm."

Huo Shu took down the clothes Ji Taoyu often wore from the clothes rack as he said: "The waterwheel is built. Today we plan to release water into the fields. Do you want to go out and see?"

Ji Taoyu raised his eyebrows: "So fast?"

Huo Shu nodded. The paddy fields needed to be flooded before spring—otherwise, the soil at the bottom would remain dry. Moreover, the earlier they were flooded, the more aquatic life like eels and loaches could grow, which is better for loosening and fertilizing the soil.

Everyone was highly motivated, and two months were enough to level the field ponds.

Ji Taoyu put on his clothes: "I see the weather is good today too. I'll just go to the riverbank to watch the waterwheel start operating and then come back."

Huo Shu agreed: "Good."

A huge circular waterwheel now stood over the village stream, surrounded by many bamboo pipes directing water toward the fields.

Areas with higher elevation were irrigated by waterwheels drawing water from the mountain streams.

Many people stood in the fields now, all come to see the waterwheel's first irrigation.

Everyone pointed and talked, creating a very lively atmosphere.

"Open the sluice and release the water!"

With a shout, the people standing upstream destroyed a small temporary dam blocking the water. The obstructed flow immediately rushed toward the waterwheel.

Impacted by the water flow, the round bamboo tubes tied to the bottom of the waterwheel filled with water and rotated upward as the wheel turned. The water in the bamboo tubes poured out into the bamboo pipes, and the stream water thus flowed along the pipes into the fields.

The villagers guarding the edge of the paddy fields, seeing the stream water gushing into the dry, loose soil of the new fields, couldn't help but cheer: "It worked!"