Chapter 10 Protecting My Sister in the Wheat Field

The eldest brother, Tao Zui, and Tao Ran have already started learning winemaking from their father and grandfather. In the grandfather's words, even if they don't sell wine in the future, they must pass on this craft. After all, this is the livelihood passed down from the ancestors of the Tao family, and it must not be lost. He also repeatedly instructed them to pass it on to their descendants.

Grandpa did not say that the knowledge should be passed down to sons but not daughters, or to daughters-in-law but not sons-in-law.

However, such skills have always been passed down within families. Married-out women, needless to say, were not qualified to receive the secret recipe.

Although Tao Tao's nickname is Xiao Jiu (Little Wine), she studies traditional Chinese medicine and has absolutely no interest in brewing. So even if her family allows her to learn it, she might not actually learn it.

The two aunts had been married off for many years and rarely returned home. The two uncles had heroically sacrificed their lives. The Tao family seemed prosperous and flourishing, but in reality, the word "landlord" suppressed them, and they were always on the verge of collapse.

Fortunately, the land had already been handed over, and the family background had not been classified into any of the five categories. Although there was no longer the blessing of eight generations of poor peasants, at least it was not enough to be dragged out and criticized.

Summer weather is unpredictable, with the possibility of torrential rain at any time, making the summer harvest especially important, with the whole family working together.

Grandma couldn't sit still at home after all. After breakfast, she insisted that Dad carry a basin to the field, put her in the basin under a tree at the edge of the field, and then follow behind her parents with a sickle to start harvesting wheat.

"I won't work much, just two or three hours. I'll go home when the child gets hungry. I'll help out as much as I can. I'll come back to help a little more in the afternoon. Our little one is easy to take care of and obedient."

Then he turned to three-year-old Tao An and instructed him, "If your little sister cries, call us. Be careful of the wheat stubble, or you'll cut your feet."

Although Tao An was young, he had been helping out in the fields to pick up wheat for two days. Despite the heat, his little body didn't complain about the hardship or fatigue. He obediently stayed by the field after the wheat had been harvested, picking up the scattered ears of wheat. After the wheat was bundled up and taken home in a cart, the adults would continue to wander around the field to see if it had been picked up cleanly, picking it up again before they were satisfied.

Unlike later generations when combine harvesters harvest wheat, no one was willing to bend down and pick up wheat anymore. It was mostly idle elderly people who carried sacks to pick up wheat from the harvested fields. Picking up 100 jin (50 kg) in a summer harvest was considered a small amount. The wheat they picked up was then ground into flour, which tasted extra delicious!

Little Jiu lay in the wooden tub, with soft wheat straw underneath her and a diaper pad on top of the straw. It was soft and comfortable, and she didn't feel hot. The area under the trees by the roadside was lively, with many people coming and going, and quite a few families letting their children out to play. As she lay in the tub, people would come over to check on her and play with her from time to time.

As soon as the young man saw someone approaching, he rushed over to look at her, afraid that someone would take her away. At this moment, no one would say that he was being lazy and not doing his job, because compared to his sister, that was nothing.

Little Jiu lay sprawled out, her bottom covered by a diaper. The little jacket she was wearing was the one her older brothers had worn when they were little. She had very little hair and was not growing well. She was clearly malnourished. If it weren't for the fact that she had been raised for three months and her skin had become a little fairer and she had gained some weight, she would have been an eyesore.

She was babbling and singing while chewing on her toys. She had just eaten her fill at home and was feeling bubbly. Her little brother came over and lay down by the basin, touching her little feet and hands. His eyes were full of starlight. He looked so cute and chubby that even Xiao Jiu wanted to kick him. Who told him to rub his feet against her face? She would feel bad if she didn't kick him for tormenting her like that.

"Oh, Xiao An, taking care of your little sister? Look how much you love her. If you cherish your sister so much, why don't you ask your mother to give you another one?"

Xiao An looked up, her small eyebrows furrowed slightly, and said to the woman watching the commotion with some dissatisfaction.

“Auntie, I already have a little sister. This is my little sister. Her name is Xiao Jiu. My mother said that since she's starting school, she'll call her Tao Tao, Tao from Taozi (peach).”

Seeing that Xiao An looked completely clueless, the man could only laugh awkwardly, while the person next to him tugged at her shoulder.

"Why are you telling this to a child? You can tell from his expression that he doesn't understand anything. But this Tao family's daughter-in-law is quite a freak. It's not like she can't have children. She's not that old. She can just have another one herself. Why does she have to go out and adopt one? Look at the girl they found. She doesn't look fair at all like the Tao family. She's dark-skinned and ugly. It's a waste of the Tao family's daughter-in-law's good looks! If she had a daughter herself, she would definitely be a beauty."

Xiao Jiu lay there innocently. Ladies, when you're telling the truth, at least try to avoid talking about her like that. Isn't it going too far to speak ill of her in front of her?

She knows she's not pretty, but girls change a lot as they grow up, and she'll become more and more beautiful. Can't you say something nice? Is it really okay to hurt a baby like this?

“My sister isn’t ugly at all. My mom said that girls change a lot as they grow up, and my sister will definitely become more and more beautiful. Don’t talk nonsense.”

This guy is awesome! When he heard someone say something bad about his sister, he stood up with his hands on his hips and argued with the two women. The women awkwardly waved their hands and gave perfunctory responses.

"Yes, yes, your sister is beautiful, and she'll only get more and more beautiful!"

After the person left, Xiao An pouted and squatted down with a dissatisfied look, touching Xiao Jiu's sparse bald head.

"Little Jiu will definitely grow up to be more and more beautiful. Grow up quickly and become a great beauty, so they can all be envious and admiring. Humph, how dare they talk about my sister!"

Wow, this young man has potential! He's quite eloquent and very protective of his own. This girl is lucky; she should also thank her older sister for bringing her here.

The young man was very responsible; he stayed close to the wine shop and refused to join his friends when they came over to ask him to play.

"No, I have to look after my little sister!"

"What's so special about your adopted sister? Nobody would want her here. Everyone wants boys, nobody wants a girl! Come on, let's go play."

One sentence was enough to anger the young man: "Ding Ermao, try saying that again! Who said my sister is unwanted? My family wants her, my family cherishes her. Your sister is a little girl, but my sister is not. My sister is the apple of my family's eye. My grandma even told me to be considerate of her and to think of her first when there's something good to eat. Even though she can't eat it yet, I always save it for her. I won't allow you to talk about my sister like that, or I won't play with you anymore. You're bad, you're talking badly about my sister, you're a bad guy!"

Ding Ermao was two years older and taller than Tao An. When he heard Tao An call him a bad guy, he threw a punch at him. Xiao Jiu was listening and watching from the side, but the basin was too high, so she couldn't see what was happening outside. However, she could hear that her brother had been hit on the ground by that kid. The two of them were wrestling in the ground where the wheat stubble was as high as the ground. He immediately burst into tears!