Spring is warm and flowers are blooming, May has arrived in the blink of an eye. Every household is raising silkworms.

  From silkworm babies to going up the mountain to spin cocoons, it's just over a month, but it's a very busy thing. Every day, you have to feed them 5 or 6 times at fixed intervals, including getting up in the middle of the night to feed them once.

  Zhao Yuzhen has recently stopped going to the market, and is instead focusing on raising silkworms at home. Don't underestimate these small silkworms, after harvesting their cocoons they can be sold for a pretty penny, it's another major source of income for rural people besides raising pigs.

  The silkworm babies are raised in a long and wide tray, the tray is covered with breathable gauze, for disinfection and sterilization, usually some lime powder is spread on the tray before covering it with white paper. Every day when feeding the silkworm babies, mulberry leaves are evenly sprinkled on top. The sound of the silkworms eating the mulberry leaves can be clearly heard as "sha sha".

  Picking mulberry leaves is a tedious task, it's not heavy but you have to go pick some every day, and the later it gets, the more you have to pick.

  At first, the mulberry leaves need to be cut into thin strips for the little silkworms to eat. After a few days, as the silkworms grow bigger, whole mulberry leaves are spread on top of them.

  Ordinary farmers usually plant a row of mulberry trees on the ridge of their fields, and some families even plant several mu of mulberry trees specifically for raising silkworms.

  The Zhou family is the latter, with four or five rows of mulberry trees that are not used up every year. Villagers and neighbors often come to borrow mulberry leaves. In fact, they just come to pick some, which can be returned later. Fortunately, it's not something valuable, so no one will say anything about picking mulberry leaves from anyone's home.

  Zhou Xiaoyun goes to pick mulberry leaves with a basket every day after school, and she can't carry a full basket. No problem, there's a strong big treasure at home, and his strength is not wasted.

  Dabao was used to being ordered around by his sister, so when Zhou Xiaoyun told him to carry the basket and follow her from behind, he naturally did as he was told. He didn't even think of resisting, and his reaction to Zhao Yuzhen's words wasn't even this quick!

  The brother and sister arrived at the mulberry field, and the sun was still high. Many people could be seen picking mulberry leaves in the nearby fields.

  Mulberry leaves are about the size of a palm, tender and easy to pick. Mulberry trees are mostly over one meter high, and Zhou Xiaoyun can basically reach all but the highest places.

  She quickly picked mulberry leaves with her nimble movements, and Da Bao, who was tall, specially looked for high places to pick. The two cooperated very well, and the two baskets were filled in a short while.

  Next door is the land of Dabo's family, Shen Hua Feng is also picking mulberry leaves, she hears Zhou Xiaoyun and Dabao talking and looks over to take a look. This look is quite surprising: "Daliao, Dabao, are you two coming to pick mulberry leaves? Where's your mom?"

  "My mom is still at home taking care of my younger brother and sister, she doesn't have time to come pick mulberry leaves, so my brother and I came."

  Look at Zhou Xiaoyun's neat movements and Dabao's hard work, Shen Huafeng couldn't help but feel: Look at the second child of the Lao family, they all know how to come and do chores for their elders.

  Zhou Xiaoyun has always been obedient and capable, even Dabao knows to come and help.

  In comparison, my two children are too busy playing all day, which is not like them at all. Hai Zi is still young, but Xiao Xia is already 11 years old and doesn't know how to do anything except play, they are far inferior to other people's siblings.

  Zhou Guofu stayed at home making furniture, and only Shen Huafeng came to the mulberry field alone, her movements inevitably slower, and the two baskets were only half full.

  Zhou Xiaoyun hinted that Da Bao and she would go together to help, and Da Bao immediately understood the eye signal from Zhou Xiaoyun. The siblings still had a good tacit understanding of each other.

  Two people picked a basket of mulberry leaves for Shen Hua Feng until it was full.

  Shen Hua Feng carried two baskets and Da Bao, Zhou Xiao Yun walked back home together. On the way, Zhou Xiao Yun wanted to carry one basket but was refused by Da Bao: "I can carry two baskets by myself, you follow me from behind."

  Dabao walked ahead like a grown-up, while Zhou Xiaoyun quietly followed behind, moved by her brother's simple words of concern.

  Shen Hua Feng chatted with the two of them in a casual manner, and when they arrived home to see Zhao Yu Zhen feeding pigs at the door, she couldn't help but praise Zhou Xiao Yun and his sister:

  "Your second aunt, your family's Da Bao and Da Ya are really capable. I was picking mulberry leaves in the field today and heard voices from your field, at first I thought it was you. But when I looked over, I found out it was the two kids picking mulberry leaves! And they even picked a basket of mulberry leaves for me too, I don't know how to praise them enough."

  Zhao Yuzhen felt an inexplicable sense of relief upon hearing this and pretended to complain, "My family is really too busy. My husband is out collecting pigs all day, I'm alone taking care of the two little ones, and also have to take care of a courtyard full of chickens, ducks, and pigs, as well as serve the silkworms. Where would I even have time to go pick mulberry leaves? To be honest with you, since we brought the silkworm babies back home, it's always been Daliao and Dabao who went to pick the mulberry leaves!"

  As soon as Shen Huafeng heard this, he immediately felt uncomfortable in his heart.

  This is obviously boasting, but the other person's child is so sensible that it's not excessive to boast about it, making Shen Huafeng feel that her own child is inferior to others.

  After exchanging a few pleasantries with Zhao Yu Zhen, Shen Hua Feng returned home and scolded Zhou Zhi Hai and Zhou Xiao Xia.

  "You two siblings spend the whole day playing or watching TV, take a look at Erniang's family's Dabao and Dajie, they go to help with picking mulberry leaves every day. Tomorrow you'll go together with them, being such big kids already, let's see if you can do this little thing properly."

  The next day at noon, after lunch, Zhou Xiaoxia brought Zhou Zhihai to find Zhou Xiaoyun and Dabao, wanting to go pick mulberry leaves together.

  The mulberry fields of the two families were adjacent to each other, making it very convenient for them to go together. Dabao and Zhou Zhihai ran ahead in a cloud of dust, while Zhou Xiaoxia and Zhou Xiaoyun followed behind, unable to catch up, so they simply walked slowly forward.

  Zhao Yuzhen secretly smiled at home. This Shen Huafeng, with a sweet mouth and a heart smaller than a needle, wants to be stronger in everything, even comparing children.

  However, Zhao Yuzhen proudly thought that the number of children in her own family was also greatly advantageous, not to mention their ability. Zhou Zhihai and Dabao were equally mischievous and couldn't be compared, but how could that delicate Zhou Xiaoxia compare to Da Niu?