Chapter 106 Jujubes and Chestnuts

Dinner was plentiful.

A basket of freshly picked winter dates sat on the table, the round dates looking exceptionally fresh with traces of undried moisture.

There was also a basket of bright red persimmons, plump and fresh.

The fragrant taro and chicken stew was placed in a large bowl in the center of the dining table.

There was also a plate of stir-fried, bright green mustard greens on the side.

The steamed chestnuts and potatoes were incredibly tempting, emitting a plume of hot steam. As soon as the steamer was placed on the table, Xiao Yu Mao couldn't resist reaching out for them.

"Be careful, it's hot!" Su Yun could feel the heat even while holding the rag and the steamer. As soon as Xiao Yu Mao saw the freshly baked chestnuts, she immediately reached out and touched them.

"It's okay, I'm not afraid!" Little Feather had been out picking chestnuts all afternoon and had already tasted them for them. These wild chestnuts, though small in size, were incredibly sweet.

He grabbed one, peeled off the thick skin to reveal the golden flesh inside, and strongly recommended it: "These chestnuts are so sweet! You should all try them!"

Su Yun smiled and said, "Okay, I'll eat later."

Little Feather gave an "oh" and started peeling chestnuts on his own. He just liked sweet things, especially when the weather was cold, to replenish his calories.

Su Yun picked up her rice bowl and went to get more rice. "Does anyone else want some rice?"

Little Feather: "I...I...Could you also get me a bowl..."

Okay~

When Su Yun returned, there was a small mountain of chestnuts piled up in the small dish in front of him.

The golden chestnuts, steaming hot, looked especially fragrant.

Su Yun grabbed one and put it in her mouth. The chestnut was soft and powdery, with a sweet, pasty texture, filling her entire mouth.

"These chestnuts are so sweet and mealy, they're delicious!"

Su Yun couldn't resist eating several more, and the Little Chestnut Mountain was empty in no time.

Ye Feng pushed a peeled chestnut in front of Su Yun, saying, "This one has a thick skin, let me peel it for you."

"OK!"

Su Yun subtly touched the tail that had stealthily circled around her, blinked, and said, "Thanks~"

Little Feather was engrossed in her meal when she saw the scene before her and was suddenly stuffed with dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection).

Waaaaah, this is so hard for me...

Wild chestnuts from the mountains are especially sweet. After steaming, they have a powdery texture. They are deliciously sweet and fragrant when eaten hot.

The braised chicken with chestnuts was also delicious. The freshly made soy sauce was used, which made the broth flavorful, the chicken tender, and the taro soaked up the broth. After finishing the big pot of stewed meat, we also ate all the vegetables.

Next up is the fruit section.

The fresh winter dates after the meal tasted especially sweet and delicious. One bite and they were so crisp and sweet that you couldn't stop eating them.

Little Feather instantly forgot about the persimmons and kept biting into the dates, exclaiming, "These are so delicious! How can dates be so delicious!"

Su Yun recalled that family's house; their front yard was located on a hillside, facing south, so the fruit naturally received plenty of sunshine and was incredibly sweet.

"Hmm, the ones that are split open are the sweetest. By the way, Night Breeze, are all the dates ripe yet?"

"They're all ripe. I picked all the big, red ones. I was afraid we wouldn't be able to eat them all, so I didn't pick as many as I wanted."

"Are there any more dates? Where are they? I want to pick some!" Little Feather got excited when she heard about the delicious food.

"In front of that dilapidated house on that small hill to the east, I think there were a lot of dates growing there. But don't eat them all. Let them dry naturally in the sun and you can store some dried dates."

"Okay! I will!" Little Feather tilted her head back and tossed a date into her mouth with a "smack!"

The food at home is gradually increasing.

However, the consumption is also increasing day by day. With two adult men living in the house, the labor force is guaranteed, but the consumption is also very high.

No way~

Su Yun still felt insecure and thought she should stock up on more food. She planned to go to the city again sometime to exchange for some dried goods that were easier to preserve.

Two more weeks passed, the days grew shorter and shorter, and as the autumn winds began to blow, the weather grew colder and colder.

After an autumn rain, the air grew increasingly cold, and the weather remained gloomy and chilly for several days in a row. Su Yun thought it was time to start making cured meat.

Early that morning, Su Yun, wearing a sweater, squatted by the stream, killing chickens and rabbits, preparing to make cured meat.

After a cold snap, the grass withered almost overnight, there was less and less to eat, and the chickens, rabbits, and quails we raised became thinner and thinner.

Aside from a few hens and quails ordered as supplies, there are also rabbits kept as reserve food.

Su Yun disposed of all the farmed animals at once.

Winter is coming, time to start making cured meat.

The water level in the stream had dropped several steps, and the buckets were piled high with gutted and cleaned meat. Due to the large quantity, the stream water began to churn with a light red hue.

Fish began to greedily stretch their heads out to suck the oil from the surface of the water. Su Yun had an idea and quietly picked up the basin, wanting to scoop up the fish.

Before the basin even entered the water, just a slight approach caused the fish to retreat back into the water in a flash. The fish were startled and disappeared in a flash of phosphorescence.

"The world has changed; it's hard to catch fish anymore." Su Yun put away the empty basin and sighed.

The world has changed! Su Yun recalled when he first arrived, these fish were still silly, they would take the bait if you lured them with some rapeseed flowers.

Almost a year has passed in the blink of an eye. These fish have become so clever that they don't even show their shadows when anyone gets close.

"Sigh, this is really difficult~" Su Yun sighed again and continued to butcher the chicken. "I went through all this trouble to come all this way to feed you, why don't you fall for it?"

Actually, no, Su Yun came to clean up in order to avoid leaving a bloody smell in the house.

Surprisingly, the blood and residue that came out of the washing process were not wasted; they were returned to nature.

Night Breeze and Little Feather went out hunting before dawn.

After packing their food and water, and seeing them to the door, Su Yun didn't fall asleep.

The sky was pitch black, and the mountains and forests seemed like huge beasts lurking in the shadows. Su Yun was always worried that it was too dark and that the mountains were dangerous.

The two said it didn't matter; they were free to see things in the dark.

The night breeze kissed her forehead: "It's alright, animals are only active at this time of day, I'll be careful."

Little Feather flapped its wings and gracefully flew to the top of the wall. "Hehe, I can finally fly again! If anything happens, I can fly with the night breeze!"

Su Yun looked at his small frame and felt quite suspicious, but in the end she didn't say anything, only repeatedly reminding him, "Be careful! If you encounter someone you can't beat, don't force it!"

After giving them repeated instructions, Su Yun stood on the door frame, watching their figures disappear into the night, before wrapping her coat tighter and returning to the house.

Although it was already autumn, the bleak wind, the lonely chirping of insects, and the abrupt calls of birds... still made the cold night lively.

Listening to the rustling sounds outside the courtyard, Su Yun couldn't fall asleep even after lying back down on the bed. She stayed awake until dawn, then put on her coat, picked up her wood-chopping knife, and went to prepare to cure the meat.

When I feel anxious, only working can make me feel a little more at ease.

Cut the cleaned chicken in half, and set aside the chicken feet, head, neck, and internal organs separately.

Because there were many things to deal with, Su Yun only hurriedly stood at the door and ate two sweet potatoes in the late afternoon.

After finishing the sweet potato, having barely slept all night, Su Yun looked up at the distant mountains and forests, then wiped her hands and began preparing to cure the bacon.

First, small holes are poked in the skin to allow the marinade to penetrate. After the cleaned meat is completely dried, Su Yun puts it into a basin and begins to evenly coat it with salt.

Meat needs to be marinated in salt overnight.

By the time Su Yun had finished marinating all the meat, it was completely dark.

She moved the large wooden basin containing the cured meat to the main room by herself, and then covered it with a winnowing basket and stones to prevent any small animals from coming to steal it at night.

The door was locked tight, but the kitchen was brightly lit with a stove, chicken soup simmering in a small clay pot, and steaming white rice, sweet potatoes, and taro on the stove.

As the open flame rose, a fragrant aroma began to waft from the chimney. Although Su Yun had only eaten two sweet potatoes that day, he didn't feel hungry. He just ate a few mouthfuls of rice and then stared blankly at the stove.

Gradually, the night deepened, the sky grew darker, and the wind howled through the hall, bringing a deep chill.

Su Yun suddenly woke up, looking at the pitch-black night, and wondered what time it was.

She looked up at the sky and then at the distant mountains and forests.

There were no stars or moon tonight, and the weather seemed a bit gloomy. The fire in the stove was dimmed by the wind, and Su Yun, who was guarding the stove, was wide awake.

He just stared blankly at the fire in the stove, his mind filled with aimless thoughts: the moments before the car accident, the winters he spent with his grandmother, and the winters he lived alone after she passed away...

Was winter like this back then? Wait, isn't it a bit too cold? She wrapped her coat tighter, wondering if it was going to snow!

If it snows, will the stove still be able to be lit?

By the way, hasn't this fire been burning for too long?

Just as Su Yun was hesitating whether to extinguish the flames in the stove, the tightly closed door was finally knocked on.

"Thump, thump, thump—" The heavy wooden door made a dull, rusty sound, abruptly interrupting Su Yun's chaotic thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat, and before she could even react, her body involuntarily stood up and rushed to the door. "Who's out there?!"

"Su Yun, it's me, I'm back..." A familiar voice rang out from outside the door; it was the sound of the night wind.

After confirming through the crack that it was indeed the person outside the door, Su Yun hurriedly moved the things blocking the door and frantically opened the door for Ye Feng.

The door opened, and there was that familiar face in front of me.

With a slight smile, her bright and clear eyes looked at him. Seeing her appear before him unharmed, Ye Feng said with a smile, "Su Yun, I'm back!"

Su Yun wanted to laugh, but suddenly felt an urge to cry. She couldn't help but reach out and hug the other person, replying, "Night Breeze, welcome home."