Chapter 14

Wen Yi was a little distracted, but her attention was soon drawn to Ah Mu who ran over. The little girl seemed to be holding something and it seemed that something was moving in her palm from time to time.

"This is?"

Wen Yi squatted down and watched Ah Mu carefully untie his small cloth bag. Inside was a half-grown black kitten with a slightly ruffled fur. Although a little skinny, judging by the length of its tail, it must be weaned. It was struggling to tear at half a dried fish.

Wen Yi reached out his hand but didn't move his claws. He didn't have a bad temper, so he was very easy to keep.

Wen Yi cleared out a small wooden box, padded some washed, worn clothes underneath, and placed the kitten inside. Later, he would wash the kitten with warm water mixed with grass juice, and then dry it in the sun while there was still enough sunlight. This way, it would be okay for Ah Mu and himself to hold it.

At that time, keeping a pet was considered a luxury, but cats could catch mice and prevent them from spoiling the food supply, so many well-off families would still keep one or two, as it was a mutually beneficial thing. It seems that it was not until later times that people began to raise these little guys specifically, and those with good appearance would be brought as gifts to their owners.

The one that was carefully dried was obviously the one that everyone would like. It had black fur all over its body, and the tips of the fur appeared black and red in the sun, which was extremely shiny. Even though it was still young, the skeleton of its claws was extremely large. It was obvious that it would become a majestic big cat in the future.

The little guy had just arrived in a strange place and howled a few times, seeming a little scared, but after Wen Yi touched him, he felt a little relieved and soon fell asleep snoring.

Several children carefully carried the wooden box into the yard. Wen Yi did not continue talking to Yao Wenjun beside him, but concentrated on doing his own thing.

*

It is often said that no matter how much water you pour, it is not as good as the next rain. However, what is important is not only the replenishment of soil moisture, but also the foreshadowing of temperature changes. After every spring rain, the temperature will rise, and the growth of plants seems to have been accelerated.

Of course, the same goes for weeds. Sometimes new grass leaves will grow in the afternoon in an area that was just cleared in the morning. However, crushing them and burying them in the soil can also be considered nutrients.

Wen Yi and his companions naturally would not go out in the rain and risk the cold wind. Instead, they stayed in the house to repair farm tools and other items, and chatted at the same time.

Wen Yi leaned sideways to look at the scenery outside, holding a wooden frame in his hand, turning it over from time to time to help wind the thin wire.

After some time, Yao Wenjun finally moved in. She admitted that one reason was the rising river levels from the rain, and Shancai agreed to let her move in temporarily.

It was also thanks to her that she was here to rescue Wen Yi from the quagmire of telling stories on rainy days and took his place.

A somewhat childish meow was heard from the room. Wen Yi handed the wrapped thing to Shu, stood up and picked up the black cat trapped above his head.

During this period, it has learned to meow with a pinched voice without any instruction, and the children have become more and more fond of it. They obey it in everything. Look, it even calls for help when it doesn't want to jump down.

Wen Yi herself was also very doting on this black fur ball, and she took out some dried fish from the bag of snacks for the kitten to chew.

Yao Wenjun had seen people raising these things before when he was in Yudi, but most of them were very vigilant and wouldn't even allow you to get close. This one was not as well-behaved as this one. At this moment, he looked at Wen Yi petting the fur ball with some envy.

Vegetables and transplanted fruit trees are also planted in the yard. They have sprouted at this time of year, and it seems that we can expect a harvest in autumn.

"Okay, go play by yourself for a while."

Seeing that Yao Wenjun looked a little tired, Shu sent Amu and the others to play with other toys and poured them a bowl of water.

"Thank you." Yao Wenjun took the water, drank it in one gulp, and then put the bowl back on the newly made wooden table.

Because the amount of wood ash and water is difficult to control during the firing process, and the temperature in the kiln cannot be kept constant, each fired utensil is different and will not be confused when placed together.

Feeling that the ball of fur in his hand was about to stir, Wen Yi put the little guy on the ground. The cat stretched its muscles and bones, then jumped a few times and ran to where a group of children were watching the fun.

Shan and Qingping were making bamboo hats, which took a very long time to make, but could only be used on rainy days. They would get moldy easily in rainy weather. But there would always be times when they had to go out, and now everyone had two sets to wear alternately. Amu and the others couldn't go out, and could only listen to stories or help with the work.

There isn't much to do right now, so I'll just send a few kids out to play.

The rain didn't last long, and by noon the sky had cleared up again. Wen Yi carried the small basket of wheat that had been accidentally wet to the riverside to wash it, then spread it out on the rocks to dry.

After it is dried to about 70% to 80% it is shaken to remove impurities and then ground seven or eight times to become whole wheat flour mixed with a large amount of bran. After sifting it several times with a sieve made of fine mesh cloth, you can make cakes with a good taste.

Millet can usually be processed using a wooden shelling machine, which consumes several times more manpower than pasta.

However, Wen Yi didn't consider these matters for the time being and began making noodles with great enthusiasm. Without any leftover old dough or yeast like fermented rice, noodles and flatbreads were also very good.

It’s not that I haven’t eaten pancakes before, but they were mostly made of millet crumbs mixed with other grains, which were rather coarse, so most of them were cooked into porridge, which was easier to swallow.

After cleaning the stone mill, Wen Yi added the beans that had been soaked overnight, ground and filtered them, and then washed them again. The color of the beans was not uniform, and some other grains were added, so the ground beans were not white but a bit gray.

Pour the filtered raw soy milk into a pot and cook it on the stove, then free up your hands to deal with the flour.

Pull out a long wooden board from the side, add flour and water in a ratio of two to one, then add a little salt, and knead it into a rough dough.

Although it has been sifted, there are still a lot of fine bran in the flour, which is easier to break when pulled than finely processed flour. It can only be rolled into dough, sprinkled with flour, folded, and then cut into long strips with a knife.

At this time, the soy milk was almost boiled, and the fragrance spread from the yard.

Without preparing the brine in advance, Wen Yi directly poured the soy milk into a jar on the side, boiled another pot of water, scraped some salt into it, and then carefully put the noodles into the pot. After they were cooked, he took them out and rinsed them with cold boiled water.

It was getting dark and people who had gone to the fields to tend to the crops came back one after another. They washed their hands and feet in the water vat at the door and then walked into the yard.

Shu, who came back earlier, helped cook a pot of topping with dried meat, added wild vegetables blanched in boiling water, and put it into the bowl of noodles.

The familiar taste in her memory made Wen Yi's expression relax a little. She had been eating rice porridge for so long that she could hardly remember the taste of other foods.

The portion each person got was not that much, but luckily when the dried meat was cooked, some millet cakes were also put into the pot, so each person got a few and felt very satisfied after eating them.

Yao Wenjun held the bowl and did not swallow it without any questions like the others. Instead, he looked at Wen Yi with an inquiring look. Wen Yi was pounding his shoulders and neck due to the pain from work.

She lowered her head, took a bite, and said with a smile, "Does Ayi still understand these things?"

Previously, this person had been deliberately suppressing his presence, and Wen Yi didn't even notice the unfamiliar figures in the courtyard for a moment. He just habitually distributed the food according to the number of bowls next to him.

Compared to the group of people around him who treated him as family and did not raise any questions, Yao Wenjun was really difficult to deal with.

But Ah Mu spoke before she did. The little fellow swallowed the cake in his mouth and drank some bean juice: "Of course I understand. Millet can be ground into powder to make cakes, so wheat can be used as well."

Yao Wenjun nodded, saying that what Amu said made sense, "So that's how it is." Warriors' intuition is much stronger than that of ordinary people. When she asked the question earlier, she felt several unfriendly eyes falling on her, which was quite creepy. Only then did she realize that she was now on someone else's territory, not the troops she led.

She warned herself secretly and took a few steps back, trying to reduce her presence. However, this time, no one would ignore her. Even Amu's eyes would occasionally fall on her.

Yao Wenjun was sleeping in a small room next door. He suddenly felt his scalp tingling while half asleep and half awake.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a white-haired old man hiding in the shadows. The copper dagger in his hand reflected golden light and was across his neck. If he stood up suddenly, he would have been covered in blood.

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead onto the mat. Yao Wenjun couldn't see the man's expression clearly, but it was definitely not the friendly and gentle look he had during the day.

Although many people of this era suffered from night blindness, he had enough food and drink when he was young, and he also had a salary when he was old, so his night vision ability was much better than that of ordinary people.

The hands that trembled when lifting heavy objects during the day were now very steady, but Yao Wenjun, who was lying down, still swallowed involuntarily. The sharp blade left a long scratch on her neck because of this action. Fortunately, it was shallow, with only blood beads oozing out occasionally.

Shan looked at it for a long time, and finally took back the dagger.

No one else knew what Shan and Yao Wenjun talked about that night. The next day, everyone only saw a cloth wrapped around her neck. She said she accidentally hurt herself and did not deliberately ask Wen Yi anything again.

Wen Yi was naturally happy to have some free time, and these days he was busy looking for stones and other materials for oil extraction.

The wooden oil press is extremely large. It requires grooves to be cut in hard wood, the two ends to be raised, wooden stakes to be tied around it, heavy objects to be pressed on top, and the inside to be stuffed with oil cakes filled with steamed and crushed beans. Then wooden wedges are continuously nailed into the two ends, and the soybean oil mixed with impurities flows out through the gaps at the bottom of the groove.

The oil obtained by pressing is not as clear as the oil obtained by the later extraction method, but there is no solvent residue and it does not cause much harm to health when eaten.

They didn't have that many beans at the moment, so Wen Yi just took time out every day to slowly chisel the wood. As long as he finished before the beans were harvested, it would be considered a victory.

The stream water level has risen a lot compared to winter, and the number of aquatic creatures has gradually increased. When Amu and his friends were playing by the river, they could catch small shrimps and add them to their bowls of rice porridge.

Eggs could be found in the enclosures where the birds were kept, and occasionally by the stream. Those that could hatch were placed on the kang to keep them warm, and the rest were added to the public's diet.

After the rain, mushrooms began to grow on the mountain. Children who grew up in the countryside naturally knew which kinds of fungi were edible and tasty, and which were poisonous. In this respect, Ah Mu was far more professional than Wen Yi. Even when picking them, there would occasionally be poisonous ones mixed in, contaminating the other mushrooms and rendering them inedible.

There is also Ganoderma lucidum, which is light-colored when growing, and only turns into the familiar dark brown after being picked and dried.

The mushrooms in this season are extremely delicious. Melt a small piece of animal oil, add the washed mushrooms and common ginger slices, and add the broken dry rice cakes into the boiled soup to create a unique flavor.

Every family craves this at this time of year, but with so much farm work to do, it's usually left to the children. They're not allowed into the woods, so naturally, they can find very little. Now that we live in the mountains, we can even find it outside our yards.

This made the children very excited. They even put their toys aside and spent the whole day picking fruits nearby. The ones they couldn’t finish were dried and stored, which would be great as a fresh food later.