The kitchen looked brand new. Lin Yi was wiping the countertop and all the upper and lower cabinets. Sangsang squatted at his feet, washed the dirty towel and handed it to him, and they exchanged the two towels to wipe the kitchen.
The kitchen had a lot more space after the refrigerator was moved out, and all the miscellaneous garbage on the floor was thrown away. Except for a thick layer of dust on the floor and some indelible marks on the white wall, the large area of the cooking counter was "clean as new".
Ningxia laughed and called out, "When you two are done, come out and rest for a while while you wait for dinner."
By the time the Ningxia cornbread was done steaming and the chicken soup had dropped considerably, the lid was lifted, and a distinct cornmeal aroma filled the air. Sangsang let out a polite "wow," and Lin Yi couldn't help but secretly swallow.
Ningxia steamed nearly twenty of them in one go. They were as thick as her palm and slightly larger than a bowl. She would have enough to eat within three days. If she hadn't been afraid that it would be too hot to keep them, she would have planned to make more.
Ningxia picked one up, blowing on it while dividing it into three portions and passing them to Sangsang and Lin Yi. "Blow it, don't burn it," she said to Lin Yi. After a while, Sangsang had become very careful with her food, no matter how hungry she was. On the other hand, the older Lin Yi wolfed down his food, causing quite a few jokes.
Sangsang placed the cake in the bowl, plucked a small piece from it, blew on it again and again, and then put it into his mouth. After chewing it for a few times, he was delighted and said with his two rows of white teeth, "Xia Xia! Delicious! Sweet!"
Ningxia smiled, a little glutton, she thinks anything sweet is delicious. Ningxia also took a bite, it was really good, except that it was a bit dull because it was not well fermented, the taste was impeccable, sweet with the aroma of cornmeal, very filling.
The three of them finished their small pieces of pancake and watched Lin Yi and Sang Sang staring at the pot eagerly. Ningxia gave them each another one and said, "Take some gray vegetables with you. It's hot, and it's easy to get angry."
Sangsang swallowed two pieces with difficulty with a bitter face. She never liked eating wild vegetables. Lin Yi was not picky. She ate obediently when Ningxia asked her to. Only then did Ningxia lower her head and eat her own food with satisfaction.
After finishing a pancake, Lin Yi wanted to eat more but Ningxia stopped him, "Don't eat this, you won't be able to digest it if you eat too much." After that, Ningxia tore off a chicken leg and put it in Lin Yi's bowl, and tore off another chicken leg and put it in Sangsang's bowl.
The brother and sister both wanted to give the chicken leg to Ningxia. Ningxia smiled bitterly and tore off two chicken wings. "You guys eat yours, I have two more!"
In fact, the meat in the pheasant stew is very ordinary. The soup is no different from that of domestic chicken, but the meat is a bit tough. But who would be picky these days? I still ate it mouthful after mouthful and it was delicious.
Ningxia and Sangsang had already put down their bowls. Lin Yi scooped up another large bowl of chicken soup and drank it before he finished. Seeing the look in Ningxia's eyes, Lin Yi wiped his mouth and quickly explained, "I'm full! Really full!"
"Do you want to take a nap?" Ningxia pinched Sangsang's little arm. She loved pinching other people's flesh the most. She didn't expect that after Mo Guanshan left, this habit would be picked up again.
Sangsang shook her head, the two curls on top of her head swaying even more violently than hers. "No! Brother said he has a lot of things to help Xia Xia with."
Ningxia narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Okay, then let's drink some water and rest for a while to clean the floor at home. There's too much dust. Let's try to finish it today and then go up the mountain tomorrow."
The room was still extremely dirty, so the unwanted sheets and curtains that had been taken down yesterday came in handy. Ningxia took a pair of scissors and cut them into small pieces. Each person received a few large pieces and started cleaning the master bedroom.
Fortunately, the floor is made of high-quality bricks and stones, so it is not too difficult to clean. Some stains cannot be wiped off in one go, so you can just wrap your fingers with cloth and pick them off.
The three rolled up their trouser legs, bent over, and worked furiously on the floor until dark. They finally cleaned the first floor spotlessly. Ningxia looked at the finally brightened floor, and the sense of accomplishment she felt was no less than the first prey she had caught on her first hunting trip.
"Let's go, let's go out and take a shower before it gets dark." The three of them went out with smiles on their faces.
Now that it's hot and the conditions are right, the three siblings don't want to put themselves in a difficult position. Why get dirty if they can wash?
There were two kettles at home and a thermos found in the cabin. One kettle was always filled with honeysuckle tea for the three of them, and the other two were taken out to cultivate the good habit of fetching water home at any time.
It was a rare good mood. Ningxia finally remembered Maomao, who had been in the yard. She picked up two pieces of rags, took Maomao out of the house, and had to wash him too. He had been a great contributor along the way.
Maomao, who had been locked up for two days and could only be let out for exercise regularly, was extremely excited. He kept shaking his ears and breathing heavily the whole way. Sangsang was so happy that he climbed onto his back and grabbed the braids of hair by his ears.
Knowing that its owner would not hurt it, Maomao stood obediently in the grass, allowing the three men to pour water on it and touch it.
The three of them quarreled until it was completely dark before they returned home.
"Lin Yi! Don't pour the water into the tank, pour it into the bucket in the kitchen." Ningxia called out to Lin Yi who was pouring water into the tank.
Lin Yi was puzzled, but did as he was told.
Sangsang tilted her head, her hair a little wet, which matched her big dark eyes and made her look very cute. "Why, Xia Xia?"
"If we don't put that tank in the yard, it won't hold water in a couple of days. Once the water is gone, we'll move it to the bathroom."
Seeing Lin Yi looking at her in confusion, Ningxia explained patiently, "It will be a hot month in a few days. The heat in the yard will be too high. If we put a tank of water outside, it will evaporate in two days. Let's move it to the toilet, which is away from the sun."
Afraid that Sangsang, the inquisitive soul, would chase her and ask what evaporation was, Ningxia hurried to the yard to collect the clothes that had been dried out after being exposed to the sun all afternoon. She was a poor student who was only seventeen years old before the disaster, and she had long forgotten the little stock she had.
The three of them casually heated up some chicken soup and tortillas, and then Ningxia took them to bed. After a busy day of cleaning and laundry, the brother and sister were exhausted and fell asleep as soon as they hit the bed.
The windows were sealed shut, and Ningxia lit the remaining candles in her bag; she hadn't been willing to use the scented candles she'd found at home. After watching the siblings sleep for a while, Ningxia quietly got up and spent the better part of a day putting the curtains and sofa covers back on before lying back down.
During this time, Lin Yi moved his eyelids restlessly. Ning Xia saw this and quickly blew out the candle, returning the room to darkness. Ning Xia smiled inexplicably with her eyes open, wondering when she had become so considerate.
The breathing of the brother and sister beside her was clearly audible. Ningxia turned her head to look. The pitch-black environment made her feel as if she was blind. She could only repeat over and over in her heart, "Thank goodness I brought them with me, thank goodness..."
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