Ningxia dug with great speed, digging and shoveling, leaving very few broken shoots in the soil, leaving pits everywhere she went. After breaking several shoots, Lin Yi also mastered the skill of digging bamboo shoots, and was not much slower than Ningxia.
Sangsang followed behind them, picking up the fruits as the siblings dug. She dragged a duffel bag, larger than she was. When it felt too heavy, she turned back to Maomao, collapsed not far from him, and then returned again. Her short legs moved quite quickly, grunting and groaning, without slacking off.
The bamboo was too dense to handle, but even so, the three of them harvested a large pile of bamboo shoots after half a day. It was hard to tell whether the water on their faces was sweat or rain. Ningxia wiped the dirt off the bamboo shoots in her hands, stood up, greeted the two exhausted children, and returned to Maomao.
Afraid of the rain soaking through their clothes, they didn't dare sit, so they squatted and sorted the pile of bamboo shoots. The arch formed by the bamboo leaves was a great shelter from the rain. Although it couldn't completely block out the rain, it allowed the three of them to catch their breath and eat a good bite of rice.
Ningxia held the rice ball in one hand and casually picked up a few arm-long bamboo shoots with the other hand. He peeled off the skin and pinched the bamboo shoot meat inside, which was so tender that it was juicy.
After a few mouthfuls of lunch, Ningxia pulled out several bamboo shoots as thick as Lin Yi's thighs. They were a bit old by comparison. She peeled the skins neatly, revealing several large, plump, white bamboo shoots. Looking at the well-behaved Maomao, Ningxia was not stingy and fed them all. The crisp sound of Maomao chewing the bamboo shoots mixed with the sound of rain was extremely soothing. The three siblings watched him finish his meal before getting back to work.
Ningxia reluctantly gave up the trip as evening approached. It would take time to get back. Visibility was already low in the heavy rain, and if he was still on the road after dark, he was bound to fall a few times.
Lin Yi's face was filled with regret. He looked back again and again. He and Ningxia had only occupied a small corner of the vast bamboo forest. His reluctant eyes made Ningxia laugh. She wiped the rain from her face and shouted, "I'll come back in the next few days. Don't complain about being tired then."
Lin Yi helped load the bag full of bamboo shoots onto Maomao's shoulders, shouting back, "I wish I could come here every day. Who would complain about having too much to eat?"
Ningxia Xiaoxiao didn't say anything else.
The three of them braved the heavy rain, carrying Maomao, who had eaten and drunk his fill, back home. After several hours of work, the three siblings' arms were so weak they couldn't even lift them, but each one was smiling more happily than the other.
"Sangsang, come here, let me see if you are wet." Ningxia took off her raincoat hastily and pulled Sangsang to her without checking her condition.
The little girl took off her raincoat, and a thin layer of mist formed on the plastic bag inside. Ningxia reached out to touch her body. Fortunately, only the side of the clothes that was close to her body was slightly wet. It was not rain that had penetrated, but sweat.
The curls clinging to her scalp were also flattering, relatively dry. Lin Yi, standing beside her, was also feeling the same. Of the three, only Ningxia was significantly soaked. There was nothing she could do; the raincoat the man had left behind was too large to protect her from the rain. Fortunately, Ningxia was in good physical condition, so she didn't take it seriously.
"Sister Xia Xia, come and wipe it off." Lin Yi had already changed into dry and warm clothes, and looked at Ning Xia who was busy running around with some concern.
Ningxia quickly wiped Sangsang's body with the hot water that she had warmed on the stove before going out, and then went out to move the bamboo shoots piled up in the yard to under the eaves, without even having time to clean herself.
Ningxia smiled and took the hot towel he handed her. "It's been damaged by the rain for too long. I moved it under the eaves. It's done. Have you two had some patchouli?"
Lin Yi smiled and said, "She drank it. Don't worry, Sangsang, I watched her drink a large cup and poured her another cup of hot water!"
Ningxia felt relieved after hearing that. Sangsang might lie to her, but Lin Yi would never do that.
"Sister Xia Xia, there are so many!"
That night, the brother and sister rarely climbed into bed after dark. They lit candles and sat in the stairwell looking at the bamboo shoots that had been brought in with their skins still on.
Ningxia smiled and said, "It's about a hundred pounds, but I have to eat a small half of it after peeling it."
"That's a lot." Lin Yi smiled with satisfaction.
"Is the fire in the stove still on?" Ningxia picked out seven or eight tender bamboo shoots.
"No, Sister Xia Xia, what are you doing?"
"These freshly picked bamboo shoots are very fresh. It would be a waste if you don't try them. I'll make a dish for you." Ningxia handed the bamboo shoots in her hand to Lin Yi, stood up and cut off a small piece of bacon.
Lin Yi followed Ningxia to the kitchen.
Ningxia carefully selected a piece of salted pork with a lot of fat, cut it into decent-sized cubes, and placed it in the already heated pot, adding a little water to allow the meat to release its fat. "I'll peel the bamboo shoots. Go to the bathroom by candlelight and pick some green onions for me. And bring me some dried ginger from the stairwell."
Ningxia sat by the stove, using the firelight to peel the arm-long bamboo shoots skillfully. As her wrist rotated, a plump white bamboo shoot fell into her palm.
Lin Yi finished his task after a while and came back to squat down and peel bamboo shoots.
Ningxia's face was very gentle under the firelight. Looking at Lin Yi's nimble little hands, she asked, "Are you sleepy?"
Lin Yi shook his head. "It's still early. I'm a little tired, but not sleepy yet."
"Is Sangsang asleep?"
Lin Yi smiled and said, "She went to bed early. She ate a hot rice ball and licked a spoonful of jam. I forced her to drink half a cup of hot water and then went to sleep with her stomach bulging."
Ningxia's smile spread. The little girl had been acting coquettishly, saying she wanted something sweet when she came back. Ningxia knew she was thinking about the jars of jam in the cupboard, so she asked Lin Yi to scoop her a small spoonful. By the time it got dark, she was sitting on the bed, licking the spoon with her head tilted up. "Then we have to be careful. Be careful she doesn't draw a map tonight."
The brother and sister stopped talking with smiles on their faces and concentrated on the work at hand.
As the moisture in the bacon dried, the oil gradually came out, and the whole kitchen was filled with the aroma of pork. Ningxia didn't rush to add water. He used the oil at the bottom of the pot to fry the meat until both sides were golden brown. Then, with a "sizzle", he poured in half a basin of boiling water.
The fire in the stove was working tirelessly, and the pot was bubbling with fragrance. Ningxia threw in the ginger slices and peppercorns, and waited for the meat to become soft and rotten before adding the chopped bamboo shoots.
Thinking about the unique flavor of pickled pork with preserved vegetables, Ningxia began to feel greedy after six years.
"Sister Xia Xia, are we going to transport these bamboo shoots and throw them away?"
"No, pile them in the corner next to the firewood. When the rain stops, we'll move them out to the yard to dry." Ningxia couldn't bear to throw away even a few bamboo shoot skins after transporting them back. They'd be perfect for starting a fire after drying. Besides, there were still a lot of unpeeled bamboo shoots in the stairwell and bamboo forest. It would be a shame to throw them away.
When the bamboo chopsticks could easily penetrate the meat, Ningxia threw the cleaned and chopped bamboo shoots into the pot and covered it with the lid. White smoke continued to rise from the edge of the lid. Ningxia reached up to fan it in front of her nose and inhaled with satisfaction. What a delicious smell!
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