The heavy rain came suddenly. Two days later in the morning, Ningxia had just finished collecting the last batch of hay in the yard with her two children when heavy rain fell without warning.
There were no dark clouds, no thunder or lightning. Within minutes, there was no dry spot in the yard. The three siblings stood under the eaves, watching silently. It had been almost three months since it rained, and the dampness and coolness that hit Ningxia's face gave her arms a dense layer of goose bumps. She whispered to Lin Yi to take Sangsang inside to change into thicker clothes, then sat alone under the eaves, lost in thought.
Ningxia peered out through the rain, the landscape blurring, only patches of green. She had her own home now, her family by her side. If she'd managed to survive alone in a cramped room at Shuguang Base, there was no reason she couldn't here. With that thought, Ningxia smiled in relief and went back to her room to put on more clothes.
The three of them went to bed early for the first time. The room was a bit stuffy, so Ningxia simply opened the bedroom door and the main door. Since the courtyard door was locked, there was no problem.
No one could fall asleep as the deafening sound of rain fell outside. "I'll make you some food tomorrow. I'm going out the day after tomorrow."
Lin Yi raised his body and asked, "Isn't it going to rain for several days? Sister Xia Xia, where are you going?"
Ningxia hugged Sangsang and said, "Let's go to the bamboo forest downstairs and pick bamboo shoots. I saw them before when I was cutting bamboo. There should be a lot of bamboo shoots in the next two days after this rain."
There was a large bamboo forest east of the river. It wasn't very close, and even at full speed, it would take more than three hours to reach it. Ningxia had been waiting for a long time, just waiting for this downpour. At the current rate of plant growth, there was no telling how many bamboo shoots would be produced in that vast bamboo forest after the rain. Ningxia didn't want to give up.
Although the food at home is enough to survive the Sunny Month, after the Sunny Month, there will be no time to plant any food in three months before the Cold Month comes. They can only plant some crops such as radishes and vegetables, and the food has to be exchanged for supplies. Ningxia has to make plans early.
"I can go and help, Sister Xia Xia." Lin Yi knew very well that this was an opportunity to dig food for home. Once the rain stopped, the temperature would rise sharply, and then he would not be able to go out.
Ningxia shook her head. "What will happen if you follow Sangsang? We don't have much medicine at home. If you get sick again, it will be over. We won't even be able to find a doctor."
Lin Yi looked at Ning Xia seriously, "Sister Xia Xia, my body is completely healed, I just look a little thinner. You see, I can do these housework without any problem. We have rain boots and raincoats at home, let me help you, Sister Xia Xia."
Ningxia looked at him and still wanted to refuse. In her eyes, the two children were fragile and their bodies could not withstand any more changes.
"Sister Xia Xia, let's boil a pot of hot water before we go out, and change clothes and wash our bodies when we come back. Put the small stove in the living room, and soak the dried patchouli at home in water to drink, so you won't catch a cold." In order to go together, Lin Yi thought very carefully.
Ningxia burst out laughing. "Yesterday I gave you some patchouli tea. You almost vomited. You still wanted to drink it?"
Ningxia looked down at the expectant Sangsang and asked, "Do you want to go?"
Sangsang nodded without hesitation, "Yes!"
"When you come back, you must drink water soaked with patchouli."
Although Sangsang frowned, she still nodded, "Come on! I want to go! I don't want to stay home, I want to be with Xia Xia."
Seeing Ningxia's signs of relenting, Lin Yi pressed the issue, "Sister Xia Xia, it's such a large bamboo forest. How much can you bring back by yourself? Let's go together. The two of us can dig, and Sangsang can carry the things and keep an eye on Maomao. Wouldn't that be more efficient?"
Ningxia nodded and looked at Lin Yi, "Then let's all go! We'll cook dinner at home tomorrow and leave at dawn the next day."
Lin Yi then smiled happily and lay back down with his teeth bared.
Ningxia had originally planned to make some simple multi-grain pancakes to get by, but things had changed. She lavishly scooped out half a bowl of the lard scraps she'd been reluctant to eat from the jar, and steamed a pot of mixed grains and rice. She also gritted her teeth and plucked a third of the bok choy in the bathroom, mixing it with chopped green onions and the lard scraps, then kneaded them into fist-sized rice balls. She made about ten of them.
Since they were willing to use a lot of ingredients, the taste wasn't too bad. After everything was ready, the three of them went out in the heavy rain early in the morning.
It was a downpour, but a small waterfall would be a better description. The family of three had their own raincoats, which were a good deal cheaper for them. Sangsang's children's version was a bit too big and barely fit, so Lin Yi had to wear the women's version, which thankfully fit him well. The downpour was so intense that the three of them wore long, close-fitting coats, long pants, and long socks, wrapping themselves tightly around them.
Ningxia was still worried, so she found a large garbage bag, ripped it open, and tied it around the outside of their clothes, finally getting the siblings into their raincoats. After a day of working outside, they needed to stay as dry as possible. The rain boots at home all went up the calf, and except for Ningxia's camouflage-patterned pair, which was a bit too big, the siblings' rain boots were perfectly suitable for the hostess and the child.
"Set off!"
The three of them held Maomao's hand and walked out step by step. The visibility was less than two meters. Fortunately, they could reach the bamboo forest by following the river, otherwise they might have to take a lot of detours.
The bad weather did not affect their mood at all. Each one was more excited than the other, and even Maomao, who was covered with palm leaves, had a brisk pace.
When we arrived at the river, the air was filled with a strong smell of earth. The path along the river that was often walked on was completely muddy. As soon as we stepped on it, we would sink into the mud, making it very difficult to walk.
Ningxia had no choice but to walk through the thigh-high weeds on the edge. If the weeds hadn't had deep roots, this area would have become a small pond. There was no need to worry about snakes in the grass at this time; animals have a much better warning ability than humans.
Every year around the Sun Moon, you have to venture deep into the forest to find animal tracks. They'd practically vanished long before the rains arrived, which is why Ningxia had left the siblings alone at home a few days ago. During the Sun Moon, there's no safer place than a plain with unobstructed views.
The three of them took one step at a time, not daring to stop along the way. The rain was hitting their heads so hard that they ached. It was not until they entered the bamboo forest and the bamboo leaves that blocked out the sun and cushioned the rain that they breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you wet?" Ningxia turned around and asked loudly. There was no other way, the rain was too loud, and they could only communicate by shouting.
The brother and sister both shook their heads. Before going out, their necks were sealed tightly and their heads were covered with several layers of cloth. Except for their wet faces, everything else was fine.
Ningxia drove Maomao to a place shaped like an arch where the bamboo leaves were too dense and hung down, gave a hoe to Lin Yi, and started working!
Lin Yi was extremely excited as he entered the bamboo forest. Although the bamboos were densely packed, Lin Yi could still easily see many bamboo shoots through the gaps. The big ones were as tall and thick as his thighs, while the smaller ones had only pointed ends. The bamboo shoots tips could be seen everywhere, which was very pleasing to the eye.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com