Chapter 115 Everyone Needs a Happy Childhood
The kiln-fired farm is located not far behind my house, surrounded by a bamboo fence, and many tourists are firing up the kiln.
The former boss's son was a young man with tanned skin. When he saw Huo Nanchen, he grinned and said, "Dr. Huo, we've reserved seats for you."
Huo Nanchen nodded slightly.
The owner reserved a great spot; it's sheltered from the wind, and there's a clear stream flowing nearby.
Huo Nanchen picked up a twig and used it to draw a circle about 50 centimeters in diameter on the ground.
Huo Xining and Huo Xiyu stood side by side, their eyes filled with curiosity.
Grandma Huo sat on a folding chair to the side, watching with a smile.
Lin Xili then took out a pot of herbal tea made with chrysanthemum and licorice from the bamboo basket to cool down her body, and then took out some fruit and arranged it neatly on the table.
"Uncle, what are we going to do?" Huo Xining couldn't help but ask.
“Build the kiln.” Huo Nanchen looked up at her. “The key to baking in a kiln is not eating it, but the process of building it by hand. Today, you will do the work.”
At the Huo family's old residence, they had been exposed to piano, calligraphy, and Go, but never to firewood.
Huo Xiyu was the first to react, "What do you need us to do?"
Huo Nanchen picked up a few clay bricks from the pile of materials next to him. "These are specially prepared clay bricks that have been air-dried. Building a kiln is like building with blocks, but you have to be skilled at it."
He squatted down and began to demonstrate, first picking up a piece of clay and placing it on the edge of the drawn circle, then the second, the third...
"The bottom needs to have a kiln entrance for storing firewood," Huo Nanchen explained. "There need to be gaps between the clods of earth to allow air to circulate so that the fire can burn brightly."
Huo Xining was eager to try. "Uncle, can I give it a shot?"
Huo Nanchen stepped aside: "Okay."
Xining squatted down and picked up a small piece of mud brick with her little hands, placing it in the designated spot.
After placing it, she looked up at Huo Nanchen, her eyes shining with anticipation.
“Very good, adjust the angle a little more, like this.” He reached out and adjusted the angle of the adobe brick.
Huo Xiyu carefully observed Huo Nanchen's demonstration before starting, placing each clay brick perfectly.
Lin Xili watched this scene from afar, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.
As the kiln body was gradually built up, Huo Nanchen began to explain the structural principles: "The kiln body should be hemispherical so that the heat can be distributed evenly."
"Say it if you're tired." Huo Nanchen noticed that the two children were starting to pant.
“Not tired!” Huo Xining said immediately.
"Very challenging."
Grandma Huo whispered to Lin Xili, "These two children have never been so uninhibited in the old house."
In the Huo family, the children's every move is governed by rules. They can't laugh too loudly, they can't sit crookedly, and even their playtime has fixed patterns and props.
After the kiln body was built, Huo Nanchen stood up: "Alright, now we need firewood."
He pointed to bundles of firewood piled up not far away: "Choose firewood of different thicknesses. Thinner pieces are easier to light, while thicker pieces burn longer. Go and move some over, being careful not to cut your hands."
The two children immediately ran to the woodpile. Huo Xining picked out a small bundle of thin branches, while Huo Xiyu chose a few thicker pieces of wood.
When they carried the firewood back, their steps were a little unsteady, but they insisted on carrying it themselves.
"Place them next to the kiln door, and sort them neatly," Huo Nanchen instructed. "Put the thin branches here, and the thicker wood over there."
Huo Xining began to judge which firewood was more suitable: "Uncle, this piece is a bit damp, it won't burn well?"
Huo Nanchen took the firewood from her hand and looked at it: "Yes, wet firewood produces a lot of smoke and the fire won't burn well."
"Start the fire with the thinnest branches." He brought the flame close to the pile of thin branches and dry grass inside the kiln. "Pay attention to the wind direction, and stand upwind."
The twigs were quickly ignited, crackling as orange-red flames began to lick the thicker firewood.
Huo Nanchen carefully adjusted the position of the woodpile to allow for better air circulation.
"Uncle, why is fire sometimes yellow and sometimes blue?" Huo Xiyu asked.
"Yellow indicates the burning of carbon particles, and blue indicates the burning of carbon monoxide. When the fire is hot enough, the kiln walls will turn red, and then you can put food in."
The flames grew stronger and stronger, and the earthen kiln gradually turned red-hot.
Huo Nanchen used a long wooden stick to test the kiln temperature: "It's ready. Now we need to seal the kiln door, put the food in, and then break the kiln."
At this moment, the owner brought over the prepared ingredients: chicken wings, pigeons, sweet potatoes, corn, eggs, and a fish wrapped in lotus leaves, all wrapped in tin foil.
Huo Nanchen dug out the ash from the kiln. "Put the ingredients in carefully, use long tongs, and don't burn yourself."
"Uncle, why is it sealed off?" Huo Xining asked.
"After sealing, the heat inside the kiln will be evenly distributed, and the food will slowly cook through in the braising process. This process requires patience and takes about an hour."
After the food was placed inside, Huo Nanchen used a small iron shovel to break up the red-hot clay and cover the food to bake it.
While waiting, everyone sat around the small stools that had been laid out and ate fruit around the small table.
"The starry sky here is so beautiful." Huo Xining looked up, her little face full of amazement.
Huo Xiyu pointed to the stars in the sky, "That's the Big Dipper, that's Polaris, and over there is Cygnus."
"You know about constellations?" Lin Xili asked, somewhat surprised.
"I've seen it in books, but this is the first time I've seen such a clear starry sky."
Grandma Huo chimed in, "These days, kids are all kept indoors."
These words were spoken with emotion, but not with a critical intent; they had indeed been "locked up" for far too long.
An hour later, Huo Nanchen said, "It's ready."
As you part the mud and soil, a wave of heat hits you, mingled with the enticing aroma of food.
Huo Nanchen used long pliers to clip the foil packets onto the table one by one. When they were opened, a fragrant aroma filled the air.
"Wow, this is delicious!" Huo Xining took a bite of the chicken wing.
Huo Xiyu ate attentively, saying, "Because I made it myself, it tastes especially delicious."
Grandma Huo smiled and said, "This is the taste of labor. Self-reliance leads to abundance."
After the meal, Huo Nanchen led the children to clean up the scene. They carefully extinguished the fire, collected the unburnt firewood, and cleaned up the trash.
"The most important thing about outdoor activities is to leave no trace," Huo Nanchen said as he tidied up. "We enjoy nature, so we should cherish it."
Although the kiln owner would take good care of it, Huo Nanchen still wanted Xining Xijue to learn about outdoor activities.
The two children nodded earnestly and followed his example, restoring everything to its original state.
On the way back, the two children walked ahead, excitedly discussing their experiences of the day.
Grandma Huo and Lin Xili walked in the middle, while Huo Nanchen carried the packed things at the back.
Under the moonlight, Lin Xili slowed her pace, waiting for Huo Nanchen to catch up.
"Thank you for today," she said softly, "for letting the children experience these things."
Huo Nanchen looked at her, the moonlight shining on her face, gentle and serene: "Their childhood needed these."
“You need it too,” Lin Xili said.
Huo Nanchen remained silent for a long time before saying, "Yes, I need it too."
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