Chapter 15: Snake Soup Warms the Heart Life at the border is not easy, this bowl of snake soup...
While sleeping, Liu Yeshu vaguely heard dull thunder. In the early morning, the sound of rain began to fall outside the house. When he woke up, the sound of rain had disappeared.
I stood up, walked to the window, and opened it. A cool breeze, accompanied by fine raindrops, blew in, bringing with it a hint of moist earth. The world outside the window seemed shrouded in a veil. The rain fell softly on the eaves, gathering into small streams that dripped.
The soil in the backyard became softer under the nourishment of rain. A few drops of water slid down from the edge of the camel's mane and dripped silently into the puddle below, splashing circles of tiny ripples.
"Let's not set up the stall today." After the family had breakfast, Liu Yeshu suddenly decided to give herself a day off. "Mom, I'll cook lunch today!"
Walking into the kitchen, Liu Yeshu rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands. She had promised her brother yesterday that she would make snake meat soup today.
She carefully cut the snake open along its midline with a knife, cleaned out the internal organs, and carefully peeled the skin. She then chopped the meat into small pieces and placed them in a large bowl. She added ginger slices, cooking wine, a pinch of salt, and pepper, gently rubbing the meat together to allow the seasoning to penetrate evenly. After marinating for about fifteen minutes, the meat had developed a light aroma, and the fishy smell had almost completely disappeared.
She placed the removed snake bones in a pot, poured in well water, and brought it to a boil over high heat. After the water in the pot boiled, she carefully skimmed off the foam and simmered it over low heat.
Hearing the cheerful clucking of chickens coming from the yard, she was stunned for a moment, then realized that it was the sound of chickens laying eggs.
"The chickens raised in this system grow much faster than ordinary chickens." With a burst of joy in her heart, she immediately put down the work in her hands and walked quickly towards the yard.
Pushing open the back door of the kitchen, raindrops drifted gently on her face. Liu Yeshu put her hands together to shield her head and walked to the chicken coop. She saw the chickens gathered in a circle and clucked non-stop. She squatted down and carefully pulled away the straw. She saw a few warm eggs lying in the coop.
She gently picked up an egg, still warm from its hatch, in her palm. She leaned in to count it, realizing there were even more eggs in the coop than she'd expected. She'd originally thought she'd be lucky to get two or three today, but now she had nearly ten eggs in her hands, far more than she'd expected.
Just as Liu Yeshu was surprised, a system prompt suddenly rang in his mind.
[Host, these 10 chicks you hatched have been raised with seeds, so their egg production is twice that of ordinary chickens.]
When Liu Yeshu heard the news, she was slightly stunned, and then a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth unconsciously. It was a good idea to put the eggs into the system and nurture them as seeds.
She gently stroked the eggs in her hand and murmured, "These chicks are really the treasures of the family."
Back inside, Liu Yeshu placed the eggs on the table, examining each one carefully. She had already made a decision: she couldn't eat all of them, nor could she use them all for hatching. She needed to find a balance between the present and the future.
She picked out six eggs and set them aside to continue incubating them. She planned to use the remaining eggs to make egg fried rice today, and if there were any extra eggs later, she would sell them at a stall in the East Market.
After the egg fried rice was ready and the snake bone broth had simmered to a thick, milky white, Liu Yeshu poured the marinated snake meat into the pot. The snake meat gradually changed color in the scalding broth. She tasted a small piece; it was tender and springy. She then added chopped mushrooms and tofu and let them simmer together in the broth.
The mushrooms absorbed the aroma of the broth, and the tofu became even more tender and flavorful. The chopped greens were added to the pot and briefly blanched until they were emerald green. Finally, a sprinkle of chopped green onions and cilantro was added, and the rich aroma of meat filled the entire kitchen.
"Ling'er, come and help your sister serve the soup." Liu Yeshu called.
Liu Yeling had already smelled the aroma and immediately ran in upon hearing the words. She took the spoon and carefully poured the cooked snake meat soup into the bowl. The soup was thick, the snake meat was tender, the mushrooms were soft and smooth, and the tofu was tender. The broth was rich and mellow. Although she hadn't tasted it yet, she had already tasted it in her mind.
When they arrived at the main room next door and were about to have dinner, they heard someone knocking on the door. The knocking was not urgent, as if someone was testing whether anyone was at home.
Liu Yeshu put down the spoon in confusion, stood up and walked to the door. When she opened the door, she saw Aunt Sun's daughter. She was standing at the door awkwardly, rubbing her hands, with water stains in the corners of her eyes, not sure if it was rain or tears.
"Sister Sun? Come in, why are you here?"
Sun Hong looked up at Liu Yeshu and forced a smile. "Miss Liu, I'm so sorry to bother you today. I was arguing with my mother at home... I came out for some fresh air, and was attracted by the aroma, so I walked here unknowingly."
"You're here at the right time. Come in quickly. We have just prepared dinner at home. Let's eat together." Liu Yeshu welcomed the person into the house.
Father and Mother Liu also stood up and greeted them, "Yes, come in, you're welcome."
Sun Hongben was holding her stomach, not wanting the rumbling sounds to be too noticeable, but now she waved her hands again and again: "No, no need, I'm just taking a walk, I won't disturb you guys eating."
Liu Yeshu held her back and said softly, "It's still raining outside. If you get caught in the rain, you'll catch a cold when you get home. Our meals are simple, but we cook them all ourselves. We don't have anything special to offer as a treat."
Having said that, Sun Hong no longer refused, and sighed as she stepped inside: "Then I'll shamelessly eat for free."
After sitting down, Liu's mother served a bowl of hot snake meat soup and placed it in front of her. "Come, eat it while it's hot. Shu'er cooked it today. It smells delicious."
Sun Hong took the bowl and took a sip. The soup was delicious and the snake meat was tender and smooth. It was even more delicious than she had imagined.
She couldn't help but relax a little, and slowly smiled, "This soup is really good, Miss Liu, your cooking skills are really amazing."
After saying that, she remained silent for a long time. Liu Yeshu, who was sitting next to her, saw her lowering her head, tears dripping down, over the tip of her short nose, and falling straight into the soup bowl.
Seeing Sun Hong crying, Liu Yeshu gently put down the spoon in her hand, pulled the chair closer to her, and asked softly: "Sister Sun, is there something wrong? If you have any difficulties, tell us and see if we can help."
Sun Hong wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, choked for a long time but only let out a quick burp.
The family put down their chopsticks. After a while, she calmed down a little and whispered, "My mother...she wants me to get married."
"There's a man in the military settlement next door who has all his limbs intact and is considered a stable family. However, I heard that despite his strong body, he's a gambler, doesn't work the fields, and lives on government relief grain every month."
"Gamblers love to beat their wives. I know that, but why would I want to? But my mother said I'm not young anymore, and if I wait any longer, I'll have a hard time finding a husband."
At this point, Sun Hong's voice gradually trailed off, a hint of helplessness and bitterness lingering. "I know life is tough at home, but I... I really don't want to get married like this. My mother called me a freeloader today, and I was so angry I ran away without eating."
After hearing this, Mother Liu sighed and said, "If you don't want to marry her, you'll suffer anyway. Your mother might have said that out of anger. Wait until you've both calmed down, and then you can explain it to her."
When Sun Hong heard Liu's mother's persuasion, tears welled up in her eyes again. She said in a hoarse voice, "Auntie, you don't know, in my life, the thing I hate most is my leg. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so difficult to find a husband. Every time I see those normal girls getting married, it would be a lie to say I'm not envious."
"This leg injury is the result of a fever I had when I was a child. My mother said at the time that it was all her fault for not sending me to the hospital, and that no matter what happened to me, she would take care of me for the rest of my life. But now, even though I'm only at the beginning of this life, she's changed. In the past, anyone who came to propose marriage was either blind or deaf, but if anyone said they lived in a military settlement, she'd be eager to propose tomorrow."
When Sun Hong said this, she could no longer hold back her tears, which slid down her cheeks. She bit her lip tightly, trying her best not to cry out loud. The deep helplessness and self-blame surged over her like a floodgate, almost drowning her.
Father Liu advised, "The borderlands are barren and the harvests are unstable. Even the soldiers who are in trouble can still receive relief food. It's no wonder your mother prefers a son-in-law who lives in a military settlement."
Mother Liu frowned, about to say a few more words, but was met with a disarming look from Father Liu. Every family has its own problems, so she couldn't say anything more. She sighed and simply served her another bowl of meat soup.
Liu Yeshu gently patted Sun Hong's hand and comforted her, "Sister Hong, don't worry too much. Things will always turn around. Don't think about these troubles today. Eat something and take a rest first."
Sun Hong calmed down for a while, stopped crying, nodded reluctantly, picked up the spoon and continued to drink the soup. The aroma of snake meat soup filled the room. She ate slowly, the hot soup warming her hands and her body. The loneliness and helplessness she had felt when she came here seemed to be diluted.
"Miss Liu, thank you for your hard work today. Let me do something I can for you. Last time, you said you wanted to grow vegetables. I happen to have some experience in farming. After dinner, I can help you tidy up the vegetable patch in the backyard and teach you how to farm."
Liu Yeshu smiled and nodded, "Then I'll trouble you, Sister Sun."
Sun Hong felt a little relieved when she saw Liu Yeshu agree. She took a deep breath, suppressed her worries, and stood up to help clean up the dishes. Seeing this, Liu's mother patted her shoulder gently and said, "Good girl, you two go to the backyard later. I'll boil water, make tea, and prepare snacks for you."
"Thank you, auntie." Sun Hong felt a warm feeling in her heart again.
Soon, Liu Yeshu brought Sun Hong to the newly reclaimed vegetable patch in the backyard. The land had been moistened by the rain, and it was a good time to sow.
"Let's plant cabbage and radish first. They're easy to grow and cold-resistant," Aunt Sun's daughter said as she took two small bags of seeds from a basket. She knelt on the ground, picked up a small shovel, and gently turned the soil, demonstrating how to sow.
"Cabbage seeds don't need to be buried too deep. A shallow hole about two fingers wide will do. After planting, cover them lightly with soil and then press them down with your palm so that the seeds won't be blown away by the wind." She explained patiently, her movements light and skillful.
Liu Yeshu watched intently, following suit. She used a small shovel to dig up the soil and, following Sun Hong's instructions, placed the cabbage seeds one by one into the holes. Then, she gently covered them with soil, pressing them down with her palms. Aunt Sun's daughter nodded in agreement.
"The planting method of radish is similar to that of cabbage, except that the spacing between them should be slightly larger. After the radish seedlings grow out, remember to thin them out to leave space for the radishes to grow fully." Sun Hong continued, obviously familiar with these planting techniques.
Liu Yeshu did as she was told. After planting, she suddenly had an idea and took out some other seeds, preparing to plant some carrots, spinach, onions and other vegetables on the edge of the vegetable garden.
"Although these vegetables are different, the sowing methods are basically the same." Sun Hong saw the seeds Liu Yeshu took out and said, "Just plant them according to the method just now."
After finishing the work for half a day, Liu Yeshu stood up, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said, "Sister Hong, I really appreciate your help today. Otherwise, I really don't know how to start."
"It's just something I can do. I can't eat snake soup for free. My family only eats meat once during the Chinese New Year."
Liu Yeshu invited her to have dinner together, but Sun Hong insisted on leaving without saying anything else.
She gently shook off the dust on her body and looked up at the sky. The sun was gradually setting in the west. She supported herself with one leg and took a step, while the other leg dragged to keep up. So although she was walking alone, it was as if two people were working together.
Liu Yeshu stood at the door and watched her back. She walked towards the village head, taking one step deep and one step shallow, pushing the accumulated water in the mud.
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