Chapter 11: Chicks Hatch Out of Shells [Ding! Congratulations to the host, the chicks have hatched...
The food containers were so clean they didn't even need to be washed. Liu Yeshu put them away and tossed them aside, taking them with him when he returned home that evening. Father Liu and Brother Liu found a shady spot to take a nap, then plunged into the fields again in the afternoon.
Liu Yeshu led the camel along the path to the foot of the Qilian Mountains, where there were some evergreen trees. She carefully climbed up a few low pine trees, picked a few thick pine needles, and found some dead grass pressed by the snow on the grass. These were all things that the camels could eat in this season.
"Eat, General." Liu Yeshu patted the camel's neck gently. This camel had not been raised by anyone since childhood and did not obey anyone's discipline, but every time Liu Yeshu called it General, it would respond.
The camel looked down, then raised its head proudly, as if it was being picky. Seeing this, Liu Yeshu couldn't help but smile and waited patiently for it to make its own decision. After a while, the camel finally lowered its head and slowly began to nibble. When it had almost finished, it raised its head and hummed with satisfaction.
Liu Yeshu stroked the camel's neck and warmed her hands by inserting them into the warm fur. "I'm glad you like it. Let's work hard together in the future."
The camel seemed to understand what she said. It lowered its head and rubbed her arm gently. Then it slowly turned around and paced on the nearby grass. It didn't go far, occasionally lowering its head to sniff the grass on the ground and looking up at her from time to time.
Liu Yeshu sat under the shade of the tree, looking up at the sky. It was getting warmer day by day, and the sun in the sky would make people as ripe as the crops.
"I have to weave a few straw hats for Dad and Ling'er to prevent them from being burned by the sun when they go to the fields." Liu Yeshu said to herself.
She stood up and looked around, her gaze fixed on a patch of hay not far away. She walked over and tugged at it, finding the stems pliable. Finding a shady spot to sit down, she straightened the hay strands one by one, then carefully wove them together until the hat took shape. She gently pressed and adjusted the shape of the hat, waiting to trim the excess stems back home.
"Let's go, General!" She waved to the camel and tried to whistle but couldn't. She took the reins and shouted to Liu's father as they passed the fields, "Dad, I'm going back first!"
After returning home, Liu Yeshu tied the camel to a tree stump in the backyard, unloaded the two baskets of hay he had picked up from its back, piled them in a corner, and shoveled away the camel dung on the ground yesterday.
Walking into the kitchen, Liu Yeshu took out the pork that had been dried a few days ago from the storage tank. She planned to make some lard and mix it with the lard residue to make rice. The leftovers could be saved and used in cooking. It was more fragrant than soybean oil.
Cut the pork into thumb-width chunks, place them in an iron pan, and fry them slowly over low heat with a few sticks of firewood. As the pork releases its oil, its fragrance permeates the air. Liu Yeshu constantly stirs the pork in the pan with a wooden spoon to ensure even heating. Then, ginger, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns are added. The fat gradually seeps out, turning the pork golden and crispy. Salt is added, and after the lard is strained out, it is poured into a ceramic jar for storage. The remaining lard residue is then removed from the pan and set aside.
The millet rice was also steamed. She divided the millet rice into four bowls, spread a spoonful of solidified lard on the top of each bowl, poured two small spoonfuls of salted meat, and then sprinkled in golden lard residue and chopped green onions. After mixing well, the millet rice and lard were fully combined, and each grain of rice was oily and plump.
A rich aroma permeated the kitchen, wafting through the half-open window into the yard and drifting on the breeze next door. Aunt Zhang, our neighbor, was busy sorting firewood in the yard when she suddenly caught a whiff of the rich aroma. She paused, looked up, frowned, and took a deep sniff.
"Whose family is cooking meat? It smells so good?" Aunt Zhang muttered to herself, full of confusion and curiosity. She sniffed again, and the rich aroma of meat mixed with the aroma of oil made her stomach rumble. She put down the firewood in her hand, walked to the gate of the yard, stretched her neck to look in the direction of Liu's house, but saw nothing.
"Just with this aroma, I can eat ten bowls of rice." Aunt Zhang's husband sniffed hard.
As soon as Father Liu and Brother Liu entered the alley, a rich fragrance hit their noses. They were immediately refreshed and their fatigue was dispelled by the fragrance.
"What good stuff is this?" Father Liu couldn't help asking. He walked to the side of his own yard, where the fragrance was the strongest, and then he realized what was going on.
Liu Yeling couldn't wait to walk closer to the kitchen and looked inside. The rice mixed with golden and shiny lard was served on the table. The rice was shiny and gave off an enticing aroma.
"Sister, what is this?" Liu Ling was surprised and stared at the bowl of rice.
Liu Yeshu smiled and said, "This is rice mixed with lard residue. It's to celebrate the first day of working in the fields. I made it especially for you today. Give me a hand and let's take the bowls to the main room next door to eat."
Father Liu had already washed his hands and sat down. He picked up the chopsticks and took a bite. As soon as it entered his mouth, the rich aroma of lard filled his mouth. The crispy lard residue and the soft and glutinous rice were perfectly combined. It was so delicious that it made people want to bite off their tongue and not bother to speak.
Liu Ling couldn't help but eat with big mouthfuls: "Sister, this food is so delicious! You can open a restaurant now!"
"When we have money, I will open a restaurant. You can help me then and I will make sure you can eat whenever you want." Liu Yeshu said with a smile.
Father and Mother Liu listened and laughed, thinking it was just childish talk. Mother Liu had been embroidering all afternoon and felt a little dizzy. She wasn't hungry at first, but the aroma whetted her appetite, and she couldn't help but eat it all up.
After the meal, Liu Di said that she was full and took the initiative to wash the dishes. Liu's mother brought out some boiled Chinese medicine to replenish qi and blood, and watched her daughter drink it before letting her go.
For several days, the Liu family was busy all the time, and the farmland was finally ready. The next step was to fertilize, plow the land, water it, and then start sowing.
Early that morning, as Father Liu was about to go out, he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and saw Steward Li standing outside.
"Manager Li, you are here. Please come in and sit down. Have you had breakfast?" Father Liu hurriedly came to greet him.
Manager Li waved his hand and said, "I won't go in. I owe you a favor because of the land issue a few days ago. Today, I happen to have some cow dung that can be used to fertilize the land. Come and get it quickly. While the weather is good, use the fertilizer on the land."
Upon hearing this, Father Liu was delighted and quickly responded, "Thank you, Manager Li. I'll go right away."
Behind him, Liu Yeshu came over and asked, "Manager Li, when we need to plow the fields later, can we borrow an ox to do it?"
Manager Li frowned slightly upon hearing this, thinking to himself that this girl was quite cunning. After a moment's thought, he said, "These plowing oxen are in high demand, and every household is keeping an eye on them. So, when we're plowing, I'll keep an eye out for you. If there's a free ox, I'll try to assign one to you."
When Liu's father saw that Manager Li was hesitating, he lowered his head and scolded his daughter for being reckless. But after hearing what Manager Li said, he knew that there was hope for this matter, and he felt even happier. Oxen can plow the fields much faster than people, and it is not tiring.
Manager Li lowered his eyelids slightly and said calmly, "If you need anything, please feel free to ask. But be prepared, the oxen may not arrive in time to plow the fields. If they can't wait, we'll have to rely on manual labor." Father Liu thanked him repeatedly, and Manager Li added, "If you have any good things in the future, don't forget to think of me."
Liu Di hid behind Liu Yeshu. When he heard the footsteps of Manager Li gradually fade away, he couldn't help but whisper to her, "I didn't expect that Manager Li is such a nice person."
Liu Yeshu smiled and said, "You can't just label someone when you first get to know them. If you want them to do something good for you, you have to learn how to bargain first."
After hearing this, Father Liu couldn't help but change his mind about his daughter. He turned to Liu Yeshu and said, "Shu'er, the smell of cow dung in the fields is too strong, so you shouldn't go there. Dad and your brother can go and apply fertilizer. You stay home and help your mother with other chores."
Mother Liu was embroidering in the house. Hearing this, she said, "I don't need your help here, Shu'er. Go back to the next room and rest. Come back when I cook lunch."
At the same time, a reminder sounded in Liu Yeshu's mind——
[Ding! Congratulations host, the chicks have hatched successfully!]
Liu Yeshu was stunned for a moment, then a flicker of ecstasy flashed in her eyes. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time, and now she suppressed her excitement and strode towards the next door.
Arriving in the backyard, she lifted the hay covering in the corner, revealing the makeshift nest she had built to incubate the eggs. Gently lifting the curtain, she saw a few fluffy chicks huddled together, their bright eyes wide open as they pecked at the grass scraps, looking perfectly healthy.
Liu Yeshu poked their soft, creamy-yellow fur, then turned and fetched some leftover millet rice from the kitchen. She crushed the rice with her hands, making the grains smaller and easier for the chicks to eat. She also ground some soybeans and mixed them with a small amount of water to form a paste. Soybeans are rich in protein, which helps the chicks grow quickly. She placed the food on a small plate next to the chicks' nest. The chicks, smelling the aroma, excitedly came over, pecking at the rice and millet in the plate with their tiny beaks, devouring the food with great delight.
Liu Yeshu gently picked up a newly hatched chick and prepared to show it to its mother.
"Mom, look what this is." Liu Yeshu smiled and held the chick in front of her mother.
Mother Liu was busy embroidering. When she heard her daughter's voice, she looked up and was startled when she saw the fluffy chick. "This...is this a newly hatched chick?"
Liu Yeshu nodded and smiled proudly, "Yes, mother. These are our first batch of chicks. When they grow up, they will lay eggs. When there are more eggs than we can eat ourselves, we can sell them at the market to supplement our family income."
Mother Liu stroked the chick's soft feathers, feeling surprised and delighted. She had never expected her daughter to be so capable. "Shu'er, how did you do that?"
Liu Yeshu smiled but didn't answer. She continued, "Mom, the chicks can not only lay eggs and give birth to chicks, but their manure can also be put to good use. I have spread the manure in the vegetable garden to fertilize the soil. When we plant vegetables, our garden will definitely have a good harvest."
Seeing Liu Yeshu's mysterious expression, Mother Liu stopped asking questions and took out a piece of carefully embroidered cloth from the box beside her. She handed it to Liu Yeshu and said, "Shu'er, I embroidered this these days. Take it to the East Market to see Shopkeeper Mo and see if it's acceptable."
Liu Yeshu took the cloth, felt the exquisite stitches and delicate patterns on it, and was full of confidence: "Mom, don't worry, leave this matter to me."
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