This is a small house with a slightly old appearance. The color of the walls is a little mottled, and the doors and windows are a little worn. But for Xiao Yi, this is already an invaluable shelter.
Walking into the room, a faint, old-fashioned air permeated the air. The floor was a simple wooden floor, slightly dented in places. In the corner sat a worn wooden bed, its mattress looking rather flimsy.
Xiao Yi carefully looked at the small space and began to plan how to make it more cozy and comfortable. He planned to use the remaining supplies to exchange for some fabric to make curtains and find some wood to repair the floor.
Although this small house still has many imperfections, Xiao Yi knows that this is the starting point for him to start over in this challenging world, and he firmly believes that the future will gradually get better here.
Xiao Yi took the key, opened the slightly worn door, walked into the small house that belonged to him, and began the process of settling in.
He first placed his few belongings gently on the floor, then began to clean the room carefully. He picked up a worn broom and swept every corner carefully, raising dust that danced in the sunlight coming through the window.
After sweeping the floor, Xiao Yi found a damp cloth and carefully wiped the walls, doors, and windows. His movements were gentle and focused, as if he was treating a precious treasure. Although the mottled marks on the wall could not be completely erased, after wiping, the room looked much tidier.
Next, he tidied up the worn wooden bed. He spread out the relatively clean sheets he had brought with him and fluffed up the thin mattress. The pillows, though a bit worn, were placed at the head of the bed, but now that they were tidied, they felt a bit cozy.
Xiao Yi folded his clothes neatly in a wooden box beside the bed, and then placed some commonly used items on the small table beside the bed. The table was a little shaky, so he found a small wooden block to pad the table legs to make it stable.
The window glass was a little blurry, so he wiped it again and again with the corner of his clothes, hoping to let more sunlight in. The door hinges creaked, so he dripped a little oil on them to soften the sound of opening and closing the door.
In a corner of the room, Xiao Yi placed a simple shelf to display some of the daily necessities he had exchanged for. He placed the pots and pans neatly, and then sorted the remaining supplies and stored them on the shelf.
After doing all this, Xiao Yi stood in the center of the room and took a deep breath. Although this small house was simple and small, it was filled with his breath at the moment, giving him a sense of belonging.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone into the room through the window. Xiao Yi sat by the bed with a relieved smile on his face. He knew that in this small space, he finally had a place to shelter from the wind and rain and rest in peace. His future life might slowly get better here.
He first found a few stones of different sizes in the corner and moved them to the selected location with great effort. The surface of these stones was rough and covered with dust, so Xiao Yi wiped them with the corner of his clothes.
Next, he began searching for some flat bricks. From the nearby rubble, he found a few relatively intact bricks and moved them one by one to the stove. He took a few breaths to catch his breath after each one.
Then, Xiao Yi began to build. He first placed the larger stones on the bottom layer as a foundation, trying to make them stable. Then, he carefully stacked the bricks along the edges of the stones, layer by layer, trying to keep each layer level and neat.
During the brick laying process, Xiao Yi stopped from time to time to observe the overall shape and stability of the stove. If any bricks were not placed neatly or tilted, he would carefully adjust the position to ensure the whole structure was firm.
To make the stove more stable, he also filled some soil and pebbles in the gaps between the bricks to increase friction and stability.
After building it to a certain height, Xiao Yi began to design the internal structure of the stove. He left space in the middle for firewood and made a preliminary bedding with some small branches and hay.
Finally, he hand-checked every part of the stove, ensuring there were no loose bricks or stones. Looking at the stove he had built with his own hands, though a bit crude, Xiao Yi felt a sense of accomplishment. He decided to use the ingredients he had just acquired to make a delicious iron pot chicken stew. He first cleaned the chicken, plucking any remaining feathers, removing the innards, and repeatedly washing it until it was shiny and clean.
Then, he lit the firewood in the stove, and the flames rose, illuminating his face. Xiao Yi poured some oil into the iron pot, and when the oil was hot and a faint blue smoke rose, he put the chopped chicken into the pot.
As soon as the chicken was put into the pot, a "sizzling" sound was heard, and a burst of oil splashed everywhere. Xiao Yi quickly stir-fried it with a spatula. The skin of the chicken gradually turned golden under the high temperature, emitting an enticing aroma.
After stir-frying for a while, he began adding various seasonings. He started by adding a few slices of ginger, which he fried in the hot oil until fragrant. Then he sprinkled in some Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies, instantly filling the air with a spicy aroma. He then added a moderate amount of light soy sauce to enhance the chicken's color, and a dash of dark soy sauce for a richer color.
After the seasonings were stir-fried evenly, Xiao Yi poured in a large bowl of water, enough to cover the chicken. As the water temperature rose, the pot began to swirl and splash. He added some scallions and garlic cloves to make the aroma more rich.
Then he covered the pot and let the chicken simmer slowly in it. The firewood burned happily in the hearth, the soup in the pot gurgled, and the rich aroma emanated from the cracks in the lid, filling the entire room.
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