Lin Qinghe looked at the Zhao family members who were still holding their heads, and
"A few years ago, there were places that were hit by famine. Some people ground locusts into powder and mixed it with bran to eat. They didn't get sick from it and were fine."
He paused, ate two more, and then continued, "This stuff really nourishes people. Livestock can grow strong by eating it, and people can survive famine by eating it. In this day and age, is there anything more important than life and death?"
"Don't think too much, just do it."
Huangmao's eyes lit up: "Can wild boars grow fat by eating this?"
"Not only does it help you gain weight," Zhao Wei threw a locust into his mouth and added, "When I have enough, I'll try to make it into fish bait."
"The river in the valley is still flowing, and it's full of big fat fish weighing dozens of kilograms. Let's get some and keep them in the pond, so we can have fish hotpot in the winter."
He patted the oil stains on his hands and smiled: "This disaster will take at least a year or so to get over. We have to use everything we can. We have a long way to go, and we can't miss any food."
At this time, a man from the commune came and said in a hurry: "Boss, you are finally back! Just now someone from the neighboring village came to report that something happened in their village and many villagers are going out to beg for food!"
"Someone is already coming towards our village. When the time comes, should we give it to them or not?"
If it is given, it is not just one person, it is a matter of one village, and it should not be a matter of many villages.
With so many people coming to beg, even if they had mountains of rice and flour at home, they could not afford the consumption.
But if we don’t give it, we can’t just stand by and watch them die.
Therefore, everyone is now anxious and waiting for Zhao Wei to solve the problem.
Zhao Wei put down his bowl and chopsticks: "As expected, wait for me for a moment."
He picked up the fried locusts that had already been fried in the kitchen into another porcelain basin, and then followed the person who brought the news to the commune.
As soon as I stepped over the threshold of the commune, the rich aroma of oil mixed with the crispy smell spread.
The room was crowded with old men smoking pipes and women clutching the corners of their clothes. The pungent smell of dry tobacco was originally filled with anxiety, but now the rhythm was disrupted by this strange fragrance.
Some people couldn't help but sniff, staring at the golden and crispy insect body in the porcelain basin - the locust was fried until it was translucent, its wings curled into burnt and fragrant lace, and the fine salt sprinkled on it flashed white.
"Boss, you are..."
A secretary of the commune was puffing on his pipe, his brows as furrowed as a dried bitter gourd.
"The refugees from the neighboring village are almost at the entrance of the village. What are you doing here with this thing?"
Zhao Wei didn't say anything, but put the porcelain basin directly on the eight-immortals table. The porcelain basin collided with the table surface with a "clang" sound.
He picked up a fried locust casually, and the oil stains on his fingertips spread a small wet mark on the wooden table: "Uncle Wang, please try it."
Everyone in the room was stunned.
A few brave young men came forward, looked at the dense hairs on the locust's legs, and made a "click" sound in their throats at the same time.
Seeing this, Zhao Wei simply stuffed the locust into his mouth. The moment he bit down with his teeth, the "crunch" sound was particularly clear in the silent room, and the aroma of oil mixed with the taste of pepper and salt spread instantly.
"Bah! Why are you really eating this?"
Secretary Wang stood up suddenly and almost dropped his pipe to the ground.
"That thing is so dirty. What if I get a stomachache after eating it?"
Zhao Wei chewed the locusts and spoke calmly, as if he was talking about a daily matter, "Grinding locusts into flour and mixing it with bran will definitely not starve anyone to death."
"Right now, we have stored more than 2,000 kilograms of dried locusts in Yushu. Grinding them into powder is enough to feed 200 wild boars." He pointed to the porcelain basin, "It tastes better when fried. It's equivalent to three bowls of corn porridge."
"This is what my wandering master said. He is well-informed and has seen many of these things."
"I've already eaten several bowls of this. Tsk tsk, if you miss it, you'll regret it!"
When everyone heard this, out of trust in him, some people plucked up the courage to start eating as well.
As a result, everyone was really enjoying the meal and couldn't stop praising the food.
"Delicious, delicious. Really damn delicious. Why didn't I realize it before?"
"I've lived so long in vain. If I had known earlier that I could eat them, I wouldn't have been afraid of Ju Zhongzi. I could have eaten these things to extinction, haha..."
Before he finished speaking, there was a sudden noise outside the house.
Through the wooden lattice window, you can see that the dirt road at the entrance of the village is crowded with shadowy figures. The sounds of crying and shouting mixed together like a pot of boiling porridge.
A disheveled woman was clinging to the commune's wooden door and crying, "Open the door! My child hasn't eaten for three days!"
The villager's face turned pale instantly, and he looked at Zhao Wei with trembling lips.
"This...what should I do? Should I give it to you or not?"
"Give it to me, how can we not dare, we must unite."
So he had people brought here to spread knowledge to these country folk.
Zhao Wei suddenly raised his voice: "Listen up! Those people outside are not beggars. They are our compatriots in trouble. We should help them as much as we can. It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish!"
He pushed the door open suddenly. When the villagers outside saw the door open, they rushed forward a few steps. However, they were stunned when they saw the porcelain basin in Zhao Wei's hand. The insect food in the basin was shining in the morning light, and several villagers who had just come out of the commune were smacking their lips and licking their fingers with satisfaction.
"If you want to live, it's easy!"
Zhao Wei walked down the stairs carrying the porcelain basin, his eyes sweeping over the refugees' faces that were starving to the point of being unrecognizable.
"Have you seen the locusts in the fields? These are edible. If you don't dare to eat them, catch ten kilograms of locusts and exchange them for one kilogram of corn flour. If you can work, you can repair the canal for the village for three days and get three meals..."
There was a commotion among the crowd. An old man leaning on a cane asked tremblingly, "Young man, can this bug really feed you?"
Zhao Wei didn't say anything, picked up a fried locust and handed it to the old man's mouth.
The old man hesitated for a long time, and finally took a small bite. His eyes suddenly lit up: "Oh! It's like fried cicadas! The same taste, crunchy, and so delicious!"
At this moment, the refugees' expressions all changed.
The woman who had been crying and wailing just now was now staring at the porcelain basin in Zhao Wei's hand.
Several strong men clenched their fists, as if they had suddenly found a way to survive.
Zhao Wei looked at their reactions and figured out what was going on. He turned to the yellow-haired man and said, "Take them to find the locusts!"
Kill some of them now before they multiply in large numbers.
After all, it was too close to their Elm Tree Dun.
Right now, their village is about to have a bumper harvest and cannot afford any loss.
Huangmao was naturally very excited and led a group of people from other villages to the suburbs.
Of course, the people in Yushudun were not idle either.
They haven’t eaten enough yet, so we have to catch a few more quickly.
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