Chapter Forty-Two: Sunshine
The rain has stopped and the sky has cleared, but the torrential rains of the past few days and nights have washed away all that remains of the land, leaving only mud and murky water.
In the low-lying areas, water a foot deep had accumulated, murky and lingering.
The ones who suffered the most were the sweet potatoes and pumpkins that hadn't been harvested yet and were still waiting in the fields to ripen.
"Oh my God! This...this is all over!"
Wang Laowu, who lived at the west end of the village, squatted at the edge of the field, looking at his melon patch soaked in mud and water, his voice trembling with tears.
The large pumpkins, which should have been a bountiful, orange-yellow harvest, are now mostly submerged in murky water, with only the tops showing. Their color is dull, and their skin has become soft and white from being soaked in water.
Some of them had even cracked open, revealing the waterlogged and rotten flesh inside.
"It'll be ready to harvest soon, we can sell it for money, and it'll help us get through the winter... But now, it's all going to feed the Dragon King!"
"It's the same everywhere. This rain has caused my sweet potato cellar to leak."
Another man, looking distressed, comforted him, saying, "The little bit of savings we had in the cellar is all gone now. What will we do from now on..."
He shook his head, followed only by a sigh.
Along the ridges and edges of the fields, groups of villagers with somber expressions gathered, gazing at their disaster-stricken land, their faces clouded with sorrow.
Sweet potatoes and pumpkins soaked in water become watery and tough, and more seriously, they rot very easily and cannot be stored at all.
A year's hard work is about to go up in smoke.
The gloomy atmosphere was finally broken by the village chief's powerful shout under the big locust tree.
"Fellow villagers, stop sighing."
"When natural disasters strike, we accept them, but accepting them doesn't mean lying down and waiting to die. God has given us the sun, and that's our way to survive."
He looked around at the villagers who were gradually gathering: "The melons and vegetables that have been soaked in water can't be salvaged, but we can't just watch them rot in the fields and cellars. Take advantage of the good sun and strong winds now, everyone get moving and scoop out all the sweet potatoes and pumpkins you can, good or bad, wash them clean of the mud, see if there are any good ones, cut them off, and then dry them in the sun, dry them thoroughly."
He paused, stomped hard on the wet ground, and continued, "Every household, make room for me in every place that gets sunlight: rooftops, open spaces, fences. Lay out mats, set up bamboo trays, and spread them out to dry."
“If your house is small, borrow some from your neighbors. If theirs is also full of drying ground, then use the threshing ground at the village entrance. Our village may not have much else, but we are united! We can't let this little bit of rain ruin our winter's worth of grain! Once it's dried, it's our food! Do you hear me?”
"Understood, Village Chief!" came a response from the crowd.
At the command, the entire Zhuohe Village seemed to be injected with new vitality.
Every household sprang into action. Young and strong men, wearing half-wet trousers, waded into the muddy fields, struggling to scoop out the swollen sweet potatoes and pumpkins from the muddy water, carrying them home basket by basket and load by load.
Others were by the well or riverbank, using brushes and clean water to scrub the mud-covered melons and potatoes again and again.
The children ran around, helping to pass things and move baskets.
The rooftops of every household are no longer just plain gray tiles, but are covered with golden pumpkin slices and orange-red dried sweet potatoes, looking from a distance like a dazzling golden edge adorning the rooftops.
The base of the courtyard wall, the side of the fence, and even the rope strung between two trees were covered with strings of berries.
The flat threshing ground at the village entrance, which was originally used for drying grains, has now turned into a golden sea.
Zhang Liuyi's courtyard was no exception.
Although her family's corn was harvested early and husked and hung in a well-ventilated warehouse, so it wasn't greatly affected by the rain, at this moment, every open space in the yard that could get some sun was laid out for harvesting.
Several strings of golden corn cobs hung under the eaves, and several bamboo trays were set up by the courtyard wall, where sweet potato strips of decent quality that the neighbors had snatched from the fields were laid out to dry.
For a moment, the small courtyard seemed to be adorned with autumn colors.
After several days of careful recuperation and the aid of the eye-brightening pig liver porridge, Xiao Nan'er's fever finally subsided, and the swollen styes also disappeared. Although there were still some faint red marks on her eyelids, her big, black grape-like eyes regained their former brilliance.
A child recovering from a serious illness is as energetic as a foal that can't be kept at home, always wanting to run outside.
How can the adults feel at ease?
The water in the fields hasn't completely receded, and everything is slippery and muddy. If we catch a cold, it could be terrible.
Li Xiulan then came up with a plan and assigned Xiao Nan'er an important task: peeling corn kernels.
In one corner of the warehouse, several large baskets of dried-out corn cobs were piled up.
Li Xiulan moved a small stool and an even smaller one for Xiao Nan'er, placing them beside the basket.
She picked up an ear of corn and demonstrated how to use her thumbnail to push hard along the direction of the kernels. A row of golden kernels fell into the basket with a thud.
"Nan'er, watch how your mother does it. Just like this, I'll grind the corn kernels I've peeled into fragrant cornmeal and make you a porridge, okay?"
Li Xiulan gently coaxed him.
Little Nan found this novel and interesting, and immediately picked up an ear of corn with great enthusiasm, imitating her mother, clumsily picking out the kernels with her little hands.
Although he was slow and didn't peel the corn neatly, occasionally even prying off a small piece of the corncob, his focused little face was still quite amusing.
Li Xiulan felt relieved.
It's better to sit quietly than to run out and splash in mud puddles.
After settling Zhang Dahe and Aunt Wang in, he went out to set up his stall with Zhang Yi.
Zhang Yi's stall also reopened after being closed for several days.
However, after the autumn rains, the weather turned noticeably cooler, and the air was chilly.
At Xishikou, pedestrians were still bundled up in their clothes and hurrying along.
Zhang noticed that her once wildly popular, crystal-clear braised pig's head jelly was now receiving a rather cold reception.
The sliced meat jelly on the cutting board looked even more translucent in the cold wind. Occasionally, someone would buy a small piece, quickly wrap it up, and stuff it into their pocket, clearly not to eat it immediately.
"Sister Yi, this meat jelly is delicious, but in this weather... it's so cold it'll chill you to the bone!"
Aunt Wang, a regular customer, wrapped her headscarf tighter and shook her head: "I'll wait until it gets warmer before I eat this!"
Zhang Liuyi smiled and agreed, "Then let's close up shop early today and see if your sister-in-law is busy."
The dock entrance.
"Boss, a bowl of hot soup, please! Extra chili! This weather is freezing!"
Regular customer Uncle Chen rubbed his hands together, his breath steaming in the air, and rushed toward Li Xiulan's steaming pot of pork belly and lung soup.
"Okay, all done!"
Li Xiulan hurriedly agreed, lifted the pot lid, and thick white steam carrying a fresh aroma rose instantly, which was especially tempting in the cool air.
The soup in the pot was bubbling, with large pieces of tripe and lungs bobbing up and down in the milky white broth.
There were significantly more people queuing up for hot soup than for meat jelly.
Zhang quickly went to help wipe the table and serve the soup.
She saw it all and understood it perfectly: doing business really does require going with the flow.
As autumn deepens and a cold wind begins to blow, how comforting it would be to drink a bowl of piping hot soup that can dispel the chill from one's body.
No matter how delicious her meat jelly was, it couldn't compare to the immediate comfort of a bowl of tripe and lung soup.
As the sun sets, it paints the horizon a warm orange-red.
Zhang Yili and Li Xiulan packed up their stall and loaded the heavy pots, pans, and household items onto the cart.
Li Xiulan held the bridle, while Zhang Liuyi gently pushed the cart shaft from behind, shouting, "Dazhuang, let's go!"
The strong oxen strode gently, pulling the cart steadily home in the afterglow of the setting sun.
The oxcart's thick wooden wheels rolled over the still slightly damp road surface after the rain, leaving two tracks with wet mud.
The air was crisp and cool, carrying the unique chill of late autumn, yet also mingled with the sweet aroma of sweet potatoes wafting from afar.
Back in the Zhang family courtyard, Xiao Nan'er was still sitting on a small stool, diligently peeling corn kernels.
The small basket in front of him was already piled with a light layer of orange-yellow.
The golden rays of the setting sun fell on his fluffy little head, making his profile, with his lips pursed earnestly, look exceptionally soft and adorable.
Zhang Liuyi first led Dazhuang back to the cowshed, carefully wiped the mud off its hooves, and then used a dry cloth to brush away the grass clippings and dust that had gotten on its fur. Only then did he pat its neck and say, "You've worked hard, Dazhuang, take a rest."
After settling this important able-bodied man in, she turned and returned to the courtyard filled with the warmth of everyday life.
Xiong Zixiang returned home early today, which was unusual for him. He was sitting on a large wooden stump next to Xiao Nan'er, holding an ear of corn in his hand and slowly peeling it.
Xiong Zixiang was also a skilled worker, but he was peeling very slowly at this moment, as if he was just keeping Xiao Nan company.
"Auntie! Mother!" When Xiao Nan'er saw them return, she immediately raised her little face and proudly held up her half-peeled corncob, her face beaming with pride.
"Hey, Nan'er, you're so great! You've peeled so many!" Zhang Liuyi walked over with a smile and patted his little head.
Li Xiulan put down her things and looked closely at her son's hands: "Hmm, you peeled them quite cleanly, and you didn't scratch your little hands. Good boy!"
Xiong Zixiang also raised his head and looked at Zhang Yili. The lines on his resolute face softened considerably, and a smile appeared on his lips.
He put down the corn in his hand, stood up, and his tall figure stretched even longer in the setting sun.
He walked over to Zhang Liuyi and naturally took the heavy object she was carrying.
Zhang looked at Xiong Zixiang, then at Xiao Nan'er, who was clinging to Xiong Zixiang's leg with her little face upturned and not afraid of him at all, and a warm feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.
Many children in the village were intimidated by Xiong Zixiang's stern face and burly physique, and dared not approach him.
But Xiao Nan'er never did.
This little guy is not only unafraid, but he also always likes to get close to his uncle.
Perhaps it's because although Xiong Zixiang looks fierce, he has never been stern with Xiao Nan'er.
He brought sweet dried apricots for Xiao Nan'er, clumsily held him, and stayed by the kang (a heated brick bed) to hand him a bowl of water when he was sick.
Although Xiao Nan'er is young, he can savor the good things that come his way.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com