Xu Lin checked the information and found that brewing vinegar requires yeast. She had previously collected a lot of yeast from a winery, so she could use it.
Crush the grapes, including their skins and stems, and put them in a jar with white sugar. After about ten days, add cooled boiled water and stir.
The wild grapes were too sour, so Xu Lin used them all to make wine and vinegar.
After processing the grapes, I also brought in the mushrooms and wood ear fungus that had been drying outside. It's not so shady these past couple of days, so they should be ready to be stored after another day of drying.
After finishing the dried goods, they started cooking. Zhou Pin had done physical labor, so he needed to eat something good. Xu Lin took out a large bone from her space and made bone soup with rice for dinner, and also stir-fried some greens to cleanse the palate.
Now day and night are almost equal, and the climate is pleasant, although the air is still a bit humid. Compared to the extreme heat and cold before, it's quite comfortable.
The next morning, after breakfast, Xu Lin set off again with her basket on her back.
Today, I made an appointment with Li Jingjing to pick walnuts, chestnuts, and other nuts. Xu Lin even found a bamboo pole to use as a tool, and gloves were also essential, as walnuts can turn your hands black, according to experience.
He called out at the door, and Li Jingjing came out. The two went to the place where they had picked grapes before. There was a grove of walnut trees, as well as chestnuts and pine nuts.
The two worked together, one using a bamboo pole to knock down the walnuts while the other picked them up, switching roles when they got tired. They cleared about ten walnut trees in one morning.
"Should we dry them here and then transport them back, or transport them back and dry them there?" Li Jingjing asked.
Because the walnuts have a thick outer shell, they are heavy and take up a lot of space. It would be best to dry them under the tree, peel them, and then take them back. However, supplies that are not in their own hands are not their own supplies, so the two decided to transport them all back.
On their way back, the two found yams and sweet potatoes. They noted down the location and planned to dig up the sweet potatoes and yams after picking the walnuts and chestnuts.
Over the next few days, Zhou Pin and Sun Wei worked hard to build a fortress to protect their home, while Xu Lin and Li Jingjing spent their days picking fruits and vegetables in the mountains, including walnuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, pumpkins, yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, wild garlic, wild ginger, and coriander.
While preparing to pick peaches and apricots, Zhou Pin and Sun Wei finished building their fence, and the two families shared a meal to celebrate.
Xu Lin brought bean sprouts, chives, garlic sprouts, and ham, while Sun Wei's family provided yams, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other seasonings. The two families enjoyed a hearty meal together.
To thank Shuke and Beta for their hard work in protecting the area over the past few days, Xu Lin gave them two cans of imported food.
The dogs, who have been foraging for food independently for a long time and haven't had any special treats, say they can still serve their owners for another 20 years.
However, the fences were already built, so they were no longer needed. Xu Lin said that after this meal, they would have to continue to rely on themselves.
After lunch, Zhou Pin and Sun Wei went fruit picking with their respective wives. They had already enjoyed the fruit their wives brought back every day, so how could they not be excited about this big harvest?
After the apocalypse, fruit is a luxury. Pick as much as you can. If you can't finish it, you can make dried fruit or candied fruit. Even Grandma Wu came out with us.
Wild fruit trees don't have branches as low as cultivated ones, so you have to climb up the tree to pick them. So the four of them climbed the tree with baskets on their backs, while Grandma Wu helped out from below, picking up the fallen fruit or passing things to them. The five of them busied themselves in a lively manner.
In one afternoon, they picked about ten baskets of peaches. Zhou Pin and Sun Wei transported them home, while Xu Lin and Li Jingjing continued picking from the trees, without wasting any time.
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