Food prices continued to rise. Those who initially chose to wait and see now regret it deeply.
The wild vegetables in the mountains have been almost completely dug up. Aside from weeds, there's nothing edible left. Of course, there's certainly still plenty of food in the mountains. It's just that not many people are willing to take the risk. After all, it's not the end of the world yet.
A year passed, and people anxiously awaited the new planting season, hoping to recoup their harvest in the new year. They planted the seeds, but the rains didn't come as expected.
What came was the sun getting hotter and the river's water level gradually dropping.
Wen Xi was already eleven years old. She was being held captive by the Mao family, and the situation was becoming increasingly severe. Besides her tendency to stir up trouble, the biggest reason was that during this special period, it was best for the women to keep a low profile.
Every time she went back and forth between the embroidery shop and the village, she was escorted by Mao or Ye Erniang.
Besides embroidery, Wen Xi also tinkers with seasonings.
Most of the Sichuan peppercorns are ground into powder, and most of the chili peppers, except for the many seeds left, are also made into chili powder.
Of course, there are also synthetic barbecue seasonings, "fake thirteen spices", and pirated chicken powder made from dried mushrooms.
Yes, even in a famine that feels like a knife hanging over one’s head, it cannot stop a foodie from pursuing food.
It simply means that when you are powerless, live one day and eat well one day.
Mao looked at her daughter, who was either circling the spice hammer or the millstone, and felt powerless. She went to the millstone and pulled her away:
"Stand aside. You're not quiet even after coming back. Get up. I need to use the mill."
Wen Xi looked up and saw her mother coming over with a basket of chestnuts. She asked:
"Grinding chestnut flour again? Making chestnut cake?"
Ever since Wen Xi introduced them to the wonderful uses of chestnuts and potatoes, they have fallen in love with these two foods.
Chestnuts, in particular, are quite popular, but eating too many makes the toilet trip a bit awkward. Plus, they dry out over time. So Wen Xi suggested grinding them into a powder, which could be used in snacks and other things.
Whenever they had time at home, Mao and Xiangye would slowly grind all the remaining chestnuts into powder, but as soon as Wen Xi came back, the millstone would always be occupied.
Wen Xi took her things in a flattering manner:
"Mom, you must be so tired! I'll help you. I'm very strong now!"
"You're about to get married, and you're still rambling all the time. By the way, if Gu Shengjian comes looking for you again soon, just go back! And tell him not to run around anymore. The village has been in turmoil lately. I heard that several villages have been fighting over river water, and it's bloody. Now the river is dry, and there's not much water in the wells either. I don't know how the situation will turn out!"
It's strange to say, but people often say that the older you get, the more you understand the importance of gender separation. Just like Gu Nan, the eldest son of the Gu family, when he saw Wen Xi, his eyes went up to the sky, unwilling to even glance at her. But that wasn't the case with Gu Shengjian.
In the past two years, he has especially liked sticking to Wen Xi. To be precise, it started when he first ate Wen Xi's mutton skewers.
As soon as he knew Wen Xi was coming back from the county town, he would follow her everywhere. He was especially excited when he saw Wen Xi going into the mountains. He had only one thought in his mind: if he followed Wen Xi, he would have meat to eat.
Because Wen Xi likes to step on the edge of the mountain, he always goes to the edge of the mountain, not going too deep, and uses the mediocre skills he has learned to hunt some small animals on the edge.
Of course, the result is usually eight out of ten misses, which is not the kind of ability to shoot through the target from a hundred paces away as shown in TV dramas.
What you lack in ability, you make up for in your brain. Wen Xi patiently dug many traps, big and small, so almost every time he came, he would get something.
Small game can't be made into a dish, so Wen Xi occasionally grills it on the spot, enjoying the unique experience of wild game. Plus, it's really cool in the mountains. If possible, Wen Xi wouldn't want to go down.
Then he was discovered by the little tail Gu Shengjian and was threatened with reporting to his parents, so Wen Xi had to give him a share of the profits.
In this way, the two became a pair of harmonious foodie friends.
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