Pei Yao found two palm trees that were quite far apart and used a kitchen knife to cut a shallow indentation around the not-so-smooth trunk.
Then wrap the braided kudzu rope around the groove a few times and tie a knot.
This method of tying knots results in a stronger knot that won't slip down.
Secure the other end in the same way.
Because securing the kudzu root rope required a lot of force, Pei Yao and Pei Yichen both exerted all their strength to pull the rope firmly until they were sure it was stable and wouldn't slide off the tree trunk or come loose, before they started tying the next one.
After tying the three kudzu root ropes together, the two of them began to sort out the seaweed piled up on the banana leaves.
Because the sun was very strong at the beach, the top layer of seaweed was quite wilted.
Pei Yao set aside the wilted kelp and then arranged the kelp pieces one by one to dry on the kudzu rope.
Pei Yao's hands were already bleeding from the friction. The blisters that had formed when she was braiding the kudzu rope had completely burst when she tied the knots.
Then I went to get some seaweed, and the salt on the seaweed instantly irritated the wounds, causing them great pain.
The blood mixed with salt water caused Pei Yao to break out in a cold sweat instantly. The sun at the beach was also very strong, and the discomfort made her feel dizzy.
But she couldn't care less about that; she just wanted to dry the seaweed quickly so she could spend less time in the sun and go home sooner.
Pei Yichen, who was standing nearby, also noticed Pei Yao's unusual behavior. He saw that every time she picked up a piece of seaweed, she would grimace.
At first, he didn't understand, nor did he know about the wound on Pei Yao's hand.
She wondered to herself if making funny faces while working was just her cousin's quirky hobby.
But after Pei Yao continued like this, Pei Yichen finally realized that something was wrong.
Because her expression had become quite painful, she was sweating profusely, and she was walking unsteadily.
He remembered that Pei Yao had been weaving kudzu root ropes and fixing their positions. He also recalled that there seemed to be some dark red marks on the ropes.
Pei Yichen's slow-witted mind finally understood.
His cousin's behavior wasn't some kind of perverse hobby; she probably just got blisters on her hands from braiding rope.
He quickly put down the seaweed he was holding and ran over, grabbed Pei Yao's hand, and opened it to see that it was indeed covered in blood, with several blisters that had been broken.
Pei Yao was actually a little numb from the pain, and the bright sun made her feel dizzy.
Suddenly, Pei Yichen grabbed her hands, and she was still a little dazed and didn't quite understand what was happening.
He asked, "What's wrong?"
Pei Yichen looked at Pei Yao's hands, his eyes instantly welling up with tears. He then glared at Pei Yao and shouted in a strained voice, "Are you stupid? Your hands are injured like this, don't you know to stop?"
How could my usually smart cousin act so foolishly? Her hands are all cut up like this, yet she keeps working without even stopping.
Doesn't she know how delicate a girl's hands are?
Which of those young ladies in Kyoto didn't meticulously protect their little hands?
Pei Yao was feeling unbearably hot and her hands were aching, so she didn't care about Pei Yichen yelling at her.
She just felt that the child was too long-winded, and it made her head buzz.
With a pale face, she explained, "It's okay, there's still so much left. I was thinking of finishing quickly so we could both rest early... Oh dear, why are you crying again? Are you a crybaby? I'm not going to wipe your tears for you. These tears are salty, and they'll hurt terribly if they get on your wound..."
Seeing Pei Yichen's wide eyes, Pei Yao couldn't help but burst into tears. She rubbed her dizzy head and even had the mood to joke around.
Why has her little cousin been crying so much these past few days?
After being teased by her, Pei Yichen stiffened his neck, turned his head to the side, and wiped away his tears with his hand.
Then, without saying a word, with a cold expression, she reached out to avoid the wound, grabbed Pei Yao's wrist, and led her to the shade under the tree.
He said irritably, "You stay here and rest. You're not allowed to go and help. I'll take care of the rest of the seaweed."
Pei Yao looked up at her cousin's sullen face.
My hand was really hurting terribly, so I decided to listen to Pei Yichen and take a rest.
My hands, which had been numb from working, suddenly started to burn and sting when I stopped to rest.
It became hot and burning, and Pei Yao was sweating profusely from the pain.
Pei Yichen was worried about Pei Yao's wound, but the seaweed hadn't dried properly yet, so he quickly sped up the process.
The process of drying kelp is very simple; you just need to spread the kelp out and hang it on a kudzu root rope.
However, Pei Yichen was only ten years old and not very tall, so it was difficult for him to dry the seaweed. He could only stand on tiptoe, hold the seaweed, and forcefully throw it onto the kudzu rope, then pull it flat from the bottom.
While he was busy, he kept glancing at Pei Yao with concern.
Make sure his unfortunate cousin didn't faint from the pain.
Pei Yichen worked hard for a long time and finally managed to dry the three kudzu root ropes completely. Then he put the remaining seaweed that couldn't be dried into his basket, planning to take it home later.
Pei Yao was actually feeling much better now; her hand wasn't hurting as much as it used to, but her palm was still burning.
The broken blisters have dried up and formed scabs on my palms; they don't hurt if I don't touch them.
My head, which was a little dizzy just now, feels much better after resting in the shade of the tree for a while.
After resting, she walked towards the dried seaweed, which was folded and hung on the kudzu vines, with some of it hanging on the ground.
Pei Yao had just noticed this phenomenon over there. She was initially quite distressed about the small portion of seaweed that had been smashed to the ground, but when she came over to take a look, she realized that the part of seaweed hanging on the ground was just the edge seaweed, thin and with little flesh, and it even had some wormholes on it. So, there was nothing to feel sorry about.
Even if such scraps don't hang to the ground, you still have to cut them off with scissors later.
These kelp don't need to be washed after drying. You can soak them and wash them again before eating them.
After the two siblings finished their chores, they were carrying their things and preparing to go home. Pei Yichen was worried that she would aggravate the wound on her hand, so he refused to let her carry anything, even though the little girl was covered in things.
"......"
Pei Yao looked at Pei Yichen walking ahead, and felt quite touched.
Don't let his little cousin's usual adult-like act fool you; he might tease you occasionally, but he's actually quite caring when you're hurt.
Keep in mind he's only ten years old! Such a young child, who was once a pampered young master who grew up spoiled by his family.
Even though her cousin was injured, she acted like a little adult and quietly finished all the work that should have been done by two people.
There was still so much seaweed.
........
When the two siblings got home, it was already two or three in the afternoon. Chen Fang and the others had already returned. The goods they delivered to Deyun Restaurant today totaled three taels of silver.
After deducting the cost of 460 coins, the net profit was approximately 2,540 coins. (One tael of silver = 1,000 coins)
Everyone is quite satisfied with the returns.
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