Chapter 77 Cool
A full month has passed since the rescue of Sang Biao.
Before we knew it, the outside temperature had returned to normal.
When I woke up at noon, it no longer felt particularly stuffy, and I could bear going to the yard to get some things.
So I readjusted my schedule, going to bed at 10 p.m. and waking up at 5 or 6 a.m.
However, when the sun is strong, I still need to hide in a dark room, eat iced fruit, and play on my phone.
While watering the fields this morning, I suddenly realized that the watermelons had grown quite large.
Some of them are already the size of basketballs, so I think they must be cooked.
I gently patted the watermelon rind, and I could feel the whole watermelon tremble slightly; this is a sign that the watermelon is ripe.
I picked the one that was shaking the most and brought it home.
I carefully cleaned the knife and made the first cut.
The blade had barely penetrated the watermelon by a centimeter when, with a snap, the entire watermelon gently cracked open.
A unique, refreshing watermelon aroma wafted out, and through the cracks, I could vaguely see the red inside.
Remove the knife, gently break it in half with your hand, and the whole watermelon splits in two.
The red color inside is very beautiful, and there are very few watermelon seeds.
Resisting the urge to take a bite right away, I wrapped half of the watermelon in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator to chill.
Then, carrying the other half of the watermelon with an iron spoon, he returned to the dark room.
The sun was just coming out after I finished watering the land, and I was covered in sweat.
Eating watermelon in this cool, dark room is perfect for cooling down and relieving the heat.
The iron spoon made a rustling sound as it scooped into the watermelon. I slowly rotated the spoon and scooped out the core from the very center of the watermelon.
The watermelon was crisp and looked very tempting.
I stuffed a big mouthful into it, but the core was obviously too big, and I couldn't fit it in my mouth.
I took a bite and started chewing slowly in my mouth.
My mouth was filled with watermelon juice without me even having to use my teeth much.
This forced me to swallow large gulps of the sweet watermelon juice before continuing to chew.
A bite of watermelon brought me immense satisfaction.
Watermelons grown outdoors taste completely different from those grown in pots indoors.
It has a refreshing aroma, is very moist, and is so sweet it can make your throat feel dry.
The vegetables are very juicy because I water them every day, while their cloying sweetness is largely due to hot weather.
The perfect combination of timing, location, and people resulted in this perfect giant watermelon.
I've been craving this for so long, and I finally got to eat it. I feel cool and refreshed all over.
At this time, corn can also be boiled and eaten. Just break off a few ears of corn and throw them directly into an iron pot to boil, filling the whole house with the aroma of corn.
The little melon and its four offspring were so hungry that they ran all over the place.
I can eat three in one sitting, and the dog can each eat one.
Before the autumn harvest even started, we had already eaten up a small patch of corn.
While the corn is still tender, I picked some, cooked them, and froze them in the refrigerator so I can take them out and eat them when I crave them in winter.
Not long after, it rained, and the drizzle lasted for two days.
After the light rain, a hint of coolness finally filled the air.
The temperature dropped sharply to 24 degrees Celsius.
After the autumn rains, it's mushroom picking season; the mushrooms are most plentiful two days after the rain.
When I was little, I loved picking mushrooms, and I still can't stop now.
Early in the morning, I took my own woven willow basket and some small gourds to pick mushrooms.
In the past, picking mushrooms required traveling a long way and choosing secluded mountain forests where no one lived.
Because of the nearby mountains and forests, the shepherds would pick all the mushrooms while grazing their sheep.
But now it's different. It's quiet all around with no houses in sight, so there should be mushrooms wherever there are woods nearby.
I don't think I've ever taken Xiaodi and Xiaogua anywhere other than the mountain gully and vegetable garden.
Today, I took them to a wooded area a bit further away. Little Di and Little Gua were unusually excited, running around wildly in the unfamiliar fields.
My clothes were soaked with dew from the grass.
I didn't stop them. I'd finally managed to bring them out to play, so let them run away if they wanted.
But I'm also curious, since Xiaogua often doesn't go home for days at a time and must come to the wild frequently, why is he so excited?
I can only narcissistically conclude that it's because I brought it here that it's so happy.
Once I got into the woods, I started looking carefully for mushrooms.
I only pick mushrooms that I recognize, and I don't touch any others.
First, we went to the pine forest and found a lot of round pine mushrooms in the tree pits.
The pine mushrooms were covered in water droplets, and their mushroom caps were slippery, making them look quite adorable.
Pick up the mushrooms, first use a knife to remove the soil from the roots, and then carefully put them in the basket.
Clean up the dirt when you pick mushrooms so you don't have to bother when you get home.
After picking half a basket of mushrooms in the pine forest, we moved on to the poplar forest.
In autumn, a type of white poplar mushroom grows in the poplar forest. The mushroom has a particularly strong and fragrant flavor.
It tastes different from other shiitake mushrooms; after being dried, it has a strong and unique aroma.
This kind of mushroom, when used to stew chicken, will never become soft or mushy, and will always remain crunchy.
It tastes so good, just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
However, these mushrooms are relatively hard to find; they prefer to grow in the soil or under leaves.
If you find it, it's a small piece; if you don't find it, it's nothing.
After searching through the poplar grove for a while, I finally found traces of poplar mushrooms at the base of a large poplar tree.
You can't see it if you look closely; you can only see that the soil on the ground is slightly raised and has cracks.
Gently dig away the soil, and you'll find plump white mushrooms inside.
I carefully took the mushroom out; its roots were completely embedded in the soil, so I had to pull it out slowly.
Brush off the soil from the top of the mushrooms, and then use a knife to trim the soil off the roots.
I filled a basket right under this tree root.
After filling the container, I had no other containers, so I stopped being greedy and took the little melon home.
Before heading home, I memorized this spot; I'll come back tomorrow.
I'm going to harvest all the mushrooms here. With so many mushrooms, I can dry them and keep them. I could eat them as many times as I want in winter and never get tired of them.
After getting home, I found the basket I had woven earlier and arranged the mushrooms one by one in the basket.
Just then, the sun came out and began to shine scorchingly on the mushrooms.
Although the temperature has dropped now, the autumn sun, known as the "autumn tiger," is incredibly effective at drying mushrooms.
It seems we need to prepare for the autumn harvest.
There are many things to do in autumn, and the more food I store, the better I can ensure a good winter.
I can't waste too much time picking mushrooms; I try to pick each batch within a day.
The next day, I got up very early and made five large oil pancakes.
I ate half a large fried pancake with tomato and egg soup for breakfast.
Then, tear one and a half large fried dough pieces, soak them in the leftover fish soup from last night, and pour them into the dog bowls. This is their lunch.
"Be good at home, okay? I'll cook something delicious for you when I get back tonight."
I patted Xiao Si's head and gave him some instructions.
Fill two mineral water bottles with well water, two large fried dough sticks, a jar of beef sauce, and some scallions and cilantro, put them in a plastic bag, and stuff them into your backpack.
Pulling a small cart, carrying a backpack, four baskets, and two buckets, they arrived at the poplar grove from yesterday.
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