Chapter 177 Pine Nuts
There were six trees in total. I picked a basket full of hawthorns and, carrying the somewhat heavy basket, walked happily toward home.
The route we took was slightly different from the one we came by, but the general direction was correct.
Little Gua was playing with a pine cone in its mouth, while Little Three and Little Four chased after it, trying to snatch it away. It seemed that none of the pine cones on the mountainside were as good as the one in Little Gua's mouth.
I watched them play with a smile, and this distraction made the weight of my hands feel less heavy.
Feeling a little tired, I sat down on the dry grass to rest. I picked up a pine cone and was about to toss it to the dogs when I suddenly realized it was a bit too big.
It wasn't a round little pine cone, but a long, thin one, about half the length of my palm.
When I pried open the pine cone, I was surprised to find that the pine nuts inside were huge!
The pine nuts were almost as big as sunflower seeds, each one round and plump, nestled inside the pine cone.
Pour one out, bite down hard with your teeth, and you'll find it's full of plump pine nut kernels.
I was overjoyed; it seemed I had finally found some delicious pine cones.
Immediately, I no longer felt tired and searched around for long pine cones, which grew on trees that were different in shape from ordinary pine trees.
Pick the pine cones that were still green on the tree and throw them into the other empty basket.
Before long, the baskets were full. Mark the spot and carry both baskets home.
After arriving home, I spread a plastic sheet in the yard, put the pine cones on it to dry, and then took a large burlap sack and thick gloves and headed towards the back of the mountain.
These pine cones are a bit prickly; you can't just pick them off with your bare hands.
Put on gloves, pull the pine needles with one hand, and pinch the pine cone with the other hand and twist it hard to pick it off.
I picked all the pine cones from this small, special patch of pine trees nearby, except for the ones at the very top that were too high to reach. The harvest filled more than half a sack.
The pine cones, still moist, were quite heavy, and carrying them on my shoulders wasn't easy, but the joy of the harvest couldn't be stopped, and I carried the heavy sack home in one go.
I poured all the pine cones onto a plastic bag to dry, then went back inside to cook.
I haven't eaten lunch yet because of these fragrant pine nuts.
The pine nuts need to be dried for a few days, and I haven't been idle these past few days, constantly wandering around the surrounding mountains.
Aside from finding a basket of wild dates and some hazelnuts, no other edible plants were discovered.
When the pine nuts in the yard popped open, the whole yard was filled with the scent of pine, which completely dispelled my disappointment.
Sit on a small stool next to the plastic sheet and tap the pine cones on the ground one by one. The cracked pine cones will release the pine nuts inside without reservation.
After cleaning each one, I will carefully inspect them, and if there is even a single grain left inside, I will manually remove it.
Several dogs and kittens were also very interested in watching me crack pine cones on the ground.
The kitten's head bobbed in sync with the rhythm of my hand movements; it was so cute.
Of course, there were also some despicable ones. Little Melon led Little Three and Little Four to keep causing trouble. When I wasn't paying attention, Little Melon would run away with a pine cone in his mouth.
Sometimes when I accidentally pick up a pine cone that hasn't been cracked open yet, I feel even more heartbroken.
With no other option, we gathered the plastic bag together and covered all the uncracked pine cones to prevent them from being eaten by the dog.
After a whole day, I had finished eating all the pine cones and had a box full of pine nuts, which should weigh about seven or eight pounds.
These seven or eight pounds of pine nuts were hard-won, so we carefully put them away and swept the empty pine cones on the ground together.
Pick out a few good-looking ones and set them aside for the cats and dogs to play with; put the rest into a sack to use as firewood in the winter.
The next day, while I was having breakfast, I heard a knock on the door.
I was overjoyed; it seemed they had come to settle the medical bills. I threw down my chopsticks, slipped on my shoes, and ran towards the door.
Peeking through the crack in the door, I saw it was indeed them.
He quickly opened the door, carefully avoiding glancing at the donkey cart: "Welcome, Brother Liu!"
"Look what good stuff I brought you!"
Brother Liu patted a large object on the car, making a thumping sound.
I went closer and took a closer look. It was an electrified metal machine. Could it be...?
"A rice milling machine?"
"That's right! Hahaha!"
Brother Liu guessed right away as soon as he saw me, and laughed heartily.
"Wow, that's amazing! Brother Liu, you actually managed to get it!"
I excitedly reached out and touched it. This rice milling machine, which is about one meter tall, is just right for my own use.
"The base commander ordered all the unclaimed items in the base to be collected together. There happened to be this rice milling machine, so I just told the base commander that I wanted it, and he generously gave it to me."
No wonder, it turns out the base commander is very magnanimous.
I was so happy I couldn't stop smiling: "Hehe, please pass on a message to him, saying that I will definitely repay him handsomely next time I go."
"I also found this sieve and small blower for you. The rest was paid for by Brother Gao and the others for medical expenses. Originally, Sister-in-law Gao said she would come along, but I brought this rice milling machine for you, and the donkey cart was too full, so Taozi and I came instead."
Brother Liu and Taozi moved the rice milling machine sieve and small blower to the ground, pointing to the other things in the car and explaining.
The car was full of bags of food; I took them out while looking at them.
Although I knew in my heart that the farmers' families couldn't offer anything too rare, I was still excited to open the blind boxes.
A large bag each of sunflower seeds, peanuts, and beef jerky, two whole racks of cured pork ribs, and even a large bag of goji berries and dried wood ear mushrooms!
"Are these goji berries and wood ear mushrooms fresh?" Looking at the color of the goji berries and wood ear mushrooms, which seemed to be new, I couldn't help but feel a little doubtful.
Brother Liu glanced at it and said, "Ah, yes, we have a few goji berry trees on the mountain, and some dried mushrooms on some dead trees. I guess Sister-in-law Gao picked them and stored them away."
I also helped carry things into the house. Brother Liu added, "By the way, Sister-in-law Gao asked me to tell you that the farmers don't have anything too valuable. When you go to the Baizhen base next time, I'll bring you a few more bags of grain. The donkey cart is really full today."
"That's enough. Two racks of spare ribs are quite valuable; they're enough to offset the cost of those medicinal herbs."
When I heard that they wanted to give me several bags of rice, I realized that the medical expenses were really too much.
"After all, you saved his life, so you should give him more."
They chatted for a few words and quickly emptied the car.
After finishing their work, Brother Liu and Taozi rushed back without even taking a sip of water.
I tried to persuade her to stay, saying, "Why don't you finish your meal before you leave? Are you in such a hurry?"
Brother Liu, sitting on the donkey cart, said embarrassedly, "Your sister-in-law won't let me eat here anymore. She said I've eaten too much of your food. I have to hurry back, or I'll get scolded again."
"Oh, what's the big deal about a meal? Every household in our village produces its own food, we're not short of food. Wait a moment, I'll go back inside and get something."
As I spoke, I ran back into the house and grabbed two large handfuls of hawthorns, two large handfuls of red dates, and a packet of brown sugar from a plastic bag.
He handed the plastic bag to Brother Liu and instructed him, "Take this back to my sister-in-law. She can cook some porridge with sugar and dates and drink it regularly. It's good for her health."
"Hey! Hey! Okay, girl."
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