Chapter 59 Hot Pot Walk
After July 53rd, everyone in the village began to prepare for winter.
They dried all the fruits and vegetables that could not be preserved for a long time. Gong Zhili also learned how to pickle several kinds of vegetables from the housewives of several families. He also tried pickling cherry radishes, leeks, onions and several kinds of kimchi with different flavors at home.
There was no other way. There weren't many kinds of vegetables in the village. Gong Zhili really wanted to make some pickled peppers, but the locally produced peppers were not suitable for pickling. She decided to find some other pepper seeds to plant next year.
The villagers who grew yam in the village also had a good harvest, and Gong Zhili went to buy a large amount of yam to take home again.
To preserve the yams and to stockpile more food for the winter, she bought a new freezer and refrigerator, both of which she placed in the basement.
Most of the yams were put into the freezer with the mud on, and some of them she was going to eat soon were peeled, sealed and put into the freezer of her home refrigerator.
She made a lot of preparations bit by bit, but there was no movement on the large terraced fields full of vegetables in front of her house. The villagers discussed privately whether they could help Lord Gong clean up those plots of land?
They discussed it for two days, and during the village gathering this month, six students came to the village. They entered the village early in the morning, gathered at the door of Lord Gong's house, changed into work clothes, and began to work hard.
They're not very efficient at their work. Oh, that's not how you chop cabbage. You just twist it with both hands and it will come off!
The boss who came to deliver meat to Gong Zhili glanced at the students in the field and felt secretly anxious.
Gong Zhili accepted the hundreds of pounds of meat sent by the boss and said, "Don't you kill pigs after December?"
The boss was very honest: "It's December and there's a chance it could snow at any time. Time is tight, so I won't kill them."
In this village, everyone has maintained the habit of not interfering with each other in life. Preparations for wintering are made by each family. No one helps to kill pigs. The boss is powerless. In order to avoid risks, he only keeps the core sows for breeding. The others were killed at once and sold out at this gathering. However, even if there are only a few pigs at home, the storage of their winter supplies is also a big problem.
Gong Zhili nodded to show that he understood and said, "Then you go ahead and do your work. I'll wait for the beef to be delivered."
After a while, when the boss who delivered the beef arrived, he also looked at the students' unfamiliar way of pulling garlic, and shook his head in his heart, thinking that it was a waste of Lord Gong's good land.
Lizi Tiantian squatted in the ground, her face covered in dust. The broken garlic sprouts in her hands gave off a strong smell. She slowly reached out and dug out the broken garlic from the soil, whispering, "Are those people just laughing at us?"
Gojo Satoru was more adept than any of them. Although he couldn't twist cabbages, he was strong. He had chopped down the pile of cabbages on the ridge with his machete. Now he was also pulling garlic. Hearing this, he said, "Of course! You can tell from their eyes that we're in a mess right now."
Nanami Kento looked numb: "Hurry up, the potatoes and water spinach next to them need to be harvested by morning."
Gong Zhili signed for the beef and, with a smile, directed the little ones to carry the cabbages home. Each person slowly carried one cabbage to the basement. Standing by the edge of the field, she instructed them: "Insert it deep into the soil. Pry gently, don't pull it out forcefully. Loosen the soil. Dig from a distance and don't break the garlic heads. Don't knock them after digging them out. Gently shake the soil, and then spread the whole garlic plant flat on the edge of the field—Oops, Xiaozi, the one in your hand is broken."
Jia Ru Xiaozi held the half-broken garlic in her hand and said, "No wonder I think this garlic tastes particularly strong." She threw the garlic into the basket. The broken garlic would be put into the basket and would be used for tonight's barbecue dinner.
Huiyuan Yu's working posture was probably the most standard among them. This wasn't because he had secretly practiced it before, but simply because when Zhili explained the key points of harvesting to them this morning, he listened most attentively...
Xia Yujie squatted there with his hands on his knees and smiled bitterly: "I didn't eat breakfast." He was hungry now.
Gong Zhili put her hands on her hips and said, "I asked you if you wanted to have breakfast, but you ate a handful of Curse Jade as candy and said you didn't need breakfast!"
Geto Xia Yu lowered his head and said, "I was wrong, Master Zhili."
Tennariko tried to awaken Miyajiri's friendship for her: "Can we take a break? Even though we're training, we can't do farm work all day, right?"
Gong Zhili shook his head grimly. "It's not that I don't want you to rest, but your senior Gojo placed an order for a 'weekend double-day full-scale sprint'. I deliberately saved this job for now, otherwise you wouldn't have had a chance."
Tennenriko shed two clear tears and looked at Gojo Satoru: "Gojo, say something!"
Gojo Satoru: "Treasure this opportunity to practice. Riko, look, Nanami, who usually hates meaningless work, is working diligently. Why not learn from her?"
Nanami Kento: "Don't call me that."
Riko asked Nanami, "Is this job opportunity really that rare?"
Nanami replied calmly, "It's much easier than hauling stones and tamping the earth for the basement."
Tenriko was shocked. Kuroi, who had just finished moving the cabbages, came over to comfort her: "Miss, haven't you always wanted to exercise? Exercising here is different from other places. It really works."
She already felt it.
Ieiri Naoko squatted there and dug garlic silently. After finishing the row he was responsible for, he moved to the potato field.
Gong Zhili squatted beside her, dug potatoes with her, and asked, "Xiaozi, are you tired?"
Jia Ru Nitro worked mechanically, but his tone was relaxed: "It's not tiring, just pulling this out is quite healing."
She can completely empty her mind and keep her hands busy, and in the end she will get a field full of round potatoes as a harvest. There is no better way to kill three birds with one stone than this.
Miyajiri reprimanded Gojo: "You're putting too much pressure on Naoko."
Gojo protested: "Nanoko's own research is also crazy, she often stays up all night by herself."
Ieiri Shoko: "Inspiration cannot be interrupted, do you understand?"
Gong Zhili listened to their bickering for a while, then stood up and said, "I'm going to prepare lunch. You guys should keep working hard."
Under Huihara Yu's guidance, Tenriko had now figured out the tricks of digging garlic and enjoyed the harvest. Upon hearing this, she said, "I want to eat the hot pot you told me about last time!"
Gong Zhili gave a thumbs up and said, "When it's cold and there are a lot of people, of course we have to eat hot pot. Don't worry, there will be some."
Gojo quickly responded: "Don't make it too spicy!"
Gong Zhili: "Don't worry, I will take care of everyone's taste."
Didn’t the big mandarin duck pot she customized come into play?
The mushrooms at home are fresh and delicious, and the beef hot pot base ordered from Chinatown is spicy and fragrant.
As for the ingredients for the hot pot, they are all fresh, and you can also take out the rice bran pickles you made earlier and try them.
She also bought some tofu and froze it in the refrigerator, and just took it out to eat today.
The sky in November was exceptionally clear and the air was icy cold. After working for a morning, several middle school students breathed in a bellyful of cold air and urgently needed to eat something warm to replenish their blood.
Gong Zhili put the side tables of the stove together, placed the hot pot on the iron plate in the middle of the stove to heat it, and surrounded it with a circle of ingredients.
The pot was boiling, steam rising from the bottom. The children all sat around the mushroom soup pot with their bowls in hand. Gong Zhili said to them with a smile, "Use whatever soup base you want. There's more in the kitchen after you finish the meat."
Tenchi and Huibara cheered, and the others also smiled and took their seats.
The milky white mushroom soup is surrounded by tumbling mushrooms, and the fresh smell tickles the taste buds. On the other side, in the red beef tallow soup, the oil wrapped in peppercorns and chilies is boiling and tumbling. The strong smell is a great stimulation for those who are not used to it.
The ingredients are simple yet rich, the emerald green leaves are still wet with water, the deep red meat slices have distinct textures, the snow-white yam slices, orange-red pumpkin slices, and bright yellow potato slices are neatly placed on the plate.
Everyone put the ingredients they wanted to eat into the pot. Miya Chiri helped the children put a plate of meat in, telling them to wait until the meat slices turned a certain color before eating. Itadori Yuji stood directly on the bench, stretched out his arms, picked up the meat with chopsticks and put it in the mushroom pot, without letting go at all. Tianji felt tired for him: "Yuji, just put the meat in, you don't have to keep holding it."
Yuji opened his eyes wide and said seriously, "No, if you put it in, my brothers will snatch it away soon."
Riko smiled and said, "How is it possible——"
She turned around to tell others about this, and found that a fierce fight had broken out above the hot pot. The chopsticks of Gojo and Goyu were already touching each other in the air.
"Jie, if you don't pick up the yam, it will be cooked." Wu Tiao said with a fake smile, "Why are you fighting with me for this?"
Xia Yu's voice was steady, his eyes gentle yet firm: "This is the yam that Nanako just put in. You don't want to fight with the children for it, do you?"
Nanako and Mimiko were in perfect harmony. One of them shouted, "Thank you, Brother Takeru!" while the other quickly stood up and picked up the yam.
Tsumiki scooped up a piece of tofu covered in soup from the side of the pot, blew on it, and wanted to pass it to Fushiguro Megumi's bowl. Fushiguro Megumi took the bowl away, shook her head, and said, "Tsumiki, you eat it. I have food."
In order to let his sister eat in peace, he also stood up, picked up a lot of meat and put it in the pot, and used chopsticks to block the meat.
Nanami Kento looked at the dining table in front of him. The older ones were fighting over the pot, and the younger ones were standing to protect their food. Kuroi Misato was completely able to protect her and the ingredients in the day. The only ones who actually got to eat meat were Miya Chiri and the senior from the school who ate spicy hot pot.
It's really peaceful over there at the hotpot.
Nanami Kento put the dishes into the spicy hot pot without hesitation.
"Hiss—ha—!" Huiyuan Yu gasped, tears welling up in his eyes, like a puppy bewildered by the spiciness. "It's so spicy, water, water!" The red oil soup base in front of him took up most of the space. Nanami Kento's gold-rimmed glasses were misted over. He sighed silently, his brows filled with the usual helplessness of being surrounded by unreliable seniors and classmates. He picked up the kettle and poured cold water into Huiyuan's empty cup: "Drink slowly."
"You guys from the Laguo gang are so cunning!" Xia Yu noticed the calmness on the Laguo side and accused them, "You're doing this as if we're bullying children!"
Gojo Satoru took advantage of him not noticing and immediately took away the beef from the pot: "Get!"
Geto Summer Oil: "Hey!"
Gong Zhili: "I've almost had enough fun. Let's have a good meal. We still have a lot of things to do in the afternoon."
Gojo Satoru retracted his chopsticks, shrugged exaggeratedly, and picked up another piece of meat, muttering, "Stingy..."
There was grease all over the sides of Yuji's mouth from eating, and Tiantian couldn't help but help him wipe his mouth. After thanking him, Yuji took the paper and wiped it himself, saying, "I can do it myself!"
Tiantian said to Gong Zhili: "They are all so sensible."
Gong Zhili: "Because at this time, whether they can eat enough depends entirely on their own ability, so they do everything they can do by themselves."
The more you rush to eat, the more delicious it tastes. In short, the total amount of food she prepared is definitely enough.
The children now had a lot of food piled in their bowls. They were all busy eating. Even though their faces were greasy, they were very satisfied with their meals.
Naoko poured some of the "drink" she brought into her cup. Gong Zhili pretended not to notice. Naoko slowly ate the sweet and slightly crispy shabu-shabu cabbage and said, "What are you going to do this afternoon?"
Gong Zhili: "Help me sort out and store all the vegetables this afternoon, and then make some pickles and dried vegetables. I'm going out tomorrow to stock up for the winter."
Ieiri Naoko: "Don't you go out in winter?"
Gong Zhili blinked: "Is it necessary to go out in winter?"
As long as the TV at home has a signal and there are enough supplies, it would be nice to spend a winter in the village and take a three or four month vacation.
Ieiri Naoko's hand froze in mid-air, and she softly expressed Nanami Kento's thoughts at the moment: "It's nice... to have such a long vacation."
Gong Zhili's expression remained unchanged: "This is real farm life."
Geto Suguru: "It seems that the really busy part of the 'farmhouse' has been contracted by us, and you are enjoying the leisure time!"
Gong Zhili said slowly: "Aren't you enjoying it too?"
Nanami Kento: That's true...
The pot still simmered furiously, the red broth surging, the white soup swirling. Each addition of an ingredient stirred a new wave of rich aroma. The soft clatter of dishes colliding, the slurping of food, the gasps of spicy food, the chattering and laughter of children... all these sounds intertwined and rose, gently enveloped and lifted by the pervasive white mist, carrying the authentic aroma of food, finally lingering in the cool air of the corridor.
They enjoyed the big meal, put on their coats, and went for a walk near the lakeshore. They walked around the chicken coop to observe the chicks that had already been born. The children enthusiastically showed them the new nest they had made for the hen using straw and cardboard, with a broken-handle umbrella next to it to keep out the rain. The hen had settled down outside and raised her chicks in peace.
Haibara Yu: "But chicks still die easily--"
He realized that he couldn't say such dream-destroying words in front of the children, so he quickly stopped talking and started thinking about how to comfort them.
Mimiko said, "It's okay. When a chick is about to die, just put it home for a while and it will come back to life."
Gojo turned to look at Miya Chiri who was following behind him.
Gong Zhili was originally looking at the sky. When he noticed his gaze, he glanced at the chicks chirping around the hen and said, "Look at me. What can I do? If I really die, they will cry."
Gojo: "You really dote on them."
Gong Zhili wrinkled her nose at him, expressing her dissatisfaction with the comment.
With his hands shoved in the pockets of his large coat, Gojo Satoru glanced across the lake and distant mountains, appearing remarkably relaxed. With his long legs, he quickly reached the front of the group and then sauntered back, like a lazy yet powerful feline patrolling its territory.
Nanami Kento and Haibara Yuu were walking a little behind. Nanami was still wearing his meticulously crafted school jacket, covered by a coat. His gold-rimmed glasses reflected the cold sunlight, and his expression was his usual calm and composed, his steps steady. Haibara Yuu, on the other hand, seemed much more lively. As he walked, he asked curiously, "Nanami, if this lake were completely frozen, would we be able to skate on it?"
"Theoretically, it is possible, but the temperature needs to remain low and the ice needs to be thick enough," Nanami pushed her glasses and answered seriously, "It is not recommended to try." Haibara said "Oh", a little disappointed, but was soon attracted by other scenery on the shore.
Tenriko is still thinking about the chicks she just saw, so she is looking for wild bird eggs in the grass by the lake with Kuroi by her side.
Ieiri Shoko and Miya Chiri walked at the rear. Shoko, her hands in her pockets, hunched slightly against the cool breeze. She walked slowly, seemingly enjoying the tranquility of solitude. Her gaze drifted gently across the frozen lake, the running children, the chatting companions, and finally settled on the clear skyline in the distance. The sunlight cast a faint shadow on her slightly pale face, and her expression was distant and peaceful, like a calm observer.
Miyajiri paused at the right moment and called out to the children, "Okay, let's take a break and enjoy the scenery." She squatted down and retied Yuji's scarf, which had gotten crooked, and checked that Tsumiki and Hui's gloves were securely on. Nanako and Mimiko also quietly moved closer, nestling against Geto's legs.
For a moment, the lakeside fell silent, the only sound being the gentle rustle of the cold wind across the withered branches, the occasional chirping of water birds, and the soft gasps of children. The clear sunlight streamed down unobstructed onto everyone, casting long, varied shadows on the icy ground. In the chilly air, the lingering warmth of the hot pot and the satisfying feeling of a full meal transformed into a warmth that emanated from within, shielding against the bitter cold.
Beneath a crystal-clear blue sky, the icy lake shone like a mirror. The branches of the withered trees on the shore formed simple lines. A group of tiny figures dotted the vast, late autumn landscape: the tall Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru, flanked by children, Miya Chiri and Tenchi Riko, a little further back, the serious Nanami, the lively Haibara, and, a little further away, Naoko, standing still and alone. The tiny figures of the children, standing and moving around them, resembled bouncing, colorful pebbles.
They are just a few tiny dots between heaven and earth. On a cold and clear late autumn afternoon, they enjoy the brief and precious leisure after a home-cooked hot pot. The sun generously covers them, freezing this small peaceful moment in the clear and boundless autumn painting.
——In the afternoon...I really don’t want to work anymore.
This thought passed through the minds of several people.
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The author has something to say: I really like this kind of group portrait scene, where everyone is living an ordinary, happy and ordinary life...
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