The pickled cabbage that she had exchanged with Aunt Tian was still there. That evening, Zhuang Zhimeng made stir-fried pickled cabbage with cured pork, cornmeal porridge, cornmeal pancakes, and some pickled vegetables.
This was the kind of meal they were going to make anyway. They didn't make anything special just because An Qingbai was coming, which is already pretty good. At least there was one meat dish!
An Qingbai was too embarrassed to ask for help. Everyone's food was precious, especially since the young educated youth had just arrived and probably didn't have much food.
Zhuang Zhimeng handed An Qingbai a pancake and told him not to be shy.
An Qingbai ate the flatbread. Unlike the hard, dry cornbread at home, this flatbread was soft, easy to chew, and easy to swallow.
Zhuang Zhimeng kept urging An Qingbai to eat because she was afraid he would feel uncomfortable. Seeing that Zhuang Zhimeng was genuinely trying to get him to eat, An Qingbai relaxed and ate.
Before I knew it, I had eaten too much, including several pancakes and two bowls of porridge.
The pickled vegetables are also sour and spicy, making them especially good with rice.
An Qingbai felt very comfortable with the meal and even let out a satisfied burp.
After the meal, An Qingbai conscientiously helped Su Mengmeng clear the dishes and wipe the table.
This task is usually done by Su Mengmeng. Zhuang Zhimeng was quite satisfied with what she saw; she's not someone who lacks discernment.
The autumn harvest is scheduled to begin the next day. The brigade leader said that the harvest, which will last for a month and a half, will start today.
Men, women, young and old all pitched in; no one could take leave or leave early; everything revolved around food.
We must rush to harvest and plant, and make sure all the grain is harvested, ensuring that every grain is safely stored.
Students at school also returned home on their agricultural holiday to help with the autumn harvest.
Before dawn, when the bell rang, the harvest of wheat, rice, sorghum, millet, corn, peanuts, soybeans, and cotton began.
Zhuang Zhimeng's assigned task was watering the plants.
They needed to carry a shoulder pole, with a bucket on each side. They would fetch water from the river and then irrigate the fields.
This job was quite easy for Zhuang Zhimeng. What would take others two trips, Zhuang Zhimeng accomplished in one.
Zhuang Zhimeng returned carrying water; it was already broad daylight.
Passing by the place where the male commune members were working, you could still hear them shouting work chants, which made them feel even more energetic when they were working.
Watching the breeze ripple through the golden wheat fields, people busily engaged in farm work, and children darting about picking up ears of wheat, I felt a surge of emotion, as if only now did I realize that I was also a part of it.
Lunch was also eaten on the field, with people taking turns eating and no rest time.
They don't finish work until eight or nine at night, seizing every spare moment to fight against the heavens for food. Farmers truly work hard.
Zhuang Zhimeng spent the whole day carrying water. Because she was capable and strong, she didn't have to carry water so frequently and had time to rest so she wasn't too tired.
After harvesting, the crops need to be dried. If the weather is good, they can be thoroughly dried in just a few days. If the weather is bad, there is a possibility of no harvest at all.
Seeing how hard the autumn harvest was, Zhuang Zhimeng tried to make nutritious meals in different ways every day.
Previously, Su Mengmeng and Jiang Yanxia had exchanged dozens of eggs with the village, and now they were all kept with Zhuang Zhimeng.
They have nearly 100 eggs in total.
Each person eats one boiled egg every day, and occasionally frys an egg or makes an egg drop soup.
Zhuang Zhimeng drinks malted milk powder every day, and occasionally goes to town to buy some meat to cook.
After a few days, everyone had lost a lot of weight.
That evening, An Qingbai stopped Zhuang Zhimeng and handed her a wild rabbit.
"You made something to eat! Look how thin you've gotten!" An Qingbai's voice revealed a heartache he didn't realize.
Zhuang Zhimeng accepted it without any hesitation.
"Then why don't you stay for dinner! You can try the rabbit you gave me and see if it's any good!"
Zhuang Zhimeng realized she didn't know how to skin a rabbit, so she handed the rabbit to An Qingbai: "You skin the rabbit!"
An Qingbai took the rabbit and quickly peeled off its skin.
In the evening, Zhuang Zhimeng made braised rabbit and mixed rice, which is rice and millet steamed together. It tasted pretty good.
The group thoroughly enjoyed the meal, exclaiming that they hadn't eaten so heartily in a long time.
Every day, they eat whatever they eat: fluff balls, fluff clumps, and yarn.
This is how dogs are fed these days.
Zhuang Zhimeng simply reduced the amount of salt in the dogs' food. After a few days, seeing that the dogs were adapting well, Zhuang Zhimeng felt relieved.
We can teach them some simple moves now; they'll be essential for guarding the house.
Throughout the autumn harvest season, An Qingbai would occasionally bring meat to Zhuang Zhimeng. Sometimes it was a wild rabbit, sometimes a pheasant, sometimes a wild duck, and sometimes even fish.
He felt embarrassed to always eat here, so he would usually just drop off his food and leave.
Every time Zhuang Zhimeng cooked something, she would send a bowl to An Qingbai. Over time, the two became much more familiar with each other.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
