Chapter 260 Rabies
Qin Suisui and the others immediately jumped up, each grabbing a bag of pastries and heading downstairs. Although they had already given the brigade leader their food expenses on the donkey cart, they still had to trouble Aunt Zhang, so they felt they had to give her a token of their appreciation.
Aunt Zhang, Captain Li's wife, was waiting downstairs. When she saw them come down, she immediately put on a friendly smile: "Are you young comrades hungry? I'm a bit slow and took a while, I'm really sorry. Let's go inside and have a meal!"
Aunt Zhang looked to be in her forties, about the same age as Captain Li. Perhaps because she worked in the fields for many years, her skin was dark reddish-brown. She was thin but very energetic.
Qin Suisui immediately waved her hand and handed her the cloud cake in her hand: "Auntie, what are you saying? We're not slow at all. We're not hungry either, and we've been troubling you these past few days! If anyone should feel bad, it's us. This cloud cake is a specialty we brought from Guangzhou. It's soft and sweet. Please try it and give the kids at home a treat."
Jia Zhenzhen chimed in, "That's right! Auntie, don't be so polite, or we'll feel embarrassed. I also brought you some pastries, please don't refuse. If you don't take them, we'll feel awkward coming to your house for dinner!" As she spoke, she stuffed the wife cake in her hand into Aunt Zhang's hand, and then gestured to Hu Jue with her eyes to hand over the chicken biscuits in his hand as well.
Aunt Zhang was completely bewildered by the sweet talk and pastries. Before she could react, her hands were already stuffed full. Since Qin Suisui and the others had said such nice things, she couldn't refuse, so she smiled even more broadly and led them home, her face now showing even more genuine affection.
Perhaps to welcome them, Aunt Zhang prepared a very lavish spread of dishes. After greeting Aunt Zhang's family, Qin Suisui went into the kitchen and saw a mushroom hot pot and steamed chicken on the table! She had heard of these two dishes long ago. She loved mushrooms, and although she had eaten quite a few, the mushroom hot pot from Yunnan Province, with its unique broth and dipping sauce, had a distinct local flavor that she had been craving for a long time!
There was also steamed chicken in a clay pot, which was probably steamed in a special earthenware pot. The broth was formed from condensed steam, retaining its original flavor, and the chicken was tender. Qin Suisui could smell that it also contained medicinal herbs such as Panax notoginseng and Gastrodia elata. This pot not only tasted good, but also had nourishing effects.
There was also a Dai-style grilled fish wrapped in some kind of large leaf. The fish was probably marinated with lemongrass and other spices before grilling, and it was emitting a unique aroma of lemongrass and fish.
There was also a large plate of stir-fried wild vegetables with cured meat. People in Yunnan Province often eat cured meat and salted meat, especially their large hams. Qin Suisui was also very tempted and made sure to get some to take back with her when she left.
The main dish was steamed taro rice. Taro from Yunnan Province is especially soft and powdery, and when mixed with the aroma of mixed grain rice, it was incredibly delicious.
Captain Li smiled and invited them to sit down: "Comrades, this is just a simple home-cooked meal, please don't mind. You must be tired after traveling all this way, come and eat!"
Qin Suisui quickly waved her hand: "Captain Li, you're too kind. This whole table is enough for the New Year. It's too lavish. We're all embarrassed." Luckily, they had paid a lot for the food, otherwise she would have been too embarrassed to sit down and eat.
Captain Li waved his hand: "We rely on the mountains for our livelihood, and most of our food consists of wild mountain vegetables. These chickens are also raised by our own family. I hope you enjoy your meal."
Qin Suisui knew that in Yunnan Province, there was a saying that "no feast is complete without chicken," and that people in Yunnan were very good at eating chicken, and there were many ways to cook it, such as steamed chicken, spicy chicken, and chicken porridge. Serving chicken on the table when entertaining guests also showed that the guests were highly regarded.
Captain Li has three sons. Except for his eldest son who is married, his other two sons are not yet married. At this moment, he is also urging Qin Suisui and the others to eat more and not to be shy.
Qin Suisui and the others had been eating for a while when suddenly there was a loud knocking on the door.
Aunt Zhang went to open the door with her rice bowl in hand. Standing outside was a woman older than Aunt Zhang. The two women talked for a while, and Aunt Zhang's face changed. She came back with her bowl and went to her eldest son, Li Zhu, and asked in a low voice, "Eldest son, where did Tie Dan go?"
Li Zhu shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth and mumbled, "Where else could he go? He's just going down the mountain with the kids to pick wild fruit. Just leave him some rice separately later."
He was confused and thought his mother was worried that Tie Dan'er wouldn't have anything to eat. Tie Dan'er was eight years old, the age when he was mischievous and naughty. After school, he would eat a roasted sweet potato and then go out to play with a group of children. When he got hungry, he would naturally come back for dinner. This was his usual routine, so no one found it strange.
Hearing Li Zhu's questions and answers, Aunt Zhang still seemed uneasy and asked again, "Did he go with Zhao's Er Gou and Zhou's San Zhuzi?"
Li Zhu nodded: "Yes! When I got home, I saw them heading towards the back of the mountain."
Aunt Zhang's expression changed immediately. Qin Suisui and the others naturally noticed as well, and unconsciously put down their chopsticks.
Captain Li frowned: "What's all this nonsense? It's ruining the guests' meal."
Qin Suisui quickly waved her hand: "It's alright, Uncle Li. Has something happened to the child? Finding the child is the priority."
Li Zhu naturally noticed the unusual tone in her mother's words: "Mom, what's wrong?"
Aunt Zhang hesitated for a moment, then, disregarding the presence of the guests, hurriedly put down the bowl and said, "Your Aunt Zhao just came over and said that Er Gou hasn't come back yet. She went to the places they usually play to look for him, but she didn't see the child. Instead, she saw some bloodstains on the ground!"
Seeing that they still looked puzzled, she slapped her thigh and added, "Oh dear! They said Sanzhu was bitten by a rabid dog a few days ago! He's been acting a bit strange during the day today!"
At this, the entire Li family's expressions turned serious. In their area, rabid dogs often roamed the mountains, and if bitten by one, one could easily contract rabies! Rabies could cause the dog to go berserk and bite indiscriminately, and it was contagious! Anyone who contracted rabies would almost certainly die; there was virtually no chance of recovery!
Qin Suisui and the others exchanged glances, realizing the seriousness of the situation: "Auntie, Uncle, it's getting dark outside. Let's go find the child first. The food won't run away; we can eat it whenever we want!"
At this moment, the captain didn't care about formalities. Nothing was more important than the child. So he thanked Qin Suisui and the other two, and the group went straight out the door.
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