When Jiang Zhi returned to the charcoal shed with a full basket of fallen leaves on her back, Xu Errui had already finished building the roof and was figuring out how to solve the wall problem.
In the past, charcoal sheds were not used for living; they were made of tree branches and wooden strips, and were only used to prevent charcoal from falling out.
That's definitely not feasible now; people need shelter from the wind and rain to live in.
Xu Errui wanted to use more wooden strips to fill the gaps, but the already rudimentary foundation did not allow him to undertake any major work. Whenever he knocked or banged, the dry grass that had just been placed on top would fall all over his head and face.
Qiaoyun abandoned the old hen she was feeding and went to help. The two of them were either supporting the pillars or busy propping up the roof.
What Jiang Zhi saw were two pitiful kids who were so busy with nothing but themselves that they were losing their way.
She shook her head and couldn't help but remind them, "Don't move the wooden sticks below. Pick up some stones, mix water with mud, and build the wall from the outside."
Stone walls built with yellow mud are sturdy.
Living in the mountains, although close to the village and free from large wild animals, there are plenty of small animals, the most common being those colorful, long and short spicy strips that appear after it gets warm.
Snakes are not afraid of people, and they will even enter houses to eat house mice and steal chickens. Only by sealing off the base of the walls can you reduce the chances of encountering them.
Xu Errui was already covered in sweat from exhaustion. When his mother told him that they needed to build a wall with mud, he put down his axe and said sheepishly, "Mother, I don't know how!"
Qiaoyun, rubbing her hands which were red and frozen, said, "Mom, I can't do it either!"
Jiang Zhi twitched her lips: Life skills need to be passed down, luckily I've learned them!
She placed the basket full of fallen leaves aside and said to Qiaoyun, "Don't tire yourself out. Take a piece of cured pork bone to stew and steam three bowls of corn rice."
Xu Errui's eyes widened: "Mom, can we eat meat today?"
Those cured pork pieces were from piglets that froze to death during the coldest period of time. My mother salted and dried them, and no one was allowed to eat them. But today, she actually wants Qiaoyun to stew the meat.
Jiang Zhi deliberately frowned: "If you don't want to eat, then don't eat!" The original owner was harsh to Nie Fantian and also spoke rudely to her own child.
Now that she has let the male lead go, she won't mistreat others anymore; she just can't suddenly change things too much and arouse suspicion.
Upon hearing about food, Xu Errui didn't think much of it. He was eighteen or nineteen years old, and the past few days of moving had been physically demanding, leaving him exhausted. Just hearing about meat made his mouth water.
Qiaoyun was also very happy. Her mother hadn't scolded her for more than a day, and even ate a thick meal last night.
She dared not imagine that she would be able to eat meat later; at least her mother-in-law would let her eat corn soaked in meat broth.
Qiaoyun started stewing meat, while Jiangzhi led Xu Errui to find yellow mud and stones to build a wall.
This is a rocky mountain, so finding stones is really easy. There are weathered and broken stone pieces everywhere along the rocky edge; you can easily fill a basket by picking through them.
By the time the aroma of the stewed cured pork and dried radish wafted from Qiaoyun's side, the preparations for building the wall here were almost complete.
As Xu Errui mixed the yellow clay, he inhaled the long-lost aroma and subconsciously murmured, "If only Xiao Tian..."
Jiang Zhi poured the water into the yellow mud, pretending not to hear.
The book only mentions that the original owner abused the male protagonist, without mentioning anyone else. It seems that the two children lived together for ten years and still had some affection for each other.
Encouraged by the aroma of meat, all three were full of energy.
By the time it was completely dark, a stone wall about half a person's height had been built around the charcoal shed.
With the wind blocked by these stone walls made of wet yellow mud, and with the floor of the shed paved with stone slabs and a fire pit dug in the middle where charcoal was burned, the shed quickly became warm.
A steaming pot of cured meat stew was burning over the charcoal fire, while sweet potatoes were roasting on the stone slabs beside them, and each person also had a bowl of golden corn rice.
The three of them sat cross-legged around a clay pot, their bodies covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves.
The two young people swallowed hard as they looked at the pot, waiting for Jiang Zhi to serve them food.
Qiaoyun watched the soup pot nervously.
Although her mother-in-law told her to stew meat, she didn't say how much. Qiaoyun thought of the three bowls of the same rice she had the night before, so she boldly stewed three lumps of meat.
Jiang Zhi scooped some meat from the pot with a spoon and saw only three pieces the size of duck eggs, and immediately frowned.
Qiaoyun lowered her head nervously, but the next second she saw her mother-in-law put a piece of meat in everyone's bowl: "Qiaoyun, next time you stew meat, put more in."
"Ah!" Qiaoyun looked up in surprise: "I'll have to stew more in the future, then, then..." She couldn't finish her sentence.
The meat at home came from half-grown piglets that froze to death, so it doesn't last long.
Farmers typically don't have much grain, nor do they raise many pigs.
The same goes for my husband's family. They usually just cut grass and mix bran with the water from washing dishes and pots to feed the pigs. They wait for the pigs to fatten up before selling them for some money. They can't bear to kill them and eat meat.
Jiang Zhi knew that her family didn't have much food or meat, but these were extraordinary times. Without a full stomach, they couldn't work. Even if they encountered refugees, having food in their stomachs would give them more strength.
Xu Errui didn't care how much food was left at home. He couldn't wait to pick up a piece of meat and take a bite. It was tender and juicy, and his face lit up immediately. It was so delicious!
Unfortunately, there was only one lump, and it was gone in a few bites. Luckily, there was still plenty of dried radish in the pot. Xu Errui scooped a spoonful and soaked it on the corn rice, then immediately started slurping it down.
Qiaoyun looked at the meat in her bowl and hesitated whether to share it with Errui, since she used to only drink the soup.
Jiang Zhi had already picked up her bowl, but seeing that Qiaoyun wasn't eating, she tapped the rim of her bowl with her chopsticks: "Qiaoyun, have you forgotten what I said yesterday? Eat when you should. My Xu family is still waiting for you to give birth to a big, fat grandson."
Xu Errui, who was standing next to him, looked up and mumbled with dried radish in his mouth, "Wife, you eat. I have some radishes here, they're delicious too."
Qiaoyun then picked up the meat and took a small bite. Oh, it's so delicious!
Jiang Zhi was starving. As a modern person, she hadn't felt hunger to the bone in a long time. When she smelled the aroma of cured meat, she felt her mouth water like a spring.
Then take another bite, and the taste is like a tickle on your stomach and intestines, something you'll probably never forget.
It smells so good, it smells amazing!
This kind of pork from a local breed raised on pure grains would be extremely rare and sought after in modern times, and would only be available through a special supply to a select few.
And this radish soup.
There were no seasonings in the soup, only the saltiness of the cured pork and the sweetness of the dried radish. The sweetness mixed with the oil droplets made it absolutely delicious.
Jiang Zhi knew she wasn't in a food novel, but she couldn't help but sigh: Although the standard of deliciousness depends on how hungry you are, this is what real food is.
The three of them ignored the howling mountain wind outside and finished the whole pot of radish soup. Although there was little meat, they were still full from the water.
The pork and dried radish were delicious, but Jiang Zhi found the corn rice hard to swallow.
Modern corn grits are made by removing the husks and then grinding them into small pieces, resulting in a soft, smooth texture. Here, the corn rice is simply broken into small pieces.
It looks golden and fragrant, but it's as hard as sand. One bite and it flies around in your mouth and irritates your teeth; you simply can't swallow it.
With no other option, Jiang Zhi shared her bowl of rice with Xu Errui and Qiaoyun.
After a satisfying meal, I felt drowsy and finally collapsed into bed for the first time in two days.
Without combing their hair or washing their faces, the three of them ignored everything, blocked the door of the charcoal shed with their baskets, wrapped themselves in blankets and clothes, lay down in the dry leaves, and fell into a deep sleep.
He slept soundly, completely unaware that flames were raging in the village below the mountain.
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