"What? Hehe, sister-in-law, I was just joking." Li Gangtie chuckled foolishly.
Bi Qiaoan didn't care; it wasn't a big problem for her anyway.
"By the way, what time are we leaving tomorrow?" Shen Yanming asked.
"Four o'clock. Leave early and avoid people. We're going to a far place, so if you're going to call someone, you'd better call someone experienced and physically fit."
Shen Yanming nodded, thinking that he would ask Ji Kangyong later if he had time.
Have you been there before?
"I've been there, otherwise, the canned meat at the base wouldn't be enough to eat. But it's quite dangerous outside; you can easily get lost, so we don't dare to spread the word. If it weren't for your reputation, well, you know what I mean."
Shen Yanming smirked: "So you were kept in the dark."
"That's not entirely true."
Li Gangtie felt a little guilty: "Isn't this also for everyone's safety? If the survivors find out and insist on coming along, should we take them or not?"
If we bring them along, we have to split the hunt in half, and we're also responsible for their safety—it's too much trouble. If we don't, the other side will say that our base guards are looking down on us. Wouldn't that be annoying? We wouldn't be able to explain ourselves. So everyone operates in secrecy, trying their best not to leak our operations to others.”
Shen Yanming thought to himself that he and the survivors seemed to be two different things. But he didn't ask.
Some things are better left unsaid; bringing them up only hurts feelings. Besides, she's already brought him into the industry, hasn't she?
"Okay, I'll wait for you downstairs at 3:50."
"Yes, wear warm clothes and bring some dry food. Oh, and get the rope and basket ready."
After Li Gangtie left, Shen Yanming sat for a while before going out.
The barbecue I prepared for my brothers last time has never been given out. This is a good opportunity to chat with them and also to sound out what Kevin Chyi is thinking.
After Shen Yanming left, Bi Qiaoan took the two children into her spatial dimension. With the men out hunting, the women had to take care of the logistics.
Although they have a lot of food, they still have to prepare it to be the same standard as what you'd find outside.
The flour definitely can't be pure white flour; it has to be mixed with some cornmeal, black bean flour, or sweet potato flour.
Anyway, it doesn't matter what you mix in, as long as it's not too white.
Meat is also forbidden; not even a speck of meat is allowed.
Fresh vegetables are out of the question; there certainly aren't any available in the dead of winter. Cabbage, radishes, mushroom sauce, and pickled vegetables are the safest options.
After thinking for a moment, Bi Qiaoan mixed cornmeal and wheat flour together, poured in water with yeast powder, stirred and kneaded it until it fermented.
While waiting, I used my mind to pick two handfuls of radish greens and a dozen or so shiitake mushrooms from the vegetable garden.
Take it back to the kitchen, wash it, blanch it in hot water, then chop it finely and mix it together. Add salt, thirteen-spice powder, cooking wine, and scallions, ginger, and garlic.
Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl, knead it until smooth, and then cut it into small pieces. Roll each piece into a wrapper, add the filling, wrap it up, and then steam it.
Bi Qiaoan steamed two batches of buns before stopping. Thinking this should be enough, she packed the buns into a container, put it in the storage area, and then lazily lay down on the sofa, watching her two little ones eat grapes.
"Did you pick them yourself?" Bi Qiaoan asked.
An'an nodded happily: "Mom was busy just now, so my sister and I went to play in the orchard."
"Have you washed it?"
"I washed it, I washed it in the bathroom," Nuannuan quickly said.
Bi Qiaoan smiled and said nothing more.
The fruits and vegetables in the room were relatively clean, so it wouldn't matter if they weren't washed. She just wanted to cultivate the habit of washing things in her two children.
Seeing her mother looking exhausted, An'an and Nuannuan reached out and picked up a grape, feeding it to Bi Qiaoan: "Mom, eat!"
Bi Qiaoan smiled and patted the two children's heads, then took a bite of the dark red grape and said, "Thank you, my darlings."
The two children laughed happily and shook their heads: "You're welcome, hehe!"
Shen Yanming went to find Zhang Heping first. Unsurprisingly, he found him in the hospital office.
Zhang Heping was dozing off with his head propped up on his hand when he heard someone knocking on the table, and he reflexively stood up.
His leg hit the edge of the table, and he cried out in pain.
After seeing who it was, she said resentfully, "Old Shen, be gentle! Look at me, I got hurt as soon as you came."
Shen Yanming shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself, "Can't you be a little more careful?" But he couldn't bear to, because Zhang Heping's eyes were covered in bruises.
"There aren't that many patients anymore, so why are you still not getting enough rest?" Shen Yanming asked.
Zhang Heping pursed his lips and said, "There are never many people. It's just that there are fewer people than around New Year's Day. There are so many people at the base, and it's freezing cold outside. It's inevitable that some people will get frostbite or fall. That's when we need to step in."
Shen Yanming nodded and changed the subject, asking, "Has that Xiao Qian been harassing you lately?"
Zhang Heping glared at Shen Yanming before saying, "You're so lucky. You stay home because it's cold, so that girl can't find you. But I see her all the time, and she always says something sarcastic. It's so annoying."
Fortunately, she's recently taken a liking to a guard and is pursuing him intensely. I sincerely hope they end up together, so I can finally be free.
Shen Yanming suppressed a laugh: "She's been here for over half a year now, and she still hasn't found a boyfriend?"
"It's not that easy," Zhang Heping rolled his eyes. "She's already been married before, and she's still restless after coming here. She has a bad reputation. Good families might take a liking to her, but they'll give up after finding out about her past. And those who are willing to marry her are all unreliable. It's a tough situation."
Moreover, she has high standards.
Shen Yanming looked at Zhang Heping, then looked down at himself, and affirmed, "Yes, you have high standards."
Zhang Heping: "...If I really wanted to punch you, you'd just be making snide remarks about me!"
Shen Yanming smiled and took out a lunchbox from his backpack: "Consider this my apology to you, brother."
"What is it?" Zhang Heping said, about to open it, but Shen Yanming grabbed his hand: "Go back and look at it later."
Zhang Heping understood, smiled, and cupped his hands in thanks: "Thanks, brother."
Shen Yanming waved his hand: "You're welcome."
The two chatted for a while and then parted ways. Shen Yanming found Ji Kangyong in the patrol team.
He got straight to the point, stating his purpose. After thinking for a moment, Ji Kangyong went to ask Kou Guangshi for leave.
Kou Guangshi's eyes flickered, and he agreed. He was going tomorrow too, so he wouldn't mind having Lao Ji join him.
Shen Yanming shoved the lunchbox into Ji Kangyong's hand: "It's settled then. Wait for me downstairs tomorrow morning."
Ji Kangyong nodded: "Don't worry, I'll be there on time."
After Shen Yanming left, Kou Guangshi stared thoughtfully at Ji Kangyong's lunchbox.
Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Ji Kangyong asked, "What are you looking at?"
Kou Guangshi smiled awkwardly and pointed to the lunchbox: "I just want to know, what did Lao Shen send?"
Ji Kangyong gave a stiff smile but didn't open his mouth: "It's probably for tomorrow's breakfast."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
