Mother Qiu took care of all the washing and drying for her mother, put two vegetable steamed buns in her pocket, firmly refused the invitation to stay for dinner, and quickly took Qiu Yuling back to Qiu Village.
Qiu Yuling thought that her mother was going to take her through Yancao Lake, but she didn't expect that her mother had no such plan. Instead, she took her back via a shortcut.
Just, I don't understand, but I respect.
Mother Qiu did not let go of her doubts, and instead explained that it was all right for everyone to do it based on their own abilities, but most people would starve to death outside. Some things would not be a big deal once or twice, and they would always be resolved. The only thing to worry about was that someone would keep an eye on them, which would create trouble. So they should just live their lives as best they could.
The shortcut that Qiu's mother took involved crossing two ridges and passing through a large area of wasteland. She felt that she had saved half the distance compared to her previous attempts to get home.
Father Qiu and his companions had plastered the walls and tidied up the stove in the main room. Since it was getting cold, they didn't plan to light a fire in the kitchen. They would cook directly in the main room, pulling up the kang so that even the kang would be warm.
Because they didn't have to go to work, the family sat on the warm kang and drank a bowl of porridge on the kang table. However, under Qiu Yuling's insistence, they still stirred in a piece of egg flower.
"How long will it take until the Chinese New Year?" Qiu Yuling muttered with great anticipation.
Her family thought she was just a child looking forward to the New Year. In fact, Qiu Yuling was just hoping that this disaster year would pass quickly. Although she wouldn't be able to eat well after that, at least she would be able to have enough to eat.
Her three brothers are all skinny and bony, and she is the one who looks the most capable in the family now.
After dinner, the three brothers went out to fetch water. It was time to release the water again. The sun was shining brightly today, and Mother Qiu planned to clean the house inside and out. From the sound of her voice, it seemed as if she would wash the house for the entire winter and never again.
Yes, the weather was really cold, and I didn’t even have a replacement after washing it.
The chickens in Qiu Yuling's family were indeed growing well. Qiu's mother was afraid that they would freeze to death, but she was reluctant to kill them, so she asked Qiu's father to move the chicken coop to the woodshed. When Qiu's father was not fetching water, his other task was to collect firewood.
Because of the long drought in Erdaoliang, all the red willows on the beam have died. That thing is very easy to grow. When there is water again, you can just dig a hole and plant some branches to make it grow again.
So now the team also allows everyone to collect firewood.
Father Qiu had gone there early, and when Qiu Yuling and her brothers arrived, there was already a large pile of firewood. Father Qiu and his brothers divided the firewood into bundles, and Qiu Yuling could not help, so she continued to pick it up.
Suddenly there was a commotion, and Qiu Yuling went over. It turned out to be a relative, someone she called "uncle number" (uncle number). They had dug up a nest of rabbits from beneath the roots of a red willow tree, about a dozen of them, large and small.
This is a big deal, it’s time to eat meat.
Since there wasn't enough to go around, everyone present decided to split the bill and go to Qiu Laowu's house to eat rabbit.
Perhaps because his cousin was so cute, Uncle Qiu even forced two newborn rabbits for Qiu Yuling to play with.
Mr. Qiu was very skillful and he made her a small basket with red willow branches in no time. Her third brother said that she couldn't help anyway, so he asked her and her rabbit to go back first, so as to avoid staying outside for too long and letting the rabbit freeze to death.
The rabbits were very cute, but Qiu Yuling had died on the way home. This was not acceptable, as she had been planning to use this as a cover to raise rabbits.
When she entered the door, two space rabbits were replaced in her basket. Their colors were very similar, but they were a little more lively.
Having said that, Mother Qiu just had the habit of yelling, but in fact, the family was very fond of Qiu Yuling, the only other woman in the family. Mother Qiu did not say that there was no point in raising rabbits when people could not even get enough to eat.
Instead, he considerately grabbed a handful of dry wheat straw, rubbed it into a soft texture with his hands, and made a not-so-delicate but comfortable nest for the rabbit. He also provided her with a hollow bowl for food.
Qiu Yuling took out the snacks her father had saved for her, including some dried radishes, soaked them in water, and used them to feed the little rabbit.
"Eat, survive this cold winter, and your spring will come."
Qiu's mother thought she was just a child. Seeing that she was concentrating on playing, she stopped paying attention and went back to her own business. Qiu Yuling still used the old method, constantly sneaking in and using A, B, C, and D to take turns to go to work and punch in.
Anyway, they all look the same, so as long as they can breathe, they can hide from others.
Qiu's father and several brothers also came back one after another. When they learned that they were going to share the meal at the home of their fifth uncle, Qiu's mother gave each person two taels of cornmeal mixed with bran and wheat, and also brought a handful of dried alfalfa dried in the spring, and a handful of dried radishes and potatoes.
Qiu Yuling originally wanted to stay and accompany her mother, but she was forced to pack up and leave together. With so much food, it would not be appropriate to add another adult, but adding her was just right.
You have to take advantage of this bargain. Saving is earning these days. Qiu Yuling also asked if we can stew a smoked rabbit at home with so many things. Qiu's father smiled and said that it would be more lively with more people.
It turns out it was to integrate into the group.
When they arrived, many people were already there, not only those who had collected firewood together today, but also those who had not gone. It seemed that after Qiu Yuling left, everyone had consciously searched and found two more nests of rabbits.
It was so grand that there was almost no room left in Uncle Qiu's yard.
Everyone took similar things. Some took dried vegetables, some took lard (very rarely), and Qiu Yuling saw some taking pure bran and wheat.
Uncle Qiu Wu's wife saw Father Qiu and his group and asked, "Why isn't my sister Mei here?"
Father Qiu said he was busy at home, and Aunt Qiu Wu knew it. She said directly, "What are you busying about? Yuling, go back quickly and ask your mother to come and help. You don't need to bring anything. People who go to work don't bring rations."
Qiu Yuling ran back.
Qiu Yuling had never seen such a "grand occasion" in her past or present life. The yard was full of people squatting everywhere, chattering and making a lot of noise. It was very lively.
One of them was holding a bowl in his hand, and looking at his attire, he had a bit of the flavor of the Beggar Gang.
Because there was someone at the stove, Qiu Yuling didn't have to queue. Her mother gave her a bowl of soup and two multi-grain vegetable pancakes. She was about to say she couldn't finish it, but when she saw her mother's glaring eyes, she understood everything.
She quickly took the bowl and went out, following the example of others, sitting among her brothers. She gave a piece of cake to her eldest brother, some potatoes to her second brother, and asked her third brother to help her with some radish. In the end, the food did not go to outsiders and this "feast" was perfectly resolved.
After distributing the meat and vegetables, the woman on the stove added half a pot of water while the pot was still hot, stirred in the slightly cleaner cornmeal from earlier, sprinkled in some dried vegetables, and made a big pot of dumpling soup.
Qiu Yuling didn't say she couldn't eat. She went to get a bowl as usual and came back to ask her three brothers for help.
Now everyone had another chance to relax, and many of them were chatting while rubbing their bellies, as if they were all living like gods.
Qiu Yuling originally thought that some people would have large appetites and some small appetites, and what would happen if the food was not distributed evenly? However, she did not expect that it was as if it was a customary practice, and there was no quarrel or scramble. Everyone had one portion, and the meat lumps were not distributed equally.
Accompanied by the howling north wind, everyone retreated one after another.
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