Chapter 143 The Wife He Married Doesn’t Belong to Him
Lu Donglin's eyes lit up: "Eat, why not eat." How could he forget about this.
Picked persimmons are made by picking them before they are ripe and soaking them in sweet corn stalks. After they are ripe, the skin is peeled off and they are crispy and sweet. In this time when everything is scarce and everything is rare, this thing is undoubtedly very popular.
However, there are not many persimmon trees in Lujiazui, and the fruits are few, so no one knows how to eat them this way. No one knows where Lu Dongping learned this method, but he figured it out. He even made a vat for soaking persimmons two years ago. He was in his twenties, but he was still chased all over the mountain by Lu Mingjiang with a stick.
They said he was not doing his job properly and wasted time.
However, it is really delicious when soaked.
"Brother, can we pick persimmons this year?" The persimmon trees in the team didn't bear many fruits, and they didn't belong to anyone. They couldn't pick them all, otherwise they would be criticized.
Lu Dongping put all the corn on the ground into the backpack, and put three circles of corn on the top of the backpack, making it look like a small mountain. After hearing what Lu Donglin said, he replied, "Yes!"
He always keeps his word, and Lu Donglin was immediately happy.
Lu Dongping used the crutch rake to gain leverage and stood up and walked towards the edge of the field. Lu Donglin waited for a while and then cut two large bundles of straw according to the color of the straw that Lu Dongping had cut. He and Lu Chun'e each carried a bundle and walked back.
Wen Wan followed them and asked, puzzled, "Why are we cutting so many corn stalks? Can we really eat them?" She remembered that these were meant to be fed to the cows in the barn. So when Lu Dongping told her that these were edible, she hadn't taken them seriously, thinking he was just joking.
There were people all around, so Lu Donglin naturally didn't tell her that he wanted to soak persimmons: "It's really edible. You can chew it for fun when you have nothing to do. This one is very sweet and more chewy than thatch roots."
Wen Wan was skeptical, so Lu Donglin took one from Lu Chun'e's basket and gave it to her. She held it in her hand all the way. After she got home, she washed her hands and took a moment to relax before tearing and chewing it with her mouth like Lu Donglin did. It was indeed very sweet and juicy.
Lu Donglin was very proud: "How is it? I cut this bundle. Isn't it extra sweet and juicy?"
Wen Wan nodded: "It's quite sweet."
Lu Chun'e rudely criticized: "The one you gave to your sister-in-law was obviously chopped by my brother, and you just pull your pants down to cover your face."
Lu Donglin whined and made faces at her.
The corn stalks were cut, and next came the persimmons. They weren't ripe yet, so they were perfect for soaking. Lu Dongping was a man of action, so he got to work immediately. In the afternoon, he'd take the time to clear the vats from the house, move them outside, clean them, and hang them out to dry.
Originally, he hadn't remembered to make this this year, but he suddenly remembered that Wen Wan liked sweet things, and there were no snacks for her here. Persimmons were in season, and she might like the sweet and crispy taste.
Lu Donglin kept glancing at him, and after dinner he finally found the time to ask him, "Brother, where are you going to get persimmons? When are you going? Can you take me with you?"
Lu Dongping pulled his arm back from his claws and said, "Why are you joining in the fun? Just study hard. You have food to eat, why are you so fussy?" After that, he ignored him and walked into the house.
The next day, when Wen Wan returned from school, she found a sack filled with green fruits the size of a child's fist. She tried to weigh it, but it was so heavy, it didn't budge at all.
When she has free time, Zhang Hongying starts to tell fortunes for the pigs in the pigsty.
There were many people at home picking grass for the pigs. Apart from not eating much food, the two pigs had enough grass all day long and basically never suffered any grievances.
He looks good, but hasn't gained much weight. Judging from his height, he weighs over 100 pounds, but he's too thin. If he were to weigh himself, it might not necessarily meet the standard.
Lu Mingjiang said, "Feed them some more. There's no rush. We didn't finish the task of feeding the pigs last year until we were almost done. Where are they now? I'll ask big brother if there are many people who want the green ears of corn this year. If not, we'll take some. The unripe corn can be eaten by people, and the inside can be chopped up and fed to the pigs. Besides, the acorns and chestnuts in the woods are almost ready to be picked. Let Donglin and Chun'e be more diligent and bring more back to add some food to the people, and the pigs can also benefit from it. And don't be stingy with the pumpkins and other things harvested from the private plots. Leave enough food and chop them up to feed them. It will add some fat, and the weight will go up in no time. Animals are just like people. You can't lie to them. To coax them is the same as to coax yourself."
Zhang Hongying was reluctant to give up the food, but she also knew that what Lu Mingjiang said was true. People will not grow if they don't eat good food, and the same goes for pigs.
"I'll ask my sister-in-law later to see what their situation is like this year and when they plan to hand in the mission and come together."
Lu Mingjiang nodded: "That's fine."
The couple looked around the pigpen, and Zhang Hongying's conversation shifted from the two pigs to Lu Dongping. "I don't know what was going on in his head, but he suddenly asked about the cloth coupons. He said we haven't made clothes in years, and we need cotton-padded jackets. I have some cloth and some cotton coupons, so I'm trying to save up enough for a quilt."
Lu Mingjiang turned around and walked under the eaves to get a hoe. If he didn't go to work in the fields, he would have to take good care of his own land.
"If he says to do it, then do it." He looked back at Zhang Hongying. She was no longer young, in her forties. She had never had a good day with him, and most of her life had passed like this.
"I don't need it. You should make a good one for yourself. Chun'e and Donglin have grown up without wearing new clothes. If you have cloth, make them. What are you going to do with those things? If you don't have them, you will suffer."
Zhang Hongying said, "Chun'e can be made, but she probably won't grow much taller. Donglin, that brat, has been growing taller in the past two years. If he makes it this year, he probably won't be able to wear it next year."
"Then make it a little bigger. Let him grow as fast as he can. We can't leave one without the other. He'll complain later. As for Dongping, ask his wife. If you want him to make clothes, give the cloth to her first to avoid any conflicts."
Zhang Hongying locked the door, picked up the basket and followed him out, saying as she walked, "He's the one in our family who has no shortage of clothes. Before the wedding, I saw Wen Wan bought a lot of cloth, but I guess they haven't used it yet. As for the cotton, I guess they don't have it."
Lu Mingjiang stood at the edge of his private plot and said, "Whether you give it or not is your feeling. Whether she wants it or not is her business. You can't assume it's so clear just because she just got married." After saying that, he spat into his palm, rubbed it, picked up the hoe and started digging.
That's how it is in the mountains. When you're working, you're busy working. When you're not working, you have to race against time to take care of your little piece of land. The women at home are also busy. When it's sunny, they're busy collecting firewood. When it's raining, they're busy making shoes.
Even though the weather is not cold yet, I start preparing for the cold early.
Zhang Hongying rummaged through boxes and drawers and took out all the cloth she had saved, two pieces of black corduroy, a piece of sky blue twill, and a piece of floral cloth, all of which could be used to make winter clothes.
Just as Lu Dongping said, some fabrics cannot last long. That piece of corduroy has grown mold and changed color.
She didn't care about the fact that so much cloth was wasted, and she took advantage of the sun to soak it all in the water.
The afternoon was bustling with activity as soon as school was over. Lu Dongping came back and prepared to soak persimmons. Lu Donglin was so angry that he pouted, and you could hang an oil bottle on his mouth. He still couldn't figure out where his brother got the persimmons from!
Zhang Hongying was cooking in the kitchen while calling him: "Lu Donglin, you have nothing to do all day, right? What are you doing around your brother and sister-in-law? Have you finished writing? If you have, find something to do. Are the chestnuts and acorns on the mountain ready to be picked? If so, go pick them up early." Let's not talk about chestnuts. Acorns were something that the people in Xihe developed a few years ago.
During those years of severe drought, the bark of trees had been gnawed away. We stuffed everything we could eat into our stomachs. Acorns were a rare treat, so we dug up everything from the ground and ate them. Then we realized they were a good thing, and we thought about shelling and grinding them into flour to save our lives. As life gradually improved, we stopped eating them. In recent years, members of the cooperative have started raising pigs, and when we have free time, we pick up acorns, grind them, and feed them.
Of course, not everyone would pick them up. Shelling and grinding acorns is quite troublesome, and not everyone has the patience to do it.
Lu Donglin responded, "I know. I'll go after I finish my homework." He would go to the mountains to get things when the season came. Did I need to tell him about this specifically?
Wen Wan helped Lu Dongping soak the persimmons. She didn't have to do anything at all. Lu Dongping chopped the corn stalks and packed the persimmons. She just watched curiously from the side and said a few words to him from time to time.
The process of soaking persimmons is not complicated. Just seal it tightly and take it out and eat it after soaking for a sufficient time.
Just as she was done, Lu Donglin came over with a basket on his back and called her, "Sister-in-law, do you want to go up the mountain?"
Wen Wan looked at the sky and saw that it was getting late. "What are we doing up the mountain now? Picking pig grass?"
"Don't pull pig grass, look for good things."
Lu Dongping reached out and patted his head: "Go ahead, go and do it yourself, your sister-in-law is busy!"
It seems like there is not much work to do, but when I come back I have to correct homework, prepare lessons, do needlework, do laundry, and help cook when I am busy. In short, I never have a moment to spare.
Zhang Hongying also came out of the kitchen, with a look of disgust on her face: "Go away, go do what you need to do, your sister-in-law has other things to do, how can she have time to follow you around the mountains and fields."
Lu Donglin looked at her in shock: "How did I become a mobster? I'm just doing something important, right?"
Lu Chun'e called out to him, "Lu Donglin, what are you dawdling for? It's going to be dark if you don't leave now."
Lu Donglin walked out of the yard with a grumble and an unhappy look on his face.
Zhang Hongying shouted again, worriedly: "It's getting late, don't go into the old forest!"
No one responded to her, but she didn't care. She looked at Wen Wan and said, "Wan Wan, Mom has something to trouble you with."
Wen Wan looked at her puzzledly: "What's the matter?" Is there a need to be so polite?
Zhang Hongying went into the house and came out soon with a roll of cloth in her hand. She didn't forget to instruct Lu Dongping: "Go to the kitchen and watch over the fire under the pot. We are just talking to each other, mother and daughter. Why are you, a grown man, here to interfere?"
Lu Dongping touched his nose in disappointment and went to the kitchen. The wife he married did not belong to him all day long. It was enough!
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