Chapter 5 Garlic Sweet Potato Leaves
The journey home was smooth.
The iron gate to the courtyard was half open, and Lu An was sitting at the entrance, playing with 460.
He was wearing a white T-shirt and black pants, which were baggy on him and clearly not his own. His cloth shoes were also worn for a long time; the left shoe had a hole in it, with his toes sticking out. His hair was cut very short, in some places so short that his scalp was showing.
Lu An's clothes and shoes were found by Zhao Xuan in some farmers' homes, and she also cut his hair. After the apocalypse, people no longer cared much about their appearance, but Lu An was different. He was tall and thin, and apart from his once fair skin turning into a wheat color, his facial features and temperament had not changed much due to material scarcity. Even when wearing these ugly clothes and with his uneven hair, he still looked good.
It's a kind of adorable, harmless charm.
Hearing the noise, Lu An looked up and smiled when she saw Zhao Xuan: "You're back."
460 flicked its tongue as if to pounce.
While pressing the dog's head, Zhao Xuan smiled back and asked, "How are you feeling today?" She had checked his forehead this morning out of concern, and the fever had completely subsided. Judging from his complexion, he should be fully recovered now.
Fever is a very dangerous illness nowadays. If the temperature doesn't come down, it can lead to a series of diseases such as pneumonia, which can be fatal.
"It's all set. I'll go out to the fields with you this afternoon."
Zhao Xuan nodded in agreement, but secretly thought it would be better to let him rest for another day. She went to the kitchen and found the two previously empty water vats now full. She paused, then smiled slightly, saying nothing more. She scooped some water to wash the sweet potato leaves and smashed a clove of garlic, thus preparing their lunch.
The garlic was harvested last year. The garlic bulbs and leaves are dug up together. The slender leaves are braided from the tip to the end of the bulb. They are then braided into a long strip and hung under the security bars on the windowsill. A row of garlic bulbs can be preserved for a long time.
This method was told to her by a neighbor named Sister Lu when they were still at the camp. Sister Lu was alone at the camp, surrounded by men who went out to work during the day. She was bored and perhaps scared, so she often chatted with Zhao Xuan.
Zhao Xuan lies on the bed like a living dead every day, which suits Lu Jie's wishes perfectly. She doesn't need anyone to discuss anything with her; she just needs someone to listen.
She recounted her past, how her mother, who favored boys over girls, always made her do chores. After school, she was expected to do housework, and during holidays, she had to go with the adults to dig for medicinal herbs in the mountains. Digging for herbs was truly arduous; she often couldn't come home for a month at a time. Meanwhile, her younger brother, only two years her junior, did nothing and even ate meat at mealtimes. Later, she married someone far away! Her husband treated her well; he worked on construction sites, earning a modest income but generous with his money, never hesitating to buy her meat. Sadly, this man contracted an illness and died within two days, along with her two-year-old child.
Her only remaining family member is a dog, a yellow mongrel. Sister Lu said it was a Shiba Inu, but Zhao Xuan could tell at a glance it was a mongrel. Only mongrel dogs would absolutely refuse to eat food from their owner's chopsticks; these dogs are easy to raise and honest, possessing an inherently affectionate and docile nature.
Lu Jie's life wasn't as good as Zhao Xuan's. Zhao Xuan was able to stay in the camp because Lu An was willing to do three jobs, while Lu Jie was able to stay in the camp all by herself without having to work because she was a prostitute.
Thinking of this, Zhao Xuan sighed.
After the garlic cloves are crushed, the thin white skin on the outside cracks, making peeling easier. Chop the garlic cloves into small pieces, and when the oil in the pan heats up, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then add the sweet potato leaves and stir-fry. The flavor of garlic can transform ordinary vegetables into something truly delicious.
—Many of these cooking methods were taught to her by Sister Lu. During the days when she had nothing to eat or drink, Sister Lu relied on describing these methods to satisfy her cravings.
Unfortunately, she was a prostitute. Zhao Xuan didn't look down on her for it; as a woman herself, she knew that in a post-apocalyptic world where everything depended on strength, this was perhaps a helpless choice for many women to survive. What she lamented was that prostitution was unsustainable; they would eventually die from infections and diseases.
When the sweet potato leaves soften but still retain their bright green color, sprinkle in a little salt, and a plate of refreshing green vegetables is ready to serve.
"Lu An, dinner's ready!" she called out to the outside.
A plate of green vegetables and two bowls of rice were placed on a bench. The two people's seats were the steps in front of the hall. Eating was no longer so ceremonial. As long as there was food, it didn't matter whether one squatted or sat while eating.
Lu An had already set out the rice, waiting for Zhao Xuan to extinguish the charcoal fire so they could eat together. He sat upright on the steps, and after Zhao Xuan sat down beside him, he took a round, white object from his pocket and placed it in her hand.
It was a roasted duck egg that had already gone cold.
"You gave me two eggs this morning, but I couldn't finish them, so I saved one for you." He chuckled.
Zhao Xuan glanced at him silently, put down his chopsticks and bowl, and took out a duck egg from his pocket and put it into his pocket.
"It's not a coincidence, I couldn't finish mine this morning either, so I saved one for you."
"So, we can each have one?"
"Yes, one for each person."
They all knew that there was no meat left in the house, so these two duck eggs were extremely precious. But it didn't matter; spring, when everything was growing, would give them plenty of delicious food again.
Even when the roasted duck eggs have cooled down, they are still very fragrant. The sweet potato leaves with their garlic aroma are refreshing, and the rice is fluffy and soft... Each food has its own unique flavor.
There is no such thing as bad food, only people who don't like to eat it.
"Safe travels."
"Hmm?" came the muffled reply, his mouth full of rice.
"Let's find a table to eat at."
"Okay, I'll go get one this afternoon."
"It doesn't need to be too big, a small square table will do. The mice have already gnawed it to pieces."
"Okay, I'll look carefully."
"After you finish eating, go take a nap. In the afternoon, you go find a table, and I'll go turn over the floor."
"Okay." Lu An didn't immediately realize the purpose of her arrangement, and agreed without thinking.
For farmers, a midday rest is essential, not only to rejuvenate their mind and energy, but also to avoid the hottest part of the day.
When Zhao Xuan woke up, he found that Lu An and 460 were gone.
Compared to Zhao Xuan, 460 prefers Lu An. Perhaps this is what they mean by guys preferring to hang out with other guys?
They and their dog probably went to the village early to find a table.
Without much thought, she packed up her farm tools and prepared to go to the fields. Given Lu An's efficiency, he would find the table soon, and he could still rest at home in the afternoon.
Finding a table was just a little trick Zhao Xuan used to let him rest a little longer.
The tilling work was uneventful, and Zhao Xuan finished early as evening approached. When he returned home, he did not see Lu An. Instead, there was a small, dark brown wooden table in the living room, with three benches that were clearly not a set.
The table had been wiped clean, and its small size looked somewhat comical in the empty hall. Zhao Xuan, however, was quite satisfied with the table, only wondering why Lu An hadn't returned yet.
She washed her face and then began processing the bamboo shoots she had dug up a few days earlier.
After peeling off the outer skin of the bamboo shoots, cut them into large slices and boil them in a pot. You can smell the rich aroma of bamboo shoots while they are boiling. Once the bamboo shoots are soft, take them out, wring out the excess water, and arrange them on round bamboo strips to dry in the sun.
As for how long it needs to be sun-dried, Zhao Xuan didn't know. Much of her knowledge was only theoretical: either she had seen her grandmother do it when she was a child, or she had heard Lu Jie talk about it. She had to figure out the production process by trial and error.
But she was certain that dried bamboo shoots could be stored for a long time, and if stored properly, they could enjoy them until this winter. Drying was her preferred method since there was no refrigerator involved; all it required was sunlight—clean and simple.
Take the round bamboo strips to the third floor to dry. There's less dust on the third floor, and it also prevents them from being knocked over when 460 is playing.
She didn't make a large quantity of dried bamboo shoots this time. In a few days, she would have to ask Lu An to help her dig them all up, because she was afraid that if they were left too long, they would grow too old and become inedible.
Apart from the bamboo shoots that were already prepared for drying, she deliberately left three or four fresh bamboo shoots, sliced them, and stir-fried them with a bunch of garlic leaves for dinner.
With nothing else to do, she crossed her arms and sat on the steps by the front door, waiting for Lu An to return.
The sun had already set, leaving a bright orange glow in the west, which cast a hazy red hue over the distant mountains and forests, as if they were on fire. The sky seemed much lower than in winter, perhaps because the clouds were thicker.
Looking at the beautiful fiery clouds in the distance, Zhao Xuan knew that tomorrow would be another good day.
Suddenly, a dog barked from the end of the quiet path: "Woof!"
—They're back.
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