Li Xiangyun made a big pot of stewed cured pork, with cabbage and radish, and also added some glass noodles.
The meal was eaten quietly this time; no one spoke, not even Yao Qingqing, who loved to cause trouble. She ate her meal in silence.
Yun Ningyan felt a rare moment of peace.
After everyone finished their meal in a harmonious and happy atmosphere, Huo Junshan, Huo Jianguo, Huo Jiandang, and Huo Jianjun went to the mill to grind grain.
Several people each carried a bag of grain. Huo Junshan and Huo Jianguo started grinding grain there, while Huo Jiandang and Huo Jianjun went back and forth several times, carrying a lot more grain over.
Since Yun Ningyan had nothing to do, she went over as well and curiously looked at the millstone used for grinding grain.
The round stone has a small hole in the middle, which is where the grain goes in. The grain goes in through this hole and is ground into powder by turning the millstone by hand, and then comes out of the millstone.
But this process is slow and requires two people to work together; the amount of grain cannot be too much or too little.
One person puts out the grain, and the other pushes the millstone.
By this time, almost every household in the brigade had finished grinding their grain. The Huo family would grind their grain every year when it snowed, because there were fewer people around then, and the grinding was faster.
They can grind a lot at once.
Yun Ningyan looked at the millstone curiously and asked, "Can't we bring over the big yellow ox and have it push the millstone? Human power is too slow!"
Huo Junshan said with a smile, "You don't know how much the brigade leader cherishes the big yellow ox. Every year when it's working, he doesn't dare to use it too much. The brigade only has that one ox, and he feels very distressed if it's not feeling well. Let alone letting the ox push the millstone, that's out of the question."
Yun Ningyan nodded.
Huo Jianguo and Huo Junshan took turns grinding the grain. Once a bag of grain was ground, Huo Jianjun and Huo Jiandang would carry it home.
Yun Ningyan shook her head: "Relying solely on manpower is too slow. If we could make a cart, pulling it might be faster."
She said as soon as she thought of it, "Huo Junshan, could you see if you can make a cart at home? That would save a lot of effort."
Huo Junshan: "How can we do it without the materials? Especially the wheels, they're hard to buy."
Yun Ningyan winked at Huo Junshan, and Huo Junshan nodded in acknowledgment.
The two understood each other without saying a word.
Yun Ningyan spent the entire afternoon at the mill, where Huo Jiandang and Huo Jianjun carried over a steady stream of grain.
The two walked over with smiles on their faces. Huo Jianjun was still covering his butt with one hand, while Huo Jiandang was laughing so hard he almost couldn't straighten up.
Huo Jiandang said, "Third brother, you don't know, Jianjun just tripped and fell on his butt! Haha."
Yun Ningyan smiled, her eyes crinkling.
The ground outside is covered in snow, so it's normal to slip and fall.
Huo Jianjun, feeling a little embarrassed, ran back to carry the grain.
As Yun Ningyan watched the group grinding grain, she suddenly wanted to record the scene, but she had no phone, no camera, and even if she had the space, she couldn't take it out.
After thinking for a while, she went out for a bit, and when she came back, she had several sheets of paper and pencils for drawing.
She learned to paint in her previous life when she was in school, and she hasn't painted in many years.
She also grabbed a piece of wood to use as a mat.
She placed the wooden board and paper on her lap, found a rock, and sat down. Huo Junshan frowned when he saw her sitting directly on the rock.
He stopped grinding the millstone, took off his coat, and walked towards Yun Ningyan. Huo Jianguo was puzzled.
Why are you taking off your clothes? Is it that hot?
Huo Junshan: "Yanyan, don't sit directly on the rock, it's too cold. Put my coat under you, I'm a little hot."
Seeing the sweat on his forehead, Yun Ningyan believed him. Huo Junshan then put his coat under her arm before she felt at ease and went to work.
Huo Jianguo and Huo Jiandang, who were standing to the side, were dumbfounded. What a waste that such a nice coat was sitting on their bottoms!
But seeing Yun Ningyan sitting there without any burden, Huo Jiandang smacked his lips, swallowing back the words he wanted to say.
The younger siblings have gotten used to it. It seems the third brother is lucky to have married a rich woman!
When Huo Jianjun arrived, Li Xiangyun and Huo Changgen also came over.
Huo Changgen watched from the side, occasionally handing Huo Jianguo some food.
Li Xiangyun watched as the grain gurgled out from under the millstone.
Yun Ningyan began to draw on the paper with a soft, rustling sound.
Her painting was done horizontally, which perfectly captured so many people in the picture, including herself sitting on a rock not far away, painting, with Huo Junshan's cotton-padded coat as a cushion.
With its head down, revealing its fluffy scalp, and the paintbrush in its right hand gliding across the paper.
Huo Junshan noticed her secretly drawing immediately, smiled at her, and continued working.
Because Huo Junshan had taken off his cotton-padded coat and was only wearing an autumn shirt underneath, he stood out from the crowd.
He was the tallest of the brothers, so he stood out prominently in the painting.
His biceps bulged and throbbed, revealing boundless power, and the bulging muscles drove the millstone to rotate round and round.
The grain below fell down with a whoosh.
Huo Jianjun was half-squatting on the ground, holding a bag to catch the grain.
She first sketched out the overall shape and outline, and then drew the specific details inside.
Her painting skills are excellent; she paints each character with remarkable lifelikeness.
Even the hair on their heads, especially the white hair on Li Xiangyun and Huo Changgen's heads, was drawn so realistically.
Li Xiangyun turned around and saw her drawing something. She gave her a big smile.
Her smile was captured in the image.
Huo Changgen, however, kept his eyes fixed on the millstone, occasionally exchanging a few words with Li Xiangyun.
Yun Ningyan filled in her painting little by little, and when everyone else had finished, she slowly drew herself in the bottom corner.
Although she only had a pencil, she drew each character very realistically, leaving the highlights blank.
By the time they had all finished their work, her painting was also completed.
Huo Junshan came over to see her painting immediately. As he looked at the little girl's painting, his eyes showed an even more infatuated expression.
How many things does the young woman still know that her husband doesn't?
He couldn't help but praise, "It's so well drawn! Especially me, the drawing is the most lifelike!"
Everyone else came over to watch too. Li Xiangyun smiled and said, "Ningning, you drew so well! It's exactly the same as the one on TV. Look at that millstone, it's exactly the same. How did you draw it?"
Yun Ningyan smiled and said, "I was just watching them work. I had never seen it before, so I thought I would write it down."
Li Xiangyun: "I'll keep this painting. Third brother, you go back and make a frame for it. I want to put it on the wall of the main room and let everyone see how amazing my third daughter-in-law is!"
Clouds condense into mist...
Huo Junshan: "No, I have to take it back!"
Huo Changgen took the painting from Li Xiangyun's hand and looked at it, nodding repeatedly: "It's well painted. My third daughter-in-law is a cultured person! Let's hang it up!"
Huo Junshan glared at him: "Impossible!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
