"Xin Xin, don't get too close. If the chili flakes splash on your face, it will burn you." Gu Nian stopped what she was doing when she saw Gu Xin standing by the bucket.
"Sister, I'll go dig some wild vegetables!" Gu Xin was quite unaccustomed to having nothing to do.
"Don't bother digging for wild vegetables. Our radish leaves are enough for the chickens for several days. If you have nothing to do, boil some water, then wash all the earthenware pots in the kitchen and put them out in the yard to dry! I'll chop these chilies this morning, and we'll start cooking this afternoon. I'll bake you a cake for dinner, okay?" Gu Nian thought for a while and then assigned Gu Xin a task.
The young female protagonist is used to doing things and can't sit still, so washing jars isn't difficult for her.
So Gu Xin went to light a fire and boil water to wash the jar.
About half an hour later, Cai Xiaolian returned with the milled rice and flour.
"Niannian, we still don't have enough rice and flour! Do you think I should go to town this afternoon to buy some more?" Cai Xiaolian asked as soon as she entered the door.
"Mom, you'd better not go. What if you run into Zhang the Skinflint again? I heard yesterday at the old house that Fourth Uncle is going to deliver goods this afternoon. Why don't you ask him to bring some back for you?" Gu Nian was worried that Cai Xiaolian would be robbed again if she went alone.
She already knew roughly what the Gu family members did when she ate at the old house yesterday.
Gu Laoda usually works in the fields, and during the off-season, he goes to the dock to move things for people. Gu Laosi learns the craft from Yang, the carpenter in the village.
Just then, she overheard Gu Laosi talking about how he was going to deliver a finished cabinet to a family in town this afternoon.
"Alright! I'll go find him now, so we don't miss each other if he leaves later." Cai Xiaolian went back to the kitchen, put down the rice and flour bags, and then went to get the money bag. She left 100 coins and only took 400 coins.
This is Cai Xiaolian's habit; she always needs to keep some money on her, otherwise she doesn't feel safe.
...
In the afternoon, Gu Si came to deliver the milled rice and flour.
"Second Aunt, Fourth Uncle bought the rice. My dad ground it for you and asked me to come and deliver it!" Gu Si came over carrying a small basket of rice and flour, but she handed the things to Cai Xiaolian at the door and turned back without even going near the door.
"This little cousin is a bit introverted!" Gu Nian commented.
“Your aunt favors boys over girls. Huihui is capable on her own, but Sisi is bossed around by your aunt all day long. If it weren’t for your grandparents watching over her, I don’t know how your aunt would treat her!” Cai Xiaolian shook her head.
Gu Si is just like the three of them who never wore the old Gu Xin, but Gu Si has her grandparents looking after her, so she won't go hungry.
Gu Xin was different. Even though her grandparents at the old house often gave her food, it was always snatched away by the original owner, Gu Nian, when she came back.
"What a terrible thing!" Gu Nian pouted.
Although she sympathized with her younger cousin, she wasn't familiar with the people in the old house yet and didn't have much to say to them.
The mother and daughter closed the door and returned to the kitchen. Together with Gu Xin, they chopped up all the chili peppers, then added salt and Sichuan peppercorn powder.
They could have added some ginger, but they didn't have any at home, and they didn't find any for sale when they went shopping before.
I made three earthenware jars that can hold 20 jin (10 kg) each. These earthenware jars are just ordinary pickle jars.
Gu Nian also cut bamboo in a bamboo grove outside the door, shaved it into strips, put it in a jar, and packed it down.
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