Chapter 103 Harvest and Sweet Potatoes
The Cold Dew season comes in layers.
When a layer of white mist rose among the mountains and forests, Su Yun knew that autumn had arrived.
Su Yun looked at the edge of the backyard. The sweet potato vines had already begun to wither and turn yellow. She pulled up a vine from the side and pulled out a small bunch of swollen sweet potatoes. Hmm, it looks like it's harvest season.
So she picked up the hoe from the corner of the wall and shouted towards the main room, "Let's go, we're going to harvest sweet potatoes today."
"Okay~" Ye Feng was washing his bowl by the well when he heard Su Yun's call, so he quickened his pace. "I'll wash the dishes, I'm coming!"
Little Feather woke up late today and ate slowly. He held his rice bowl and walked to the door, saying, "Wait for me, I'll be right there after I finish this bite!"
Perhaps because everyone knows the importance of food, they are all very enthusiastic about harvesting food.
Su Yun: "Remember to soak the bowl in a basin of water, otherwise it will attract rats that want to steal the food."
Little Feather: "I understand!"
"Mice? Perfect, we can add some dishes!" Ye Feng's eyes lit up.
"Before you even got home, they had already devoured all the food."
"They're too cunning," Night Wind said indignantly. "They ran away before we even got home."
"Of course... If I don't act smart, how can I escape right under your nose?" It's already autumn, and all sorts of small animals are starting to fatten up for the winter during the harvest season. They've also cleverly learned to track the night wind, always making a quick getaway beforehand, leaving only a faint scent behind, which leaves the night wind both angry and helpless.
"I'll catch them sooner or later." Night Wind clenched his fist, quite dissatisfied with the animals that occasionally visited their small yard.
Su Yun patted his little tail, comforting him, "That's good too, then we can have more food..."
Little Feather: "Add more dishes? What dishes should we add tonight? I want to eat persimmons!"
Su Yun: "It's not a persimmon, it's a rat..."
"Is it meat? Meat is good too! I like to eat it!"
"Oh, no... that's not it..." The topic was inadvertently veered off course.
"But speaking of which, it's almost time to make cured meat." Su Yun looked at the weather and felt that it would be ready to make cured meat once it cooled down a little more.
"What is cured meat?" Ye Feng asked curiously, listening intently.
"It's similar to dried meat, but it can last longer than dried meat. It can be kept until winter, oh no, it can be kept for a whole year," Su Yun gestured.
Little Feather chimed in, "Ah! I know that! I ate it before in winter. I was lost once and a family took me in for a few days... It was so delicious, so fragrant... That family was really nice... They let me pick fruit in exchange for food... They were also good at chores... I even helped them shovel snow on the roof!"
Little Feather started chattering again...
Since he came to our house, it feels like we've moved into a vegetable market. It feels like Little Feather alone is worth an entire street.
Even when no one is around, he can talk on and on for a long time.
So most of the time, even when Su Yun was busy in other rooms, she could still hear Xiao Yu Mao's ever-present voice.
"Ugh, this grass is so annoying! How did it grow here again? Don't come any closer! You're not edible anyway. This area is for the cabbages!"
"The weather is so nice today! The sun is so warm. It's a pity I can't fly. Sigh, I can't think like that. It makes time feel like it's passing too slowly. I wonder when I'll be able to fly to see my goddess."
"Wow~ White birds! They look just like my goddess! Of course, they can't compare. My goddess is so ethereal and beautiful, you're just a bunch of ordinary birds!"
"The bok choy looks so fresh and juicy today! When will we finally be able to eat the persimmons?!"
......
If you strike up a conversation with him, Little Feather can chatter on and on, he's practically a walking speech machine.
I don't know if such a machine even exists.
Although it was a bit noisy, Little Feather really managed to make the originally quiet and dilapidated mountain village lively and bustling with her talkative nature.
Is this simply the nature of birds?
Su Yun felt that Xiao Yu Mao's talkativeness was comparable to that of a bird chirping incessantly on a treetop in spring; listening to it too much was truly giving her a headache...
"Alright, alright, stop talking. I know, I know. Let's get going. If you keep talking, we won't be able to harvest all the sweet potatoes today." Su Yun quickly stopped Xiao Yu Mao.
Little Feather: "Oh, okay, I'll go wash the dishes then. Is there anything else I need? Should I just grab a hoe? Should I bring a bag? A basket? Or a carrying basket?"
"Everything's picked up. Just come and pick up this basket. Remember to bring your knife..." Night Breeze had already prepared everything for the trip quite skillfully, and could even bring Little Feather along.
The group went out the door.
We walked along the road leading to the sweet potato field.
Su Yun looked up at the sky as the sun rose.
The fog slowly dissipated.
The moisture in the air slowly evaporated completely.
Leave behind a trace of autumn's dryness.
It's perfect for drying things.
Hopefully, the sweet potatoes will all be harvested before the autumn rains arrive.
The three men, carrying tools, walked to the edge of the sweet potato field.
Su Yun made preparations for winter food well in advance, planting sweet potatoes in several plots of land.
"Just keep the vines attached. For the larger ones that can't be pulled out, use a hoe to slowly dig around them. Remember to be careful and try not to damage the sweet potatoes, otherwise they won't last long." Su Yun demonstrated the steps for digging sweet potatoes.
"Okay, I understand." Ye Feng was already familiar with these farm chores.
Little Feather: "It looks simple, I'll give it a try too. Hehe, this little thing is no problem for me, I'm a farming expert... Ah, it's broken!"
Su Yun: "Be careful!"
After assigning tasks, the three of them took hoes and went to work in their respective fields.
By autumn, the sweet potato vines had already turned half withered and yellow.
By pulling on the thick vines, a string of sweet potatoes of all sizes can be pulled out at once.
Although they are not very large, they are numerous.
It was all worth it; Su Yun had used almost all the chicken manure and pond fertilizer he had collected to compost here.
Overall, it was a very fruitful experience.
The three of them worked until mid-afternoon, digging up three large baskets and two large bags full of sweet potatoes. During the break, Su Yun felt a little hungry.
But there was one last piece of land.
Looking at the pile of withered vines and weeds, Su Yun turned his head and slowly piled up a patch of withered yellow leaves and weeds, and then found a bundle of withered branches and leaves.
He dug a hole in the ground.
Little Feather curiously peeked out, "What's going on?"
"Cook some lunch!" Su Yun replied without looking up as she dug the hole.
"But didn't you say we'd eat when we got back?" Little Feather asked, curiously watching Su Yun's actions.
The riverbank isn't far from home, so I didn't prepare lunch. I planned to harvest the sweet potatoes in one go while the sun was shining, and then go back later to cook them.
"It's alright, let's light the fire first. Once we've finished cleaning up the rest of the area, the roasted sweet potatoes will be ready, and we can eat them then. It won't delay anything."
"Roasted sweet potatoes?! That's wonderful! I love roasted sweet potatoes the most!" Little Feather became enthusiastic when she heard Su Yun say that she was going to make roasted sweet potatoes, and started to build the kiln stove.
Su Yun first dug a shallow pit in the ground, then picked up some clumps of soil, piled them up next to it, and then started to burn the pit.
"Aren't you going to put the sweet potatoes in? I've washed them all clean! I guarantee there's not a speck of mud on them. Look, are you going to put them in now?"
"No rush, we need to wait until it's heated up first. If you throw it in directly, it'll turn into charcoal!"
"Okay, I'm so hungry! When can we eat? Why has Ye Feng been gone for so long? Isn't he back yet? Does he remember to bring us some food?"
"Don't worry... Night Wind is always reliable."
Ye Feng took some of the sweet potatoes back to dry first. The remaining sweet potatoes were originally just waiting for Su Yun and Xiao Yu Mao to finish, but the two of them were tired and hungry, so they took a break.
When Ye Feng returned, he saw Su Yun deftly throw the sweet potatoes into the stove and then flatten the earthen kiln with a hoe.
He recognized the scene and his eyes lit up with anticipation as he asked, "Are they roasting sweet potatoes?!"
Su Yun patted the dust off her hands, stomped on a couple of mounds of dirt, and said with a smile, "Yes, it's roasted sweet potato!"
An hour later, the three men, covered in dust and dirt, sat side by side on the edge of the field, enjoying the steaming sweet potatoes.
Peel back the grayish-black skin to reveal the golden, honey-like interior of the sweet potato.
Little Feather couldn't wait and took a big bite. "Oh, it's so hot!"
Su Yun hurriedly handed him a water glass, "Blow on it before you eat, what's the rush? Nobody's going to take it from you. Learn from Ye Feng, blow on it and it won't be so hot."
Su Yun puffed out her cheeks and blew hard, suppressing her eagerness to enjoy the food. She blew several times before savoring the roasted sweet potato, both eager and slow.
The sweet potato was a little charred, but that didn't stop it from being incredibly juicy and sweet. One bite and it was soft, fragrant, and sweet – absolutely delicious!
She turned to look at Ye Feng. Although he was also eating somewhat hastily, he was more refined than Xiao Yu Mao. He was also squinting his eyes, looking quite satisfied.
"These sweet potatoes are really delicious!"
Little Feather hurriedly took the water cup and gulped down a big mouthful. She let out a long breath and exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, this roasted sweet potato is so delicious! So sweet! I love it! This is the first time I've ever eaten such a delicious sweet potato! It smells so good!"
Night Breeze nodded, "I also think this sweet potato tastes much better than the last one!"
Little Feather chuckled, holding the sweet potato, "I knew it! It's super delicious!"
As he spoke, he buried his head and took another bite, "Aww~ Ah, it's so hot, so hot, so delicious, so delicious, so delicious!"
Watching Xiao Yumo eagerly bite into the sweet potato, her cheeks covered in soot, turning her face into a mess, Su Yun felt both helpless and amused. "Hey, look at your face, it's all dirty. I told you not to rush, there's still plenty left."
"Hehe, it's okay, I'll wash it clean when I get back. I have to wash my face anyway. Look! Ye Feng's is dirty too! It's not just me!" Little Feather suddenly realized that she also had a comrade-in-arms and pointed to Ye Feng across the way.
"Where, is it this way?" Ye Feng said, wiping his face, which became even dirtier.
"Hey, stop rubbing! If you keep rubbing, it'll all turn black! Let's wash it off when we get home! Let's finish the sweet potato first..."
"Okay!
Perhaps it was because I had been hungry for a long time, or perhaps it was because I had worked hard, that the sweet potatoes seemed especially sweet today.
Su Yun sat on the edge of the field and ate several more. Although she was already full, she still felt a little unsatisfied.
She licked her lips. The sky was a clear, deep blue, and the air seemed a little dry.
It was already noon, and the sun was getting hotter, making people sweat a little.
She picked up her water glass and took a few sips of warm water. She watched as the two people opposite her were still gathered around the sweet potato pit, searching for the last few sweet potatoes while exchanging lively tips on their previous meals.
The scene was both lively and quiet.
Looking around, I see my loved one, my friends, and plenty of food to prepare for winter.
Su Yun suddenly felt a strange sense of satisfaction, a quiet yet fulfilling emotion.
Autumn is wonderful.
Author's Note:
Sorry, I was busy with exams and immersed myself in the ocean of knowledge.
I finally finished the exams at the end of October.
Regardless of whether we passed or not, we're going ashore to rest for now.
Ahhh! It feels so good to have finished the exam!!!
Feeling completely relaxed.
But then it suddenly occurred to me that I still have updates to make...
Sorry to keep everyone waiting. I'll finish updating right away and will probably maintain a frequency of one update every three days!
I will do my best!
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