The cave was very quiet, with only the crackling of firewood in the stove and the grinding of teeth by the deer as it ate a sweet potato.
Jiang Xi, however, seemed to remember something and asked Yan Zheng, "What are the plans next?"
Not knowing how long winter would last, she had to plan ahead for many things. There were already many things she could think of. She estimated that the vines would be unusable by winter, and since they needed the vines to make clothes and blankets, the first urgent thing to do was to collect and dry the vines in large quantities.
Besides that, we also need to stock up on firewood, otherwise, when winter comes, it will be a matter of life and death if we don't have firewood for heating.
She wanted to hear Yan Zheng's opinion first.
Yan Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "The most important thing is to stockpile grain and dig a few more rabbit traps in the back mountain."
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Forget it, let's dig on the front hill instead. There are fewer and fewer rabbits on the back hill lately."
Jiang Xi remembered her aunt telling her that rabbits are quick to brood and give birth to a litter of baby rabbits every month, but they can't withstand the constant catching of them. They should be given some time to rest and recuperate. Only by talking about sustainable development can there be a continuous supply of food.
Jiang Xi nodded and said, "We also need to hunt some more ducks, mainly for down, and make another quilt."
This is for Yan Jing'an.
This is also an important matter. Yan Zheng coughed and said, "Alright, since that's the case, let's make a few more fish traps and see if we can catch some more fish to pickle later."
Speaking of pickled fish, Jiang Xi suddenly remembered her earlier thought: "I want to go into the mountains. It's the season for fruits and seeds to ripen. I want to try my luck in the forest and see if I can find some more fruits to save for seeds."
“We’ll collect wild fruits like raspberries, wild berries, wild vegetable seeds, and herb seeds now, dry them, and plant them in the valley behind the mountain next spring.”
Upon closer reflection, everything is urgent and must be completed before winter.
That makes sense. Then Yan Zheng frowned and said, "No, it's too dangerous for you to go. I'll go with you after I've dug the rabbit trap."
But he also had more important work to do.
Jiang Xi was about to say something when Yan Jing'an, who had been silently listening, suddenly spoke up: "I'll go."
Jiang Xi looked at him with some surprise.
Yan Jingan said, "I'm fast on foot, and I can climb trees in many complicated road conditions, so I have the ability to protect myself in case of danger."
Jiang Xi reminded her, "You still have an injury on your shoulder."
He replied, "Much better. At worst, I'll just use this less often for now. Besides, I know more about many plants in this world than you do."
Yan Zheng thought for a moment. He had seen Yan Jing'an's movements before, and he was indeed suitable for this task: "Then you will do this. Don't force yourself. Safety is the priority." The matter was thus settled.
That night, because the crack in the inner room had been covered with a straw curtain, Yan Zheng moved his bed into the inner room, while Yan Jing'an continued to live in the front hall. The straw curtains that were not used during the day were used to build a simple screen with a wooden frame, enclosing a corner of the cave as his temporary resting area.
We'll arrange a proper place for him after this busy season is over.
The next day, Jiang Xi got up very early. It wasn't that she was diligent, but rather that she couldn't keep things to herself. Once she had something to do, she would often think about it and couldn't sleep in peacefully.
She was like that when she was in graduate school. She was due to submit reports on Thursdays, and she would worry about them until they were finished. She couldn't eat or sleep well until she finished them. Only then could she lie down and rest with peace of mind.
She was worried that there weren't enough vines, so she wanted to get up early to tidy up so she could leave the house quickly.
After putting on a sweater and stretching, Jiang Xi pushed open the heavy wooden door. The autumn air was crisp and refreshing. She took a deep breath of the cool, fresh mountain air, which smelled of grass and dew, making her feel relaxed without realizing it.
She casually tied her hair up with a wooden hairpin, a few strands unconsciously slipping out from her temples, lightly brushing against her neck, without her feeling any itch.
It was a new day. She walked to a cave wall and added a vertical line to the countless tally marks. The seventy-fourth day.
She took the last few fresh porcini mushrooms and root vegetables from the basket near the door and went to the river to wash them. She figured that since it had rained heavily a couple of days ago, the mushroom burrows she had marked on the front and back hills should have sprouted new ones.
Jiang Xi planned to collect all the vines when she harvested them later. The scenery was beautiful, the air was fresh, and there were mushrooms to pick. Feeling relaxed, she unconsciously started humming a song.
Yan Zheng saw this scene as soon as he got up and went out. Jiang Xi was wearing a light yellow sweater and squatting by the river washing a sweet potato. Her hair was loosely tied up, with a few strands of dark hair gently wrapped around her fair neck. She had a classical look, and her eyebrows were naturally black, which made her skin look even whiter. She blended in with the scenery of the mountains and was so beautiful that it was hard to look away. For some reason, the phrase "natural beauty without artifice" suddenly popped into his mind.
He walked over and took the sweet potato from Jiang Xi's hand: "I'll do it."
Jiang Xi asked him with a smile, "Did you sleep well last night?"
Seeing that he didn't answer, Jiang Xi turned her head to ask, but Yan Zheng glanced at the cave entrance and then quickly kissed her lips. It was very soft, just as soft as he had imagined.
Jiang Xi's ears turned red instantly, but she was also happy. She rested her chin on her knees and watched him wash the vegetables.
They didn't say much to each other, yet it felt like they had said everything.
Jiang Xi first boiled the whole yam in water, then diced the fresh porcini mushrooms.
Heat a spoonful of lard in a pot, then fry the diced porcini mushrooms. Soon the cave will be filled with the aroma of mushrooms. Once the mushroom pieces are fried until golden brown, remove them and set aside.
Next, the cooked yams were mashed with a spoon and mashed into a paste. Jiang Xi washed a handful of wild scallions, chopped them into small pieces, and added them in. She also added the fried mushroom pieces, a thin layer of salt and Sichuan peppercorn powder, and a little water to increase the stickiness. After mixing well, she first squeezed them into balls the size of eggs, and then pressed them into patties.
Grease a frying pan with a thin layer of oil. Place the potato cakes in the pan and fry over low heat until golden brown and crispy on both sides.
Jiang Xi first picked up a small piece to taste. The first bite was full of mushroom aroma mixed with scallion fragrance. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and not oily at all.
Now they deliberately increase the carbohydrate content when making breakfast to ensure their energy for the whole day or even just one morning.
She also boiled a few salted duck eggs. Although the egg whites were slightly salty, the yolks had started to run oil because they had been pickled long enough.
Yan Zheng and Yan Jing'an were going out hunting and searching for resources in the forest, respectively. It was uncertain whether they would be able to return by noon, so Jiang Xi made some extra pancakes and packed ten for each of them. She also filled two mineral water bottles with cooled boiled water, one for each of them, wrapped them in banana leaves, and put them in their respective baskets.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com