Qiao Zhiyi and Qiao's wife took the children to Qiao's father and Qiao's brother to collect the goods from the fields, and returned with a full load.
When Qiao Zhiyi saw some wild perilla available for picking, she went over to pick some. The other children didn't know what to do with them, so when they saw her picking, they picked some too.
Perilla is an annual upright herb of the genus Perilla in the family Lamiaceae. Its stem is green or purple, bluntly quadrangular, and its leaves are broadly ovate. Now is the season for picking perilla.
Mrs. Qiao asked Qiao Zhiyi why she picked this thing. Usually she picked it with the stems and used it as firewood.
Qiao Zhiyi told her that perilla leaves can be used to dispel wind and cold, that is, to treat symptoms such as colds, wind-cold headaches, etc., and can also relieve coughs and phlegm, promote digestion, etc.
Although summer is hot, people are prone to catching colds because they want to stay cool, especially children. It is great to pick perilla leaves, dry them in the sun, and store them. They can be used to make tea in autumn and winter.
In addition, perilla leaves can also be used as seasoning vegetables. For example, when cooking fried snails, fried loach, eel, fresh fish, and other foods with a fishy smell, you can add some perilla to them to remove the fishy smell and enhance the flavor.
Mrs. Qiao said that it was another day of gaining knowledge.
A woman passing by saw them and asked what they were doing. Mrs. Qiao immediately shared the knowledge she had learned. When the woman saw how happily Dr. Qiao was picking the fruits, she hurried over to pick them too.
This immediately caused a herd effect, and many women came to pick them.
There are so many perilla leaves growing in the countryside that you can’t pick them all!
Qiao Zhiyi and Mrs. Qiao picked some perilla leaves, and then led the children back in a mighty procession.
After returning home, I used perilla leaves to stir-fry snails and eels...
Qiao's mother was stewing chicken with ginger root at home to clear away heat and relieve summer heat.
Ginger root has the effect of warming the middle and promoting qi circulation, can relieve heat and nourish the body, and is safe for women to eat during confinement.
It is the hottest time of summer now, and the locals love to go to the mountains to dig ginger roots and boil them in water to drink. It is also the first choice for stewing chicken and duck during festivals.
After Qiao Zhiyi and her sister-in-law returned home, they started cooking.
The children used their spoils from outside to feed the chickens and ducks.
Chickens and ducks especially love to eat this, and they eat one mouthful without making a sound.
At lunch time, the brigade broadcast also announced that it was time to go home and eat. The members who had been working in the fields returned home one after another, covered in mud and sweat.
Qiao's father, Pei Zheng and others had already taken a quick shower outside.
After all, there is limited water at home, and they have to carry buckets to the well to fetch water on weekdays. They might as well wash it outside before going home.
When they came back, there was already a table full of food waiting for them at home.
The camphorwood octagonal table was definitely not enough to seat everyone, so Qiao Zhiyi and Mrs. Qiao arranged for the children to eat at a small table by themselves.
The kids get together and it's lively.
To be honest, it is very difficult to eat meat in the countryside. Usually, chickens and ducks are kept to save eggs. It was only today when Pei Zheng and Qiao Zhiyi brought chickens and ducks back home that Qiao's mother slaughtered one.
There are also rich dishes on the table, including chicken stewed with ginger root, fried snails with perilla, eel, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried bottle gourd, and appetizers (mainly made of bean curd, bean sprouts, kelp, peanuts, minced garlic, and red pepper).
Qiao Yufei asked: "What are these snails fried with? They smell so good..."
Brother Qiao said, "It's delicious."
Qiao Zhiyi said, "Stir-frying with perilla leaves can remove the fishy smell."
Qiao Yufei was surprised, "Ah? Perilla leaves?"
"There's a pile over there. My sister-in-law and I picked a lot..." Qiao Zhiyi pointed to the corner.
Qiao Yufei said, "Little sister, you really treat every kind of grass as a treasure..."
Qiao's mother retorted, "What do you know? Your little sister is a professional. It's a good thing she recognizes all these. She can pick them and sell them to the pharmacy tomorrow. That's also a source of income..."
Mrs. Qiao said, "That's right, I've learned a lot from my younger sister..."
Qiao Zhiyi picked snail meat for Pei Zheng to eat, and Pei Zheng was extremely happy.
Father Qiao, who had been silent the whole time, said, "You two should take some time to go to the county and visit the Lou family."
He also considered that it was the Lou family who raised Qiao Zhiyi, so it was only right and proper for him to go and show his gratitude.
Qiao Yufei said, "Dad, Xinyue hasn't been back since she went back to the Lou family to recognize her relatives. There's no need for our little sister to go back and not cause trouble."
Brother Qiao said: "Yes, maybe the Lou family doesn't want our little sister to go back!"
Qiao Yufei said: "This is because the Lou family wanted to threaten my younger sister to come back for marriage. They even threatened her with her job. Since she is not their biological child, they really don't care."
Mrs. Qiao said, "Then don't go back..."
Qiao Zhiyi said, "Brother Pei Zheng and I went back to the Lou family last time and told my adoptive parents about my marriage. The next time we go, we plan to go on Sunday, when my adoptive parents are off..."
She remembered that she and Lou Xinyue had their wedding on the same day, and today should also be the day Lou Xinyue returned home.
I don’t know if Lou Xinyue discovered Xie Changrong’s problem.
Father Qiao nodded.
He hopes that all children will be grateful. After all, the Lou family parents raised his daughter and did such an excellent job. Father Qiao is very grateful.
Mother Qiao felt chilled when she thought about how heartless her adopted daughter Xinyue was after she recognized her parents and refused to even go home, let alone notify them when she got married.
Even though she was taken away by mistake, her family has not done anything wrong to her!
While washing dishes, Qiao's mother complained to her eldest daughter-in-law about Lou Xinyue. Sister-in-law Qiao said, "Mom, I'm not saying this, but you and Dad used to dote on Xinyue too much. Regardless of whether she was right or wrong, you always favored her..."
Mother Qiao was speechless.
Mrs. Qiao couldn't help but say a few more words, "Look at how good Zhizhi is now. Isn't it because she's never been favored since she was a child? If her adoptive parents really loved her, how could they possibly hold her back at work? Put yourself in their shoes and think about it. If you had that much authority, could you hold Xinyue back at her work assignments?"
Mother Qiao was speechless again.
Of course not.
After so many years, even if I raise a dog, I will have feelings for it, let alone a daughter.
"You loved her too much in the past, making her feel that no matter what she did, you would forgive her..." As the saying goes, a bystander sees more clearly, and Mrs. Qiao saw it too clearly.
"Anyway, if Xinyue comes back one day, I won't allow you to let Zhizhi suffer any injustice..." said Mrs. Qiao.
"How can that be?" Qiao's mother said, "I feel bad for Zhizhi too."
Mrs. Qiao didn't quite believe it.
Anyway, if there is a chance, we will see how my in-laws perform.
After all, a daughter who has been raised by you for twenty years will sometimes be used to being partial to you without even realizing it.
Qiao's mother said, "I'm worried about Zhizhi's formal employment. How about I call the Lou family and talk about it..."
Qiao Zhiyi came into the kitchen and said, "Mom, please don't. Although we are poor, we are also strong-willed and don't ask for anything from others. I have already promised to go to Yanghetang and we will go there after we get married."
Mother Qiao looked at her daughter, feeling a little dazed.
This daughter is really different from the adopted daughter Xinyue.
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