Just as Wei Ling was inspecting the ice surface and choosing the place to cut the ice, Qin Qingman took out a large wooden scoop from the large leather bag on the side of the sled.
Looking at the unexpected scoop, Chu Chu was stunned for a moment and then burst into laughter.
The corners of Wei Ling's mouth curled up to a charming angle.
"Don't laugh at me. This ladle was not prepared by me. It was already in the bag." Qin Qingman explained with a blush.
"Yes, it has existed all along." Wei Ling looked at Qin Qingman with a very tender gaze. He was the one who went to Jiang's house to get the sled, and he knew what was on the sled better than anyone else. To be honest, he didn't know how the bag appeared.
Qin Qingman looked into Wei Ling's eyes and suddenly smiled, "Well, I just got this." From the moment she decided to borrow Qin Xiang's sled, she was ready to pick ice and scoop fish. This bag did not accompany them all the way, but was prepared for her by Fourth Aunt's Qin Anping.
When Wei Ling went to get the sled, she saw her cousin Qin Anping.
Qin Anping had wanted to get closer to Qin Qingman ever since he had eaten the wild boar from her family. After seeing what Qin Qingman was thinking, he very cleverly prepared a wooden ladle and hung it on the river bank not far away.
Just now, when Wei Ling and Chu Chu were squatting on the ice to study the location for ice chiseling, she pulled the bag over.
This led to the scene that Wei Ling and the others just saw.
"Sister, does Brother Anping want to play with us?" This was the only reason Chuchu could think of.
Qin Qingman was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Yes, your brother Anping wants to play with us." The most obvious feature of a reconciled relationship is participation. Qin Anping sent this wooden ladle just to let Qin Qingman take him to play.
"Sister, Brother Anping bullied me before."
Chuchu is a vengeful person. He still remembers the last time when Qin Anping teamed up with Qin Jianming and several cousins to eat Dabai and Xiaobai.
"Then we won't forgive him." Qin Qingman smiled and rubbed Chuchu's head.
Unfortunately, the child was wearing a thick hat at that time, so the soft hair could not be pulled out.
Chuchu was immediately happy when she saw Qin Qingman supported her, "Okay, I won't forgive him."
"Well, whether you forgive or not depends on our mood. If we are in a bad mood, we won't forgive. If we are in a good mood..." Qin Qingman looked at Chu Chu and started to make a fuss.
"Sister, so what if I'm in a good mood? Will you forgive me?" Chu Chu was anxious and simply hugged Qin Qingman's thighs.
It was winter and they were all wearing warm clothes, so Chuchu could only barely hug one of Qin Qingman's thighs.
It's not that Qin Qingman's legs are thick, but that Qin Qingman is wearing a lot of clothes, and Chuchu is also wearing a lot of clothes, so her arms and legs are small, and this is the effect of hugging her.
"Sister, so what if you haven't told me that you are in a good mood?" Chuchu asked persistently.
Qin Qingman saw that Chuchu was really persistent, and replied: "I won't forgive when I'm in a bad mood. Of course, I will forgive if I want to forgive when I'm in a good mood, and I won't forgive if I don't want to forgive. It's up to me."
"Great, I like to do whatever I want."
Chuchu was so happy that she jumped three feet high.
Qin Qingman did not stop him. In such a cold weather, it would be better for children to run more, as it would be more beneficial for blood circulation. Only when the body is warm would their hands and feet not be cold.
"Wife, I think there may be fish underneath." Wei Ling watched Qin Qingman and her brother making a fuss for a while before pointing out the chosen location for cutting ice.
"I'll do as you say. I'll dig here."
Qin Qingman is not from here, and she doesn't understand these things, so she doesn't try to get involved.
The hammer and chisel were taken out by Wei Ling from the space under the sled.
Qin Qingman and Chuchu gently wiped the ice with their gloved hands, and they could see the water plants under the ice swaying with the river.
You can see how clear the ice is.
"Chu Chu, come here, let's make room for A Ling and don't bother him making ice." Qin Qingman called Chu Chu to stand farther away from her.
Wei Ling unbuttoned his coat, then moved his arms and legs and began to chip the ice.
Qin Xiang's sled can seat three people, which means the sled is very large, so the ice block that Wei Ling plans to dig out is not small, one meter square.
First carve out a suitable location for taking ice, then start actually carving the ice.
When Qin Qingman saw Wei Ling opening his clothes, she was worried that he would catch a cold, but when she saw Wei Ling making ice, she was no longer worried.
Such wild movements would definitely be inconvenient if the clothes were caught.
Wei Ling is very strong and his force is precise. Others need the cooperation of several people to chip ice, but when it comes to him, he can do it all by himself.
In less than half an hour, three large blocks of ice were chiseled off.
"A Ling, that's enough. Making ice lanterns is enough." While Wei Ling was cutting ice, Qin Qingman and Chu Chu were also not idle. The two of them pulled the sled and played by the river for a long time, almost sweating profusely.
"good."
When Wei Ling heard Qin Qingman's voice, he immediately withdrew his hand and moved his gaze to the place where he had already taken the ice and thinned it.
He did not drill through the river surface when getting ice, which means he needs to make ventilation holes now.
"A Ling, you just dug the ice so hard, the fish under the water must have run away long ago?" Qin Qingman was a little worried that there would be no fish to eat today.
“No, I just used my ingenuity. It looks like the noise is loud, but actually the sound is only on the ice surface. Plus the water will block the sound, so if there are fish below, they will not be startled.” Wei Ling was very confident in his ability.
"Well, let's start cutting ice and scooping up fish."
Qin Qingman grabbed the wooden ladle tightly.
She remembered that there was a documentary on TV later on, which was about large-scale fishing with nets cast every winter in a place in the northeast. Large nets were lowered into the river, and several tons of fish were eventually pulled out. Today, she didn't think about a few tons, but if she could scoop up three or five fish, it would be enough for her family to have several meals.
"Brother-in-law, chisel!"
Chuchu squatted beside Qin Qingman and looked nervously at the ice surface that was about to break.
"good."
Wei Ling was urged by Qin Qingman and her brother repeatedly, but he was not in a hurry. Instead, he calmly put down the chisel in his hand.
With the crisp sound of breaking ice, a big hole was finally dug through the river bank, and the river water swirled around and filled the hole.
The river water under the ice layer is not as cold as the air outside, but much higher in temperature. As the hole appears, mist appears above the hole, adding a touch of ethereal fairy air to the snowy world.
Very beautiful.
Qin Qingman and Chu Chu, who were waiting for the fish, stared at the hole without blinking.
Wei Ling laughed and explained, "It's just a newly opened vent. I guess we'll have to wait a while."
"Oh." Qin Qingman and Chu Chu answered at the same time, and then Qin Qingman turned her gaze to Wei Ling.
Only then did she notice that Wei Ling, who had been working for quite a while, had beads of sweat on his forehead.
This is because I am tired and sweaty.
After thinking for a while, Qin Qingman handed the wooden ladle in her hand to Chu Chu, then stood up and began to take off her gloves.
"Wife?" Wei Ling was a little confused when he saw Qin Qingman taking off her gloves.
It's so cold today, I feel cold even with gloves on, why do you take them off?
"Let me wipe the sweat off your face." Qin Qingman's fair and slightly cool fingers gently slid across Wei Ling's forehead, removing the beads of sweat that had just appeared.
"No need to rub it, it will disappear in a while. Be careful not to freeze your hands." Wei Ling was reluctant to let Qin Qingman get frozen, so he quickly put down the chisel and covered Qin Qingman's hand.
But there were some ice chips on his gloves because he had taken the ice before, so not only did they fail to warm Qin Qingman, they also froze her.
A soft hissing sound was heard, and both Qin Qingman and Wei Ling looked towards the palms of their hands.
Wei Ling quickly let go of Qin Qingman's hand and took off his gloves.
"A Ling, no need, my hands are not cold. I'll wipe the sweat off your face and then put on your gloves." Qin Qingman stopped Wei Ling and took out a handkerchief from her pocket.
The handkerchief was bought at the county supply and marketing cooperative. It had just been washed and dried. It was the first time Qin Qingman wore it when she went out.
Pure cotton handkerchiefs are very absorbent, and Qin Qingman only took a few seconds to wipe off the sweat on Wei Ling's forehead.
Just as she was about to withdraw her handkerchief, her gaze stayed on Wei Ling's neck.
There were also traces of sweat there, which showed how much energy Wei Ling had expended in spending half an hour chiseling three large blocks of ice.
"Wife, it's okay, just go back and wash up." Wei Ling's gaze followed Qin Qingman's line of sight. Although he couldn't see the condition of his neck, he could feel that the collar there was a little wet, and this should be the reason why Qin Qingman's gaze paused.
Qin Qingman didn't think so. "A Ling, it's cold. If you don't wipe off the sweat in time, you will catch a cold."
She knew that Wei Ling was in good health, but she didn't intend to do nothing.
Holding her handstring, Qin Qingman reached out to Wei Ling's neck. Before she wiped the sweat off his face, she felt the temperature from Wei Ling's neck, which was much higher than the temperature of her fingers.
A bit burning.
Especially when she smelled Wei Ling's breath, Qin Qingman's heart began to beat uncontrollably.
Qin Qingman was influenced by Wei Ling, and the daughter-in-law in Wei Ling's eyes was also full of temptation.
He wanted to bite his wife's slightly blushing face hard. Her diamond-shaped lips became even redder due to the cold weather. Even the fingers sliding across his neck made him extremely distracted.
When the hot neck meets the cool fingers, it's like thunder and lightning striking the earth.
"Wife." Wei Ling clenched his fists, lowered his head slightly and looked at Qin Qingman with desire in his eyes.
Looking at Wei Linglian like this, Qin Qingman thought of the scene in the morning when he was still asleep.
Qin Qingman glanced at Chu Chu who was squatting on the river and staring at the hole, and an evil idea suddenly came to her mind. Without thinking, she withdrew her hand and took off the other glove, then quickly put both hands around Wei Ling's neck.
The warm temperature instantly made Qin Qingman show an expression of enjoyment.
Wei Ling had already guessed what Qin Qingman was going to do, so he did not take precautions but offered his neck.
He didn't feel cold at this time.
Because Qin Qingman's fingers were only slightly cool, and the slightly cool temperature was like adding fuel to the fire for him.
Wei Ling took off his gloves and wrapped his hands around Qin Qingman's.
There was warmth inside and outside, and Qin Qingman's fingers quickly warmed up.
Just when Qin Qingman was about to say something, or to do something, Wei Ling spoke up, "Wife, are you still cold?"
"It's not cold anymore."
Qin Qingman saw the doting in Wei Ling's clear eyes and immediately understood her position in his heart.
She suddenly felt playful and gently rubbed her wrapped fingers in Wei Ling's palm.
Wei Ling's heart was numb. Not only was his heart numb, but his entire body was numb as well. A shudder spread from his scalp to his entire body, spine, limbs, and even to his nerve endings...
"Ah Ling, let's take a look at the fish."
Qin Qingman could not only feel the heat from Wei Ling's body, but also sense the emotions conveyed by Wei Ling.
In broad daylight, she changed the subject and avoided the question.
What's more, Chuchu is right next to them, and it would be bad if the children saw anything.
"Wife." Wei Ling saw Qin Qingman flirting and running away, and unconsciously there was a hint of grievance on his face.
He has been trying to control his impulses, but it is always his wife who teases him every time.
Qin Qingman is a person who is easily persuaded by soft words, and seeing the grievance in Wei Ling's eyes, she immediately reflected on herself and found that she seemed to have gone a little too far. She quickly glanced at Chu Chu, whose eyes had never left the ice hole, and then stood on tiptoe and quickly touched Wei Ling's lips with her red lips.
They separate as soon as they are touched.
But Wei Ling was satisfied.
Satisfy the daughter-in-law's initiative.
"Fish, fish!" Just as the couple were recalling the slightest bite of fish, Chuchu's surprised voice suddenly rang out, and at the same time, the wooden ladle in the child's hand excitedly reached into the water.
Wei Ling and Qin Qingman's minds were quickly diverted.
Qin Qingman reached out to help Chuchu, but how could a wooden ladle scoop up the fish!
Not only did the two men fail to scoop up any fish in a panic, they also splashed a lot of cold water on themselves. In the end, it was Wei Ling who quickly knocked out five fish with a pickaxe.
The fish stiffened rapidly as soon as it left the water.
Not dead yet, but not far from death.
All five fish were very large. Qin Qingman estimated that each one weighed at least 10 kilograms. She glanced at the hole that no longer had any fish in it and decisively ordered everyone to stop, "A Ling, fill up the hole. Let's go back."
Five fish of this size are enough for their family to eat for a week. Her and Chuchu's clothes are a little wet, so they must go back and dry them as soon as possible, otherwise they will really catch a cold and get sick.
"good."
Wei Ling also noticed that Qin Qingman and Chuchu's clothes were wet, and immediately set about sealing the holes.
If such a hole is left unattended, it will freeze over in half an hour, and after one night it will be as thick as the surrounding ice layer. However, Qin Qingman was worried that someone would not pay attention to the hole and fall into it.
So it must be filled in.
The hole was easy to seal. When Wei Ling was chiseling ice blocks before, he reserved a piece of ice to seal the hole. Now, following Qin Qingman's instructions, he directly plugged the ice block into the hole. It is estimated that it will not take long for the hole to be completely sealed.
Qin Qingman had just loaded the five fish onto the sled when Wei Ling finished his work.
In order to warn those who didn't know the inside story, he even broke off a pine branch from the river bank and stuck it next to the hole as a mark. After doing all this, Wei Ling rushed back to Qin Qingman and Chuchu, first carried Chuchu onto the sled, and then said to Qin Qingman: "Wife, you get on too, I'm faster, let's go home as soon as possible."
"good."
Qin Qingman didn't bother to argue with Wei Ling anymore. She just got on the sled and sat down.
"Brother-in-law, can you pull it?" Chu Chu was a little worried while holding Qin Qingman's thighs. There were already three big pieces of ice on the sled. With such big ice and the weight of his sister and him, he was a little worried whether Wei Ling could pull it.
"Just sit tight and I'll pull."
Wei Ling knew that he only needed to exert 50% of his strength to pull the sled on the ice to produce the full effect.
"Brother-in-law, we are seated." Chu Chu reported the progress to Wei Ling.
"Yeah." Wei Ling tried the rope in his hand first. Seeing that he could pull the sled, he began to increase his strength. As the strength increased, the sled, which had been pulled a lot, began to slide quickly on the ice.
Fortunately, the terrain of Kaoshantun is relatively flat, so there is no need to go up or down the mountain.
Wei Ling pulled the sled home in just ten minutes.
It can be said that the family created a sensation again.
Snow Town is not a snow town in the ordinary sense. The freezing period here is long. Every winter, the ice on the river surface is particularly thick. The speed at which people can break ice is slower than the speed at which the ice freezes. Some people have thought of catching fish in the river before, but no one has succeeded in eating fish in winter.
As a result, Wei Ling broke the convention.
The villagers looked at the five big fish on the sled with envy, and their saliva was almost dripping.
The Qin family hasn’t even finished eating the wild boar yet and now they’re going to eat fish!
Envy, immense envy.
Qin Qingman and Chuchu's clothes were soaked with water, and the wet parts had frozen into lumps of ice before they returned home. They were extremely heavy. As soon as they entered the house, Qin Qingman took Chuchu into the house and turned on the stove to dry the clothes.
The things on the sled are handled by Wei Ling.
Three large blocks of ice were placed next to the well for easy access later.
"A Ling, when you go to your aunt's house to exchange the sled, bring a fish as a thank-you gift." Qin Qingman instructed Wei Ling through the window how to behave.
You must express your gratitude after borrowing something, otherwise it will be difficult to borrow from them again next time.
Anyway, the fish was caught in the river, and since Wei Ling had this ability, Qin Qingman didn't worry about not being able to eat fish in the future. If she wasn't worried, there was no need to be stingy with a fish.
"Wife, I understand."
Wei Ling outside the house packed up the sled, picked the smallest fish, and dragged the sled to Jiang's house.
Although it is the smallest fish, it is only compared with a few others.
The fish Wei Ling was holding in his hand must have weighed about 15 or 16 kilograms.
The Jiang family was surprised and delighted when Wei Ling came to their house. They didn't expect that Wei Ling would be so polite as to give them such a big fish.
If you eat this fish sparingly, it will last you at least a week.
"Wei Ling, this is not nice. Qingman and Chuchu also need to replenish their bodies. You can take them back and give them the nourishment. We are a family. You can borrow the sled to use wherever you want. Do you need a gift?" Although Jiang Linshan coveted the fish in Wei Ling's hand, he still had to say polite words.
"Uncle, Qingman asked me to give this to you. Please accept it."
Wei Ling didn't like being pushed around, so he put down the fish and the sled and prepared to go home. He was worried because his wife and brother-in-law's clothes were wet.
"Wei Ling, wait a minute." Jiang Linshan was so happy to see that Wei Ling was really giving him the fish. He turned to the lady in the room and said, "Dongmei, go to our storeroom and get a pound of monkey mushrooms for your cousin-in-law."
"knew."
Jiang Dongmei answered from inside the house, and deftly brought out some dried Hericium erinaceus in a small willow basket.
She was embarrassed to give it directly to Wei Ling, so she gave it to her father.
Jiang Linshan handed the willow basket to Wei Ling, "Give it to Qingman and Chuchu to nourish their bodies." Hericium erinaceus is rare. Even though he ran in the mountains frequently last year, he only got a few. After drying, it weighed less than five kilograms.
The reason why Qin Xiang's injury healed so quickly was that she had been taking Hericium erinaceus for the past few days.
Wei Ling originally didn't want to take the willow basket that Jiang Linshan handed over, but when he heard that the monkey mushrooms were for his wife's health, he naturally took it and said, "Thank you, uncle."
"We as a family shouldn't be so polite."
Jiang Linshan saw Wei Ling off.
Jiang Dongmei secretly looked at Wei Ling, and when she saw his appearance clearly, she blushed and fantasized that she would marry a man like her cousin's husband in the future.
Only a man like this has the ability to let his wife eat meat.
Wei Ling's gaze never even lingered on Jiang Dongmei's face. He went straight home carrying the willow basket. Willow baskets were worthless in Kaoshantun, and every family could make them by themselves. He had no intention of returning it.
At the Qin's house, Qin Qingman and Chuchu had already tidied up simply, and the wet clothes were drying by the fire.
Qin Qingman was surprised to see the willow basket in Wei Ling's hand.
Hericium erinaceus, still wild, is a rare and top-grade mountain delicacy in later generations, and it tastes super delicious.
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