Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Remember, Catch the Lazy Cicada
In the countryside, families with no one to take care of their children will take their children to play wherever their parents are working.
In families with little labor, children like Zhou Xiaowen's age are already helping their families cut grass and feed pigs and cows.
"Xiao Wen, where are your mom and grandma?"
"Over there in the rapeseed field." Zhou Xiaowen stretched out his hand to Yang Chunyan, "Aunt, I want some candy." The other three also stretched out their hands, "Aunt, I want some too."
Yang Chunyan patted her trouser pocket and said, "Auntie, I didn't put it in. I'll give it to you when I get back."
Seeing her trouser pockets were empty, several people did not cry or make a fuss, but earnestly reminded her: "Don't forget it when you go back."
"Okay, don't run around here."
Yang Chunyan walked to the rapeseed field and saw Zhou's mother and three sisters-in-law bending over to pull weeds. The rapeseed in the field was almost one meter tall, and some had already grown flower buds.
This batch of rapeseed was planted after sowing. It grew a bit densely, and its roots and rhizomes were not as thick as those of transplanted rapeseed.
There was no other choice. We were all allocated dozens of acres of mountain land, and everyone dug the land and sowed seeds as quickly as possible.
A lot of pulled green grass was thrown on the edge of the field, and a backpack was also placed on the edge of the field. Yang Chunyan gathered the grass and put it in the backpack.
"Mom, sister-in-law, the old man and brother are all back. They've finished work and are going back to eat."
Mother Zhou straightened up and looked back at her, "One more thing, take Xiaolin and the others back first."
"Okay!" Yang Chunyan turned around and picked up the youngest Zhou Xiaolin, "Let's go back and have some candy."
Zhou Xiaowen picked up the two figurines that he thought looked the best, and said, "Aunt, if we burn them in the stove, they won't rot, right?"
"Yeah!" Yang Chunyan nodded with a smile.
Zhou Jiakang pulled her collar, "Aunt, I want to have two pieces of candy."
"Okay, two bucks each."
Yang Chunyan brought a few people back home and saw Zhou's father and Zhou Huairong's brothers sorting ropes in the backyard.
When I arrived at the front yard, I unexpectedly saw Zhou Huaian, who had returned to his room angrily. I sat next to the old man and helped him wrap tobacco leaves.
She recalled that when her grandfather from her mother's family was still alive, she and her sister often helped him wrap tobacco leaves.
First, hold the tobacco leaves that have been pinched into pieces in your hand and blow air on them with your mouth. This will make the leaves moister, so that they will not be too dry and easily break when wrapping the leaves.
After the tobacco leaves become moist, gently pat off the dust on the leaves, gently smooth the unfolded leaves, and then put the thin stems pinched off the leaves into the whole leaf.
Wrap the tobacco leaves slowly until they are the size of a cigar with appropriate tightness. After wrapping, put them into grandpa's pipe.
The smell of leaf tobacco is really unpleasant, but it also has its uses.
When I was a child, I loved to go barefoot. I got foot ulcers. I put my grandfather’s used tobacco leaves between my toes, put socks on them and slept for a night. When I woke up the next day, the foot ulcers were not so serious.
Whenever I was transplanting rice seedlings and encountered leeches crawling into my legs and I couldn't swat them out, I would ask my grandfather to scoop some tobacco oil from his pipe and apply it to the area where the leeches had crawled into, and the leeches would crawl out immediately.
Grandma would also put some tobacco bones that grandpa didn’t like in the cabinet, saying that the cabinet with tobacco bones would not be infested with bugs, fleas, or cockroaches.
When Zhou Xiaoqian and the other two saw her coming back, they immediately ran up to her and looked at her with a smile, "Aunt Yao, we have finished our homework."
"Okay, Auntie, wash Xiaolin's hands first, and then give you some candy."
"Okay, I'll help you get some water." Zhou Jiaming went to the well, put the bucket tied with a rope into the well, and drew up a bucket of water.
There is a round hole the size of an oil dish at the bottom of the bucket, and there is a piece of rubber on the hole. When the bucket is placed in the well, water will flow into the bucket from the round hole.
Zhou Xiaoqian squatted down to help, looking at Zhou Xiaolin and Zhou Jiakang with disgust, "You two, you are as dirty as beggars."
Zhou Jiakang pouted and looked at her sideways, "Sister, I'm not a beggar, I'm Zhou Jiakang."
Zhou Xiaoqian flicked a few drops of water on his nose and said with a grin, "Okay, you are Zhou Jiakang."
"Aunt, my elder sister splashed water on my nose." Zhou Jiakang reached out and wiped it, and his face immediately became covered with clown water.
Zhou Xiaolin pointed at him and said in a baby voice, "Third brother, the big tabby cat."
Zhou Jiakang wiped her face and chuckled, "You are also a big cat."
Several children giggled, and Zhou Xiaolin also smiled foolishly.
After Yang Chunyan washed the two children with a towel, she carried Zhou Xiaolin to the room, took out all the candies in her bag and said to them, "Two pieces each, take them yourselves."
"Thank you, Auntie!" Several children took two candies each, peeled off the candy wrappers and stuffed them into their mouths.
"Be good!" Yang Chunyan took a piece of candy, peeled off the candy wrapper, put it in Zhou Xiaolin's mouth, and put another piece in her pocket.
"Aunt is so sweet!" The little girl kissed her on the face happily, her face covered with saliva.
"Little girl, who is sweeter, Tangtang or Auntie?"
"It's sweet, sugar." As the little girl opened her mouth, saliva mixed with sugar water flowed out.
Yang Chunyan hurriedly wiped it off with a handkerchief, carried her out and placed her next to the old man, and gave him the remaining candy, "Grandpa, look at Xiaolin, she has candy in her mouth."
"Okay! Come and sit next to us." The old man picked up Zhou Xiaolin and sat next to him.
Yang Chunyan went to the kitchen, peeled a few lettuces, washed them and sliced them. She first poured the lettuce slices into boiling water, then poured the lettuce leaves into the water and blanched them. She then scooped them up with a colander and put them in a colander to drain.
I went to the vegetable garden to pick some onion leaves, coriander, and chili peppers and brought them back to the kitchen. I scooped up water to wash them clean, chopped the onion, chopped the coriander and chili peppers, and crushed a few garlic cloves. The seasoning was ready and the water from the lettuce in the colander was drained.
Pour all the lettuce and seasonings into a ceramic bowl, add salt, pepper powder, soy sauce, mix well, divide into two portions and roll them into a ceramic bowl.
The pig intestines in the pot have been stewed until soft. Pour the coriander and chopped green onions into the pot, stir-fry for a few times, and shovel them into a ceramic bowl.
Zhou Huaian walked in with his slippers on. "Yan'er, you're not well yet?"
Yang Chunyan brought the steamer to the stove and said, "It will be ready soon."
Zhou Huaian hesitated for a moment, then looked at her with a smile, "Yan'er, I've thought about it, and you don't have to give me the money from selling herbs in the future. How about we give half of the money to my sister-in-law and the others?"
Yang Chunyan glanced at him and asked, "Are you willing to do that?"
Zhou Huaian nodded and shook his head, "I can't bear to do that either. But my grandma said that it's easier to pay back a debt of money than to pay back a debt of favor. Besides, my brothers and I are all living well, and I'm happy too!"
Yang Chunyan felt that what the old man said was right. "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Zhou Huaian looked at her gratefully. Seeing that there was no one around, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Thank you, my wife!"
"We've been seen!" Yang Chunyan kicked him and grumbled at the dishes on the stove, "Bring the dishes to the living room. We'll have dinner when mom and sister-in-law come back."
Zhou Huaian picked up the braised pork intestines and winked at her, "Remember, catch the lazy cicada."
"I understand."
"Hehe!" Zhou Huaian smiled proudly and walked towards the main room with the dishes.
Yang Chunyan opened the lid of the steamer and saw that the steamer contained multi-grain rice and there were boiled cowpeas under the steamer. She prepared some dipping water and scooped the cowpeas into the soup bowl.
He took out a pile of bowls from the cupboard and walked towards the main room.
When there are many people, all the food is served in earthenware bowls and pots. The people who work can only eat from two-dou bowls.
Zhou's mother, Zhao Huifang and the other two had already returned. They took baskets to collect the dried grass and put the old peppercorns into the baskets.
(End of this chapter)
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