Chapter 571 Chapter 572: Completion
After lunch, Zhou Huaian told Zhou Huairong and others about digging the wine cellar. The three brothers told him to mind his own business and they would help with carrying soil.
Zhou Huaishan even teased him and asked him to use the salary he earned from hiring the guests to buy good wine and food to entertain them, and Zhou Huaian readily agreed.
The next morning, Master Xue and his two grandfathers arrived. The family had hired a master, and Zhou's mother also came to help with cooking and housework.
Busy days always pass quickly, and Yang Chunyan didn’t even have time to prepare rice dumplings before the Dragon Boat Festival arrived.
Zhou's mother and sister-in-law Zhao Huifang made salty ham dumplings and sweet candied date dumplings, and stewed two old ducks. They called all the brothers together and celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival at Zhou Huaishan's home.
After the Dragon Boat Festival, the eighth day of the first lunar month was the day when Yang put up the beams for the country. The family hired people to dig a wine cellar. Yang Chunyan and Zhou Huaian presented gifts, had a wedding banquet at her parents' home, and then hurried back to Funiu.
After getting familiar with them, I learned that Lao Xue and his old husband came from northern Shaanxi. He said that there was a water source in the mountain behind Zhou's house, so we couldn't dig too deep, but could dig wider. Digging two rooms would allow us to hide a lot of things.
Zhou Huaian and his brothers naturally did whatever their master said. After drinking the wine for the beam-raising ceremony, they went back and worked for another two days. Finally, two cellars of about 40 square meters in size were completed.
After the wages were settled, the three Xue family members moved the tools to Zhou Huaishan's house. The three of them had to go back to help plant the seedlings at home before coming back to work.
Zhou Huaian took Yang Chunyan to the backyard alley, opened the oval wooden door, and entered an alley about two meters deep and one meter wide.
It was dark and chilly inside. After turning on the flashlight, she saw that the two cellar rooms were about one meter wide. Yang Chunyan felt that it was somewhat similar to the cave dwellings she had seen on TV in her previous life.
The floor of the cellar was paved with yellow bricks, and charcoal and lime were laid underneath the yellow bricks to prevent moisture. The kiln walls were planed and then smeared with clay, and the kiln roof was supported by willow rafters.
"Is it cool?" Zhou Huaian looked at her with a smile, "How about we move in in half a month?"
Yang Chunyan shook her head, "No, it's not that hot on the mountain!"
"Alas!" Zhou Huaian sighed and said, "After the inside was dug out, my third brother said that if he had known it would be dug like this, he would have dug two more rooms after the house was repaired, and my third sister-in-law wouldn't have to hide in Ning'an."
Yang Chunyan remembered Zhou Huaishan's words last time that Li Qiuyue's legs were swollen and she looked less energetic than when she was at home. Every time she went there, she would ask if Xiaolin and Xiaoru were okay. When he was about to leave, his eyes were filled with tears and she felt pitiful just by looking at him.
"She hid there alone, worried about others finding her. She couldn't go out and interact with people for several months. She also had to worry about her children at home. It was very torturous."
Zhou Huaian hugged her, "Yan'er, after listening to what Third Brother said last time, I was thinking that since we already have Little Nine, it's better not to have a Second."
Yang Chunyan smiled and said, "It's still early! Jiuer is only two months old. Even if we want a second child, we have to wait until he is four or five years old."
Zhou Huaian thought for a moment and said, "Yes, maybe there will be a better way if we wait a few more years!"
"Come on, let's go out and bring in the ham and bacon and hang them in the corner by the aisle."
"Yes, if we don't hang it in here, the meat will dry out."
The two men went to the backyard and took down the meat hanging on the beams, and hung them on the wooden beams that had been reserved in advance at the top of the aisle.
Zhou Huaian picked up two sausages that were as dry as sticks and said, "They will be ready next year. We can hang them in there and eat them for a year."
Yang Chunyan nodded, "Also put honey, mushrooms, fungus, and fried pork in it."
"Okay!" Zhou Huaian ran out happily and went to the kitchen to move the jars and bamboo baskets.
Yang Chunyan went to the front yard. Wangcai and Lai Fu were lying beside Xiaojiuer's cradle at the door of the main room. When they saw her coming, they wagged their tails and lay down again.
She was just about to check if her son had peed when the little guy woke up rubbing his eyes. When he saw his mother, he smiled and reached out to her for a hug.
The little guy slept much less during the day than at night. He also tried to bring his little feet to his mouth, but failed every time. It was funny to see him trying hard.
Yang Chunyan picked him up, and the little guy clenched his fist and put it to her mouth, "Don't eat your fingers!"
Little Jiuer thought his mother was playing with him, so he sucked his lips and said "oh oh" to her.
The old man came in from outside carrying a brand new basket on his shoulder. "We'll start harvesting wheat and rapeseed this afternoon. Your husband has already called everyone. Your mother said she's cooking at the third brother's house. You can all go over and eat together."
Yang Chunyan thought for a moment, "Do we need to provide meals for the guests we invite?"
The old man put the basket at the door of the main hall and said, "No, to avoid people asking questions when they come!"
Yang Chunyan picked up Xiao Jiuer and said, "Huaian put all the meat and vegetables he bought in the wine cellar. I'll go get them and send them to Third Brother."
"Okay!" The old man said, then he took a big broom and went to clean the yard.
The hardened cement soil outside the yard can be used to dry a lot of grain after being cleaned. We no longer have to carry the drying mats to the fields to dry the grain as before.
At this time, Zhou Yiding rode his bicycle to the outside of the yard and said, "Grandpa, sweep the floor. When will you start the harvest?"
"We'll start harvesting rapeseed this afternoon!" The old man looked at him with a smile, "Are you coming down the mountain to help harvest rapeseed?"
"Well! My family only planted two mu of rapeseed, and the three of us finished harvesting it in two days." Zhou Yiding said as he entered the yard, "Youngest, where have you been? I'm here to bring you something delicious."
"I'm here!" Zhou Huaian ran out from the kitchen and punched him, "Damn it, have you had enough of being so coquettish in the mountains? Are you willing to come down the mountain now?"
"Go~" Zhou Yiding kicked him, "I went to the forest farm to learn technology. Xuejiao had nothing to do up there, so she went into the mountains to dig herbs and planted them. She almost planted all the land outside."
"Oh my!" Zhou Huaian exclaimed, "Really? After we finish planting the rice seedlings, let's go up and take a look."
"Take sister-in-law and Xiao Jiu'er with you. It's very cool up there, and they need to wear coats."
"I haven't been hunting in the mountains for a long time. I've been itching to do it. I'll go to your place and hang out for a few days after I'm done with this."
"Great!" Zhou Yiding pointed at Jiabei, "The day before yesterday, I went to patrol the forest early in the morning and saw a musk deer in the ditch. It must have been injured in the leg by the hunters, and it lay there motionless. Unfortunately, it was a female!"
"I picked up a musk deer for free, and you still despise it!" Zhou Huaian rolled his eyes at him and took off his backpack. "Come with me to the backyard. I'll show you a comfortable life. I guarantee you've never seen it before."
Zhou Yiding said with a smile: "You are still looking so comfortable for me. I don't know what good things your kid has that I don't know!"
The two of them walked towards the kitchen while arguing. Yang Chunyan came in holding Xiao Jiuer, "Yiding is back!"
"Sister-in-law!" Zhou Yiding responded with a smile, "Little boy, come and hold your godfather!"
Little Jiuer looked at him curiously, and when she realized it was something she had never seen before, she pouted her little mouth and was about to cry in front of him.
"Little thing, you can't recognize me after only two months of not seeing me?" Zhou Yiding hurriedly returned the child to Yang Chunyan. "Sister-in-law, there is a leg of musk deer meat, silkworms, mushrooms, fungus and tree flowers in the back."
Yang Chunyan's backpack was full. "How tiring it must be to carry it all the way here?"
Zhou Yiding smiled and said, "Not tired, Xuejiao and I each carried one back, there are more on the mountain, waiting for you to come up..."
"Come on, let's go see An Yi!" Before he could finish his words, Zhou Huaian, who was busy showing off, pulled him to the backyard.
Yang Chunyan looked at the two of them, smiled and shook her head, "Still the same temper as before!"
Before he finished speaking, the old man came in with a smile, "Did the youngest boy, La Yiding, go to the backyard to check out the wine cellar?"
"Yes!" Yang Chunyan handed Xiao Jiuer to him, "Yiding sent a lot of good things. I took the mushrooms and black fungus to dry upstairs, and pickled the silkworms. We can eat them tonight."
The old man took the child and held him in his arms. "Go! I'll take Jiuer to the vegetable garden to check on the chicks."
Yang Chunyan took out several things and packed them separately. The mushrooms and black fungus had been selected and then poured into a winnowing basket and spread them out in the yard to dry.
The silkworms were put into a net bag, which was full. When I lifted it up, I saw a leg of musk deer meat under some cabbage leaves.
Yang Chunyan took out the meat, thought about putting a chopping board on it, cut the meat with a knife, spread some salt on it, and carried it to the wine cellar.
As I walked to the door, I heard Zhou Huaian's smug voice, "Before, no one here looked up to me, and they all went to the brigade headquarters to repair it. After my house was repaired, everyone thought it was good."
Zhou Yiding smiled and said, "Of course not. Barren fields are not cultivated, but once cultivated, people will fight for them. I also want to find a place at the foot of the mountain, rebuild a yard, and dig a wine cellar like this."
Yang Chunyan took over the conversation, "Yiding, when Master Xue and the others come, you can ask them to go to your house and see if you can dig a cellar in the backyard so that you can hang bacon and store wine!"
"Okay, let them have a look when they come!" Zhou Yiding said, "Sister-in-law, you are amazing. I never dreamed that those small truffles and rotten truffles could be sold for three yuan per pound after being soaked in wine."
He never left the mountain, and Zhou Daqing collected the dividends for him.
Zhou Huaian: "We still have several hundred kilograms of 60-proof liquor. Big brother and the others said that if we can't sell it, we can divide it up and take it back to drink!"
Zhou Yiding said with a smile: "Dig a cellar and hide it. When Xiao Jiuer gets married, take it out and drink it!"
Zhou Huaian glared, "Oh my god! Hundreds of kilograms, enough for hosting a hundred tables of wine!"
"Come out and check on big brother. We'll start harvesting wheat this afternoon." Yang Chunyan handed the meat to Zhou Huaian and went back to clean the silkworms.
While washing, I was thinking that when I have time I will go to the ditch on the mountain and dig some back to pickle.
The scientific name of the native silkworm is Grass Silkworm. In some places, it is also called ground silkworm, pagoda vegetable, native ginseng, and nectar seed. It is a perennial herb and a perennial root plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family.
It likes moist soil and grows mostly in wetlands near water. Its stems are upright and quadrangular with inverted thorns. Its ovate leaves are hairy on both sides and have serrated edges. It blooms with clusters of small lavender flowers.
The stems and leaves can treat rheumatoid arthritis, hepatitis, snake bites, and relieve pain.
The underground rhizomes are spiral in shape, crisp, tender and fiberless, and can be used to make pickles.
Grass silkworm: sweet; neutral, non-toxic, can nourish yin and moisten the lungs. Shizhen said: It is not suitable to be eaten raw or eaten in large quantities. Raw inch-long white worms. Eating them with fish will cause vomiting.
(End of this chapter)
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