Although they were annoying and didn't get along well with each other, they didn't have any deep-seated hatred, and Li Yan and the others couldn't just stand by and watch them starve to death.
We're only able to survive thanks to the mountain produce we recently collected; otherwise, we probably would have run out of food long ago.
However, the tension in my heart only increased.
"How can they be like this? Who has more grain? It's all earned through their own hard work and sweat. They just open their mouths and say they'll lend it to you, as if it's so easy."
Everyone's angry, but this is the only way out. If something really happens, it's a matter of life and death.
Furthermore, the claim that the educated youth here have no food and that even the mountain produce they eat is not enough, while the educated youth there don't care about them, is really unfriendly to them.
"Alright, that's all. But recently, we need to make sure all our things, whether they're food, clothes, or firewood, are properly stored away. We should also move the water tank inside. And when we go out, we need to lock the kitchen door."
Li Yan was stunned.
"Sister Ya-jun, is it necessary to be so serious?"
"Better safe than sorry," Lin Zhaodi agreed.
"We are always reluctant to think the worst of people, but we should always be wary of others."
"Oh," seeing that the two were in agreement, Li Yan naturally didn't object. Chen Jianguo was only doing the physical labor, while Ling Weidong and the others, who were still in the process of teaming up, didn't have the right to express their opinions. They immediately got to work, and as they locked the door and headed towards the village office, Ling Weidong said...
"Not only should you avoid leaving home alone, but female educated youth should also try not to go out alone."
Li Yan didn't understand, but Tan Yajun's expression immediately changed as she recalled the humiliation and unbearable pain of the past. Chen Jianguo's face also darkened.
What did you hear?
Ling Weidong is not good at gossiping behind people's backs.
"It's just a matter of taking precautions. However, we shouldn't believe everyone. Bad people will only think of ways to be bad, and they won't become good overnight."
After this little incident, Tan Yajun's face remained dejected until she returned with the grain. The previous events had had a profound impact on her, and she had kept it all bottled up for so long. She thought that time would heal it and that it would all be over, but who knew that the wound would be reopened.
In the days that followed, the girls prepared for the winter, and Jian Dan was no exception. She traded with the villagers for some dried vegetables they had dried in the summer, such as dried green beans, dried eggplant, dried potatoes, and dried radishes. She also traded some mushrooms that the villagers had picked. Before the first frost, she harvested the cabbages and radishes in the backyard, keeping the ones for pickling sauerkraut and putting the rest in the cellar.
Of course, there were still two child laborers to help. As soon as the family started harvesting cabbages, Tiger started running over here. Simple things couldn't dampen his enthusiasm for work, so he took the opportunity to outsource the work of transporting the cabbages to the cellar entrance.
There were quite a few cabbages in the backyard. Seventy or eighty of them were left to be pickled. Tiger frowned and looked at them for a long time. Feeling sorry for them, he called over his best friend Black Egg. He was still very regretful because Sister Jian wouldn't let him do it himself, afraid that he would get tired.
The two children ran and bounced around, which gave them energy to even the simplest chores.
"Sister Jian, are these cabbages on top going to be pickled into sauerkraut?"
Simply shout from below upwards.
"Yes, when are you going to pickle them? I'll ask your mom later when she'll have time to pickle a jar for me."
Last year, we had outside help, and this year we just took care of things ourselves without daring to do anything ourselves, for fear of ruining that pot of cabbages.
Tiger's eyes lit up.
"My family isn't in a hurry, Sister Jian, don't worry, I'll have Xiaohua go back and ask."
Xiao Hua didn't get any work this time, so she ate some simply boiled chestnuts while supervising the work.
Upon hearing this, he immediately slid down.
"I'll go ask Mom right now."
She turned and ran out the door, and soon returned with the person. Sun Xiang helped Grandma Liu San come in together.
Jian Dan had just finished arranging the radishes and climbed up when she saw the old lady and paused for a moment in surprise.
"Third mistress, what brings you here?"
"Didn't you want to pickle sauerkraut? We'll help you."
I'm used to joking around with her easily, and I speak to her casually.
"Oh my, this vat of pickled cabbage has really taken you all this way? I was just thinking of asking you to teach me how to pickle vegetables sometime."
When they were weeding the seedlings, there were still some small cucumbers left, enough for her to eat in a couple of bites, but she didn't touch them.
There were also some small potatoes that were specially sifted out when harvesting potatoes. She had heard that they could be made into pickles, and even if it was just to follow local customs, she wanted to learn how to make them.
The old lady's wrinkles appeared from laughing.
"You little rascal, you're always saying nice things."
Didn't you learn how to make this pickled cabbage dish last year? What, you forgot this year?
A simple chuckle.
"I never expected that I would be so lacking in talent in this area. I always thought I was quite smart."
Sun Xiang helped the old lady sit down, then rolled up her sleeves and got to work, working with incredible efficiency. It was something that could only be admired from afar, leaving one sighing in envy.
"Third Aunt, your aunt's skills are truly amazing. I ate that pickled cabbage from last year all winter long, and it didn't rot until spring. It was still crisp and tender."
"Haha, putting everything else aside, when it comes to pickled cabbage, no one in Liujiatun can compare to her."
The visitor's praise was so intense that Sun Xiang couldn't bear it any longer; her face even felt a little hot.
"Mother, please don't say that. How can family members praise each other?"
"I wasn't making this up, was I?"
Simple nodded repeatedly.
"That's right, that's right, it's clearly the truth."
"What kind of pickled vegetables are you making? Let me see."
I simply brought out my own pickled vegetable stash: a small pile of twisted cucumbers, twisted eggplants, small potatoes, dried dandelions, a few mustard tubers, a few pickled mustard greens, and radishes. Oh, and a few cabbages too, which can be made into kimchi.
The old lady looked at it.
Are you going to mail this to someone again?
"Huh? No? Can you still mail pickled vegetables?"
"You're all alone, why are you making so much? Are you planning to eat pickled vegetables all winter?"
Simple,???
There are too many?
"It's alright, it's alright. I have a few friends who don't know how to do it either. We can split some among ourselves and have them all try it."
The old lady knew a thing or two; this young girl knew the head of the Public Security Bureau, several people in the stationed troops, and apparently also people in the county town. Thinking of this, she didn't say anything more.
"Okay, do you have a jar? A jar, water, salt, and if you have soy sauce and vinegar, that would be great. I'll pickle some cucumbers for you. They're so crisp and refreshing. They're perfect for eating with porridge in winter. That's what I call delicious."
As soon as I heard it was delicious and easy to make, I had no objections.
"have!"
The old lady felt a pang of heartache for a few seconds, but since the other party was willing to spend the money, she didn't say anything.
"Okay, let's cook the cucumbers and potatoes first. After we blanch the cabbage, have your aunt steam it in that pot, and then we'll cook the rest."
"Does it need to be steamed?"
This is a completely basic area of knowledge that I've never explored before.
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