They've been using a fire for warmth here for a while now, and the fact that she wakes up freezing every morning is cruel to Jian Dan, especially for a lazy person like her; it's torture.
Reluctantly, I dragged the thermal underwear that I had stuffed under the covers last night into the bed, put it on tightly inside, and only then did I have the courage to lift the covers.
Sure enough, a refreshing breeze suddenly swept over me, bringing a cool and undeniably chilly temperature. Even though I was wearing thermal underwear, I couldn't help but shiver. Without thinking, I frantically and instinctively grabbed my cotton-padded trousers and pulled them on.
"Oh my god, it's so cold."
The fire in the fire wall and under the stove had indeed gone out, and even the ashes were completely cold.
They lit corn stalks on both sides, weighed them down with small pieces of twigs, and then placed a large piece on top. They also added water to both pots, and steam rose from the pots. The cool air in the room finally dissipated a bit, and Jian Dan breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally warm.
This is something that happens almost every morning; it's really something else.
The water in the pot is hot. It's simple and doesn't involve any complicated preparations. It's early in the morning, so something light is good.
I put some rice and two eggs in the small pot, and after thinking for a moment, I took out two salted duck eggs and put a steamed bun on top. It was a breakfast of pure refined grains.
Those chicken eggs and salted duck eggs were all from the base. This year, no one in the village is raising chickens or ducks, so she can't find anyone to exchange these eggs for. She can only live off her savings. She's still growing, so she can't go hungry, can she?
After tidying up, she remembered the shoes she had mentioned yesterday. Looking down, she saw that the shoes on her feet had been made by Grandma Liu San, and they fit quite well. She also had several pairs, some bearing her own name and others borrowed from Zhu Yan's name. They were mostly slightly larger sizes, and given how fast her feet were growing, she estimated they would last for the next three winters.
The fire in the house went out yesterday afternoon, but fortunately it wasn't for too long. The vegetables on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed) had grown quite a bit and were still quite firm, without any obvious signs of damage. The leaves were just a little wilted. Jian Dan didn't want them to die, so she quickly sprayed them with water to try and save them.
The curtains were drawn back, sunlight streamed in, and the temperature of the heated wall rose, finally allowing Jian Dan to take off the thick cotton-padded coat she had been wearing all morning and roll up her sleeves to clean.
I only had a free day, but in the countryside, with firewood burning, soil, and unsealed windows, there's a lot of dust. But once I got busy, I really felt a sense of accomplishment. After going around, the water really did become much muddier.
Looking at the bright and clean windows,
Even the row of shelves at the end of the kang (heated brick bed) was spotless, not a speck of dust. The simplicity and the pleasant feeling made me want to clap my hands in delight.
"Oh, this looks much better now."
Early in the morning, Liu Weimin sent his own son out. After all, this was the ancestor of Liujiatun. There was really no great grudge between him and that nemesis. One person led a village, and every year they competed in farming and harvest. They were also neighboring villages, so they were always at odds with each other.
From his youthful days to now, even as a grandfather, his drive is just as strong, and they're even keeping up with each other.
But these rural people are honest; they take things one step at a time, and no one would dare joke about serious matters.
Before the appointed time, Liu Jiaxiang, the village chief of Liujiatun, stumbled and staggered into his house.
The road was covered in snow, making walking difficult. Judging from his appearance, he had run all the way here, almost completely covered in snow, his chin was even bleeding from being bumped, and he was panting with each breath.
"Old Liu, Old Liu, is what Jianshe said true?"
Then came a series of coughs, and it took a while for him to catch his breath.
Liu Jianshe wasn't much better off; he lagged a few steps behind as he entered his house.
It was fine when we went there; we didn't have to run.
This time, things got really bad. I couldn't slow down. I had energy at first, but then I was just being led by this guy.
The area is sparsely populated. The distance between the two villages is neither far nor near. It would take more than an hour to walk there, and even if they ran, it would take them more than half an hour.
Liu Weimin couldn't bear to look at them; he was utterly disgusted.
"What a pathetic thing to be out of breath. It's only been a short distance, and you're already panting like this?"
"Look at yourself! You're in your thirties, while they're in their fifties, and you're still lagging so far behind. Aren't you ashamed?"
Liu Jianshe felt wronged, but he dared not utter a sound.
Wang Guihua heard the noise and came in to take a look.
"You're here? Jianshe, you can put the table down. Dalian, bring the food up."
Liu Jiaxiang, who had just recovered a bit from sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), was stunned again upon hearing these words.
"You haven't eaten yet?"
Arriving at mealtimes like this is not a welcome thing. As the village chief, he knows this very well. Normally, two meals are finished around eight or nine o'clock. Moreover, they clearly know that he has come over and hasn't eaten yet.
Liu Weimin curled his lip.
"Don't bring that up. I'm waiting for you, aren't I? If you hear about this, are you going to finish your meal before coming over?"
It's often said that the person who understands you best isn't your teammate, but your enemy. That's roughly the idea.
Liu Jiaxiang breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
"You really know me well. You're right, it's true."
This old man picked up a guy in the first half of the year and took a liking to him. Ever since then, he's been taking him with him every day. After that, he stopped telling me when he went up the mountain and stopped asking the villagers to follow him. Now, he can't keep an eye on him anymore.
Before, at least I had a sense of what was going on, but now, without careful observation, something bad has happened.
The main problem is, I didn't even know this happened, sigh!
Wang Guihua and Sun Dalian brought out breakfast, which wasn't anything special: cornmeal porridge, a small basket of dried cornmeal, a few steamed potatoes and sweet potatoes, soybean paste, and a few homemade pickled vegetables, filling the table to the brim.
Even the village chief, Liu Jiaxiang, was a little surprised and flattered.
"Hey Lao Liu, isn't this a bit too much? Is it really necessary to eat so much so early in the morning?"
In normal years, Liujiatun is indeed better off than Liujiatun in other areas; the land is more fertile, and the harvests are naturally much better.
But this year's drought is so severe that even the most fertile land is useless without water.
This year, the people in Liujiatun who went up the mountain to collect crops have collected far more than those who did, so they naturally have more things in their hands and are not so stingy anymore.
Of course, we cannot rule out Liu Weimin's subtle desire to show off.
"Hey, what's this? You're saying we've worked hard all year and are hibernating, so shouldn't we eat more? Even cows that have worked hard all year still need to celebrate the New Year, right?"
Liu Jiaxiang naturally thought he was putting on a brave face, after all, this was a tactic that the visitors had never avoided over the years. This year, the situation in various places was actually similar, no matter how good it was, it wouldn't be much better, let alone their neighbor.
We all know each other inside and out, who doesn't know who?
However, he appreciated the sentiment.
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