We often interact and are quite familiar with each other, so I didn't stand on ceremony with her. Li Yan kept saying nice things to me, and we chatted and laughed for a while before we reached the hillside.
There were quite a few villagers, but the area on the mountain was also large, so there was no phenomenon of fighting or crowding together.
Sun Xiang and Sun Dalian led several educated youths to a secluded spot. At first glance, they saw tender green shoots emerging from the ground. The two women didn't care about anything else, put down their baskets, and started digging. To them, this was all edible and could fill their stomachs; it was all considered food.
Seeing their serious attitude, the few people didn't ask any questions. They took their shovels and followed behind, looking at their hands and comparing them to the plants on the ground.
Fortunately, the two of them hadn't completely forgotten about them; they were just excited and remembered them after digging for a while. So, they introduced them to each other, feeling a little embarrassed.
"This is shepherd's purse. It's the most abundant vegetable right now, and it's still very tender. Take it home, chop it up, and put it in the porridge. If you're feeling generous, add an egg to make a soup. When it's done, add a drop of sesame oil, and it'll be incredibly delicious."
"These are dandelions. They're just sprouting now, not very big yet, but they'll be at their tenderest. They'll taste delicious when you dip them in sauce."
Several girls were practically crawling on the ground, searching with wide eyes. Sun Dalian said from the side,
"It's normal that you don't know each other since you're new here. Get to know each other first, so you don't dig up the wrong ones. Some of them look alike, but you can't just eat them because they look similar. If you're not careful, something bad could happen."
"Uh-huh,"
While agreeing, they showed the documents to the women.
"Sister-in-law, is this it?"
"Mine looks the same, doesn't it?"
They couldn't delay them, so when they felt it was about time, they went to the side to dig, and then during their break, they brought the finished product over for Sun Xiang and the other person to check.
Dandelion is easy to recognize, and there are few mistakes; even the simple ones are easy to identify.
Compared to shepherd's purse, the mess was a bit more chaotic, but there was still an old educated youth, Tan Yajun, who took a look, and there were very few more mistakes.
"These dandelions and shepherd's purse are so tender, they look like they'd break if you touched them too tightly,"
"At this time, they are just sprouting and are the most tender. Let's wait a bit, especially with dandelions, which grow very fast. Tomorrow and the day after, they will grow bigger and older, and there will be fewer and fewer of these tender ones."
“This shepherd’s purse can be added to porridge, made into soup, or even used to make dumplings or cabbage rations if you’re feeling generous. It’s all good stuff.”
As he spoke, he didn't slow down at all in accepting the gifts, which greatly impressed Li Yan and the others.
"Tan Zhiqing, you're too fast! I don't think I could even see it clearly before you dug it out."
“What’s this compared to what I’ve done? Look back at the villagers.”
The group turned around at the sound and were immediately startled. The women who had been in this area just moments before were now dozens of meters away, their heads bowed and busy at work. Compared to them, the group of men seemed insignificant.
"Right? For the villagers, crops are part of their food source, and the rest they need is supplied by the mountains."
Spring brings wild vegetables, summer brings mushrooms and wild fruits, autumn brings mountain produce, and winter brings firewood. These mountains are a treasure trove, a source of sustenance for the villagers.
Unlike the drought that struck when we first arrived last year, this winter brought ample snowfall, and spring brought a thriving scene. The saying "auspicious snow promises a bumper harvest" is no exaggeration.
The green on the mountain is just a corner; even in the farmland, many emerald green spots have already sprouted, just waiting to be plowed and planted.
“It really is true. Look, it’s not just here, but all the way up, it seems to be green as well.”
"That's for sure. The sunlight is great up there, so they'll definitely grow well. But there are just as many dangers up there. I've heard there are even poisonous snakes."
"This year's rainfall has been good, so it should be a bumper harvest."
"Yes, everything on the mountain is growing so well."
"Tilling the land these past few days has exhausted me. Do you think it will be even more tiring to farm in a few days?"
Tanya Jun is the most qualified to speak on this matter.
"Turning the soil mainly requires physical labor, but planting is different. At that time, some people fertilize, some plant seeds, and some water. I feel that the most tiring part is my back and waist because I keep repeating the same movements. I remember that my biggest feeling at that time was that my back was going to break."
"Why!"
"Don't panic, you'll get used to it. Look at us, when we first came here, we were too tired to do anything. Now that everything has changed, we can still come up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables, right?"
"Yes, this habit is terrible. I always thought I would definitely not be able to continue, but I actually persisted for so many days."
"Yeah, don't you feel like you're actually pretty amazing?"
"It seems so, maybe a little. It's incredible that I can actually support myself now."
"Ha ha!"
The educated youth were running low on food. Their staple food was a thin corn porridge that was so watery it was almost transparent, and each person had a sweet potato. Following the villagers' advice, they added an egg to the shepherd's purse and a pot of soup. They didn't add any oil or water, but surprisingly, the group was extremely satisfied with the meal.
Simple and natural, she wouldn't mistreat herself. Not to mention, she was only sixteen after the New Year, still a growing child, and she didn't want to be a shorty. Every day, she would change her meals to supplement her nutrition.
We have to make up for it. In other words, if things go according to the normal trajectory, she will have at least another ten years before she can openly walk out into the world. That means the most important years of her growth are all here. We can't wait!
Meat and vegetables must be balanced. As for today's wild vegetables, let's make a cold salad with a delicious sauce. Mmm, that's what I call not wasting food.
With the tilling finished and the farmyard manure applied, it will soon be time to officially start planting.
Just as dawn broke, the work bell rang. After hearing it many times, Jian Dan still frowned habitually for a while before getting up, putting on the work clothes and gloves she had specially found, eating a couple of bites of pastry, and then heading out the door.
She has all the good qualities, except for one thing: her location. It's at the entrance of the village, which is much farther from where she goes to work than other people's places. She also has short legs, so she always has to leave ten minutes or so in advance.
At the village office, village cadres Liu Weimin and Liu Aiguo were already there. Over the years, farming had become a fixed routine, and they started working almost immediately after a few words of encouragement. Jian Dan and a few other educated youths were assigned to Sun Dalian's group. It was obvious that this was to take care of them because they didn't know how to do anything, and Sun Dalian was specially assigned to guide them.
Actually, the other groups all had it all set up: some people dug holes, some planted seeds, then they covered the soil with soil, and then others followed to water the plants. These simple tasks didn't seem tiring at all; in fact, they seemed quite eager to get started.
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