Chapter 22 Mo He Delivers Grain
During the busy farming season, Molly went into the mountains again. Her family was cooking pig feed every day, and they were running out of firewood.
Mo An also wanted to go to the mountains with Molly, but Molly wouldn't allow it, saying, "There's no one at home, I'm worried about leaving."
"But I really want to go to the mountains to see them." Mo An had never been to the mountains since he was a child. He used to be in poor health and would be out of breath after walking a few steps. Now he felt that his body had improved. He could carry a full bucket of pig feed from the kitchen to the pigsty. He was very impressive!
Molly thought for a moment, "When my older sister has time, she can come and look after our house, and I'll take you into the mountains."
"Okay, Second Sister, you can't go back on your word."
"certainly."
Molly didn't keep the chores for her own family; she carried firewood home seven or eight times a day, leaving Mo An dumbfounded. How come he had never realized his second sister was so capable before?
The firewood was piled up, almost as high as the kitchen, and placed behind the house, with some dry grass laid on top to protect it from rain.
The weather is getting colder and colder. Molly and Mo An only have two thick coats on them. One is a coat they brought from the Mo family home. The cotton inside is now black and stiff, so it's not very warm anymore. The other is a military overcoat that Ji Hefeng mailed back. This one is the warmest.
Mo An said that many families only have two or three thick coats. Everyone takes turns going out. Whoever goes out gets the coat. Those who don't go out stay at home, either in bed or by the fire.
"That must have been really tough," Molly sighed.
"That's right. Mo Honghong's uncle used to go to the next village to borrow clothes when he went on a blind date. And Mo Honghong's sister borrowed someone else's clothes to attend a wedding banquet, but she ended up getting the clothes dirty. Mo Honghong's sister washed the clothes for half a month before the person forgave her."
There are many such stories; Mo An could talk about them for three days and three nights.
Molly was stunned. In the end, she could only sigh and say that everyone's life was pretty tough.
"The rabbits at home are getting too big, so I plan to kill some of them, just keep two. I'll use the rabbit skins to make shoes, two pairs for each person, because it's too cold for our feet in this weather."
"Wouldn't keeping two be a bit too few?"
"Quite a few."
"What if you die halfway through?"
"Then I'll go back to the mountains and catch a few more." Molly found traces of rabbits in the mountains the day before yesterday, but it was dark then, so she didn't go looking for them and planned to check again in a few days.
".......All right."
Rabbits reproduce quickly. Molly's family now has thirteen rabbits. They will keep two and kill eleven.
When Molly was killing the rabbit, Mohe arrived, carrying a basket of unthreshed corn cobs.
"The brigade has distributed grain?" Molly didn't expect the brigade to act so quickly.
"It's been distributed. Because it's a year of famine, the higher authorities exempted us from taxes this year. All this grain belongs to the brigade. The brigade leader and accountant made the decision and distributed the grain according to work points. Now, corn and soybeans have been distributed first, and sweet potatoes and potatoes will be dug up later. There isn't much grain, but we can dig up wild vegetables in the spring, so it shouldn't be a problem to make it to next summer."
Mo He's brows relaxed. "We finally made it through. It wasn't easy at all."
My sister and brother are still alive and well, that's wonderful.
"Things will get better and better in the future," Molly comforted her. For more than a year, Mo He had been like a taut bow, under great pressure. In order to find something to eat, she would go out before dawn and not return until dark every day. The hardships she endured were unimaginable.
Mo He laughed, "Yes, things will get better. What are you doing? Your hands are covered in blood."
"Big sister, we're killing a rabbit!" Mo An ran out carrying a skinned rabbit. "Big sister, look! Isn't it plump?"
That thick layer of fat looks so tempting.
"So big? It wasn't this big when I came last time, was it?"
“They’ve been eating a lot lately and are growing fast. My second sister says the rabbits are storing fat for the winter.”
"It looks like it weighs about ten pounds. Seeing how well you raise rabbits makes me want to raise a few too."
"Then let's raise them. When spring comes, I'll go to the mountains and catch a few for you."
"Do you think the mountains are a shop where you can just grab things whenever you want?"
Molly didn't explain, "Big sister, you just wait."
"Don't go to dangerous places," Mo He said, worried.
"Hmm, I'm not going."
Mo He felt that her sister had agreed too quickly and that she was just brushing her off. Just as she was about to say something, a sharp and angry shout came from outside.
"Damn it, Mo He, don't you want to live anymore? Move all the grain in your house to your sister's house!"
Li Xiaoju, carrying a carrying pole, charged over with murderous intent.
A group of onlookers followed behind her.
Mo He said with a dark face, "I'm going out to check. You guys close the door and don't come out."
"Big sister~"
Mo An was worried; her older sister's mother-in-law looked terrifying.
"Don't you need our help?" Molly held a knife in her hand, fresh rabbit blood dripping down the blade, which, combined with her calm and beautiful face, looked somewhat terrifying.
"Need not!"
“If she dares to hit me, I will divorce Zhao Shangxun and come to you. The three of us siblings will live together.”
Mo He's voice was loud enough that not only Li Xiaoju heard it, but also the onlookers behind Li Xiaoju, and even Zhao Shangxun, who arrived a step too late.
quiet--
No one expected Mohe to say such a thing.
If Mohe really did that, it wouldn't be a bad idea, since Molly doesn't have a mother-in-law and she's the one in charge at home.
Li Xiaoju choked, her old face turning as red as a pig's liver. She stared fiercely at Mo He, "Our family paid a bride price when we married you."
"Your family also said they would allow my sister to live with you, but did you keep your word?"
"Your sister is married now."
“Then I can get a divorce, and you can ask my stepmother Liu Ahua for the bride price.”
"No, I do not agree to a divorce."
Zhao Shangxun, a grown man, had tears in his eyes and pulled his mother along, saying, "Mo He is my wife. I don't recognize anyone else but her."
Upon hearing this, Mo He was somewhat moved. She turned her face away from Zhao Shangxun, saying, "Ten days ago, I carried a basket of grain back from my sister's place, and you and your son ate quite a bit of it. Now I'm just returning some to my sister, and your mother is already shouting for violence. Is this how you treat people?"
"Your sister gave you sweet potatoes and potatoes, but now you're giving you corn. How can that be the same?"
"So what if they're different? They're my brother and sister. Is it wrong for me to treat them a little better?"
Li Xiaoju wanted to speak, but Zhao Shangxun pulled her back and pleaded, "Mother, don't say anything."
“Yes, Xiaoju, don’t say that. We’re all relatives, there’s no need to be so particular,” an elderly woman with graying temples advised from the crowd.
Others chimed in, saying, "No matter what kind of food it is, as long as it fills your stomach, it's a good thing."
"That's right, they didn't take yours for nothing. They sent it to you ten days ago so you could eat your fill and work. It was a timely help, and their kindness is truly remarkable."
“Xiaohe brought over corn cobs, not corn kernels. Corn cobs take up so much space. It’s the same basket of grain. If you ask me, your family is the one that made a profit.”
"........"
Everyone was talking at once, and Li Xiaoju didn't even have a chance to interject.
Finally, Li Xiaoju was half-pulled and half-dragged back by her son Zhao Shangxun.
The onlookers, finding no excitement, also left. A few curious about Molly's house peeked inside on tiptoe, only to see a lush vegetable garden. Mohe stood guard at the gate, showing no intention of inviting them in, so they had no choice but to leave.
The corn kernels aren't as plump as they were in late summer; many on a single ear are shriveled.
Mohe poured the corn from his basket into Molly's winnowing basket, spread the corn out, and let it dry in the sun.
"Big sister, I'm going to town. Is there anything you need me to bring back?" After killing eleven rabbits, Molly planned to keep five for herself to make into preserved rabbits and eat them slowly, give one to her big sister, and sell the remaining five.
"No need, I don't need to buy anything."
"Then when you go back later, take a rabbit with you to eat."
"No, I don't want to. I can't bear to give the rabbits that you and Xiao An have worked so hard to raise to Li Xiaoju."
When Mo He mentioned Li Xiaoju, there was still a hint of gritted teeth in his voice.
Molly didn't want to give Li Xiaoju the benefit of the doubt, but, "Big sister, when you brought up divorce today, your brother-in-law cried."
Mo He: "...That doesn't mean you can take your rabbit back to the Zhao family."
Molly sighed, "We don't need this little bit of meat, but it's my brother-in-law who's so thin. I heard from Aunt Guihua that he's not in good health, and his children will be sickly. For the sake of our healthy nephew and niece, it's just a little bit of meat, sister, please be generous."
Mo He blushed slightly, "Why are you, a little kid, asking people about this?"
Molly looked innocent. "Aunt Guihua wants to say it herself, what can I do? Xiao An wants to go to the mountains. When are you free, big sister? Come and help us look after the house for a day, and I'll take Xiao An for a walk in the mountains."
Mo He was still worried, "Is Xiao An healthy enough to climb mountains?"
"Don't worry, big sister, I'll keep an eye on him. If he gets tired, just let him stop and rest."
Molly carried five skinned rabbits and a dozen bunches of greens to town. Nowadays, there was no shortage of greens in town, and Molly's greens didn't fetch a good price. Her focus was on the five rabbits.
"Little sister, I really don't have that many cloth coupons." Sister Qian looked troubled. This little girl didn't want money, she just wanted cloth coupons. Where was she going to find so many cloth coupons?
“But we are short of clothes.” Molly lifted her leg and pulled up her sleeve. “Look, my clothes and pants are too short.”
"If you don't have it here, I'll go ask somewhere else—"
"No, no!"
Sister Qian became anxious, "We don't have cloth coupons, but we have cloth, flawed cloth, corduroy, good cloth that money can't buy. My sister works in a textile factory in the city. I visited her a while ago, and she gave me a few rolls."
"Don't be fooled by its flawed appearance; it's just a color bleed, the fabric itself is perfectly fine. You can't buy such thick fabric without connections. Wait here, I'll go get it and show it to you."
A moment later, Sister Qian took out two rolls of colorful fabric.
It's pretty ugly.
But it is indeed very thick.
Do you have any in a darker color?
"Yes. I just thought you were a girl, so I gave you a brighter color."
"I want a darker color."
It's so brightly colored and eye-catching; it'll stand out wherever you go.
Sister Qian turned around and went back into her room, where she took out three rolls of paper in a mixture of cyan, blue, and black.
"I want them all." Molly clutched the rolls of cloth tightly.
“These five rabbits aren’t enough. You can only buy one roll at most, and that’s only because of our friendship.” Sister Qian also grabbed the cloth.
“I’ll get you a sheep,” Molly said.
"Really?" Sister Qian didn't believe Molly. The drought had just ended, and who around here was raising sheep?
"Really. I'll get it for you in the next couple of days, and save the fabric for me."
"Really only two days?"
"Yes, it only takes two days."
"Then I'll wait."
When Molly returned home with a roll of fabric, Mohe was still there, washing and cleaning, with sheets and blankets hanging all over the yard.
"Second sister, you're back! Eldest sister made spicy rabbit meat, it smells so good, we've been waiting for you." As soon as Mo An saw Molly, she hurriedly went to clear the table and set out the bowls and chopsticks.
Molly washed her hands and sat down at the table. "I got something good. We'll look at it together after dinner."
Half a rabbit, weighing about four or five pounds, was cooked and filled a whole pot. It's been simmering over low heat until now, glistening with oil and bursting with spicy flavor. Besides the rabbit meat, there was also a large pot of boiled mustard greens. The mustard greens were tender, vibrant green, not bitter, and had a sweet taste.
Molly ate three bites of meat followed by a large mouthful of vegetables, without even lifting her head.
Mo An ate almost every bite of meat, and only after he had eaten his fill of meat did he eat rice and vegetables.
"Only your second sister has the ability. If it were anyone else, who would let you eat like this?" Mo He was both gratified and helpless. Her younger sister had spoiled her brother's palate, but the benefits were also obvious: her brother had become stronger.
"I'm going to the mountains tomorrow and I don't expect to be back until dark. Don't worry if I'm late."
The original plan was to take Mo An to the mountains tomorrow, but plans change and the trip has to be postponed.
"What are you going there for? Is there any danger?" Mo He had a feeling that her sister's trip to the mountains was not simple.
“Let’s go into the mountains and hunt some game.” Molly got up to wash her hands and took out the corduroy cloth from her basket. “I traded it with someone for rabbits. It’s enough for the three of us siblings to each make a set of clothes.”
Aside from the supply and marketing cooperative, this was the first time Mo He had ever seen such fabric. She touched it and tugged at it, saying, "This fabric is really thick."
"It's called corduroy, but the color is mixed up, so people are selling it as a defective piece of fabric. The lady I traded with has two more rolls at home, and I plan to buy them both. She doesn't want money, just the meat."
Where are you going to get the meat?
“I know where there are sheep in the mountains.”
"........"
Mo He glared at her, "If I told you it was dangerous and not to go, would you listen?"
"I won't listen. Such fine fabric can be worn in spring, autumn, and winter; it's a rare find."
She was determined to win.
“Then I’ll go with you,” Mo He conceded.
"Big sister, you'll be a hindrance if you go, and I'll have to take care of you."
Mo He: "......."
Mo An, who was about to speak, said: "......."
Lunch was late, and by the time Mo He returned to the Zhao family home, the sun was already setting. The golden rays of the sunset illuminated the entire Xiaonan Village brigade, bathing the village in a warm orange hue.
Li Xiaoju was turning the soil when she saw Mo He return. She snorted and turned her face away.
Mo He didn't even glance at her, and went straight in with her basket on her back.
Zhao Shangxun was picking corn kernels under the eaves when he saw Mo He. He immediately greeted her with a smile, "Are you tired? Give me the basket."
Mo He hummed twice. Considering how attentive Zhao Shangxun was, she could cook rabbit meat for him tonight.
However, her family is not like her sister's family, so she can't cook several pounds of meat for one meal like her sister does. She plans to cut half a pound and cook it with potatoes. The potatoes will taste almost the same as the meat after soaking in the meat broth.
What's in this basket?
Zhao Shangxun stared in disbelief at the large, bloody piece of flesh.
"This is my sister's fat rabbit. She slaughtered a rabbit today and gave us one. This one will weigh eight or nine pounds after being skinned!" Mo He said proudly.
So many!
Whose daughter can gain nearly ten pounds of weight with just one move?
His mother used to raise a hen that weighed eight or nine pounds. He was thin and always sick back then. To help him get better, his mother cruelly killed the hen, but the chicken fat rendered into a whole basin of oil. That was the most meat his family had ever had in his memory.
His mother chopped the chicken into small pieces and added two pieces to the dishes she cooked for dinner every day, just for flavor. They ate it like that for the whole winter.
That chicken was so delicious; he still remembers the taste.
Zhao Shangxun couldn't remember the last time he ate meat.
Glug!
He couldn't help but swallow hard, and asked uncertainly, "So much meat, is it really all for our family?"
"Of course, I'll give you pork tonight."
Dinner was cooked by Mo He. She peeled four potatoes, cooked half a pound of rabbit meat, and picked a cabbage.
Li Xiaoju was busy in the vegetable garden until dark, without asking about dinner or giving Mo He the key to the kitchen cabinet.
Mo He sneered. No oil was no problem for her. Her sister's rabbits were so fat that they could be fried to make oil. She could put the cabbage in and stew it together.
As for the staple food, she simply took the corn kernels that Zhao Shangxun had just picked and cooked them.
The lid of the stew was tightly closed; Mo He was afraid the aroma of the meat would escape, so she even closed the door and windows.
Mo He filled a large enamel basin and served herself and Zhao Shangxun each a full bowl of corn rice.
Seeing that she hadn't taken his mother's bowl or called for her, Zhao Shangxun pleaded in his eyes, "Xiaohe, could you please call your mother to eat with us?"
"Go and call them if you want." She wasn't about to offer her a warm welcome only to be met with indifference.
Zhao Shangxun grinned foolishly, "Okay, I'll go call him right now."
Li Xiaoju's stomach was already growling with hunger. She could also faintly smell the aroma of meat, and her mouth was watering. What was Mo He cooking? It smelled so good.
There was no more smoke coming from the kitchen roof, so why didn't they come to call her back for dinner?
Are they planning to eat alone?
Li Xiaoju wanted to go in, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was only relieved when she saw her son come out.
Fortunately, her son cares about her.
"Mom, Molly gave us a rabbit, it weighs eight or nine pounds. Mohe cooked some, please come back and eat."
"You don't need to exaggerate so much to coax your mother. If it weighs three or four pounds, Molly is already being generous. But you're saying eight or nine pounds." Li Xiaoju said this, but in her heart she was thinking that Molly actually raised rabbits and even gave them to their family. How could she be so generous?
"Molly is naturally generous; you can see for yourself if you don't believe me."
"Are there really that many?"
Li Xiaoju jogged in, asking, "Where is it?"
"It's pickling in a wooden basin in the kitchen."
Li Xiaoju lit the kerosene lamp, which she usually couldn't bear to use, picked up the rabbit meat and looked at it over and over several times, her face scrunched up with a smile. "It's so good, so much meat. But you only need to cook a few pieces at a time. Why did Mo He cook so much? From now on, I'll be in charge of the rabbit meat. I'll cook six pieces a day, two pieces for each person."
Mo He remained silent.
Knowing that his wife didn't object, Zhao Shangxun immediately said, "Mother, please wash your hands and come eat. If you don't come soon, we won't wait for you."
"Coming right away."
Li Xiaoju moved quickly, not even having time to dry her hands, before grabbing chopsticks to pick up meat and eagerly putting it into her mouth.
"tasty--"
"How could the meat not taste good?!"
The mother and son looked like starving ghosts reincarnated.
Mo He was also quite fast. Even though she had already eaten lunch, this was meat, and she never got tired of eating it at every meal.
The last large bowl of food was completely eaten, and the last bit of broth was used by the three of them to mix with rice, so nothing was wasted.
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