Chapter 37 Ji Hefeng, Severely Injured
All three large pigs were sold, leaving the pigsty empty. Molly sprinkled several layers of wood ash, swept it clean, and then washed the pigsty with water. After the pigsty dried, she moved the four wild boar piglets into it.
After selling the three large pigs, Molly and Moan returned to their routine of cooking only one meal of pig feed a day.
On New Year's Eve, because of the abolition of the Four Olds and because everyone was poor, no one bought firecrackers. Walking through the village, you could only smell the faint scent of incense and candles.
Molly didn't believe in ghosts or spirits, and there was no shrine in her house. She had no intention of buying incense or candles, so today was no different from any other day for her. A little over ten days ago, she mailed some things to the farm: smoked meat, pickled radishes, and dried vegetables. The address was Xu Xia'an's, and the recipient was also Xu Xia'an. She also sent Xu Xia'an about five pounds of smoked meat.
A few days ago, Molly received a money order from Ji Hefeng, containing several industrial coupons and a cloth coupon. The money order contained thirty yuan, and the sender was still Zhao Jian'an.
It is clear that Ji Hefeng has not yet returned to the military camp.
Several months have passed. Where did Ji Hefeng go, and what was he doing?
On New Year's Eve, at noon Molly killed a rabbit and made spicy rabbit, pan-fried pork ribs, and a bone broth. Mohe brought them a plate of braised meat, including braised pig's tongue and pig's ears.
There were four dishes in total, but the siblings couldn't finish them all.
Mo An said, "The rule on New Year's Eve is to leave some food uneaten; you can't finish it all."
Molly asked, puzzled, "Why?"
Mo An: "May you have abundance every year, that's what the old folks say."
Molly was even more confused. "Does that mean we have to eat fish?"
Mo An scratched his head. "Uh, I don't think so."
After lunch, Molly kneaded the dough and chopped the dumpling fillings. One filling was chives and eggs, with the eggs coming from the four hens in the house. Another filling was cabbage and smoked wild boar meat, with the wild boar meat being a good mix of lean and fat, chopped into small pieces and mixed with chopped cabbage.
Molly didn't know how to make dumpling wrappers herself, so after preparing the filling, she asked Mo An to call Mo He over.
Mo He arrived quickly, bringing with her homemade sauerkraut. "Sauerkraut dumplings are also good, let's try them."
Molly naturally had no objection. She took the sauerkraut that Mohe brought and said, "I'll add some lard and chili."
Mohe reminded her, "After chopping the pickled cabbage, stir-fry it until the moisture evaporates, then add lard and chili peppers."
Mo He was very skillful and fast at kneading dough, but she was facing Molly. Once Molly got the hang of it, her speed was unmatched by Mo He.
"I can't even see my second sister's hands anymore," Mo An said.
As more dumpling wrappers were made, Mo He put down the rolling pin and said, "You roll the wrappers, and Xiao An and I will make the dumplings."
Molly had no objections. Her hands moved like machines, without thinking or making any unnecessary movements, deftly and quickly kneading the dough. Her eyes, however, were fixed on Mo He's hands, listening to how Mo He was teaching Mo An how to make dumplings.
Molly prepared a lot of dough and fillings, and the three siblings spent the whole afternoon, from dawn to dusk, making hundreds of dumplings.
"Today is New Year's Eve, and I have to stay up all night at the Zhao family's house, so I won't be able to spend New Year's Eve with you." Mo He was a little reluctant to part with her younger siblings, as this was the first time she had spent New Year's Eve apart from them.
Molly herself didn't mind, and filled a wooden basin with sixty dumplings for Mo He, saying, "Take these back and cook them."
Mohe took it and instructed Molly, "Remember to keep watch and pray for good health and safety in the coming year. Don't be lazy."
Molly, who had originally planned to eat dumplings and then go to sleep: "......."
Mo An, on the other hand, was well-behaved. "Don't worry, eldest sister, I'll keep an eye on second sister and keep watch all night."
Mo He was still a little worried. "Tomorrow you can't swear, you can't get angry, you can't argue, you can't sweep the floor, you can't take a bath or wash your hair... and you can't kill any living beings."
Molly wanted to roll her eyes, but she held back. "Is there anything else?"
Mo He thought about it carefully, "Tomorrow, light some incense in the northeast corner of the yard and set out some offerings for Mom."
As darkness fell, it seemed the temperature had dropped.
Molly noticed the temperature drop but didn't feel particularly cold. Mo An, on the other hand, shivered unexpectedly despite being right by the fire. He immediately moved his stool closer to the fire and looked up, asking, "Is it going to snow?"
Molly twitched her delicate nose. "I think I can smell snow."
"Does snow have a smell?" Mo An asked, puzzled. It snowed every year, but he had never known that snow had a smell.
"I can't quite put my finger on it, but it just tastes different from others." Molly added some more firewood to the fire, then placed the pot on the stove and added water. "What kind of filling do you want?"
"I want all three kinds, six of each, because six is a lucky number," Mo An said with a smile. "This is my first time eating dumpling wrappers made of pure flour. I'm so excited!"
Molly laughed too, she had never eaten dumpling wrappers made of pure flour either, "We'll eat them every year from now on."
"I'd like to eat meat buns too," Mo An said, seizing the opportunity to offer his opinion.
Molly agreed without hesitation, "I'll make meat buns tomorrow."
"Second sister, you're so kind." Mo An felt that the luckiest thing in her life was having two older sisters, Mo He and Mo Li.
“There’s something even better. When the school reopens next year, you can go to school.” There is no school in Xiaonan Village. There is a primary school in the neighboring Dahe Village, but it has been closed for a year due to the drought.
Mo An was taken aback. "If I go to school, who will watch the house? I still need to help you with the housework, sister."
“I can manage on my own. Besides, you can help out when you come back at noon and in the evening. I’ll get a dog, and with a dog guarding the house, outsiders won’t dare to come in. Our family isn’t short of money, so you can go to school without worry. Mo An will only be eleven years old after the New Year, which is the age when he should be studying. Molly has never planned to let him drop out of school.”
Mo An's eyes reddened for no reason. "I will study hard and help you with chores, sister."
"That's a good boy." Molly ruffled his hair.
As Molly was putting dumplings into the pot, it started snowing outside. The snow fell in a flurry, and soon the yard was covered in white.
“You watch the fire, I’ll carry some hay to the pigsty,” Molly said.
The hay was outside; Molly had cut it to start a fire, but the four wild boars clearly needed it more now. Molly carried it back and forth several times until a thick layer of dry straw was laid out in the corner of the pigsty before she stopped.
The doors and windows of the pigsty were all tightly closed, preventing any wind from getting in, but it was really cold.
If they can survive in the wild, there's no reason why they would freeze to death at her house.
Molly turned and went to the henhouse, carrying the chicken coop to the kitchen. Now, two hens were incubating eggs, and two were still laying eggs; all four chickens were Molly's precious possessions.
As for the dozen or so rabbits, Molly simply added some hay to the rabbit cages and covered them with a few burlap sacks, and that was it.
When she returned to the kitchen, the dumplings were already cooked.
Mo An served Molly thirty dumplings, while he himself received eighteen.
“There are plenty of dumplings, no need to be frugal, we can cook more after we finish them.” Molly thought Mo An was reluctant to eat them.
Mo An shook his head, "I want to eat roasted sweet potatoes later. Our sweet potatoes are so fragrant and sweet, they're juicy."
Molly patted her head. "I forgot to buy candy."
Mo An chuckled, "I know you're greedy, Second Sister."
Molly admitted, "I do like sweets. But with the snow falling so heavily, I probably won't be able to go out tomorrow, and it's likely to be very cold for the next few days."
Mo An, however, felt reassured by the snowfall. "A good snow promises a good harvest. With such heavy snowfall, there certainly won't be a drought next year."
The dumplings were delicious, and every filling was wonderful. Molly and Moan finished them all and didn't cook any more. Moan said he wanted sweet potatoes, so Molly ate some with him. However, the sweet potatoes at home were too big, and they would take a while to bake. The siblings weren't in a hurry and baked them slowly.
Molly, bored sitting by the fire, said, "I'll go pick some vegetables from the garden."
If we don't pick those vegetables, they'll freeze and spoil. We might as well pick them and keep them at home to eat slowly.
“I’ll go with you, sister.” Mo An got up to light the kerosene lamp.
“No need, you stay by the fire,” Molly refused. “You’re frail, don’t get sick, otherwise, with the snow, I won’t be able to get you to the hospital. I’m not cold, and I can see clearly in the dark, trust me, okay?”
Mo An knew that her second sister could see clearly even in the dark, because her second sister never turned on the light when she got up in the middle of the night. She never stumbled or bumped into anything, and she could accurately find what she needed in the dark.
Isn't Second Sister cold?
This is something Mo An didn't know.
Molly brought all the baskets from home.
She started by pulling up cabbages, carrying them to the storage room in trip after trip. Next came sweet potato vines, mustard greens, radishes, lettuce, celery, peas, garland chrysanthemum, chili peppers, and even scallions, ginger, and garlic. She worked incredibly fast; an hour later, only the edges and corners of the vegetable garden remained, covered with various gourd vines.
But there are still sweet potatoes underground.
Molly put the vegetables away, then picked up her basket and hoe to dig sweet potatoes.
Mo An stood under the eaves, shivering, watching the people in the heavy snow, and tears inexplicably streamed down her face.
"Go keep an eye on the sweet potatoes, make sure they don't burn." Molly's tone was light and her breathing was steady.
Mo An turned around, hastily wiped away her tears with her sleeve, and whispered, "It won't smudge."
Not long after the sweet potatoes were planted, a considerable number of them grew, densely packed underground, but they were not very big yet, most of them only about the size of Molly's fist.
These sweet potatoes filled five whole baskets.
Even if there's nothing left in the vegetable garden, Molly won't have to worry about her four pigs going hungry.
Molly sat back down by the fire and placed her freshly washed hands on Mo An's face. "Isn't it warm?"
“That’s because you just washed your hands with hot water.” Moan pointed to Molly’s feet. “Take your feet out and see if your shoes are wet.”
Molly's shoes were indeed wet from the snow. Just as she was about to take them off, her expression changed. The next second, she suddenly stood up and strode outside.
Mo An hurriedly followed.
Molly walked towards the gate, and as she was about to open it, Mo An couldn't help but call out, "Second Sister!"
"It's alright. I'm here, everything will be fine." Molly pulled open the door and saw a person lying on the snow-white ground, covered in blood, with a trail of blood behind him that was about to be covered by the snow.
Molly turned the person over, and when she saw the face, her expression changed. "Ji Hefeng!"
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