Chapter 27 Old Master Ji Wakes Up
A light rain was falling, the chill was penetrating, and the thatched hut smelled damp and musty.
There was no one outside. After washing up, Molly quickly walked a few steps to another thatched hut.
Ji Liangyou was already awake and was squatting by the door brushing his teeth. When he saw Molly, he quickly made way for her and said indistinctly, "Go see your grandfather. He was awake for a while just now."
Molly raised an eyebrow and walked straight into the house.
A chill swept over him; the blankets on the bed were cold and hard, and Old Master Ji's body trembled slightly, his hands icy cold.
That won't do.
Molly raised an eyebrow, got up, went back to the room where she slept, picked up the blanket from the bed, and returned.
Grandma Ji and the others, who were washing up, were speechless.
The women looked at each other in bewilderment. A few seconds later, Ji Herun spat out the water in her mouth and said, "Grandma, Aunt, she took your blankets away."
Grandma Ji walked quickly with small steps, saying, "I'll go see where she took the blanket."
The remaining three quickened their pace, finished washing up, and followed.
Adding a blanket to Grandpa Ji's body calmed his trembling.
Molly frowned. In that case, they were still short of a blanket.
Where can I get a blanket?
When Grandma Ji entered the room, she saw Molly looking distressed and resentful. Her heart skipped a beat, and she tensed up. "What happened?"
Molly: "Grandpa is cold, we don't have enough blankets."
So that's what happened. Grandma Ji breathed a sigh of relief, and the three of them, including Grandma Ji, who came in, also breathed a sigh of relief.
“We know we’re short of blankets, but where are we supposed to get blankets in this situation?” Grandma Ji sighed.
"If we light an extra brazier tonight, the house will be warmer," Ji Liangyou said. He put down his toothbrush and turned to start a fire at the stove. "Breakfast is a bit simple, Molly, please don't mind."
He smiled sheepishly after saying that.
Molly shook her head. "I don't mind. I brought some food with me. There's dried meat, smoked wild boar, dried sweet potatoes, kudzu root slices, and dried vegetables. It's a pity there's no refined grain."
Given the old man's current condition, refined grains are easier to digest and more nutritious.
She was annoyed that she hadn't brought any fine food, but the others couldn't help but be taken aback when they heard about the food in her mouth.
So much food?
Their large family has only managed to save a few pounds of beans, a dozen pounds of corn, and twenty pounds of rice bran. This is after they've been frugal, supplementing their diet with wild vegetables, and eating only two meals a day.
If it weren't for the monthly subsidies from their son (or grandson), they probably wouldn't have any food left, let alone survive until next year's summer harvest.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Molly's two large sacks, their curiosity piqued. Were they really filled with so much food?
Molly unsealed the burlap sack and took the contents out one by one. "These are dried vegetables, which I grew myself."
The dried vegetables came in a large bag; they weren't heavy, but they were bulky.
"These are dried sliced kudzu roots, weighing over 30 jin (15 kg)."
"This is dried sweet potato, weighing about thirty or forty pounds."
"This is wild boar jerky, available in original, five-spice, and spicy flavors. I originally planned to mail the jerky and sweet potato jerky to Ji Hefeng, but he's on a mission and I don't know when he'll be back. I'll prepare his portion when he gets back."
"This is smoked wild boar meat. It's damp in the mountains, so smoking it doesn't spoil it easily and it can be kept for a while."
"These are wild boar legs, some big and some small. When you eat them, you should roast them over a fire before washing them."
After everything was taken out, the two sacks were empty.
The Ji family was well-traveled and knowledgeable; at their wealthiest, they owned half the shops in the entire city. The treasures they had seen and the delicacies they had tasted were things Molly probably had never even heard of.
But at this moment, they were all taken aback by what Molly had brought.
Not to mention the county, even the supply and marketing cooperatives in the city don't have that much meat to sell.
The smoky aroma of meat wafted into their nostrils, reminding them that they weren't dreaming.
The Ji family couldn't remember the last time they had eaten meat; it must have been before they were sent to the countryside. In the past six months, Ji Hefeng hadn't been able to get them any meat, but his wife had, and in astonishing quantities, more than a hundred jin (approximately 50 kg) in total.
"Molly, where did you get so much meat?" Ji Liangyou asked.
“In the mountains.” Molly didn’t say that she went to hunt for it herself. She changed the subject. “I think we should cook some kudzu root slices for breakfast, add some minced meat and dried vegetables. If Grandpa wakes up, he can eat it too.”
"The old man is awake?" Grandma Ji asked excitedly.
"I woke up for a while this morning. I could recognize you." As if a stone had been lifted from his chest, Ji Liangyou felt a sense of relief.
Upon hearing this, Grandma Ji hurriedly walked to the bedside, sat on the bed, grasped Grandpa Ji's hand, and silently shed tears.
"Mom, Dad is getting better, why are you still crying?" Her aunt advised her, "Please stop crying, or Dad will be heartbroken when he wakes up."
Grandma Ji quickly wiped away her tears, "Alright, alright, I won't cry. You all go and cook breakfast, don't let your dad go hungry."
Aunt smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go cook it now."
Molly opened the bag of dried sweet potatoes, grabbed a handful, and first offered a slice to Grandma Ji's mouth, saying, "These are sweet potatoes that my brother and I grew. They're very sweet, Grandma, try some."
Grandma Ji took it, put it in her mouth, chewed slowly, and agreed with Molly's words, "It is indeed very sweet and chewy. But Grandma's teeth are not good, you guys eat it."
Molly then handed one slice to Ji Liangyou, who smiled and took it, stuffing the whole slice into his mouth. Next came Ji's mother, then his aunt, and finally, Molly gave all the remaining slices to her cousin, Ji Herun.
"The dried meat is also good; you can take some and eat it yourselves."
After Molly finished persuading them, she went to open her handbag and took out the roll and a half of flawed corduroy fabric. The fabric was dark in color and thick, making it perfect for the Ji family.
"It's defective fabric, no coupon needed. I bought a lot more, Grandma, you can use it to make clothes."
Molly placed the cloth on the bed and then took out the suede shoes. "These are also defective products. I don't know your size or whether you can wear them."
"These shoes are nice and warm." Grandma Ji took the shoes and roughly measured their length with her hand. "Your dad and grandpa can wear them, and your mom, your aunt and I can wear them too. It's just that your cousin wears size 38.5, so it's hard for her to find shoes. But I see that this flawed fabric is thick enough. You can use this fabric to make a pair of cloth shoes for your cousin. Sew on several layers of fabric, and they'll be warm too."
Molly nodded. "Grandma, you can make the decision."
Grandma Ji looked Molly up and down. "What about yours? Did you keep any for yourself?"
Molly laughed. "Of course, I left mine at home."
Kudzu root slices soften quickly when boiled in water. The lean meat from the smoked wild boar was sliced, chopped, and added to the pot with the kudzu root slices; it quickly released a fragrant aroma. After the water boiled, my aunt added the dried vegetables that had been soaking for a while. The dried vegetables expanded and swelled, their vibrant green color looking very appealing.
The Ji family lived on one side of the cowshed, where there were few other people. The other side of the cowshed housed other people who had been sent down to the countryside.
It's raining, so the fragrance won't drift over there; there's no need to worry about being discovered.
Ji Liangyou was going to feed the cattle hay. He wore a straw hat and a burlap sack cut open at the edge, and hurried out the door.
When he returned, breakfast was ready, the largest earthenware pot was filled to the brim, almost overflowing.
Auntie first served Grandma Ji a bowl, then Ji Liangyou's, then Ji's mother's, then Molly's, then Ji Herun's, and finally hers.
Everyone sat around the small wooden table and stools, holding warm bowls, and felt warm all over.
The breakfast smelled delicious and melted in her mouth. Grandma Ji sipped it slowly, her face relaxed.
"The kudzu root, vegetables, and meat you brought are all excellent. They smell amazing even without any seasoning," she praised Molly.
Molly smiled and said, "Then please eat more. I'll mail some more to you when I get back."
Grandma Ji thought for a moment and didn't refuse. "The meat can last a long time. We can mail you some dried vegetables and kudzu root slices."
“Okay. I have plenty of vegetables. I also raise pigs, rabbits, and chickens. When it’s time to slaughter the pigs, I’ll send you fresh pork, the rabbits will be dried, and once the chickens start laying eggs, you can have eggs every day.” Molly said earnestly.
Grandma Ji laughed, "You're really something. You're so concerned about this old woman, but what about yourself? What about your family? Don't they eat?"
Molly waved her hand, "There's enough to eat."
Whether Molly ultimately kept her promise or not, at this moment, the Ji family couldn't help but laugh because of her words.
It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow.
After their misfortune, all their relatives and friends severed ties with them. But Molly came to their door during their most difficult time, bringing them so many things. It's clear she truly considered them family, and her kindness is truly precious.
After breakfast, the Ji family had begun to accept Molly as their daughter-in-law (granddaughter-in-law).
When Grandpa Ji woke up, Molly was wiping the table. Almost the instant Grandpa Ji opened his eyes, she turned her head sharply to look at the bed.
"It hurts—" The old man's voice was dry and hoarse.
Molly took a few steps to the bedside, lifted the blanket to check the old man's legs, and then felt his pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness, the bones are not dislocated, and the pulse is normal."
The others gathered around, and Grandma Ji was overjoyed. "Old man, you're awake?"
"dad!"
"grandfather!"
Grandpa Ji's eyes darted around, looking at his familiar family members. He wanted to speak, but his throat was so dry and hoarse that he could only utter one word, "Water."
Ji Liangyou hurriedly turned around to pour water, and then helped the old man sit up, saying, "Please drink slowly."
After drinking some water, Old Master Ji's eyes cleared a little, and he asked, "I'm hungry, is there anything to eat?"
"Yes, it's warming up right now, just waiting for you to wake up and eat." Auntie went to get a bowl of kudzu root porridge. The meat and vegetables were cooked until they were even softer, but the aroma was still very strong.
Aunt held the bowl, and Grandma Ji held the spoon, feeding Grandpa Ji spoonful by spoonful. Even after the bowl was finished, Grandpa Ji still felt a little unsatisfied.
“There’s still some in the earthenware pot, I’ll go get another bowl,” Auntie said.
"Don't eat for now. Grandpa just woke up and can't eat too much at once. Eat small meals frequently and have him eat again in two hours," Molly said.
Auntie paused, as if suddenly realizing something. She said, "Molly is right, Dad. You just woke up, so it's not appropriate for you to eat too much. I'm so happy that you can finally eat something, I forgot about that."
The old man wanted to eat more, but he knew he couldn't eat too much. "What is this? It smells so good. I think I can taste meat in it."
Ji Liangyou laughed, "Of course there's meat. Dad, your sense of taste is still intact; you can still taste the meat."
The old man frowned. "Where did the meat come from?"
Grandma Ji: "Your granddaughter-in-law brought it."
The old man was even more puzzled. "Isn't Xiaomin in the Northwest? How did she get here? And who is this girl?"
Finally noticed, Molly gave the old man a sweet smile. "Grandpa, my name is Molly, and I am Ji Hefeng's wife."
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