Chapter 130: Opening the Land/Stir-fried Bacon with Wild Garlic
When the children gathered together again, Wang Yunzheng and Xu Wenbo were very surprised. They were familiar with Shen An, and Xu Wenbo was the most outgoing. He approached Shen An and asked, "Xiao An, can you all read and write?"
Chen An's eyes curved and he nodded: "My eldest sister-in-law taught me. She also made a scroll of book for me called "Thousand Characters". We are learning this now. Do you want to learn it together? The book is in the big cave. I can show it to you later."
Xu Wenbo smiled and said, "Okay, Yun Zheng also brought a book, the bag he carried with him all the way, I'll lend it to you guys when the time comes."
The two cousins have been close since childhood, so it was not surprising for Xu Wenbo to say this. Wang Yunzheng smiled and nodded, which also meant that he agreed.
When Chen An heard that Wang Yunzheng also had books, his eyes lit up. Thinking about the small bag that Wang Yunzheng carried on his chest every day, he figured that there must be at least three or four volumes. He was very excited and thanked him again and again.
He knew too well how difficult it was to have a book. If it weren't for his sister-in-law, he might never have been able to read or touch a book in his life.
Then Wang Yunzheng asked him how far he had learned the Thousand Character Classic and how many characters he could write. Not only Chen An, but Hu Zi and a few others also came over, chattering, making it quite lively.
As he was talking, some sunlight came down. Shen Ning first saw the shadow on the ground and reacted. When he looked up, he found that the clouds above the Cloud Valley had finally thinned out at some point, and he saw the sun.
"The sun is coming out!"
Everyone looked up and finally saw how high the mountains surrounding the canyon were, and everyone exclaimed in amazement.
Sang Luo and a few others who were returning to the big cave also noticed it. They looked up at the top of the valley and found that it was almost noon. They hurried back to prepare food so that the men could set off earlier.
…
They ate while standing in the cave. As there were many people, the dishes were served in clay pots. There was an empty shelf in a relatively bright area on the outside of the cave, and the clay pots were placed on the shelf, serving as a table.
The food was pooled together by each family. Before they moved into their own homes, there were too many things to do, most of which were collective tasks like transporting food, and they had to eat from the same big pot. None of the five families asked Old Madam Xu for the Xu family's share, but the old madam was particular and kept an eye on these things. She took the initiative to borrow some food from Sang Luo and gave her own share as well.
There was a snake soup added to the lunch menu. The three cousins from the Xu family were so frightened that they took some astragalus and mustard greens and retreated far away.
The other children were fine. They had all been through hardships. Meat was such a good thing, so why would they dislike it?
But everyone knew that their father or uncles would have to carry food in the mountains for more than ten days. Carrying food was too tiring. They were exhausted just by carrying a little on their backs, let alone carrying such heavy food, and they hardly had a good rest.
They were all sensible children. Although they were tempted by the delicious smell, no one picked up their chopsticks. They all took some vegetarian dishes and went outside the cave to eat.
The children loved their elders, and the elders loved the children, too. They all shouted for them to come and have a taste. They did not forget the Xu brothers and sisters, and greeted Wang Yunzheng and the others: "You really don't want to try a little? It's delicious."
When Xu Wenyin heard this, her face turned pale and she cautiously took two steps forward.
Seeing that she was scared but didn't dare to go out too much, Shen Ning leaned over to accompany her and comforted her: "Don't be afraid, in fact, think about it, the various kinds of meat we usually eat are all the same, the only difference is whether you see it or not. Moreover, when people have nothing to eat, meat doesn't need to be considered, a few grains of rice can save lives."
She was thinking back to the time when she had no food to eat.
Xu Wenyin didn't know that there were times when Chen Ning's family had no food to eat, but she had heard her father and eldest brother talk about the famine and war in the north. They said that many people starved to death, and many people turned from civilians to bandits because they could not survive due to hunger.
She nodded: "I know everything, I'm just not used to it yet, it should be fine after a while of adapting."
Seeing that her complexion was better, Shen Ning smiled and continued to eat. However, Xu Wenyin, it was her first time to eat astragalus. As long as she didn't think about random things in her mind, she would eat it with great relish. Wild vegetables that she had never eaten before, or those that she picked herself, were especially delicious.
After lunch, Shen Lie and the others had to leave.
He looked at the valley. Except for snakes, the two entrances were sealed so other wild animals couldn't get in. He said to Sang Luo, "We have to meet with Manager Xu first and transport the Xu family's grain to the first grain storage point. Otherwise, if it's too chaotic outside, it might be difficult for Manager Xu and his men to safely deliver the grain to the agreed location. So it doesn't matter how long this trip will take. It depends on how much grain the Xu family has prepared. Whether we can carry it all in one trip or have to transport it in two trips, it could take eleven or twelve days or thirteen or fourteen days."
This is only for the young and strong people to go, which is much faster than taking the old, weak, women and children with them. If the young and strong people go together, it will take at least two or three trips to get the remaining food. If the Xu family has more food, it may take four trips.
He also warned: "Be careful here. After the Waking of Insects, all snakes and insects have come out of their caves. If you sleep at night, keep the cave door closed. Don't forget to sprinkle snake-repellent powder at the cave entrance. If you move around, try to stay in the valley."
Sang Luo nodded: "Okay, don't worry about us, you just have to be careful. Not only must you guard against wild animals, but there may be some people hiding in the mountains during the conscription. Be careful and don't let anyone spot you and leave you behind."
Shen Lie smiled and nodded, took the water and food that Sang Luo had prepared for him, and told Shen An and Shen Ning to be good. He turned around and told everyone to leave. Naturally, Wei Qinghe, who was not so agile, was also included.
This time, they sealed the entrance of the valley with two stones and one on the inner side. When they reached the outer side of the alley, they found stones of suitable size and the same quality as the mountain rocks and filled them carefully. Even the gaps were filled with mud and sand. Only then was they finished.
With double blockage, it is even more difficult for sound to be transmitted.
After everyone had left, Sang Luo and the others did not rest either. A small half of the hoes were taken away by the men as weapons, and the women picked up the farm tools that were still left here, including hoes, small pointed hoes, sickles, and all kinds of things, and went to the inner side of the valley to weed.
Shuanzhu followed the group carrying grain, but children as old as Tiezhu and Chen Ershan stayed behind. Together with a group of younger children, the fighting power of seventeen children should not be underestimated. When it comes to doing things like digging, pulling out weeds and cutting grass, they are not much slower than adults.
There were ten adults and seventeen children. Those with hoes dug them up by the roots, those with sickles cut them all the way through, and those who had neither just pulled them out. The piece of land under the most luxuriant tree chosen by Sangluo was not cultivated, but simply the weeds were cleared to make sure no snakes could hide. It was done in just an hour.
The children were quite happy, but as for the adults, that was another matter to discuss.
Farming!
After the Waking of Insects, people continue to cultivate the fields. Now, half a month has passed since the Waking of Insects, but the valley is still full of weeds. If they want to avoid missing the farming season, the time left for each family to open the fields is very tight.
Old Mrs. Chen and Old Mrs. Lu are both good at farming. Zhou Cunzheng's wife and Mrs. Gan are not bad either. They are all the heads of the family and know all these things well. They all get together to discuss it and start with the soil quality.
They looked around the valley along the path that had been dug by a hoe. The soil was of excellent quality. No one had been here for years. The fallen leaves had rotted on the ground year after year and turned into mud. If they dug a handful and squeezed it, they would find moist black soil, which was better than the land they had in Shili Village.
The only thing is that there are too many stones in this area, so the soil is thin. Some stones are covered by mud, and some are high, above the soil. If you want to reclaim the land, it will be difficult just to clear the deep-rooted grass roots and these stones. Moreover, if the soil is thin, it is enough for grass to grow, but it is still a bit far from growing rice. Later, you have to find a way to get some more soil in from the outside.
Last year, my family reclaimed some mulberry trees on wasteland. I knew this was a big project.
Gan asked several old ladies, "How do we open this land?"
This question, of course, does not mean literally, but rather how the land is divided, and whether everyone will open it together or each family will open their own?
Old Mrs. Chen looked at it and gritted her teeth: "Open it together, and then divide it after opening it!"
There is only this little piece of land. To be honest, she is reluctant to use it to grow vegetables. She has to plow all the land first and plant crops!
At this moment, the main laborers of each family are still outside picking grain. There is no room for distinction between you and me. The right thing to do is to work together first.
Everyone agreed. Even Wang Chunniang, who was always the most fussy, didn't dare to say a word.
The children naturally took part in the land reclamation work, which was more difficult than clearing the area under the tree, because neither grass roots nor stones could be left. The adults with farm tools cleared the land in front, while the children followed behind, each finding a suitable tool to dig away the stones. If there were any grass roots left, they would dig them away with their hands as well.
It was the first time for the three cousins of the Xu family to do such a thing, but they also knew that this land was very important to everyone, and that they would have a share of it in the future. So they rolled up their sleeves and learned from the children in the village, working just as hard without a complaint. At the end of the day, when they returned to the big cave, they all lay down with sore hands and backs.
In the evening, I steamed white rice and fried the wild vegetables I had cleared in the afternoon in two large ceramic pots. I also cut some bacon from the meat I had hunted on the road, cut it into slices, and fried it with wild garlic I found in the fields.
The food was still in the pot, and it smelled so good that the children were drooling. They couldn't lie down on the mattresses any more, and their hands, feet, waists and legs didn't ache anymore. They all gathered around the wooden rack at the entrance of the cave where the food was placed.
I don’t know who it was, but my stomach growled noticeably.
Sang Luo looked in the direction of the sound and saw several kids rubbing their bellies.
She wanted to laugh. The work was indeed hard and they must be hungry by now. They were not allowed to just stand there doing their work. She hurried to wash her hands and prepare to eat.
When Old Mrs. Xu smelled the fried meat with wild garlic, she was also overwhelmed by the fragrance. God knows, she had been eating dry food for nine days. Although she could occasionally make some hot food or roast some meat on the road, it was not as fragrant as the one made with a pot, a stove and seasonings. What's more, the smell of wild garlic was appetizing.
She thought of something and asked Sang Luo, "When we cook here from now on, the smell won't get out, right?"
Sang Luo looked up and shook her head, "It shouldn't happen. Our valley is deep and long, and there are many trees on both sides of the mountain. It should disperse before it floats up."
The spread of smell depends on the flow of air, and it will also be blocked by obstacles and absorbed by trees. The various conditions in the Cloud Valley are all good protective colors.
Old Mrs. Xu looked up and felt that the surrounding mountains were really high. What Sang Luo said made sense. Well, now even the last bit of worry was gone and she started eating happily!
After a whole afternoon of physical work, they had three earthenware pots of delicious food, including fresh vegetables and fragrant wild garlic fried with bacon. Not to mention Sang Luo and the dozen or so kids in the village, even the four young and old members of the Xu family, who usually had small appetites, worked hard to make a large bowl of food.
Tsk!
If we hadn't remembered that this was a refuge, even though we had stored food, we didn't know how long we would have to hide in the mountains, so we had to save as much as possible. Plus, the dinner was not tasty and we were too full, so who wouldn't want another bowl of food?
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