Chapter 166: Cloth shoes made by Xiulan, and new delicacies [6.2k]
After opening the door, I saw a thin mist covering the backyard, as if it were a fairyland. The fresh and moist air blew in my face, mixed with drops of drizzle.
In the yard, a few chrysanthemums are still blooming tenaciously, the cypress is verdant, and the black pine is shiny. The beautiful scenery in the yard is intoxicating.
Xiaoxia wanted to run into the rain, but Lin Heng grabbed her collar and pulled her back: "You can only watch, you can't go down and walk."
Xiaoxia pouted in dissatisfaction and pointed at the white mist and asked, "What is this?"
"Fog, you can see it but you can't touch it." Lin Heng looked at her and said.
"Aiya~~" Xiaoxia reached out to grab it, but failed. She cried out in anger.
However, the fresh air made the three of them lose all desire to sleep. After washing their faces and having a simple breakfast, Lin Heng made a pot of charcoal fire, lit his own small ceramic stove, and put on the teapot to boil water and make tea.
Xiulan took a stretched sole and put on the upper. The pair of black cloth shoes for Lin Heng would be completed today.
After finishing these, Lin Heng hung the straw target on the archery target in the yard. He first did some warm-up exercises as usual, then picked up the bow and arrow, switching between his left and right hands to draw the bow, adding a bit of fun to this boring rainy day.
Xiaoxia held Jinbao and watched from the side, cheering from time to time.
Jinbao is now bigger than the average tabby cat. In a few months, he will probably be as big as Xiaoxia.
Eight or nine kilograms is the normal weight of a tabby cat, but for it, it is just the beginning. Apart from playing with Xiaoxia, this guy spends the day taking naps and occasionally catching one or two mice to prove his ability.
After Lin Heng finished practicing archery, Xiaoxia took a chicken feather shuttlecock made by Lin Heng and threw it out. Not only Xiongba would pick it up, but Jinbao would also pick it up. Sometimes the two would even fight. You give me a slap and I will give you a claw.
However, after so many days of living together, they have developed a tacit understanding between them, and their fights are not as fierce as before. Sometimes they even sleep together back to back. "It seems that my eldest brother is also practicing archery." Lin Heng said with a smile, while roasting the fire, he could hear the swish of bows and arrows in the next yard.
Although there is a 1.5-meter-wide corridor between the two houses, the conversation can still be heard clearly.
"Of course. I envy your ability to hunt." Xiulan nodded. She often heard her sister-in-law complaining.
"When the weather clears up, we'll pick some mushrooms, I'll hunt some game, and then we'll have a hotpot." Lin Heng said with a smile. He had already bought the hotpot, the kind that's heated in a copper stove with charcoal fire.
"Okay." Xiulan nodded. She was a little greedy because Lin Heng often said that to her.
Lin Heng also missed the hot pot very much, and nodded and said, "It's just right that I will wait until the rain stops and go see if Liu Ciwen's butter is still there. If it is, I will buy some to make hot pot base."
Xiulan looked at him and said, "Don't buy beef. We have plenty of meat at home."
Lin Heng readily agreed and only bought butter.
At noon, the rain was much lighter. Lin Heng put on rain boots, a hat and a straw raincoat and went out.
I don’t want to use an umbrella because it’s not very effective. It’s better to use this straw raincoat made of palm wool, which is very effective in keeping out wind and rain.
Although it was a bit heavy, it was very warm when he put it on. When he went out into the yard and the cold wind was howling, he was glad that he didn't bring an umbrella.
I went to my dad's house and found that he had just come back from cutting grass for the cows and brought a bouquet of flowers to his mother.
He didn't say anything, but quietly watched from the entrance of the yard as his father gave the flowers to his mother. When he saw his mother blushing as she took the flowers into the house, he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Dad, you still have this kind of taste."
Seeing Lin Heng, Father Lin blushed and said angrily: "Didn't I teach you not to peek at others when you were a child?"
"Hahaha, it's okay, Dad. It's fine." Lin Heng laughed and patted his father's shoulder.
I thought that my father must have heard me teaching Li Shiwei how to coax his wife last time, and he must have learned it secretly.
But this is a good thing, this is how it should be between husband and wife.
"If you continue to be disrespectful, I will slap you." Father Lin said with his eyes glaring, still a little ashamed and angry.
"Haha, Dad, I'm here to show you this. Do you know how to make a waterwheel?" Lin Heng walked into the house and took out a piece of paper from his pocket. On it was the manufacturing drawing of the waterwheel.
"Well, I've seen people do this. Let me give it a try and see if I can make it." Father Lin took a look and quietly changed the subject.
"I plan to install it in the stream on Hongfeng Mountain." Lin Heng said with a smile. It's not for use, but simply for aesthetics.
Father Lin took a look at the blueprint, asked about the general situation, and then sent him away.
Lin Heng smiled and shook his head, thinking it was good that his parents had their own lives after living separately.
Walking westward, I happened to run into Aunt Li Ping on the road, and with her was her married daughter Lin Xiuqin.
Lin Heng had no interest in saying hello and walked over quickly, but Lin Xiuqin took the initiative to say hello: "Brother Lin Heng, why don't you say hello when you see someone?
You think my parents have offended you, so I apologize to you on their behalf."
She wanted to ease the conflict, and his mother Li Ping also smiled, which was considered as giving in.
"No, I'm very busy." Lin Heng waved his hand indifferently and left quickly.
He didn't believe that a dog could stop eating shit, and he didn't want to have too much interaction with this family.
Li Ping felt humiliated when Lin Heng ignored her. She, an elder, had already given in. What else did this man want? However, Lin Heng simply disliked her and didn't want to have anything to do with him.
When they arrived at Liu Ciwen's house, his sister Liu Cihua was at home. He looked behind Lin Heng and didn't see Wang Zhou, which seemed a little disappointed.
Lin Heng pretended not to notice this and asked, "Do you still have the butter from your calf?"
"It has been refined into oil." Liu Cihua said.
"Can you take it out and show it to me? I want to buy it." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"Okay, I'll tell my dad." Liu Cihua said to his father and went into the house to get out a clay jar.
Lin Heng took a look and found that the butter they made themselves was quite good.
"Are you selling it? One dollar and twenty cents a pound. I'll buy the whole jar."
Lin Heng asked, he estimated that this jar weighed a little more than ten kilograms.
"Sell it. My dad said the price is reasonable." Liu Cihua nodded.
He weighed it on a beam scale and it showed 13 kilograms. Lin Heng gave the money to the man, put the weight in a bag, and left with the bag.
He wanted to eat some tripe, but there was no way he could have any now. There was no tripe left when he bought beef last time. It was said that Li Baigen had bought it at a very low price on the day the cow was slaughtered.
He really missed the taste of shabu-shabu beef tripe. Both the texture and taste were so good.
"I can only try to hunt a antelope to satisfy my craving." Lin Heng sighed, or I can go to the city and buy a beef tripe.
But he prefers to shoot one himself, which gives him a greater sense of accomplishment.
After returning home, Lin Heng showed the butter to his wife, took it to the kitchen, and prepared to start making the butter hot pot base.
"Don't rush to deal with those things. Try the shoes I made for you and see if they fit your feet." Xiulan looked at him and said.
"Okay." Lin Heng nodded and walked over with a smile.
These cloth shoes are black, with a thumb-shaped notch on both sides of the shoe opening, which is made of stretch fabric.
The style is simple and looks good. It is very comfortable to wear except that it is a bit tight.
"It fits the feet very well and is comfortable to wear." Lin Heng said with a smile. This kind of cloth shoes is almost never uncomfortable because they are made slowly, stitch by stitch.
Xiulan took a look and said with a smile, "Then wear it. No need to take it off."
Lin Heng's love was the greatest encouragement she had given her for several months, and it was also the birthday gift she prepared for Lin Heng.
"Okay." Lin Heng nodded and said happily, "In a few days, you can bring your daughter to the city and buy some winter clothes."
"Don't say anything wasteful, but you can't refuse." Lin Heng added.
When my wife puts on different clothes, it's like putting on new skin, and the feeling is completely different.
"Okay." Xiulan nodded and had no choice but to agree. She also gradually understood the little thoughts her husband had in buying clothes for her.
Lin Heng took off his shoes temporarily and went out to pick onions and ginger, a large bundle of coriander, garlic sprouts, and small onions from home.
Turn on the fire, melt the butter in the pot, then add the prepared ingredients and simmer over low heat.
While the food was simmering in the pot, he brought a wire mesh and placed it on the small ceramic stove, then cut some recently dried bacon and sausages and grilled them.
No matter whether it was bacon or sausage, the aroma would immediately come out once it was slightly roasted. Xiongba and Jinbao were the first to stand up and look over.
Xiaoxia also ran over and looked at him eagerly. Lin Heng peeled the sweet potatoes roasted by the stove and fed them to her. She took a bite and pointed at the barbecue and said coquettishly: "Dad, I want this~"
"Just eat one, and you can eat the rest when you grow up." Lin Heng chopped the barbecue into pieces and fed it to her, fearing that she would not be able to chew it and swallow it, resulting in indigestion.
After she finished eating, Xiulan fed her the roasted sweet potato. Lin Heng and she were the only ones who ate the roasted meat on the stove, and she would occasionally feed a piece to Xiongba and Jinbao. Xiaoxia looked at her mother with eager eyes, eating the roasted sweet potato in her mouth.
While eating the barbecue, Lin Heng paid attention to the situation in the pot. When the coriander and green onions were fried until golden brown, he could take them out.
Then add bean paste, fermented glutinous rice, black beans, rock sugar, MSG and simmer for a while, then add the spices bought in Baisha Township such as cardamom, bay leaves, and peppercorns, and finally add the dried chilies and chili powder soaked in water, simmer for a while and it's done.
Different people add different spice recipes to hot pot base, so the final aroma will not be too different.
Lin Heng used a recipe for Chongqing hot pot base that he learned online in his previous life. He had made it several times in his previous life and it tasted very good.
After it is cooked, pour it into a wooden plate and wait for it to solidify.
"Is this the hot pot base?" Xiulan asked curiously.
This thing is almost non-existent in rural areas nowadays, and it is too luxurious to use so many materials.
"Yes, you will know how delicious it is when you eat it. I also learned it outside." Lin Heng said with a smile.
The recipe of this hot pot soup base is enough to open a factory specializing in hot pot soup base. At present, this industry in China is still very blank, and there is no worry about selling it after it is produced.
"Then I'd like to try your cooking." Xiulan blinked.
"Then let's make a spicy hotpot for lunch. I'll make it for you." Lin Heng said with a smile. It was just right that some of the hotpot base stuck to the bottom of the pot would not be wasted.
"good."
The two of them went out to pick spinach, Chinese cabbage, coriander and pea tips, and also got some dried bamboo shoots and various mushrooms from home.
For the meat, I used bacon and sausage, fried everything together, then made a milky white soup with dried crucian carp and added it into the soup. The aroma immediately filled the whole house.
By the way, I made a bowl of soup for Xiaoxia without any chili, but with more matsutake mushrooms and black truffles.
"Try it!" Lin Heng put a bowl on the table and motioned Xiulan to have a taste.
Xiulan ate a green vegetable, which was spicy and fragrant, and she couldn't help but give a thumbs up: "It's delicious, this is really good."
"Haha, as long as it tastes good, you eat first, I'll go take this half pot to Dad and the others."
Lin Heng said with a smile, changed his shoes, took an umbrella and went out to bring a basin for his parents.
After returning, Xiulan made some sweet wine, and the two of them drank and ate. There was also barbecue on the stove, just like they were having a hot pot and barbecue buffet at home.
Xiaoxia ate from her bowl, looking at the one in the basin from time to time. She wanted to try it but didn't dare to say it, so she could only tilt her head and act coquettishly towards Lin Heng.
"They are all the same." Lin Heng fed her a bite of her own.
Although there is no spicy flavor, the taste is not bad and Xiaoxia still likes it very much.
Lin Heng likes to add some vinegar, and feels that the sour and spicy taste is better.
After finishing her meal, Xiulan stretched and said, "It's hard not to get fat in this life, but I'll eat again next time."
"You are not fat now. Even if you are fat, just climb the mountain a few more times and exercise in the morning and you will lose weight." Lin Heng said with a smile.
Anyway, he has really gained weight. He is 1.75 meters tall and weighed only 100 kilograms in May. Now he weighs 120 kilograms.
Although I have gained weight, I have become more well-proportioned and good-looking due to regular exercise. I used to be a bit tall and thin.
Xiulan weighs no more than 100 pounds now, which is not considered fat at all.
"That's right, you can't abandon me just because I'm fat." Xiulan blinked.
Having said that, she actually pays a lot of attention to her body shape. Not to mention Lin Heng's feelings, she herself can't stand being chubby.
"Of course." Lin Heng nodded.
Wash the dishes and wait for the hot pot base to solidify. Cut it into small pieces and put it in a plastic bag. It can be used for both hot pot and spicy hot pot.
At around four o'clock, Lin's mother brought the basin over and we chatted.
"Did Lin Heng make this meal?" Lin's mother widened her eyes, unable to believe it.
"Of course." Lin Heng held his head high.
"I don't believe it anyway." Lin's mother laughed.
"I brought you a bowl of rice for nothing. I won't be filial next time."
Lin Heng didn't want to talk to her, so he went to feed the musk deer and the wild hog.
The next day, the rain not only didn't stop but it got heavier. The wind made it even colder, so Lin Heng and Xiulan both put on long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
Lin Heng and Xiulan stayed in bed for a long time. After getting up, Xiulan made a spicy hot pot and ate it with barbecue.
In the afternoon, Lin Heng read to them all afternoon. It was nice to relax by reading.
On the third day, which was already November 20th, the rain stopped at night.
Lin Heng and Xiulan woke up. It was quiet inside and outside the house, with only occasional bird calls.
"The sky is clear now, let's get up and bask in the sun." Xiulan said, hugging Lin Heng's neck.
"Okay." Lin Heng did not refuse.
The two of them searched the quilt for their underwear that they had lost somewhere, and got out of bed wearing them.
When he opened the door, he saw the blue sky and the golden sun. Lin Heng held his wife and walked around the yard.
The first sunny day after the rain always makes people feel happy.
"I'll teach you Tai Chi." Lin Heng said with a smile.
"Okay!" Xiulan nodded.
The two men practiced Tai Chi and Vajra Kung Fu in the backyard like old men.
After exercise, the body and mind felt more relaxed. Lin Heng called Xiaoxia to wash her face and bask in the sun together.
After breakfast, the three of them went out for a walk. It was obvious that the construction site could not be opened in this weather.
When I came out, I found out that Lin's father and elder brother had gone to the mountain to dig kudzu roots.
Lin's mother continued to grind sweet potato flour in the yard, and her sister-in-law was also here.
Lin Heng led all the cattle, horses and sheep out to the roadside, and took Xiulan and Xiaoxia with him, and picked some pig grass to feed the musk deer and wild hogs.
“Ahhh!!!”
As soon as the sky cleared, the sound of muntjacs was heard on the mountain. Lin Heng took a look and saw that it was in the direction where they were guarding the wild boars.
"Which direction are we going to pick mushrooms tomorrow?" Lin Heng asked Xiulan as she was picking goose intestines on the roadside.
"Let's go in the direction of Baishigou. Tomorrow is Sunday, so it's a good opportunity for Caiyun to take Xiaoxia with her." Xiulan said after thinking for a while.
She had made a good harvest in Baishigou last time, so she felt that there was more hope there.
There are pine forests over there too, so maybe you can pick up black truffles and matsutake mushrooms there.
"Okay." Lin Heng nodded and watched for traces of prey while herding cattle.
During this period, golden roosters and pheasants are much easier to observe than before.
Lin Heng heard a lot of golden roosters crowing in Shibadanggou and decided to try tonight and catch a few golden roosters to eat.
He wanted to eat chicken noodles and was very greedy.
When they drove the cows and horses back home, Lin's father and eldest brother had already returned with two baskets of kudzu roots.
"You have a good harvest." Lin Heng said in surprise. Pueraria root is not easy to dig.
"Hey, the two of us dug up 100 kilograms of Pueraria root in total. Sanyegou didn't disappoint us." Father Lin chuckled.
"Not only Pueraria root, we also dug five or six kilograms of yam." Lin Yue also said with a smile.
"Great." Lin Heng praised with a smile, and invited: "Do you want to go to Golden Rooster together tonight?"
"Sure, I feel like I've been shooting pretty accurately lately." Lin Yue nodded, very interested.
"Then let's have lunch, lay the fish pond line in the afternoon, and go directly to Shibadanggou in the evening. I heard a lot of golden roosters crowing there." Lin Heng said with a smile.
Lin Yue nodded: "Okay."
After lunch, Lin Heng, his father and his elder brother went to Hongfeng Mountain and spent an afternoon laying out the lines for the fish pond and setting up the wooden stakes.
With a land of a little over 20 mu, 15 fish ponds of one mu in size will eventually be built. Laying the line is a very laborious job and it will be very troublesome if the line is laid incorrectly.
Lin Heng's plan is to build fish ponds in the first and second rows, half of the third row into fish ponds, and the other half into a feed warehouse and indoor hatchery, covering an area of about two acres.
If that is not enough, the bushes and grasses halfway up the mountain can be excavated and rebuilt later. These areas will also be dug into fish ponds in the future.
After the rain, the ground became flatter and it felt very comfortable standing on it.
Lin Heng stood here feeling relaxed and happy. If all went well, his annual income from shrimp farming would be at least 40,000 yuan next year, and if it went well, it would be 50,000 or 60,000 yuan.
If he continues like this, it won't take a few years for him to accumulate enough original capital. With a certain amount of capital, and with his ability to know the future, it's only a matter of time before he becomes bigger and stronger.
"Come on, brother, let's go up the mountain." Lin Yue patted Lin Heng's shoulder and said with a smile. He was a little impatient.
Lin Heng shook his head: "Don't worry, let's wait a little longer. It will be dark in another hour. It will be easier to fight after dark."
"That's fine, let's go home and eat something to fill our stomachs before going up the mountain." Lin Yue nodded.
The two of them went home to have dinner, and waited until dusk before setting off with Xiongba to Shibadanggou.
"Hey, this muntjac is really not afraid of death. It calls louder than a golden rooster." Lin Yue shook his head as he looked up the mountain on the other side.
These muntjacs hiding in the woods are screaming for their lives, they are truly not afraid of death at all.
"This kind is not easy to fight. They ran away before anyone even showed up." Lin Heng shook his head. If it was easy to fight, they wouldn't have been so arrogant until now.
Generally, muntjacs are caught by hooks and hooks.
"Indeed, I will be satisfied if I can catch a golden rooster today." Lin Yue grinned.
Lin Heng smiled and said, "There is still hope. We can go and play under the tree at night."
Before the two men reached the ditch, they heard several gunshots. It was obvious that after three days of rain, many people were itching to do something.
Fortunately, it was not in their direction. When the two entered the ditch, it was completely dark. But today was the ninth day of the tenth month, and the moonlight was like water, so they could see clearly in the forest.
In addition, it had rained, so the leaves were wet and made no sound when stepped on, making it easier to hunt.
At this time of year, the branches are bare, and the golden roosters resting on them look like a black ball that can be seen from a distance. This is the best time to shoot them.
The two found nothing at the bottom of the ditch, so they walked up the ditch along the oak forest at the edge of the ditch. Xiongba was running around in the forest. It was useless to hunt golden cocks at night, so they brought him mainly for a walk.
"Brother, a hairy mouse."
After walking for ten minutes, Lin Yue spoke up, pointing to the top of the acorn tree in front of him.
Lin Heng took a look and shook his head, "It's too high, forget it."
"Then let me try." Lin Yue took Lin Heng's slingshot and tried it. It failed without any surprise.
He didn't get angry, just smiled and continued on his way.
After walking half a kilometer, Lin Heng suddenly slowed down. He saw a black ball on the fork of an acorn tree at the edge of the ditch. It was obviously a bird, but he couldn't tell what kind of bird it was.
For the first prey, Lin Heng chose to take action himself. The distance was only ten meters and he didn't even want to take out the compound bow. He took the orange wood bow from his eldest brother Lin Yue.
An arrow flew away, and the bird died without even being able to scream. It fell to the ground and Xiongba ran over happily to pick it up.
Lin Heng took one look and was immediately stunned: "It's not a golden rooster or a pheasant, it's actually a egret."
The tree was blocked by shadow and he couldn't see what kind of bird it was.
"Haha, this thing is said to be delicious. Let's take it back and try it." Lin Yue said excitedly. Lin Heng's archery skills were so accurate.
"Well, let's go back and try it." Lin Heng pulled out the arrow and weighed it. This unfortunate egret weighed two kilograms. I hope it has some meat and not all feathers.
After throwing the egret into the eldest brother's backpack, the two continued to move forward. Bats were flying from time to time at night, and they also encountered two hedgehogs on the road. Xiongba wanted to bite them but didn't know where to start. He slapped them away and they cried out in pain.
From time to time, gunshots were heard in the mountains. The two brothers walked up all the way. The stream in the ditch was gurgling, but they did not find any more prey.
In a blink of an eye, it was half past ten in the evening, and the two had arrived at the upper half of the ditch. The originally narrow valley became wide, and three small streams converged from three directions. The ground was wet and water was seeping.
"Brother, that one on the tree is a golden rooster, right?" Lin Yue said excitedly, pointing at a tree.
"Shh, look this way, there's a bigger one." Lin Heng said, pointing in another direction.
Lin Yue took a look and couldn't help but let out a low exclamation: "I'm awesome!!"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
