Qianqian's voice rang out as well, "Wei Yuyan should have steamed it earlier, the fire hasn't even been lit yet."
"Xiao Lei, Qian Qian, the steamed buns are ready. Your sister-in-law was thinking of steaming them when you get back. Steamed buns taste best when they're hot."
Wei Yuyan coaxed the two children and then prepared to start a fire.
"Sister-in-law, let me do it."
Xiao Lei took the tinderbox and started a fire.
"Okay, steamed buns, they'll be ready in about fifteen minutes."
Wei Yuyan arranged the buns on the steaming plate, covering it with a clean gauze cloth to prevent them from sticking.
In just over fifteen minutes, the steaming hot buns were ready.
"There was some leftover congee in the morning, so we each took half a bowl, otherwise the steamed buns would be a bit too dry."
Wei Yuyan instructed Xiao Lei to serve the porridge, while Wu Qian went to get chopsticks.
"My sister-in-law made twenty steamed buns today. You can eat as many as you want."
Wei Yuyan put one in each of their bowls and reminded them to be careful because it was hot.
"It's delicious."
Wu Qian took a small bite of the skin.
Wei Yuyan took a bite, and it was just right, not too much or too little. The broth was delicious. Wei Yuyan could only eat two and a half before she couldn't eat anymore.
Xiaoqian ate two, and Xiaolei ate two and a half; he originally only wanted to eat two.
Wei Yuyan said she would share half with him, and in the end, all three of them were stuffed, and the white porridge in their bowls was untouched.
"Alright, I'll clean up. You guys take a walk to digest your food."
Wei Yuyan took the porridge back. She shouldn't be greedy next time; it's uncomfortable to overeat.
Wei Yuyan didn't take a nap at noon. She cleaned the kitchen, dried the grains, and put away the dried medicinal herbs.
Once the children wake up, we'll go up the mountain to chop firewood together.
"Knock knock knock~ Sister-in-law, open the door."
The children were still asleep when they heard someone knocking on the door; it sounded like Sister Xiuhua.
"Oh, Sister-in-law Xiuhua, come in and sit down."
Wei Yuyan was somewhat surprised that Sister-in-law Xiuhua had also brought a wood-chopping knife.
"I won't sit here anymore. I'd like to ask you to go up the mountain to chop firewood. The head of the household is home today, so let's go chop firewood together."
We can have the oxcart bring it back from the foot of the mountain; that will save a lot of effort. Why don't you come along too?
Sister-in-law Xiuhua thought that since Wei Yuyan's husband was not at home, it would be difficult to carry firewood. Fortunately, there was an oxcart available, which would be very convenient.
"Okay, I'll call the children, and you can come in and sit down."
Wei Yuyan ran to the room and woke up Xiaolei and Qianqian. The two children obediently got up, still a little dazed.
"Sister-in-law Xiuhua, you're here."
Qianqian called out sweetly.
"Okay, sweetie, how about we go to the mountain to chop firewood together today?"
Xiuhua's sister-in-law helped Qianqian tidy up her hair, which was a mess from sleeping.
"Let's go, children."
Wei Yuyan took a basket and a wood-chopping knife; all she needed was this basket to carry the firewood down to the foot of the mountain.
"I'll lock the door."
Xiao Lei washed his face, his hands still wet, and ran over to get the keys to lock the door.
The two adults and two children chatted and laughed as they headed up the mountain. They chopped firewood near the foot of the mountain, because it was too high and difficult to walk.
When we arrived at the foot of the mountain, Brother Zhang was already waiting there; he had just arrived in his oxcart.
"Sister-in-law, oh my, Xiao Lei, Qianqian is here too. She's grown up and can do chores now."
Brother Zhang also enjoys playing with the children, and the children like him very much. After all, when Wu Chen was at home before, they often got together and became acquainted.
"Brother Zhang, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you today."
Wei Yuyan greeted her.
"No need to be polite, it's just something I did on the way. Let's go."
Brother Zhang picked up the basket and machete from the oxcart and led everyone forward.
"Brother Zhang, aren't you afraid the cow will get lost if we leave it here?"
Xiao Lei was a little worried; this cow was quite expensive, probably costing two or three taels of silver.
"Don't worry, we can just chop it down here. We can see it. It's very smart. If a stranger touches it, it will bark."
Brother Zhang thinks his cow is quite intelligent, and its mooing is also quite loud, so it can be heard.
"This cow is really smart."
Wu Lei couldn't help but sigh.
"Alright, let's stop here. Let's chop as much as we can today, enough for a month's worth of fuel. We'll call you again next time we come to chop."
Brother Zhang does this almost every time: he takes a day to chop firewood, transports it by oxcart, and chops two large cartloads, enough to burn for a month.
"It's getting late today, I'm afraid we won't be able to cut too many prices."
Sister-in-law Xiuhua looked at the sky and realized that the sun wasn't very strong today, so it would probably get dark early.
"Cut as much as you can, and that's it."
Wei Yuyan has already started chopping. Brother Zhang is right. Today we should chop enough for at least a month, or even half a month, of people.
Xiao Lei was also very helpful today. He and Qianqian picked up tree branches and bundled them together.
Time flies, and an hour and a half has passed.
"Alright, let's stop chopping. Let's carry the firewood down now. Sister-in-law, don't worry, we'll help you carry it later."
At Brother Zhang's command, the firewood needed to be moved downstairs, otherwise it would be dark in half an hour.
They even specifically told Wei Yuyan not to worry, that they would help her later.
"Okay."
Wei Yuyan sorted through the firewood she had chopped; there was quite a lot. Adding the firewood the children had gathered, there were twelve bundles in total.
It's enough to burn for more than half a month. Plus the firewood we stored at home recently, we won't need to chop firewood for a month or two.
"Qianqian, you stay here and guard the firewood. My sister-in-law and I will carry the firewood downstairs together."
Wu Lei looked at all that firewood; if his sister-in-law carried it all by herself, she would have to make five or six trips back and forth.
"Okay, brother, I won't run around."
Qianqian nodded.
“Sister-in-law, you can put them down halfway and I’ll carry them over. That way we can go faster.”
Wu Lei catches up with Wei Yuyan.
"Okay, this method will work."
The place where we chopped firewood was only a seven or eight-minute walk from the foot of the mountain; carrying firewood would just make the journey a little slower.
Wei Yuyan poured the firewood onto the grass halfway there and then carried it back up. Wu Lei carried the firewood to the oxcart, which was now piled with firewood from Brother Zhang's house.
"Sister-in-law, why are you dumping firewood here?"
Brother Zhang and his wife were carrying firewood when they encountered Wei Yuyan collapsing halfway down the road, and they were a little curious.
"Leave it here, Xiao Lei can carry it over later, that way it'll be faster."
Wei Yuyan was both amused and exasperated. She should have brought two baskets instead of going through all this trouble.
“Xiao Lei has grown up. In a couple of years, you won’t need to carry him anymore; he’ll be able to carry himself.”
Brother Zhang encouraged him.
"That's right."
Wei Yuyan turned around and continued to diligently carry firewood.
Brother Zhang chopped more than twenty bundles of firewood today, and it took two trips by oxcart to transport them all.
"Sister-in-law, let me help you. Oh dear, you're almost done memorizing too."
Xiuhua's sister-in-law came to help and found that only five bundles remained on the ground.
"Yes, we didn't actually cut that much."
Wei Yuyan was carrying two bundles, and she helped carry three bundles, and they finished carrying them.
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