Chapter 24 Scholar Xianhui, Washing Laundry by the River
Not long after Jiang Ning entered the house, she heard Liu Mingan ask her in the kitchen: "Have you changed? If you have, I will help you comb your hair."
Jiang Ning said "hmm", and Liu Mingan opened the curtain and entered the house, and took out a hairband from the box.
"Jiang Ning, did you encounter any other dangers on the mountain?" Liu Mingan asked while combing Jiang Ning's hair.
The reason why Jiang Ning sent Liu Ming'an away was because she guessed that he would worry about this, so she said, "No, I only walked halfway up the mountain and didn't go inside. Besides, aren't I fine?"
Liu Ming'an was silent for a moment, then continued, "Don't go up the mountain in the future. The money I earn is enough for the two of us. There are bound to be ferocious beasts in the mountains, and the terrain is rugged. There is no need to take the risk."
"Oh, I see." Jiang Ning said casually.
Liu Mingan could tell she was being perfunctory and continued to persuade her: "Jiang Ning, I'm telling the truth. You're a girl, and you may be lucky enough not to encounter any danger this time, but who can guarantee that you'll be safe every time? There's no one around that mountain, and if something really happens to you, you'll be helpless, what will you do?"
"Liu Mingan," Jiang Ning raised her eyebrows slightly and said what she had wanted to complain about for a long time: "How can you, a scholar, be so
long-winded?" Liu Mingan paused with his hand holding the comb and chuckled. Almost everyone who knew him described him as quiet, steady and introverted, and Jiang Ning was the first person to complain about his talkativeness.
"Jiang Ning, I care about you. I'm afraid you might get into an accident." Liu Ming'an said sincerely, holding a strand of hair in his hand and tying it into a knot.
"Care about me..." Jiang Ning whispered softly, looking a little dazed.
The word "care" was too unfamiliar to her. In her previous life, she had only lived for twenty years, and her fate was controlled by others. To the organization, she was just a handy knife. Everyone only cared about whether the knife was sharp enough to cut the throat and bleed, and who would care whether she would get into an accident?
"Jiang Ning, don't go up the mountain again." Liu Ming'an finished combing her hair, put down the comb, and said again in a serious tone.
Jiang Ning lowered her eyes slightly, without saying yes or no, and just pointed at the clothes she had taken off and asked: "How do you wash this?"
Liu Ming'an looked in the direction she pointed, then put the clothes away and said very naturally: "Let me help you."
So kind?
Jiang Ning hesitated for a rare time: "Will this be a bad idea?"
"What's wrong with that? Washing for one person is the same as washing for two people. It only takes a while." Liu Ming'an smiled gently, then took the clothes out.
Jiang Ning stood up and watched him put the clothes in a wooden basin, where she also put the coat she used to store chestnuts. Liu Ming'an carried the wooden basin into the kitchen, took a piece of bamboo and took out a pile of wood ash from the stove, and poured all the ash on the clothes under Jiang Ning's puzzled eyes.
Jiang Ning was surprised for a moment, then realized that the main component of wood ash is potassium carbonate, which can be dissolved in water and has a decontamination effect. This is the "washing powder" in ancient times.
Liu Mingan took out the washboard and mallet from behind the door, put them together in the wooden basin, turned around and said to Jiang Ning: "There is a stream over there in Lotus Village, and the villagers wash clothes there."
Jiang Ning nodded and said to him: "You go, I will cook at home and wait for you to come back."
Liu Mingan smiled and said "OK", holding the wooden basin and left.
After Liu Mingan walked away, Jiang Ning looked at the restless pheasant at the door and pulled the corner of his mouth slightly. The pheasant jumped around without knowing whether to live or die, and shouted happily at Jiang Ning, completely unaware that its death was approaching.
Jiang Ning took out a kitchen knife from the kitchen and brought a bowl to the ground. The pheasant looked at her with rolling eyes, and the next moment, its wings were suddenly pulled and it was held down.
Jiang Ning acted quickly, accurately and ruthlessly, aiming at the chicken's neck and stabbing it. The pheasant struggled for a few seconds before it died. Its head was lowered, and all the bright red blood was poured into the bowl without a drop of spillage.
After the blood was drained, Jiang Ning threw the chicken into the wooden basin, scooped a few ladles of boiling water from the pot and poured it over the chicken, scalding its entire body. After scalding, the chicken feathers fell off with a light pull. In less than five minutes, the originally arrogant pheasant became bald under Jiang Ning's hands.
Jiang Ning added a little salt to the chicken blood, and then put it aside to wait for it to slowly solidify into blood clots. Then he picked up the knife, cut the chicken's belly, cut the chicken in half, quickly took out all the internal organs, and then cut off the chicken head and chicken butt, and the whole chicken was ready.
Looking at the chicken heart, chicken liver, chicken intestines, and chicken liver, Jiang Ning hesitated a little. It would be delicious to stir-fry chicken offal. But when he thought about the processing procedures, and thought that there was no cooking wine and pickled peppers to suppress the fishy smell, he gave up and just mixed the internal organs and chicken feathers and threw them away.
This chicken is quite fat. Jiang Ning thought about the two dishes made by Liu Mingan on the table, picked up the knife and chopped the chicken in half, preparing to eat it tomorrow. Only half a chicken can be used to make a chicken stewed with mushrooms.
While Jiang Ning was busy in the kitchen, Liu Ming'an came to the stream with a wooden basin. This stream originates from the mountains and flows all year round. There are always young girls and wives washing clothes and vegetables by the stream.
Since ancient times, men have been doing heavy work such as farming, fetching water and chopping wood, while washing clothes and cooking are the jobs of women. Therefore, when Liu Ming'an walked by the stream, he saw several people squatting there washing clothes, all of whom were women without exception. The women gathered together and chatted about the family matters, and gossip was inevitable. Liu Ming'an wanted to find a more secluded position, but was spotted by Aunt Li Er.
"Hey! Ming'an is here!"
The woman raised her sharp voice, and several people looked in Liu Ming'an's direction.
Liu Ming'an had no choice but to go over and greet them one by one: "Third Uncle, Second Aunt Lin, Second Aunt Li, Sister Xiangyun, Yiyi, what a coincidence, everyone is here."
"Brother Ming'an, come over here, it's spacious!" He Yiyi saw Liu Ming'an smiling happily, and quickly stood up to make a seat for him, and squeezed over to her mother's side.
Second Aunt Li and her daughter-in-law Li Xiangyun looked at each other and sneered softly at the same time.
Aunt Lin's face darkened instantly when she saw her daughter's unrestrained look. She pulled He Yiyi aside in a bad mood and scolded in a low voice: "Take care of yourself! It's your turn to worry?"
The voice was not loud, but Liu Ming'an heard it clearly. With a calm face and a smile on his lips, he said frankly: "Thank you, sister Yiyi, but I think Third Aunt's place is good."
Third Aunt smiled and said: "I came the earliest, so I naturally have the best seat."
Liu Ming'an smiled, put the wooden basin on the stone beach, rolled up her sleeves, and planned to wash quickly and go back.
The two mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law of the Li family were ready to leave. Seeing Liu Ming'an coming, Li Xiangyun took the clothes and rubbed them slowly, and talked to them as if they were chatting: "Ming'an, how is the woman you bought now?"
Everyone present had their own thoughts, and they were all worried when they heard this. Liu Ming'an was different from everyone else in the village. He had no parents, no relatives, and rarely went out. There was no chance to ask about his affairs.
"He's fine." Liu Ming'an answered without raising his head.
"If I had a broken hand or a broken foot, I would have to ask you to take care of me, right? Eating, drinking water, going to the toilet, wiping my body, wouldn't you have to do it? I said you look so gentle, why are you so foolish? I spent three taels of silver to invite a ancestor home, what do you want? Ming'an, have you become stupid because of studying?"
Li Xiangyun's mouth was crackling like firecrackers, which made Liu Ming'an upset and frowned.