Chapter 92: Exchanging Food
Spread seasoning on the chicken, wrap it in mud and bury it in the fire to make a simple version of beggar's chicken.
The rabbit meat is diced, strung on skewers with thin branches, and grilled over charcoal fire.
The wild rabbit meat soon gave off a rich aroma, which was so fragrant that it made people's mouths itch and salivate.
The oil in the rabbit meat dropped into the fire drop by drop, making a sizzling sound. As various seasonings were sprinkled on it, the aroma of the meat became more and more intense.
Heijin was so greedy that he scratched his ears and cheeks, but he didn't dare to come over. He was afraid that Song Liyun would beat him again, so he could only hide far away.
Fortunately, I have sympathetic and considerate friends.
Every time Song Liyun grilled a skewer, Xiao An would blow it cool and pass it over to her.
Heijin was so moved that he hugged Xiaoan and kissed his face repeatedly.
After eating the roasted rabbit, everyone was full. Song Liyun put away the beggar's chicken still covered in mud and the roasted rabbit left for Song Zhenping, and then began to pack up the tent.
Xiao An touched the single tent that looked like a small house and said reluctantly, "I like it and will come again!"
There are more and more people in Baolinju now, but he still likes to be with his brothers and sisters and Heijin.
Setting up a tent in the mountains like today is his happiest day.
Song Liyun touched his head and said, "Okay, we'll come again tomorrow. Invite me too."
She also felt that the house was getting more and more noisy, and Xiao An and Hei Jin were both uncomfortable.
It would be better to enclose the forest outside Baolinju and build a paradise for Xiaoan and Heijin alone.
It’s a rare trip, so I must return with a full load.
On the way down the mountain and back home, Song Liyun took Xiao An Heijin and walked, played and collected things.
When she got home, there were several piles of acorns and a lot of dead trees and firewood in Song Liyun's space.
I now have two more pheasants and three more rabbits.
Song Zhenping felt uneasy all day because his younger brother and sister were not at home. He waited by the river early without waiting for the soldiers to finish their work.
When he saw Song Liyun and the others appear on the other side, Song Zhenping finally felt relieved.
Climbing the long ladder, the three brothers and sisters were reunited.
Xiao An held his brother's arm, showed him the cute little rabbit, and also showed him the rabbit skin he had peeled.
After looking at the live rabbit, I looked at the dead rabbit. The scene was a bit weird.
Song Zhenping blinked hard, trying to hold back tears, and smiled until his eyes turned red.
In the past, Xiao An didn’t even dare to speak loudly, but now he can handle prey.
When the three siblings arrived home, the soldiers from the garrison had already finished their work and left, leaving only Han Ming cleaning up the remaining garbage at Baolinju.
In the evening, I cooked millet porridge, added pickles, and reheated the beggar's chicken. It was a hearty meal.
Han Ming had only been in Baolinju for a few days and thought that drinking some corn porridge would be enough to fill him up.
Unexpectedly, he not only ate his fill, but also ate meat almost every day. Now I’m afraid I can’t drive him away even with a knife.
There is still strength in numbers.
In just one day, the backyard had changed dramatically. All the garden soil had been turned over, and two fire walls divided the yard into four parts, with a fire burning in the middle to keep warm on both sides.
A large area of the mixed forest outside Baolinju was also cut down and used as a spare pile of firewood, enough to burn for a while.
In the following period, every family was hibernating, but Baolinju was a busy place.
Acorn tofu still needs to be made, and there is more work to do in the greenhouse in the backyard. Song Zhenping and his sister and Han Ming are very busy.
The total area of the greenhouse, including the expanded area and the original area, is more than 500 square meters.
There are also more vegetables being planted.
Chinese cabbage, beans, eggplant, peppers, and a piece of chives.
Among these seeds, there are good seeds brought by the end of the world.
Song Liyun was also not sure whether these excellent varieties carefully cultivated by scientific researchers had expired after being left in her own space for ten years and could not germinate and grow again.
There is no thermostat, and the firewall needs to be monitored 24 hours a day.
There is no humidifier, so the greenhouse is sprinkled with water with a broom twice a day to cool down and keep the moisture moist.
These jobs are dirty, tiring and require manual labor, so Song Zhangping and Han Ming are the ones doing them.
The task of delivering acorn tofu to the town fell on Song Liyun.
Since the greenhouse was built, Suijin Town has been experiencing heavy snow for several consecutive days since the beginning of the twelfth lunar month.
It snowed heavily all night, and the eaves were already covered with a foot of snow.
Song Liyun carried the basins out of the kitchen one by one and placed them on the wooden rake.
Boss Mu now needs three pots every day, and today he will also send one pot to the nursing home.
She tightened her collar and was about to go out when Xiao An ran over and said, "Sister, go!"
"It's cold outside, go farm with your brother."
Xiao An had accompanied her to the town twice before. Today, it was snowing and the ground was slippery, so Song Liyun didn't let him go out.
Xiao An didn't force it. She bit her lip, took off her rabbit fur scarf, tiptoed to put it around Song Liyun's neck, and whispered, "Good morning!"
"Well, Xiao An is really good. Are you reading the book I gave you?"
When Xiao An heard about the book, his eyes lit up and he nodded, "Look! It's great!"
"Okay, sister will come back and test you later!" Song Liyun said with a smile.
When Xiao An heard that there was going to be an exam, she bit her lip and ran away again.
Walking out of the yard, the wooden plow slid lightly on the snow.
She left home a little late today, and thinking that the elderly had been waiting for too long, she went to the nursing home first.
As agreed, Old Man Zhang and a few others were already waiting by the roadside. When they saw Song Liyun approaching, some of them bowed and called her "Miss Song!"
Some people also came over carrying wooden stretchers.
Song Liyun first took a pot of acorn tofu from her wooden plow and placed it on the old people's carrying rack.
Then he smiled and said to Old Man Zhang, "Uncle Zhang, today I can only give you a bag of acorn flour. I don't have much food at home. I will bring more dry firewood tomorrow."
Old Man Zhang bowed his hands in gratitude and said, "It's okay. Young lady, you are so kind and virtuous. You are so kind and virtuous."
During this period, the Song family not only sent food, but also acorn tofu and acorn noodles.
Although it's not much, it can make their winter less difficult.
Someone brought out three large bags bulging with stuff. "Miss Song, these are the acorns we peeled."
Looking at the bag, Song Liyun asked in surprise, "Didn't they say we could finish peeling the acorns in ten days?"
This was the job she assigned to the nursing home.
Song Liyun knew very well that a bowl of rice would raise a benefactor, but a bushel of rice would raise an enemy.
The acorn tofu, firewood and food that the Song family gave to Jinglaotang were not given for free.
Two months ago, the Song family was a desperate military household, and they only knew how to make acorn tofu to earn money to buy food. It didn't make sense for them to be rich enough to support dozens of people in the nursing home for free.
When the acorn tofu was delivered for the second time, Song Liyun asked Old Man Zhang and others if they could help peel the acorns.
There are no mechanical equipment for these, so the acorn shells can only be opened by hand. I can handle a small amount by myself, but it is definitely not possible to do too much.
After just over a month of peeling, the fingers of the three Song siblings were covered with scars.
She simply asked the people in the nursing home if they were willing to help, and she could use food and firewood as wages.
Old Man Zhang and his men were idle anyway, so they were naturally willing to do these small things to get food and firewood.
There is always a limit to the amount of time someone gives you something for free. You only give it if you are happy, and don’t give it if you are not happy.
Things you earn yourself will last longer, and you can eat them with confidence.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
