At this point, the benefits of having space become fully apparent.
Wherever the eye is focused, it can capture everything, making it hundreds or thousands of times more efficient than the average person.
When Song Liyun came out, she didn't just collect acorns; she collected whatever she could find, even withered trees and rotten grass. Wherever she went, it was like a tornado had swept through, leaving the ground instantly smooth. Xiao An and Hei Jin were stunned.
Several times, if Hei Jin hadn't jumped faster, she would have almost taken him into her space.
Fortunately, the space only contained things that couldn't struggle or move, so Black Gold was spared.
The hilltop where Song Liyun was located was completely cleared out in half a day.
After her space was filled with a mess of branches and hazelnuts, she finally stopped to rest.
Because they were going up the mountain, Song Liyun prepared steamed buns in advance and also boiled acorns in a pot.
Acorns are known as "the grain of the tree" because they are edible, but they contain tannins and have a bitter and unpleasant taste. Unless food is extremely scarce, no one would generally be willing to taste them.
Acorns are also a good thing, rich in nutrients and good for the stomach, but they need to be finely processed before they can be eaten.
Boiling acorns in water breaks down the tannins, greatly reducing their bitterness.
However, simply boiling it once is not enough. You need to boil the water containing the acorns and then pour it out. Then add water and boil it again, repeating this process several times until the filtered water no longer turns brown. At this point, the bitterness will be completely gone.
There was a time in the apocalypse when mutated acorns, growing to the size of a fist, were a life-saving food for humanity.
Everyone knows how to process the tannins in acorns, which has led to the development of a range of acorn products, such as acorn noodles and acorn cookies.
Xiao An had eaten raw acorns and roasted acorns with Song Zhenping in the mountains before, but now when she eats boiled acorns, she only feels that they are sweet and fragrant.
With such delicious food, Black Gold abandoned its raw acorns and ran over to fight with Song Liyun and the others for a piece of it.
It hasn't had its favorite cooked food for five years, and it eats even more voraciously than Xiao An. Often, as soon as the water boils, it eagerly reaches out its paws to grab it.
He even grinned to protect his food, and was then pinned to the ground and given a good beating by Song Liyun.
There are more acorns on the mountain than you can eat. Black Gold was just a habit; he only behaved properly after being beaten.
Since it was her first time climbing the mountain, Song Liyun did not stay for long.
After lunch, they put Xiao An back on their backs, and the two of them and the monkey returned to the riverbank via the same route.
Back at Baolin Residence, Song Liyun had something to do.
First, they moved the acorns from the space into the cellar, piled the firewood in the backyard, and then cooked a large pot of it.
Then they moved a stone vat into the yard, poured half a vat of it in, and used a larger vat to soak the rest of the acorns.
Boiling acorns requires frequent water changes, and soaking acorns also requires daily water changes until the water is clear and free of other colors.
This process usually takes about half a month, during which the tannins are removed, and the powder no longer has a bitter taste.
In comparison, although boiling acorns takes less time, it consumes a lot of firewood, which is unaffordable for most people. Soaking is the most economical and practical method, but it can't be rushed.
After the acorns are cooked, the pulp is ground in a stone mill and boiled down, then cooled.
When Song Zhenping returned in the evening, it was time to eat acorn jelly.
Acorn jelly mixed with oil, salt, scallions, ginger, and garlic has no astringent taste at all, but rather an indescribable refreshing and chewy texture.
The slight bitterness that remains actually enhances the rich flavor profile of sweet, sour, spicy, and savory.
As Song Zhenping ate, he exclaimed, "I've only ever eaten acorn flour buns before, how come I never thought of making them into this kind of aspic?"
Back in Xiaoshi Village, every spring when food was scarce and every family faced famine, he and Xiao An would have to eat acorn flour buns for a long time. They tasted bitter and astringent and were hard to swallow.
Song Liyun smiled and said, "I only picked them up at the edge of the woods today. I'll pick up more tomorrow and grind them into acorn flour so we can eat them every day."
She didn't mention that the acorn jelly was delicious not only because it wasn't bitter, but also because it contained oil and salt.
Song Zhenping used to be able to remove bitterness, so he didn't need these seasonings.
Xiao An hugged his bowl and ate heartily.
Acorn jelly is a whole grain, rich in nutrients, and good for the stomach, so Song Liyun didn't restrict him.
He ate so much that sweat beaded on his forehead, his belly bulged, and a blush crept onto his sallow face.
The three of them ate acorn jelly until they were full, and at the end, Song Zhenping said, "In a few days, I'll go up the mountain with you."
He no longer objected to picking acorns.
But Song Zhenping was working, so talking about going up the mountain was just empty talk.
Only Song Liyun took Hei Jin Xiao An to the mountain a few more times.
She had picked almost all the acorns from the hills, and a tall stack of firewood had been piled up in the backyard of Baolin Residence.
Song Zhenping works from dawn till dusk every day, and can only watch helplessly as his family's life changes.
Knowing that it could hold so much stuff, it must have used a "treasure bag" that could both store and expand.
Before dinner, Song Liyun replaced the water in the jar that was soaking acorns with fresh water.
It has been soaking for five days, and the water is still a murky, dark yellow color.
This won't do!
Thinking about the tons of acorns already piled up in the cellar, Song Liyun felt a headache coming on.
If we keep soaking like this day after day, how long will it take? We'll need a big pool.
There's also grinding.
The three siblings couldn't possibly eat cold noodles every day; even if they made porridge or pancakes, they couldn't finish them all.
Song Liyun was pondering how to process the acorns while grinding them with her hands.
Just as Song Liyun was about to start a fire to boil the acorn pulp after filtering it into a pot, she saw Xiao An running into the kitchen laughing so hard he was hiccuping, followed by the menacing Black Gold.
Now, Black Gold is increasingly returning to its essence as a pet, and it's having a great time playing with Xiao An.
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