Chapter 37 Enjoying a Different Kind of Breakfast
The kitchen was dimly lit, with only a faint red glow coming from the stove.
Liu Pandi skillfully scrubbed the large iron pot and added cold well water.
As firewood was stuffed into the stove, a few soft crackling sounds rang out, and orange-red flames suddenly leaped up, greedily licking the bottom of the pot, instantly dispelling some of the chill and casting Liu Chundi's busy figure onto the mottled earthen wall, flickering in and out of light.
In the firelight, she picked up a smooth gourd ladle and walked to the row of bulging coarse cloth grain sacks labeled with different names in the corner.
Her movements were swift yet precise, almost ritualistic: she untied the rope from the bag, starting with the bags labeled "Shen Qingyang" and moving on to those labeled "New Educated Youth," scooping out a sufficient amount of grain...
For each educated youth, the only sound throughout the entire process was the soft rustling of grain being poured into a basin, which was especially clear in the quiet morning.
Xu Zhili leaned against the door frame, watching the meticulous scene of distributing grain, and asked with some curiosity, "Liu Zhiqing, what is this...?"
Liu Pandi didn't even look up, her hands still busy: "Oh, this? Everyone has a different appetite, so they earn different work points. Some people eat here, some cook for themselves, and some occasionally go out to eat. We cook separately, so the accounts are clear and no one feels like they're losing out."
If you don't want to eat communal meals, just tell the person cooking in advance.
Her explanation was concise and clear, revealing a simple fairness, as if recalling something, and then she breathed it out.
“If you educated youth went to the countryside during a famine, it was terrible. When there wasn’t enough food, we would eat wild vegetables such as purslane, shepherd’s purse, tree bark, or sweet potato vines to fill our stomachs. We would even go to the river to catch fish and shrimp, but there were no fish or shrimp during a famine. Furthermore, during the most difficult times, we ground elm bark into powder and mixed it with cornmeal to steam buns to relieve hunger. Every time I think about it, I remember how hard those days were.”
As Xu Zhili listened to Liu Pandi's story, a wave of sadness washed over her.
She looked at the orange flames in the stove, then gazed out the window, as if she could see the scenes of people struggling to survive during those difficult years.
Xu Zhili sighed softly and said, "Liu Zhiqing, although we didn't experience the famine, after hearing what you said, I can really feel how difficult it was back then. Now that life is slowly getting better, we must cherish it."
"Yes, we must also know that food is hard-earned and we can't waste it."
Xu Zhili nodded knowingly: "I understand. By the way, Liu Zhiqing, we newcomers don't have any food yet..." Her tone was a little tentative.
Liu Pandi finally finished scooping out the last ladle, straightened up, patted the dust off her hands, pointed to a slightly newer, full bag next to her, and showed a simple smile.
"Don't worry, the brigade leader has made all the arrangements. The grain was delivered as soon as you arrived yesterday. Look, these bags are your rations."
With a weight lifted from her heart, Xu Zhili sincerely thanked them: "That's great, thank you Liu Zhiqing, and please thank the brigade leader for me too."
"Don't mention it." Liu Chundi laughed heartily, then turned around and went back to her busy work at the stove.
Flames leaped and danced, and steam gradually rose from the pot.
About half an hour later, voices and movements gradually began to appear in the educated youth compound.
Surprisingly, Bai Linlin and Yao Xueru's room doors remained tightly closed, without making a sound.
On the contrary, Xu Zhian, the youngest, had already finished washing up with Lu Yanchen and was standing in the yard with her little face flushed.
Lu Yanchen was quietly instructing Xu Zhian on how to brush her teeth, and Xu Zhian listened attentively, nodding her little head.
Xu Zhili watched this scene from afar, feeling a warmth in her heart.
The younger brother, Xu Zhian, seemed more relaxed than when he was at home, and there was less timidity in his eyes.
Without the abuse from her stepmother and the indifference from her biological father, An'an has become more lively and adorable again.
The heavy pressure brought about by the decision to take him to the countryside was slightly relieved at this moment.
Breakfast was served.
The thin porridge of wild vegetables was served in a rough earthenware bowl. It was grayish-green in color and had a smell that was a mixture of grassy aroma and slightly bitter taste.
Next to it was a small bowl of steamed potatoes, their skin wrinkled and only the size of an egg; they were a local, old variety.
Shen Qingyang held his bowl, looked around at the people who were already seated, and spoke in a low but clear voice.
"Liu Pandi is cooking today. From now on, the women will be in charge of cooking, and the men will be in charge of heavy work such as carrying water and chopping firewood. The two groups can take turns. You can discuss who will cook with whom in private. Firewood is a problem. After work, whoever has time should go up the mountain to collect some. Don't wait until the stove is empty and be at a loss."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the new educated youth. "The new comrades have one day to be settled in. If you need anything, hurry up and go to the commune's supply and marketing cooperative to get it. After tomorrow, you'll have to go to the fields with them."
Xu Zhili picked up a piping hot potato, peeled off the thin skin, and revealed a soft, golden-yellow core.
A simple, sweet fragrance wafted into my nostrils.
She took a bite; the texture was smooth and delicate, carrying the most primal flavor of the land.
Even after tasting all sorts of "food" for survival in the apocalypse, this unassuming little potato gave her a long-lost sense of peace and satisfaction.
She quickly ate one and pushed the remaining two in front of Xu Zhian.
That bowl of wild vegetable porridge did indeed have a distinctly bitter taste upon first sip, and was somewhat astringent.
But in the apocalypse, this is already considered a "good thing" rich in vitamins.
Xu Zhili held her breath and drank it all in a few big gulps, leaving only a shallow layer of paste at the bottom of the bowl.
Xu Zhian tried to drink a few mouthfuls of the porridge, just like her older sister. Her little brows furrowed, and she sensibly pushed the bowl to Xu Zhili, saying, "Sister, you drink it."
He then focused intently on preparing the sweet little potatoes.
Bai Linlin stirred the thin paste in the bowl with a spoon, her brows furrowing slightly.
The bitter taste made her instinctively resist.
But when I looked up and saw the old educated youth, including Shen Qingyang, they were all drinking without changing their expressions, and some even picked up their bowls and drank them all in one gulp.
She pursed her lips but didn't say anything in the end. She just sipped the soup slowly with a spoon, as if she were taking medicine.
Other educated youths, such as Meng Haozi, Li Weiguo, and Liu Fang, also looked distressed, but they all silently ate with their heads down, trying not to make a sound, only occasionally letting their throats bob because of the bitter taste.
Just then.
Yao Xueru's door creaked open, and she came out rubbing her eyes, looking irritable as if she hadn't slept well.
Upon seeing the breakfast on the table, his brows immediately furrowed.
She slowly finished washing up, sat down at the table, picked up a spoon, and with great difficulty scooped up a little bit of the paste and put it into her mouth.
moment!
Her face scrunched up, as if she had swallowed a bitter pill.
"Pfft—cough cough!" She slammed the spoon back into the bowl with a sharp, piercing sound! The thick paste splattered onto the table.
"My God! What is this thing?!"
Yao Xueru's shrill voice shattered the silence at the dinner table, filled with undisguised disgust and grievance, "It's watery and bitter! It tastes like grass! How can anyone swallow this?! Even pig feed is better than this!!"
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