The simple sedan chair that Zhang Yuniang sat in was actually made of two wooden sticks as thick as a man's arm, with ropes coiled in the middle to form a net.
There was a thick mattress inside, and she lay on it, covered with a thin blanket.
Han Dazhong also sent his sons Han Youtian and Han Youliang, and Han Zhaoxiong also came. They took turns carrying her up the mountain platform.
After going up, the two brothers, Han Youtian and Han Youliang, were covered in sweat, and the backs of their shirts were soaked with sweat.
Han Dazhong glanced at Xue Nizi and Tonghua, who were blushing and out of breath, then turned and glared at his two sons.
Honestly: It's truly shameful. Two grown men are no match for two young wives!
It seems that Lanzhen's family is very fortunate!
Otherwise, how could they all be so strong!
By this time, the sun had already set behind the western mountains, leaving only a sky full of red clouds.
Shanxing, Lihua, and a few other children went up the mountain first.
They gathered firewood and started a fire.
They were just waiting for Li Lanzhen and the others to come up so they could set up the stove and cook dinner.
Li Lanzhen arrived first and saw what the children had prepared.
She smiled and praised him generously.
"Children, you are all wonderful. Grandma will make you dinner now. It will be delicious."
As he spoke, he walked to the middle of three trees and pulled out four large baskets from the space.
A basket contained three large iron pots, as well as bowls and ladles.
The other large basket contained wild vegetables, wild vegetable pancakes, and grains.
There was also a basket containing potatoes, sweet potatoes, three cleaned pheasants, and three cleaned wild rabbits.
She came out carrying a large basket filled with pots, pans, and dishes.
Then they saw Han Mingjiang standing by the fire.
"Second brother, go to the woods over there and pull out the basket. We're going to start making dinner."
Han Mingjiang, Han Zhaoxiong, Han Youtian and a few others ran behind three trees.
Two large baskets were brought out.
The expressions on the three people's faces showed surprise, excitement, and above all, joy.
"Mom, is there meat for dinner tonight?"
Han Mingjiang shouted loudly before he even reached the fire.
Li Lanzhen glared at him.
"Yes, there's meat to eat. Eat more, you greedy cat!"
The women washed their hands and began preparing dinner, while the children sat around the campfire, chattering about joyful things only they could understand.
The men began setting up tents on the side.
There were many trees around, so they simply used the terrain where the trees grew to surround the area with straw mats.
They were very familiar with setting up straw mat sleeping berths.
Along the way, fleeing famine, they constantly built thatched huts and slept by the roadside in the mountains.
Lanzhen cooked dinner.
Han Mingjiang had already chopped all the pheasants and rabbits into small pieces.
She put some oil in the wok, poured in all the meat chunks, and dried them out. Then, when no one was looking, she added the seasonings. When the meat turned golden brown and started sizzling with oil...
Li Lanzhen divided the pot of meat into three pots.
Add water to each pot, then pour in the sweet potato and potato chunks that Xue Nizi and the others have chopped.
Pour half a basin of fresh wild mushrooms into each iron pot.
Just before it's done cooking, add the chopped wild vegetables.
A pot of rice with meat, soup, and vegetables, served with wild vegetable pancakes, makes for a hearty dinner for everyone.
Seeing the children sitting around the fire, Li Lanzhen wanted to get them some snacks.
She took out a basket of small sweet potatoes.
"Han Yinan, Gou Dan, come on, bury this basket of sweet potatoes in the fire and roast them until they're cooked."
Upon hearing this, the two children came over excitedly, carrying the basket.
The children carefully used sticks to pry open the ashes of the fire and bury the sweet potatoes.
Then they added more firewood and kept burning.
When the meat chunks, potato chunks, sweet potato chunks, wild mushrooms, and wild vegetable soup in the three large iron pots were ready.
The aroma was so strong that it permeated the entire hillside!
Without warning, it burrowed into the nasal cavities of adults and children, causing them to drool profusely.
Amidst the rich aroma of meat, there's a sweet flavor that tantalizes everyone's taste buds.
This is the sweet and delicious smell of roasted sweet potatoes.
The children were completely oblivious to the meat in the three large iron pots.
They all stared with shining eyes at the roasted sweet potatoes emitting a sweet aroma from the ashes of the fire.
Xue Nizi used two sticks to pull the roasted sweet potatoes out of the fire one by one.
"Children, be careful, it's hot! It'll burn your hands and your mouth!"
She was also going to count whether there was enough for each person.
Han Yinan shouted.
"Second Aunt, I've counted. Each child can have one small sweet potato, and there are 12 left."
Li Lanzhen heard this and said something.
"Alright, children, each get a roasted sweet potato. Adults, break them up in groups of two or three and have a taste. Once we find a place, we'll grow more sweet potatoes and you can have a sweet potato feast."
Han Yibo, with his short legs, ran up to Li Lanzhen and hugged her leg.
She drooled as she spoke.
"Grandma, what are sweet potato swallows? Are they delicious?"
Li Lanzhen chuckled and picked him up.
She reached out and flicked his little nose with her finger.
"The sweet potato feast doesn't refer to birds flying in the sky; it's just sweet potatoes used to make a banquet."
Grandma will make you fried sweet potato balls, sweet potato pancakes, roasted sweet potatoes, steamed sweet potatoes, dried sweet potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes in syrup, spicy sweet potatoes, and sweet potato noodles. They'll be so delicious!
Han Yibo leaned against her chest, drooling even more.
Li Lanzhen took out a cloth to wipe his drool, then put him down and said...
"Go now, eat your roasted sweet potato, and then come back for the meat."
The adults also listened intently to hear about how delicious sweet potatoes were.
Saliva was flowing freely from my mouth as I longed for that wonderful time.
In the firelight, everyone's bellies were round and full from eating, but no one lay down; instead, they walked around to digest.
Perhaps it had rained heavily in the mountains, and the sky seemed to have been washed clean.
Perhaps it's because they're standing high up, closer to the sky.
Tonight, the sky is exceptionally blue, and the stars fill the sky.
Li Lanzhen blurted out, "Yes."
"A building a hundred feet high, where one can pluck the stars from the sky!"
The children immediately surrounded her when they heard this.
They stretched out their hands, looked up at the starry sky, and shouted together.
"A perilous tower rises a hundred feet high, one could pluck the stars from the sky!"
"Oh, I've reached for the stars!"
"The stars are so beautiful tonight!"
Amidst the children's laughter, Li Lanzhen looked up at the small platform above.
Why aren't Xue Bao and his companion coming down yet?
I left them dinner, and it's still warming in the pot.
Did something happen to them again?
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