The weather was excellent that day.
When Su Yun'er was cleaning out the kitchen stock, she found some dried green beans, dried vermicelli, and dried shiitake mushrooms that she had sun-dried herself.
These dried vegetables are a staple for farmers during the winter, and they're excellent for stewing meat.
Su Yun'er was thinking about how to eat.
How about stewing a chicken? Use the method for braised chicken, and after it boils, add softened dried green beans, dried vermicelli, and dried fresh mushrooms. The vegetables will absorb a lot of the meat broth, making them very flavorful. These vegetables alone are enough to make you eat a bowl of rice.
In the yard, Xiao Cao helped Grandma Chen hang and wash clothes. The water used for washing was diluted with hot water to prevent her hands from getting frostbite from the cold water. Meanwhile, Xiao Shu squatted by the woodpile, tidying up the firewood.
The firewood should be neatly arranged, otherwise it will look messy and unclean if it is scattered all over the place.
Xiao Cao squatted beside Old Lady Chen, carefully scrubbing the stains on her clothes.
While she was washing, she suddenly exclaimed "Ah!"
"What's wrong?" Old Mrs. Chen hurriedly threw down the clothes she was holding, wiped the water off her clothes, and rushed to check on Xiaocao.
Su Yun'er heard the commotion in the kitchen and hurried out to see what was happening. Xiao Shu also ran over.
The little grass was pouting, its big eyes red, and it was about to shed tears.
What happened?
Little Grass held up the clothes she was washing, her voice trembling with tears: "I tore the clothes while washing them."
Farmers generally live in modest conditions and are reluctant to make new clothes often. Some families may not make a new piece of clothing for two or three years. They wear new clothes for three years, then old clothes for three years, and then patch and mend them for another three years.
But Xiaocao ruined a piece of clothing while washing it. She felt guilty and scared, worried that her grandmother and mother would be angry and scold her.
Grandma Chen patted Xiaocao's head reassuringly, then took the clothes to look at them: "Come on, let Grandma see if these clothes can be mended. Don't be afraid, Xiaocao."
"Silly child, if your clothes are torn, just sew them up and wear them again. Why are you crying?" Su Yun'er tenderly cupped Xiaocao's fair face and wiped away her tears with her thumb.
I remember when I first woke up, Xiaocao was dark and thin, and her hair was yellow. It was obvious that the child was malnourished. After more than a month of care, the little girl finally regained some vitality, her little face became plump, and her skin became fairer.
"It's my brother's clothes," Little Grass cried.
"Why are you crying? I'm not angry. Silly girl." Xiaoshu comforted his younger sister, mimicking an adult's tone.
"But these are my brother's new clothes, and Little Grass ruined them by washing them." Little Grass still couldn't get over her sadness.
She knew how much her brother treasured these clothes; he would spend ages wiping them with water if they got even a little dirty. Now that she had torn them, even if her brother wasn't angry, he would still be sad.
“I’m a man. I said I’m not sad, and I’m not sad. Who’s like you little girls who cry all the time?” Xiaoshu rubbed his nose.
Su Yun'er rolled her eyes inwardly.
He's such a typical straight man.
He was trying to comfort the little girl, but the words he said just didn't sound right.
"Don't worry, Grandma will sew it up, and I promise it will look just like before it tore." Grandma Chen stretched out her arms and pulled Xiaocao into her embrace, gently resting her chin on Xiaocao's head with affection.
"Alright, brother won't blame you anymore, don't be afraid. Come on, Mom is going to make snacks for Little Tree and Little Grass today, Little Grass, come and help. Little Tree, help bring in the firewood."
A few days ago, Su Yun'er went to the city and collected several kilograms of sunflower seeds. Meanwhile, she worked hard to accumulate points in her space and finally obtained a new crop—peanuts.
The first batch of peanuts ripened this morning, so we'll cook them and eat them too.
When the melon seeds are ripe, they can be eaten as a snack when relatives and friends visit during the New Year; peanuts can be fried and sprinkled with salt to eat as a snack, which is best enjoyed with alcohol. Although no one in the Chen family drinks alcohol, the taste of peanuts is also wonderful.
Xiao Cao helped Su Yun'er pick out the shriveled, spoiled, or worm-infested melon seeds, and peeled the peanut shells, leaving only the red peanut skins.
Just as they were busy, Xiaoshu suddenly exclaimed with delight, "Gai Xue is back!"
Upon hearing this, the little grass immediately stretched its neck to look.
A few days ago, Gai Xue went out to play and didn't come back for several days, which made Xiao Shu and Xiao Cao very worried. Xiao Cao even cried because of it.
Su Yun'er knew that Xiao Cao wanted to see Gai Xue, so she told her to put down what she was doing and go see her first, but Xiao Cao shook her head.
“Mother said that we should finish what we start. I’ll go see Gai Xue after I finish my work.”
"I wonder how Gai Xue has been doing these past few days. Has she had enough to eat?"
Grandma Chen put down the clothes she was hanging out to dry, took the kitten from Xiaoshu's arms, carefully examined its body and limbs, and weighed it in her hands a few times.
"She wasn't injured, but she's lost a lot of weight. All the little bit of fat she managed to gain is gone, and you can feel her bones now."
"Grandma, Gai Xue must have nothing to eat outside. Let's carry Gai Xue back inside so he doesn't run away again."
As Xiaocao peeled peanuts, she said, "Mom, why does Gaixue always run away? I've seen that all the dogs in the village know to come home."
"That's just how cats are, they treat our house like a hotel." Su Yun'er laughed after saying that, but after all, it was the cat she had left behind.
When Gai Xuegang came to us, she was very thin and small. Su Yun'er fed her chicken breast for every meal, and she slowly gained some weight.
"We're making stewed chicken today, so let's give him the chicken breast," Su Yun'er said.
Just then, Old Mrs. Chen came into the kitchen to pour water for Gaixue. Hearing this, she was both amused and annoyed, saying, "In the whole Daliushu Village, only our family feeds meat to the cats. People who don't know us would think we're some kind of rich and powerful family."
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