Although Lu Chuan bought her to be his wife, and the two of them are indeed sleeping in the same room now, isn't that because it's cold now and heating the kang (a traditional heated bed) saves firewood?
Hmm... After spending so much time together, I have to say this man is very attentive in every way, and I'm probably a little bit smitten!
Looking further down, one could see that the basket contained scallions, ginger, and some other odds and ends—all things Xu Han had casually mentioned earlier. It turned out Lu Chuan had actually bought them.
I turned around and took these things back to my room to tidy them up. The sun was about to set, so I brought the blankets back and changed the sheets.
Hmm, this quilt is too stiff. It looks like it's been used for a long time, and it's not warm anymore. Looks like I need to hurry up and earn some money so I can make myself a big, thick quilt before winter.
After changing the sheets, she turned and went out the door. Seeing Lu Chuan carrying a brazier into the bathroom, she followed him inside.
"I'll light a few more braziers for you, so the room will be warm and cozy, making it less likely you'll catch a cold." Hearing Lu Chuan say this warmed Xu Han's heart...
After cleaning the bathtub, I started adding water and soaked in it. Then I took out my body scrubber and started scrubbing myself clean.
The more she shrugged, the redder her face became. Good heavens, how long had it been since she'd taken a bath? The water was black! She hurriedly called Lu Chuan to boil some more water so she could rinse herself off later, otherwise she'd still be filthy…
After washing, I poured the water out myself, and it flowed down the drain... It would be too embarrassing if someone else saw it.
After Xu Han came out, Lu Chuan was thinking of going to the bathroom to pour out the water, but when he went in, he saw that it had already been poured out. As if he had thought of something, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up!
Lu Chuan poured himself more water, wanting to take a shower too...
After washing up, I went into the room and saw Xu Han holding a pair of scissors, gesturing at her hair. I said softly, "Go ahead and cut it if you want! No one will see us in the mountains, and no one will say anything. Just cover it up when you go out, and no one will notice."
Upon hearing this, Xu Han asked, "Can I really get it cut? My hair is so dry and it's all tangled up."
"Speak," Lu Chuan said, taking the scissors. "How much do you want to cut? How do you want it cut? I'll cut it for you."
"It doesn't need to be too short, just cut it in half, that'll make washing your hair easier," Xu Han replied.
Upon hearing Xu Han's words, Lu Chuan began cutting his hair. After finishing, he asked Xu Han to cut some of his own hair as well…
The next morning, Lu Chuan got up early to make breakfast and then went to collect the day's prey.
Xu Han also got up early and started her day's plans. She first ate the breakfast Lu Chuan had left in the pot. Breakfast was simple: rice porridge and eggs. The eggs were freshly bought yesterday when she went to the county town!
After breakfast, I tidied up and put on the old coat that Lu's mother had worn before, to prevent getting the new clothes dirty while I was doing chores. Thick clothes are hard to wash, and if you wash them too often, they won't be warm enough.
Take out all the pots, pans, and utensils from the kitchen and wash them so they'll be ready for future use.
I had just finished cleaning when Lu Chuan came in carrying two rabbits, which were already dead. But luckily it's cold now, so they're still edible.
Lu Chuan quickly cleaned the rabbit, tanned the skin, and saved the rabbit meat for lunch.
After washing the pots and pans, the two went to the storeroom to tidy up and organize the things inside. Lu Chuan then led Xu Han to the cellar inside the storeroom.
There's actually a large underground cellar underneath! The entrance is hidden, so you really can't tell.
The basement was quite large and contained some grain, but only five or six bags. Aside from some sweet potatoes and potatoes in the corner, there was nothing else.
After tidying up, it was lunchtime. Xu Han prepared lunch, and Lu Chuan cut the rabbit meat and then helped Xu Han start the fire.
Xu Han first steamed the brown rice. Then she started stir-frying the rabbit meat, intending to make a spicy dry-fried rabbit dish.
First, pour oil into the pot. When the oil is hot, sauté the scallions, ginger, chili peppers, and garlic cloves until fragrant. Then, add the rabbit meat to the pot and stir-fry until golden brown. Add a little Shaoxing wine to the pot to remove any gamey smell. Continue to stir-fry, add salt, and then remove from the pot.
I specifically asked Lu Chuan to buy the rice wine yesterday. The rabbit meat was cut into very small pieces, so it cooked very quickly.
After stir-frying the rabbit meat, I stir-fried some cabbage to cut through the richness. I covered it with a plate to keep it warm, and then made an egg drop soup. Simple and delicious.
The soup and rice were ready, so they were brought to the main room to eat. Both of them enjoyed their meal.
Lu Chuan, in particular, who doesn't usually cook anything fancy, ate with great relish, finishing everything except for a little soup. He has quite the appetite!
Xu Han felt immense pressure; how much would she need to save to last seven years?
There were also two hunting dogs, each one a bigger eater than the other! We added some water to the remaining broth, soaked some dark-colored steamed buns in it, and fed it to Blackwind and Blackspot. A whole bowlful, and the two dogs didn't leave a single bite.
After eating their fill, Lu Chuan and Xu Han sat in the courtyard, basking in the sun to aid digestion.
At this moment, Xu Han said, "Today I saw that the vegetable garden in the backyard is all abandoned. I want to clean it up and plant vegetables in it. That way we can also dry some vegetables to eat in the winter."
“I’ll till the vegetable patch in the back. I’m strong. I’ll be done in no time. You don’t need to do it,” Lu Chuan replied.
"Okay, I'll wash the clothes and the sheets I changed yesterday today. I'll help you tomorrow. It'll be faster if we both do it. I'll just do the easier work."
Hearing Xu Han say this, Lu Chuan didn't say anything more.
He simply said, "The river water is still cold. I'll wash with hot water, and then I'll rinse it off at the riverbank." With that, he got up and went to the kitchen to boil water.
Xu Han went back into the house to find things that needed washing. She took out all the clothes she had sewn for Lu Chuan and washed them, as well as the bed sheets, duvet covers, and Lu Chuan's mother's old clothes, which Lu Chuan had given to Xu Han before, but Xu Han hadn't had time to alter the size.
Take it out and wash it first, then change it after it dries tomorrow.
There are also the clothes that were discarded when I mended Lu Chuan's clothes. Wash them all clean; they'll be useful for patching shoe soles later. Lu Chuan's shoes are all worn out. He doesn't have many pairs of intact shoes left.
You don't know how much there is until you start collecting it! Goodness, how can we wash all of this?!
Xu Han really missed her washing machine at home! But it wasn't there anymore! Resigned, she started washing. She wondered if she could finish today!
Lu Chuan took a hoe and went to the backyard to till the soil. Before leaving, he said to Xu Han, "Take a break if you're tired. If you can't finish washing, do it tomorrow. Don't rush."
Xu Han finally finished washing everything before sunset. She hurried to the backyard to call Lu Chuan, asking him to take it to the river, since she didn't even know where the river was!
The two went out together and walked straight ahead. The riverbank wasn't far from their home, about two or three hundred meters away, but it was downhill. Fortunately, the slope wasn't steep and it was easy to walk.
The weeds around were all withered and yellow, and hadn't been cleared. Xu Han looked around; it really was a nice place.
It's a small slope, but thankfully it's flat. Once we clear this area, we can plant a lot of things!
The only slight incline is around the front door, but steps have been dug there. It's not difficult to walk through.
About a hundred meters later there is a large flat area.
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