Changfeng Village is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and the village is built in an open space. There are a total of three or four hundred households in the village, half of whom are surnamed Zhao. The others, with different surnames, are migrants who came from elsewhere, and over time, they have accumulated to more than a hundred households.
He Tiantian glanced around and saw that the slope to the southwest of the village was very steep, with thirty-four households at the foot of that slope. If the snow continued to fall, there would likely be safety hazards.
No matter what, it involves dozens of lives. He Tiantian plans to find some time to have a serious talk with Zhao Tingzhang and see what he thinks.
A cold wind blew in the evening, and He Tiantian brought out a stove she had secretly bought from the mall. She lit the stove and put a few thick wooden sticks inside before going to bed.
Hot water was boiling on the stove, which would keep it burning until almost midnight. Not only would it provide warmth, but it would also provide warm water for washing one's face in the morning.
The next day, while it was still dusky, He Tiantian had to get up to go to work at the mine. Because she was going to be pickling sauerkraut that day, and there would be a lot of things to do, she got up half an hour earlier than usual.
"Lantern, meatballs, get up, we're leaving." Ever since He Tiantian started working as a cook, she hasn't had time to make breakfast anymore.
He Tiantian brought some millet, planning to make some millet porridge for her two children's breakfast when she got to the mine.
Zhao Denglong and Zhao Wanzi rubbed their sleepy eyes. Neither of the two little ones stayed in bed and got up to wash up.
On the way, He Tiantian led her two daughters behind the men who were working in the village.
After spending some time together, the men working in the village also became friendly with He Tiantian.
The main reason is that ever since He Tiantian became the cook, the food at the mine has not only become tastier, but the portions have also increased.
With the same price, they would naturally be willing to eat more, as the work in the mine is physically demanding.
Wang Dazhuang was tall and burly, with a broad back and thick waist. He was the first to greet He Tiantian.
"Maruko's mom, why did you bring both kids with you today?"
He Tiantian smiled and explained, "I don't feel comfortable leaving the two kids at home, so I feel more at ease having them with me."
Liu Yonghe chimed in, "Hey, Wanzi's mom, you should have said so earlier. I'll go back and talk to my wife today. From now on, you can send the child to my house and let my wife take care of him for you. Anyway, she doesn't have much to do."
“Brother Yonghe is right, this winter is going to be long, and the kids will suffer too much,” Zhao Neng added.
Zhao Neng's son is Zhao Yan, and He Tiantian couldn't help but glance at him. She thought that Zhao Yan and Aunt Zhao both seemed honest and simple, no wonder they were able to raise such a successful son.
However, she is now a widow, and the women in the village treat her like a wolf, so she dares not send her child there.
So he politely declined.
The reason why the original owner had such a bad reputation in the village was not only because she was somewhat beautiful and was envied, but also because of the corruption of her wicked mother-in-law.
From the moment the original owner gave birth to her first daughter, Old Lady Zhao would complain about her to everyone she met. Gossipy women spread rumors far and wide, and over time, most of the women in the village developed some reservations about the original owner.
Chatting with the two children along the way made the journey to work seem less long.
After explaining the situation to the two guards at the gate, He Tiantian led Zhao Denglong and Zhao Wanzi inside.
It was the first time the two little ones had visited a mine, and their four eyes were full of curiosity as they walked and looked around.
When He Tiantian arrived, Mo Zhu was already waiting at the kitchen door.
"Sister-in-law He, is there anything I can help with?" Lord Song asked him to do the work, so he couldn't slack off.
He Tiantian was a little annoyed. Although Director Song had given instructions that day, Mo Zhu was, after all, his attendant, and she dared not order him around easily.
"It's nothing really, I can manage these cabbages and radishes myself. Besides, I brought two little helpers with me today." He Tiantian smiled and led the two children into the kitchen.
Mo Zhu followed him in, and he took out a bag of candy from his pocket.
"This is a gift from the adults to the two children. They specially asked the younger one to bring it over." As he spoke, he handed the bag of candy to Zhao Denglong.
Zhao Denglong and Zhao Wanzi stared longingly at the bag of candy; they had never eaten candy before. They had only seen other children in the village eat it, and the two sisters had always drooled with envy.
However, even if the lanterns and dumplings were very tempting, they wouldn't dare to take them without their mother's permission.
"This... Director Song is such a kind person, it's too much trouble for him." He Tiantian said somewhat embarrassedly.
“Oh, it’s nothing special. Director Song said there will be many more things to trouble Sister He in the future,” Mo Zhu replied.
"Alright then, take the lantern dumplings first. When you see Director Song later, be sure to thank him properly, okay?" He Tiantian thought to herself, why not cook a meal for Director Song separately at noon to express her gratitude?
The work of pickling sauerkraut began in an orderly manner. Zhao Denglong and Zhao Wanzi had watched their mother do it once yesterday, so they were already quite skilled at picking and washing the vegetables.
He Tiantian was responsible for cutting the washed radishes into long strips and coating the cabbages with the prepared sauce.
Mo Zhu conscientiously went to fetch water, carrying seven or eight buckets back and forth, and also filled the two large vats in the kitchen with water.
When Erhua's mother came to work, she was stunned by the scene in the kitchen, but she obviously found it hard to accept He Tiantian's actions at first glance.
Every household in the village pickles vegetables; they just sprinkle salt into a large vat and seal it. But where else can you find a method like the He family's?
And what kind of filling is this? Just looking at the color makes me feel disgusted! If it doesn't work, it's such a waste of so many cabbages and radishes.
"What a terrible thing you've done! Maruko's mother, how could you be so good at ruining things!" Erhua's mother complained with great dissatisfaction.
"Huh?" He Tiantian looked at Erhua's mother with a blank expression before she realized, "Erhua's mother, the sauerkraut I pickle this way tastes better. It can retain the original flavor of the vegetables to a large extent and is not too salty."
"Once the cabbage is pickled, it can be used to make sauerkraut dumplings, sauerkraut fish, and so on. As for the radish, it can be eaten as a side dish, served with rice or porridge..."
"Oh, come on!" Erhua's mother quickly interrupted, "These are things that we farmers can't afford. We've never even heard of dumplings, and we can't even eat fish once a year."
Erhua's mother rolled her eyes. This Wanzi's mother was too incapable of managing a household; her ambitions were higher than the sky.
Just then, Mo Zhu came in carrying a bucket of water and explained, "Director Song wanted to try the pickled vegetables here, so he asked Sister He to make them."
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