Chapter 153 152. The Little Ginger Who Broke the Defense
Encountering bandits is no small matter.
Although the public security in Qingmi County is not very good, bandits have not appeared for many years. When people heard that there were bandits roaming around, people in the county and towns were in panic.
County Magistrate Xu Xingzhe sent county soldiers to the mountains to suppress the bandits that same day. Several villages in Sanlihe also organized manpower, bringing machetes, farm tools and other self-defense tools to help encircle and suppress the bandits.
This is a later story.
The bandits were only mediocre in skills, so Lei Li and Zhou Yi did not get involved too much. Now, they were going to take their backpacks and go to the bamboo forest in the mountains to cut bamboo shoots and pick mushrooms.
It rains a lot in February and March.
When it rains, there is a loud thunder and bamboo shoots come out one after another, as if they were shaken out by the thunder.
This kind of bamboo shoots is small, short and fat, not as tall and strong as the big-headed bamboo shoots. One bamboo shoot weighs only a little over one or two pounds. It needs to be dug out with a small hoe or pried out with a large hoe. It is not suitable for making sour bamboo shoots, but it tastes delicious when eaten fresh.
This bamboo shoot is very fresh, sweet and crispy. Some people even eat it as fruit. It is best stir-fried with vegetables or meat. Lei Li can eat a big bowl of rice just with this bamboo shoot.
But they age very quickly. They are most delicious within two hours after being taken out of the soil. If not eaten within one day, the taste will be greatly reduced. The taste is the worst when made into dried bamboo shoots.
Lei Li and Zhou Yi, one holding a small hoe and the other holding a big hoe, each carrying a backpack, talked as they went into the woods and used a branch to turn over the bamboo leaves to look for bamboo shoots.
The tips of the bamboo shoots are hidden in the bamboo leaves and mud. Those that are obviously visible from the ground are already old, not crispy and not tasty. They are only dug out after the bamboo shoot season is over, or when people really can't find any tender bamboo shoots and don't want to go home empty-handed.
Lei Li had sharp eyes and soon found two of them. They were a pair of twins on a bamboo whip.
He used a small hoe to dig away the dead leaves and the soil, revealing the fresh and tender tips of the bamboo shoots. Zhou Yi dug up both bamboo shoots with one hoe.
"Plop"
Both bamboo shoots fell into the backpack.
Lei Li used a branch to push away the dead branches and leaves on the ground, and searched along the bamboo whips. He found three more and a small piece of gray-white mushrooms with open umbrellas.
"Gray ash fungus."
Lei Li pulled out a dozen mushrooms. The mycorrhizae were long and thin and easy to break, but the ground in the bamboo forest was not soft, and he was too lazy to dig out the mycorrhizae neatly.
"See if there are any bamboo chickens. Catch one and stew it with mushrooms. Then slice and stir-fry the bamboo shoots."
"good."
Zhou Yi nodded.
However, the bamboo partridge was very cunning and could fly. The bamboo forest was dense with many branches and leaves. They were not professional hunters and did not have slingshots or bows and arrows. They just said it casually, and it would be best if they could catch it, but it was also fine if they couldn't.
"Cuckoo"
"Cuckoo, cuckoo"
"What's that sound?"
When Zhou Yi heard the sound, he thought it was a bamboo partridge. He looked up and saw a gray figure jumping from the top of a bamboo to another. It jumped to adjust its position, and its big tail moved with it. It looked down at him vigilantly.
"It's a gray squirrel."
Lei Li had no interest in it. Without even turning his head, he said to Zhou Yi, "It looks big, but it doesn't have much meat. It just has thick fur. When you peel it, it looks like a mouse. Especially the tail, it's so thin and long."
He added, "The meat is also very tough and not tasty."
Moreover, this thing is very alert and agile, and it is difficult to shoot it down even with a slingshot. Only when the village dogs are provoked by the squirrels or instigated by the villagers will they cross mountains and rivers to hunt them down.
The villagers and the dog are not idle.
But this gray squirrel loves to steal sweet potatoes from the village, eating them bit by bit. Who wouldn't be angry? And he loves to bark, like he's provoking a dog.
The village chief's dog had chased and killed several animals for this reason before, and would bring them back after killing them.
At that time, everyone in the village was poor and very frugal. The village chief thought that it was at least a piece of meat, so he killed them, skinned them and ate them, and gave one to the Lei family to try.
It tastes quite bad.
Lei Li's evaluation is that it is not as good as a snake. A non-venomous grass snake is easier to catch than a gray squirrel.
"I don't want to eat."
Zhou Yi shook his head and said, "I thought it was a bamboo partridge."
"Pay attention to the bamboos and the roots. You might find a bamboo partridge's nest, but it could also be a bamboo rat. The village elders say bamboo rats are much tastier than gray squirrels."
As Lei Li spoke, he also paid attention to the roots of the bamboo forest and stared at the bamboo leaves.
There are many small animals in the bamboo forest, including poisonous snakes such as the bamboo pit viper. If you are bitten by them accidentally, you will be doomed if you cannot find the detoxifying grass in time.
"I know."
Zhou Yi nodded.
There are indeed many gray squirrels in the bamboo forest. Lei Zhusun had only found half a basket of bamboo shoots when he saw several gray squirrels and also discovered a huge squirrel nest.
These gray squirrels seemed to be following them. I wonder if they were eyeing the bamboo shoots in their baskets.
The sun sets.
Lei Li and Zhou Yi dug a full basket of Lei bamboo shoots and a basket of gray mushrooms before they found a bamboo partridge. However, it ran very fast and they did not catch it. However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise and they found the nest of a bamboo rat.
There were no bamboo rats in the bamboo rat's nest, only a pile of nuts and nut shells.
Lei Li felt a little lost.
He didn't even think about taking it out to see what was in it. He didn't think much of the bamboo rat as a small amount of food.
Just as he was about to go home, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a small creature peeking out from the distance. Before his brain could react, he subconsciously threw out the small hoe.
"bump"
Right in the heart.
Lei Li rushed over quickly and saw that the injured bamboo rat was trying to run away. He picked up a stone and hit it. While running, he picked up a small hoe and ran over. With one hit of the hoe, red blood splattered.
As bloody and violent as ever.
Lei Li wiped the blood off the ground with the small hoe, picked up the dead little creature, turned around and walked towards Zhou Yi, feeling very happy.
"Shall we have bamboo rat stewed with mushrooms tonight?"
"good."
Zhou Yi nodded and smiled, "How impressive! You managed to beat such a clever bamboo rat."
"That's it."
Lei Li raised the corner of his lip. "I've hunted wild boars before, so what's a little bamboo rat? Let's stew it and see if it tastes as good as the old people in the village say."
"I'll do as you say."
—
Lei Li picked so many mushrooms that he gave half a basket to Liu Xiaocao before leaving.
The carriage was running very fast.
It takes an hour and a half to walk from Xinxin to the county town, but it only takes more than an hour for a horse carriage to reach Lei's house.
Liu Ye'er and Lei Dashan didn't know that Lei Li and Zhou Yi had encountered bandits. When they saw them bringing back a basket of bamboo shoots and mushrooms, as well as a bamboo rat, they asked a few questions.
"Liu Xiaocao said there were a lot of bamboo shoots this year, so I went to dig some and killed a bamboo rat along the way."
Lei Li gave the food to the servants to take to the kitchen. He washed his hands and said with a smile, "Today we will also have bamboo rat. If it tastes good, next time when people in the mansion go to buy meat, they can see if there are any bamboo rats, bamboo chickens, etc., and buy them back to stew."
"This thing is hard to beat, it must be uncommon."
Liu Yeer smiled and said, "Our brother Li is really capable. He's already a master in the county town, but he can still catch bamboo rats. He used to catch snakes."
"The snake is tired of eating."
Lei Li paused and glanced at Zhou Yi with a smile, "But it's good to eat more. Snake meat is quite sweet."
It can also strengthen yang and nourish the kidneys.
Zhou Yi didn't understand the meaning of Lei Li's words. He hadn't seen Xiao Shengjiang for a day and had been missing him for a long time. When he saw Xiao Shengjiang running over, he picked him up.
The little ginger boy's perspective suddenly became much higher. He was amused and giggled. He hugged his father's neck and put his face close to his. "Dad, Dad, where have you been?"
"Dad has returned to the village."
Zhou Yi touched Little Ginger's little face and wiped off the juice from the fruit on his cheek. "Daddy and Daddy went back to see Uncle Xiaocao. He has a baby. Little Ginger will have another child to play with."
"kid?"
Little Jiang thought for a moment, tilted his head and asked him, "Brother Xiaobao, is it good-looking?"
"possible?"
Zhou Yi didn't know if he would be as good-looking as Xiaobao. His little Jiang might have taken after his father Lei Li, who was a bit obsessed with looks. He liked Xiaobao the most among all the children, probably because he liked Xiaobao's looks.
Just like how Lei Li fell in love with Zhou Yi at first sight.
"Then ginger, don't have a baby."
Little Ginger shook his little head and said seriously, "Ginger has, there is Brother Xiaobao! Brother and Ginger, play! Ginger and Brother, play!"
"Wouldn't it be nice to have more friends and gingers to hang out with?"
Zhou Yi said slowly and kindly, "Brother Xiaobao has his own friends too. He still has to study and can't always play with Shengjiang."
"Um?"
Little Jiang tilted his head. He still couldn't understand the meaning of studying. "Study, Jiang also studies. Study with brother and play with brother!"
"Ginger is not old enough to go to school yet."
"Um?"
Little Ginger couldn't understand, "Why?"
"Because little ginger is still young."
Zhou Yi stretched out a finger and pointed out a number, "Sheng Jiang is only one year old, and brother Xiao Bao is already seven years old, so Sheng Jiang can't study with his brother."
“T-then…”
Little Jiang got anxious when he heard this and opened his two little hands, "That Jiang is also seven years old!"
"That won't work."
Zhou Yi was amused and laughed. Seeing that little Jiang was confused and anxious and about to cry, he quickly comforted him, "Don't cry, don't cry. Wait until Jiang is a little older. When he is a little older, he can study with brother Xiaobao, okay?"
"In two days, we will go back to the village to see Brother Xiaobao."
"Um!"
Little Ginger finally burst into laughter, hugged his father's neck, and kissed him affectionately again.
Just at this moment, Lei Li came over again and teased Xiao Sheng Jiang with a smile, "After seeing Brother Xiao Bao, we will go home again. Xiao Sheng Jiang can't play with Brother Xiao Bao again, but Brother Tao Er can."
"Brother Taoer can study with Xiaobao, go to and from school together, and eat together."
Brother Tao is Tao from Liu Xiaocao's family.
When Liu Xiaocao came to Lei's house to look for Lei Li, she often brought Tao Ge'er with her. Xiao Shengjiang had played with Tao Ge'er a few times and had already remembered this Tao Ge'er.
Xiaobao went to school in Sanlihe Village, and Taoger was there too. Although they were not in the same class, they were studying together in the same school.
Liu Xiaocao and Miao Fulang have a good relationship. The two children are brothers and good friends. They occasionally visit each other to have dinner, exchange ideas and learn from each other.
But little ginger can't understand so many things.
He only knew that he couldn't play with brother Xiaobao every day, but brother Tao could, so he immediately broke down and burst into tears.
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