Chapter 95
When everyone returned to the base and saw how the buildings and facilities had been damaged by the cold wave, their earlier excitement gradually faded.
The entire base seemed to have just barely recovered from a cold wave that brought temperatures below -100 degrees Celsius, with signs of freezing everywhere.
Melted ice water flowed everywhere, and on many important buildings, the plaster on the walls cracked and fell off in pieces. The ground was full of mud pits, and everything looked like it had suffered a terrible ordeal.
The hard ice in the parking lot melted into a muddy mess, and vehicles lurched and bumped as they drove on it.
When they returned to parking lot C, they saw two military pickup trucks that hadn't been dealt with yet, parked in the middle.
The ice on the car body had melted, leaving it pitted and uneven, and the cracked car logo drooped.
Jiang Zhi and her brother were on tenterhooks – if even Zone C was like this, what about the other two zones?
Only after the vehicle was parked did everyone suppress their unease and gradually get out of the car.
Huang Xianming and several team leaders still need to report on the situation of this trip.
The professors had originally intended for the brother and sister to meet the leaders together, but before they could speak, Jiang Zhi spoke up first: "Colonel Huang, professors, now that the mission is over, we would like to go back and see our families first."
Huang Xianming was still concerned about the soldiers who had been mentally disturbed, and he had planned to ask Jiang Zhi to help check on their situation as soon as he returned.
But given the current state of the base, many facilities have been damaged by the cold, and it's uncertain whether the soldiers in the medical clinic can survive this natural disaster.
Thinking about it this way, I swallowed back the request that was on the tip of my tongue.
“…Go ahead.” His tone softened a bit. “Let your dad handle the report for now. You can come over after you’ve settled your families. The base has just warmed up, so be careful on the road; the melting ice is very slippery.”
The professors were even more indulgent towards the brother and sister, and they all nodded and said, "Yes, yes, family is the most important thing. You should go back and take a look. If you need any help, just let us know. Although we old guys are not very capable, we can still speak up in some matters."
After thanking the professors, the brother and sister looked at their father.
Jiang Shan knew that as a fellow researcher, he would definitely be tied up at the moment, so he told his two children, "Go home first and see how things are going. If anything happens, come to the institute's office building to find me."
Jiang Zhi nodded, greeted Luo Yonghui and the others, and then, without further delay, turned around and headed towards District D with Jiang Shu.
Chen Shaoting watched their retreating figures silently, feeling somewhat uneasy.
"Old Luo, will they ever come back to our team?"
"Maybe...?" Luo Yonghui wasn't entirely sure either.
It was previously agreed that the siblings would join temporarily, and everyone felt a little reluctant to see them leave.
Wu Bing stroked his long beard. "It's alright. The siblings are soft-hearted. If we can't handle it, we can just beg them and they'll definitely help."
Hu Yang nodded repeatedly.
Chen Shaoting's sadness was ruined by this guy, so she rolled her eyes, said "shameless" and went back to her car.
*
The path was muddy and difficult to walk on after the ice melted. Every step you took sent up tiny specks of mud, making it extremely strenuous to walk.
The brother and sister, carrying a bag of furs they had obtained from Huang Xianming, were eager to return home.
As they passed by the low-rent housing area, the two saw that many of the shattered windows in those tenement buildings were covered with plastic sheeting, and the icicles on the walls had melted and flowed down the base of the walls, with puddles of water on the ground.
The iron gate to the stairwell was frozen and warped, making a clanging sound when it was opened and closed.
Water and ice fragments floated in the water at the base of the wall, and many people squatted at the doorway using basins to catch the water dripping from the melted wall.
Not far away, several teenagers were playing wildly in puddles formed by melting water, splashing mud and water that instantly covered their trouser legs and shoes.
The adults nearby rushed over and slapped the children's bottoms several times, dragging them into the house while cursing, "You little brats! Where are we going to change your clothes now that they're dirty? You'd better stay put, or I'll beat you up!"
The wind, carrying dampness, swept through the corridor, making the newly recovered residential area both wet and cold, yet also bringing with it the lively atmosphere of people coming and going.
For some reason, the brother and sister felt a sense of relief.
—If people can survive in these conditions in low-rent housing areas, then those living in self-built housing areas must be in no worse shape, right?
When I returned to the self-built housing area, I could see many people busy repairing their houses.
Everywhere you look, there are clanging and banging sounds and the panting of people busily working.
People could be seen everywhere applying antifreeze film and nailing on plastic sheets.
The cracked enamel basins and pots were moved out into the sun to dry.
Those who hid in the air-raid shelters without having time to pack up their belongings, and whose quilts had been prepared at home, were frozen solid.
Now, all these frozen quilts and blankets are hanging on the clothesline, slowly drying out in the faint sunlight that has just begun to warm up.
Occasionally, you can hear conversations between neighbors.
"Is your water pipes working?"
"It only got through this morning. Sigh, do you think we can survive until winter really comes? Most of my assets were lost in this cold wave. Now we can't find anything outside, and we're relying on the little bit of relief food from the base every day. I'm really afraid that one day I'll die in the house and no one will even know."
"Hey, what's there to be afraid of? The base leaders said that they've been holding emergency meetings every day these past few days, so they'll definitely come up with a good solution."
...
The brother and sister felt a chill in their hearts upon hearing this.
When they returned to the familiar area, the two could see from afar that the ivy that used to cover the entire wall was now bare, and for a moment they could hardly recognize it.
As they got closer, they saw their second uncle, Jiang He, squatting at the door, hammering and banging on the frozen door.
Overjoyed, Jiang Shu shouted, "Second Uncle!!!"
Jiang He was startled and almost dropped the hammer in his hand.
Ye Qingyun and Wu Xiu were in the hall using the leaf juice from the hairy plant paste distributed by the base to repair the water tank that had been cracked by the freezing.
Upon hearing Jiang Shu's voice, she stood up abruptly. "Sister-in-law, am I hallucinating? Why am I hearing my family's big tree's voice?"
Wu Xiu vaguely heard her nephew's voice, but her heart pounded with fear that she might have misheard. She felt that she had unjustly given her younger brother and sister-in-law hope only to have it dashed, which would only make her feel worse.
She said somewhat uncertainly, "It might be another family..."
Before Wu Xiu could finish speaking, Jiang Si ran out of the house: "Auntie!! I heard my uncle's voice! Is it my uncle and aunt coming back?!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun ran straight to the door. He saw Jiang He waving towards the door, his voice trembling, "Second Brother, is Da Shu and the others back?"
Jiang He nodded repeatedly, unable to stop smiling. "Sister-in-law, come and see! Azhi and Dashu are back!"
Ye Qingyun had just stood on the threshold when Jiang Shu rushed over and hugged him tightly.
"Mom!! I miss you so much!!!"
This tight embrace instantly brought tears to Ye Qingyun's eyes.
She herself doesn't know how she got through these days.
Three days after the cold wave passed, the soldiers at the base began to emerge and carry out cleanup work. Her family was large, so she wasn't needed for caring for the wounded for the time being. Afraid of overthinking while staying in the air-raid shelter, Ye Qingyun went out with Liu Xu for those few days to help the soldiers with whatever tasks she could manage.
It wasn't until the seventh day, when the temperature finally showed signs of rising, that the hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of people in the air-raid shelters were allowed to return to the surface in batches.
When they returned to the self-built housing area, they saw signs of frost damage everywhere, and everyone's hearts sank.
The road surface was frozen and cracked, filled with mud and ice, making it full of potholes.
Several water pipes burst, and there was residual ice on the ground.
In many homes, the plaster on the walls is soaking and peeling off.
I heard that the metal roof of the largest warehouse in the base was frozen and curled up at the edges, and the things piled inside were also frozen and damaged.
The ivy and the thorns hidden underneath in their yard were frozen and crumbled at the slightest touch.
In some lower-lying areas, water accumulates as soon as the temperature rises. If it is not dealt with in time, the base and the people's property will suffer even greater losses.
Just like the cellar in Old Jiang's house.
After the ice melted, the remaining potatoes that I hadn't had time to bring were soaked and rotted.
This broke their hearts.
But everyone knew there was nothing they could do about it.
The Jiang family has already suffered relatively minor losses.
Many neighbors didn't even have time to pack their belongings before hastily taking refuge in the air-raid shelter.
The Zhang family is one of them.
All the furniture they had painstakingly accumulated and the food they had painstakingly stockpiled were completely destroyed by the freezing cold.
Those days were filled with the sounds of crying and wailing, which made one's heart ache just listening to them.
I don't know how I'm going to get through this winter.
The Jiang family knew that if they hadn't borrowed Old Master Lin's spatial artifact, they probably wouldn't have escaped this fate either.
Even though the space device has saved a lot of things, the remaining items in the house have still cracked from the cold.
The family had just emerged from the air-raid shelter and immediately began tidying up the house. Everyone wanted to take advantage of this rare brief period of warmer weather to get the house in order and repaired as soon as possible, otherwise it would be much harder to do anything once winter truly arrived.
During this time, Ye Qingyun also asked the research institute staff, but all he received was information that needed to be kept confidential.
This caused Ye Qingyun immense suffering.
Because he was busy, Ye Qingyun hadn't had time to think about anything else these past few days.
But whenever the night is quiet, she can't help but worry about her husband and her two children who are still far away from the base.
And at this moment.
Touching the real body temperature of her son in her arms, Ye Qingyun's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled down.
She hugged her son tightly, her throat tightening, and could only manage a soft reply, "You little rascal, you've lost weight..."
Jiang Zhi chuckled and quickly came over to hug Ye Qingyun, her tone slightly coquettish and reproachful: "Mom, you must have missed us, right?"
Ye Qingyun, embraced by the two children on either side, felt her eyes well up with tears again. She patted Jiang Zhi and ruffled Jiang Shu's hair, her words unusually honest: "You've been gone for so long, how could I not miss you?"
Hearing the commotion outside, Grandma Jiang quickly came out of the house. Seeing that the brother and sister were unharmed, a smile immediately spread across her face.
"You two kids are finally back! Where's your dad?"
After returning from the air-raid shelter, the whole family was worried about Jiang Shan and his siblings, and they were all eager to go to the research institute to demand an explanation.
Ye Qingyun couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to tell his family where the three of them had gone. It would have been better if he hadn't told them, because once he did, his family was almost worried sick.
Everyone was overjoyed to see that the brother and sister were safe and sound.
Jiang Shu was about to call out to someone when he looked up and his smile froze instantly.
—How come his old lady looks so old?
His once black and white sideburns had turned completely white, and even his back seemed more hunched than before.
Jiang Shu's throat tightened, and it took him a long time to find his voice, "Grandma... what... what's wrong with you?!"
Jiang Zhi glanced around but didn't see Grandpa Jiang. Her expression immediately changed, and she hurriedly asked, "Grandma, has something happened at home?! Where's Grandpa? How is he?"
Grandma Jiang patted her hand: "Silly child, everything is fine in our family. Your grandfather was just injured and is recuperating, so we haven't let him come out... Come on, come in first, don't stand at the door."
Upon hearing that Grandpa Jiang was injured, and seeing that everyone else's expressions seemed normal, the brother and sister followed him into the house with trepidation.
Upon entering, one sees the yard in complete disarray.
The wooden planks that Grandma Jiang used to dry vegetables were frozen, warped, and collapsed.
The makeshift shed built in the corner of the courtyard suffered even more.
The wooden pillars supporting the roof had shrunk from the cold, and large cracks had appeared at the tenons. The wooden planks on the roof had been blown up by the previous cold wind. Now, Jiang He had also dismantled them, leaving the roof bare.
After the firewood piled up next to us melted the ice, water seeped into the cracks in the firewood.
The once dry firewood became damp, and the outer veneer wrinkled and softened.
It looked sticky, and the pile of firewood underneath was also damp.
I reckon you'd have to shake off the water droplets before you can even light a cigarette.
The sight before them made the brother and sister feel a pang of bitterness.
They had considered that the cold wave would make things difficult for their family.
But seeing the current situation, I realize that this is not just a little bit difficult.
Looking at the expressions on the siblings' faces, Ye Qingyun smiled and comforted them, "Don't worry, most of the things in the house are fine. It's just that we'll probably have to make do with the furniture. Come to think of it, our losses aren't that serious."
The brother and sister exchanged a glance, knowing in their hearts that the family must have suffered this time as well.
The two followed the others back into the hall.
The wooden tables and chairs inside were frozen and their legs were warped, so they were piled up in a corner.
Yuan Yingzheng and Xu Na carefully inspected the frozen furniture in the living room, distinguishing which pieces were still usable and which were completely broken. They were very happy to see their siblings return.
Yuan Ying took the bags from the siblings and said with a smile, "Da Shu, A Zhi, you're finally back. Yesterday your second brother was asking when you would finally be back."
Jiang Zhi looked around and saw that apart from Jiang He and Jiang Jun, she didn't see any of the other men in the house.
"Second Aunt, where are the others?"
"Your second brother went to help Ah Lei and the others, your eldest uncle went to help Grandpa Lin next door fix things, and your grandfather..."
Before she could finish speaking, she heard Grandpa Jiang's voice coming from the next room, "Cough cough cough... Azhi and Dashu are back? Cough cough cough, let me see..."
No sooner had Grandpa Jiang finished speaking than the door to the next room creaked open.
Despite the temperature being seven or eight degrees Celsius, Grandpa Jiang was wearing a thick cotton-padded coat and a fur coat over it, yet his face still looked as if it were frozen blue-purple.
As soon as he took his first step, his body swayed violently, his left toe hit the threshold, and he almost fell forward.
"Grandpa!" Jiang Zhi rushed over and supported his arm.
The old man's fingers were icy cold, and his body was still trembling slightly. He could only barely steady himself by leaning on her.
Grandma Jiang called out worriedly, "Old man..."
Grandpa Jiang waved his hand, indicating that he was fine.
He looked up, panting, at the ginger tree by the door, then at the ginger branches, coughed a few times before laughing, "It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back..."
Jiang Zhi felt extremely uncomfortable watching this.
How did their sprightly old man become like this?
But with the old man there, the brother and sister couldn't ask too many questions, so they could only help the person into the house and lay him down.
As soon as you get close to the fire pit, the mattress on it is ice cold. Although there are some military water bottles inside to keep warm, it is obviously far from enough for a patient like Grandpa Jiang.
Jiang Zhi remembered the electric blankets and hand warmers she had found in Shashi, but unfortunately the base had not yet been restored to power, so she couldn't use them now.
She pursed her lips and said nothing.
The brother and sister chatted with Grandpa Jiang for a while before returning to the hall.
"Mom, why aren't you heating the kang (heated brick bed) for Grandpa?"
Grandpa Jiang's condition is clearly caused by catching a cold.
She had just touched her grandfather's hand. Even though he was dressed in such thick clothes and covered with a thick quilt, it was still ice cold. How could he survive without heating the kang (a traditional heated bed)?
Grandma Jiang sighed, "It was me who told your mother not to burn it. With the current situation at the base, every household is short of firewood. We only have so much. If your grandfather uses it, it will be difficult for us to start a fire or have any emergency needs later."
She knew the old man needed a heated kang bed, but she couldn't be so selfish as to only care about the old and not the young.
How can such a large family survive without careful budgeting?
Jiang Zhi fell silent as she thought of the mutated plants frozen in ice along their way back from outside.
Jiang Shu, standing anxiously to the side, kept asking, "Mom, what happened? Why is Grandpa like this?!"
"Sit down first, we'll tell you slowly." Ye Qingyun picked out two chairs that were still usable for the two of them to sit down, and then told them everything that had happened to them at the base these past few days.
The brother and sister felt a chill run down their spines—it turned out that while they were away, the Jiang family had actually survived such a close call with death.
Jiang Zhi felt a pang of pain in her heart when she thought of how the old man had looked just now.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Grandma, Grandpa needs to use the kang (heated brick bed) because of his condition. Otherwise, he definitely won't be able to endure the winter."
Grandma Jiang's eyes reddened.
She longed to say, "Azhi, I..."
Jiang Zhi gripped her hand tightly, her tone resolute, "Grandma, don't worry about firewood. We'll figure that out. Don't forget, my brother and I are both mutants. Even if we can't find firewood, finding some usable warm items won't be a problem."
As she spoke, she turned to Jiang Sui and said, "Sui Sui, would you like to light a fire for Great-Grandpa's kang (heated brick bed)?"
Jiang Sui's eyes sparkled, and she nodded her head vigorously.
He knew that as long as his aunt came back, everyone in the family would listen to her!
"Brother, I'll go with you!"
The two children immediately kicked off the ground and carried the firewood to Grandpa Jiang's stove.
Seeing that Old Madam Jiang was no longer being stubborn, Wu Xiu was happy and quickly followed her over. "The firewood is still wet. You can't burn it like this. Take it to Second Uncle to chop it into small pieces first!"
It's great to see everything in the house getting moving.
Grandma Jiang's eyes welled up with tears. She patted Jiang Zhi's hand and sighed, "It's good that you two siblings have this intention. But this world is tough, so don't take too many risks..." Before she could finish speaking, her throat tightened. Afraid that the children would worry, she finally smiled and said, "Only when you are safe and sound can Grandma rest assured."
Jiang Shu, fearing the topic might be too heavy and upset the old woman, quickly said, "Grandma, you underestimate us. Do you know how capable we've become this time..."
He gestured wildly and mumbled a long string of words, leaving everyone stunned. They unconsciously stopped what they were doing, filled with curiosity, wanting to hear more about the dangerous yet magical world outside.
Jiangzhi occasionally chimed in with a few words of support.
The somewhat dull room gradually dissipated its sluggish atmosphere and gained a touch of vibrancy.
Meanwhile, in the backyard, the two little ones squatted in front of the stove, listening intently as Jiang Shu told stories.
Seeing this, Wu Xiu smiled and shook her head.
She stuffed a few small pieces of firewood that had been dried in the sun over the past two days into the opening of the kang (a heated brick bed).
The flint sparked and a flame licked at the wood. She quickly added more kindling, and once the fire was burning brightly, she piled on the chopped firewood, poked it with a fire poker, and let the flames climb up through the gaps.
Smoke billowed into the kang (heated brick bed) through the fire hole, and the heat from the stove gradually warmed my fingertips.
Grandpa Jiang, who had been feeling cold, initially only felt a slight warmth in his lower back. Soon, the warmth climbed up his muscles and bones, and his stiff legs gradually felt lighter. Even his cough lessened, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Squinting, he moved closer to the warmth. Hearing Jiang Shu's exaggerated tone outside, Old Master Jiang's tightly pursed lips relaxed a little.
Jiang Sui and Jiang Si squatted by the stove, warming themselves by the fire, feeling so comfortable that their bones felt soft and yielding.
"Brother, the fire is so warm."
Jiang Sui brought Jiang Si's little feet to the fire to warm them, "How is it? It's warmer now, isn't it?"
Jiang Si nodded her little head happily.
No one has the time to make winter shoes right now.
They were all still wearing sandals.
Even a temperature of seven or eight degrees Celsius feels chilly.
Upon seeing this, Wu Xiu quickly said, "You two silly children, if you roast it like that, you'll get fire spots!"
The older generation believes that warming one's feet by the fire will cause the skin on the feet to become red, rough, and even develop dry spots, so they have always forbidden children from doing this.
Jiang Si stuck out her tongue and withdrew her foot.
Wu Xiu touched her little feet and saw that they were still a little cold, and felt a pang of heartache. "Sweetie, you can warm up on Great-Grandpa's bed later. Grandma will try to make you shoes these next few days."
Jiang Sui shook her head sensibly, "Grandma, there's no rush."
Jiang Si chuckled and said something completely unrelated, "Grandma, it's so good that Auntie and Uncle are back."
Wu Xiu smiled and said, "Yes, it's so good that they're back."
When the brother and sister returned, the Jiang family, who had been listless and almost given up hope, felt as if a fire had been lit in their hearts. The hope that had been dormant for a long time quietly reappeared, warming them up.
Inside the house.
After Jiang Shu finished boasting, Jiang Zhi said, "Mom, if you don't need these pieces of furniture, don't bother. We found some usable furniture this time."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu recalled the "high-end goods" they had acquired in Shashi and immediately said, "Yes, yes, Mom, you don't know, the furniture we acquired was all top-grade mahogany!"
Ye Qingyun became interested. "Take it out and let's take a look."
Jiang Zhi then took all the mahogany furniture out of the space device and placed it in the hall. Since there wasn't enough room in the hall, she put it in the courtyard.
For a moment, the Jiang family members were dazzled by what they saw.
There was a square table with simple carvings, the surface of which was so smooth that you could see your reflection in it, and four low-backed chairs.
Next to it is a low cabinet with three drawers, the surface of which is polished to a smooth finish and can hold bowls, chopsticks and other miscellaneous items.
The two armchairs are carved with intertwined branches, and they are stable to sit on. You can rest your feet in the hall when you have free time.
There's also a large wall cabinet, standing there conspicuously.
As a carpenter, Jiang He couldn't help but touch this and examine that as he looked at them.
Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "Second Uncle, it seems a bit abrupt for our family to use these pieces of furniture directly. If it's convenient for you, could you use this wood to make a few tables and chairs that we urgently need, and leave the rest as they are for now?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang He felt both excited and regretful. He had been a carpenter his whole life and had never encountered such high-quality rosewood.
But then I thought, with such good material and such exquisite workmanship, it would be a shame to have to dismantle and redo it all.
Yuan Ying laughed and patted his arm: "You old rascal, what time is it and you're still thinking about this! These pieces of furniture don't really fit our house anyway. It's more practical to dismantle them and make some suitable tables and chairs. What's there to be reluctant about?"
Jiang He was a little embarrassed, but replied, "Okay, I'll see what you're doing first."
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but laugh.
She then took out most of a three-tailed rabbit from her spatial device and handed it to Ye Qingyun.
She said sweetly, "Mom, this is low-toxin meat. My brother and I really miss your cooking. Can you cook something delicious for us?"
On the way back, Yan Liang returned the remaining three-tailed rabbit that Er Shun had given them to her.
This is a perfect opportunity for Ye Qingyun to show off his skills.
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyun immediately felt a pang of heartache.
The brother and sister were gone for about ten days, and they got much darker and thinner.
I definitely need to take good care of myself.
This time, she didn't feel sorry for him either.
After all, the Jiang family hadn't been eating or sleeping well during the days they were in the air-raid shelter. After returning, they were busy repairing the house and hadn't paid much attention to their diet, so it was a good opportunity to replenish their energy.
Ye Qingyun took the heavy three-tailed rabbit, her tiredness replaced by a smile. She tapped her daughter's forehead and said, "You have such a sweet tongue. Just wait, Mom will stew some meat for you two right away."
With that, he took the rabbit head and went straight into the kitchen.
The big pot in the house had cracked from the cold and hadn't been repaired yet. Fortunately, Grandpa Lin simply brought over his own pot, saying that no one in the Lin family knew how to cook, so it was just sitting idle.
Well, Ye Qingyun didn't stand on ceremony and accepted it directly.
Anyway, I can just calculate the amount for two more people when cooking in the future, it won't be a big deal.
The rabbit meat didn't spoil because of the temperature drop, but it didn't look very fresh.
Ye Qingyun ultimately decided to make spicy stir-fried rabbit meat.
A stronger flavor can also mask the smell of something not being fresh.
She deftly chopped the rabbit meat into pieces, blanched it in hot water to remove the blood foam, and then scooped it into a casserole.
Add mutated ginger slices and mutated white scallions, fill the pot with hot water to cover the meat, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat.
Steam rose from the cracks in the large iron pot lid, filling the kitchen with the aroma of meat.
Ye Qingyun would occasionally lift the lid to skim off the foam, and then sprinkle in some dried chili peppers that had been dried earlier.
The fire licked at the bottom of the pot, and the warm steam enveloped the hem of her clothes.
The aroma of meat mingled with the scents of ginger, scallions, and chili peppers wafted out.
Grandpa Jiang felt a bit hungry on the kang (heated brick bed), and even Grandma couldn't help but peek into the kitchen.
In addition to this low-toxin meat dish, Ye Qingyun also specially prepared a large table of other dishes.
Another meat dish is snake meat stewed with lotus root.
The level 6 mutated snake meat, after being blanched, lost all its fishy smell and was stewed with lotus root chunks until tender.
A thin layer of oil floats on the surface of the soup, clear and bright. The moment the lid is lifted, the fresh aroma mixed with the fragrance of meat rushes into your nose.
Pick up a piece of lotus root and bite into it. The soft, powdery lotus root holes are filled with the rich flavor of snake meat, and even the stewed snake meat has a sweet taste.
Ye Qingyun took a bite, and the freshness made her tongue tingle, while a warm sensation flowed down her throat.
For vegetarian dishes, Ye Qingyun found the bean sprouts and carrots that the siblings had bought from Han Lei and made a stir-fried bean sprouts with carrots.
First, cut the carrot into thin strips, then remove the ends of the mung bean sprouts, wash and drain them.
Then heat the pan and add warm oil.
Heat the oil and stir-fry the shredded carrots for a couple of seconds until they soften slightly. Immediately add the bean sprouts and stir-fry quickly over high heat until they sizzle. Stir-fry until the sprouts are slightly soft but still have a crisp texture. Finally, sprinkle a little salt to taste and drizzle a spoonful of sour water made with Japanese knotweed along the edge of the pan. Stir quickly and immediately turn off the heat and serve.
The freshly cooked stir-fried carrots and bean sprouts are glossy and refreshing. The mutated carrot shreds are soft yet crisp, coated with a light oily aroma, and their sweet flavor spreads with the steam. The mutated bean sprouts are even more crisp and tender. When you bite into them, there's a satisfying "crunch," and the juices mix with the refreshing crispness. The umami of the salt and the tartness of the Japanese knotweed juice gently complement each other, bringing out the natural flavor of the vegetables while cutting through the greasiness.
The last dish was stir-fried spicy bamboo shoots with eggplant sauce, which they had put a lot of effort into making.
The eggplant is soft and flavorful, bursting with the aroma of soy sauce, while the bamboo shoots are crisp and chewy. Adding a touch of chopped chili peppers brings out the full flavor.
With the freshness of bamboo shoots and the softness of eggplant, the dish is savory with a hint of spiciness. You can tell it's a dish that goes well with rice without even looking at it.
This time, Ye Qingyun didn't cook barley again as the staple food. Instead, he used half glutinous rice and half barley.
—She's really thought it through.
Good things are only truly yours once you taste them.
They were lucky this time to preserve most of their food. If they had been careless, no matter how much food they had hoarded, it would have been useless!
So—eat!
We must eat well!
Ye Qingyun became more and more enthusiastic as he worked.
After this series of "magical attacks," the Jiang family members were all bewildered by the fragrance.
Jiang Zhi and Jiang Shu squatted in the yard, their noses following the aroma. Even Jiang He's plane seemed to slow down a bit, and Xu Na, who was experiencing morning sickness, had a long-lost appetite.
The aroma of the hot food made everyone in the room feel a strong urge to eat.
Even though they were all very ordinary dishes, and only a little over ten days had passed, everyone felt that they hadn't been able to eat such delicious food in a long time.
After finally getting the dishes ready, Ye Qingyun asked Jiang Shu to go to the Lin family and call back Old Master Lin and Jiang Hai.
To Jiang Zhi's relief, Jiang Hai seemed to have returned to normal.
When the two returned and saw Jiang Zhi, they both had smiles on their faces.
Grandpa Lin teased, "Jiang girl, I heard you made quite a splash on this mission with those old fogies from the base, didn't you?"
Jiang Zhi immediately felt embarrassed: "Brother Lin Yuan is the real expert, I'm nothing compared to him..."
After saying that, she couldn't help but glare at her brother.
Big mouth!
Show-off!
Jiang Shu chuckled.
Grandpa Lin was overjoyed to hear his grandson praised by his favored granddaughter-in-law, but he said, "That brat is no good now, he's covered in injuries. Only you think he's capable."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhi became more sincere, "Grandpa Lin, please don't say that. Brother Lin Yuan was so seriously injured, yet he was still able to do this. This is beyond what ordinary mutants can achieve."
Grandpa Lin laughed heartily, "Alright, alright, I will pass on your words to him."
Jiang Zhi: ...There's no need to be so serious.
Amidst the laughter and chatter, Ye Qingyun and his companions brought the dishes to the table.
Just then, Jiang Wen returned, and he was overjoyed to see the brother and sister.
A group of young people huddled together, chattering away about their own lives.
Before long, everyone sat down at the mahogany table that the brother and sister had brought back from Shashi, and Grandpa Jiang was slowly helped out by the two children.
In this situation, even if you feel physically uncomfortable, you feel comforted at heart.
The rising steam blurred the smiling faces of everyone at the table.
The mahogany table wasn't large, but it steadily held a table full of hot dishes, encircling the family closely.
The aroma of food mingled with bursts of laughter, filling the house and even the courtyard seemed to radiate warmth.
Every bite of the hot dish was exceptionally delicious. The soft sound of chopsticks touching the rim of the bowl, mixed with the sounds of everyone saying "Eat more" and "Swallow slowly," spread with the rising steam.
The only regret is that Jiang Shan couldn't come back with them.
Just as everyone put down their bowls and chopsticks and took a breather while rubbing their round bellies, the sound of a vehicle engine suddenly came from outside the courtyard, growing louder as it approached.
Immediately afterwards, a slightly familiar voice called out from behind the courtyard gate:
Is Comrade Xiao Jiang home now?
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