Chapter 10 Vegetable Soup
When Liu Jinbao came sneakily, Qin Yao was preparing dinner in the almost open-air kitchen.
Today, a pair of straw sandals were exchanged for a handful of green vegetables and a loofah. Qin Yao, who had not eaten fresh vegetables for a long time, was drooling.
Set a pot over fire, pour a ladle of water into it, boil the water gourd, add half a handful of washed vegetables, and stew a vegetable soup.
She hasn't cooked in ten years. In the apocalypse, everyone eats dry food and occasionally boils a pot of water to make noodles. Therefore, Qin Yao's cooking skills are basically non-existent.
But looking at the pot of soup, the four Liu Dalang brothers and sisters had their eyes wide open and swallowed their saliva, as if there was some delicacy in the world being cooked in the pot.
There was no oil, salt, soy sauce or vinegar at home. Qin Yao found a small clay pot with a layer of salt crystals on the wall. She boiled it with boiling water and blended it into the pot, which gave it a slight taste.
Take a spoonful with a wooden spoon and taste it. The vegetables grown by farmers are indeed different from those grown in greenhouses. The beets in the soup are fresh and actually very delicious!
“Aniang, does it taste good?” Siniang asked eagerly, swallowing her saliva.
Qin Yao smiled at them, signaled Dalang Erlang to prepare bowls, and divided the pot of soup into five portions, one bowl for each person in the family of five.
On an autumn night, there is nothing more satisfying than drinking a steaming bowl of vegetable soup with cooked taro.
Saburo whispered: "Brother, it would be great if I could drink vegetable soup and eat taro every day."
Dalang touched his little brother's little head and told him to eat quickly and not think too much.
Erlang glared at his younger brother, "You are worthless. You are satisfied with a bowl of vegetable soup, but not me. I want to eat white rice with fatty meat from now on!"
Qin Yao thought he was going to say how big his ambition was, but after hearing this, he raised his eyebrows, that's it?
However, judging from the living standards of the villagers in Liujia Village, white rice and fatty meat are already the best combination.
Like Old Han Liu's family, even during the holidays, they may not be able to eat a full bowl of white rice and two pieces of oily fatty meat.
After having a full meal, Qin Yao asked the two elders to help the two younger ones wash up. After finishing, Qin Yao came over and continued to help her rub the straw rope.
Although the two brothers are weak, they can still use the rope after some practice.
Qin Yao picked up the simple homemade frame and started weaving straw sandals by the light of the fire.
In the past, I made flip-flops to save trouble. They were fine for daily wear, but if I really had to work in the fields, open toes would not work.
So, this time she had to knit straw sandals that could wrap her feet.
The speed will naturally slow down as it becomes more precise, but considering the market conditions in Liujiacun, Qin Yao would rather spend more effort.
In case Liujia Village cannot sell it, if it is sold in other villages, someone will always want it.
In fact, there are many people in the village who can knit straw sandals, but there are really not many people who have such free time. In addition, it is now the busy time of autumn planting and farming, and every household is trying their best to compete with God for the season, so Qin Yao took advantage of this opportunity.
As for the two acres of land at Liu Ji's house, having enough food is more important now.
The taros in the mountains are not enough to sustain them through the winter.
Thinking of this, Qin Yao ignored the burning in her palms and sped up her knitting speed.
Liu Ji's house is not far from the river bank, and the sound of gurgling water can be clearly heard. The moon is big and round tonight, and the moonlight shines into the river, creating gleaming waves.
The mountains were quiet. Qin Yao took a deep breath and her heart calmed down involuntarily.
She really likes her current environment.
Although I still couldn't sleep well at night, and I would sit up as a reflex when there was any disturbance, but as soon as I came back to my senses and realized that I was no longer in the apocalypse, I felt lucky.
Qin Yao raised her eyes and looked towards the river. A small figure was staggering towards the village in the moonlight.
Actually, she noticed this guy as soon as he got close.
It seems to be the child of Liu Ji's eldest brother's family. He should be called Liu Jinbao. I didn't know what he was going to do. He was hiding in the bushes behind the house. He didn't come to them, nor did he come to ask for anything.
So, Qin Yao pretended not to know what he was going to do.
Unexpectedly, the little guy squatted there and watched them finish their dinner, and then ran away.
Qin Yao felt confused and lowered her head to continue knitting straw sandals.
Of course, it is also possible that Old Man Liu found that the straw in the field had been emptied and sent a boy over to find out.
But the straw has already been woven into straw sandals, and it will be of no use.
Except for Qin Yao, no one noticed that Liu Jinbao had been here. Dalang and Erlang took good care of their younger brothers and sisters, coaxed them to go to bed first, and then sat around the stove sensibly and continued to help with the work by the light of the fire.
At midnight, the two of them had their heads drooping little by little.
Qin Yao woke up the two of them and asked them to go to bed.
"Auntie, what about you?" Dalang rubbed his eyes, resisting his sleepiness and asked worriedly.
Qin Yao kept moving her hands, "I'll go to bed after knitting this one. You guys go to bed quickly. Get up tomorrow morning and go to the back mountain to pick up more firewood. The ones at home have been burned."
Qin Yao also thought that if she was going to spend the winter, she might have to stock up on firewood now, and added, "Call me in the morning and I will go with you."
The two brothers responded, but they couldn't hold on any longer, so they went into the house and fell asleep on pillows.
When Qin Yao finished knitting the fourth pair of shoes, the last bit of fire in the stove was extinguished.
She gathered up the four pairs of men's size straw sandals and put them in the house, bolted the door, and then fell asleep under the last bit of moonlight.
This sleep felt like a short one, and I hadn't even finished my dream when the door was knocked cautiously.
“Auntie, auntie?”
The two brothers called softly at the door, but Qin Yao wouldn't have been able to hear them if it weren't for her high vigilance and lack of sleep.
"Wait a minute, come here!" Qin Yao responded, reluctantly sitting up from the uncomfortable bed, patting her face to wake up, put on her shoes and tied her hair, took the hatchet and rope, and left the room. Door.
There is a tattered small backpack at home, and Dalang is already carrying it on his back.
The mountains here are very dangerous for the two brothers. They dare not go into the mountains to collect firewood, so they always pick up fallen branches that others do not want at the foot of the mountains.
When I have time, I pick up a basket. Two brothers carry it and the other holds it. It can be burned for two days after taking it home.
Because we can't take much each time, and we can't hoard firewood like other families do.
On the way to the foot of the mountain, Qin Yao asked curiously: "How did you spend the winter last year?"
Erlang glanced at his brother, then at Qin Yao, and then said tentatively: "There is a charcoal seller in the village. He can make charcoal. Sometimes there will be some charcoal residue left in the kiln, and my brother and I will pick it up."
"Pick it up?" Qin Yao curled her lips, "Isn't it stealing?"
The two brothers suddenly became speechless.
Qin Yao looked at the two of them and warned with a serious look: "Don't steal people's things anymore. Let's store more firewood ourselves. There is no need to do these things again."
Dalang and Erlang looked startled, then became angry and thought she was 'why not eat minced meat', so they walked forward faster.
Qin Yao secretly laughed in her heart. It seems that she has filled her stomach in the past two days and her strength has increased. Then let her carry more firewood back!
(End of this chapter)
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