By the time Jiang Zhi returned to the charcoal shed carrying a basket full of fallen leaves, Xu Errui had already built the roof and was thinking of ways to solve the wall problem.
In the past, people did not need to live in the charcoal sheds. They used tree sticks and wooden strips to prevent the charcoal from falling out.
This is definitely not possible now. People need shelter from wind and rain to live in it.
Xu Errui wanted to use more wooden strips to plug the cracks, but the poor foundation did not allow him to do any big projects. As long as he knocked on it, the dead grass that had been placed on it fell all over his face.
Qiaoyun abandoned the old hen he was feeding and went to help. The two of them were either holding up the pillar or busy supporting the roof.
What Jiang Zhi saw were two poor kids who were so busy that they were too busy to do anything.
She shook her head and couldn't help but remind: "Don't move the wooden sticks below. Pick up some stones and mix mud with water to build the wall from the outside."
Use yellow mud to build stone walls, which are strong.
Living in the mountains, although there are no large beasts close to the village, there are many small animals. The most common ones are the colorful ones that appear when it gets warm, with long and short strips.
Snakes are not afraid of people, and they will also enter the house to eat rats and steal chickens. Only by sealing the walls well can the chance of encountering them be reduced.
Xu Errui was so tired that he was sweating all over his face. Hearing that his mother said that he needed to use yellow mud to build a wall, he dropped his ax and said: "Mom, I can't!"
Next to her, Qiaoyun rubbed her hands, which were red from the cold: "Mom, I can't do it either!"
Jiang Zhi twitched the corners of his mouth: Life skills need to be passed on, but luckily he learned them himself!
She put the basket full of fallen leaves next to her and said to Qiaoyun: "Don't get tired, take a piece of bacon bone and stew it, and then steam three bowls of corn rice."
Xu Errui's eyes widened: "Mom, can I eat meat today?"
Those bacons were piglets that froze to death during the coldest period some time ago. My mother marinated them with salt and dried them. No one was allowed to eat them. Today, she ordered Qiaoyun stew.
Jiang Zhi deliberately darkened his face: "If you don't want to eat it, don't eat it!" The original person was mean to Nie Fantian and also spoke harshly to his own children.
Now that she has released the male protagonist, she will no longer abuse others, but she cannot suddenly change too much to arouse suspicion.
When he heard about eating, Xu Errui didn't think too much. He was eighteen or nineteen years old. Moving these past few days was very strenuous and he was already exhausted. When he heard that there was meat to eat, his mouth started to drool.
Qiaoyun is also very happy. Her mother has not scolded her for more than a day, and she even had a thick meal last night.
She didn't dare to think that she would be able to eat meat later. At least her mother-in-law would let her soak the rice in the broth.
Qiaoyun started stewing meat, while Jiang Zhi took Xu Errui to find yellow mud and stones to build a wall.
This is a rocky mountain, and it’s so easy to find rocks. There are weathered and fallen rocks everywhere on the rocks, so you can just pick and choose from a basket.
By the time the aroma of bacon stewed with dried radish over Qiaoyun comes out, the preparations for building the wall here are almost complete.
While mixing the yellow mud, Xu Errui breathed in the long-lost fragrance and subconsciously said: "If it were Xiaotian..."
Jiang Zhi poured water into the mud and pretended not to hear.
The book only said that the original person was abusive to the male protagonist and did not mention anyone else. It seems that the two children have lived together for ten years and still have some feelings for each other.
Encouraged by the smell of meat, the three of them were full of energy.
By the time it was completely dark, a stone wall half as tall as a man had been built around the charcoal shed.
There are these stone walls with wet yellow mud to block the wind, and the floor of the shed is paved with stone flakes. A fire pit is dug in the middle and the broken charcoal is burned, so the shed becomes warm instantly.
There is steaming bacon stew on the charcoal fire, sweet potatoes are roasted on the stone chips next to it, and everyone has a bowl of yellow corn rice.
There was a thick layer of fallen leaves beneath them, and the three of them sat cross-legged around the casserole.
The two young men looked at the pot and swallowed their saliva, waiting for Jiang Zhi to share the dishes with them.
Qiaoyun looked at the soup pot nervously.
Although her mother-in-law asked her to stew the meat, she didn't say how much. Qiao Yun thought of three bowls of the same rice last night, so she boldly stewed three pieces of meat.
Jiang Zhi fished it out in the pot with a spoon and frowned when he saw that there were only three pieces of meat as big as duck eggs.
Qiao Yun lowered his head with an uneasy expression, but the next second, he saw his mother-in-law giving everyone a piece of meat in a bowl: "Qiao Yun, please stew more meat next time."
"Ah!" Qiaoyun raised her head in surprise: "I will stew more in the future, then, then..." She couldn't say anything in her mouth.
The meat at home comes from half-grown piglets that have been frozen to death, so they don’t eat it.
Generally, farmers don’t have much food and don’t raise many pigs.
The same goes for my husband's family. They usually only cut grass and feed the pigs with bran mixed with dishwashing water. They wait until the pigs are fattened and then sell them for some money. They are reluctant to kill them for meat.
Jiang Zhi also knows that there is not much food and meat at home, but these are extraordinary times. If you don't eat well, you won't be able to work. Even if you encounter refugees, having food in your stomach will give you more strength.
Xu Errui didn't care how much food he still had at home. He couldn't wait to pick up the meat and took a bite. It was greasy and soft, and his face suddenly lit up. It was so delicious.
Unfortunately, there was only one lump, and it was gone after a few mouthfuls. Fortunately, there was still a lot of dried radish in the pot. Xu Errui took a spoonful and soaked it on the rice, and immediately started eating it.
Qiaoyun looked at the meat in her bowl and hesitated whether to share it with Errui. After all, she only drank soup before.
Jiang Zhi had already picked up the bowl. Seeing that Qiaoyun was not eating, he tapped the rim of her bowl with his chopsticks: "Qiaoyun, you have forgotten what I said yesterday. Eat when you should. Our Xu family is still waiting for you to give birth." A big fat grandson.”
Xu Errui next to him raised his head, still chewing dried radish in his mouth and said vaguely: "Daughter-in-law, you eat it, I have radishes here, they are also delicious."
Qiaoyun then picked up the meat and took a small bite. Oh, it was so delicious!
Jiang Zhi had long been so hungry that his chest was pressed against his back. As a modern man, it had been a long time since he felt hungry to the bone. When he smelled the scent of bacon, he felt the saliva in his mouth gushing like a spring.
When I took another bite, the taste really tickled my gastrointestinal itch, and I'm afraid I'll never forget it for the rest of my life.
Fragrant, really fragrant!
This piece of local pork raised with pure grains is hard to come by in modern times. It must be provided by a dedicated person.
And this carrot soup.
There is no seasoning in the soup, only the saltiness of the bacon, plus the sweetness of the dried radish, the sweetness is mixed with the oil beads, the palatability is simply perfect.
Jiang Zhi knew that he was not writing about food, but he couldn't help but sigh: Although the standard of deliciousness depends on the degree of hunger in the stomach, this is the real food.
The three of them no longer paid attention to the howling mountain wind outside. They drank all the pot of carrot soup. Although there was little meat, they were still full of water.
In this meal, the pork and dried radish were both delicious, but the cornstarch was the only thing Jiang Zhi found difficult to swallow.
Modern braised rice is made by peeling off the skin and then breaking it into pieces. When you eat it, it will be soft, glutinous and smooth in your mouth. The braised rice here is just broken into pieces.
It looks yellow and fragrant, but it is as hard as sand. After taking a bite, your mouth is full and your teeth are clenched, and you can't swallow it at all.
There was no other way, so Jiang Zhi shared his bowl of rice with Xu Errui and Qiaoyun.
After having enough soup and rice, I felt sleepy. I fell asleep for the first time after two days of exhaustion.
Without combing their hair or washing their faces, the three of them didn't care about anything. They blocked the door of the charcoal shed with baskets on their backs, wrapped themselves in quilts and clothes, lay down in dry leaves and fell asleep.
I slept soundly this time, and I had no idea that the village below the mountain was burning again.
