After coming out of Xu Shan's house, Wan'er walked on the path in the forest. After walking a hundred or so steps, she looked back at the ordinary thatched hut.
Still white walls and thatched grass, still lonely and lonely. But now she understands that there is an infatuated person inside.
Now that Mrs. Xu Shan's affairs are finished, Wan'er has to return home quickly and prepare some useful items for Shen Zui.
We also need to tidy up the house so that it will look better when Mrs. Xu comes and not be too cluttered.
At this time, she felt quite uncomfortable. Although Sister-in-law Xu Shan's house was not big, the furnishings were neat and clean, and the taste was good.
Her mother-in-law's house is considered warm and tidy, but since she and Shen Zui came here, her mother-in-law has spent most of her time taking care of them, so she doesn't have much time to clean up the house recently.
Moreover, when Sister-in-law Xu Shan came home, she and her mother-in-law had to squeeze into a heated kang, which was definitely not as comfortable as at home.
Everything about this made Wan'er feel uncomfortable.
She walked towards Granny Chen's hut while thinking about what to bring to Shenzui.
Although it only takes two or three days to "dissipate Qi", toiletries, clothing and other items are definitely indispensable.
Before I knew it, I had arrived outside the fence made of branches. The girl Mu Wan'er stretched out her hand and pushed it away, passing through the well, the millstone and the vegetable patch, and came to the house.
Unexpectedly, Granny Chen was in the house. When she saw Wan'er coming back, she got off the kang happily.
"Did you come back from your Sister-in-law Xu? What did you say?"
"Mother-in-law, Sister-in-law Xu said we would exchange it tomorrow and let Shen Zui recuperate."
"Okay, okay, the sooner the better. After all, there are some good people in this village. Girl Wan, you prepare something for Mr. Shen, and I will make ginseng soup for him."
Granny Chen is not tall, but she does things very neatly. She walked from the kang to the kitchen in just a few steps.
She took out a pottery pot for decoction from nowhere and placed it on the stove. Then scoop water from the pot to clean, and then wipe dry with a clean white cloth.
Wan'er wanted to help, but her mother-in-law pushed her away and asked her to quickly pack Shen Zui's things.
Granny Chen, who had few teeth in her mouth, pursed her lips and pretended to be angry and rushed Mu Wan'er to the side. Then she opened the door and walked to the backyard.
Wan'er, who was in the room, only heard a rustling sound and a cry of chickens and ducks.
Just when Mu Wan'er wanted to go out and take a look, she opened the door and found Granny Chen squatting on the ground, with an old hen under her feet, and she had just cut its throat with a knife.
The bright red blood flowed out from the chicken's neck and gurgled into a white porcelain bowl placed on the ground.
"Mother-in-law, why did you kill the old hen that lays eggs?"
Mu Wan'er rushed over, but she could only stare blankly.
Granny Chen raised her dark cheeks and shook her hand, "Girl Wan, you don't understand. This old hen plus ginseng is the most nourishing. We can raise it when the time comes."
"Mother-in-law, I'm sorry..."
"What are you talking about? Since you're here, you can help my mother-in-law get some water from the well. I'll clean up this old hen. I just touched it and it's fat."
Wan'er fetched water from the well nearby, then put the clean water in a large bucket, and then brought some hot water from the kitchen and poured it in, fearing that her mother-in-law would catch a cold with the cold water.
"Okay, let's go."
The mother-in-law began to pluck the feathers of the chicken and disembowel it.
Mu Wan'er returned to the house and packed her things.
In fact, not many things are used, just pack it in one bag and put it all on the table, so that you won’t forget it when you set off tomorrow.
After about two cups of tea, Granny Chen came in from the door with prepared chicken in her hand.
Then she put the chicken into the clay pot, then took out the lacquered wooden box, took out the century-old ginseng inside, carefully removed half of it, and then cut it into thin slices.
It's not that Granny Chen is reluctant to use all of it, but that the ginseng medicine is too powerful.
Normal people will get nosebleeds after eating it, but if Shen Zui, who is already ill, eats all of it, he will definitely be depleted and not be supplemented, which will lead to big problems.
So I will use half of it today, and wait for him to stew the rest slowly for him when he comes back from Xu Shan's hut this time.
This is the truth behind the saying that a thin stream of water flows long.
After placing all the materials in the clay pot, the mother-in-law covered the clay pot with something similar to a rice bowl, and then took down the iron pot with Wan'er.
The mother-in-law asked Wan'er to stand on tiptoes, pull off a few thin hemp ropes from above, and then hang the clay pot above the flames.
Not too far or too close to the fire in the furnace.
Granny Chen used the tongs to pull out a few more burning wood blocks and placed them aside.
She turned her head and explained carefully: "You don't have to rush when making chicken soup with medicinal herbs. You can only use a slow fire to boil out all the essence of the medicinal food, otherwise it will be a waste."
Mu Wan'er was watching carefully. After all, she might be needed to prepare medicine for Shen Zui in the future, so she didn't dare to neglect him at all.
Grandma Chen looked at the flames in the furnace and stood up from time to time to test the temperature outside the clay pot with her hands.
When she finished checking again and sat down, she seemed to remember something and said with emotion: "My old man taught me these. Although he has no ability, he treats me really well.
My mother-in-law remembers that one winter when there was nothing to eat at home, he felt so ashamed that he went hunting and digging ginseng in the mountains alone in the middle of the night while I was asleep. He didn't come back for several days, which scared me to death.
Later, he finally arrived home, carrying bacon, preserved fruits, and rouge gouache in his hands. I knew at that time that my mother-in-law, I had not married the wrong person. "
Speaking of these old things, the wrinkles on Granny Chen's face seemed to have relaxed, and her whole person seemed to be decades younger. Her eyes, which were originally slightly cloudy, were shining brightly.
"My mother-in-law must have been very beautiful when she was young."
Mu Wan'er said with a smile while rubbing Granny Chen's shoulders.
"I don't dare to say that, but it's not bad anyway." At this point, even Granny Chen couldn't help but cover her mouth, showing the shy look of a little daughter.
While the two were chatting and laughing, Shen Zui opened the door and came in, bringing with him a chill. It was conceivable that the weather was about to change. Wan'er had not felt this way when she went to Xu Shan's house in the morning.
"Mother-in-law, Wan'er, what are you talking about? I feel very happy."
Shenzui dusted off his outer clothes, took them off and hung them behind the door. Then he rubbed his hands and took a bench to sit next to the two of them. From time to time, he stretched out his hands to the stove to keep warm.
Wan'er was the first to speak, "Are you talking about what happened when your mother-in-law and father-in-law were young? Why did you come back so soon today? Where is Carpenter Li?"
"Carpenter Li has finished processing all the wood today. He happened to be in a hurry these days, so he just went home and will come back after finishing the processing."
Wan'er nodded, "Tomorrow you will go to sister-in-law Xu Shan's house to recuperate, I have already agreed."
Shen Zui heard this and replied, "Okay."
