As winter approaches, the heads of wheat in the field have just sprouted and been crushed again.
Taking advantage of the leisure time, the villagers carried dung baskets and dung rakes and went all the way out of the village to pick up dung in the wind and snow.
Wang Zhong became more leisurely, occasionally going to the county town, or going into the mountains to hunt and collect firewood with his bow and arrow and hatchet.
Maixiang Village is close to Maixiang Ridge, and Maixiang Ridge, as its name suggests, is a mountainous area covering nearly a hundred miles. Although there are no jackals, tigers, and leopards in the mountains, there are still some small animals.
There is no shortage of firewood either.
Wang Zhong didn't like burning straw, so he went into the mountains to cut firewood from time to time. In the past few years, Wang Zhong had drilled almost half of the entire Maixiang Ridge.
On the night of the second day of the twelfth lunar month, it snowed all night.
Early the next morning, as soon as it was dawn, the villagers came out to clear the snow and clear the road.
Looking at the vast white outside, Wang Zhong suddenly had the idea of going out to the top of the mountain to see the snow scene, and on the way to see if there were any wild game. Carrying a bow and arrow on his back and a hatchet in his hand, Wang Zhong went out. .
"Renlian, you're sweeping the snow!" The front door was open, and Ma Renlian was sweeping the snow on the road with a broom.
"Sweep it to make it easier to walk!" Ma Renlian turned around and saw Wang Zhong dressed in this outfit, and asked with a smile: "Captain Wang, are you planning to go up the mountain?"
Wang Zhong said: "I have nothing to do. I will go to the mountains to collect some firewood and come back. I will see if I can bump into any wild animals."
"It's such a cold weather, I can't guarantee it won't snow soon!" Ma Renlian kindly advised.
"Only in this snowy day can we see the footprints."
Ma Renlian was stunned for a moment, "It seems to be true."
"Sweep slowly, I'm leaving."
"Then be careful on the road."
"Do not worry!"
Maixiangling is not a deep mountain forest, and there are not many kinds of wild animals. They are just ordinary things such as deer, raccoon dogs, and pheasants. However, I heard from my second grandfather Niu Zhonggui that there were wolves and foxes many years ago, and in recent decades, they have become more popular. Disappeared.
Maixiang Ridge is not a large mountain forest, and the vegetation is not very lush. Anyway, there is nothing to do at home. Not long after Wang Zhong left the village, he followed the mountain ridge all the way up, first climbed to the top of the mountain, and after looking at the vast snowy scenery all over the place, he also Instead of walking deeper, follow the edge of the mountains and look for places with lots of shrubs and close to the plains below.
After walking for several hours, it was almost noon. Just after crossing a mountain col, Wang Zhong finally found the pheasant's footprints on the edge of a deserted bush.
He put the hatchet into the space, held the bow in his hand, and pulled out an arrow from the quiver. This arrow was made by Wang Zhong himself, and the tail fin was made of wild goose feathers.
Wang Chong lowered his body, adjusted his breathing rate, and carefully walked along the edge of the bush, trying to make as little noise as possible. The true energy in the body was circulating, strengthening his five senses, and using his ears and eyes. Sure enough, he heard a sound behind a bush almost thirty meters away in front of him.
With such a long distance, Wang Zhong might not have been able to hear him if his true energy hadn't been getting stronger day by day.
At this time, Wang Zhong's heart became calmer. It took him five minutes to adjust his position. At least six pheasants appeared in Wang Zhong's line of sight.
Wang Zhong found the right time, adjusted his posture, the bow string vibrated continuously, and in an instant he shot three arrows in succession.
The four pheasants fell down upon hearing the sound, and the remaining ones were frightened, squealing with their hooves, running or flying, and ran away in an instant.
With Wang Zhong's archery skills, he could definitely keep a few more, but Wang Zhong was not that greedy. On the one hand, hunting was to hone his archery skills, and on the other hand, it was just to kill time.
Although the process of searching for prey is boring, when the traces of the prey are found, when the location of the prey is searched, and when the prey is shot, the joy increases layer by layer, and the feeling becomes better and better. Wang Zhong enjoys it quite a lot.
After three consecutive shots, the first arrow was shot twice, and I felt more and more happy.
It's a pity that there are no wild eggs at this time, otherwise, you can search them out and try them.
He strode over and put away the feathered arrows, wiped off the blood, and put them back into the quiver. The four pheasants were not big, the largest one was less than three pounds, and the smaller one was only about one and a half pounds.
He randomly stuffed two pheasants into the space, tied the remaining two with hemp rope, cut a stick, tied the two pheasants to one end of the stick, and Wang Zhong walked back.
In winter, the days are short and the nights are long. It is almost two o'clock now. Wang Zhong chopped two loads of firewood, hung the pheasants on the firewood, carried them with wooden sticks as poles, and strode towards Maixiang Village.
Not long after walking down the mountain, a figure appeared in front of him, carrying a large bundle, wearing a shabby gray cotton-padded jacket, and walking with a cane towards the village.
Wang Zhong was stunned: "It can't be such a coincidence, right?"
I walked up quickly, and as expected, I saw an unkempt woman dressed like a beggar.
"Sister, are you here to visit relatives?"
The woman was just burying her head and walking forward. When she heard the voice right next to her ear, she couldn't help but raise her head and saw a young and strong man. She said a little weakly: "Brother, are you calling me?"
He speaks with a Henan accent.
"That's right, eldest sister, it's such a cold weather. Are you here to visit relatives in Maixiang Village with all these gifts?" Wang Zhong asked.
"Maixiang Village?" The woman was stunned for a moment.
"Maixiang Village is ahead." Wang Zhong pointed to the front.
"Brother, I misunderstood!" The woman was a little embarrassed: "I escaped because my hometown was hit by a disaster and I couldn't survive anymore!"
While he was talking, the woman saw the pheasant and bow and arrow hanging on Wang Chong's firewood. She was stunned again and swallowed subconsciously.
This is meat. Jiang Hongguo usually can't even have a full meal, let alone meat.
When I begged for food all the way from my hometown, the most I ate was sweet potatoes and yellow steamed buns. Nowadays, every household is not rich, so most of the time they just feed their stomachs, and only a handful of times are full.
Wang Zhong said: "From your accent, are you from Henan?"
The woman nodded, held her cane, and begged. "Brother, you can even catch a pheasant, which shows that you are very capable. I haven't eaten for several days, so do your best and give me something to eat!"
The loose hair in front of his forehead covered half of his face, and the remaining half of his face was also dirty. His lips were so dry that they were peeling and cracked, his eyes were a little cloudy, and his speech was weak. This was because he was hungry. ah.
If I were hungry for another day or two, something would definitely go wrong.
"Okay! Come with me!" Seeing the woman's appearance, Wang Zhong did not refuse.
"Thank you, brother, thank you, brother!" The woman quickly thanked Wang Zhong.
Wang Zhong could slow down his pace so that the woman would not be able to keep up.
Now it's almost lunch time, and some people in the village have smoke rising from their homes. In this cold weather, there are no people on the road. The east end of the village is close to the village entrance, but I haven't met anyone.
The woman watched Wang Zhong carrying firewood around to the back door, walking into the backyard with firewood, unloading the load that served as a temporary stick, and just placing the firewood under the eaves of the firewood house, she did not see the woman come in.
It turns out that the woman stopped
"Sister, why don't you come in?" Wang Zhong took a few steps back and looked at the woman standing at the back door.
The woman stood at the door, hesitating in her heart, but the hunger in her belly came one after another, her body temperature also dropped, and she couldn't bear the cotton-padded jacket on her body anymore. As the sky gradually turned dark, the woman took a bite Lip, the complexity in his eyes turned into determination, he raised his legs and stepped into the back door, and helped Wang Zhong close the door at the same time.
Wang Zhong untied the two pheasants tied to the firewood, picked up his bow and arrows, and walked forward along the path, followed by the woman.
Wang Zhong took out an enamel teapot from the cabinet, poured half a tank of hot water from the thermos bottle, and brought it to the Kang table: "Sister, the water is a bit hot. You blow it and let it cool before you drink it. I'll get you something to eat. .”
"Thank you big brother."
"You're welcome. All Chinese people are one family. We are all brothers and sisters. Please sit down for a while."
Wang Zhong had been out for a whole day. The fire in the stove had gone out and the kang was cold. Wang Zhong lit the fire first and poured two and a half ladles of water into the pot.
He turned around and went to the west room and brought in a wooden basin that had just been made. He rinsed it with water, poured half a pot of hot water into it, mixed it with a ladle of cold water, and brought it to the Kang in the main room.
"Sister, dinner will take a while. It's cold outside. I'll find you a towel. You can wash your hands, face, and soak your feet to get rid of the cold."
"Brother, don't bother, I have a towel!" The woman stopped Wang Zhong who was rummaging for something, and took out a piece of cloth from her bag.
"Then wash slowly!"
Wang Zhong sat in front of the low kang and pulled the bellows to blow up the stove fire.
After the woman washed her face and soaked her feet, Wang Zhong also boiled the water. He filled the pot with the dumplings he had made yesterday and put the lid on the pot. The woman came out with a wooden basin to pour the water.
Looking at the woman with a clean face, Wang Zhong was a little surprised. This woman's appearance was no worse than Qiao Yue and Yang Deng'er. Even in Wang Zhong's opinion, this oval face was much prettier than Qiao Yue's.
"Sister, there is a place for washing at the back. Just pour the water there! Just put the basin against the wall. There is a place to hang a towel inside." However, Wang Zhong was used to seeing all kinds of beauties, so he was only a little surprised. There was no how.
The woman hurriedly went into the inner room to pour the water, then came out and walked to Wang Zhong and said, "Brother, let me help you!"
"No, no, no, there's no point in making guests busy. Just sit on the kang with peace of mind. The warmth on the kang is just right to drive away the cold. It's freezing cold outside, and you're on your way hungry, so you have to be careful. , be sure not to catch a cold or cause any disease."
"Thank you, brother. By the way, what is your name, brother?" The woman couldn't resist Wang Zhong, so she had to sit back by the kang. The fire had been burning for a while, and the kang had warmed up, so it was quite comfortable to sit on it.
"My name is Wang Zhong, what do you call me, eldest sister?" The water in the pot boiled again. Wang Zhong opened the lid of the pot, added a little cold water into it, and closed the lid again.
"My name is Jiang Hongguo!" the woman said, but she was still a little cautious.
Sure enough, it was the short-lived ginger red fruit.
"Where are you from, eldest sister?"
"I'm from Shangqiu."
"How old is eldest sister this year?"
"I am twenty-four this year." Jiang Hongguo said.
"Oh, you're one year younger than me. You can't call me eldest sister, you have to call me sister." Wang Zhong thought that Jiang Hongguo must be in his mid-twenties, but he didn't expect that he was only twenty-four.
But think about it, I have been away from home for half a year, and I don’t know if I will be able to eat a full meal for a few days. I am hungry, exposed to wind and sun, how can I not be haggard? Naturally, my age is not that easy to distinguish.
While talking, Wang Zhong took out three bowls, one large, two small, from the cabinet.
The big one is a bowl, rather than an urn, one foot two inches square and two and a half inches deep. The two smaller ones are also six inches square and two inches deep.
"Then I'll call you Brother Wang!" Jiang Hongguo said.
"You can shout whatever you want."
"Who else is in my sister's family?"
Jiang Hongguo hesitated for a moment and then said: "There is no one left!"
…
Wang Zhong put a little balsamic vinegar, a few drops of soy sauce, a few drops of sesame oil into two small bowls, sprinkled with two clusters of salt, sprinkled with chopped green onion, opened the lid of the pot, scooped up two spoons of soup and poured it into the bowl. Keep it empty, scoop seven or eight dumplings into a small bowl, and bring it to the Kang table first.
"Sister! The dumplings are ready!"
Jiang Hongguo's eyes widened when she saw the two steaming bowls of dumplings brought over by Wang Zhong, and she subconsciously swallowed her saliva.
Wang Chong reminded with a smile: "It's very hot when it's just taken out of the pot. Eat it slowly."
Jiang Hongguo picked up the spoon and eagerly scooped out a piping hot dumpling. As soon as she put it into her mouth, she was so hot that she exhaled. The dumpling rolled in her mouth, but she still couldn't bear to spit it out. She waited until it cooled down a little before she could bear it. After chewing the ginger fruit for a few times, I was stunned.
Wang Zhong made dumplings with pork and cabbage fillings and leek and egg fillings, and the pork and cabbage fillings contained a lot of pork. The ones Jiang Hongguo had were pork and cabbage fillings.
The rich meaty aroma bloomed in the mouth, and Jiang Hongguo's eyes were instantly covered with mist.
I have been starving for half a year and can't even eat enough. Now I can eat meat.
Jiang Hongguo raised her eyes and looked at Wang Zhong who was still busy outside. She felt extremely complicated. She narrowed her eyes and lowered her head to wipe away the tears.
Wang Zhong scooped out the remaining dumplings in the pot into a large vat and brought them to the Kang table.
"I have a big appetite, so I ate a little too much, which made the girl laugh."
Jiang Hongguo looked at the jar full of dumplings and estimated that there were at least fifty or sixty.
"The more you eat, the stronger you will be at work." Jiang Hongguo said.
Wang Zhong smiled, turned back, and took two pairs of kuaizi and two plates of prepared dipping sauces, one with pure vinegar, and one with chili oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, and aged vinegar.
"Come on, sister!" Wang Zhong handed the express to Jiang Hongguo: "I like spicy food. I don't know what flavor you like, sister, so I got an extra plate of vinegar."
"This soup is too hot. Eat some of this dry food first for dipping."
Jiang Hongguo looked at the dishes and sauces on the table and couldn't help but sigh: "Brother, are you living a fairy life?"
"What a magical day, I just pay attention to what I eat. After all, we can't lose anything to our mouths and bellies."
"You've been hungry for several days, haven't you? Hurry up and fill your stomach first. If you have any questions, we'll talk about it after we're full."
"Uh-huh!"
Ginger Hongguo immediately started eating.
First, he quickly ate a few soup dumplings in the bowl, drank two sips of the soup, then picked up seven or eight dumplings from the big vat, dipped them in vinegar and ate them, and finished the soup before giving up.
Wang Zhong asked: "Are you full?"
Jiang Hongguo nodded and said, "I'm full."
"Brother Wang, eat slowly while I boil water and help you clean up those two pheasants!"
"Don't worry, sister, it's getting late today. Why don't you just spend the night at my house tonight! It just so happens that my wing is still vacant." Before Jiang Hongguo could say anything, Wang Zhong took the initiative to send out the invitation.
"Brother Wang, thank you!" Jiang Hongguo said touchedly.
"Then I'll take care of those two pheasants first, lest they be kept for a long time and become difficult to take care of." Jiang Hongguo said as she raised her hand to wipe her tears with her sleeves.
"What are you doing to clean up? Look at you, you are so exhausted. If I still let you work, then am I still a human being!"
"Sit down and rest for a while. When the hot water in the pot is boiled, go take a hot bath and then have a good sleep. Don't think about anything."
"Thank you, Brother Wang!" Jiang Hongguo said sincerely as she looked at Wang Zhong, who was eating dumplings one by one, with a warm current in her heart.
Wang Zhong finished eating in a short time. Jiang Hongguo wanted to rush to finish the bowl, but Wang Zhong pushed it back for her.
By the time Wang Zhong finished cleaning up the bowls, the water in the pot was almost boiling.
"The water is boiled. Sister, hurry up and take a hot bath to get rid of the dust and cold. By the way, come here and let me talk to you." Wang Zhong led Jiang Hongguo to the bathroom with a kerosene lamp and put the The kerosene lamp was hung on a hook on the wall and everything was pointed out to her.
"Here is soap. This big basin is for bathing. Of these two buckets, one holds hot water and the other is used to mix cold water. There is cold water in the tank against the wall. They are both full..."
Jiang Hongguo was a little dazed. When she was pouring water, she saw Wang Zhong's exquisite bathroom. Even the towel rack on the wall was different from other people's homes. Everything in the bathroom was neatly arranged. This was different from Jiang Hongguo's. The villagers in Hongguo's impression were completely different.
"By the way, sister, do you want to brush your teeth?" Wang Zhong asked.
"Brush your teeth?" Jiang Hongguo turned to look at Wang Zhong doubtfully.
"Wait!" Wang Zhong turned around and went to the locker outside to get a pig-bristle brush and the enamel jar from which Jiang Hongguo drank water. He handed it to Jiang Hongguo, pointed to the small square box next to the soap box and said: "This is a toothbrush. What's in this box is tooth powder. Put the tooth powder into a jar, add some warm water to the jar, mix it evenly, take a sip to rinse your mouth, and then use this toothbrush to brush your teeth inside and out. , this is called oral hygiene in medicine.”
"Isn't there an old saying that diseases come from the mouth? It's because you eat unclean things. If you clean your mouth regularly, you can prevent many diseases."
"Brother Wang, you know so much." Jiang Hongguo felt a little dizzy and confused as she listened to Wang Zhong's endless talk.
"By the way, I almost forgot to tell you. The latrine is in the backyard, and there is a toilet in the small room next door. It's cold outside. If you want to be more convenient, you can do it in the toilet." Before Wang Zhong finished speaking, Jiang Hongguo's face turned a little red.
】
After saying that, Wang Zhong walked to the kang with a wooden bucket and used a wooden ladle to scoop the boiling hot water in the pot into the wooden bucket.
"Brother, I can do it myself."
"It's okay, I have quick hands and feet!" As he said this, Wang Zhong had already scooped out more than half of the bucket of hot water, almost four-fifths of it, and brought it to the bathroom steadily.
Jiang Hongguo held on to the door frame of the bathroom and looked at Wang Zhong rushing in and out. Her nose was slightly sour and a layer of mist could not help but appear in her beautiful eyes.
"Sister, you wash slowly, and I'll clean up those two pheasants!"
There was a little hot water left on the pot. Wang Zhong put the two pheasants into the wooden basin, scooped out the remaining hot water and poured it on the pheasants.
Jiang Hongguo looked at Wang Zhong's busy voice and felt bored. She pursed her lips and lowered the straw curtain in the bathroom. After a while, the sound of water came from the bathroom.
Wang Zhong kept picking up the pheasants, but he couldn't help but think about it in his heart.
Jiang Hongguo took off her clothes and pants and sat in the large wooden basin in the bathroom, with her thighs together and her calves spread, her hair hanging down from one side and draped over her shoulders, covering her chest.
Holding the handkerchief, he dipped it into the warm water mixed with cold water in the small basin. He raised his head and scrubbed his neck, which was as white as jasper and as slender as a swan. The water flowed by the handkerchief passed through the smooth skin and fell on the feet. On top of the blue bricks, there was a crashing sound like rainwater falling from the eaves and hitting the wooden basin of water in a heavy rain.
White steam enveloped the entire bathroom like clouds of smoke, and the dim light from the kerosene lamp also became twisted and dreamy amid the smoke.
The sound of gurgling water was like a catalyst in the world, prompting Wang Zhong to spontaneously draw such a beautiful picture in his mind.
Wang Zhong shook his head, chuckled, put away the distracting thoughts in his mind, and carefully packed up the pheasants.
Wang Zhong moved quickly and the temperature of the water was just right, so it was not difficult to pull out the chicken feathers.
In the bathroom, it was hard to find so much hot water and such good conditions. Jiang Hongguo first brushed her teeth awkwardly according to Wang Zhong's instructions. After brushing, she immediately felt a difference. After brushing her teeth, she felt good. After talking, I quickly took the opportunity to wash my messy hair, and finally started to take a shower.
Looking at the clean and tidy bathroom, Jiang Hongguo first wiped her body with hot water, then smeared soap all over her body, and carefully scrubbed it twice inside and out. She didn't know how much dirt was removed just by scrubbing... ···
"Brother Wang, I've finished washing!" Jiang Hongguo opened the straw curtain and walked out of the bathroom with wet hair.
Wang Zhong was standing in front of the eucalyptus board, neatly disemboweling the two pheasants that had been plucked and taking out the internal organs.
"It's such a cold day, you should dry your hair quickly, and be sure not to catch a cold."
"Um!"
Feeling the long-lost concern, Jiang Hongguo felt a little uncomfortable. She took out a wooden comb from her bag, sat on the small stool in front of the kang, tilted her head, and used the heat from the stove to quickly bake her hair. , within a moment, water vapor rose.
Wang Zhong wiped his hands, took out a clean towel from the cabinet, and handed it to Jiang Hongguo: "Dry your hair first and then dry it. It will dry faster."
"Thank you, Brother Wang!" Jiang Hongguo took the towel, held her hair and wiped it gently.
"You're welcome!" Wang Zhong grinned, walked back to the eucalyptus, picked up the kitchen knife, and began to process the two pheasants, one female and one male. They had to be cut into small pieces. The internal organs were in the bowl. The two chickens After cutting, put them into bowls and put them in the cabinet.
Male and female pheasants have different qualities and naturally have different cooking methods. Wang Zhong is a very particular person when it comes to food.
"Brother Wang, are you the only one in your family?" Jiang Hongguo, who was wiping her hair sideways, looked at Wang Zhong and asked.
Wang Zhong kept holding the kitchen knife in his hand: "Well, it's just me."
