The journey from the county seat to the capital city takes six days.
We set out from the county seat early in the morning when the city gates opened. By midnight that night, both the man and the mules and cattle couldn't bear it anymore, so Mrs. Xu and her party had to set up camp where there was a stream.
The so-called setting up camp is nothing more than setting up two simple windshields with oilcloth brought from the village.
More than 100 households in Erdaohe Village can only collect six livestock carts.
Liu Laozhu's family owned two of the six mule and ox carts, and Liu Jingdong's ox cart was sent back. There is no bicycle puller. He currently lives in the academy and no longer returns to the village.
Yu Jiagang's bullock cart was also requisitioned by the village. Together, it would take more than a month, and Hao Yinhua's family could not go out to do work.
The cost of the six cars along the way is money, let alone using the cars of these families in vain. When we return to the village, the borrowing fee must be included in the cost.
Therefore, Mrs. Xu and her group were not even allowed to bring any luggage. They kept everything simple and only brought six pieces of oilcloth to fan the luggage in case of rain, and straw mats spread flat on the carriage floor. The long wooden sticks used to support the sheds were their weapons. Thinking that they could both support the sheds and attack, they brought a few long sticks and nothing else.
I didn’t even bring a single thick cotton-padded coat, so I had to try my best to leave as much space as possible on the livestock cart to haul as many goods as possible to earn the difference.
When the two simple tents were set up, the height of the tents was only high enough for Xu Tianxin and Mrs. Xu to get in without difficulty. Other tall young men, such as Uncle Xu, had to stoop down to get in.
There are two tents set up, one big and one small. In Liu Laozhu's words, the smaller one is to take care of the two female dependents, Mrs. Xu and Xu Tianxin, so you don't have to listen to their snoring.
But Mrs. Xu doubted that they would build a bigger tent.
As for the big one and the small one, it was her granddaughter who directed how to use wooden sticks, oilcloth and stone blocks to build them.
At this time, Xu Tianxin removed the straw mat from the car and spread it flat on the grass in the small tent.
The tent can block mosquitoes and the cold autumn wind. Otherwise, it would be windy today, and the cold wind in the second half of the night would make it impossible for people to take a nap.
Since there were no quilts and cotton-padded clothes, six pieces of oilcloth were not needed to set up the tent. Xu Tianxin went to get another piece, planning to use the waterproof oilcloth as a quilt to cover himself.
While Xu Tianxin was setting up the shed, Mrs. Xu was using a small clay pot borrowed from Mr. Liu's family to fetch water from the stream.
By the light of a torch, Mrs. Xu used a long wooden spoon to scoop out as much water as possible from the middle of the stream that was not too turbid and put it into the pot.
Speaking of pots, I actually bring a small clay pot with me when I go out.
It was originally intended to be used for brewing milk medicine packets, and I thought it would be convenient for my granddaughter to bring her own small stove to make milk soap. To this end, the second son also modified a brazier at home so that a small clay pot could sit on it and burn firewood directly underneath. It was very easy to use.
But this set of guys even filled the table.
Old Mrs. Xu was thinking about it. She went to another county to sell condoms with a table full of people, but she didn't even know anyone. She couldn't live in Datongpu and borrow a pot and stove, so she just tied this set of clothes with hemp rope and straddled the neck of the table full of people. Let me take you away.
The clay pot owned by Mr. Liu is currently in use. It looks very worn out after not being used for several years. When I come back from Fucheng to purchase goods, I always have to pass by the county town to pick up the oil I bought, and then return the pot and spoon to Mr. Liu's family.
Mrs. Xu was scooping water while watching what everyone was doing.
Liu Laozhu was busy unloading the truck with four young men from the village. After unloading the truck pallets, he led the six mules and cows to the stream so that the mules and cows could drink.
He also looked tired and didn't forget to soak the sweat towel he brought with him. Instead of wiping the dust on his own face, he wiped the bodies of the mules and cows first.
Mrs. Xu has been here for a month and has already understood that people here regard animals as more important than people. Many men have not even washed their parents' feet, but they serve the fields and large animals as if they were their ancestors.
She reminded: "Stay away from me and go downstream." She scooped up water for people to drink.
After reminding him, he turned around and looked at the others.
The remaining few people scattered around, picking up or gathering some hay and branches to use for a while to make a fire.
Among these people, the third child in her family has gone the furthest.
In the vast meadow, as far as the eye can see, there is not even a shack nearby, let alone a village.
It was windy again in the middle of the night and there was no moon in the sky. Old Mrs. Xu could vaguely see the light of Lao San's torch. When she saw that she was walking further and further away, she worried and shouted: "Just enough firewood to boil water. Come back soon!" Who knows? What will happen if one foot is deep and one foot is shallow?
Liu Laozhu admired how the eldest sister of the Xu family could still be full of energy even after traveling all day and half the night, nagging and sleeping late at his eldest brother's house last night.
Xu Youcang didn't listen to his mother's words, and thought about picking up more hay and branches, which would be enough to light the fire in the middle of the night.
Xu Youcang was worried that without quilts and clothes, his mother and niece would suffer from the cold while living outdoors.
Secondly, he was worried that the more wilderness the mat was, the easier it would be for wolves to appear at night.
Xu Youcang planned to stay up tonight. He was in good health and would be fine if he stayed up for several days. Tonight, I will sit in front of the small tent and warm myself by the fire for my mother and niece to guard the door.
Fear of wolves is also the main reason why everyone no longer pursues the dark side.
I heard Uncle Li Zheng say that if we go further, we will see a series of mountains, standing next to each other on the roadside.
It's fine during the day, as people don't attract wild beasts, and wild beasts don't lack for food and drink in autumn and don't wander down the mountain casually. But it's hard to say at night. It's very unsafe if they go there and stay.
Because of this, everyone discussed it and decided to stay in the desert tonight and wait until dawn tomorrow to get enough sleep and continue the journey.
It is said that after traveling for another day and a half and almost two days, we can reach the inn co-owned by Mr. Liu and rest. Seeing the inn run by Boss Liu also meant that we were halfway through the journey.
At that time, after entering the inn, he went to sleep peacefully to recuperate for the next three days of travel.
Xu Youcang was disobedient and was still looking for hay in the distance with a torch. Fortunately, others picked up some and came back. Otherwise, Mrs. Xu wouldn't be able to cook if she wanted to.
Mrs. Xu put a pot of water on the firewood to cook. She opened a palm-sized oil bag and sprinkled some salt into the water. This was the "soup".
It's not that they couldn't bear it, they had to make themselves miserable, as if they couldn't even drink egg drop soup, it was because they couldn't get the eggs along the way.
So when they can see water on the road, they put some salt in the water to drink. If people don't eat salt, how can they have the strength to travel.
When there is no water, I will take out the pickles provided by each house and eat a few bites of roasted potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes.
Mrs. Xu didn't bring any pickles when she set out. She brought out a small jar of chili sauce, but she decided she wouldn't give it to everyone tonight.
Even the boys in the village looked at her expectantly, and they all said that the chili sauce she made was delicious and it tasted delicious when applied to the potatoes.
But I am not in a hurry anymore, I have to take a nap soon, why should I eat hot sauce, don’t think about good things.
The small jar of hot sauce she brought was for the return trip. The mule cart would be so full of goods on the return trip that even she and her granddaughter would no longer be able to take the cart and have to walk, which shows how hard it was on the way back.
Until then, let this group of people eat well.
In Liu Laozhu's words, at least he won't let everyone eat potatoes when he comes back. He will buy some dry food to take away before setting off from Fucheng.
After Mrs. Xu boiled the water, she threw the potatoes and sweet potatoes into the fire.
Remembering the two ears of raw corn that Mrs. Liu's wife had given her this morning, Mrs. Xu dug it out from the basket, put a long branch on a corn rack, roasted it over the fire, and left it to her granddaughter.
Before Xu Youcang returned, Xu Tianxin had already hid in the small tent and finished the roasted corn.
It's not that I avoided it on purpose, but the smell of smelly feet was very strong on the side of the big tent and near the fire. Grandpa Li Zheng and the uncles took off their shoes for Song Kuai Tong Tong and sat aside peeling potatoes.
Mrs. Xu entered the tent and watched her granddaughter finish the roasted corn. She asked if she was full and if she wanted more sweet potatoes. Can I open the hot sauce for you and eat some more?
Xu Tianxin shook his head and said he wouldn't eat so much anymore.
Mrs. Xu didn't try to persuade her any more, but took the corn cob from her granddaughter's hand and handed the soft corn leaves to her granddaughter: "Let's go, I'll take you to the toilet first. You can take it neatly." Wipe your face with a handkerchief and go to sleep.”
Corn leaves are given to the granddaughter to use in the toilet.
Mrs. Xu used corn cobs.
The grandfather and grandson were covered with a piece of oilcloth and spread their arms to cover each other like an eagle catching a chicken.
(End of chapter)
