Chapter 42: Breaking Bamboo Shoots
"Mom, it's rare that I have nothing to do this afternoon. I want to go to my aunt's house and call Wenjie over. Let's go to the back mountain together to pick some bamboo shoots."
It is now October, and many winter bamboo shoots have grown in the mountains. When Qianhuan was in modern times, she often went to the mountains with her grandmother to pick bamboo shoots. Only those who have picked bamboo shoots know how interesting the process is.
It's a rare day when she has some free time, so she can finally experience the joy of picking bamboo shoots in these ancient mountains.
"Okay, then go ahead." Liu also knew that her daughter had to work at the stall every day and had no time to play, so she agreed readily.
Since the family split up, Chen has been living alone with her son Wenjie. Even though they live just apart by a wall, Zhu seldom interacts with them. However, when old man Liang and old lady Liang get something delicious, they will come over and give some to their little grandson.
Before Chen got married, her family doted on her and never let her do farm work. She would hide in her boudoir every day and do some embroidery to supplement the family income.
After marrying into the Liang family, on the one hand, her son Wenjie was still young and needed his mother's care; on the other hand, she was very weak and would pant after walking a few steps, so old man Liang never let her do farm work. At most, she would occasionally help Liu wash vegetables, light the fire, and help cook.
Now that she had obtained 4 mu of land after the division of the family, Chen, with her frail body, was totally unable to farm the land by herself. She could only ask her brothers from her natal family to help with the farming, and promised to give her brothers from her natal family 1 dan of grain as a reward when the harvest came, so that her sister-in-law would have no complaints.
Wenjie is the youngest child in the Liang family, and Qianhuan is the second youngest. Before the family split up, Wenjie and Qianhuan played best with each other.
Wenjie was very happy today when he saw Sister Qianhuan coming to ask him to go pick bamboo shoots together.
"Mom, sister Qianhuan and I are going to the mountains to pick bamboo shoots. We can stir-fry them when we come back in the evening."
"Okay, you guys go. Once you're in the mountain, listen to Sister Qianhuan. Don't run around, and remember to come back for dinner." After giving these instructions, Chen let her son follow Qianhuan.
Qianhuan carried a large bamboo basket and Wenjie carried a small bamboo basket, and the two walked into the dense forest, one in front and the other behind.
The two of them walked to a large bamboo forest. Qianhuan saw a lot of bamboo shoots sprouting on the ground around the forest. Her eyes lit up. She took off the bamboo basket on her back, squatted down, broke off all the bamboo shoots and put them into the basket.
Wenjie also imitated her, squatted down and started to break it.
In October, a lot of bamboo shoots have grown on the mountain, especially in this bamboo forest, which probably has not been reached by anyone yet, so there are more bamboo shoots inside.
Two people, one big and one small, walked forward with their heads down and back bent in the sparse bamboo forest. They would stop from time to time and glance around, occasionally seeing one or two, sometimes three or five, or seven or eight bamboo shoots. The constant surprise of discovery, coupled with the crisp sound of "bouncing" when the bamboo shoots were broken, made people feel happy.
It only took them half an hour to fill up the two bamboo baskets, one large and one small.
Wenjie said happily: "Sister Qianhuan, there are so many bamboo shoots here. My basket is already full."
"Well, let's go down the mountain and dump the bamboo shoots at home first, and then come back to pick them. Otherwise, if we pick too many, the bamboo basket won't be able to hold them all, and we won't be able to carry them either."
"OK, all right."
The two men carried the bamboo baskets down the mountain and returned home. On the way, they met many other villagers who went up the mountain to pick bamboo shoots.
Wenjie walked forward and whispered, "Sister Qianhuan, will they also go to the bamboo forest we found to find it?"
"It doesn't matter if they go. The mountain is so big, and there are more bamboo forests than the one we found. If they go, we can just go to another bamboo forest to pick bamboo."
"Yeah." Wenjie felt relieved after hearing that. Sister Qianhuan was right. The mountain was very big and there were many bamboo forests.
The two of them carried bamboo baskets into the courtyard. Liu was picking vegetables at the kitchen door at this time. Seeing the two of them coming back with baskets full of bamboo shoots, she smiled and said, "You two are really fast. You picked so many in just half an hour."
"Second Aunt, there are a lot of bamboo shoots growing on the mountain. Sister Qianhuan and I need to go there again."
"Okay, then you two go again. Remember to break them in the bamboo forest near the outside and don't go into the deep mountains. Come back quickly for lunch after you're done." Liu instructed.
The two men dumped all the bamboo shoots into the main room, and then returned to the mountains carrying their empty bamboo baskets.
Fortunately, the villagers who went there earlier did not find this bamboo forest. They must have gone to another bamboo forest.
The two of them chatted in the bamboo forest for another half an hour before returning home.
At this time, Liu's meal was ready. She cooked a big pot of white rice. There were two pounds of lean meat at home. Liu took out one pound of lean meat and cut it into slices. Liang Laoer helped to peel some tender bamboo shoots. Liu made a big bowl of lean meat fried with fresh bamboo shoots, a bowl of edamame, and a big bowl of scallion and egg soup.
"Second aunt, the white rice in your house is so delicious. I can eat several bowls of rice without any vegetables." Wenjie said as he ate the rice in big mouthfuls.
"Kid, how can you eat all the rice? Auntie will give you some meat. Try it and see if it tastes good." Liu said as she put a few pieces of lean meat in his bowl.
"Second Aunt, this meat is so delicious. My mother and I haven't eaten such delicious food for a long time."
"Wenjie, what do you eat at home? Hasn't your father sent the money back yet?"
"Sister Qianhuan, Dad's money will not be sent back until the middle of this month. Mom and I usually eat brown rice and vegetables. We haven't eaten white rice and meat for a long time." Although Wenjie is young, he knows the situation at home.
"Mom, there is still some lean meat at home, right? I'll take it all to my aunt later. We're going to set up a stall in the county town tomorrow, and we'll weigh some back when we close the stall." Qianhuan said to Liu.
"Well, there is still one pound left. You decide." Liu also knew that it was not easy for Chen, a woman, to raise a child. Before the family split up, Chen treated her well.
So when Qianhuan suggested giving the meat to them, Liu agreed.
"Wenjie, after dinner, I will take you home. I will pack some maltose for you to take home to satisfy your craving. I will also bring a piece of lean meat for your mother so that she can have meat tonight, okay?"
"Okay, thank you Sister Qianhuan." Wenjie was very happy thinking that he could have candy and his mother could have meat in the evening.
After lunch, several people started to peel the bamboo shoots together, peeling off the outer layer, and then cutting off the old bamboo shoots at the bottom, leaving only the freshest and tenderest bamboo shoots at the top.
After all the bamboo shoots were peeled, there was only enough tender bamboo shoots to fill a bamboo basket. Qianhua filled half of the basket with peeled fresh bamboo shoots, hid a pound of lean meat and a small bag of maltose in the basket, and then sent Wenjie home.
"Aunt, Wenjie and I picked a lot of bamboo shoots today and peeled them. I brought half a basket over for you. You can stir-fry fresh bamboo shoots to eat in the evening."
"Did you keep any at home? Don't bring them all here."
"Don't worry, little aunt, we have left most of the basket at home."
"Okay, then I won't be polite to you. Just pour the bamboo shoots on the kitchen floor."
Qianhuan walked into the kitchen and dumped everything in there. She didn't tell anyone that there was meat and maltose in it. She was afraid that Chen would refuse to take it, so she simply said nothing.
"Aunt, I'll go back first." Qianhuan said goodbye to Chen after leaving the kitchen.
"Okay, auntie will take you out." Chen didn't even look at the ground. She directly walked Qianhuan out of her yard.
When she returned to the kitchen, she saw a pound of lean meat and a bag of maltose inside the bamboo shoots. She quickly said to her son, "Wenjie, run out and call your sister Qianhuan back. Her lean meat and maltose were left at our house."
"Mom, the lean meat and maltose were specially given to us by Sister Qianhuan." Wenjie happily told his mother Chen.
Chen felt a warm feeling in her heart. The money from the third brother had not been sent back yet, and they, mother and son, were indeed living a difficult life now. She did not expect Qianhuan to send meat and maltose to her family.
She told Wenjie earnestly, "Your second uncle's family is not having an easy time right now. Next time you go to visit your sister Qianhua, don't ask her to buy you candy, okay?"
"Mom, I didn't ask my cousin to buy it. She gave it to me on her own initiative." Wenjie felt aggrieved.
"Don't accept the ones that are offered to buy for you. Your second uncle has a leg injury and it's inconvenient for him to walk. It's not easy for them to go to the county town every day to earn some money. Next time you go there, don't eat the malt candy from your sister Qianhuan's house, okay?" Chen advised her son earnestly.
"Mom, I understand." Wenjie agreed obediently.