She planned to wait until dawn before going to other places.
The two found a pile of rocks and rested in the lee of the wind.
The burning carbon tube melted the surrounding land. Qi Si put several handfuls of snow into the pot and placed it on the carbon tube. After a while, the snow turned into water, and the snowflakes in the sky fell and melted.
Yan Yu threw two pieces of spirit snake meat in, and while waiting for the pot to boil, he collected the surrounding snow, packed it tightly, and filled the gaps in the stone piles.
Qi Si was shoveling the turf, finding wilting grass from under the snow to feed Sanbao and the donkey. He looked at the tied calf, loosened the rope, and the calf stood up.
It stood pitifully, not daring to move.
After shivering for a while, I realized that there was no danger, so I took two steps on the same spot, and then subconsciously leaned in the direction of Sanbao.
Sanbao turned the cow's head and looked at it. It lay motionless.
The calf found a place where it felt at ease and nestled next to Sanbao.
When the snow water in the pot started to smoke, the calf was not satisfied with the status quo. He gently cupped Sanbao's belly with his head and anxiously explored everywhere...
Sanbao's oxtail flicked and occasionally landed on it.
Probably because he was sure of something, the calf cried out in an aggrieved voice.
Qi Si tore open the hard pancake and threw it into the pot.
I tore several of them apart, and the water in the pot almost came out.
He stopped.
"Boy, let's eat."
Yan Yu responded, shook the snow off his hat, and patted it on his body.
He took the soup cake from Uncle Qi and drank it together with Luoxue.
With food in her belly, which was warm, Yan Yu was not in a hurry to drink the second bowl, and turned her eyes to the calf humming beside Sanbao.
She thought for a while, found a slightly sunken stone on the ground, poured some hot soup into it, and placed it in front of the calf.
The little guy hid back in fear. Sanbao nudged it with his mouth, and it then carefully licked the soup on the stone.
It seemed that the food tasted good, and the little guy didn't stop even after licking the soup.
Qi Si looked interesting and poured some more for it.
The little guy licked even more happily.
…
As soon as the sky dawned, Qi Si quickly put out the charcoal fire.
After calling Yan Yu, Yan Yu stood up, moved his hands and feet, picked up some snow from the ground, and rubbed his face. The cold touch immediately made him energetic.
"Uncle Qi, let's not change places today. I want to try if we can lure the cow over." She looked at the little calf beside Sanbao who seemed a little obedient.
"Okay!" Qi Si didn't say anything.
…
The snow has not stopped, but it has become a little lighter.
For cattle and sheep, such weather does not affect grazing. Yan Yu is not sure whether Beirong will still graze. She just thinks of the tents she saw yesterday and the grass piled outside the tents.
Judging from the number of cattle, sheep and horses she saw, the forage stored by Beirong should not be enough to survive this winter. Then, they can only continue grazing, and will only consume this forage in the worst weather.
.
Sure enough, Beirong still let out the cattle and sheep.
The grassland is covered with a layer of white, and the different colors scattered on the white are extremely conspicuous.
She discovered yesterday that when Beirong herded cattle and sheep, they didn't care much about where they went.
He has his own way of calling the cattle and sheep back.
How can we draw them here?
Yan Yu took out the bag of salt, unsure whether this method would work.
It is said that animals living in the wild are born with the ability to search for salt. Alpine snow sheep that live on snow-capped mountains at -50°C will suddenly appear in front of climbers with a very close look, just because they smell the smell emitted by the climbers after their exercise.
The smell of sweat...
Because it contains salt, they really want to lick it...
She wiped the salt on her hands, and then wiped some on Uncle Qi's body. When she turned around and saw San Bao, she wiped some salt on San Bao, and also wiped some on Gou Zhu and Donkey.
Then he ordered them in a low voice to raise the temperature slightly.
The effect is immediate.
The calf suddenly became happy.
Surrounded by Sanbao, he anxiously wanted to lick the salt-smeared area on his body.
The donkey is also cared for by it.
The only thing you can do is stay there and it will be afraid and dare not come near.
Fourth Uncle Qi couldn't reach him, so he came close to Yan Yu.
Yan Yu stretched out her hand, and the little guy licked it happily.
So itchy!
Yan Yu couldn't help but shrink her hand, but the calf persisted and continued to move forward, licking hard.
Well, it’s for sure that animals like the taste of salt.
"Uncle Qi, let's not just stand here, move around to warm up your body." Yan Yu said.
Start activities with one child and one child.
In the limited space blocked by piles of rocks, running and jumping on the spot...
It seems to really work!
Yan Yu stretched out his head and found that there were many sheep coming towards them, quite a few!
The cow walked slowly and fell behind.
They didn't come straight over, but walked this way while eating grass.
She suddenly grabbed the calf, and the calf suddenly lifted off the ground and screamed in panic.
Yan Yu didn't put it down, just held it up.
The sheep were getting closer and closer, and a cow suddenly overtook them from behind and kept running towards them.
Several cows were led forward by it, probably even they themselves didn't know why.
Closer, closer!
Yan Yu always paid attention to the movements of the cow, and his eyes became brighter and brighter!
that's it!
She robbed the cow of her calf!
It is said that love is deep when licking a calf, and they are talking about cows.
When the calf gets tired of braying, she puts it down and then lifts it up, even lifting it high.
She must have become more and more sure that her calf was here, so the cow rushed over without hesitation.
The sheep also made a commotion and ran around a few times.
Yan Yu put down the calf before the cow rushed over. The calf smelled its mother's scent and wanted to run over, but Gou stopped it and showed its teeth to scare it away.
When the cow arrived, she saw her calf, and it seemed that all she could see in her eyes was the calf, licking her calf wholeheartedly.
The calf screamed in annoyance, but the cow ignored them and fed her milk in public.
Yan Yu:……
Bravo!
She picked up the hemp rope, looped it neatly, and walked over quietly.
The cow looked at her and did not move.
Yan Yu was so angry that he didn't dare to breathe, so he put the rope around the cow's neck.
The cow didn't resist at all.
She tried pulling.
The cow took two steps. The calf raised its head and refused to let out its mouth, so it also moved forward.
Is this done?
Yan Yu was so happy that it was beyond words!
She tentatively touched the cow, and the cow let her go.
As long as it doesn't delay feeding the baby, feel free to do it.
"Haha!" Yan Yu laughed out loud, "It's done!"
I feel like the hard work these days has paid off.
A calf is a bit of a loss, but with the addition of a cow, it feels like a profit!
The unconscious sheep are still approaching.
Yan Yu felt that the plan had changed.
She probably won't be able to continue exploring the grassland.
The sheep that were brought to my doorstep, I couldn't help but feel sorry for them being so proactive.
Looking out from the pile of stones, the Beirong grazing animals showed no intention of coming.
"Uncle Qi, we can't catch too many. Although the cow is hitched, it walks slowly. To be on the safe side, let's just catch two sheep. No more. It's hard to catch more..." Yan Yu seemed to be saying
When I persuade Fourth Uncle Qi, I am actually trying to persuade myself.
She told herself that she had to take a long-term view. This was the first time she came back, and from the looks of those Beirongs, they didn't seem to be planning to change places in the short term.
"It's all up to you." Qi Si said again: "Alive or dead?"
If you catch it alive, it will struggle, so you need to be more prepared.
If you die, you don't have to think so much, just do it and be done with it.
Yan Yu weighed it again and again.
Looking at the gray lumps approaching, he gritted his teeth and said, "Both ends are dead."
Qi Si raised his stick, waited for the sheep to get close, and knocked down two sheep with two bangs.
The other sheep dispersed in a hurry, but stupidly did not run far away. They gathered in one place, huddled one by one, and watched from a short distance away with glaring sheep eyes.
Silly sheep!
Yan Yu commented in his heart.
Qi Si tied up two sheep and placed them on the three treasures, one on the left and the other on the right.
Yan Yu glanced at the sheep with nostalgia, then looked at the cattle that were not too far away from them. He poured the remaining salt in the salt bag on the pile of rocks and spread it as high as possible.
"Uncle Qi, let's go!"
Yan Yu rode on the donkey, and Qi Si also raised his legs and sat on San Bao's back.
"Hold on, roll on the ground a few times and remove all our footprints."
Gou Zhi barked in a low voice.
Start rolling hard on the ground to eliminate traces.
Yan Yu looked at the sky and wondered how long the snow would last. She hoped it would last longer.
She pulled the rope, and the cow followed obediently.
The calf seemed to have not drunk enough, and grunted reluctantly.
Gou Zhu let out a threatening growl.
The little guy quickly let go, walked away from it quickly, and followed the cow closely.
As soon as they left, the sheep and cattle gathered around and kept licking the stones. They also tried their best to lick the ones that Yan Yu had scattered high, putting their front hooves on the stones and stretching their necks hard...
…
Yan Yu did not return from the original route, but chose the shortest way into the mountain.
Taking lamb on the road is a good idea.
Because the living cattle and sheep need to eat, and one cow is enough for them to work. If they add two more live sheep, my dear, they will have to serve them all the way.
A cow is much simpler. When they stop to rest, Yan Yu usually stays in place while Qi Si goes out to find firewood and fodder.
Every time at this time, Gou Zhu would go out hunting, and he would always catch some small animals, mostly rabbits. There were rabbit holes all over the grassland, and you could step on one accidentally...
Occasionally there are moles, also called ground crawlers.
This Yan Yu doesn't dare to eat, and won't let Uncle Qi eat it. It's all cheap and he can live with it. Anyway, everything that goes into his belly is for Grandma Rong to fertilize.
The dog is smart and quickly discovered Yan Yu's "picky eating".
Since then I have been catching rabbits.
Yan Yu cut down her rest time and walked for a day and a half, finally reaching the foot of the mountain.
She was relieved to be able to enter the mountain as soon as she saw it.
The grassland is vast and flat, and it is not easy to find a hiding place. It is far less safe than in the mountains.
…
Li Xuemei looked out the window from time to time, and would get distracted while talking. Madam Cui comforted her: "Don't worry too much, isn't Qi Si following? The Qi brothers are all trustworthy people, and the waiter himself is capable.
Maybe if you sleep tonight, when you open your eyes the next day, she will be back!"
Li Xuemei looked away and said: "This child can't stay at home anymore. I don't know what he will grow up to be in the future."
Mrs. Cui advised her again: "It's only in the past few years. When she gets older and her stature grows, she won't be able to run around like a brat."
Li Xuemei didn't say anything, thinking in her mind, "Is that possible?" Why did she feel that her daughter had gone wild?
"By the way, brothers and sisters, I'm afraid you don't know that the Luo family has taken a liking to the Hu family's little sister." Lady Cui gossiped.
When Li Xuemei got older, fewer people went out. Women from various families came to chat with her, but every family had a lot of work, and it was rare for women to come out to visit. Only Mrs. Cui and Mrs. Qi ran frequently.
The latter didn't trust her and would come to see her no matter how busy she was.
The former was a little busy when her parents' family settled in Xiao'an Village, and they came often after settling in.
There were big and small affairs in the village, and she couldn't hide the slightest disturbance.
"Hu Xiaomei?" Li Xuemei thought about her age and said, "She is younger than Da Ya, right?"
"They are the same age, and your eldest girl is two months older than my younger sister." Mrs. Cui has a good memory, and continued: "The Luo family has vision, and our village chief uncle is serious about business. As the old saying goes, marry a good girl.
My daughter-in-law has a good New Year, she has the least work in winter, and there will be no delay in getting married."
She spoke enthusiastically without Li Xuemei asking: "The Hu family lived in those days, and now they are also one of the most respected families in the village. Both brothers Hu Da and Hu Er have made a fortune, and they have built a strong family fortune. They built two yards at once, tsk tsk.
, I heard that Uncle Hu plans to divide the property without dividing the household, and that his two sons will live together. I also heard that Uncle Hu has prepared the dowry for my younger sister in advance. The Hu family loves the old girl, saying that the old couple saved a lot.
Woolen cloth."
Li Xuemei asked curiously: "Are you talking about big iron?"
Mrs. Cui nodded and said, "That's right, Datie is the eldest son and eldest grandson. He had not decided on it earlier. The Luo family also wanted to find someone with a good temper and who could take matters into his own hands.
The younger sister of the Hu family didn't show off before, but recently she seems to have quite some ideas. Her sister's family and her sister-in-law's natal family were all very restrained when they first arrived, so the younger sister took the children from those two families to start a fight together.
We had meals, worked together, and took them to Old Man Kang's place to listen to lessons on how to read and write. I heard that the younger sister knew a lot of words, and she was the best among those kids.
The children are settled, and the adults in this family are very hardworking. They not only help the Hu family build a house, but also go to the mountains to collect firewood. Your family has a great time collecting firewood and collecting money. If you really keep doing this, you can save a few dollars in one winter.
, wait until spring opens up the wasteland and plant it, then you won’t have to worry about it anymore.”
Mrs. Cui said with emotion: "Speaking of which, your business has really helped us a lot. Otherwise, we would have had no income this winter and would have been left empty handed. Our own family is fine, and my mother's family will be worried to death. Now there are so many
Okay, be more diligent, why don’t you make ten or twenty pennies a day..."
"Speaking of this, I still want to discuss something with you." Lady Cui said.
"What do you want to say?" Li Xuemei said.
Mrs. Cui: "Didn't your family and the Qi family buy the woodland from the south of the village to Dashiqiao together?"
Li Xuemei nodded. In Madam Cui's case, there are no secrets in the village.
"I just want to know how the land is divided between your two families. Whose family is on the side by the big stone bridge?" Lady Cui asked.