Yao Xiaoqing and Taro Zi arrived at the taro field. Crystal clear raindrops swayed on the taro leaves. A gust of wind blew and the raindrops fell like broken pearls.
Yao Xiaoqing directed the taro plants to pick up the taro stalks that were growing well and cut off the outer few taro stalks. Looking down, one could see that around each taro plant, many taro stalks had emerged from the soil.
The taro that Shan Amu and the others found should be of the same variety as the taro of later generations. In the fields that were opened up, taro was planted the most. The taro that they got back was selected and planted in four or five acres.
Ah Chong and Ah Shui followed the planting methods taught by Yao Xiaoqing. They took care of it and fertilized it when they had time. There was not even a weed in the ground.
It didn't take long for the group of people to fill up the backpacks they brought. Yao Xiaoqing went to the vegetable field and pumpkin patch again and found no water accumulation, so he led a few people back with the baskets on their backs.
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Yao Xiaoqing returned to the mountain and saw that Shan Amu and the others had washed the fish and vegetables and hung them on the fence to dry.
Shan Amu said to Yao Xiaoqing: "Xiaoqing, it's sunny. Let's go out and take a look. We brought some sweet potatoes. We won't come back for lunch."
Yao Xiaoqing nodded, "Okay! There must be a flood. You should be careful when going to the river."
"Hey!" Several people left with their backpacks on their backs, including Yaya and Asen.
Hua looked at the taro stalks piled on the ground and knew that Yao Xiaoqing was going to make something new to eat.
"Xiao Qing, how do you make taro sticks?"
Yao Xiaoqing took a wooden stool and sat down, "I'll teach you."
The two men removed the head and tail of the taro stems, tore off the outer fiber layer, washed them, divided them into small halves, and strung them up with thin rattan sticks to dry.
Put everything else into boiling water and cook for a few seconds. Take out the blanched taro stems, wash them in clean water, and soak them for an hour.
Pick it up and drain it, and the taro stalk will become soft and soft. Then hang it on a bamboo pole to dry, dry it and store it. If you want to eat it, take it out and soak it in warm water, then you can stir-fry kimchi and eat it.
Dry the taro stalks until they are semi-dry, cut them into small pieces, put them in a jar, put a layer of taro stalks, add a layer of salt, and thicken them layer by layer.
After installing the taro stems, I found a clean stone and pressed it on the taro stems. Leave it for a few days and then you can eat it.
The two of them worked in the yard for a long time before finishing all the taro stalks.
Hua smiled and said to her, "Xiaoqing, I see you are making two ways to eat it. What does it taste like?"
"What's in the jar is pickled sour taro stalks, and what's cooked and dried is dried vegetables," Yao Xiaoqing replied.
"There are so many taro stalks down there, we have picked them all and made them into dried vegetables and pickled vegetables. We can eat them for a long time."
"Yeah! I made them all, and there are indeed quite a few." After taking some time off, he found that his hands were itching, and Yao Xiaoqing said to Hua, "Follow me."
The two of them walked to the earthen stove. Yao Xiaoqing took down the jar on the stove, stretched out his hand, and roasted it on the fire for a while, and his hand stopped itching.
Hua touched her dried hands and laughed, "Xiaoqing, you have so many ways."
Yao Xiaoqing smiled and thought: It’s not that I have many options, this is people’s experience summed up in life.
"From now on, when you wash taro, tell Shan Amu and the others how to do it."
Hua nodded and looked at the sky, "Xiaoqing, it's time to make lunch."
"Okay, Uncle Niu said he wants to eat fish balls, so let's just cook a fish ball, cook a pot of fish intestines, and cook some sweet potatoes."
Yao Xiaoqing poured some water, salt, wild egg whites, wild garlic paste, and Poria cocos powder into the fish paste, took two pairs of bamboo chopsticks, and He Hua pressed a pottery pot, and vigorously stirred the fish in one direction.
Puree until the fish meat is al dente.
"Xiaoqing, you go cook the fish intestines, and I'll squeeze the fish balls."
"Okay, I'll stew some more bone soup and cook the fish balls later."
Hua brought the pottery pot to the stove, grabbed a ball of meat paste with her left hand, squeezed it with her fist, and squeezed out a small fish ball from the tiger's mouth. She caught it with a wooden spoon in her right hand and put it into the pottery pot filled with water.
Soak for a while and then cook.
Yao Xiaoqing cut the fish intestines and liver into short sections, grabbed some salt, put it in and kneaded it for a while, cleaned it, chopped some wild garlic, cut a handful of garlic sprouts, and brought it to the stove. Standing in front of the stove,
While frying the fish intestines, I sighed: Such a fat fish intestines would taste just right if stir-fried with pickled ginger, pickled peppers and pickles.
Wait until all the fish balls are squeezed out and the bone soup is ready.
Yao Xiaoqing added two thick firewood sticks to the stove. Hua used a colander made of thin bamboo strips to pick up the fish balls and put them into the bone soup. When all the fish balls in the jar floated, Yao Xiaoqing removed them from the stove.
I took out a stick of firewood, cooked it for a while, added some garlic sprouts, and poured it into a vegetable basin.
After taking out the cooked potatoes from the jar and putting them on the table, the workers came back one after another.
Yao Hu said to Yao Xiaoqing: "Xiao Qing, in the afternoon we will build the kang bed in that house that was the first to be repaired. It will be ready for use when Dashi and the others come back to find some stone slabs and lay them."
Yao Xiaoqing nodded, "I'm sleeping hard. When we come back from cutting some cattails, we can make some mats. When you come back, we can move them down."
Yao Hu nodded, "That's fine."
Xiong Niu drooled when he saw the fish balls in the vegetable basin, "I like to eat fish balls the most, but it's a pity that I have to go to Qiu Shan, and I won't be able to eat delicious food on the way."
After hearing this, Yao Xiaoqing smiled and said: "Uncle Niu, I will bake you some pancakes, cook some bacon and salted eggs tomorrow morning, and you can take them with you on the way."
Ah Chun looked at him and laughed, "Xiongniu, how old are you! You are even greedier than Yaya and Asen."
When Ah Chong and Gen came back from the river, they came back carrying some fish and river shrimps.
At night, everyone prepared the baskets, backpacks and straw sandals that they would take to Qiushan, and set out for Qiushan early tomorrow morning.
Yaohu said to Dashi and others: "I'm not in the tribe. If you have anything to do, just discuss it with Xiaoqing. Whatever she says, do it!"
"It's the leader," everyone responded in unison.
Yao Xiaoqing said to Yao Hu: "Father, don't worry, I will take good care of the tribe."
Yao Hu rubbed her head and said, "Father knows that my Xiaoqing is the most capable."
Muba took two pieces of Poria cakes and gave them to the two of them. Muya looked at him and said: "I heard they said they cooked fish balls, I..."
Muba choked and said, "I'm not that thick-skinned." After saying that, he turned around and walked out.
The next day, before dawn, several old ladies got up and prepared food. They baked some poria cakes, boiled some duck eggs and salted duck eggs, as well as bacon and dried meat.
Gradually a ray of dawn came from the east, the birds in the forest were chirping on the branches, and the sky gradually became brighter. Everyone got up.
Shan'amu brought the food to the table, and everyone ate the food. Yao Xiaoqing gave the snake medicine and gold-creating medicine to Mufeng and asked him to pack them. Shan'amu gave the basket of food to Mufeng and Xiongniu.
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Muba walked out of the cave with Muya and Da'amu. The two of them followed Muba silently with their heads lowered.