novelaction Chapter 1026 Making Dry Biscuits
Chapter 1026 Making Dry Biscuits
When Sun Yue ran out, Lu Qingqing and Qin Lang had already led the horses into the shed.
However, the shed also had several leaks.
As soon as Xiaobai went inside, he got soaked by the rain and snorted unhappily.
Seeing that the two ignored him, he began to dig in the dirt with his hooves.
They say they're digging up soil, but they're actually digging up mud and water.
Lu Qingqing got mud all over her pants from the mud it shoveled, so she had to go over and calm the little rascal down first.
After finding it a good spot and watching it start eating, I began to wander around the shed.
After looking at the entire shed, we finally decided to climb up in a horse-drawn carriage and then put a piece of tarpaulin on top of the shed.
This is the fastest way to keep out the rain.
The two men covered up the shed and then fed and watered the horses.
Only after watching them eat did I go inside.
When they returned to the house, Sun Yue had already cleaned it.
Right now, she and Old Man Zhuang are sitting by the stove cooking.
After several days of rain, we've had enough of the congee we were so lucky to have a few days ago.
Taking advantage of the rare opportunity to be indoors, Sun Yue kneaded extra dough to prepare for making pancakes.
It's unclear how long it will be before we encounter another village.
She needed to take advantage of this convenient time to prepare several days' worth of dry food and store it away.
After Lu Qingqing and the other person entered the house, they took off their raincoats and went to check on Old Man Zhuang's wounds.
Only after confirming that there was no cracking or bleeding did I wash my hands and go to help make pancakes.
At this time, besides the stove, there was a large pot of pancakes being made in the house.
A bonfire was lit in the open space in the middle of the house.
Their tents were placed beside the campfire.
The fire in the middle of the room not only warmed the tents but also dried out the surrounding ground.
After they finish their work in the evening and clean up the ashes, they can sleep in this dried-out spot.
This method was originally used for keeping warm in winter, but now it's being used to remove dampness.
Inside the house, raindrops pattered on the floor and into the bucket, making a crisp, brief sound.
Lu Qingqing and the others spoke in hushed tones, creating a rare moment of peace and tranquility.
At this time, many families in the group were busy preparing dry rations.
Ruyue and several other women from the East Courtyard tidied up a separate west wing room in the house they had chosen.
After lighting a fire in the middle of the house, Ruyue called two other people out of the house and went to the woodshed, which was leaking even more badly.
They carefully avoided the leak and lifted the tarpaulin off the vehicle.
He took out the two bags of grain that had been soaked in water, wrapped one bag in a smaller piece of oilcloth, and carried it into the house.
Then, they did the same thing again, moving the other bag into the house.
When they opened the bag and smelled the musty odor, they all felt a pang of heartache.
In fact, they had dried the two bags of grain in a stove the night they were watered.
Although they were dried at the time, the group was still a little uneasy.
These days, every night when I stop, I have to take it out and bake it again.
Even so, there was still some mold and clumps at the bottom of the bag.
They couldn't bear to throw away the whole bag of grain, so they took it out and roasted it every night.
While you're at it, check and discard any that are moldy or lumpy.
Tonight, with a rare opportunity, Ruyue called a few people to set up the large pot.
Pour the grain into the pot, stir-fry until it gets hot, and then take it out.
After frying both bags of grain, they took out several large basins to prepare dough for making pancakes.
Xu Erniu watched her pour out the whole bag and said with some concern:
"Sister Ruyue, in this weather, if we make them all into pancakes, they probably won't last long."
Kisaragi sighed.
"But given the current situation, even if we don't make them into pancakes, they won't last long."
Look at all that moldy, clump-like grain that we throw away every day; it breaks my heart to see it.
Today I asked Qingqing about a way to make dry biscuits.
She said that baking the cakes that way produces dry and hard bread, but if you reheat them over a fire every day, they can be preserved for a while!
Hearing this, Xu Erniu became curious and went up to ask how it was done.
After explaining the method, Ruyue looked at Xu Erniu's already somewhat swollen belly and instructed her:
"Erniu, your belly is likely to get bigger and bigger in the future."
It's raining again now, so be careful when you go out. Try to bring a friend with you.
By the way, Qingqing told me not to eat these moldy grains, as they are bad for my health.
Now that you're pregnant, you shouldn't eat these cakes made from inferior grains.
I'll make some dough for you separately later and make some softer pancakes!
Just as Xu Erniu was about to refuse, Ruyue raised her hand to stop her.
“Erniu, listen to me. The child in your belly is Chen Lao Er’s posthumous child.”
Chen Lao Er is a rare good man. He treats you sincerely, and we sisters are grateful to him.
Now, this is all the bloodline that remains of him.
You can never be too careful!
Upon hearing this, Xu Erniu stopped insisting on eating the moldy dry rations.
Listening to the dripping water inside the house and gazing at the pitch-black night outside, she thought of Chen Lao Er.
Memories of their past interactions flashed through her mind.
Looking back on those days now, I feel a warmth in my heart.
She touched her slightly protruding belly, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
She will do everything in her power to protect the child who carries their bloodline!
That night, everyone in the team slept soundly in the leaky house, accompanied by the sound of raindrops.
When they set off again the next day, the team's previously listless atmosphere had completely changed.
When they set off again, the team traveled much faster.
A few days later, the team arrived at another important node on the map: Yingjiang!
Reaching this point marked that they had traveled two-thirds of the way to the eastern dock.
However, despite this being a joyous occasion, the people in the group were anything but happy.
Lu Qingqing looked at the river water that was almost overflowing the bank, her heart pounding.
She had a bad feeling!
The previous times I experienced this emotion, nothing went wrong.
Feeling that emotion again, her breathing became rapid.
Looking at the surging river and the rain still falling from the sky, the answer was already on the tip of my tongue.
The floodwaters breached the dikes!
She dared not imagine what the surrounding area would be like if such a wide river were to breach its banks.
What will happen to the people downstream?
Will this speculation actually come true?
What should they do then?
Should we continue forward, or turn back and hide in the higher western area?
If we continue forward, what should we do if the dam breaks halfway through?
Thoughts popped into Lu Qingqing's mind, only to be quickly suppressed by new ones.
Qin Lang noticed the change in her mood, and stepped forward with his umbrella to put his arm around her shoulder.