CHAPTER 109: PREPARATION WORK FOR 109

Yuanyuan finished her meal with one cornbread and more than half a bowl of sauerkraut.

Tan Shaoting had a big appetite, eating five cornbreads and one and a half bowls of sauerkraut. He also drank two bowls of soup.

He did not insist on paying, knowing that this girl was simply returning a favor.

After eating their fill, they hurriedly left. In the afternoon, the northwest wind picked up, and the cold was bone-chilling.

Because they had bought too many things, Yuanyuan was embarrassed to take a ride and worried that the little donkey might be strained.

Facing the wind, they walked without speaking, heads down, heading home.

Finally home, the warmth inside was evident compared to the chill outside, at least there was no wind.

"Mr. Tan, you should go start the fire. Come over here for dinner; I brought dried radish shreds. Let’s make dumplings."

Tan Shaoting nodded with a smile, "That sounds great. It’s been so long since I’ve had dumplings."

After Tan Shaoting left, Yuanyuan began to stoke the fire, boil water to unfreeze the well pump, and clean ten buckets and two large vats.

They didn’t leave the water vat outside because it might freeze and crack, so they put the ten buckets in the west room.

The sheep were fed soybean meal and cornmeal, and even some winter melon, urging them to eat quickly.

She filled the thermos with hot water, then started kneading dough and soaking the radish shreds.

Today was the perfect day to render lard from the fat they had on hand, making it known to others.

Despite the cold, the temperature in the main room was manageable due to the fire and steam from boiling water. She contemplated getting a tin stove to heat the room better.

She planned to inquire if there was any coal for sale nearby. It would certainly warm the room.

Two hours later, Yuanyuan sat near the stove wrapping dumplings. She brought out the cutting board, rolling pin, and steamer tray for convenience.

Thank heavens she bought a bed table this time; otherwise, it would have been troublesome.

Knowing Tan Shaoting had a large appetite, she kneaded extra dough.

First, she rendered the lard; the aroma was rich, and she ended up with a full enamel basin. She saved the cracklings for dumplings and put the rest in the basin.

To be thrifty, she also stir-fried the radish shreds, and the vermicelli was soaked in boiling water, everything prepared gradually.

When Tan Shaoting arrived, Yuanyuan had already started wrapping dumplings.

"Yuanyuan, you’re quite swift!"

"It’s just a habit. You can sit by the stove and help with the fire."

Before Tan Shaoting arrived, the water in the ten buckets outside had already frozen, so she stored the ice away.

"Mr. Tan, could you fill the buckets with water and leave them outside?"

"What do you need the ice for?"

"It’s for adding to the pot."

Tan Shaoting said no more, following her instructions and began stoking the fire and filling the buckets with water.

Once the water boiled, Yuanyuan had already wrapped two trays of dumplings.

Meanwhile, Tan Shaoting had peeled the garlic, and Yuanyuan directed him to mash it with a pestle.

She cooked the dumplings and decided to make both trays. After all, if you invite someone for a meal, you shouldn’t be stingy and ensure they eat until they’re full.

The dumplings were served with mashed garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and some of the freshly made chili oil, allowing them to eat warmly atop the heated bed.

It had been such a long time since Tan Shaoting tasted such a delicious meal.

He found himself unable to stop after the first bite.

Yuanyuan stopped after eating twenty dumplings in two bowls, sitting aside and sipping dumpling soup.

She thought to herself, this Tan Shaoting truly has a big appetite; he could keep going without pause, finishing everything rapidly.

Despite his tall and slim appearance, he could surely eat a lot.

"Are you full?"

Tan Shaoting nodded while drinking soup, smiling "I’m full, but I could still eat two more bowls. It was so tasty; I forgot the flavor of dumplings."

"Little girl, why don’t I live here with you from now on?"

Yuanyuan immediately shook her head. Was he joking? With so many of her secrets, how could she live with someone else?

"Sorry, I’m used to being alone."

Refusing directly was the best course. It would save future trouble, no need to use excuses like being a lone man and woman alone, which really didn’t fit the situation. Simply saying she preferred being alone sufficed.

Tan Shaoting wasn’t too disappointed; he expected she’d refuse.

"Well then, call me whenever you have something delicious. Of course, if I come across anything good, I’ll bring it over for you."

Though Yuanyuan didn’t like it, she nodded. She’d go with her mood.

After eating, Tan Shaoting proactively helped with the chores, showing that having someone like him as a partner wasn’t so bad.

Once everything was cleaned up, Tan Shaoting got ready and left.

Yuanyuan noticed that the water outside had frozen again, so she collected it and filled ten buckets with water once more.

The water in the big vats in the west room had also frozen. Yuanyuan tested it, and they could also be placed in the space, which she filled with water again.

Take advantage of having water now and save as much as possible. You never know when it might come in handy; droughts don’t last a single year, and rather than let water evaporate, it’s better to store it away.

When fetching water becomes a struggle, that would be troublesome.

Yuanyuan thought about asking someone to deepen the well in summer but hoped they wouldn’t run out of drinkable water.

After dealing with all that, she locked up and entered the space. It was comfortable here. The next day, she repeated these chores. In the afternoon, the strong wind resumed, which was perfect. She took matches and a stick outside. The wild grass and cornstalks in the field were plentiful. Enough firewood was close to the house, so it was best to burn the wild grass now to eradicate the seeds. That way, there would be less wild grass next summer.

At home, Tan Shaoting noticed the fire and quickly ran over, understanding it was a controlled burn. His land was already cleared last year.

With Tan Shaoting’s help and the strong wind, they managed to finish the controlled burn over the hundred acres by nightfall.

The left side of the field was already cleared by others, and the right side belonged to Tan Shaoting, which was free of wild grass as well, so no need to worry about the fire spreading to others’ land.

Only then did Yuanyuan notice that across from them was a large deep pit; she had no idea how deep it was, but it seemed like a reservoir, likely not shallow given the thick ice.

"Mr. Tan, do you know how deep this water is?"

"Quite deep, but I’m not sure."

This was perfect; they could plant sweet potatoes and potatoes here later, as the water access would be convenient.

"Is the edge of your land also a water pit?"

Tan Shaoting shook his head, "No, it’s just wasteland full of stones. There’s no need to reclaim that side, it’s not worth it."

"I plan to build a house here in the future, because water access will be convenient."

Tan Shaoting simply smiled, thinking the young girl hadn’t realized the exhaustion that waited for her; by then, she might not even have the energy for meals, let alone the spirit for building a house.

Walking side by side, Yuanyuan asked Tan Shaoting, "I’m cooking porridge tonight. Would you like to join?"