big sister headed home

Chapter 69

It is the golden autumn season of harvest. Besides the crops in the field are harvested, the green hills full of treasures are also full of fruits. The people nearby are busy with the work in the field. The hunters in the village take the lead. The big guys go together together. Mountains, picking all kinds of wild fruits on the trees, mostly wild walnuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, and berries. People like the nuts the most.

These wild nuts can be sold for money, 'people in the city like it', which is also a benefit for people living close to the mountains.

Once the crops in the field are harvested, most people will sow wheat seeds and plant winter wheat. After that, the farm work in the field will come to an end, and there will be no work in the field until the spring of next year.

As soon as the work in the field was finished, people from several villages near the mountain began to gather together, carrying bamboo baskets on their backs, and walked into the mountain beating all the way.

There are many people driving the mountain, and the sound of beating and knocking is quite loud. The wild beasts in the mountain will be afraid when they hear the sound, and they will hide in the deep mountains and old forests. People also take advantage of this time to collect various fruits on the mountain. Beasts have entered the deep mountains and old forests, people should also pay attention, be vigilant, it is best not to be alone, there are always cunning beasts staring at some people who are alone.

There are also incidents of wild beasts attacking people when driving the mountains every year. Most of the people who are killed and bitten are those who are left alone because of greed.Although mountain climbing is risky, it still can’t stop people’s enthusiasm for mountain climbing. No one’s life is too rich these days, but anyone who can make life easier, even if it’s hard work and some risks, people are still willing to pay, who doesn’t want to live It's a good day.

Dou Sishan is also considered a hunter. During the slack season, he would go hunting in the mountains with a few brothers from the village to supplement his family's income.At this time, when he drove to the mountain, he took the original brothers and a group of villagers into the mountain.

Dou Hua is also very curious about the activity of driving mountains. Although there is no shortage of such things at home to exchange for money, it is not bad to pick some fruits and eat them at home. Thinking of this, she brought Dou Qing who was also interested, and carried Bamboo basket followed the crowd into the mountain.

Before entering the mountain, as in previous years, the elderly person in charge told everyone as usual, "Everyone follow closely, don't leave alone, there are plenty of fruits in the mountain, this time it is too little, next time there will be more Well, don’t put your life on the line just to get a few more fruits, no matter how valuable the fruit is, it’s not as valuable as your life, and if you lose your life, you’ll lose everything, everyone remember it?”

Everyone responded in unison, "Remember it."

"Let's go, enter the mountain." With an order, everyone filed up along the mountain road.

It is said that it is a mountain road, but it is actually just a place where people usually walk more, and the grass grows less. Basically, there are no roads to speak of. In this case, those who walk in front will be more tired, and they have to wave in front Open the road with a hatchet, and cut off the shrubs and branches that hinder the road while walking, so that it will be more convenient for the people behind to walk.

There are two people who open the way ahead, and they will change two people every once in a while, otherwise, it will be too much to go up the mountain all the way.

Dou Hua and Dou Qing walked among the crowd, each carrying a big bamboo basket, and they also brought cloth bundles to pack more things. Dou Hua came here with a bow and arrow as usual, with a hatchet pinned to her waist and a bag in her hand. They used a grass stick to beat the grass from time to time. There were about twenty people who came here this time. Such a big commotion had already scared away those insects and ants.

Because there is also the habit of driving to the mountains in previous years, the villagers basically know the general distribution of fruit trees, and they only need to go directly to those places.

Soon they came to a walnut forest. Dou Hua looked up and saw a lot of green fruits hanging on the tall walnut trees. These were unpeeled walnuts.

The people who came were very happy, so they had quick legs and feet, like a spirit monkey, and climbed up the tree three times and two times. Fruit crackling on the branches.

The fruit of the walnut is the size of an egg, and the walnut with the skin on is quite heavy. When it falls to the ground, it makes a crackling sound. At this time, no one is standing under the tree and waiting to be smashed. They are all waiting for the people on the tree to smash the fruit. Pick it up when it falls on the ground.

The rules of picking up fruit from the mountain, whoever climbs the tree to get fruit, his bamboo basket must be filled first, this is also a thank you to the person who harvested fruit, everyone abides by the rules, one person picks up A few fruits quickly filled the bamboo baskets of the fruit smashers, and then people quickly picked up the fruits and put them into their own baskets.

Everyone bowed their heads to pick up the fruits, and no one would fight for anything. There are plenty of fruits on the mountain at the moment, and those who come last will return with a full load.

Dou Hua and Dou Qing lowered their heads and picked up the fruits into the basket from time to time. While picking up the fruits, Dou Hua also paid attention to the movement around them. Although they didn't meet any wild animals along the way, they should pay more attention.

In less than half a day, all the walnut groves in this area were picked, and the bamboo baskets behind everyone were full, and those who had picked up a lot brought a lot of burdens.

Dou Hua and Dou Lin each picked up a bamboo basket of fruit, and the two cloth bundles they brought were also full. Dou Hua also dug a few medicinal herbs they encountered, bundled them into small handfuls, and put them on the top of the bamboo basket.

Seeing that it was getting late and the people were not greedy, they hurried down the mountain with bamboo baskets on their backs. The place they came from was not too far away, so it was easier to go down the mountain. When going up the mountain, it took more than half the time.

Finally, before dark, the people who went out returned to Doujia Village safely, so that the anxious family members in the village were relieved.

"Big Sister, Big Brother, you're back~" Dou Lin and Dou Hong stood at the entrance of the village with most of the children in the village, waiting eagerly. When they saw their adults come back, they all cheered and ran over.

"I'm back." Dou Hua replied, and wiped the sweat off her head. She has enough physical strength to carry the hundreds of catties of walnuts on her back, and walked the mountain road for more than an hour. Dou Qing, who was following behind her, was also tired and out of breath.

Dou Qing was a sensible child, and kept silent. Dou Hua also knew that he must be exhausted, and his shoulders were probably swollen, because she had already felt the burning pain in her shoulders.

In fact, it's not just the shoulders of the two of them who are swollen. The people who drove the mountain this time are basically like that. This is what they have to experience every year when they drive the mountain. Farmers don't care about this. Just get used to it once.

Fortunately, Dou Hua had picked some medicinal herbs before, these herbs were going to reduce swelling and stop bleeding, and he gave two to Dou Sishan, but he waved them away, saying that it didn't matter what he said to put on the medicine, and he would go up the mountain the next day. It will be like this.

"Big sister, big brother, let's go home quickly, the second sister has already cooked and is waiting for you to eat." Dou Lin said.

When Dou Hua entered the house, she put down the bamboo basket on her back, turned around and went to help Dou Qing put down the bamboo basket, and said distressedly, "Qing'er, is your shoulder swollen? It hurts. Give you some medicine."

"Hiss~" As soon as the bamboo basket left the shoulder, the burning pain was even more obvious. Dou Qing couldn't help but let out a cry of pain, and said, "It's okay, big sister, it doesn't hurt that much, just a little pain."

Dou Hua sighed, and said, "Today we picked two baskets of walnuts, which are enough for your winter snacks. Don't go up the mountain tomorrow, our family is not short of this money."

Dou Qing stubbornly shook her head, "No, big sister, I have to go tomorrow. I'm not a child anymore. I have a lot of strength. If others can go, so can I."

"But your shoulder is swollen, doesn't it hurt?" Dou Hua said.

"It's nothing for a man to be in pain. The eldest sister and the girls don't complain, and I can't complain." Dou Qing said.

Dou Hua looked at Dou Qing's persistent face, and finally nodded, "Okay, if you want to go, I will go with you too."

Looking at her younger brother who was only half a head shorter than herself, Dou Hua felt quite deeply.

In the past six months, the conditions of the family have been getting better and better. Not only do they have extra money in their hands, but the food in the grain urn is full, and the food in the family has changed from coarse grains to fine flour. The nutrition of the few little ones kept up, the little face was not as sallow as it was in spring, it became flushed, and the thin body also gained some flesh. Dou Qing was still very thin, but he grew up very quickly. After half a year, He jumped up half his head and grew into a half-grown young man, only half a head shorter than Dou Hua.

Dou Hua believes that in a short time, Dou Qing will definitely grow taller and surpass him. Now Dou Hua already has the feeling of having a younger brother at home.

Recently, Dou Qing's voice has changed, and his voice is not very comfortable. He doesn't talk much at ordinary times, but he keeps his head down on his work. He doesn't need to tell him to do all kinds of chores at home.It is precisely because of the help of his younger brother Dou Qing that Dou Hua feels much more relaxed.

"Big sister, big brother, come and wash your hands, I've prepared water for you." Dou Cui said, having already filled two basins of water, knowing that Dou Hua likes to be clean, she also put a piece of saponin ointment beside her.

Dou Huadu Dou Qing washes his hands and face, Dou Cui has already put the food on the table, freshly steamed steamed buns, a big pot of garlic and tomato puree, a big bowl of steamed egg custard.

After going out for a day, Dou Hua and the others were really hungry, so they picked up steamed buns and ate them.

After eating, Dou Hua took two medicinal herbs, smashed them, and applied some to herself and Dou Qing, the pain was finally less.

Lighting a small oil lamp, the family sat in the kitchen and peeled the walnut skins. The walnut skins had to be peeled while they were green, otherwise it would be difficult to peel the walnuts in the future.

Dou Hua and her brother picked up a lot of walnuts, peeled them, and piled them into a huge pile. The walnuts are fresh at this moment, and they can be eaten after breaking open.

Dou Hua and the others smashed a dozen or so and ate delicious walnuts. At this moment, Dou Hua felt that the hard work was not in vain.

After processing the walnuts, the family went back to their rooms and went to sleep, and they had to get up and go up the mountain the next day.

For several days in a row, Dou Hua's sister and brother would go to the mountains with the villagers. The fruit trees on the hills near the village were all picked, and some bold people wanted to go to some places deep in the mountains. When they got older, everyone knew that those wild beasts entered the deep mountains, and when they entered the territory of wild beasts, conflicts would inevitably occur.And some people still go into the mountains thinking that they can get more fruits before the frost.

Dou Hua's siblings didn't join in the fun. His family already had a lot of fruit, and besides eating it for themselves, they could also sell some of it. Dou Hua didn't want to risk her life by joining in the fun. He was also persuaded, so he didn't follow.

Seeing that the weather is turning cold day by day, there is still a lot of work to be done at home, and there is no adult at home, so Dou Hua can only take care of the house now.

Mrs. Li couldn't let go of the noodle restaurant in the county town. She went to the county town to open it these few days, but the business is far from as good as in Xia Tian, ​​but she can still earn dozens of dollars a day.

When the weather was cold, it was no longer possible to sell cold noodles, but to sell hot noodles in soup. Dou Hua told Li Shi to buy pork bones and make soup with chicken, so that the soup was delicious and people loved it.

Dou Hua thought about finishing the work at home first, and then going to the noodle restaurant. After all, there was a lot of work at home. There were so many poultry and livestock at home, and she had to take care of them.

First of all, we need to solve the food problem of these poultry and livestock. Rabbits, sheep and Xiao Huizi all eat grass, and there is no grass to feed them in winter. We need to pluck some grass in advance to dry and save it for feeding them in winter.

Dou Hua and the others usually harvest more grass to save, but now they have piled up two haystacks. Peanut seedlings and sweet potato vines are also their favorites. They were drying in the sun before, and now they have to pile them up.

When it was time to harvest the cabbage and radishes in the field, Dou Hua had planned a long time ago. Some of the harvested radishes and cabbages were pickled, and the rest were put into the cellar to eat slowly.

Because she opened a noodle restaurant this year, Dou Hua planted a lot of radishes and cabbages, some of which were prepared for the noodle restaurant.

(End of this chapter)