Chapter 720: Fleeing Famine 25
"Grandma, I swept the floor today." Geng Xiaowen stepped forward, eagerly seeking praise.
"Grandma, I helped elder sister with the laundry." Geng Xiaozen also stepped forward, leaning on Yuan Chun’s leg.
Geng Xiaoling complained, "Grandma, all the water in the cistern has been used up by elder sister and second sister for laundry. Brother wanted to go fetch water but I stopped him. I was afraid he couldn’t carry a bucket and would fall into the well."
"I won’t fall into the well! I’m very strong," Geng Xiaowu argued, blushing.
Yuan Chun patted her eldest grandson’s head and said, "Xiao Wu, you’re still young. Fetching water is hard work and you can’t handle it. Let’s leave it to your second uncle. At home, you can help sweep the floor, feed the chickens, and cook. When the grass grows on the mountain, you can take your sisters and brothers to dig wild vegetables and cut pigweed to earn work points."
Geng Xiaowu sensibly nodded, "Grandma, I’ll work hard to learn cooking. I’ll definitely make it tasty."
"Good, then tonight, let your second aunt cook dried gourd strips with potatoes, and you can watch and learn."
"Grandma, I want to learn too. I’ll cook with brother in the future," said Geng Xiaoyu.
When the second aunt cooked before, she always helped with lighting the fire, washing vegetables, and rinsing rice. She really liked these chores, always feeling that cooking a good meal was something to be proud of.
Since her granddaughter wanted to learn, Yuan Chun certainly wouldn’t stop her.
After the meal, Geng Xiaoyu and Geng Xiaowu voluntarily went to wash the dishes, while Dalin fetched water several times with the wooden buckets to fill the big water tank at home.
After the midday rest, Yuan Chun and her son and daughter-in-law finished the remaining work in the field.
In the evening, when Sun Chunfeng was cooking, Geng Xiaowu and Geng Xiaoyu stood by watching and learning, and Sun Chunfeng seriously taught them how much water and salt to add...
The next day at noon, when Yuan Chun and the three adults returned home from work, they had pumpkin soup with rice cooked by Geng Xiaoyu.
The pumpkin was something Yuan Chun had quietly brought back from a trip last night.
She brought back two baskets full of pumpkins and winter melons, about a dozen of various sizes.
Dalin and Sun Chunfeng were surprised, but under the cold glance of Yuan Chun, neither dared to ask.
Even if asked, Yuan Chun had nothing to say.
She couldn’t possibly say that these were vegetables from her space, and she got tired of eating rice porridge with pickles or stewed dry vegetable noodles every day, wanting something different.
However, Yuan Chun didn’t dare to bring out fresh vegetables.
If she brought them out, it would clearly be a problem.
After much thought, she could only take out some long-lasting pumpkins and winter melons. These could be stored for months without spoiling.
So, for the past few days, the Geng family had been eating pumpkin soup and winter melon soup with rice.
After two days, Yuan Chun got tired of it. That night, she quietly left with another basketful.
A few hours later, when Yuan Chun returned, the two baskets were filled with potatoes, radishes, sweet potatoes, and soybeans.
As soon as she brought back the soybeans, Yuan Chun soaked five pounds to make bean sprouts.
"Mom, where did you get all these things?" That night, Dalin finally couldn’t resist asking secretly.
Yuan Chun first looked around to make sure everyone was asleep, then she sighed dramatically and lowered her voice, "You know, Dalin, I was your father’s child bride, right?"
"I know, Grandpa and Grandfather were sworn brothers, and Grandfather liked you, so Grandpa gave you to Dad as a child bride." This was well known in the Geng family.
Yuan Chun continued, "Your grandfather was a dart master in his younger days, skilled in martial arts, but he offended someone important and had to hide away in this poor, remote place."