books44 Chapter 265 Going Out
Chapter 265 Going Out
Don't throw away the broth left over from hot pot; it's a wonderful broth that combines the flavors of all kinds of meat and vegetables.
On the first day, we ate hot pot; on the second day, we used leftovers to cook rice; and on the third day, we used the hot pot broth to cook noodles.
One hot pot meal can last three days, and not a single drop can be wasted!
So the two sisters steamed some dry rice the next morning, then cooked various vegetables in hot pot broth to make a big pot of mixed stew, and ate a delicious meal.
After lunch, the sun came out, and its warm rays reflected off the snow-covered ground, creating a dazzling display of colorful light.
The snowflakes falling from the sky stopped not long after they finished their hotpot the day before, but the snow covering the entire Youxian Mountain showed no signs of melting. From any angle, it resembled a cold, vast, and solemn snow-capped mountain.
However, although the snow had not melted and the roads outside were difficult to walk on, it still could not stop Lin Lanshan's determination to cut bamboo if she wanted to eat pea shoots.
Not only could it not be stopped, but it also kept Lin Chunyi, the older sister, from resting.
Lin Chunyi sat on the stool, looking at the things on the ground, and asked her sister, "Are you sure you really want to go? The snow outside is knee-deep and it's not easy to walk in. Is it really necessary?"
"I'm going! I'm definitely going!" Lin Lanshan was also sitting on a stool, tying something with her head down. She replied without even looking up.
"May I offer a suggestion?"
"Okay, go ahead and say it." She nodded, then replied seriously, "Although I won't agree."
"..." Lin Chunyi choked for a moment, but still asked, "You can go cut bamboo, I agree wholeheartedly. But can you please not take me with you?"
I don't really crave pea shoots, at least not that much, I don't feel the need to eat them anytime soon. More than eating, she wants to snuggle in her warm bed and sleep.
Sometimes she wonders if she was some kind of hibernating animal in her past life, because she gets especially lazy when it's cold in winter, doesn't like to do anything, and has little interest in doing anything.
"I'm all dressed. You should put your shoes on too, sis, so we can leave earlier and come back earlier."
"..." Well, I thought she just wouldn't agree, but it turns out she didn't even intend to reply.
Lin Chunyi resignedly stuffed her feet into the heavy deerskin boots, wrapped the top of her pants with strips of cloth around and around and tied them tightly to prevent snowballs from falling into the boots.
Then, carrying a bamboo harpoon on one shoulder, he followed his sister out of the inner courtyard and opened the outer courtyard gate.
The valley has four distinct seasons: summer and autumn bring a change of green and yellow, while winter and spring offer a transition between white and green.
At this time of winter, after a heavy snowfall, the valley is a scene of pristine white.
From the uneven, potholed cobblestone road in front of us, to the light green grass nearby, and then to the rows of tall trees in the distance, everything is wrapped in the special coat of winter.
As far as the eye can see, everything is covered in white snow, a silver-white world.
Lin Lanshan looked at the beautiful snow scene before her, a scene she couldn't quite describe, and couldn't help but take a deep breath of the icy air that stung her skin, then rubbed her cold nose.
He exclaimed, "If winter could feel less cold and have more snow that lingers for a long time, it would be the perfect season."
"You're dreaming! Just remember to dream about it when you go to sleep next time~" Lin Chunyi was still feeling down about not wanting to go out, and while being a contrarian, she poked holes in the snow with a harpoon.
Actually, she quite likes the winters in the North.
Aside from preferring to stay in bed most of the time, snow is actually both beautiful and fun.
Playing for too long can easily lead to illness, just like last year. We had a great time, but ended up both of us taking medicine and lying in bed, which was quite a torment.
Snow is probably the kind of beauty that is "only to be admired from afar and not to be touched"...
Looking at the deep holes she had poked in the flat snow with her harpoon, she suddenly said, "Why does it feel like the snow outside isn't as thick as the snow in the yard?"
He then stomped firmly into the snow, the wooden soles of his deerskin boots creaking loudly. The untouched areas next to him were only slightly higher than his ankles.
"That's good! It means we're destined to go out today. Let's go!" Lin Lanshan stopped arguing and, leaning on the same harpoon, trudged towards the bamboo forest.
The snow-covered ground was difficult to walk on. The two sisters used their harpoons as support to walk a few steps. The stream, which they could usually reach in a few steps, took them almost the time it takes to brew a cup of tea to get there.
They had assumed that with such heavy snow and such cold weather, the stream would be completely frozen. But as they approached, they discovered that the water was surprisingly resilient!
The shallow pools of water formed by the large rocks on both sides of the bank were frozen over, and the rocks were covered with a layer of snow, but the water in the middle of the stream was still flowing slowly.
It washed over the rocks, passing right next to the snow and ice. Seeing this, Lin Chunyi inexplicably felt it looked much cleaner than usual. Shouldn't this be called snowmelt?
Meanwhile, Lin Lanshan was already poking at the ice with a harpoon. "Sister, look at this, the ice is so solid!"
If the entire stream were frozen over, could they slide right from one end to the other? If they could do that, she felt she could stay here all day; even the pea shoots wouldn't matter!
Unfortunately, the stream in the middle is still flowing, so ice skating is something I can only dream about.
But this is simply illogical! Why isn't such a shallow stream frozen over?
Lin Chunyi, who was still wondering if this "snow water" had any medicinal effects, was awakened by a shout: "Ah, really? That means the weather is really cold, everything is frozen."
"Sis, do you think it's possible that some of the ditches have frozen over and we could go ice skating?"
"You mean the pools over by the small waterfall?"
Continuing towards the bamboo forest, you'll reach a small waterfall at the end of the stream. Below the waterfall are several pools of varying depths, where they would run to wash difficult-to-wash bed sheets, blankets, and thick clothes.
The water there flows from top to bottom, passing through the pool, and then into the shallow, narrow stone ditch, gradually forming the stream that passes by their house...
Lin Lanshan nodded frantically, her eyes sparkling.
"Since we're going to pass by anyway, let's go take a look. But don't be silly and step into the deep pool, or you might fall into the ice hole."
"I'm not that stupid, let's go, let's go~" If there were two slabs of ice the size of winnowing baskets, she could have slid around on them for ages, hahaha~
The two stopped and continued walking through the snow, huffing and puffing, until they finally reached their first destination after a long time.