When Liu Jinbao came sneaking around, Qin Yao was in the almost open-air kitchen preparing dinner.
Today, a pair of straw sandals was exchanged for a bunch of greens and a loofah. Qin Yao, who hadn't tasted fresh vegetables for a long time, was drooling.
She lit a fire and set the pot, poured in a ladle of water, added the loofah when it boiled, and then put in half a bunch of washed greens to make vegetable soup.
It had been ten years since she last cooked. In the apocalypse, everyone ate dry food, and only occasionally boiled a pot of water for instant noodles. So, Qin Yao's cooking skills were almost non-existent.
But looking at that pot of soup, Da Lang and his three siblings stared blankly, swallowing their saliva, as if what was cooking in the pot was some worldly delicacy.
There was no oil, salt, soy sauce, or vinegar at home. Qin Yao found a small clay pot with a layer of salt crystals on the wall, scalded it with boiling water to melt it into the pot, barely adding some flavor.
She scooped a spoonful with a wooden ladle to taste. These homegrown vegetables truly were different from those grown in greenhouses. The soup was sweet, the vegetables fresh, and it was surprisingly delicious!
"Mother, is it tasty?" Si Niang asked, swallowing her saliva eagerly.
Qin Yao smiled at them, motioning for Da Lang and Second Lang to get the bowls ready, dividing the pot of soup into five portions, one bowl for each of the five family members.
On an autumn night, drinking a bowl of steaming hot vegetable soup with boiled taro, there was nothing more satisfying.
Sanlang whispered, "Big Brother, it would be great if we could have vegetable soup and taro every day."
Da Lang patted his younger brother's head, telling him to eat quickly and not to think too much.
Second Lang glared at his brother, "How can you be so content with just a bowl of vegetable soup? Not me, I want to eat big white rice with fatty meat in the future!"
Qin Yao thought he was about to express some grand ambition, but after hearing him, she just raised an eyebrow. Just that?
But considering the living standards of the Liu Family Village residents, white rice and fatty meat were already the ultimate luxury.
Even for households like Old Liu's, they might not get to eat a full bowl of white rice and two pieces of greasy fatty meat even during festivals.
After dinner, Qin Yao asked the two older ones to help the two younger ones wash up, and when done, to come and continue twisting straw ropes with her.
Though the brothers weren't very strong, with a bit of practice, the ropes they twisted could still be used.
Qin Yao picked up a homemade simple frame and began weaving straw sandals by the firelight.
Previously, for convenience, she made toe-post sandals, which were fine for daily wear but not suitable for fieldwork as the toes were exposed.
So, this time she was making sandals that wrapped around the feet.
More detailed work naturally meant slower progress, but considering the market in Liu Family Village, Qin Yao preferred to put in extra effort.
If they couldn't sell in Liu Family Village, they could sell them in other villages. Someone would buy them.
In fact, many in the village could weave straw sandals, but few had the leisure time. Plus, it was the busy planting season, and every household was working hard to race against time, leaving a gap for Qin Yao to fill.
As for the two acres of land at Liu Ji's family... they could talk about that later. What's more important now is to eat enough.
The taro in the mountains wasn't enough to last them through the winter.
Thinking of this, Qin Yao disregarded the burning in her palms and sped up her weaving.
Liu Ji's house was not far from the riverbank, and the sound of the flowing water was clear. Tonight, the moon was big and round, and the moonlight spilled into the river, creating a shimmering light.
The mountain was quiet. Qin Yao took a deep breath, and her heart calmed down naturally.
She truly loved the current environment.
Though at night she still couldn't sleep soundly, any rustle in the wind would make her sit up reflexively, as long as she realized she was no longer in the apocalypse, she felt lucky.
Qin Yao lifted her eyes and looked towards the riverbank; a small figure was stumbling towards the village under the moonlight.
In fact, she had noticed as soon as the boy came close.
It seemed to be the child from Liu Ji's older brother's family, likely called Liu Jinbao.
Not sure what he was up to, hiding behind the low bushes, he didn't seem to be looking for them or asking for anything either.
So, Qin Yao pretended not to know, curious about what he was up to.
Unexpectedly, the little guy just squatted there and watched them finish dinner, then ran off.
Qin Yao found it baffling and continued weaving straw sandals.
Of course, it was possible that Old Liu realized the field straw was gone and sent the boy over to investigate.
But since the straw had already been woven into sandals, it wouldn't change anything.
Besides Qin Yao, no one noticed Liu Jinbao's visit. Da Lang and Second Lang took care of their younger siblings, coaxed them to bed, and then sensibly sat around the kitchen to help with the work by firelight.
By midnight, their heads were nodding off with sleepiness.
Qin Yao woke them up and told them to go to bed.
"Auntie, what about you?" Da Lang rubbed his eyes, trying to suppress his sleepiness to ask concernedly.
Qin Yao's hands kept moving while she replied, "I'll sleep once I finish this pair. You two head to bed. Wake up early to gather more firewood in the back mountain; we've run out."
Qin Yao also remembered that if they were to last the winter, they'd need to stockpile firewood, so she added, "Call me in the morning; I'll go with you."
The brothers agreed, but they were too tired to stay awake and fell asleep as soon as they laid down.
Qin Yao finished the fourth pair of men's straw sandals by the time the last firelight in the stove went out.
She put away the four pairs of sandals and stored them inside, secured the door, and finally fell asleep under the last bit of moonlight.
The sleep felt short as if she hadn't even finished a dream when the door was knocked on gently.
"Auntie, Auntie?"
The brothers were softly calling at the door, and if Qin Yao hadn't been a light sleeper, she wouldn't have heard it.
"Hold on, I'm coming!" Qin Yao replied unwillingly, sitting up from the uncomfortable bed, patting her face to wake up, put on her shoes, tied her hair, grabbed the machete and ropes, and stepped out of the room.
There was a tattered little basket in the house that Da Lang was already carrying on his back.
The mountains were dangerous for the brothers, so they didn't dare cut wood deep in the mountains and would only collect unwanted fallen branches at the foot.
When they had time, they'd pick a basketful, one carrying and one holding, enough to burn for two days at home.
Because each time they couldn't get much, they couldn't stockpile like other families.
On the way to the mountainside, Qin Yao curiously asked, "Then how do you get through winter in past years?"
Second Lang glanced at his brother, then at Qin Yao before cautiously saying, "There's an old man who sells charcoal in the village. Sometimes the kiln has leftover bits, and my brother and I would pick them up."
"Pick?" Qin Yao smirked, "More like steal?"
The brothers immediately fell silent.
Qin Yao looked at them seriously, advising, "Don't steal from others anymore. Let's stockpile our own firewood; there's no need for that."
Da Lang and Second Lang were momentarily stunned, then turned ashamed and angry, feeling she didn't understand their struggles, so they sped up ahead.
Qin Yao chuckled to herself, guessing they had gained some strength after having full bellies for a couple of days, and figured she could make them carry more firewood home!