Crossing the Unknown Country

Su He returned home and started to make charcoal. The eldest and second brothers dug a rectangular pit in the yard, put thin branches at the bottom, lit the branches, and added some new branches. After burning, they put the prepared wood of the same length as the pit into it, and let it continue to burn. Seeing that the wood was burning, they covered it with the prepared stone slabs and sealed it with soil, waiting to open it tomorrow to see what happened.

The next day, the whole family came to the pit early to check the condition of the charcoal. Most of them were good, but some were not so good. They could be used as firewood for cooking. The rest of the charcoal was taken out and piled into a basket. It was good for burning the kang at night. There was no smoke but it was warm. Today, the whole family was called to the pit to watch how to burn it. After it was steamed, the uncle and his family were called to the pit.

We went to my uncle's house to burn charcoal. We also dug two pits. My uncle's house was small, so there was plenty of space in the backyard. They had a large family, and three rooms were used to heat the kang, so we burned more. In winter, the parents and the three children lived in one room, so we only needed to burn two kangs. In fact, the kitchen was basically only used for cooking at noon, and everything else was done on the fire next to the kang. One room was used to boil water, and another room was used to cook porridge.

Because they have enough space and firewood, this year is their happiest year. The house is well-built, solid and clean, and the whole family can stay warm at home. In previous years, the family had no food or clothes to eat and the house was drafty, so they could only hide in a torn quilt.

Now I can work and write in the house, and I don't have to delay doing anything. It's really a comfortable life! Su He looked at the happy smiles of the family and felt that people can be easily satisfied if they lower their desires. She has to do everything by herself now. There is actually nothing good in this family, but she feels very happy. This is a life with low desires. People are easily satisfied and actually very happy. Everyone has forgotten the war not long ago. As long as they have enough food and warm clothes, they are very happy.

Soon, both families prepared some charcoal, so they had no problem getting through the winter. Su He started to grow vegetables in the house, using wooden boards to make wooden troughs, with a layer of soil and a layer of self-made fertilizer inside, and then a thick layer of soil, and then he could plant the vegetable seeds, water them, and put them on the wooden racks. These were all made by Su He's father and uncle themselves. They went to learn from Carpenter Li, who taught them how to make charcoal and grow vegetables.

Just a few days later, green sprouts emerged from the soil. Su He's mother was the first to discover them. She was so happy that the family had vegetables to eat. Su He's father placed several rows of shelves in the two rooms. There were bean sprouts, cabbages, and potatoes in wooden boxes. Su He's father even burned a charcoal basin in the middle of the room, fearing that the vegetables would freeze. Su He planted green leafy vegetables on the shelves this time, which are easy to grow and take a short time to grow. Those that need light are placed by the window, and those that need less light are placed at the back.

Finally seeing the leaves growing, Su He carefully collected them and put them in a basket, ready to take them to the town to sell to the rich people. There are still a few days before the New Year, and it will definitely sell for a good price. Let Dad and Mom sell this! Just go to Aunt Zhou, she knows the price well. Instruct each of the three families to give some, after all, this is a rare thing.

During this time, Uncle Su He and his father went to see the village chief and told him about growing vegetables and making charcoal. At the same time, they explained that if they made charcoal for their own use, it would be ok, but if they made charcoal to sell, the hilltops in their village would have to be cut down, so the village chief had to think about it. If there were no trees on the hill, it would be a disaster if it rained heavily and rocks fell from the hilltops. Finally, the village chief decided to give the charcoal-making job to one of his family members, who could use it in exchange for firewood, but it was fixed and could not be sold. If anyone was found selling charcoal, he would be expelled from the village.

.