Crossing the Unknown Country

Su He also thought that he needed to dig a well at home, so that he could dig a cellar in the well. He started digging from the middle of the well wall, so that even if someone looked for it, they would not be able to see the entrance to the cellar. The other entrance of the cellar could be opened to the house next door, so that if there was danger and he did not have time to escape, he could hide in it for refuge. Many years later, Su He was very grateful for his idea this time. When his family had money, he really dug two cellars like this, which saved the lives of the whole family.

When Su Pei and Su Che came over, both of them wore new clothes today. The gray ones didn't look particularly new, but they were clean and tidy and still made the two young men look handsome and tall. The two were very happy and thanked Su He as soon as they came in, letting them wear new clothes now. Because there were three pieces of cloth this time, the new clothes they made didn't have to wait until the New Year. The clothes they cut in the past few years were enough, and they didn't have to wear patched clothes anymore. Otherwise, they would not have the confidence to go to the town every time. Although people didn't say anything, they could tell at a glance that they were from the village and wore patched clothes. The town is not full of rich people, there are also poor people, their clothes are old, but not so torn.

Su Pei and the other two then said that the soapberry made by Su He was very useful. Su Che also asked Su He to look at himself and see that he had become whiter. He should make more soapberry and sell it. Su He wanted to laugh. Their brothers were now obsessed with money. Whenever they had something new, they would first think of selling it for money.

Su Pei and the other person sat down and ate the pancakes left for them, saying that they had never eaten such delicious pancakes. Knowing that such a delicacy was made from kudzu root powder, they said that they would dig it up whenever they saw it in the future. Su Pei also said casually, "If it doesn't work, let's grow some ourselves!" Open up a piece of wasteland on the mountain and let the five of us grow it together. Su He and the others thought it was feasible, and they would dig up some smaller roots next time to try. Su He had seen a video before and it seemed that someone had grown it, and it was specially grown to grow bigger. It can also be planted next to the wall as a flower, and the kudzu root flowers are quite beautiful.

After finishing their meal, they copied books together for a while and then prepared to go up the mountain. The five of them split into two groups, agreed on a place to meet, and began their activities in the mountains. Su He and Su Feng arrived a little later, so they found an inconspicuous place at the foot of the mountain, and two people started to build a fire near the other side of the forest. Because they needed to dig a pit, the two people divided the work and cooperated. Su He took water and mixed a pile of mud to prepare to paste the gaps, so that it would be more tight and the temperature in the lime kiln would be higher. The two people built a steamed bun kiln in a proper manner, waiting for them to bring back the stones to start firing.

The two were not idle either, looking for firewood, digging wild vegetables and picking herbs, anyway, they could not stop to rest. They could not go to work in the fields, so they did these things to help reduce the burden on their families. The children here had a hard life, and their childhood was spent in the mountains constantly busy, and this was considered playing. The two filled their backpacks, and then they began to look for some wild fruits and some roots that could be eaten raw in the wild as snacks.

Finally, the three brothers came. Not only were their backpacks full of things, but they were also holding a bundle of hay in their hands. The three men found them and put down the hay and backpacks in their hands. Su Pei and Su Feng took out half of the stones in the baskets and asked Su He to see if they were all right. Su He took a look and found no problem. He began to burn limestone with his brothers, some burning the fire and some fanning the air. In order to burn it quickly, Su He and his brothers decided to take turns fanning the air, so that the fire would be stronger and the stones would burn faster. The kiln they made this time was large enough, so all the stones could be put in and burned at the same time.

Because the place was spacious and there was enough firewood, the five people took turns to add firewood and fan the fire. When they saw the stones gradually turn red, they began to seal the fire and let it smolder for a while. Finally, they waited for it to cool down gradually before starting to pick up stones. After being fired, the stones became very light and white. They put all the stones in Su Pei's backpack together, and now the weight was very light. They did not destroy the kiln, so they could bake food in the future and burn limestone again. This firing was very successful, and they went back to paint the walls. This time, my uncle's family could also be painted together, as there was enough quicklime. Even the walls of the yard could be painted once. If it was not enough, they could just burn another kiln. Now they can operate it skillfully. No matter who among them can make it, if the elder brother grows up, he can make a living with it.