Ancient natural disasters: The whole family traveled through time and was almost wiped out

Chapter 234

"This way, our village will indeed be much safer! But..." Jiang Xiubai frowned and said, "Our village is backed by a mountain and faces a river. It is not a small project to fence it off."

"That's not something we need to consider." Jiang Xiaomi yawned and said, "Are you hungry? Do you want some chicken feet?"

"How about boneless chicken feet?" Jiang Xiubai said as he took out a can of boneless chicken feet and a plate. There was half a basin of two kilograms of chicken feet. He also took out two cucumbers, rubbed them, and put them into the basin and mixed them with the chicken feet without washing them.

It looks delicious.

It tastes good too.

The two of them held chopsticks, taking turns to satisfy their stomachs, and drinking icy Coke from time to time.

"Ah~ delicious!"

Jiang Xiubai finished one can and took out another one.

"Xiaomi, to be honest, I have been in the ancient times for almost half a year, and I can't say that life here is hard. After all, even in Yunling Mountain, my family has an independent house, and we can cook our own meals. We are not cold or hungry. It doesn't feel like we are going to seek refuge, but rather camping on the top of a mountain.

"This is a novel experience, different from the experience of modern life, but..."

Jiang Xiubai put down his chopsticks sullenly: "These different types of life are like traveling. You can go to different places and different cities, but you have to go home one day."

"Xiaomi, I miss home and my parents."

"Oh..." Jiang Xiaomi sighed. She didn't know how to comfort him regarding this issue. After all, no matter what she said, she could not empathize with him - her parents and brother were right beside her!

"Why don't you drink Coke instead? Drink some wine! Drunk away your sorrows. When you get drunk and fall asleep, you won't have any thoughts."

Jiang Xiubai: "...Don't you know that drinking to drown your sorrows only makes you more sorrowful? Besides, if you get drunk you will have a headache the next day!"

"It's just a hangover, that's how it is..." Jiang Xiaomi laughed when she saw Jiang Xiubai glaring at her. "Why are you looking at me like that? It was you who had to tell me this. How do you want me to comfort you? If I tell you - think positively, will you feel better?"

"No thanks!" Jiang Xiubai snorted twice: "Forget it, I don't expect you to spit out ivory from your dog's mouth."

"Okay, don't think too much about it. It's fate. Now that you're here, you should make the best of it. Just treat it as a trip to ancient times, and come here to experience their customs, their joys and sorrows..."

Before Jiang Xiaomi finished speaking, Jiang Xiubai came to answer: "There is also war culture!"

"It's no fun if you talk like that!"

"Sigh..." Jiang Xiubai was depressed and stopped arguing with Jiang Xiaomi.

Jiang Xiaomi glanced at him, picked up a piece of cucumber and put it in her mouth: "Hey, let's talk about business. The temperature has returned to -10 degrees Celsius today. I'm going to start growing vegetables."

"Hmm?" Jiang Xiubai looked up: "Ten degrees below zero is very cold. What vegetables can withstand this temperature? Won't they be frozen to pieces?"

"There are so many." Jiang Xiaomi finished the boneless chicken feet and cucumber on the plate, wiped her mouth and said, "For example, spinach seeds can germinate at -4 degrees Celsius and can grow normally at -10 degrees Celsius. The same goes for leeks, white radishes, cherry radishes, and cabbages. These are all vegetables that survive the winter."

"There is also a green vegetable called Wutacai. Have you heard of it? It is the most commonly grown vegetable in the north in winter. The lower the temperature, the tastier the Wutacai is."

"Is it true?" Jiang Xiubai didn't quite believe it.

Jiang Xiaomi shrugged: "Why don't you plant some and eat them and you'll know?"

"When should we plant? Should we wait until it's warmer?"

"Now."

"Now?"

"Yeah, you think I have a lot of time? I have to do it immediately when I think of it! Most vegetables only take three to four days from sowing to growing two small leaves. According to the current warming trend, it will probably be two or three degrees warmer by then."

I had originally planned to sow seeds during my day off today, but my time was taken up the mountain with Jiang Xiubai, and when I came back my grandma caught me and gave me a long safety education, so I didn't think about it.

"Okay, let's go. Which one should we go to? What do we need to prepare?"

"For now, let's grow the seedlings in my house. Although they can grow in sub-zero temperatures, in order to ensure the survival rate, we have to wait until they grow stronger before transplanting them. Come on, turn the soil."

Too lazy to go to the fields, Jiang Xiaomi took out two large shovels and pushed one to Jiang Xiubai to get soil from the spot. The latter didn't say much, just swung the shovel and shoveled the ground -

It's so hard to shovel!

Jiang Xiubai used his foot to poke the ground: "Tsk - it looks soft, why is it so hard?"

"Because it's all frozen soil underneath!"

Jiang Xiaomi took out three baskets from the space and covered them with a thick layer of cloth so that the soil would not fall off and the baskets would be breathable, and the area for growing seedlings would also be larger.

"Oh my God, turning the soil is so tiring. Fortunately, Uncle Chen can arrange people to turn the soil for growing vegetables. If it were up to the two of us, we wouldn't even be able to eat the vegetable roots." Jiang Xiaomi said, holding her waist.

Fortunately, she traveled through time and space to become Jiang Xiaomi. If she had traveled through time and space to become Jiang Ni, it would have been a disaster. No matter how much she learned about farming, she still wouldn't be able to use all her martial arts.

So, she is both unfortunate and lucky.

The two of them dug three frames of mud, and Jiang Xiaomi simply threw away the shovel. It was so tiring.

The tiredness from farming is different from the tiredness from practicing martial arts or going to work. It can make people so tired that they lose hope.

After carrying the mud frame back to the house, Jiang Xiaomi took out a lot of cabbage seeds. These vegetable seeds were bought by Jiang Xiubai in the system a long time ago. He picked out three packages.

"Cherry radish, spinach, and black mustard greens. Is that enough to plant these three?" Jiang Xiubai came over and asked.

"A lot? Not bad! The harvesting time for these three vegetables is about the same. As long as the fertility is good, they can be harvested in thirty to forty days."

"So fast??"

"Your chicken can grow 5 kilograms in 40 days. Is it strange that I can harvest vegetables in 30 or 40 days?"

"Ah... you want to compete as well?"

"No! I'm growing vegetables."

"Just plant it! Just spread it on the soil? And then water it?"

"It's not impossible - but in order to increase the germination rate, I am used to soaking the seeds in a wet cloth overnight. That's it. Soak a thicker cloth and place it on the mud frame. Then spread the seeds evenly on the wet cloth. Then put another wet cloth on the seeds, sprinkle some water on it, and finally place it next to the kang. Don't place it too close. Wutacai prefers cold weather to warmth, so just place it neither too far nor too close."

"You will see the seeds swell up tomorrow morning, and you can sow them now. Just spread them evenly on the soil in this box. When the seedlings grow to about seven or eight centimeters, you can transplant them to the ground."

"This method is applicable to most vegetable breeding, including cherry radish and spinach." Jiang Xiaomi said and asked Jiang Xiubai to do it. It was so simple that even a fool could do it, and Jiang Xiubai did a great job.

"I have a class tomorrow, please come over as soon as you wake up. I will check the seeds before I go to class. Whether they can be planted or not, I will leave you a note. Just follow the instructions on the note. You know how to plant seeds, right?"

"Should I...?"

"Okay, I'll teach you." Jiang Xiaomi said, "It's very simple. I'll just tell you once!"

With the step-by-step instruction, Jiang Xiubai also found it very simple, so when he came to sow seeds the next day, he finished it in minutes. After that, he came here every day, and he was so happy to see the seedlings growing taller and stronger!

But there was someone in the yard who was not very happy——

Chunya watched this Young Master Bai frequently going in and out of her eldest daughter's boudoir every day. Although she didn't say anything, the look in his eyes was creepy.

"What's wrong, Chunya?" When Jiang Xiubai walked out of Jiang Xiaomi's room again, he was startled by Chunya who was guarding outside the door. Seeing that she seemed to be hesitant to speak, he asked another question out of curiosity.

"Master Bai..." Chunya struggled for a long time in her heart, and finally knelt down with a plop: "Although I am a servant, I still want to say that it is against etiquette for you to casually break into my eldest lady's boudoir like this!"

"I didn't just barge in here casually! I got your eldest lady's consent!"

Chunya was surprised. Indeed, he was right. He came here with the permission of his eldest daughter, but——

"Even if my eldest lady agrees, you can't come here every day! It will damage our eldest lady's reputation!"

"What are you talking about?" Jiang Xiubai held his forehead with his hand. "I am your eldest lady's brother. What are you thinking? Besides, your eldest lady is not in the room!"

When you are here, don’t you come too late?

Chunya wanted to say this, but she didn't dare. After hesitating for a long time, she managed to say, "Even a real brother can't just go in and out of his sister's bedroom casually, let alone..." You are a fake brother who is almost five generations older than you...

Jiang Xiubai: “…”

Okay, he got it.

In ancient times, people attached great importance to the separation between men and women. There has been a saying since ancient times that boys and girls should not sit together after the age of seven. It is indeed a bad influence for him to casually stay in Jiang Xiaomi's room like this. If it gets out, it will affect her marriage!

In ancient times, a girl was considered an old maid at the age of nineteen, and early love was legal.

What kind of person will Jiang Xiaomi marry in the future?

Jiang Xiubai's thoughts couldn't help but wander.

Marry a farmer?

No way?

Jiang Xiubai is not discriminating against farmers, but Jiang Xiaomi is an excellent student after all, and she also knows martial arts. Marrying a farmer who can't read a single word, their outlook on life, values, and consumption are all incompatible!

Can we live happily together?

If she married a scholar or a son of an aristocratic family, she would be a good match. However, in ancient times, men were allowed to have three wives and four concubines. Could Jiang Xiaomi meet a man who didn't have concubines?

If her husband cheated on her, according to Jiang Xiaomi's personality, she would tear that person to pieces with her bare hands!

But in ancient times, if a wife killed her husband, it was a serious crime!

Jiang Xiubai couldn't bear the thought that Jiang Xiaomi would either be beheaded or spend the rest of her life in jail. He thought it would be better for him to just marry her. He would definitely not take a concubine!

No, no, they are brother and sister within the five generations of mourning, and intermarriage is not allowed.

This isn’t possible, and that isn’t possible!

After walking around the yard a few times, Jiang Xiubai left with a lack of interest.

Chunya knelt on the ground, watching Jiang Xiubai's back as he left in dismay. She felt guilty and bowed to Jiang Xiubai's back, saying in her heart, "I'm sorry, Master Bai, it's impossible for you and my eldest daughter to be together!"

That’s right, in the eyes of many servants in the old Jiang family, Jiang Xiubai and their eldest daughter go out together all day long, and no one would believe that they didn’t have any intention!

But it's impossible for them!

In order to protect her own young lady, Chunya has no choice but to risk it all and explain the dangers of the situation to make Master Bai give up!

When the seedlings grew to five or six centimeters, Uncle Chen came over and told Jiang Xiaomi that the land for growing vegetables had been prepared. It was the vacant lot behind Old Jiang's house.

Also on that afternoon, all the young and old who had gone out of Jiangjia Village returned home.

Because tomorrow is Qingming Festival.

"You're back!"

Because Old Lady Yang had told every household that the young and old men would be back today, the women in the village would rush to the village entrance to wait after finishing their work at the brick kiln.

When Tailor Jiang's wife saw him, she hurried over to him and was startled: "Why are you getting fatter?"

Tailor Jiang is one of the people who has been away from home the longest in Jiangjia Village. It has been two whole months. How can he not be tired when he is away from home working?

But why am I still fat?

"The work is not tiring and the food is good, so you will get fat, right?" Tailor Jiang is one of the master chefs and a member of the small management team. Although he has to go to work and stay up late, his work is generally easy.

"How are you? Did the child bother you?" Tailor Jiang supported his wife as they walked home. Maybe because of her age, she had severe morning sickness when he left and could not eat much. Knowing that he was worried, Uncle Pei would ask about his wife's situation when he passed on the news to the village, and then relayed it to him to reassure him.

Tailor Jiang's wife smiled and touched her slightly pregnant belly: "The child is very well behaved!"

"Really? Let Dad hear it—"

Tailor Jiang's wife slapped him and said, "Stop messing around—"

……

People go to visit their ancestors’ graves on Qingming Festival, which the people of Jiangjia Village call "worshiping the mountain". The rice used for worshiping the mountain is glutinous rice, which is dyed yellow with gardenia.

During special times, it is impossible to offer chicken, duck, fish and meat to our ancestors, but this gardenia rice is particularly important and must be available in every household.

Dry the yellow gardenia and preserve it. Peel off the shell on the night before Qingming Festival, soak it in water, then soak the yellow gardenia water and washed glutinous rice together overnight. This way, each grain of glutinous rice will be dyed with the color of the yellow gardenia. The next day, cook the yellow glutinous rice together with the water. After it is cooked, add some lard and stir it. It will taste more fragrant.

In order to make it taste better, people who can afford it will fry it in lard until both sides are golden brown and crispy.

"Jiang Xiubai, I've been waiting for you. Are you done dawdling?" Jiang Yida called his son while carrying a basket.

"Okay!" Jiang Xiubai ran out dressed in white.

Last night, Liu did not hide anything from Jiang Yida and told him everything that Jiang Xiubai had said to her. Jiang Yida was shocked, but his reaction was limited. However, he was woken up early in the morning on the first day, dressed in white, as if in mourning, and went to kowtow to thank his ancestors.