After the separation, I took my whole family to eat delicious food and drink spicy

"Mom, I didn't lie to you. I said that bamboo shoots taste very good as long as they are processed well." Li Xiaoxiao looked at Bai and said as if asking for credit.

"Well, Xiaoxiao, you're right. The bamboo shoots made this way really taste good."

"Mom, since they taste so good, let's go pick some more this afternoon. We can make more dried and pickled bamboo shoots and sell them in town."

"Xiaoxiao, where did you learn all this? What are the dried bamboo shoots and pickled bamboo shoots you mentioned? I've never heard of them."

"Mom, this is a dream I had when I was unconscious. An old immortal told me this in the dream. He also told me many ways to make money. He said that this was to compensate for my stupidity over the past ten years. In the future, I will use these methods to make a lot of money and let our family live a rich life." Li Xiaoxiao told a white lie to pave the way for the fresh ideas that would come up from time to time in the future, so that he wouldn't have to explain them to Mrs. Bai every time.

Hearing that it was taught by the old immortal, Bai believed it without a doubt. The ancients always revered the gods. Bai clasped his hands together and expressed his gratitude to the gods in heaven.

"I see. Xiaoxiao, how do we make the dried and pickled bamboo shoots you mentioned? Besides, can we take them to town to sell for money? Will anyone buy them in this remote village like ours?"

Li Xiaoxiao smiled slightly and said confidently: "Mom, don't worry. Bamboo shoots are delicious. The dried bamboo shoots and pickled bamboo shoots that have been specially processed by us have a unique flavor and will definitely attract the attention of people in the town. Moreover, we can make some samples first and try them in the town to see how the reaction is. By the way, Mom, do we have a bigger vat at home? A big vat is needed to make pickled bamboo shoots." Li Xiaoxiao asked Bai.

Mrs. Bai gave a bitter laugh and said, "Where did we get the jar? We only got a few when we moved. But if you need one, I can borrow one from Aunt Chen later."

Li Xiaoxiao nodded. It seemed that this was the only way. Without a jar, she could just make less pickled bamboo shoots and dry more.

Bai did it right away. After lunch, she went to Aunt Chen to borrow a clay jar as big as a bucket. I heard that it was used to pickle pickles before.

After Li Xiaoxiao took the jar to the river to clean it, he placed it on the open space in front of his house to dry.

Li Xiaoxiao took a large bamboo basket and a winnowing basket and prepared to go up the mountain. Li Fang and Li Linlin each carried a small basket, and the four of them, mother and daughter, went up the mountain in a mighty procession.

Since their house was not far from the mountain, they walked for a while and arrived at the place where they had cut bamboo in the morning. Li Xiaoxiao put the winnowing basket and bamboo basket on the open space nearby.

"Mom, let's start picking the bamboo shoots. When we've picked most of them, we'll peel them off so they're easier to take home."

"Okay, I'll listen to you." Bai replied.

After saying that, several people began to pull up the bamboo shoots.

The sunlight shines through the dense bamboo leaves, casting mottled shadows, adding a touch of poetry to this hardworking scene.

Li Xiaoxiao was agile, able to identify the freshest and most delicious bamboo shoots at a glance. Her hands seemed to possess a magical power, gently twisting and pulling, and the shoots fell neatly into the basket. Li Fang and Li Linlin were not far behind. Although less powerful, they were more enthusiastic, their faces filled with smiles of excitement and satisfaction.

As time went by, the bamboo baskets and winnowing baskets were gradually filled, and the air was filled with the unique fresh fragrance of bamboo shoots.

Li Xiaoxiao looked up at the sun and estimated that it was almost time, so he asked everyone to stop what they were doing and start processing the bamboo shoots.

"Mom, look, let's peel off the outer skin of the bamboo shoots layer by layer, leaving the tender white part inside." Li Xiaoxiao said as she demonstrated, her technique skillful and gentle.

Bai and the children followed suit and quickly mastered the technique and became faster.

The peeled bamboo shoots were piled up like small hills, emitting an attractive luster. Li Xiaoxiao put all the bamboo shoots into the winnowing basket and bamboo basket, and Li Fang and Li Linlin's small baskets were also filled to the brim.

"Mom, let's go back first. It's still early so we can get these bamboo shoots out."

"Okay, Fang'er, Lin'er, each of you carry a small basket and walk in front. Walk slowly and be careful not to fall."

"Don't worry, Mom. We'll be careful." Li Fang said as he picked up the small basket and led Li Linlin down the mountain. Li Xiaoxiao carried the winnowing basket, and Bai Shi picked up the bamboo basket and followed behind.

After returning home, Li Xiaoxiao asked Li Fang and Li Linlin to play in the yard, while she and Bai went to the river to fetch two buckets of water, intending to wash all the bamboo shoots first.

"Mom, let's cut all the bamboo shoots into thin slices first, and then boil them in boiling water to remove the bitterness and astringency of the bamboo shoots, and then drain the water." Li Xiaoxiao was teaching Bai how to make dried and soaked bamboo shoots, while she kept cutting the bamboo shoots into thin slices with her hands. Bai followed Li Xiaoxiao's method and first blanched some of the cut bamboo shoots in water, then took them out and drained the water.

The family sat together, busy with their work, occasionally looking up and smiling at each other. The warmth and harmony made this thatched house full of vitality.

As the sun gradually set, their work became more and more apparent. Slices of cut and blanched bamboo shoots were neatly placed on the winnowing basket.

Li Xiaoxiao went to boil a pot of hot water and let it cool down. Then he turned around and went to the yard to carry the clay jar that was drying there back to the kitchen. He put in the drained bamboo shoots and poured in boiled water. He then covered the mouth of the jar with a bowl with a chipped corner. To be on the safe side, Li Xiaoxiao also poured a bowl of water into the sealed mouth to prevent air from entering.

After finishing all this, Li Xiaoxiao stood up and put the clay pot in a cool place in the kitchen. "Mom, the pickled bamboo shoots are ready. They should be ready to eat in about a week." Li Xiaoxiao was extremely confident in her cooking skills.

"I didn't expect pickled bamboo shoots to be so easy. Now, Xiaoxiao, what should we do with the remaining bamboo shoots?"

"Mom, let's just leave them like this to dry. When the sun comes out tomorrow, we'll put the bamboo shoots in the sun to dry, then steam them and dry them again. But Mom, we don't seem to have any tools to dry things at home." Li Xiaoxiao thought, this family is really poor.

"Xiaoxiao, don't worry about that. Mom knows how to weave mats. Tomorrow morning, I'll go up the mountain to cut some big bamboos and weave some smaller mats for drying things."

"Mom, I didn't expect you could weave mats. Not everyone can do that."

"Your grandpa taught me this when he was still alive. I haven't done it in a long time, but I think it shouldn't be difficult."

As night fell, the Li family, amidst the bustle of their small courtyard, enjoyed a moment of reunion. Mrs. Bai prepared dinner in the kitchen, while Li Xiaoxiao and her younger siblings put the finishing touches on the bamboo shoots they had harvested that day. The air was filled with anticipation and hope, as if tomorrow's sunshine had already shone into this simple yet warm little home.